Flashback: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Rhian Cahill

  “Oh, right. No. No pressure. From either of us.” She shrugged. “It just happened recently.” She wasn’t sure how much she should reveal. They were already keeping one thing a secret.

  “Good. Good. Okay, well, that’s it.”

  Mazey sat staring at him.

  “You can go now.”

  “Oh, okay then.” She popped to her feet. “Sorry, that question threw me a bit, I guess. It never entered my mind that someone might think that about Ry.”

  “I don’t. But I had to be sure.”

  “Yes, I suppose you’d have to in your position.”

  “I’ve been around long enough to have seen it all. But now we’re all covered. You both know it’s not against your contracts, and I know it’s consensual. That protects Ry if you decide to claim otherwise, if things go sour between the two of you.”

  “Oh, I’d never do that!”

  “And what if he did?”

  “He’d never . . . ah, I see.” She smiled. “It’s better to be sure.”

  “It is. He’s a good man. I know you don’t want to think about what I may or may not have heard about you before you started, but I want you to know Rylan Conners is one of the good ones.”

  “I, um, thank you.” Mazey could feel her face heating. What had someone at Anaheim Memorial told Cochran? “I better get back.”

  He smiled. “Yes, you’d better. A load of supplies is due to arrive in an hour. I’m sure you’ll want to be ready to put them all away correctly.”

  Mazey laughed. “Is it just me, or are all our deliveries happening when I’m on shift now?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said with a smile as he turned back to his computer.

  “I’ll bring the invoice in after I’m done.”

  She slipped out of the office to find Rylan waiting for her. He tipped his head toward the storeroom at the end of the hall. On the way, Mazey tried to decide if she should tell him what Cochran wanted to know or not. In a way, the suggestion that Rylan had pressured her into a relationship was insulting and might drive a wedge between the two men.

  In the end, she valued their developing relationship more than the one Rylan had with their boss and told him. “Cochran just wanted to be sure you, as my boss, hadn’t forced me to become involved with you,” she said as soon as he closed the door behind them.

  “Ah, right. I didn’t think of that angle. Good move on his part. Protects us all if things go south, which they won’t, but you need to cover all contingencies when you’re in his position.”

  “You know, I keep thinking you can’t surprise me anymore with how levelheaded you are, and yet you do.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve spent years considering all angles and remaining cool under pressure, it’s second nature now.”

  “I’m pretty sure we’re going to rely on your abilities a lot in the future.”

  “You’ve had to be that way too. You can’t tell me you got to the top of trauma nursing in a busy ER by freaking out under pressure.”

  “No, you’re right, I don’t normally crumble during stressful situations. Maybe I’m doing it now because it’s personal?”

  “That could be it.” He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “It also might be all those pregnancy hormones hijacking your system.”

  “Huh. You might be on to something there. I never considered that could be affecting the way I’m dealing with things.”

  “Okay, so Cochran doesn’t have a problem with us working together and being together, so we should get back to work and prove his faith in our professionalism is warranted.”

  “I’ve got a supply delivery arriving soon. Want to help me with that?”

  Rylan rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “I can’t believe I’m saying this . . .‍” He returned his gaze to hers. “Yes. I’ll help you count and shelve supplies.”

  Laughing, Mazey elbowed her way past him. “We’ll start out in the hanger.”

  “Want a drink before we head out there? Maybe something to eat?”

  “A bottle of water would be good.”

  “Did you eat this morning?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Yes, I ate this morning. Even kept it down.”

  “Excellent.”

  It was excellent. The nausea plaguing her last week had all but vanished. Her appetite was back, and the occasional churning of her belly had more to do with nerves than morning sickness. Hopefully, the trend continued. She hated the idea of not being able to enjoy her pregnancy.

  She was going through something she’d always wanted, and she couldn’t fathom not being excited about the baby growing inside her.

  And the man following her down the hallway had a lot to do with her excitement.

  He was her ideal partner in so many ways. Placing a hand on her stomach, she sent up a silent prayer that what they’d accidentally stumbled into could be the future she’d always dreamed of.

  32

  “Here. Take my key. I don’t know what time this thing will finish, and I’ve got a delivery coming today. I forgot about it and I’d really appreciate it if you were there to accept it.” Rylan pressed the key to his house into Mazey’s hand.

  “Do you know what time? I don’t have a change of clothes with me. Can I duck home first?”

  “I think so. I can take a look at the tracking info to see when they think it’ll be delivered if you need to do stuff at home.” He nodded at Grayson when he came into the bathroom. “Hey.”

  “Ready for today?” Gray asked, putting his bag in an empty locker.

  “Ah, sure. I have no idea what it is we’re doing.”

  Gray laughed. “Nothing special and usually it’s a good experience. There’s typically one cocky bastard in the bunch, but a few quick drops in altitude or a hard landing puts them in their place pretty fast.”

  “What training are we doing?”

  “Cochran really didn’t tell you?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Hang on, let me finish saying goodbye to Maz, then I’m all yours.”

  “Meet me in the kitchen. I need coffee,” Gray grumbled as he left the room.

  “Will do.” Rylan turned back to Mazey. “Are you okay doing this for me? I can cancel the delivery, try and get it rescheduled or something.”

  “No, it’s fine. If you can find out roughly when it’s due to arrive, that would help. Although, if you don’t mind, I will grab my dirty laundry from home and do it at your place.”

  “Yes. Do that.” Was it strange that he liked the idea of Mazey’s dirty clothes in his washer? “I think there might be a load in the dryer. Toss it in a basket, and I’ll deal with it when I get home.”

  “Okay. Should I plan something for lunch? Dinner?”

  “Don’t plan anything. I can pick something up or order in, or we can go out.” Maybe they could go on their first official date. Rylan liked that idea a lot. They’d hung out in a group setting a few times, but they hadn’t gone out alone, just the two of them. He wasn’t counting the numerous meals they had shared together at his place or hers. They weren’t dates.

  Yeah, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to take her out. Somewhere nice, with tablecloths. He’d have to ask Gray for some recommendations. Before now, he hadn’t had any need to know what the nicer restaurants in Sunnyville were. He wanted to take her somewhere classy, romantic, a bit more formal than the average place.

  He couldn’t wait to sit across a candlelit table from her.

  With a plan in mind, he smiled and said, “I’ll call or message when I know what time the delivery will be there, and when I’ll be done here.”

  “Can I ask what you’re expecting? Do you need me to do anything special with it when it arrives?”

  “It’s furniture for the in-law suite off the kitchen. A bed, a dresser, and a couch for the sitting area. Get them to put it all wherever you think it should go.”

  “You don’t want to set it up?”

  “God, no, I’m
not into decorating. You’ll see that soon enough. I only ordered the basics, a queen mattress and base, a pine six-drawer dresser, and a two-seater leather sofa in black. I don’t care how it’s set up in there as long as it’s set up.”

  “Okay. I’ll look at the space and see what would work best. I’ll see you later.” She pushed to her toes and smacked her lips to his. When she pulled away, he grabbed her elbows and yanked her up again.

  “Oh no, that will never do for a goodbye kiss,” he said before slanting his mouth over hers.

  It took concentration to keep the kiss from sinking deeper. He wanted to give her just enough to leave her wanting more, but he also had to remember where they were. Her mouth, her taste, were all too easy to get lost in. With reluctance, he sipped at her lips one final time then stepped away.

  “There. Much better,” he declared with a smug grin.

  She stared at him, blinking fast over dilated eyes, her cheeks flushed, and her lips red and puffy. “Wow.”

  He grinned wider. “I’ll call you when I can.”

  “Ah, okay, bye.” She made her way to the door and gave him a look over her shoulder that had him mentally patting himself on the back.

  He’d accomplished his objective. She’d be thinking about that kiss—and him—the rest of the day.

  He adjusted his pants.

  Of course, they would both be thinking about that kiss for the rest of the day, but it had been worth a few hours of discomfort.

  “Jeez, are you still in here? C’mon, let’s get this thing going. We need to get to the hanger and check everything is ready to go. The kids will be here soon,” Gray said from the open door.

  “Coming. Wait? What? Kids?” Rylan’s words fell into the empty room, bounced against the closed door. “Shit.” What the hell had he volunteered for?

  He headed out via the kitchen, where he grabbed a couple of bottles of water. When he walked into the hanger, it became clear what this training session was. It was a demonstration of what they did here at Mercy-Life.

  One corner of the hanger had charts taped up on the wall, two large tables with various medical equipment and papers on them stood in front of the poster display, and across the large space, the plane door was open, the stairs down.

  “How old are they?” Rylan asked as he moved closer to the tables.

  “Average age is thirteen.”

  “Eighth graders?”

  “Seventh and eighth.”

  “Do we do this often?” He picked up a handout and studied the pictures. “We’re not expecting them to learn CPR, are we?”

  Gray laughed. “Hell no. We’ll send them back to school with those leaflets and hope something sticks, but at this age, we’re really just showing them around and telling them what everything is, talking about what we do. They don’t care about anything but riding in a chopper. We won’t take them up today. I prefer to show them the choppers and the plane here on the ground and leave it at that.”

  “Okay. What do you need me to do?” He could do this. And he needed to get used to the idea of spending time with kids. He was going to have one in about eight months.

  “Nothing right now. Everything is set up already, and I’ve done this so many times I could do it in my sleep. Just follow my lead and help me ride herd once the group gets here. There should be at least three chaperones as well as us. That’s five adults to twenty teens and preteens. I’m not expecting any drama.”

  “What time will we finish?”

  “Should be out of here before midday. Why? Got a hot date?”

  Rylan grinned. “Actually, yes.”

  “Wait? You and Mazey?”

  He nodded.

  “That’s new.”

  “Recent-ish.”

  “Be careful. You both have to work here after.”

  “After what? I’m not planning for there to be an after unless you’re talking afterlife.”

  “Oh?” Gray’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “That serious?”

  “Yeah. I’m all in, and so is Maz. Although there’s a bit of baggage we need to work through. I’m confident we’ll unpack that and throw out the crap sooner than later.”

  “Well,” Gray said and clapped him on the back, “I wish you luck. If anyone knows about unpacking baggage and tossing out the shit, it’s me. And if I can do it after my level of shit, I have faith you and Mazey will too.”

  “Thanks.” Rylan knew Gray had gone through a tough time before he and Sidney had gotten together. Should he ask him how long it took to work everything out? “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “It’s personal, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

  “Go ahead,” Gray said, bringing his mug to his lips and taking a sip.

  “How long did it take you to move past . . . whatever you had to get through?”

  Gray cocked his head in thought. “I’d like to say I was smart enough to work out Sidney was it for me quickly, but I can’t. We both made mistakes, and for a bit there, it didn’t seem as though we’d be more than a passing thing. Honestly, I can’t say how long it took us, and I have to admit Luke stuck his nose in with help from my brothers because I was a dumbass.”

  “But it was worth the effort? Worth the pain?”

  “One hundred percent. Sidney is one of the best parts of my life. I’d be seriously missing out if we hadn’t worked our collective shit out.”

  “Okay. Thanks for being candid with me.”

  “No problem. And if you need someone to stick their nose in, let me know.” Gray grinned. “I’ll get Luke on the job.”

  Rylan laughed. “Why is it kids seem to see the heart of things quicker than adults?”

  Gray shrugged. “Maybe because they don’t have to worry about all the other adult stuff. I wasn’t just protecting myself, I had Luke to think about, and he’d been through more than any kid his age should have to deal with. Then again, maybe it’s that they haven’t experienced some of the pain and betrayal that comes with adulthood, they don’t have the scars that make us cautious. Speaking of kids . . .” He gestured with his mug. “They’re here.”

  He turned to see a bus pull up outside the hanger. He’d be sure to take note of how these kids behaved, how their teachers dealt with them. In a few years, it could be his son or daughter climbing down from the bus.

  Smiling, he followed Gray outside.

  Yeah, he could see that. His kids—yes, plural—on an excursion to see the ins and outs of Mercy-Life.

  Would he and Mazey still work here then? In thirteen years, he’d be in his early fifties. He couldn’t see himself retired at that age and couldn’t imagine spending his days doing anything other than flying choppers.

  Wouldn’t that be a kick?

  Standing here and waiting for his son. Or daughter.

  Would they look like him or Mazey?

  He couldn’t wait to find out.

  33

  Mazey folded the last of Rylan’s T-shirts and placed it in the drawer. He’d told her to leave the load in a basket, but she was folding her own things, and it seemed stupid not to do his at the same time.

  And if she got a little thrill out of doing laundry, out of taking care of this simple thing for him, then she didn’t have to admit it to anyone except herself. She shouldn’t feel guilty about throwing the few things in his dirty clothes basket in with her load either. Or the fact that she’d tidied up a little here and there.

  Again, no one else had to know she was enjoying all these domestic chores in Rylan’s house but her.

  Smiling, she glanced at the time and frowned.

  Where the hell was the furniture delivery? Rylan had messaged to let her know to expect them around ten, and it was almost eleven. Grabbing the empty clothes basket, she headed out of his room.

  Pausing in the hallway, she thought about messaging him to let him know it was late. Then again, he said he would be home around midday, so was there any point? He’d be here soon enough,
plus he couldn’t take care of it until he’d finished work anyway. She’d just wait and see if it turned up before he got home.

  Home.

  She liked the way that sounded.

  “I can’t wait for Ry to come home.” She placed a hand over the dog tags under her T-shirt. “Everything will be okay,” she murmured with a smile.

  Starting down the stairs, she took a deep breath. The house smelled fantastic thanks to the beef stew she had in the crockpot she’d brought over from her place.

  She’d had the ingredients ready to go for when she got home this morning, and it seemed silly to put it on at her house then come to Rylan’s for the day. And if he insisted on going out or ordering in, she could put it in his freezer for later.

  She liked the idea of later. The more their situation settled in her mind, the more she thought they stood a good chance of making things work between them. Baby aside, she believed they had a connection that could only grow stronger, and with them both determined to forge a future, that chance seemed better than most.

  Passing the front door, she peeked out through the side glass and saw a car in the driveway. It wasn’t hers. She’d parked on the street to leave the driveway free for the delivery truck. And it couldn’t be the delivery. It was a sporty two-door thing. No way would furniture be delivered in that.

  Her hand was on the deadbolt when the doorbell rang.

  Mazey wasn’t sure who she expected to find on Rylan’s front step, but it wasn’t the perfectly made-up woman in designer clothes with a toddler sleeping in a stroller beside her. “Um, can I help you?”

  “You’re not Rylan,” the woman accused, a frown doing nothing to mar her perfect face.

  “No. He’s not here.”

  “Not here? But he should be home by now. He’s not working today. His shift finished at seven this morning.”

  “Um, yes, he—”

  “Oh! You must be the housekeeper? He told me he was hiring one so I wouldn’t have to worry about taking care of the house. Rylan wants me to spend all my time with Maddox. He is always so thoughtful like that, and Mad has reached the terrible twos early, so he’s a lot to manage. He’s an overachiever like his father,” she said, flashing blinding white teeth.