Firefighter Christmas Complete Series Box Set (A Firefighter Holiday Romance Love Story)

by Nella Tyler

  I pulled into the parking lot and noticed the place was busy for lunch, not that I was surprised. I almost wished that I hadn't eaten lunch, that way I could grab a bite while I was there. I walked through the front door and made my way back to the kitchen. As I walked through the kitchen doors I saw my brother slamming down his phone angrily. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Like I said, I had rarely seen my brother like that.

  Jared was the proud owner of the aforementioned amazing establishment. He had a natural talent for cooking ever since we were young and it was no surprise to anyone when he decided to go into the food industry by opening up the restaurant. I couldn't have been more proud of him; he was part of the reason why I loved food so much. If you have a chef in the family then chances are you will learn to love quality food. He was well known in the area for his cooking and his restaurant was only gaining popularity. And my friends wondered why I was a foodie. My god, it was practically in our genes to appreciate good food. Our family was big into successful food preparation.

  “Jared, what's wrong? I wouldn't be slamming down your phone. They aren't cheap. Tell me what's going on. Why am I here?”

  Jared looked up at me from his phone. He looked pissed. “Someone is trying to screw me over. I am really having a hard time not losing my cool completely here.” He started pacing the room.

  “Why? Who is trying to screw you over?” I couldn't have been more confused. I rarely saw my brother angry. “How can I help? Just tell me what's wrong and if I can help, then I will.”

  He stopped pacing and threw his hands up in the air. “Do you know any good lawyers?”

  My mouth fell open. What the hell kind of trouble was he into anyways? “What are you talking about? Are you in trouble? What on earth do you need a lawyer for?” The questions peppered out of me like a machine gun.

  A grin formed on his face, as he looked me over. Oh great, what was he up to now? It was never a good sign when a mad Jared started to smile.

  “Actually I think you could be my lawyer.”

  I rolled my eyes heavenward. “What? What are you talking about?”

  “I need you to impersonate a lawyer for me. Be my lawyer. It's brilliant actually.”

  “Are you high? I'm not doing that! If anything you need to start explaining what's going on here. Why on earth would I want to pretend to be a lawyer?”

  “Come on Gemma, you are already dressed the part. Hell you could already be a lawyer looking like that.”

  I looked down at my charcoal pantsuit and appreciated my appearance all over again. I did look good, professional too, but that wasn't the point. My job was not as a lawyer and I certainly didn't want to pretend to be one.

  “I'm not impersonating a lawyer for you. I'm not a lawyer for crying out loud and I would get caught. I'm a financial consultant for god’s sake, how would I get away with someone believing that I was a lawyer?”

  “Please, I really need you right now. I don't have anyone else and I don't need to be screwed over. You look the part and on top of that I don't know anyone with a better vocabulary than you do. It would be a slam dunk for you.”

  I sighed. “Jared, I don't want to. I can't even believe you are asking me to do it. Like seriously, what is wrong with you?”

  “Please Gemma.”

  “Jared, just hire a real lawyer. It's a piece of cake; I can probably refer you to a dozen good lawyers in the area. I know you can afford it, so money can't be the issue here. Tell me what is going on.”

  “Nope, money is not the issue. I just need you to be an awesome sister right now and help me out. I won't ask you for another favor again, I swear.”

  “Oh yeah, that's likely...”

  My brother was acting completely weird. He seemed to have this plan up his sleeve and I wasn't sure that he was giving me the whole story. There was more to that issue, I just knew it. I didn't know why I needed to be involved in that scenario when he could just pick up the phone and get a professional. It was all very suspicious. Could he really be in some trouble? I wanted to help him if I could. Maybe it wasn't the end of the world if I just pretended to be a lawyer for a few minutes. What was the big deal anyways?

  “Fine, I'll do it but you better start spilling.”

  Chapter Three

  I left my brother's restaurant and headed east towards another restaurant. That would be three different restaurants in one day; I was really on a roll. I should probably have quit while I was ahead. I still had some reports I had to fill out for work but there I was heading off to some restaurant to do my brother’s bidding. I couldn't even believe what Jared was getting me into, but I would do anything for my brother; I loved him that much. We had been through a lot together growing up and we always had each other’s backs. That was the only reason I was doing the ridiculous task I was about to do.

  Thankfully I was in great shape because I had to walk two blocks to get to a new restaurant that had opened up. I didn't bring my car because I knew I wouldn't have time for the gym after all the running around and at least this way I was getting some kind of exercise.

  The restaurant I was seeking out was the type of restaurant that would be in direct competition with Jared's place. I was surprised to see that the restaurant was wildly popular; but it was still new so only time would tell if the popularity would stay. Business was clearly booming as there were people lined up outside waiting for a table. Why had I not heard about this new restaurant? My curiosity was certainly piqued. I would be curious to peruse their menu for a moment. I approached the hostess stand and her smile practically brightened up my day. I was all business however as I had a job to do.

  “Hi there! Table for one?”

  Yep, that would be the day.

  “No. I'm here to speak to the owner.” I demanded.

  “Oh, I'm sorry the owner is far too busy to speak with anyone right now. We are a new restaurant after all.”

  I bristled, “Excuse me -”

  Suddenly a man stepped up and interrupted me. “Lisa, it's okay. I can handle this.” The hostess rolled her eyes as if she was annoyed that I got my way.

  The man walked up to me with a warm smile and my mouth hit the floor. Oh dear god, this had better not be my nemesis because he was good enough to eat and I knew food. He was clean cut with a boyish grin. He was wearing jeans and a V-neck T-shirt and I could see the definition of his chiseled body through it like it wasn’t there. My mouth began to water the closer he got to me. He looked me over curiously as if he was trying to figure me out. Good luck there fella, better men have tried and failed. Though the closer he got to me the warmer my body became. I wasn't sure what was wrong with me. I typically didn't have such a reaction to men, but this one was for the books. The way he was looking at me it was as if he was drinking me in. If he was attracted to me I could use it to my advantage. I looked him over from top to bottom; actually I could use him for a lot of things.

  “Hi, I'm Link. How can I be of service to such a stunning lady?”

  I didn't speak at first. I was enthralled by the man and couldn't believe he was flirting with me. How did someone become so outrageously gorgeous? I cleared my throat, “Hi, I'm Gemma, Jared asked me to come and see you.”

  His brow furrowed, “Why is that exactly?”

  “I'm his lawyer,” I said sternly.

  I didn't bother to give Link my last name nor did I happen to mention that Jared and I were siblings. My goal here was to instill the fear of God into Link, not make him think I was doing my brother a favor.

  Link scoffed and looked me over once again. “I'm sorry to hear that. Jared is a crook and you should probably choose your clients a little more wisely. You're not one of those ambulance-chasers too are you?”

  I almost laughed at his joke except my blood pressure began to rise. I couldn't believe he said that to me. What did he mean by Jared being a crook? Why would he say something like that? Was Jared the crook in this situation? I wondered if I was getting the full story from Jared. I'd kill
him if he sent me on this mission without giving me all the information. I should have forced it out of him before I left, that would have been my best bet.

  I glared at Link and said, “Look if you don't lay off of Jared, there will be trouble. That much I can assure you. I'm good at my job and if things get out of hand I won't be easy on you.”

  He moved in close to me and we were practically breathing the same air. He looked into my eyes with a piercing gaze. I felt my cheeks flush for being so close to him. The damnedest thing happened to me as well; I felt butterflies. The guy actually was making me nervous. Either that or I was coming down with the flu.

  “You do your worst, darling,” he said with a wink.

  Was he flirting with me or just not taking me seriously in general?

  I threw my hands up in the air in frustration and turned on my heel. I stormed out of the restaurant without looking back. I was afraid of what I would see if I turned to look at Link. As I headed back to Jared's place I felt very confused and a little... aroused.

  Chapter Four

  I was fit to be tied by the time I arrived back at Jared's place. It was a nice cool breezy day but I should not have walked. Not because I was tired or out of shape but because I was upset with Jared. I had to fume about it the entire way back to the restaurant. Had I taken my car I could have got to Jared sooner to yell at him. Considering that I knew very little about the situation I wanted to strangle him even more. It was ridiculous that I had gone to see Link without the full story, but I trusted Jared and maybe that was my own fault. The only information that I had gone in with was that he wanted me to give Link a warning… a threat to keep Link from doing anything to him. It hadn't exactly worked out the way either of us intended. Link couldn't have been less intimidated by me, if anything I think my aggressiveness just turned him on a little. I hadn't expected Link to look the way he did; I was grateful that he did but it certainly took me by surprise. His good looks had thrown me completely off my game. Sure I had expected a man but not one that I wanted to put my mouth on. He was so incredibly hot that I had wished I had gone there on better circumstances. That was the kind of man that I wanted in my bed, and I could easily see myself spending a lot of time with him. Alas, it just was not meant to be. My brother had gotten me involved in some feud with Link that would definitely make it hard for me to get involved with him. It was all rather unfortunate circumstances and Jared had just better hope he hadn't sent me on a fool’s errand.

  I walked back into Jared's restaurant and headed back to the kitchen again. Jared was waiting there for me with a smile on his face. But with one look from me, his grin started to melt. It actually drooped down into a terrified frown.

  “Don't grin at me.”

  “What? What happened?”

  “Well things didn't really go as planned so why don't you tell me what's going on now? And hello, you could have warned me that the guy was insanely hot.”

  He stared at me dumbfounded, “How would I know if Link is considered...insanely hot?”

  I laughed, “Oh believe me, it would be obvious to everyone.”

  “What does that have to do with anything? His hotness I mean, like what are you talking about? You're supposed to be on my side.”

  “How can I be on your side when I have no idea what's going on? You sent me in there ill prepared for Link.”

  “You don't have to get so worked.” He was laughing now.

  There was nothing about that situation that I found funny in the least little bit. “No? I don't? The guy is calling you a crook. A crook, Jared! Why is that? What the hell is going on? You better start explaining yourself before I really get worked up. Or walk out on you, so you pick.”

  “Okay, okay. I will fill you in on the details. Link actually used to work here a few months ago.”

  “Are you serious? How did I miss that one? I've never met him before.” I tried to think back on the guys I had met from the kitchen. None of them had been insanely hot. I imagined once again his chiseled body but this time without a shirt...and pants. Easy girl! He's not the naked chef! But hell, he should seriously consider the position. I could even help him to practice posing. I shook my head briefly trying to shake the image from my head. I was starting to lose all sense of my surroundings thinking about Link and his chiseled abs.

  I knew I would have recognized someone so attractive. I would have had my brother introduce me to Link immediately and then he would have been all mine.

  “Well like I was saying he didn't work here for very long and you and I don't usually hang out in the kitchen. When you come here we sit out front.”

  That was true enough. I usually sat at the bar and had a drink if I came to visit Jared. “Okay fine, so something obviously happened between the two of you so fess up. What is your big issue with Link?”

  “Well you don't think it's weird that a chef is working for me one minute and then the next minute he can afford to open up a fancy restaurant of his own?”

  I sighed. “You did it…and lots of people find ways of making their dreams come true. Not all chefs stay chefs. This industry has a huge turnaround as you well know. It's no big surprise that if a chef has talent he is going to want to move on to something bigger. It's the ones without the talent that typically stay put. And in regards to the money, he could have family money or even a loan. There are lots of ways people find money to open up their dream businesses. So what's your point?”

  He looked at me blankly though he shouldn't be surprised; he knew I was long winded. “Wow...anyways...well when Link was working for me he stole one of my secret recipes and sold it to a food manufacturer for a boatload of money. That is how he opened up that fancy restaurant that now happens to be my competitor. It wasn't a loan and it wasn't family money.”

  “Are you kidding me? Are you sure? How do you know all this?”

  “Of course I'm sure; Link is the crook Gemma, not me. People talk, that's how I hear things.”

  “Well I'm done being the lawyer for you, that whole thing was just ridiculous and a little pointless.”

  “Gemma, I need you, please.” He looked so sad that it was hard to stay mad at him.

  “For what? Why won't you just hire a real lawyer? If it comes down to legalities, it's not like I can do anything for you. I can only pretend, so what is the point of it? Link wasn't even fazed by my appearance; he could probably smell that I wasn't a lawyer.”

  “Look I just need you; please just do this for me.” He looked down at his hands while he said it. I stared at him wondering what I was missing. Jared was acting so strangely. Was I being lied to? I really couldn't tell. Shouldn't I be able to tell when someone so close to me lied to me? I had my doubts about the things that he was saying to me. Jared and I were so close but I had never known him to lie to me. But something was definitely going on. I couldn't put my finger on it quite yet. But there had to be something. This whole lawyer idea of his was bizarre and I didn't really even get the point to the whole thing. If anything it was just humiliating and a little annoying for me. I didn't want to have any further run-ins with Link either. I was going to have to try and figure out what my brother was really up to. I just hoped I wasn't going to be disappointed in him.

  Chapter Five

  By the time I got home I was pretty exhausted from all of Jared's shenanigans. The guy really knew how to get me worked up. I couldn't believe that I had allowed myself to get tangled up in that kind of nonsense. It really said something for how much I loved my brother that I would allow myself to get involved in the dispute he had with Link. What was worse was that I wished I wasn't involved in the feud because I would have really liked to get involved with Link on a few different levels. And the whole situation with Jared, it was all so shady that I wasn't sure what I should believe. I could totally understand why Jared would be angry if Link stole a recipe and then sold it, but if that was the case then why was Link calling Jared a crook? It just didn't make any sense to me. I felt like I still didn't have th
e whole story and if that was the case, why? Why wouldn't Jared fill me in on all the details? I would stand by him no matter what. I just wanted to know what was going on. It wasn't too much to ask. There were plenty of reasons to believe Jared and yet something ate away at me. I just knew that something was off about the whole situation. I didn't like it one bit; my gut was telling me that something was wrong.

  Looking around my home, I beamed at what I saw. I had done very well for myself and it had a lot to do with the fact that I knew a lot about money. I lived in a luxury high-rise condominium that I had purchased a few years back. It had all the luxury a girl could want including a hot tub and none of the hassle of owning a home. I had a beautiful patio instead of a balcony outside of my condo where my hot tub was located. I had worked really hard to live the way that I did and I was very proud of my accomplishments. I wanted the same thing for Jared but some way or another he always managed to get wrapped up in messes. I loved his restaurant and knew that it was good for him but the war he had with Link was only going to cause him trouble. I could only hope that there was a simple solution to whatever problem he faced.

  I went into the kitchen and opened a bottle of wine. I was somewhat of a wine connoisseur so I knew the best wines to satisfy my palette and I had an expensive palette. I was practically obsessed with Chateau Montelena or Ciacci Piccolomini; red wine was my absolute delight. I poured some Chateau into a glass and swirled it around. The crimson liquid lapped up the sides of the glass, calming me. I brought the glass up to my nose and I took in the aroma of the wine. I loved to come home after a day of work and relax with a couple of glasses of wine. It always relaxed me before bed in the most perfect way. I was very happy in my life, there wasn't too much that I would change about it.