Page 34 of Four Firemen For Christmas

Shit. I shouldn’t call it home. This isn’t my home.

Alex’s muscles tightened, his shoulders coming up around his ears. He stopped and turned, bringing his profile into view. “I’m off twenty-four-hour shifts for a while. Henry has us on some weird, holiday schedule while he trains some new recruits.” That same jaw muscle ticked a steady beat. He looked different from when we’d talked at the station. He’d been almost cordial then, but this side of Alex was back to the reclusive, almost angry version. What happened to make him flip?

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. I was about to cook dinner. Is there anything you’d like me to fix?” It was all a lie. I’d had no intention of cooking until I saw Alex. I didn’t want to impress him exactly, but I wouldn’t mind figuring out a way to make him smile again.

“Don’t, Emma.” He held up a hand in a stop motion. “Whatever it is that you’re doing, stop.”

“I’m not doing anything. I was trying to be nice.” I reached past him and unlocked the door.

He held it open for me, his palm planted in the center of the door. The move put us nose to nose. His smoky gray eyes stared into me, searching for who knew what. He didn’t seem to find it and eventually let out a loud sigh that fluttered the hair around my face.

“I’m not going to sit around and watch you cook.” He placed his hand in the small of my back and urged me into the room. “I’ll help, but only if you don’t pester me about what’s wrong.”

Oh, gruff Alex was sexy. I’d find out what he was angry about eventually. In the meantime, I planned on enjoying watching his sexy ass cook.

16

SAMUEL

Iwas getting too old for these twenty-four-hour shifts. I loved them too much to let them go, though. I couldn’t imagine any other job. Being a firefighter was my life. More than that, it was my whole identity. I’d tried to instill that love in Alex, but God only knew if it worked.

The poor guy missed his ex, but after that conversation they’d had yesterday, I didn’t think he’d miss her much longer. If he did at all. I hated that he’d been put in that position with Danielle. I’d never liked her, but I was Alex’s mentor. That didn’t give me the right to tell him who to date.

Dragging on my jacket, I waved at Henry. I was wrapping up my twenty-four-hour shift, and he should be right behind me. Alex and Derek would get back in the full rotation as soon as we got the new recruits sorted out.

“Where are you off to in such a rush?” Henry buttoned his coat and tucked his scarf into the front. The man was fastidious about almost everything. Which made it all the crazier that he’d had sex with Emma in his office, right under our noses.

I almost asked him about it, but I didn’t want to cause a fuss. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that he’d screwed Emma. Even if I couldn’t prove it, one look at her when she left his office and I’d known. So had Alex. I was happy for him in a weird way. Henry didn’t often let loose, especially when it came to sex.

He opened the gray metal door and preceded me out of the building.

I left my coat open so I’d get the full effect of the winter air. The breeze caught Henry’s hair and sent it standing straight up. He smoothed it back down with one hand and waited for me to start walking. He wouldn’t stop until he got an answer. Even if he had to follow me all the way to the apartment. He was a good captain and a man I respected.

“Going to check on Alex.” I didn’t bring up what happened between Henry and Emma yesterday. It was none of my business unless he and Emma made it my business. If she agreed to the sharing thing, then I might have to get used to having Henry around even more often. Like we didn’t already see each other eighty percent of the time anyway. “He had a rough day yesterday.”

Henry frowned. “Anything I should know about?”

“Nope. Just a problem with his ex.” I left out the full scope of the problem and that Danielle had been at the station. Henry didn’t need to know that she was still sniffing around after Alex. We all knew the woman was bad news. The faster she found someone new and let Alex go, the better. I’d hoped that running drills afterward helped him get rid of the anger, but I wouldn’t be sure until I checked on him.

Henry kept pace beside me. We were roughly the same age, and with our salt and pepper hair, people often mistook us for family. I usually laughed it off. I was taller, broader, more muscular, and incredibly tan where Henry had the pasty look of someone who spent a lot of time in an office. But I could see why people tried to connect us. He and I had been in the same station together for twenty years. We were like brothers. Same with me and Alex, even though Alex hadn’t been around as long. I loved that kid like a brother. Henry and Derek too. We made an odd family, but it worked for us.

Family. Huh. What about Emma? She was new to all of us, but she already fit in like we’d always known her. She was another reason I headed toward Alex’s apartment. I knew she’d likely be there. She’d avoided answering us about the whole sharing thing. I didn’t plan on pinning her down and demanding an answer, but maybe she was ready to talk about it.

Henry and I parted ways a block away from the fire station. He climbed into his car while I kept walking. The brisk air and sprinkling snow created a Christmas atmosphere that I’d been trying to avoid. Christmas wasn’t exactly my favorite time of the year, but I had a feeling this year was going to be different. Emma made everything feel different. It made no sense, but I wasn’t about to waste time worrying about it.

I knocked on Alex’s door and then twisted the handle and walked in. Would I walk into another situation like I’d encountered yesterday? I almost hoped so.

Emma looked up and smiled at me from a stool pulled up to the kitchen island. Bright light flooded over her, highlighting her dark curls and bringing a flush to her skin. She wore black shorts with a black sweatshirt that came down past her hands. The shorts revealed her creamy thighs, and the sight instantly turned me on. I loved the sight of those legs. She sat with her ankles crossed, her toes on the bottom rung.

Alex stood at the stove with a kitchen towel over one shoulder. He flipped something in the skillet and it sizzled.

“Hey.” Alex nodded in a quick jerk of his head.

“What’s going on?” I crossed to the stool beside Emma and dragged it across the floor. The feet scraped and Alex’s shoulders tensed.

Emma leaned toward me and cupped a hand around her mouth like she was about to share a secret. “Alex is cooking. I offered to help, but he shot me down.”

Alex growled over his shoulder. “Because you burned the burgers last night when I left you alone for five minutes.”

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