His smile broadened to a grin flashing behind his beard. "There's something I've been wanting to do ever since we met. Now I'm thinking we've finally gotten to a place where I can get away with it."
"What?" She braced herself. Another kiss? Another hot, electric moment like the one in the bathroom?
Nope. Instead, he took her by the waist. Through some crazy feat of strength and power, he swung her through the air until she ended up straddling his shoulders like a kid. She dug her fingers into his hair. He grabbed her shins to hold her in place, and loped back toward the house.
"Are you crazy? What are you doing?"
"I just always wanted to do this." His laughing voice rumbled up from between her legs. His shoulders felt so phenomenally broad and strong and solid. Like a house. That moved. And that gave her a breathtaking view of the coast off to her right.
"Wow, so this is how things look to a tall person. Or someone riding an elephant."
"Did you just call me an elephant? Prepare to get car sick." And he picked up the pace to a jog. Laughing and shrieking, they made their way up the trail to Rollo's property, where Finn and Sidney came running to see what all the fuss was about. When they reached the half-dug hole of the koi pond, Rollo bent forward, as if he was about to drop her in.
When she finally slid safely onto the lawn, she collapsed onto her back, spread-eagle, laughing so hard she was breathless. Rollo was completely winded, grinning through big gulps of breath.
Finn stood above them, shaking his head. "Crazy kids. What are we going to do with them, Sid?"
Sidney narrowed her eyes, looking from one to the other. "I have a few ideas."
15
After Rollo's revelation, Brianna didn't see him for a few days. According to Finn, he was helping the local Jupiter Point fire department with some off-season fire mitigation efforts. Brianna wondered if he was actually trying to avoid her. Maybe he was afraid of what she thought of him now. He shouldn't have worried. In some ways, her respect for him had gone up a notch. A strong person like him needed a strong conscience, and obviously his was extremely strong, even if he didn't feel that way.
Sidney was studying for her finals online, when she wasn't playing with Snapchat filters. Every day Brianna spent some time talking to her. She learned that Sidney had a bright, snarky side and a morose side. She loved post-apocalyptic books, songs about mental disorders, and silly memes on Instagram. She thought her parents were too obsessed with social status, but she also spent thousands of dollars a month on clothes. Her sketchbook was filled with scenes from a graphic novel she was writing. The plot involved a princess kidnapped and taken to another planet.
Even though Brianna had never met anyone like her, she adored her. And she worried about her. Once Sidney went back to Manhattan, would anyone spend time with her, beyond the hour a week she saw her therapist?
One day, she poked her head into Sidney's bedroom. The girl was flat on her stomach on the bed, poking at the laptop haphazardly askew on the floor. "Hey, want to help me out with some stuff?"
"What kind of stuff?"
"Fun stuff. Shopping stuff."
Sidney looked up at her, then back down at her laptop. "Pass. I'm from Manhattan. There's nothing to shop for here."
Hm. So it was a “morose Sidney” kind of day. "Really? Ice cream doesn't taste good outside of Manhattan?"
Sidney grumbled under her breath. "I'm not twelve. But fine. I'll humor your ice cream offer. But you better tell me what you really want."
"Fine. Bring some work boots."
Sidney's version of work books included two-inch heels, but Brianna said nothing. She was just glad to get her out of the house. In her opinion, Sidney spent too much time staring at her electronic devices.
Sidney settled into the passenger seat of her old truck and they rattled down the hill toward town. "Seen much of your brother lately?" Brianna asked her.
"He calls me every hour on the hour, it's annoying A.F."
"Can you blame him?"
Sidney heaved a sigh, as if all grown-ups were tragically the same. "Whatever."
In an effort to sweeten the teenager's mood, Brianna took her first to the Milky Way Ice Cream Parlor and treated her to a giant ice cream fudge sundae advertised as "best in the galaxy." Even though Sidney rolled her eyes at the cheesy line, the massive mound of ice cream worked its magic. No one on the planet could resist that amount of deliciousness.
They dove in with two spoons and didn't stop until Sidney was wiping out the bowl with her index finger. She groaned and sat back, resting her hands on her stomach.
"So, are you ever going to make a move on my brother?"
Brianna nearly choked on her maraschino cherry. "Um…no. Not planning on it. We're friends."
Sidney plucked at a rip in her black leggings. She was wearing her tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses today, along with thick dark eyeliner. "If you're really friends, then you should try to rescue him from a fate worse than death."
"Rescue Rollo? He's a firefighter, he's the one who does the rescuing."
"He won't be a firefighter for long. And he won't be single for long."
Brianna's stomach gave a little dip, as if she was on a roller coaster. "Wh…what do you mean?"
"Pretty soon he's going to marry some Park Avenue debutante bitch that my mother picks out from a lineup. And he'll be miserable for the rest of his life. So yes, he does need rescuing."
Brianna stared at the girl. Was she being overdramatic? Rollo had mentioned something about marrying to please his family, but she hadn't really believed him. "Rollo's his own man. I'm sure he'll choose his own partner."
"He can't. He made a deal with my parents."
"A deal?"
"Sure. They're big on deals. Everything's a negotiation and they usually have all the cards." She picked at a scab under her ripped jeans. "Rollo didn't want to work with my dad and Brent. He wanted out. But he didn't want to lose his trust fund, because he does all kinds of good things with it. He gives away money like it's candy. They told him he could do what he wanted until he was thirty, but they'd have a say in who he brings into the family. They probably have their eyes on the next generation, knowing them." She pretended to gag.
A sour taste gathered in Brianna's throat. Where would she rate in Rollo's world? Probably somewhere at the servant level. He was the privileged prince; she was the peasant girl.
What did it matter, anyway? They were friends. Friends who'd kissed exactly once. Never to be repeated.
She suddenly remembered that the Star Bright Shelter for Teens had received a huge anonymous donation that helped launch it. Had Rollo contributed that?
He was a prince, in the ways that really counted. And princes had family obligations.
"Well, it'll probably work out," she managed. "Maybe Rollo likes debutantes."
"Rollo hates everything to do with Manhattan. Including the debutante scene. He turns into a stiff, scowling statue in a tux. Never smiles. That time he was carrying you on his shoulders and laughing? That was the happiest I've ever seen him. Can't do that on Park Avenue."
"I wouldn't know. I've never been to New York."
"What?"
"Nope." Brianna put money on the table to cover their bill and rose to her feet. She needed to get moving, breathe some fresh air and get her hands in the soil. "I have a project I could use an extra hand with. Want to come?"
"Were you bribing me with that ice cream?"
"Absolutely."
Sidney grinned, back to her happier self. "Well, it worked."
In the truck, heading toward Melvin Turner's place, Sidney returned to the topic of New York.
"It's crazy that you've never been to the center of the world. How is that even possible?"
Brianna laughed. "It might be the center of your world, but mine is right here. I have this landscaping business, you know. From March to November I'm slammed. I'm also the caretaker for a lot of the vacation homes around here. I just built a greenhouse to
grow flowers for local businesses. I'm always busy."
"But…but…this is New York we're talking about."
"Someday I'll come visit you. You can show me all the sights. How's that?"
Sidney clapped her hands in glee. "We'd have so much fun."
Brianna had to wonder—would Rollo be there too? Married to a debutante?
She shook off the thought as they drove onto Old Man Turner's property. "Have you ever built a fence before, Sidney?"
"Built a fence? Don't you just buy them and stick them in the ground?"
"I'll take that as a no."
Brianna wanted Melvin to have a hand railing around his garden, something he could hold on to now that his balance wasn't as good. So Sidney helped her dig post holes while Brianna cut the lumber to size. Her carpentry skills were limited to simple things a garden might need, but she always enjoyed that sort of work. It required figuring and designing, some physical labor, and the results were so satisfying.
Even Old Man Turner seemed happy, when he wasn't grumbling. Sidney's holes were lopsided; Brianna's cuts weren't perfectly square. Brianna was used to his complaining, and barely noticed, but Sidney found it hilarious. She kept teasing him right back, which really got him riled up. When Melvin shifted into a confused rant about leaving the country to escape from some bad guy, Brianna figured it was time to go. She just hoped he never acted on any of his delusions.
Sidney fell asleep on the ride home, which Brianna saw as a victory. She'd worn the girl out, but at least she'd gotten her off her electronics for an entire afternoon.
When they got to Rollo's house, the sun was setting over the ocean in a pool of liquid gold. Sidney woke and rubbed her eyes.
"Nice job today, Sidney. You worked hard and you helped out an old man. Well done." She dug a twenty-dollar bill out of her pocket and handed it to her. "This is just a bonus."
"Dude, I'm like, a millionaire. You don't have to do that."
Brianna tucked it into her hand. "You earned it. Unlike the rest of your money." She winked at the younger girl.
"Good point." Sidney took the twenty and waved it high in the air. "Feels kind of nice, actually."
"Please don't buy anything inappropriate with it," Brianna added. "Your brother might toss me in the koi pond again."
"What'd you do this time?" Rollo's deep voice slid over her nerve endings like a caress. He was at the driver's side window, one hand braced on the roof of her truck, six feet plus of hard muscle packed into t-shirt and jeans.
Sidney made a face at her brother. "She made me slave all day and all I got was a big fat twenty-dollar bill."
"And the best ice cream sundae in the galaxy," Brianna pointed out.
"True." Sidney grinned and tucked the twenty into her bag. She got out of the truck and did a little dance. "Pizza slices on me?"
"Sure." Rollo bent his head so he could look in the window. His face was so close, she could turn her head and their lips would touch. Tingles swept across her skin. "Brianna, you in?"
Brianna snapped herself back to reality. Rollo was even more off-limits now. They were friends and he was going to marry a debutante.
"Sorry. I have a pie-baking date with my mother. It's our pre-Thanksgiving tradition." Rollo looked at her blankly, as if she was speaking a foreign language. "You know Thanksgiving's coming up, right? And it often involves pies? That you bake?"
Rollo exchanged a glance with Sidney, who'd skipped around the truck to link her arm with his. "Did you grow up in a Norman Rockwell painting? Believe me, our mother never made pies, and I'm pretty sure our usual Thanksgiving dessert was pot de crème. Do I have that right, Sid?"
Sidney ignored him. "We're invited, right, Brianna? To Thanksgiving?"
"Um…" Brianna stalled for a moment. "It won't be glamorous, like what you're used to." What would the two Warehams think of her absurdly ordinary family? She shook her head, ashamed of her hesitation. "Of course you're invited. Just don't expect anything very exciting. Prepare for an overdose of niceness."
"Can't wait." Rollo grinned. "What should we bring?"
"Um…extremely low expectations?"
16
The Gallaghers lived on a farm and kept chickens and goats. They raised their own turkeys for Thanksgiving. John Gallagher proudly showed off the mighty golden-brown birds in their roasting pans. They'd also grown the pumpkins for the pie, gathered the eggs for the popovers, and picked the last of the currants for a red currant chutney.
Norman Rockwell would have been in heaven.
Actually, Rollo was too.
Brianna's parents were short, freckled and redheaded. If they hadn't been married, he would have assumed they were related. They were just as adorable as Brianna was. They hugged every guest who arrived, whether friend or stranger. Mr. Gallagher kept pecking kisses onto his wife's cheek. Mrs. Gallagher proudly told stories about all the baby goats Brianna had raised and the gardens she'd created around Jupiter Point. Rollo and Sidney had brought a bottle of Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry as their contribution. His own father would have barely noticed the gesture, but John Gallagher's eyes lit up.
Rollo loved the Gallaghers on sight—and their farmhouse.
The entire place was a throwback, with its wood stove and plank floors, wide window seats and claw-foot bathtub. The dining room was filled with a long trestle table set with squat yellow candles and centerpieces made from autumn leaves. The old wooden chair squeaked under Rollo's weight.
Any time a bunch of firefighters got together, things got raucous. The three Jupiter Point Hotshots—Sean, Josh and Rollo—kept the group entertained with stories from the fire lines. Suzanne talked about the great name hunt for her baby. She and Josh had bought every baby name book in existence and still couldn't decide.
Evie's parents gave the gathering a touch of class. Molly McGraw, who had an advanced case of Parkinson's, sat in her wheelchair at the end of the table, her white hair parted elegantly to one side. Her husband, the Dean, carefully cut her food into bite-sized pieces.
Rollo tried to imagine his father hand-feeding his mother. Yeah, right. If his mother had Parkinson’s, she'd be tended to by a rotating staff of caretakers, not her husband. Then again, his parents never seemed to like each other much. Their marriage was all about mutual benefit, about advancing the Wareham family name.
Which was exactly what they wanted for him, too. A marriage that was the opposite of the Gallaghers'.
He shoved the thought aside. Not yet. Not yet.
For now, he was here, with Brianna, her family and some of his best friends, and he soaked in every minute. He couldn't take his eyes off Bri. She wore one of her typical cringe-worthy outfits, a felted wool mini-dress in russet over forest-green tights. Maybe she was channeling Robin Hood, but he didn't care. Her vivid hair glowed in the candlelight, her smile so bright it could have lit the candles if they went out.
He loved the way she occasionally rested her cheek on her mother's shoulder, like some kind of affectionate cat. He loved the way she translated her father's rambling account of the year they tried to raise lambs. He loved the way her hearty chuckle lifted everyone's spirits, the way she refilled drinks, offered seconds, and put everyone at ease, even the strangers at the table, such as the new neighbors who'd just immigrated from the Philippines.
Rollo couldn't work out what role she played in his life. She didn't fit into any of the usual categories. Not just a friend. Not just someone he was attracted to. Not just the landscaper digging up his lawn.
No, it was something beyond all of those, something more encompassing.
Brianna, he realized, was the one who made things okay.
When she was around, the big dark knot that lived inside of him dissipated. Brianna's warmth and sheer realness made everything feel different. Normal.
Which was funny, because he knew that she considered her "ordinariness" to be a flaw. He didn't see her as either ordinary or flawed.
It was, by a long stretch, the best Thanks
giving he'd ever experienced. He knew Sidney felt the same way. She sat next to him the entire time and didn't utter a single snarky comment.
And the pies! As Bri had mentioned, she and her mother always got together two days before Thanksgiving and went on a pie-baking frenzy. They made fifty in all. Some went to local food kitchens, some went to neighbors and friends. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, only ten pies remained for the Gallaghers' guests.
It seemed like a lot until he tasted them. And then he had to try each type of pie, as did everyone else, and ten pies seemed like barely enough.
After dinner, he offered to help with dishes—hotshots were used to kitchen duty—but Mrs. Gallagher waved him away.
"Show him the farm, Brianna. Cleanup can wait."
Brianna's gaze slid away from his. "If he's interested."
"Very," Rollo assured her. Mostly, he wanted to steal a moment alone with her.
He checked on Sidney, who was comparing apps with the kid from the Philippines. She was completely wrapped up, so he followed Brianna out the door of the mud room into the farmyard.
The night was crisp and black, filled with chill starlight and the warm illumination spilling from the back of the house.
"Your parents are like a dream," he told her as she pulled a beanie over her curls. "They're amazing. This whole place is."
"It's your basic farm," she muttered. "Seen one, seen them all."
"Oh come on. This is the first time I've seen a farm where Brianna Gallagher grew up."
"Exciting stuff." She batted her eyelashes at him. "Want to see the well I fell into when I was little? Or my kitty cemetery? My tire swing? The fairy houses Evie and I used to make? So many landmarks, I hardly know where to start."
He stared at her, feeling something kindle inside him, something that needed to be said. "Why do you do that?"
"Do what? Oh wait!" She pointed across the yard toward a chicken coop. "I almost forgot my first shop project. Did you know my parents had to fight to get me into the class? It was supposed to be just for boys. Sometimes I've wondered if that was when it all went wrong for me."
Into the Flames (Jupiter Point Book 3) Page 10
