the punch line and dropped her before she could drop him, but this was Joe.
His Joe.
He needed to hear it from her lips. He needed to know that this was what she wanted. He'd give her a chance to explain all the ways he'd fucked up and then he'd use that newfound knowledge to fix their relationship and beg her to take him back. She had to know that he couldn't live without her and that he loved her. That had to mean something.
"Echo seventeen on south side," he said into the mike as he threw the ambulance into park.
"Echo seventeen, received."
For a moment they sat there in silence as he did his best to prepare for what was about to happen. What he hadn't been prepared for was Joe suddenly unbuckling her seatbelt and scrambling over the middle console to climb onto his lap and wrap her arms around him as she buried her face against his neck.
"Joe? Baby, what's wrong?" he asked, wondering if he should feel relieved that she was clinging to him so tightly. If she was ending things between them he didn't think she'd be reacting this way.
At least he hoped not.
It was a little concerning that after three months he still didn't have this relationship shit down. Then again being with Joe was nothing like dating those other women. With her he was calm, relaxed and happy. He didn't have to try hard to impress her like he'd done with the other women and he'd only done that to get them in bed just to get off. Things weren't like that with Joe. He touched her and did things for her because he enjoyed being with her, not because he wanted something from her.
"Nothing," she mumbled against his skin.
"Nothing, huh?"
"No."
"Then why are you on my lap?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"Because you're comfy," she mumbled, snuggling deeper into his arms.
"What's wrong, Joe?" he asked softly, hating to see her upset. He almost wished that she was mad at him, which he was eighty percent sure at the moment that she wasn't, just so he could apologize and fix it.
"Why do you think something's wrong?" she mumbled, repositioning herself until she was sitting across his lap with her back against his door. She laid her head against his shoulder while she absently played with the buttons on his shirt.
"Besides the fact that you canceled our date at the last minute last night and you aren't devouring the pastries I bought you?" he asked dryly.
She shrugged. "I could have had a better offer last night."
"And how would that explain you turning down free pastries?" he asked, feeling himself relax.
"Because he fed me breakfast in bed," she answered, turning her attention to tracing shapes on his shirt.
"Was he good?" he asked, leaning his head back to look down at her.
She let out a long suffering sigh. "I've had better."
"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, smiling as he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.
"So was I. I had such high hopes for him, too," she muttered, giving up her idle movements to simply snuggle in his arms.
He looked around the abandoned parking lot, noting a few private ambulances also stationed in the area. Normally he wouldn't mind shooting the breeze with any of them to pass the time, but today he was glad that they weren't parked close to them and the other EMTs didn't look like they were going to come over and chat anytime soon. He pressed a kiss to Joe's head as he looked across the street at the convenient store, wondering if he should get her some chocolate since it always seemed to make her feel better.
"Isn't that Greg?" she suddenly asked.
Curious, he followed her gaze and sure enough there was Greg. They'd had several third riders before and after him, but not one of them had pissed them off more than that guy and he was counting the guy he'd knocked out.
"Oh my god..........," Joe breathed, sounding as shocked as he probably looked.
"They have a third rider training with him?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Looks like it," she said as they watched a timid young woman step out of the back of the ambulance, wearing a dull gray uniform that matched Greg's. She walked over to join Greg and his partner at the front of the ambulance where they stood talking.
He knew a lot could happen in three months and Greg could have grown up and did his damndest to learn the job, but he knew that wasn't the case. They had several run-ins with the jackass over the past three months and seen his skills first hand. It was more than obvious that he didn't belong on a truck. He was still a cocky arrogant little jerk who mouthed off to nurses and didn't know shit when it came to simple care for a patient. There were more important things to focus on, he reminded himself. Like the woman in his arms who was obviously upset.
"What's going on, Joe?" he asked softly.
"Promise you won't get mad?"
"I promise," he agreed even as he wondered what she could possibly tell him that would upset him. Then a thought occurred to him, a rather frightening thought.
Could she be pregnant?
They'd been having unprotected sex for three months and even though she was on birth control that was still a risk they should have considered. Birth control wasn't a hundred percent and accidents happened. A baby with Joe? Hell, yeah, but not now.
Not yet.
He wasn't ready to be a daddy yet. He wanted to focus on Joe for a little longer before they moved ahead. Hell, he wanted to be a paramedic by the time they had a baby just so he could make more money so that she wouldn't have to work.
But if she was pregnant now he wouldn't have a choice. He'd have to man up and do the right thing by her. If she was pregnant now that also meant that he'd have to wait a few years to do the paramedic course. He loved his job, but they would need the money. He'd have to take as much overtime as he could get his hands on and hope she didn't kill him because that would leave her to watch the baby by herself most of the time. He wouldn't be happy about it, but he would do it for her.
"Bill called me last night," she said, shooting him a look as she nibbled on her bottom lip.
"And?" he prompted when it looked as though she was going to drag this out.
"You remember when we signed up for the paramedic training list?" she asked, sounding hesitant.
"Yes." They'd signed up six years ago with the knowledge that they would probably never make it up the list before they decided to go to school.
Every two years the city came up with enough money to send two city EMTs to train as paramedics. It was a long list and more importantly it would save whoever won the spot fifteen grand. It also meant those selected wouldn't have to worry about losing their jobs while they attended training. As great as it would have been to be selected they'd known the chances of that were slim and had been saving money every year to pay for school and to cover bills while they trained. He estimated that they had another year or two of saving before they could do it.
"We got it this year," she announced quietly.
It took a moment for her words to sink in and when they did he couldn't help smiling. "We got it?" he asked excitedly.
She swallowed nervously as she nodded. "Bill called me on my way home. I told him that I would tell you," she explained.
"We got it?" he asked, barely able to believe it. When she nodded he leaned down and kissed her, unable to help himself. This was great. This was beyond fucking great. Not only did they now have a serious chunk of change in the bank to keep, but their training would be paid for and they had guaranteed jobs at the end.
It also meant that they could move forward, something he'd been toying with since they got together. They'd known each other for over twenty years and he knew he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life.
"You got it," she mumbled against his mouth.
"What?" he asked, sure he misheard her as he pulled back.
"I said," she said, licking her lips nervously, "that you got it. I turned my spot down."
He could only stare in wond
er at her for a moment before he blurted, "Why the hell did you do that?"
Chapter 29
"You promised not to get mad," she said, trying to climb off his lap, but the damn man pulled her back down and wrapped his arms around her, keeping her right where he wanted her.
"That's before I found out that you did something insanely stupid," he snapped. "I'm calling Bill and telling him that you changed your mind," he said, shifting her in his lap to get at his phone.
She snatched the phone out of his hand before he could make the call and tossed it on her seat where he couldn't get it. She knew he'd be mad about this, but she couldn't force herself to go through with something that wouldn't make her happy.
Six months ago she would have been ecstatic to get a free ride to paramedic school, but now.......
Now she wanted different things in life. Thanks to Eric's over protectiveness she'd discovered that she loved other aspects of this job. She worked two shifts a week as a dispatcher and as much as it pained her to say this, she loved doing that a little more than working on the truck. She also loved teaching.
Several times a month she taught CPR and first aid and a few weeks ago she helped teach the EMT course at the community college and she loved it. She'd never grow rich doing these things, but she really enjoyed doing them. Somehow they went from being her backup plans when she couldn't work on the truck any longer to what she wanted to do now.
She still loved working on the truck, but wanted to do that part time now. She could still work with Eric while he attended school. Once he was working full time as a medic she fully planned on picking up an overtime shift with him once or twice a month. Thankfully she'd taken the course required for basics to work with medics last year so she was all set.
"Give me the phone, Joe," he said, trying to move her off his lap so he could grab the phone.
"It's not what I want anymore, Eric," she said, trying to figure out how the hell she went from wanting this so badly to turning it down flat to take a new direction in life.
"Explain," he said tightly as he sat back and shifted her on his lap so that he was once again looking at her.
"It's all your fault," she said, deciding that was the best way to go. When his eyes narrowed on her she hastily rethought that plan and went with another approach.
She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair as she thought over all the reasons that stopped her from accepting what used to be her dream. Finally she decided on the truth.
"I love working on the truck, Eric. I love working with you, but....."
"But?" he said quietly when she hesitated.
"But I want to try other things. I still plan on keeping my ticket and working with you part time, but I've really been enjoying working in dispatch and teaching and I want to give that a try," she explained, holding back the main reason for her decision since she had no idea where he stood on the matter.
Before she used to imagine her life working side by side with him, more than happy to have at least that much. Since they came together she'd started to have other ideas for her life, things that she fought so hard not to want, but she did. She wanted a life with Eric. She wanted to get married and if that was still too much for him then she would settle for him moving in with her and she wanted a family. Not yet, but soon and she wanted that with him.
"I need to know if I'm part of the reason that you turned this down," he said quietly.
"And if you are?" she asked, not really sure that he'd be happy that she wanted something that he may not be able to give her. The fact that he was able to handle a real relationship with her should have been good enough, but she wanted more.
"Am I part of the reason, Joe?" he asked again.
She looked up and met his eyes and shrugged like it was no big deal even though the thought of him telling her that he couldn't give her anymore scared the living hell out of her. Honestly, she didn't know what she would do if he didn't want anything more than what they had now. This should be more than enough for her, she knew that, but it wasn't. She wanted to fall asleep in his arms every night and wake up the same way every morning. She wanted to fight with him over the remote, manipulate backrubs out of him every week and know that he was hers.
He pressed his lips against her forehead. "Please tell me I'm the reason, Joe."
"Why?" she asked, unable to hide her surprise. Never in a million years would she have thought, prayed yes, that Eric wanted more with her.
"Because I want to know that you want me as much as I want you," he said against her forehead.
"And if I do?" she asked, smiling as she relaxed in his arms.
His hold around her tightened as he let out a little growl that curled her toes. "I wish like hell that we weren't having this conversation at work."
"Me too," she said, sighing softly as she reached up and cupped his jaw. "I love you, Eric."
"I love you too, Joe," he said, pressing another kiss to her forehead before moving back. He reached up and cupped her face. "You know I want to marry you, don't you?" he asked as uncertainty flickered across his features.
"Now I do," she said, leaning in to brush her lips against his, but just like it usually did, the kiss quickly got out of hand.
Although they'd fooled around in the ambulance before they'd never done it in front of an audience and she had no plans on doing it now, but the second their shift was over she was tying him to her bed and using him until they both passed out.
"We have to stop," Eric said, gasping as he pulled back. She nodded her agreement as she climbed off his lap and willed her shaky legs not to give out.
She sat down in her seat and ran her hands down her face, willing her body to cool down and doing her best to resist the urge to jump him. Her eyes landed on the pastry box and sighed in relief, thankful to have something to focus on besides the sudden ache between her legs.
Without a word she handed the apple fritter over to Eric and grabbed the chocolate frosted coffee roll for herself. She took a bite and tried to focus on anything but Eric, but it was difficult being this close to him and not thinking about him or wanting to touch him. For a few minutes they sat there silently as they ate until Eric broke the silence.
"I don't want you to quit for me, Joe," he said softly, surprising her.
Frowning, she looked over at him to find him staring down at his half-eaten fritter. "That's what you wanted a few months ago."
"I know," he said, shaking his head as he sighed heavily, "but I don't want you to give up something that you love because of me, Joe. I don't want you to have any regrets later."
She reached out and took his large hand into hers. "I won't, Eric. I'm not giving it up entirely. I love dispatching and teaching and I would love to focus on that for a while. If it doesn't work out I plan on coming back to work on the truck and going to school," she explained. Of course if she went to paramedic school later on she doubted the city would pay for it.
"I only want you to be happy, Joe," he said, bringing their entwined hands to his lips. He pressed a soft kiss to the back of her hand.
"I am happy," she promised before giving him an impish little grin. "But, I'd be happier with an orange juice."
Chuckling, he shook his head as he started the ambulance. "Little gold digger."
"That's me," she agreed.
Loud sirens caught their attention. Joe looked to her right to see Greg speed across the large empty parking lot with his lights going and his sirens blaring.
"What a fucking idiot," Eric said, following after him at a much slower pace.
She couldn't agree more, especially when he peeled out in front of an SUV and raced down the street. They watched the ambulance as it rode down the middle of the road, forcing cars to pull off to the side or get hit.
******
"Remind me to have Bill give OEMS a call about that little prick," Eric said, voicing her thoughts at the moment. He really didn't belong working in an ambulance and he sure as hell didn't belong behind the
wheel.
"Oh shit," Eric snapped, turning on the emergency lights and grabbing the mike as she watched in horror as Greg ran through a red light and was slammed into by a tractor trailer that hadn't been given an ounce of warning to stop.
"Echo seventeen to dispatch," Eric said as they sped through
Sudden Response Page 22
