Page 15 of Spark
Tyler looked down at the beer he’d been nursing for most of happy hour, now finally empty.“Thanks, man.”
He scanned his surroundings even though he’d memorized every room, hallway, and exit of the Crooked Angel as a rookie.The long, polished mahogany bar that ran the length of the back wall was well-populated for a weeknight, mostly with familiar faces.Station Seventeen’s first responders gathered here on the regular, as did the detectives from the Thirty-Third.The group had expanded to include the doctors and nurses from Remington Memorial Hospital when Seventeen’s former paramedic, Parker Drake, had decided to take his ass back to medical school five years ago.The guy in question—now a happily married surgeon—was sitting at a table a few feet away, helping his daughter color on her paper menu while his wife, Charlie, fed their three-month-old son.Seventeen’s current paramedics, Luke and Quinn Slater, were also nearby, Quinn sipping a ginger ale and resting a hand on her just-beginning-to-grow-obvious baby bump.Seventeen’s Engine lieutenant, Ian Gamble, sat at the end of the bar, his eyes fixed on his wife, Kennedy, with clear adoration, and Jesus God, was there anybody in this place who hadn’t gotten wasted on the Big Feelings Kool-Aid?
“Whoa.You okay?”Ryan asked, and Tyler squashed back the weird sensation that had been brewing beneath his T-shirt.
“Yeah.Sorry.Must’ve eaten too many wings.”
The look his best friend gave him said there was no such thing.“If you say so.Oh, before I forget, Addison wanted me to ask how party planning is going.”
Most of the Intelligence detectives were noticeably absent from the Crooked Angel tonight.If Tyler had to guess, they were working that murder case they’d brought Chloe in on.Chloe, who he’d dropped off at the fire house yesterday morning with the world’s clunkiest “see you later”/”you bet” combo.Chloe, who had, as promised, emailed him a list of tasks and asks to prepare for Ryan and Addison’s party.Chloe, who he was not, under any circumstances, thinking about, especially in the presence of her brother.
“It’s going fine,” Tyler said, covering the selected truth with a swallow of beer.“I have a punch list.Pretty easy.”
“Are you good with all of it?”Ryan asked.
Tyler huffed a soft laugh.“There aren’tthatmany things to do.”He’d actually been surprised at how short the list was.Confirm bar order with the bach party venue.Deliver decorations on the afternoon of the party.Make sure Ryan arrives on time.Track S17 headcount.
Funny, Ryan’s grin didn’t make a comeback.“No.I mean areyougood with all of it?”
Tyler kept the prickle in his gut far away from his face, his gut prickling again at the effort it took.“Sure.Why wouldn’t I be?”
Taking a deep breath—great—Ryan said, “Look, I know we don’t make a habit of cozying up by the campfire to talk about our feelings, and I’m not trying to press the issue.But at every single one of our friends’ weddings, you’ve arrived thirty seconds before the ceremony, lurked in the back row, then did maybe twenty minutes of face time at the reception before leaving your name in the guest book and making a beeline for the door.”
“I don’tlurk.That’s fucking creepy.And I stay longer than twenty minutes,” Tyler argued, but that one was his only leg to stand on, and even then, only by a small margin.
Which Ryan called him out on by arching one dark brow.“Not by much and, also, not the point.You hate weddings.I get why.Your parents…” He broke off, and Christ, Tyler officially hated this conversation.“Ireallyget it, and I know that despite your state of eternal chill, being my best man must be coming with baggage for you.I just want to be sure you’re okay.”
Tyler was tempted, for one flash of a second, to tell Ryan that he didn’t haveparents.Technically, of course, he did.But he drew the line at calling Martin Abernathy his father, because the bastard didn’t deserve it.Despite Tyler’s efforts not to—and the fact that the man had never been around much—he even had a few memories of Martin, a clip here, a snapshot there.His sharpest memory, though, was of Martin ripping a hole in their family so vast and so deep that his mother almost hadn’t recovered.Tyler would never forget the wreckage Martin had left in his wake, and he damn sure would never forgive the man for causing it.
So, yeah, it was just Tyler and his mom.Had been since Tyler was five.Which was fine by him, since they were close enough for her to count twice.
Tyler forced his muscles to loosen and the calm that kept him safe to return from the top of his head downward.He couldn’t get torqued up about this.Feelings that unruly weren’t safe, and anyway, adding to Ryan’s worry right now would make him the king of shitty friends.
“I’m totally fine,” he said, painting the words with equal parts sincerity and ease.“I know I’m not the settle-down type, and yeah, Martin was an asshole.But I promise to stay at your reception for at least forty-five minutes.An hour if there’s an open bar.”
Finally, Ryan’s grin returned.“You’re a real prince, Gates.”
“I know.”Tyler grinned back.“It’s a gift.”
“So, I take it you’re not bringing a plus-one?”Ryan asked, and Tyler was tempted to laugh long and hard until—oh, shit—he realized Ryan was serious.
“I’m not the settle-down type, remember?”Tyler pointed to himself with his non-beer hand, using the other to take a suddenly much-needed swig.
“Not to get all about-to-be-married on you,” Ryan said in a tone that told Tyler he was very much about to go all about-to-be-married on him, “but don’t you ever get tired of one and dones?”
“Yes,” Tyler said gravely.“I’m so over having hot sex with no strings attached.It’s terrible.The worst.”
Okay, so he hadn’t actually hooked up with anyone since the Chloe debacle, but now was not the time for a stroll down memory lane.He had a subject to change, and fast.
Ryan?Not letting go that easily, the fucker.“Not to put too fine a point on it, but I have hot sex all the time.I’m not talking about that.I’m talking about not having, you know.A person.Someone you want to be with more than short-term.”
Tyler’s stomach churned.He knew Ryan meant well.But he also knew the truth.“I’m really happy for you and Addison.Truly.All that big feelings relationship stuff just isn’t my thing.Trust me, I’m fine without it.”
For a second, Tyler thought Ryan was going to argue.But then, he gave up a small smile, leaning against the bar and lifting his pint glass to Tyler in a toast.“Here’s to you, my friend.”
“Shouldn’t we be toasting you?You’re the one getting married,” Tyler said.
Ryan shook his head.“Nope, this one’s all you.Because someday, someone’s going to come along who knocks you directly on your dumb ass.When that happens, I am going to give you so much shit for this conversation.It’s going to be epic.”
