by J. H. Croix
“Ah, now that's a good question,” I returned. “I haven't had a chance to demonstrate that I'm not staring at your ass at work yet.”
Paisley burst out laughing. The sound of her throaty chuckle sizzled like lightning through my body. Before I knew it, I was capturing the last of her laughter in a kiss and forgetting everything else. As I fell asleep that night in her bed, I recalled her question about our “no strings” agreement. It felt as if she had set tiny darts in my heart, each one tied to a string.
Fuck. I didn't know how to do this. I hadn't planned on falling for Paisley. I thought we'd have fun and stop arguing. We were having fun, and we weren't arguing, but it was getting complicated—fast.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Paisley
Another week passed, and autumn took hold. The days were getting shorter and the nights longer and colder. Although I was never cold at night. Not with Russell. He was my personal furnace, and I was starting to get attached.
This was new for me. I'd never been with a guy who I actually liked this much. It didn't help one bit to have our nights together be so fucking hot it was a miracle we didn't set the house on fire.
After almost a full week of not hearing from my brother, he called three days running. I finally broke down and called him from my cell phone.
“What the hell is going on?” I asked as soon as he answered.
“Thanks for finally answering.”
“I'm not answering. I'm calling you. I have a life, you know.”
“I know you do.”
“What's going on?”
Ryder’s sigh filtered through the line. “I'm in some trouble.”
My stomach twisted with anxiety. “What else is new? You're dealing designer drugs. And maybe, I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure you're deep into that drug ring Dad's office is investigating,” I said flatly.
My brother's silence answered for me. I could feel his guilt reverberating through the airwaves of our cell phone connection. “Am I right?” I pressed.
“Yeah,” he said, his tone curt.
“You need to get out of that mess.”
“I’m working on it. I promise. I'm going out of town, and I need you to cover for me with Mom and Dad.”
Nausea rose swiftly in my throat, and I took a deep breath. “If they ask me, I'll just tell them I don't know where you are, but if they ask me more, I won’t lie.”
Another sigh from my brother. “I know. I'm not going to tell you where I am. I'm going to tell them I’m going on vacation.”
“Why are you leaving town?”
“Because there's a problem. A bunch of money and product went missing.”
“You know, when you work with criminals, things like this happen.”
“Paisley, I don't need a fucking lecture,” he snapped.
“Fuck you,” I said hotly. “I'm afraid for you. I'm no high and mighty person. For some people, dealing drugs is their only way out of poverty, but that's not what happened to you. I don't even know how you got into this, and every time I think too hard about it, I feel sick.”
“It was just some fun in college, easy money.”
“And how's it working out now?” My throat was tight, and my chest ached.
Ryder’s laugh was bitter. “Not so great, but I'm gonna skip town for a little bit. Take some distance, and I’ll figure it out.”
“Did you steal money?” I surprised myself by asking.
“Fuck no, I wouldn't do that.”
I almost laughed, but I felt too sick and upset. “You know, Ryder, I didn't think you'd be doing this, so excuse me for being curious.”
“I think I know who did, and that's part of the problem.”
“I thought you were pretty high up in this food chain.” Since I’d accidentally stumbled across what the fuck my brother was doing, I’d tiptoed around asking him too much, but I was feeling more than done with that. I remembered that afternoon so clearly. He'd been out of town for a weekend and asked me to check on his apartment. While I was there, some guys had shown up at his house and had a “business transaction” in his kitchen. They hadn't even known I was there. I'd hidden in the bathroom, where the cat liked to nap in the sink. She loved the round shape of it. My brother—because he was a sweet guy and more than a drug dealer—didn't even use that bathroom sink because he always wanted it to be dry for her.
“It's not working out, and I'm working on finding a way to unwind this whole thing.”
“Ryder, the kind of people you're dealing with aren't the kind you can just walk away from.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but I'll figure it out.”
“Maybe you should talk to Dad.”
“Are you fucking insane?” he retorted.
“I guess I am,” I muttered. “Do I need to be worried about anything else other than everything I’m worried about with you? I've been freaked out ever since you called me about that guy.”
“No, you should be fine. He got arrested in California, so he’s completely out of the loop. He had a record there, so he's in for plenty of time. I'm going to fall off the radar, and I'll be in touch when I can. I'm going to turn this number off, so don't try to reach me at it again.”
“How the hell am I supposed to call you if I need to?”
“I'll use burner phones and call you.”
My stomach was a whirling dervish of anxiety. Burner phones? What the hell?
“Do I need to be worried about my own numbers getting leaked?”
“No, Paisley. That's the point of burner phones. I use them for a short time and destroy them. I don’t keep anyone’s information in my contacts.” My brother shifted gears abruptly, something he'd done forever. “That Russell guy seems nice.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“Are you dating him?”
I almost choked. “Uh, no.”
My brother chuckled. “I have a vibe that you might not be telling me the truth. Whatever.”
“He’s my roommate. That's it. And he is a good guy. We also work together.”
“So it would be complicated if you did date?”
“Definitely. We're friends,” I insisted even though it was a lie. We were more than friends, and also, we weren't. It was complicated, but I didn't say any of that to my brother. “I love you, Ryder. Stay safe.”
“I will. Love you too.”
We ended the call, and I leaned my head back. I was sitting in my car at Willow Brook Fire & Rescue Station, and there was a tapping on the window. Glancing sideways, I saw Phoebe and Susannah smiling at me.
“Oh, hey, what's up?” I asked as I rolled down the window.
“Come with us,” Phoebe said.
“Uh, where?”
“Wildlands, for dinner. Girls only,” Susannah replied.
“Okay. What time?”
“Now,” Phoebe said, her eyebrows hitching up.
“All right. I'll meet you over there.”
I didn't really need to drive over, but I did since it would be dark by the time we finished dinner. As I walked in, I was worrying over my brother. I had a doer kind of personality, always wanting to solve problems and take action, but I had no idea how to fix this situation. I desperately and pointlessly wished he hadn't been lured by the stupid easy money in college. He’d been a partier back in those days. Of the two of us, I’d definitely been the more straitlaced one. I wasn't a prude, but I'd been busy with classes and busy with life.
It had never occurred to me that I could’ve made a bunch of money dealing drugs in college. I let out a sigh and forcibly kicked my worries to the curb. I was in Alaska. My brother was going wherever he was going, and there really was nothing I could do. All I could hope for was that he somehow stayed safe and got himself out of this. I couldn't help the twinge of guilt, though. I really wanted to dump this on my father so he could somehow fix it, but I had no idea how he could remedy it for my brother.
Once I walked into the restaurant, I scanned the room, and my eyes landed on Phoe
be pulling out a chair at a table in the corner. The place was hopping, and I dodged customers as I weaved through the tables.
“Hey,” I said once I reached them. “You all beat me here.”
Susannah grinned. Once we were seated, a waitress appeared. I ordered a water, and we decided to share some appetizers. Once the waitress left, Phoebe glanced over at me, commenting, “I noticed you haven't been drooling over Russell, but he's still staring at your ass.”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you serious?”
Phoebe shrugged lightly. “We can only expect so much. I think he's trying to keep it in check. Except that whenever he looks at you, he's all smoldery.”
“Absolutely.” Susannah nodded emphatically.
“He got all stressed out the other day when we were on a call,” Phoebe added.
“He did?”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah. You were ahead on the trail, and the wind was up during the helicopter landing.”
I blinked at her. “I'm sure he was just generally concerned.”
Phoebe eyed me dubiously, and Susannah’s brows hitched up.
“What?” I pressed. “You're not on our crew.”
“No, but I was on a crew with Ward. And trust me, it's better we're not on the same crew.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s not just a Ward thing. I worry about him when he’s out in the field, and I can manage it better if it's not in the moment.”
I didn’t know what to think. “Hmm,” I replied vaguely, relieved when the waitress appeared to deliver our drinks and assure us our appetizers would be out soon.
Another distraction appeared when Susannah waved at a woman I didn't recognize when she approached the table. I didn't need for the conversation to dwell on Russell and me. I was getting tired of thinking about him, and I was definitely in over my head. My ability to manage my expectations as I'd hoped was limited.
Susannah stood from the table as soon as the woman reached us. “Hey!” She gave the woman a big hug. “How are you? It's been a minute since I saw you.”
“It’s been a few years,” the woman offered with a wry smile.
“I heard about your grandmother,” Susannah said. “I'm sorry.”
“Thanks,” the woman replied. “I’m hoping she turns this around, but it’s hard to tell.”
Susannah’s smile was warm. “How long will you be here?”
“A few weeks.”
“Are you meeting anyone here tonight?” Susannah asked. When the woman shook her head, Susannah added, “Do you want to join us?”
“Sure. I mean, if it's okay.” The woman glanced at us.
Susannah turned, gesturing from the woman toward us. “This is Mae Townsend. You remember Phoebe, right?”
Mae smiled. “Of course! I didn’t see you there.”
Phoebe had been looking at something on her phone and finally glanced up. “Oh! Hey!” She stood and hugged Mae as well.
Susannah gestured to me. “This is Paisley. She’s a firefighter.”
Mae smiled warmly. “I grew up here but then moved away for college and never made it back. Are you sure you don't mind me joining you?”
“Of course not. We have an extra chair anyway. Have a seat.” I patted the chair beside me.
Mae was pretty with honey-gold hair and big blue eyes. She slipped into the chair and shrugged out of her jacket. “Well, this place feels exactly the same,” she commented as Susannah rounded the table and took the seat across from her.
“It hasn't changed much,” Phoebe offered. “They have updated the menu, though.”
“And added another wing to the hotel,” Susannah chimed in.
Mae laughed softly. “Willow Brook seems like it's growing up.”
“Sort of, but not really,” Susannah returned. “We have a new pizza place and an art gallery.”
“Ooh! We're getting high class,” Mae teased. “So you were in Seattle, right?”
Phoebe nodded. “Yup, stayed there after college, but it’s good to be back in Alaska.”
“It’s definitely a change of pace from Seattle,” Mae replied.
Phoebe grinned. “For sure. If I need my city dose, I can go to Anchorage.”
Mae glanced at me. “Where are you from?”
“I'm from a small town in Washington in the foothills of the Cascades.”
Mae’s gaze shifted between us. “Three firefighters. Wow. It makes me feel like I'm not that tough.”
Susannah rolled her eyes. “You're plenty tough, Mae.” She glanced at me. “She was a sports star in high school.”
“What did you do?”
“Cross-country. I ran and ran and ran and got a scholarship to a university in North Carolina, so I took it. Everything was covered, so it was a sweet deal for me,” Mae explained.
“There's a guy on our crew from North Carolina,” I chimed in.
Mae’s gaze sharpened as she glanced in my direction.
“Really? Who?”
“Rowan, Rowan Cole,” I replied.
“You’re kidding me,” she said flatly.
“What? You know him?” Phoebe interjected.
Mae let out a heartfelt sigh. “Yes, I do.”
“It sounds like there's a story there. What's the scoop?” Susannah asked just as our waitress arrived.
She delivered our appetizers and took Mae’s drink order before whisking off to another table. “Help yourself,” I said as I doled out the stack of plates the waitress had left for us.
“You sure?” Mae asked.
“Of course,” Susannah chirped. “Now, what's the deal with you and Rowan? He seems like a nice enough guy. I'm not on his crew, but Phoebe and Paisley are.”
I nodded. “Rowan’s a solid guy, kind of quiet.”
Phoebe offered, “He's got the whole tall, dark, and mysterious vibe going strong.”
Mae pressed her lips together. “We briefly dated in college. It didn’t work out,” she said curtly. “I can't freaking believe he's here in Willow Brook. What are the chances of that?”
Susannah drummed her fingertips on the table, casting Mae a sympathetic look. “His cousin Lucas is friends with Remy Martin, who’s a firefighter here. He told Rowan about the job. Alex Blake is also engaged to Delilah Taylor, who’s from the same town.”
“You mean Alex of Alex and Holly, the twins?” Mae asked.
“That's the one,” Susannah replied.
“Wow. Alex Blake is engaged. I can’t believe it.”
“He’s totally in love with Delilah,” Phoebe offered. “And Holly is married to Nate Fox.”
Mae’s eyes got big. “You are freaking kidding me.”
“Nope. Definitely not kidding,” Susannah said. “There’s a ton more gossip for you to catch up on.”
“Have I met these people?” I asked.
“If you haven't, you will. Holly’s a nurse at the hospital, and she's awesome. Nate does flights for the firefighter crews in the summer, and Alex is a plane mechanic,” Phoebe explained.
Mae popped a halibut bite in her mouth, letting out a satisfied sigh. “God, I missed halibut,” she said after she finished chewing. She looked around the restaurant.” I hope I don't run into Rowan while I’m here.”
Phoebe piped up, “Don't look now, but Rowan just came in with Russell.”
“Russell Dane?”
“That’s the one,” Phoebe replied.
“We’re friends. I need to say hi to him,” Mae said as she twisted in her chair.
“Why don't you say hi to Russell? I’ll avoid him and occupy Rowan for a minute,” I offered.
“Oh, you're avoiding Russell?” Mae asked, her gaze curious.
I shrugged, hoping the heat I felt in my cheeks didn’t show. “No, not really.”
“They're roommates, and they're getting it on, but they think it's a secret, and Russell won't stop giving her smoldering looks at work. It's a problem.” Phoebe’s summary was brutally honest.
I glared at her. “Do you have t
o be that blunt?”
“I'm all about the truth,” she said with a shrug.
“Rowan’s headed right this way,” Susannah warned.
Mae sighed. I was beyond relieved that Mae was here, if only because it helped me feel less insane. The guys came over, and Rowan appeared surprised to see Mae. The tension crackled in the air between them. Mae’s blue eyes were glacially cool when she nodded in his direction, then she gave Russell an enthusiastic welcome with a big hug.
“I’m sorry about your grandmother,” Russell offered when he stepped back.
“Thank you. She's hanging in there, but I don’t think it will be much longer,” Mae said with a twist of her lips.
Russell nodded, squeezing her shoulder when she sat down. “Well, we're going to grab a table with the guys. Good to see you all.”
As he turned away, Russell's eyes landed on mine. Just a passing glance was enough to scorch me. My skin prickled with heat. Susannah commented, “Smoldering, that's what that was.”
I threw a glare in her direction.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Russell
“What the hell was that about?” I asked once we were seated.
Rowan had already picked up the menu and didn't even answer. Chase, who’d arrived before us, glanced from him to me, shrugging lightly. “No clue.”
“You know Mae Townsend?” I asked.
Rowan looked up from his menu, wincing slightly. “I do.”
“How do you know her? She didn’t seem happy to see you,” I replied.
“Right. Look, I don’t actually know what happened. We were really good friends for a few years in college, and then we went on a few dates. She iced me out completely after that, and I never figured out what happened.”
“Did you know she was from Willow Brook when you took a job here?” I pressed.
Rowan winced again. “Uh, yeah. Although I didn’t even know she lived here. Last I knew, she was still in North Carolina.”
I absorbed that. “Hmm, well, she’s a friend.”
Rowan nodded. “I swear I have no idea why she hates me. If you need to punch me, can we at least take it outside?”
