“Matt, what do you think?”
Silently cursing himself for letting the past intrude, he straightened, thankful he’d already read her information.
“First, I’d like to ask you and Cam to review these lists.”
“What are they?” Cassie asked, picking up the paper he passed to her.
“A list of rodeos we’ve been the prime contractor for in the most recent years. We’d propose that Double Ace enter the proposal process as the lead with you as the subcontractor. The second list is where you’ve held the lead position. We’d like to be included as the subcontractor if you plan to provide a proposal.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Cam offered as he scanned the list. “Cassie, do you have any issues with this?”
Pursing her lips, she read the list of rodeos she’d already targeted for a proposal. Most were on the list Double Ace had already prepared. “Well, I’d like to suggest we review the lists in detail. Make certain it’s good for both parties.”
“All right.” Cam checked the time, then glanced at Matt. “I apologize, but I have an appointment. Cassie, how about you take Matt to lunch, review the lists and anything else needed to keep this moving. We’ll meet back here afterwards.”
“Sure, Cam,” she replied, trying to hide the fact she wasn’t happy about him not joining them. “Are you certain you can’t come with us?”
“Not this time.” Without another word, he stepped out, closing the door behind him, leaving them to stare at each other.
“Don’t feel you have to join me for lunch, Cassie. I can grab something and meet you back here in time to review the lists.” Matt tried to make the request sound casual, hoping she wouldn’t detect how much he wanted to put distance between them. They were fire and ice. No matter how much he still wanted her, he couldn’t let her know it, and wouldn’t act on his desire.
Standing, she crossed her arms, shooting him a mocking smile. “Can’t handle being near me, Garner?”
“I can handle being around you fine, MacLaren.” Walking toward the door, he pulled it open. “After you.”
Following her outside, he chastised himself for taking the bait. She’d always been able to goad him into doing what she wanted. The fact she’d done it again didn’t sit well with him.
“We’ll take my car.”
“No. We’ll go in my truck,” Matt countered. “It’s closer.”
“They’re almost next to each other,” Cassie protested, walking ahead of him.
“Yeah. We’re still taking mine.” He walked to the passenger side, opening her door.
Cassie came to a stop, refusing to be pulled into such a juvenile argument. Nodding, she climbed onto the seat, grabbing the seat belt and clicking it into place with more force than needed.
“Where to?” Matt glanced at her as he got in and started the engine, feeling a bit guilty and childish at the slight jolt of victory pulsing through him.
“There’s a grill down the street with burgers, salads, sandwiches—the usual lunch fare. Unless you want something fancier,” she smirked, knowing he’d prefer pizza and beer if she mentioned it.
“Lead on.”
It took no more than five minutes to navigate the short distance and be seated at one of the few remaining tables in the center of the crowded restaurant. Glancing around, Matt noted the odd combination of horse and auto racing memorabilia decorating the walls. Picking up the menu, his gaze landed on the name of the place—Horse Power. Okay, so the eclectic motif now made sense.
“Ready?” a waitress asked, staring down at Matt while ignoring Cassie.
“A club sandwich, fries, and diet soda,” Cassie bit out, irritated at the slight. She’d been used to it during their time together. Young women drooling over Matt, doing all they could, short of crawling up his body, to get his attention. Now it just ticked her off.
“The same,” Matt added. “Except I’ll take a real soda.” He flashed the average-looking, but well-endowed brunette one of his devastating smiles, getting a throaty giggle in response. He all but fell out of his chair as he let his gaze follow her back to the kitchen.
“Get over yourself, Matt,” Cassie ground out, flashing him a severe look of disapproval.
“What?” His eyes widened in feigned innocence. Cassie’s snort told him she didn’t buy his act for a moment.
“Never mind.” Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the lists Matt had prepared. “Let’s review these while we wait for our food.”
“You start. It sounds like you have issues with some of my suggestions.”
“All right.” Scanning the list again, she checked off certain names and dates with her pen. “We already have proposals ready to go to the committees for these rodeos. I don’t think we should exclude ourselves from submitting.” Shoving it toward him, she held her breath as he looked it over.
“We also have proposals ready to send. The difference is Double Ace has won the awards at least the last two years on all of these.” He held up his hand when she started to object. “And each of those years we’ve gone against MacLaren Rodeo.”
“That doesn’t mean you’ll be as competitive as we are this year. Perhaps we’ve sharpened our pencils…”
“You could say the same about us. I’ll be blunt. There’s no way in hell we’re backing away from any of these, Cassie. You want to submit, go ahead. Just understand you may tick off those in charge at Double Ace to the point they don’t include MacLaren when we win the award.”
Glaring at each other across the table, both were glad when the waitress set their food down.
“Anything else?” the waitress asked, bending a little too low as she set down his glass and flashed Matt another suggestive smile, not bothering to hide the intention behind it.
“No. Thank you,” Cassie snapped, sending the woman a withering look.
Stifling a laugh, Matt picked up his sandwich. “Why don’t we call a truce long enough to eat?”
“Sure. Whatever.” Gritting her teeth, she grabbed her glass of soda, taking a long swallow in an attempt to curb her irritation at both Matt, with his hard line on the rodeo proposals, and the loathsome waitress, who was too thick to take a hint and back off. It wouldn’t be so bad if her body could control its response to him. She hadn’t been able to calm the storm raging in her stomach or take in a solid breath since she’d seen him in the conference room that morning. Cassie needed a distraction, something to take her mind off the man across the table.
Picking up his glass and stretching out his legs until they rested against Cassie’s, he seemed oblivious to the instant heat that shot through her at the contact. Contact which seemed all too familiar. She wanted to rub her leg against his, prolong the desire ripping through her. Instead, she tossed her napkin down and stood.
“I’ll be back in a minute.” Dashing to the back, she disappeared into the ladies’ room, slipping into one of the stalls. She didn’t need the facilities, just space and time to bring her feelings under control. Taking deep breaths, she leaned against the stall door and closed her eyes.
******
Matt watched her disappear, certain he’d been the cause of her quick departure. He shouldn’t have pushed it, but he couldn’t resist brushing his leg against hers, feeling the heat build until he either wanted to draw his leg back or reach across the table to take her hand in his. The need for contact, to touch Cassie, be near her overwhelmed him, creating a fire in his gut he couldn’t control. It didn’t matter how much he told himself they were no good together. His body took no notice, forcing him to face how much he still desired her, wanted her in his bed.
Glancing around him, he noticed a group of men being seated a few tables away. All wore shirts showing they were with the same organization, although he couldn’t make out the name. Ignoring them and the laughter from their table, he poked at the last few fries, then picked up his glass, glancing up at the sound of chair legs scraping against the tile floor.
“We can head back to the office
whenever you’re ready,” Cassie announced as she sat down, unmindful of her almost full plate of food.
“Sure. I’ll just get the check.”
“Hey, Cassie. I thought that was you.”
Looking at the man standing next to her, she smiled, then stood to give him a brief hug. “Kurt. I didn’t know you were here.”
“We just arrived.” He nodded toward his table as Matt stood.
“Kurt, this is Matt Garner. Our companies are working together on some proposals. Matt, this is Kurt Dobson. He’s with the fire department, and he’s…” Her voice trailed off as she tried to decide how best to describe her relationship with him.
“I’m the man she’s dating,” Kurt supplied, spearing Matt with a cautionary look as they shook hands. “Which reminds me, Cassie. How is Saturday night for going to the new restaurant we talked about?”
“Sounds good.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven. Guess I’d better get back to the table. Good to meet you, Matt.” He leaned down, placing a quick kiss on Cassie’s cheek before turning away.
Matt’s face had turned to stone when he learned about the relationship between Kurt and Cassie. Before he could gain control, his mind conjured up images of them in bed, their bodies hot and sweaty. The jealousy he felt couldn’t be more out of place, or more real. It should be him in her bed, not some firefighter who knew nothing about her and didn’t love her the way Matt did. Love, he thought, cursing himself for letting the fact she had someone else in her life get to him.
“Matt, you ready?” Cassie watched his expression turn from what appeared to be surprise to indifference within a matter of seconds. Blinking, she stared at him, wondering if the news of her dating bothered him at all. If it did, he hid it pretty well.
“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”
Driving back to the office, Matt couldn’t get his mind off Kurt. All those years they were apart, he never allowed himself to dwell on what Cassie might or might not be doing. Now, faced with the reality of another man in her life, he felt an unexpected anger build within him. Gripping the steering wheel almost painfully, he took slow breaths, hoping Cassie didn’t notice.
“How long have you been seeing him?” Damn. He didn’t mean to ask that out loud.
“A few weeks. I met him through Cam and Lainey at a Search and Rescue meeting. He’s one of their trainers.” She tried to sound casual, inserting a tone of fondness for Kurt she didn’t quite feel. They’d gone out three times. Two of them had been interrupted by emergency calls for arson fires. In total, she figured they’d spent maybe five hours together. Not much time to get to know each other, yet she knew he wasn’t for her. She’d planned to tell him before he’d surprised her at the restaurant, asking her on another date.
“Seems like an okay guy.” Matt didn’t want to like the guy, and he sure as hell didn’t want Cassie to be with him.
“What about you?” Cassie had been waiting for the right time to ask, her curiosity fueling her courage.
“What about me?”
“Are you dating? Engaged?” Married?
“Not me,” he snorted, feeling his body relax a little. “No encumbrances of any kind.”
“Oh.” Somehow the news deflated her more than providing relief. He sounded pleased about having no attachments, no one to tie him down, like she would have if they’d stayed together.
Pulling into the parking lot and killing the engine, Matt jumped out, his mind whirling with thoughts of Cassie and Kurt. The guy was new in her life, while he had no woman in his to worry about. Matt refused to analyze why those realizations brought him a measure of comfort, but they did.
Chapter Five
“Jerrod, why don’t you provide us with an update on the fire investigations.”
“Be glad to, Captain.” Jerrod James, their fire and arson investigator, and a close friend of Kurt’s, stepped to the front of the room where a portable bulletin board held photos of the last two fires. “This is the fire from a week ago. The owners weren’t on the property at the time. I believe the cause to be unattended candles accompanied by a gas leak.” Picking up his cup, he took a sip of coffee, letting his gaze roam over the people in the room. “In other words, an accidental fire with an identified cause.” Seeing Kurt at the back, he nodded before continuing.
“The fire from three days ago is still under investigation. As you know, it occurred in an abandoned barn five miles from the station. We believe it may have been started by teenagers. The point of origin is dead center in the barn’s first story. Accelerants were combined, poured over a pile of old hay, then road flares were tossed inside. Simple, efficient.” He glanced up and nodded, seeing Kurt raise his hand.
“What accelerants were used?”
“I still need confirmed results from the lab, but in my opinion, it was a combination of gasoline and diesel.”
“Do you believe the two fires are related?” Captain Vassar stood to the side, a bad feeling building in his gut.
“At this time, there’s no indication they are. As I said, one appears to be a simple case of unattended candles, while the barn fire looks to be arson set for excitement, maybe a prank that got out of hand. Any other questions?”
“Thank you, Jerrod.” Captain Vassar finished with a few station updates before adjourning the meeting.
“How’s it going, buddy? I heard you have a new lady.” Jerrod clasped Kurt on the shoulder, following him to the day room.
Stopping in the hall, Kurt turned, letting a few others pass by. “No big deal. I don’t know her really well. We’re taking it slow.” They’d been out a few times, yet Kurt felt a detachment he didn’t expect. Smart and funny, Cassie was also so guarded, their conversations were stilted and forced. The chemistry he expected never materialized, leaving him with a sense he was out to dinner with his sister rather than a date. He figured they’d go on one more date, see if he could get her to relax and open up. If not, he’d let her know he didn’t see them as a fit.
“Anyone I know?”
“Doubtful. She’s new in town. Works for MacLaren Rodeo.” Kurt didn’t want to discuss Cassie at the station. It didn’t take much for his fellow firefighters to blow anything involving a woman out of proportion. “Let’s meet for drinks later. For now, join us for lunch. I’m cooking.”
“Sorry, buddy. I can’t today. I’ve got to drive north to help with another suspected arson fire. Their investigator is out of commission…broken leg and concussion from falling down a flight of stairs.” Jerrod scrubbed a hand down his face. “Couldn’t come at a worse time with our recent fires. I’ll be back in time for beer, though.”
“Hey, Dobson. You going to feed us or what?”
“Guess I’d better finish lunch before the beasts revolt. They get grumpy when they aren’t fed on time. I’ll see you tonight.” Kurt turned toward the kitchen as Jerrod left the station.
He finished assembling a large salad, setting it on the bar, along with two huge dishes of lasagna and baskets of bread. All the while, he pondered Jerrod’s report on the latest fire. They expected a fire call every couple months, more in the dry summer season. Two in such a short span of time was unusual, even if one had been caused by recklessness. Brushing aside his concerns, Kurt grabbed a plate, deciding to feed his own beast before returning to work.
******
“We worked it all out, Gage. Cam stepped in and made the final decision since Cassie refused to budge from her position.” Matt set his phone on speaker and placed it on the dresser in his hotel room as he poured a glass of water.
“Are you going to be able to work with someone who’s so determined to have her way? Seems she’s pretty intractable.”
Matt chuckled. “You don’t have to tell me. She’s changed little from when the two of us were together.” He chugged the water, then poured another glass. “To answer your question, yes. It takes more time to wear her down than most people, but Cam wants this to work and so do we. She’s a cog in the wheel, Ga
ge. Nothing more.”
“I hope you’re right. Keep in mind, though, that cogs have been known to break. When that happens, the entire journey can come to a halt.”
Matt cringed at Gage’s observation. “I’ve got this handled. Don’t worry.”
“It’s in your hands, man. Don’t let us down.”
Matt shoved his fingers through his hair as the call ended. Letting out a breath, he sat on the bed, falling back to stare at the ceiling. If today’s experience signaled the way their working relationship would go, he was in for a long, crazy rodeo season. She’d argue and push him to his limits, all the while setting him on fire more than any woman he’d ever known. A combination of exasperation and exhilaration all in one gorgeous, sexy package. The comprehension frustrated and excited him, even as his brain sent out warning signals.
He couldn’t afford to show either anger or desire, no matter how she triggered both feelings. Closing his eyes, he thought of how difficult today had been. He’d struggled keeping his hands to himself during the drive to the restaurant and back to the office. Seeing her sitting an arm’s length away flooded him with memories—he accepted most were good, a smile curving his mouth.
He couldn’t count the number of times they’d parked in his truck, catching glimpses of a sunrise or sunset while steaming up the windows. Their sessions had risen to a new level when he’d saved enough to spring for a motel room, then again when she’d joined him at college. By then, he had a studio apartment where she stayed most Friday and Saturday nights. Regret ripped through him as he remembered how he’d held her close all night, legs and arms tangled together, then wake her with heated kisses and gentle caresses.
Groaning, Matt pushed himself up, scrubbing a hand down his face. Looking at the clock, he decided it wasn’t too late for a visit to the local bar. A cold beer had his name on it…a very cold beer.
No Getting Over You Page 4
