by BJ Harvey
“Flynn and I didn’t end our marriage because we didn’t love each other.”
“You just weren’t in love, right? I get it.”
“Is that weird? Will Rhodes have a problem with that?”
“Rhodes Anderson can be like a bull in a china shop if he’s pissed off. He can be quiet and withdrawn if we have a bad outcome at a callout. He’s staunchly loyal, will do anything for anyone, has a heart of gold, and a soft spot for those close to him. But I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that he is not close-minded. He lost his wife five years ago and has raised possibly the best teenager I’ve ever known. So, no, Dee, you have absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to whether Rhodes is a good man—a hot man.”
I nod at that assessment before I can stop myself.
“And he may be shocked as hell that you’re his blind date, but he will not be even one little bit disappointed.”
A knock at the door stops me from asking anything else, but after Skye’s ringing endorsement, I think I know enough. Skye pushes herself to her feet, shooting me a wry smile before looking me up and down and nodding with approval. “Come in…”
“Y’all better be decent,” Ezra says, making me laugh.
“Yes, Dad,” Skye replies sarcastically, just as my brother pops his head in.
“Always a smartass, aren’t you, Skye?” He glances my way and does a double take. “Looking good, Dee. And right on time, because they’re here.”
My chest gets tight and those butterflies aren’t just fluttering—they’re damn near causing a tornado in my stomach. “This is weird. You’re all being weird. A setup. At a firehouse BBQ. Who does that?”
“We do,” Skye and Ezra reply in unison.
“Take a deep breath. Be your charming self and get down there before your son subjects Rhodes to a Spanish Inquisition, the ten-year-old edition.” Ezra’s smirk broadens as my eyes widen and my mouth drops open.
Then my brother is jumping out of the way, and I leave a laughing Skye and chuckling Ezra in my dust as I rush out of the room and make a beeline for the backyard.
Unfortunately, I’m too late. As I burst through the French doors leading outside, Harvey’s mini-alpha-in-training voice reaches my ears as he looks up at an amused-looking Rhodes, a look-alike teenager who could only be his son, and another couple next to them. What’s equally amusing and surprising is that my son seems to have recruited Jamie Cook’s son, Axel, to have his back and join his little welcoming committee. And everyone else in the backyard have all fallen quiet, all attention now on the show that’s playing out in front of them.
I jerk to a halt and brace myself for whatever Harvey is about to say, because Flynn and I don’t filter ourselves around our son, and Harvey is just as protective of his mom as my ex-husband, brother, and the Cook brothers. I can never predict what is going to come out of his mouth so this could go either way.
“Hello. I’m Harvey. I’d like to know what your intentions are with my mom.”
I’d be shocked if I wasn’t slightly mortified, given that he hasn’t addressed the question to Rhodes. He’s asking the guy who could only be Marco, and it’s probably because he’s wearing a CFD T-shirt and Harvey knows Rhodes is a firefighter. The actual man I’ve been looking forward to seeing all week is wearing a nice button-up shirt and jeans that hug his hips—and likely his nice butt I couldn’t help but ogle the other day. His hair is messy in a styled way, and there’s a light smattering of stubble covering his jaw that makes him look all the more handsome.
Marco chuckles and holds out his hand to my son. “Sorry to say, bud. But the man you’re looking for is this guy.” He claps Rhodes on the shoulder. “But definitely grill him. A man should always look out for the women in his life, right?”
“Yeah, sir. My dad says it’s my job to keep my mom happy and make sure everyone else in her life makes her happy too.”
Then my not-so-blind date for the evening steps forward and leans down to hold his hand out to dwarf my son’s one. But my little man stands his ground and looks Rhodes straight in the eye.
“Hey, Harvey, I’m Rhodes. I’m not sure I’ve met your mom yet, but you’ve certainly made me want to if she raised a fine, protective son like you. This is my son, Jake. The man wearing the CFD T-shirt here is Marco, and that’s his girlfriend, Renee.”
Holy swoon, Batman. All my nerves evaporate, because without knowing I’m here, Rhodes has just proven he’s as genuine as the man who stepped in to help me the first time we met.
“Oh,” Harvey murmurs, his little head switching between the four adults standing in front of him. Axel puts his hand on my son’s shoulder and says something I can’t hear before Harvey looks back at his new best friend and nods. “So, Mr. Rhodes, please make my mom happy. She’s the very best mom and my favorite person in the entire world—apart from my dad . . . and maybe my uncle . . . oh, and my dog—and she cooks yummy food, and she’s always looking after me, and I need to make sure you’re not gonna make her sad or cry, because then I’d have to do what my mom and dad say I shouldn’t do.”
Rhodes’s lips twist to one side as he quirks a brow. That sexy, half-puzzled, half-amused look on a man should never be underrated. “And what’s that, Harvey?”
“Kick you in the balls,” he deadpans. And suddenly the backyard erupts into laughter as my mouth curves up with pride. God, I love my kid.
To his credit, Rhodes doesn’t dismiss Harvey’s words or not take them seriously. Instead, he holds out his hand and shakes my son’s hand again, meeting his gaze. “Okay, Harvey. I love my mom too, so I appreciate you looking out for your mom and making sure she is treated well. Is she here? I think I’d like to meet her now to tell her what a fine man she’s raising.”
Before Harvey can reply, Jake’s eyes lift and inadvertently meet mine. He stills, his mouth agape as he closes his eyes and shakes his head before opening them and staring back at me. He flashes me what can only be described as a shit-eating grin, teenager style. Then he’s elbowing his father in the side and whispering in his ear.
Rhodes’s head jerks my way, his blue eyes boring into mine before they snap to a grinning Marco and his beaming girlfriend and a smirking Jake. I bite my lip, focusing on breathing in and out in the mere moments it takes for Rhodes’s shock to morph into a dazzling smile. He shines it my way, and it has my knees knocking and my thighs clenching together.
For my first ever setup—my first date since my divorce—I think all the little birdies involved have done well. I can only hope it keeps getting better.
Chapter 5
Rhodes
Of all the women I imagined I was being set up with, Dee Duncan would’ve been at the bottom of the list.
But here she is in the flesh, looking gorgeous and smiling at me, which makes me think she was expecting me.
The idea that this could be a prank flits through my mind, mainly because I’m all too aware that everyone is watching.
Jake is first to move, walking over to her. “Hi. I’m Jake. I’m a huge fan of your channel and food . . . and, uh . . . My dad and I watch your videos. I got him hooked on them. I’ve even caught him watching them without me. Okay, now I’ll shut up, because I’m being a starstruck idiot.”
Dee laughs and shakes her head, holding out her hand for my rambling son. “Nice to meet you, Jake,” she says, glancing over his shoulder and mouthing “hi” at me.
“Did you know?” I murmur to Marco beside me.
“I’m the one who set it up with Ezra.”
I jerk my eyes to my best friend, my brows furrowed. “What’s Ezra got to do with it?”
Marco’s grin widens. “Dee Duncan is her married name. Dee Baker is Ezra’s sister.”
Color me surprised.
“You’d think you’d know that with all your low-key stalking.”
“I haven’t been stalking her.”
He holds his hands in the air. “Oh right, just watching her videos and googling her. Sorry, my bad.”
I turn back and see Jake and Dee talking, wishing I could hear what they’re saying. Dee nods at my son before throwing her head back as she bursts out laughing.
Marco elbows my ribs, jolting me out of my daze. “Are you just going to stand there staring at the woman or are you going to go up and introduce yourself—again?” he muses. “Because if you don’t, Scotty is gonna try his luck a second time, and Ezra already said he’s warned him off once. Not sure I like his chances though.”
My eyes snap to my coworker in question—a man far too cocky for his own good—as he gets up out of his chair as if to head this way.
Ezra stands, blocking Scotty’s path to Dee.
“Shit.” When I turn back to Dee, she’s leaning against the back deck railing, brow raised, her lips twitching as she looks me up and down as if waiting for me to make a move—literally.
I close the distance between us until I’m standing in front of her and loving the way she doesn’t even try to hide that she’s checking me out, “Fancy seeing you here, Ms. Duncan.”
She tilts her head to the side. “We did say we’d share a meal together, didn’t we?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, just not with such a curious audience.”
Dee leans in, and a hint of Jasmine hits my senses. “You also said no police officers would be involved, but here we are.” She glances toward Gio, who meets my eyes and lifts his beer bottle in the air, sending me a smirk.
If I wasn’t standing in front of a beautiful woman I want to get to know, I’d flip him the bird for being a smartass. “In my defense, this was a blind setup. For me, anyway.”
“That’s an interesting way to ask whether I knew it was going to be you, Rhodes.” Her lips curve up as she shoots me a wink.
“Want to come inside and I can get you a drink?” I ask, feeling the weight of everyone’s eyes on us
“Absolutely,” she says. She must also be aware we’re providing entertainment to our family and friends.
I follow her lead and walk beside her into the kitchen. A relieved sigh escapes my lips once we’re out of sight. “Thank god for that.”
“Not much of an exhibitionist there, Rhodes?”
“Not with that crowd. Do you know how much crap I’ll get from Scotty on our next shift? He’s like a dog with a bone, that guy.”
“He seems harmless. He was asking me all about my restaurant and whether I do private dining.”
I groan and shake my head. “I bet he did. And what did you advise him?”
Her eyes dance with humor. “That I’m here to meet a lieutenant and only he would get the pleasure of a private dining experience with me . . .”
Wow. Nice. “You don’t play games, do you?”
“Nope. Do you?”
I shake my head. It’s been so damn long since I’ve actually dated a woman—or been interested in dating one—that now I’m putting all this pressure on myself to perform. A whole new kind of performance anxiety right here. “What are you drinking?” I turn toward the refrigerator to see what our options are.
“Hey, Rhodes?” I stop and meet her gaze. When she gifts me a soft, sweet, fucking gorgeous smile, I’m stunned for a moment. “Jake told me to go easy on you.”
My brows shoot up, not sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. “Did he now?” I reply cautiously.
“Hey, my son told you he’d kick you in the nuts. Yours said you might be a bit rusty with the whole flirting and dating thing, but not to worry because you’re a good guy with a huge . . .”
I stare at her, mouth agape.
She giggles. “Heart, Rhodes. A huge heart . . . And to give you a chance, even if you’re a bit awkward to start with.”
“Not sure whether he helped me or not.”
“Oh, he totally scored points.” She tilts her head. “But it also means he doesn’t know we already met, does he?”
I shake my head, my cheeks burning. “Nah. Marco knew because Gio called him as soon as he could, then Marco was in my ear the minute I left the restaurant the other day.”
“I swear you men can be as bad as gossiping women.”
“You have no idea. Especially those Rossi boys.”
“I grew up with Ezra and the Cook brothers next door. They didn’t let us girls get away with anything,” she says, snickering.
“So, my son threw me under the bus in terms of being nervous, possibly awkward, and totally out of practice with this whole dating thing. Good to know.”
“Rhodes, if it helps, I’m in the same boat. I just hide it well.”
I nod and turn to go to the refrigerator before opening the door and checking inside, hiding the pleased—and relieved—smile on my face.
“I’ll have a white wine if there’s any in there. I’ve been kind of wired and a little nervous, so I didn’t want to drink too much before you arrived.”
Not finding any drinks, I close the door and look her way. “You’re refreshingly honest, you know that?”
Dee shrugs. “There’s no other way to be. If you’re always upfront, then no one can ever question your integrity. I’m honest in life, in business, in relationships—all of it.”
“Wow,” I say, impressed at how down-to-earth and open she is. She scrunches her nose and bites her lip, which of course has my eyes dropping to her mouth and my body getting ideas it definitely shouldn’t for a . . . Is it even a blind date if we know each other already?
“Is that a good wow or a ‘shit, she’s a space cadet—abort mission immediately’ kind of wow?”
I nod. “Definitely a good wow. It’s an impressed wow.”
She preens a little at that, and that small show of vulnerability warms my chest and eases my nerves. Dee doesn’t seem to be a woman who fades into the background, and it’s that self-confidence and backbone that draws me to her. But any guy will see a glimpse of a soft spot and want to protect it. It calls to the alpha male in me. “The whole way here I’ve been worried about what kind of woman Marco—and probably the crew, too—would set me up with.”
“Then you saw me.”
I make a point of looking down her body from her face to her toes and back again, memorizing every single curve as I go. My grin deepens when her breath hitches. “Yep. They get an A-plus for setups. I can relax now.”
“Good,” she replies. “Because in the interest of full disclosure, Ezra did ask if he could set me up, and it just happened to be the same day that I’d met you.”
My brows jump. “Did he now?” I ponder that for a second before moving across the room to Cohen’s big icebox, popping the lid open, and looking inside. “And did you know I was the friend?” I ask, my voice echoing a little. When Dee doesn’t answer, I straighten and look over my shoulder. I’m more than pleased to find Dee’s eyes aimed at my ass, and I laugh to myself when her body jolts as she realizes she’s been sprung. “Should I stand up so you can get a good look?” I say with a chuckle.
Thankfully, Dee doesn’t miss a beat, not even acknowledging the red blush tinging her cheeks. She holds her hands in the air, palms out. “Hey, any red-blooded woman would be a fool not to check out a handsome man’s butt.” She shoots me a cheeky smirk. “And to answer your question, Ez said your name, and I agreed straight away.”
My head jerks. Fuck, I like hearing that. “So, you’re a woman who knows what she wants?” I walk over to the island where she stands and pour her a white wine before handing it to her.
As luck would have it, Scotty bellows, “Dinner’s ready,” from the backyard, calling a much earlier end to our stolen time together than I’d have liked.
“Catch up later?” I ask, knowing I’ll track her down regardless. All of my worries about who I was being set up with vanished the moment I realized it was Dee. I just want to take the opportunity to spend more time with her.
She lifts her drink in the air and holds it there until I touch the neck of my beer bottle to her wineglass. “To not-so-blind dates,” she toasts. “And Good Samaritans who look really good in
jeans.”
That last comment has me laughing when Jake and Harvey walk into the kitchen looking for us.
“It’s a small world, isn’t it?” Dee takes Jake’s empty seat. It’s the first chance since dinner and speeches that we’ve had to chat.
“It is. I had no idea that you were a Baker.”
I catch a hint of amusement in her eyes. “To be fair, my professional name is different. And it’s not like you know me as Dee Baker, is it?”
I scrub my face with a groan. “Need I ask what you’ve been told about me?”
“Nothing bad. I do know you’ve watched my videos though. It’s good to know you’re a fan.”
“Blame Jake for that. He showed me a few months ago, and I became a fan.”
She tilts her head. “Fan of my content or . . .”
I laugh. “Does it make me a creep to say it’s the videos and the host?”
A knowing smile appears. “It tells me you have good taste. But it does raise another question . . .”
I arch a brow. “And that is?”
“How did you come to be near my restaurant when that kid swiped my bag?”
I lift my beer to my lips before taking a long drink to cover my embarrassment. There’s no way I can tell her I just happened to be there. She’ll run for the hills, and this has been a whole lot less awkward than it could’ve been.
“I mean, as far as stalkers go, you’re more nice than creepy. At least you’re not digging through my garbage for mementos or sending me underwear and asking me to wear them and return them in the mail.”
My mouthful gets stuck in my throat, and I start choking, my eyes bugging out of my head as I gape at her. “You’re kidding, right? That didn’t happen.”
“Only once, thank god.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “So, to answer your question, I was in town to catch up with my parents and without thinking, ended up taking a wrong turn.”
