Saving His Heart

by Jennifer Youngblood

  “Alright, guys!” Colton’s loud call awoke Amy from her daydreaming. “The class is about to start. Come on and gather here.”

  Jeanna dashed forward, and Amy hurried behind her.

  Colton was standing in front of a large whiteboard. Someone had already used a marker to scribble numbers and weird abbreviations that didn’t mean anything to Amy.

  She let her eyes travel around to the people who would be her companions for the next hour. There were eight of them—all men except Jeanna and her. The guys each wore the club’s T-shirt, featuring a giant orange flame on the chest. They looked as well trained as Colton and Jeanna.

  Amy crossed her feet and clutched her hands behind her shoulders. Maybe this way her pectorals would look a bit more impressive?

  Why didn’t Theresa come? She was taller than Amy and hence a better optical fit, but she would likely have the same difficulties as Amy, given that she’d be a newbie too.

  As if Colton had been just thinking the same, he looked at Amy with his brows furrowed. “Theresa?”

  Amy shrugged. “Don’t know. She wasn’t in the changing room.”

  Colton’s mouth distorted as if he’d bitten into a sour apple, then murmured something inaudible that Amy interpreted as typical.

  Her heart squeezed. She recalled how Theresa had whined about not getting enough attention from Colton. Amy had in that moment sympathized with Colton’s girlfriend a lot. She’d seen her own mother struggle with the issue many times. Firefighters had a way of shutting out their family members when it came to their work. Mostly because they wanted to protect their loved ones from the horrors they sometimes faced. It left them with no one to open up to. Understandable, but still painful for those living with them.

  Amy was the one who'd persuaded Colton to involve Theresa more in his life. Maybe a part of Amy had done so to calm her own conscience and to prove to herself that she didn’t see Colton as anything besides a brother. So when Colton came up with the grandiose suggestion about the girls attending his calisthenics class, Amy couldn’t back out. Obviously, Theresa didn’t feel the same way.

  One of the guys who had a reddish beard and a short military haircut teased Colton. “Your girl bailed on you? You’re losing your charms, man.”

  “Funny, Stuart.” Colton flashed a smirk at him. “If it wasn’t your gym, I’d send you out for insulting the instructor.”

  “Guys, can we start now?” Jeanna intervened, stretching her muscular arms behind her neck. “My body is screaming for some action.”

  Colton smiled at her. “You’re right, Jeanna. Besides, Stuart was born with a bad sense of humor, and he’ll have to stay that way.”

  Stuart feigned an angry growl but then laughed.

  Amy studied Stuart’s face. She’d heard from Colton that the club was owned by an ex-fireman who had been injured in service. Stuart had probably grown his facial hair back after he quit the line of duty. She threw a quick glance at his arms and legs but couldn’t see any obvious deformations. She’d have to ask Colton later what had happened to him.

  “Okay, everyone.” Colton clapped his hands and then pointed at the board. “Your first sequence is there. I want you to do ten to fifteen reps of each—you can switch up front levers to chin-ups if you prefer, but don’t pause in between sets. If all rounds are done, you can take a one to two-minute pause before restarting. You go to a total of twenty minutes; then you’ll be warmed up, and we can start with the WOD.”

  All participants—except Amy—darted to the pull-up bars and gripped the metal rods.

  “Ready, steady, go!” Colton yelled as the group began moving in a synchronized fashion, bodies pulling up on the bars effortlessly like they were doing a simple everyday task.

  Amy stared at the others, wide-eyed. Heat invaded her cheeks. She’d never used a pull-up bar before. Could she even pull herself up?

  Two warm palms landed on her shoulders. She snapped her head around and found Colton standing right behind her. His sudden proximity made her slightly giddy. Why did he have to stand so close? Thankfully, she managed to gather her wits quickly. “Colt, I came to your class like I promised, but I’m not sure I can do any of this.” She waved her hand at the group. They were now using the rings, pushing their bodies up in a way that made them look like ninjas.

  Colton smiled, releasing her shoulders but taking hold of one of her hands. “Come on, Amy-cakes. I’ll help you with the exercises.”

  Amy’s palm prickled from his touch. A sensation that both confused and excited her. She removed her hand from his grip. “No, no. You need to take care of your students. I’m just tagging along. My presence here was supposed to ease Theresa into the gym scene, remember?”

  Colton snorted. “Let Theresa be. She’s apparently not interested in what I do.” He lifted his hand. “And just for the record, you’re not here to make Theresa feel more comfortable. You’re here because I wanted to show you what we do here at Fire Up. It’s the coolest gym in town. Now that you’re an inhabitant of Jackson again, you could come here often.”

  His words came with a smile so excited and bright that Amy’s chest quivered. Dang it, Colton was just too handsome when he was enthusiastic about something.

  So sexy, manly, swoony. No! This is wrong. He’s more like brotherly cute. She quickly added the corrections in her head, even though she knew that her last statement was entirely false. In his club T-shirt that read “Instructor” and his black shorts, he looked just … mhmm …

  No, no, and no. Stop analyzing how he looks.

  “Amy-cakes!” Colton poked her between the ribs.

  Amy flinched. Ah, geez. Had she gotten so distracted by censoring her own thoughts about Colton that she'd forgotten to answer him? “Right, yes. This place looks great. It’s just that all these bars and rings and ropes …” She pointed at the three long ropes to their left that hung from the ceiling. “They aren’t the usual gym equipment I’m used to seeing.”

  Colton smiled. “Don’t be intimidated. The Amy I know never lets herself be dissuaded from anything just because it looks hard or is ‘only for boys.’ Come on, let’s try a few pull-ups.”

  He pushed her gently toward the closest bar, which was vacant. It was lower than the ones that Amy’s classmates were using, but it still too high for her to reach, even if she stood on her tiptoes. Once again, Amy cursed the whim of genetics for letting Zach take all the tall genes from their father and leaving Amy with her mother’s short characteristics.

  “Do you need help?” Colton asked.

  He was close enough for her to feel the vibrations of his deep baritone, and tantalizing chills went circling down her spine. Amy knew that if she turned to face him, her attraction would be broadcast on her face, so she kept her head forward, eyes firmly fixed on the bar. “Maybe a stool or something. So that I can at least touch the thing,” she added dryly.

  “That’s not necessary,” he said, and before Amy could interpret what he was getting at, his strong hands grabbed her waist and lifted her in the air as if she were a feather. “Now, reach for it with your hands.”

  Amy did what she was told, ignoring how her entire back was covered in goose bumps. Her fingers closed on the cold surface of the metal. When she lifted her arms, her T-shirt also moved up slightly, just enough so that Colton’s hands slipped from the fabric to her naked skin.

  The thrill that she'd felt previously intensified to the point where she almost lost her grip on the rod. Now she knew why Jeanna was wearing that elastic second-skin T-shirt. If Amy had invested in proper gym clothing instead of just throwing on an old cotton shirt, she might have spared herself this unsettling experience.

  “Pull yourself up, Amy-cakes. Pull.”

  Colton couldn’t know how gladly Amy would have complied with his command. If she could manage to get her head above the bar, her bare flesh would be too high for Colton to reach. But that was easier said than done. She might do regular cardio exercises, but her biceps were almost nonexistent.r />
  The sensation of Colton’s fingers on her waist was unbearable. It was like a nuclear bomb exploding all of her excuses about her friendship with Colton. The tickles buzzing across her cells were making it pretty clear that words were one thing, but feelings were something entirely different.

  Amy braced herself and hissed, “Help me a bit. I can’t do this alone.”

  Colton chuckled. “I love that you finally asked for help. Sure.”

  He raised her higher and slowly let his hands drift lower on her legs for a more stable hold. Luckily, Amy’s sweatpants were thick enough that his heat wasn’t searing her anymore, but the knowledge that he was still holding her messed with her mind. It made her conjure images that were just wrong.

  As soon as her chin was above the bar, she called out, “Okay, release me. I can hold it alone.”

  “Are you sure? I can very—”

  “Just frigging let me go.” Amy’s cry sounded desperate in her own ears, and she dearly hoped Colton would interpret it as pride instead of what it really was— her elementary need to get out of Colton’s physical spell.

  Colton’s hands released her, but he stayed underneath her bar, gazing up.

  Amy’s chest muscles and arms started to shake. She’d been holding herself on this bar for at least fifteen seconds, and her chin was starting to press against the cold metal more and more. How the heck am I going to make a ladylike descent? Or any descent at all?

  Just as she was weighing her best option on how to release herself without smashing her jaw against the hard rod, her palms slipped. A shriek left Amy’s throat as she felt herself falling toward the ground. Hopefully, she wouldn’t land on her spine. That could turn out pretty nasty.

  Just as she braced herself for impact, Colton caught her, one arm supporting her back and the other holding her under her knees. “Gotcha.” He grinned as if her tumble wasn’t the slightest bit embarrassing or even physically painful.

  Amy tried to wiggle out of his arms, but Colton held her fast.

  “Wait, I’ll carry you somewhere where you can sit.”

  There was really no need for him to do that, but Amy couldn’t bring herself to protest, because the safe cocoon sensation of Colton’s arms made her want to stay there a minute longer.

  When they reached the bench, he gently lowered her to a sitting position and kneeled in front of her. “You okay? I’m sorry, maybe pull-ups were a bit too much to start with.”

  Amy shook her head. “No, I shouldn’t have asked you to let go. It was clear that I wouldn’t be able to hold myself up.” She opened her hands and blew some air on the skin of her palms, which were red and swollen from gripping the rod.

  Colton brushed his thumb on her palms. His touch swirled her cells into action, making her almost dizzy. “No, Amy. I’m proud of you for pushing yourself. I’ve always admired how fearless you are. Zach and I, we both admire you.”

  Fearless? Amy gaped at Colton. Did Colton really consider her brave? He was the one who risked his life every day to save others. Not Amy.

  Colton stared at Amy’s palms, then cupped them and lifted them to his mouth. He planted a feathery kiss on each one.

  Amy froze. The tender way he was holding her hand and the soft caresses of his lips … What was happening? Why is Colton …? She swallowed hard. Is Colton starting to share similar feelings?

  Before she could explore these thoughts, Colton released her hands as if realizing what he’d done. He rubbed his neck, and his eyes moved to the group; everyone else had just finished the first round of assignments, and they were waiting for him to continue with the lesson.

  Colton straightened to his full height. “I need to give them the new assignment.”

  His voice was warm, but there was no trace of the previous intimacy they’d just shared.

  Duh, of course not. Because it wasn’t what you thought it was, you nitwit. Colton was just making sure you weren’t hurt. He wasn’t insinuating anything further with his gesture.

  Amy squared her back and jumped up. “I’ll come, too. I might tone down the next exercise to my level so that, you know … I won’t fall again.” Or require your help. If Amy were to continue this class, she needed to avoid Colton coaching her. She hurried to Jeanna’s side.

  Colton was already listing the new slate of exercises.

  Jeanna gave Amy an appraising look. “I saw you tried the bar. Next time it’ll go better. For now, stick to the rings. They’re way easier, and you can use them for pull-ups, too. Want me to show you?”

  Amy gave Jeanna a grateful smile. “That would be great. Thanks.” While she appreciated Jeanna’s help, Amy probably wouldn’t come to work out at Fire Up again. Not unless she built up some muscles first. That way she could avoid Colton aiding her. He might not be bothered by having to touch Amy constantly, but she didn’t need his immediate contact, thank you very much.

  Let’s hope one of those houses I’m going to visit turns out to be something.

  After the staccato pulse that Colton’s kisses unleashed in Amy, she wasn’t sure it was a good idea to keep living in his house. She was clear in her head about what Colton was for her, and what she was for Colton. But if she kept on staying with him in close physical proximity, day after day, perhaps her body—and potentially her heart—would veto her brain’s rules. And that would be a disaster.

  9

  Night had already descended when Colton exited the station. The emergency call he’d come in for after getting the page had taken longer than he’d expected. Normally, he wouldn’t care about how many extra hours he put in—it used to be the more, the better—but today, for the first time, he’d asked himself whether he should sit out some action just for the sake of change.

  He paused as the thought occurred to him. Was he getting old? Or was Amy a factor in the situation? The idea of rushing to her as soon as possible was appealing.

  His phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the caller’s name before answering. It was Theresa.

  “Hi, Colt. What are you doing?”

  “Just getting off work.” Colton squeezed the phone between his shoulder and his chin so he could throw his duffel bag into his trunk.

  “I thought you were off today?”

  “Yeah, but my pager went off and—”

  “And you decided to drop everything and chase the action. So typical.”

  Her voice was annoyed and haughty, a combination that could easily get under Colton’s skin. But Colton didn’t want to pick a fight with Theresa. They’d been doing too much of that lately anyway. Instead, he forced a chuckle. “Huh, yeah, you know me well. So, what’s up? Are we still good for this weekend? You haven’t forgotten that we have the five-star dinner and hotel night that I won at the fundraiser?”

  “Well, about that … I can’t make it. I’ll be gone this weekend for work. I’m sorry.” Theresa didn’t sound sorry at all.

  Colton slammed the trunk closed harder than he had intended. “What do you mean, you’ll be gone this weekend? We picked out this date together a month ago. I got someone to come in and cover my shift. Don’t you remember? The reservation can’t be rescheduled.”

  He didn’t mean to sound so annoyed, but Theresa had been unreasonable ever since she’d started that bikini ad shoot. She would cancel their appointments and still complain that they had no time together. Of course, she claimed that she wasn't to blame for the tension between them. No, Theresa blamed everything on Amy staying at his place—a statement that kicked below the belt. Couldn’t Theresa understand that Colton couldn’t put one of his best friends out on the street?

  As if to reiterate the thoughts swirling in his head, Theresa raised her voice to a shrill soprano. “Oh, that's right. The Judd Hoffman prize thing. I didn’t think you’d be that disappointed. You can always take your doll with you instead of me, can’t you?”

  Colton’s stomach tightened. It wasn’t the first time Theresa had insulted Amy. He’d tried to be patient with Theresa, knowi
ng that a woman could take offense to her man living with a female friend, even if there weren’t any shenanigans going on. Amy had spelled this out to him last night when he’d made a comment about Theresa missing his class at the gym.

  But today, Colton had no intention of listening to his girlfriend belittle his best friend. Theresa had no right to do it. Amy had been nothing but kind to her.

  He grabbed his phone for a better acoustic. “You know what? I might just do that. I might invite Amy to come along. I can assure you that I have no intention of missing the prize I won just because you decided that getting your photos taken for a potential new campaign—which, if I understood correctly, you don't even have a contract for yet—is more important than spending time with your guy.”

  Theresa sucked in a breath. “I knew it. You’re totally drooling over your friend.”

  Colton didn’t try to suppress a bitter laugh. This was just great! Now Theresa was accusing him of being in love with Amy. “You’re behaving irrationally, you know that?” A little voice in his head questioned if he’d snapped at Theresa a bit too harshly. He silenced the voice. It was his right to be upset. Theresa was out of line. Him and Amy. What an absurd thought.

  Even if … His heart thumped a little louder, almost as if the worm of guilt raised its head and began to wiggle in his chest. He concentrated hard to suffocate the memory of how he’d kissed Amy’s hands the day before. Or how his cells jittered with excitement when he’d held her petite body against his after her fall.

  He swallowed twice. He had nothing to feel guilty about. Nothing had ever happened between him and Amy, and nothing ever would.

  Theresa squeaked, “Me? Irrational? I’m not the one living with my bestie who happens to be a member of the opposite sex. Isn’t that convenient for you?” Sarcasm dripped like poison from her voice.