by Marie Harte
Avery grinned. “I have got to know what happened Friday night.”
“Avery.” Gerty looked mortified and turned back to Oscar. “We don’t tell each other everything. I mean, we’re friends, and we share. But it’s not…”
Avery had never seen Gerty so off her game. Was it the drugs? Or was Elizabeth Gertrude Davis embarrassed about something for the first time in her life?
Avery glared at Oscar. “What the hell did you do to her?”
“Me? Nothing.” Oscar blinked. “We talked and laughed a lot. And she slept off some drinks.”
Gerty didn’t contradict him.
“Huh.” Avery bit back her questions, though Gerty’s red face was killing her. “Hey, Oscar, can you watch Klingon for a minute while I talk to Gerty?”
“Sure.” He accepted the puppy and lit up with so much happiness Avery could only stare. Did Brad ever look like that? She’d seen him laugh with his friends or smile on occasion at the animals, but never any real cheerfulness directed her way. Well, is it any wonder? You aren’t on good terms with the guy.
Avery yawned and pulled Gerty with her into the bathroom. She locked the door behind them. “Okay, what happened?”
“Not here, Avery.”
“I have no plans to move ever again.”
Gerty sighed and said, in a low voice, “I’m an idiot.”
“I know that,” Avery whispered back. “What happened with Oscar?”
Gerty snickered. “I had that coming. Okay, in brief, nothing happened with Oscar. No-thing.”
“And that’s a problem?” Avery thought about it. “Okay, that’s a problem. He didn’t make a move, huh?”
“Not one. Not to hold my hand, hug, or kiss. He didn’t even ruffle my hair and tell me I’m cute. We talked about everything, have a ton in common. I felt this immense connection, and I haven’t felt that in a long, long time for anyone. Then he told me I was too drunk to know what I wanted, and I should put my clothes back on.” Gerty’s eyes shone. Avery didn’t know what to say. Gerty never got super emotional, and especially not about guys.
“Wait. Back on? So you’d gotten naked?”
“Yep. But nothing I had impressed him that much, I guess.” She clenched her fists. “Screw him.”
“If he’s not impressed, then why is he out there holding Klingon? And why did he look as if he wanted to rip the Viral Viking’s head off when you were talking to him?”
“He did?”
“He also said you have a pretty big mouth.”
“That’s rude.”
Avery paused. “I mean, I called you a big mouth.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“And he said it’s a pretty, big mouth. Like, that he’s into you.”
“Huh? Really?”
“I don’t know. But I got a vibe he likes you.”
Someone knocked on the door.
“Out in a minute,” Gerty roared.
“Easy, girl.” Tex yelled back. “I was just checking.”
“We’ll talk later,” Avery warned her. “I have to get home now before I fall asleep in public again.”
“What?”
“I went out to a movie last night, fell asleep in the theater, screamed my head off and knocked my soda all over Brad Battle’s lap, then went for a beer with him and his friends. And if your eyes get any wider, they might fall out of your head.”
Gerty punched her.
“Hey.”
“Look, I told Rena I’d do some time here. You need to get home. I swear we’ll talk when I get back.”
“If I’m awake.” Avery hated feeling so drowsy, but the sleepy antihistamines always affected her the same way.
“I have a plan…” Gerty shoved open the door and pushed Avery out ahead of her.
Tex blinked at them. “Ah, everything okay?”
Avery yawned. “Dandy.”
“You tired again?” Tex looked concerned.
Avery laughed, trippy. “I don’t have narcolepsy. I just took allergy medicine that made me drowsy.”
“Hey, Oscar?” Gerty asked the guy playing tug-of-war with Klingon on the floor. “Can you do me a favor?”
He stood so fast Avery wondered that he didn’t feel dizzy. His wide smile showed bright-white teeth. “Sure thing. What do you need?”
“Take Avery home for me, would you? Someone didn’t show, so I promised two hours here before I can head home.” She glanced at Klingon and sighed. “And would you mind taking the puppy back with you as well?”
“Sure thing.” Oscar grabbed Klingon with one hand and steadied Avery with his other. “My car’s out back.”
Tex stood in the bathroom, just watching the three of them.
“Hey, Tex, you can use the facilities if you need to,” Avery said. “You don’t need our permission to pee.”
He guffawed before slamming the door and yelled through it, “Later, guys.”
Avery followed Oscar and Klingon and left through a back exit.
Feeling decidedly sleepy, she laid her head back in the passenger seat and closed her eyes.
And woke up as Oscar carefully helped her from the car.
“Wake up, Avery. Sorry, but you have to help me get you there.”
“Where?”
“To your apartment. I’ll come back for the dog.”
“Sure, sure.” She fumbled in her purse and found the keys. Then she steadied herself. “I’m good.”
“You sure?”
“I seem to be constantly falling or sleeping around you Battles.” She sighed. “Don’t tell your brother I fell asleep, okay?”
“Um, okay.” He gave her an odd look.
“He already hates me and thinks I have a mental condition.”
“Condition?”
“Stupidity, craziness, his call.” She blew out a breath as they traipsed to her floor upstairs. “I have to work with the guy, so I’d prefer it if he thought me professional and capable. And mostly awake.”
Oscar smiled. “Okay.” He walked with her, waited for her to enter, then promised to come back. He reappeared moments later while she did her best to get it together. Still sleepy but not as unfocused, she thanked him for driving her back.
“I appreciate it.” She started to take Klingon from him, to put him into his crate in Gerty’s room, when Oscar stopped her.
“I can do that.”
“You just want to see Gerty’s room.”
“Well, yeah.”
She waved him toward Gerty’s door. He didn’t linger, and Klingon for once didn’t whine after being put in his crate.
Oscar took his keys from his pocket. “You good?”
“Yep. I’m planning on going to sleep just as soon as you leave.”
He flushed. “Oh, sorry. I’m leaving, I swear. It’s just… I tried to do the right thing the other night, and I think Gerty’s mad at me. She’s hot as hell, and I’d do… I mean, I’d like to get to know her better. But I think she has the impression I’m not attracted to her. And I am.”
“Oscar, tell her all that. Later. Like, tomorrow.”
“I can do that. Does she like flowers?”
“She’s a sucker for roses. Red says love. Go for yellow or white.”
“That I can do.” He grinned, looking so much lighter than Brad. Despite the brothers’ obvious age difference, Brad seemed constantly burdened with life. “Well, I’ll let you go. Thanks.”
“Thanks for the ride.”
He smiled and left.
After Avery locked up behind him, she let herself fall into her bed and closed her eyes, her thoughts on dogs and Vikings and anything not related to Brad Battle.
So of course she dreamed about sexy firemen and what they wore under their overalls…
Chapter Nine
The week p
assed too slowly. Brad had no idea why, but after seeing Avery Friday and Saturday, he’d expected to see her Sunday as well. Stupid since he’d intentionally not gone to the pet adoption, but he’d needed the break.
Reggie had mentioned she’d shown up Sunday with her friend…and that Oscar had given her a ride home.
Yet his brother hadn’t mentioned her, and neither had Tex, who’d also been there.
Brad would have asked why not, but he didn’t want to look like he cared, so he let it drop.
The days passed with the typical medical calls. A few burns, splints, bandages—basic medical help. One call had turned into the real deal, so they’d called out the paramedics to handle it.
Thursday, they caught a working residential fire. Finally. Firefighters respected life and death and did their best to help the injured and put out fires. But they couldn’t resist that thrill when a big call came in and they could do what they’d trained for. Excitement surged through the team, and they rushed to help, Brad’s crew on the aid vehicles and Hernandez’s people on the engine.
Joined by Station 28 and a nearby Med unit, they had a total of two engines, two aid vehicles, and two medic units on a two-alarm fire. Their engine was first due. Since Engine 28 had been closer, they established a preconnect and laid a hose line for internal attack. Then Engine 44 arrived, and his lieutenant took command, Hernandez’s crew onsite.
Bystander reports claimed three people still inside on the left side of the structure but no idea about the right. A mother and her oldest daughter insisted two cats and her younger children were inside, but she wasn’t sure about her aunt. Neighbors got on the phone trying to reach the couple next door.
While the lieutenant managed assignments, Mack and Reggie helped two little girls dealing with smoke inhalation and a few cuts and bruises. Brad and Tex let the others work basic life support and rushed into their firefighting gear—their turnouts. All suited up, they waited to enter the home after Hernandez’s team, rotating the two-in, two-out rule.
Brad met Tex’s gaze through their masks. “Good to go.” Meaning his breathing apparatus, with a radio attached, was working and he was ready. Tex returned a thumbs-up.
The heat was intense, the fire running up the walls and eating at the supports.
They didn’t have a lot of time on this one.
Hernandez’s crew had rushed by with a small girl, two cats, and a little boy. They hurried out of the building just as their LT reported one more person inside, an older woman, the family’s visiting aunt.
“Gotcha. We’re on it.” Brad nodded at his partner.
Tex and Brad worked well together, and as Brad searched deeper into the first level, Tex kept his eye out for falling debris and structural damage, an ax at the ready.
“We need to hurry,” Tex told him on the radio.
“I know.”
The LT’s voice came through again on the Ops channel. “The little girl says her aunt was in the main floor back bedroom.”
Brad stepped over melting plastic toys and saw a woman lying in the hallway outside a room. “Got her.”
He hurried and checked her for obvious injury, saw her cough into her hand once before hiding her head back under a wet towel. Smart. He tapped her on the shoulder. “Ma’am? We’re here to get you out.”
She nodded but didn’t get up.
He lifted her carefully, her weight negligible, thank God, and followed Tex down the hall, only to have the rafters crash down.
“Back door,” Tex insisted, pointing in the other direction.
“Lead the way.”
Tex passed him, using his ax to break through the back door that refused to open. He made short work of it and kicked the rest away so Brad could hurry through with the woman.
Something inside exploded. Shit. They had a rippin’ fire, for sure.
“Got her out back, LT,” he informed his boss over the channel. “Bringing her around.”
“She needs medical right away,” Tex added to the lieutenant.
They hustled around the building, bypassing curious onlookers while the police did their best to keep people back. Fortunately, as they rushed the older woman toward Reggie, they saw a medic unit standing by as well and headed for the paramedics instead. Medic 28 was definitely a welcome sight.
Brad put her down on the stretcher the paramedic had prepared. “Saw a head wound. She took in a lot of smoke but was down low, her head covered by a wet rag.”
“Smart,” Station 28’s medic said. “Good job. We got this.” Her partner neared, and together they treated the older woman.
Brad left with Tex to help fight the fire. They helped on a hose to douse the delta side of the house, which burned hottest.
Two engines were needed to contain the blaze, so as to keep it from spreading to the duplexes on the adjoined block. The two stations worked like a well-oiled machine, providing coverage while the LT shouted orders. Hours later, they’d put out the fire that had to be chemical in nature, considering how fast it had spread.
An arson investigator had come onto the scene, and several reporters covered the blaze as well.
Exhausted and smelling like smoke, Brad finally left with Tex to return to the station. After cleaning all their equipment and finally himself, Brad fell into bed. Only to wake up four hours later on another call that luckily turned out to be an easy fix. A slight burn from a small backyard blaze taken care of before they’d even arrived.
After citing the unhappy homeowner, he and Tex returned to the station to find Mack and Reggie cleaning inside the common areas of the station.
“Man, this shift has been biz-zee.” Mack grinned. “That fire was incredible.”
“We did good,” Tex said. “Everyone survived.”
“Amen,” Reggie added. “I like when that happens.”
“Me too.” Brad smiled. “But you know Wash is going to be impossible to live with.”
They groaned. One of their fellow C shift firefighters, Wash was part of the Hernandez crew. Cocky, funny, and only slightly annoying, the other crew did their best to one-up Brad and the guys.
“Oh, and speaking of impossible, I got a brand-new stash of Dora stickers,” Mack said. “You guys have to help me cover Sue’s new notebook.”
“No way.” Tex frowned. “That woman’s got spies all over the place. I think she turned a few of the crew in B shift. Don’t trust ’em.”
Mack shook his head. “No guts, no glory.”
“At least my guts won’t be splattered all over the wall when Lew finds out it’s been you all along.”
“Pussy.”
“Oh, nice talk.” Reggie scowled. “You kiss your mother with that mouth?”
“No, but I did kiss Tex’s mother with it. Just last night, in fact.” Mack smirked.
“Fuck off.” Tex grinned. “My momma’s a Southern lady. She doesn’t have ‘relations.’ Claims the stork brought me.”
“That’s a lot of storks at your house.” Brad shook his head. “Don’t you have three brothers?”
Mack muttered, “The stork? More like the dodo.”
“They’re extinct, dumbass,” Reggie told him. “So Brad, you going to give Avery the tour tomorrow after the show? Tex said you might.”
Brad glared at Tex, who tried to look innocent and failed. “I don’t know.”
“You should.” Mack nodded. “I think she likes you.”
“No way.” Brad huffed. “We’re being forced to work this pet thing for Searching the Needle Weekly. That’s all.”
“I think you like her,” Tex added with a grin. “You should have seen them at the bar, Reggie. All agreein’ on shit and doing their best not to look at each other.”
“Which is just a shame,” Mack said. “Because Avery Dearborn is gorgeous.”
“And klutzy in a cute way.” Tex smiled. “
I think she’s adorable.”
“Then you date her,” Brad snarled, not sure why he felt so angry.
Reggie was staring at him. “Brad, you need to go out on a date. Not saying with Avery, but with someone. You’ve been alone for too long.”
“Eight sad, pathetic months.” Tex sighed.
“Oh blow me.” Brad flipped them off as they worked, cleaning up the station house before they took another call. They had another two hours before they signed off. “I’ve been out since then.” Losing his ex-girlfriend to a pediatrician who’d offered her a ring hadn’t hurt the way he’d thought it might.
“You haven’t been out with someone serious,” Mack shot back.
“First of all, Mack, you haven’t dated in a long time. Like, since high school, right?”
“Ass.”
“Tex, your flavor-of-the-day dates are just pathetic.”
“Keep it classy, dickhead. Flavor-of-the-day?” Tex snorted. “I respect women. I prefer flavor-of-the-week. You can’t get to know nobody in a day. Oh, and note, wonder boy, I’m not lonely.”
Brad ignored him. “And Reggie,” Brad added, pleased to see his buddy not so cheerful anymore, “You’re so closed off it’s a wonder you even talk to us.”
“Maybe I’ll stop doing that,” Reggie warned.
“Promises, promises.”
“But I can’t be silent until I get this off my chest,” Reggie proclaimed.
Brad groaned and moved into the kitchen with a rag and bottle of cleanser.
“You’re too tense, man. You need to relax.”
“No shit,” Tex agreed.
“Who asked you?” Brad growled.
“Nobody. But then no one ever asks me for my opinion. That hurts, guys, deeply.”
Reggie chuckled.
“You have to have a heart to get it broken,” Mack said, all sage-like as he dusted the living room.
“Wow, deep thoughts for a lightweight,” Tex drawled. “Like Brad said, find yourself a girl. Then we’ll talk.”
Mack grinned. “Say what you want, but I am in love. Her name is Vella.”
“Isn’t that your dad’s car?” Brad asked, impressed with Mack Senior’s classic Chevelle.
“Nah. It’s mine now. He gave her to me for being his favorite son.”
