by Reina Torres
“You all think I’m your little sister, Fish.”
Draping an arm over her shoulders, Callan cleared his throat. “Not all of us, Sis.”
She got him in the side with a well-placed elbow and Callan winced away from her. “Hey!”
“What’s going on?”
Aylin felt all the air rush out of her lungs when Stillman walked into the common room. He had a big smile on his face, and his broad grin made him look insanely handsome. If it wouldn’t look crazy obvious, she would have gotten up and walked over to him, but she was still sandwiched between Warren and Callan, Peace and Fish. She shook her head. Her life had gotten so much better since she’d met the Chief. And crazy too. Being a part of a firehouse family was like a foreign land. You had a whole language to learn and a whole new set of worries.
These awesome people surrounding her walked into danger on every call. Even something as simple as a medical emergency could turn dangerous in a moment.
Warren nudged the hand that held his sister’s number. “I was just giving Aylin my sister’s number. Lissa is in her second year at the college. I think it’s a good idea for the two of them to get to know each other.”
Lincoln Abe called over to them from the kitchen where he was working on their next meal. “It’ll save us time anyway.” He gave Aylin a salute. “When we follow her to a frat party, we’ll just follow you too.”
Aylin’s jaw dropped as she stared back at Lincoln. “You’re joking right?”
Pulling down a big baking tray from the cabinet his smile didn’t clarify anything. “Why would I joke? Warren’s sister? You? What kind of bros would we be if we didn’t keep an eye on you two?”
Turning back to Warren, she saw the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. “Oh! You guys! I thought you were serious!” She reached out and leaned in as she tickled his side.
Warren made a grab for her hands, but he was laughing too hard to grasp them. She pressed her luck and he managed to bend himself over the arm of the sofa, trying to escape but that only gave her more of an advantage.
Warren tried to even his odds. “Come on, Fish!”
She knew it was Callan’s hand on her hip and then he managed to get a hand under her, but she wasn’t going to give up easily. “You’re going to get it.” She dug into Warren’s side and then turned to look at Callan. “You too, Fish.”
But she stopped her torture when she saw Stillman move closer. Crouching down before the sofa, he picked up a paper from the ground and held it out to her. “I think you dropped this.”
She forgot all about Warren and his teasing. Reaching out to Stillman, she couldn’t help but smile at him. “Thanks.”
She took the paper from his hand and stood up to push it down into the front pocket of her jeans. Stillman was on his feet beside her when she was done.
“Did you talk to my dad? Is everything okay?”
He seemed a little hesitant to answer and when he did, he turned his head to look at the others standing around them.
Aylin wasn’t sure if he appreciated the audience or not.
Stillman took a little half-step closer and leaned in. “Yeah. Everything’s great. I just want to say... it’s good to see you.”
She felt a flush of heat rise up in her cheeks. “It’s really good to see you, too. I was hoping that I’d get a chance to-”
“Hey, I’m glad everyone’s here.”
Aylin almost groaned. Lieutenant Noah Sadler had just walked into the room with her dad. The worst possible timing but wasn’t that just her life.
Turning toward the kitchen area, she saw her dad walk in through the side door, dressed to go, but he stepped up beside Noah. That’s when she knew something really big was happening.
Noah started first. “I’ve been talking to the Chief over the last week. We’ve had some decisions to make and an offer as well.”
Her dad nodded at his lieutenant and made the announcement. “We all know that Candidate Stillman Rook has been a good addition to our family here at Station Seven. Always willing to help out.”
Sam Wister coughed into his hand. “Kiss butt.”
“At least he doesn’t need to be reminded of his chores around the house, Caddo.”
Warren coughed back. “Burn.”
Her dad held out both of his hands for some silence. “And we’ve both been extremely happy with how quickly he’s picked up skills that they just don’t teach in the Academy.” Before either Caddo or Peace could say anything else, the Chief continued to the heart of the announcement. “I just spoke to Rook and he’s going to stay on at Station Seven as a full-fledged firefighter. Congratulations, Rook!”
The room burst into cheers and Aylin felt like she was at the center of a hurricane. All the action around her and there she was in the eye of the storm, where the air was still. She watched as everyone converged on Stillman. Fist bumps, back slaps, cheers.
He was elated. He was beaming with happiness. And she was there to witness it, but not really participate. If that wasn’t a metaphor for her relationship with Stillman Rook, what was?
By the time he came back around, her dad was ready to go, and they had a bunch of errands to do on the way home. It wouldn’t make any sense for them to stay much longer. The celebration would continue, likely through dinner, but Aylin wouldn’t be there. If she stayed, she would just have to endure more comments about being everyone’s little sister.
And really, that’s the last thing she wanted to be to Stillman Rook. As he turned around and caught sight of her standing there, his big beaming smile faltered a little. “Hey.” He seemed anxious. Or maybe he just didn’t know how to act around her. That hurt.
She sucked it up and did what she needed to do since everyone seemed to be staring at her. At them.
Aylin wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a hug. She didn’t waste a moment thinking about his reaction. She didn’t want to know how awkward this was for him. She was already dreading the jokes later on. All she could do was hug him and let her honest joy come through her voice when she told him. “I’m so happy for you, Rook. Congratulations!”
She was gone before he replied.
It was just easier that way.
Chapter 2
"It could be,” Aylin flopped down onto the bench at the Riverwalk, “that I’ve had my fill of shopping for the rest of my life.”
Her mother’s eyebrows rose in a questioning arch.
“No, really!” Leaning back onto her hands, Aylin tilted her face up into the sun. “There’s something to be said for online shopping. You just pick things out and they ship it right to you.”
Her mother’s laughter was the same as it always was when Aylin made some kind of proclamation: warm and full of love. “And then you’d have to return half of the clothing because it wouldn’t fit right.”
“Even when I try it on, it doesn’t fight right,” Aylin reminded her mother. “The curse of the Martenz women.”
Aylin didn’t expect her mother to argue that fact. It was just the truth. They might have hourglass figures, but they were both short-waisted. Fitting the petite shoulder to waist measurements and longer in the leg. Anything fitted wasn’t. And dresses? Well, they either had to be altered or bought in such a size that they looked like they were wearing something much too big to be fashionable in the least. “If I was smart, I’d learn to sew and save myself the aggravation.”
Viviana laughed and Aylin grinned. Her mother had the most beautiful laugh in the world.
“I wish you would, darling. You’d save both of us a lot of trouble.”
Shaking her head, Aylin sighed. “No. I think the crowning achievement of my sewing skills was back in the eighth grade. Mrs. Markle was never the same after teaching me in Home Ec. The shorts that I put together came apart in the wash, remember?”
Her mother’s thoughtful hum said she did.
“I’m glad that wasn’t part of the assignment. All I had to do was change into them in her office a
nd walk across the room and back. Even then I was biting my lip the whole time.”
Viviana chuckled. “Don’t be too harsh on yourself. I’m sure there were a few others who were holding their breath on that walk.”
Aylin knew her mom well enough that she meant what she said, but she would have been the first one to cheer her up if she’d made a mess of that project. Viviana had always been her rock as well as her mother. Even if her father had been in her life, Aylin knew her mother would have been just as involved.
Viviana had always been the most amazing mother and now she had a husband who not only deserved her, he did just as much for her as she did for him. They were both blessed to have Ethan Blaise in their lives.
“You think you’re ready for classes to start next week?”
Aylin felt her middle clench at the suggestion. “Yeah, sure.” Easing a little more into the idea, Aylin let her eyes drift closed as she enjoyed the late afternoon sun on her face. “I think I'm ready now. I was always a little apprehensive about it. School just wasn’t my thing. All of those subjects that I didn’t really care about. Now, I can focus on what I like to do.”
“I’m just happy you’re doing this for you. There’s been precious little in our lives until this year that we’ve done just for us.”
She heard the hiccup in her mother’s voice and knew where her mind had gone. Leaning toward her, Aylin took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “But now we are, right? It used to be just the two of us against the world and now...” Aylin saw her mother dash away the tears on her lashes and Viviana’s smile brightened her face, making her more than beautiful. She was transcendent. “Now, we have Ethan in our lives, Mama. We’re stronger as a family, and we’re stronger on our own as well. Everything is going to be okay.”
Aylin felt tears of her own prickling the backs of her eyes and she didn’t want her mother to worry. Thankful that she was wearing her sunglasses and could hide what was likely a slightly weepy expression, Aylin got to her feet and saw the object of her desire across the walkway. And with a short line to boot.
“I’m going to get us some cold drinks, okay?”
Viviana’s soft laughter was telling. “Sounds good to me. Just get me whatever you’ve having.”
Flashing her mother a thumbs up, Aylin walked across the thoroughfare and stepped inside the coffee shop.
She was barely in line for a moment when the room darkened a bit. A quick look over her shoulder was enough to see that a whole bunch of people had entered behind her, filling the space between her back and the door. It was, like so many other parts of her life, life on fast forward. Taking out her phone, she opened her text messaging app and let her finger hover over Stillman’s phone number. It was so tempting to send him a message. Something simple like... HEY. Or maybe playful like... WHAT’S UP? Or something crazy like. WANT TO HAVE DINNER WITH MY FAMILY TONIGHT?
Or... WANT TO HAVE DINNER WITH ME? ALONE? TOGETHER... BUT BY OURSELVES...
“Oh, crap.” She lifted her head quickly and bit into her lip as she looked around. She hadn’t meant to swear out loud. She was trying to be better in that respect.
Before she could decide on what, if any, text message to send, she heard a voice that made her mind go blank.
“Something bothering you, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart?
She didn’t have to look at the man to know exactly who he was.
Or rather who he was.
Her father.
Her biological father.
Craig Dennis.
Just being that close to him sent shivers down her spine.
Suddenly, all she wanted to do was get out of the coffee shop and go back to her mother.
“It’s good to see you again.”
“No,” she refused to look at him, “it’s not.”
He tsked at her and she swore he leaned closer to her. “Don’t be rude to me.”
“I don’t want to be anything to you. I’m just in here trying to get some coffee for me and- for me. And a friend.”
He stepped up beside her and waited until she looked up at him. Why? She didn’t know, but she could see that smarmy look of his and knew he had a reason.
“You’re here with your mother.”
The inside of her mouth tasted like ash. Strangely appropriate since that’s where her father’s machinations had gotten her the last time he’d been involved in her life. If you could call trying to ruin her life being ‘involved.’
“What? You just happened to walk by and see... have you been following us?”
His laugh was little more than a huff of sound. “I didn’t.” He left it there and turned his gaze to the front of the line as he took a step at her side.
Her mind struggled to make sense of the gap in his answer. When it hit her, it made her skin go cold.
“You have people watching us?”
“You’re my family,” he insisted. “Of course, I’m going to have people watching out for you.”
Oh, right. Not stalking her. Watching out for her.
“That’s one way to spin it.” She shook her head. “Is this what your P.R. person told you to say? Are you still running for office? I can’t believe you’d think that anyone-”
He grabbed onto her upper arm and the vice-like grip sent pain arcing through her body. “You’ll want to lower your volume, sweetheart. This is a private conversation. We don’t need everyone in the coffee shop listening in.”
She tried to pull her arm free, but he didn’t let go. “Then maybe you shouldn’t try to talk to me in a public place.” She shook his arm off when the line moved forward. He didn’t see the movement and her sudden step forward made it impossible to hold on and not stumble forward.
Still, right behind her, he took the opportunity to lean closer and vent a little of his frustration.
“You really are like your mother, aren’t you? You’re just as much of a b-”
“Hey, Aylin.”
For a moment she was sure that she was imagining things. An oasis in the middle of a swamp, or whatever the idiom was.
One second she was ready to turn around and flip him off or knee him in the nuts and in the next second, she was face to face with Stillman Rook. “Hey!”
He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I ran into your mom outside and she said you were going to meet the Chief in a bit. She thought, if you’re okay with it, that is, that I... you know.”
“You’re going to come with us?”
Stillman shrugged. “Yeah, if you’re okay-”
“Yes!” She grabbed the front of his shirt and started to walk forward, almost pushing Stillman backward. “Yes. That sounds great! Perfect!” As soon as they cleared the line and stepped into the clear space between a few tables, she let go of his shirt and took his arm instead.
Aylin saw him look back over her shoulder and then look down at her in shock.
“Is that... I mean, was that your-”
“Bio-dad? Yes. And yuck.” She shivered but still couldn’t get rid of the cold shivers reverberating up and down her spine. “He said he’s got...” Aylin shook her head. She wasn’t going to ruin the time she had with Stillman talking about her... Craig. “Seriously, you have the best timing. I was going to text you and see where you were.”
The look of shock on his face was authentic and she wanted to roll her eyes. Why was it so hard for him to believe that she wanted to be around him? They’d shared one of the scariest moments in her life and he’d literally been her lifeline as he’d helped her out of the fire. He was her own personal hero!
And really, how gorgeous could a hero be? They didn’t come more handsome than Rook.
She barely held back the sigh of appreciation as her fingers brushed over a distinct muscle in his bicep. Heavens. Leaning against his side she quietly asked, “How much can you bench?”
His incredulous look made her lean back, but it didn’t make her second guess the question.
“No, I’m serious, how much?”
>
He answered her, but she didn’t hear the answer when, horror of horrors, he tousled her hair!
Hello, little sister zone!
Life sucked.
So damn much.
Stillman was surprised she couldn’t see it.
How could Aylin not notice the way he’d flexed when she’d touched him.
He hadn’t meant to do it. He wasn’t that vain.
Oh, but he was half in love with Aylin Blaise.
Okay, maybe not half.
He was all in love when it came to her. He just knew it wasn’t going to work out.
She called him a hero because he’d helped her out of that fire in the industrial kitchen, but heroes didn’t think like he did.
Heroes were supposed to be selfless. And he wasn’t. Selfless meant that he should want her to go to her college courses and make new friends. Friends that he probably wouldn’t share a lot in common with, besides loving her.
He didn’t know as much about her life as he wanted to. However, based on what he’d heard and what he’d seen, for the longest time, Aylin and her mom had each other and not much else. Together, they’d worked to make Viviana’s catering business a success and that meant a lot of time prepping and working events, trying to make ends meet. Now, they had a network of support. Between the people at Helping Hearts and Station Seven, they were living a completely new life.
And Aylin deserved all the benefits that came from that.
She didn’t need someone weighing her down.
That meant her bio-dad.
And that meant him too.
“Hey,” he felt her hair brush his arm and heard the curious lilt in her tone, “am I talking your ear off? Are you hiding like an armadillo to save your ears and sanity from me?”
She didn’t sound hurt, but he felt it for her.
There he was, being selfish again.
He needed to do better.
Right before they reached her mother, she tugged on his arm so she could whisper into his ear and he eagerly leaned down to listen.
“Don’t tell my mom that Craig was in there, okay? It’ll ruin the rest of her day and I won’t let him do that. Okay?”
