There's Trouble: A Friends to Lovers Romance

by Nadine Hudson

  There’s Trouble

  WHERE THERE’S SMOAK SERIES

  BOOK 2

  BY: NADINE HUDSON

  Copyright © 2021 Nadine Hudson

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Description

  Conner thinks it’s all in good fun. Playful banter. He thinks all his flirting and sexual innuendos are harmless...And that’s exactly what I want him to think. He can never know how much each smirk or touch twists me up inside.

  He’s been my best friend since we were kids. I could never jeopardize our friendship over some stupid childhood crush-even if that childhood crush has bloomed into something so much sexier as we’ve gotten older.

  Regardless, I can’t do it. I need to maintain our friendship and my heart unbroken above all else. Conner Smoak has more notches in his bedpost than I care to count and I can’t bear the thought of ending up as one of them. Not after everything we’ve been through together.

  As part of her special Blackbox Collection, Nadine Hudson cranks up the heat in this friends to lovers, slow burning romance that will leave you panting… clinging for more! HEA Guaranteed!

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  CLICK HERE to get access to the Surviving Love and War Prequel:

  The Love of a Lieutenant

  Table of Contents

  Description

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  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  What Happens Next?

  Follow Me!

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  OTHER BOOKS BY NADINE HUDSON

  About the Author

  Review This Book

  One

  Conner

  I roll over in bed. The pillow beneath my head is cool and it feels good on my warm face. It smells like flowers. I inhale the scent deeply through my nose. Wait a minute. I open one eye, look around, and for a moment I forget where I am. But the events of last night soon flood back into my mind. Brooke. I turn over in her bed but she’s not there. I roll onto my back for a few moments trying to process everything.

  She intentionally put herself in harm's way last night. She acted like she didn’t want me to protect her. Like I was crazy for trying to help her. She acted like she wanted to be hurt. That’s not Brooke. She doesn’t just go looking for trouble. And she certainly doesn’t push me away. But then she seemed like she wanted me here last night. She squeezed me and smiled when she knew I was here with her. The recollection of Brooke tucked safely under my arm makes me smile.

  Something just isn’t adding up. Sometimes things are fine and normal between us, other times she gets pissy for no reason, now she’s behaving recklessly. I shake my head thinking about all the things that have happened over the last week but it only makes me feel more lost. The image of her arms wrapped around Mitch at the bar last night pops into my head and my blood starts to boil. What the hell is going on with her?

  I’m suddenly angry with her for even putting herself in that situation. I get up from her bed and start pacing her room. I need to talk to her about this. She needs to know that it wasn’t okay. I pick up my phone from beside her nightstand and read the time. 9:00AM. Shit. I’m supposed to meet with Chief Joe today at ten. I rub my hand through my hair and over my face. Brooke will have to wait. I start down the hallway and hear her shower running. I put my hand on the door and consider knocking to let her know I’m leaving but change my mind. I want her to know that I’m upset with her.

  I head down the stairs through the living room and out the front door. I hop in my truck and head toward home. I hear Bruno barking at the window as I pull into the driveway. I feel a little guilty about leaving him home alone so much. I need to make some time for him. I take him out and let him do his business before heading back in the kitchen to make my breakfast. Opening my freezer door I pull out four waffles from the box and slide them into the toaster. I go back to my room while they are heating up and change my clothes.

  Back in the kitchen Bruno is sitting patiently by his food bowl. I fill it up and put my waffles together with butter and syrup then sit at the table to eat. I can feel the excitement about my meeting with Chief Joe building up inside me. I’ve been working towards this for a while now. It’s hard to believe the day is here already. My phone buzzes, interrupting my thoughts. I pull it out of my pocket and read the screen. 1 Message-Brooke. I open it up.

  I’m sorry, Conner. Can we talk?

  Sorry? That’s it? I know we need to talk but the thought of having a conversation with her still makes my blood boil. I can’t talk to her right now. Without responding I put my phone on the table beside me and finish my breakfast. Glancing down at the time I realize I only have about fifteen minutes to get to the station. Shit. I jump up from my seat and head out the door.

  Made it. I smile to myself as I pull into the station and head inside.

  I reach Chief Joe’s office door and it’s already partially cracked open. I knock on the door as I open it and find him sitting at his desk, filling out paperwork.

  “Hey, Conner. Come on in. Have a seat,” he says, gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk.

  I do as he says and sit down. I’ve been waiting for this meeting for months. Our company finally got approval to hire a Captain and Chief Joe has been hinting to me for a while that he likes me for the position.

  “How’s it going, Chief?” I ask casually, trying to conceal my anticipation.

  “Well, if I’m being honest, Conner, it could be better,” he replies. A look of disappointment on his face as he looks down at his desk and rubs the back of his neck.

  My heart sinks to my stomach. Did something happen with the position? Did he know about the almost bar fight last night?

  “Why? What’s up?” I inquire further, my guts twisting into knots.

  “Ya see, Conner, you know how much I appreciate everything you do around here. The whole crew looks up to you. Your leadership qualities are unmatched. Which is what makes this so much harder to explain.”

  “You’re not giving me the Captain job are you?” I ask, just wanting to put us both out of our misery.

  “Unfortunately, no. My hands are tied.”

  “What does that mean?” Anger now ringing in my voice.

  “I got a call from Randy Klinger a few days ago asking for a special favor and in return for the favor he’s going to approve the budget I proposed for the upcoming fiscal year. That would be huge for us,” Chief Joe explains waving his hands through the air.

  “What’s the favor, Chief?” I ask coldly, glaring back at him.

  “There’s a firefighter from one of the New York City companies, Ian Thompson. He’s looking for a transfer to a different station. From what I hear he’s quite the accomplished young man and would be a hell of an asset to our company. Anyway, the favor was to offer him the Captain position so he would choose to transfer to our company. It was an offer I couldn’t pass up, Conner. You gotta understand that.”

  I stared at the floor with my arms crossed tightly in front of me. I could feel my muscles tensing at his words. I shake my head back and forth in disbelief.

  “This is bull shit, Chief. I work my ass off for this company. I risk my life for this company and this is the thanks I get?” I start to raise my voice.

  “Conner, I told you, my hands are tied. Randy Klinger, the mayor, asked
me for a favor. I can’t just say no to the man who controls our budget. I wish there was another way, but I’m sorry. There’s just not.”

  “And if this big shot says no, then what? You want me to just be cool with taking the position by default?”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. He’s already accepted the position. I got the call last night. He starts tomorrow.”

  I feel the rage build inside me and decide I need to leave now before I say something I’m going to regret. I stand and start towards the door.

  “Thanks for the heads up, Joe. It’s nice to know where I stand in this company after all these years,” I say before exiting the room and slamming the door shut behind me.

  ****

  Brooke

  I turn off the water and wrap myself in a towel. I wipe the vanity mirror that is now full of steam with my hand so I can see my reflection. I stare back at myself in disapproval, smeared makeup still smudged under my eyes even after my shower. I lean in closer and try to rub it off but my eyes burn from all the crying I did before I got in. Even now I still struggle to keep my tears hidden. They start to build in my eyes as I continue to gaze back at the mess I’ve made of myself. My outward appearance finally reflects how I’ve been feeling on the inside all along.

  I inhale sharply through my nose and let out a slow breath through “o” shaped lips. My shoulders rise and fall with my inhale and exhale. I need to keep it together. I can’t let Conner see me like this. I secure my towel around me again as I creep down the hall to my room. I wish I would have thought to bring my clothes with me to the bathroom. Now I’m just hoping he’s still asleep and I can sneak in to grab my clothes and sneak back out. My heart starts to race at the thought of being confronted by him about last night while I’m in a bath towel. I slowly open up the door to my room and find an empty bed, blankets tossed across it, and my heart sinks.

  He’s gone? The thought immediately brings more tears to my eyes. He wouldn’t just leave without saying anything unless he were really upset. I sit on the end of my bed and stare down at my lap, allowing tears to flow freely, surprised that I still have tears left to cry. I sit for a while and think about how I got myself here, trying to figure out where the hell I went wrong, other than getting shitfaced and trying to go home with a known manwhore. My face flushes with an overwhelming feeling of embarrassment. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more guilty or ashamed in my whole life.

  “This isn’t me. This isn’t who I am,” I say quietly to myself, shaking my head, tears still rolling down my cheeks. “I need to make this right. I need to apologize to everyone. Bobby. Marcy. Conner.” I feel a lump form in my throat. “Especially Conner.” I pull out my phone and start a text.

  Conner, I want you to know how much I love you.

  No. I delete the message and start over.

  Conner, I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me last night.

  No. “Ugh..Damn it!” I start again.

  I’m sorry, Conner. Can we talk?

  I send the message and lay back on my bed. Hopefully the words will just come to me when I see him in person. I look back at my screen. It’s almost time for my shift. I don’t have time to make breakfast. Not that I could eat anything right now even if I did have time. I feel sick to my stomach. Partly from too much to drink but also because of the emotional mess I’ve been since getting up this morning. I get up, get dressed, and head out the door.

  I pull into the station and check my face in the mirror one last time before going in. My eyes are still a little red but I think I can blame it on the hangover. I make my way up the steps and into the upstairs room. I look around for Conner but don’t see him. Andy is sitting at the table filling out some papers while Bobby and Gabe stand at the counter talking over coffee. I walk up to Bobby and put my head down in shame.

  “I’m so sorry, Bobby,” I say, glancing up at him slightly through my lashes.

  “You really worried me last night, kid.” He reaches out and wraps me in a hug, patting my back hard. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

  I hug him back and let out a sigh of relief that he’s not mad. Unfortunately, I doubt Conner will be that quick to forgive me.

  “Where’s Conner?” I ask, pulling back from Bobby.

  “He’s in with the Chief,” Gabe answers.

  I nod in response and look around the room awkwardly. I’m still embarrassed about how I acted last night and now it feels like everyone here knows exactly what happened. As if he sensed my discomfort, Gabe pats my shoulder.

  “Hey, Brooke, relax. We’ve all been there. We’ve all made mistakes. Nobody’s judging ya, sweetheart. I’m just glad Conner showed up when he did.”

  “Yeah, me too,” I sigh in response.

  I know last night I wasn’t. Last night I treated him like he was the cause of all of my problems when really, he was being exactly what he’s been all along. A great friend. Guilt washes over me again. I have been so selfish. Conner has been going out of his way to be there for me and at no fault of his I was going out of mine to stop him. All because I can’t control myself.

  Suddenly, we could all hear Conner's voice booming down the hallway then a loud SLAM of Chief Joe’s door. I glance through the doorway down the hall to spot Conner storming toward the stairs.

  “Conner!” I call out but he doesn’t even look at me. He continues down the stairs and out the door. I can tell by the look on his face that he is furious. I hope not because of me. Moments later Chief Joe opens his door and starts down the hallway, looking a little upset himself. I retreat back into the room and find a seat on the couch waiting for him to arrive.

  He walks through the doorway seconds later and announces, “We are going to have a new member joining our company and he will be arriving tomorrow. I want to make him feel welcome. And I expect everyone else here to do the same. Brooke, do you mind organizing maybe a lunch or dinner or something? I know it’s short notice, but...”

  “Sure, Chief,” I reply a little surprised. I can’t remember the last time someone outside of our little town joined our company.

  “Say, Chief. What will his role be here in our company?” Gabe asks.

  “He will be taking the Captain position,” Chief Joe responds quickly before turning out of the room. I assume that is because he didn’t want to face the looks of anger and confusion by everyone in the company. We all were under the impression that Conner was going to be offered the job. Oh no. Conner. That’s what he was so upset about. I check my phone to see if he’s responded to my text yet but nothing. I don’t blame him. He’s got a lot on his mind right now and he’s going to need some time to cool off after this news. I’ll text him again after my shift.

  Two

  Conner

  Un-fucking-real. How could he do this? I can’t believe he would do this. I need to go somewhere. I need to clear my head. I get home in record time, put Bruno on his leash, and help him into the passenger’s seat of my truck.

  “Wanna go play, Buddy?” I ask him. He grumbles some semblance of a bark back in response to my words.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” I smile and close the door.

  We pull off the main road and start back a dirt path that leads right to a boat landing on the river. I hop out of the truck and Bruno starts barking immediately while running back and forth across my seats. I know, Buddy. You’re excited. I open the passenger door and watch a streak of gray flop out and start hopping around in the weeds. I find a stick and start a game of fetch as we make our way to the river's edge.

  I take a seat on a log and look out onto the river while Bruno disappears into the brush surrounding us. The water is a little lower than usual and I can see rocks poking out above it almost the entire way across. It’s only about half a mile wide and when we don’t get rain for a few weeks it could easily be walked across. The thought makes me smile as it brings me back to a memory.

  I was in high school and mine and Brooke’s family thought it would be fun to c
amp out along the river. So we packed our stuff, built a tent and a fire, and camped out. Our parents brought some beer and they let Brooke and I each have one. Everyone else fell asleep in their tents but Brooke and I stayed up all night long just talking, and laughing, and bullshitting. We got to see the sunrise together over the river. It was great. It was easy.

  I smile again thinking about the simplicity of the time. I drag a hand through my hair and let out a deep sigh as I think about how complicated things have gotten. As if he could sense my distress Bruno reappears from some bushes and sits next to me resting his large head on my lap.

  “I’m a mess, Bruno,” I say, rubbing his face with my hands. “I need to figure my shit out starting with this job.”

  I stand and grab a handful of rocks and roll them around in my hand for a moment. I feel the anger building up inside me again as I think about the Captain job. I need to work out this frustration. Turning to the water I chuck the handful of rocks into the river as far as I can. I pick up another handful and repeat. As hard as I can I hurl handful after handful until my arm feels like rubber and I’m breathless. I feel like a little boy throwing a temper tantrum but I don’t care. It feels so good to get the rage out of my system.

  “Aahhh! What the fuck?” I scream, with no one around to hear me. Catching my breath I look at Bruno who sinks low to the ground with his tail between his legs. He thinks he’s in trouble. I kneel in front of him and reach out my hand.

  “Hey...C’mere, Buddy. I’m sorry,” I coax him in a reassuring tone as he creeps toward me. When he is finally within reach I rub his neck firmly and his tail starts to wag again. “Yeah. It’s okay, Bruno.”

  The reality of my situation is I’m not being named Captain. I’ve got to find a way to come to terms with it. As pissed off as it makes me I really do get the Chief’s perspective. He was in a tough spot and is only trying to do what’s best for the company. If it were me, I probably would’ve made the same choice he did. I rub my neck as I take a seat back down on the log. Now for the more complicated issue… Brooke.