Rhett finished fastening the rubber band. “We were going for the baby powder trick like the one you guys did on me, but the container in Ian’s locker got all moist and grainy. So we settled on this idea instead.”
Colton pointed at the fridge. “I would’ve switched his grape jelly to—”
Drew raised a hand. “No messing with food. It’s the captain’s new rule. Apparently, the other shift played a nasty prank on a rookie who has a pistachio allergy—of course, nobody was aware of it, not even the guy himself. Luckily, the paramedic pulled out the epi and he was good to go.”
“Well, okay. Where’s our rook—”
Colton bit his lip as Gage strolled into the kitchen, whistling a song as he went straight over to the B platoon fridge. Ian wiggled his brows, and all of them moved farther away from the sink. They retreated to the recliners.
Gage pulled open the freezer door and reached in.
“He’s going for ice cream,” Ian whispered.
“Dude,” Rhett began. “You gotta stay out of B platoon's freezer. I told you their ice cream is off-limits.”
Pulling an ice cream sandwich from a box, Gage answered without giving Rhett the courtesy of even looking over at him. “It's one sandwich. They’re not gonna care. Back in Redding, everything in the freezers was fair game.”
If Colton heard back in Redding from the newbie one more time, he was gonna lose it. Eating the other platoon's food would come back on all of them. Colton leaned forward, ready to back up what Rhett had already told Gage.
“Wait, I got an idea,” said Ian in a low voice. He pivoted to Gage. “Hey, rookie, can you toss me an apple?”
Gage shrugged and reached for an apple. He pulled his arm back to throw it to Ian.
Ian protested. “Without washing it? Gross. Do you know how many germs there are, just from your touch? Rinse it for me, will ya?”
Gage rolled his eyes but stepped to the sink.
The guys held their breath. As the water began to douse Gage, he frantically batted at the stream with both arms for about ten seconds before reaching for the handle. The guys couldn’t suppress their laughter any longer.
Gage turned to them, water dripping off his hair and shirt. His face was red, his nostrils flaring with each angry breath.
Colt was ready for a string of swear words, or maybe even fists, to fly.
Seeing the other guys laugh, Gage calmed down and grabbed a towel to wipe his face. He shook his head and admitted, “Alright, you got me. Not bad.” He nodded at them as he passed by on his way to the locker room. As the new guy, he knew he was subject to pranks from time to time.
“I'm surprised he took it so well,” said Ian.
“There's hope for him yet,” Colton added. They all wanted to see Gage succeed, but he'd already had serious discipline issues with one crew. Any minor mistake and he could lose his job. Seeing how lax he always was, anyone would think he was a twenty-year guy.
Rhett, the other new guy on the crew and one of the architects of the prank, hopped up to grab a mop.
“Next time we do baby powder,” Ian chuckled.
“Ahem …”
The voice of a woman clearing her throat made them all whip around.
Amy stood at the entrance of the kitchen, holding a large tray covered with a checkered napkin. She was still wearing her scrubs, and the faint shadows beneath her eyes hinted that she’d had a rough shift at the hospital. Still, she was beautiful in a natural way that transcended the latest fashion fad.
Colton stood and went over to her. “Hey, Amy. Who let you in?”
Amy shook her head. “Nobody. The back door was propped open.”
Drew sighed. “Gage! Again. It's his duty to make sure the doors are secure after shift change. We need to have a word with him.”
“How was work?” Colton asked Amy.
Amy smiled, and even that was a bit more tired than usual. “It was fine. But we got a child with an appendectomy in the early morning hour, so I spent my break in the OR. I’ll be glad to lie down when I get home.” She raised her brows and cocked her head toward the firemen who were all staring at her.
Right, Colton needed to introduce her. “Guys, this is Amy. Amy Powell. My friend. She just moved back from Portland and is staying with me.”
“Hi, guys.” Amy waved.
Somehow, referring to Amy as “my friend” sounded wrong. She was much more than that to Colton. But he didn’t want to explain to his crew that Amy was like his little sister, his best friend, and his …
Colton’s eyes zoomed in on how Amy licked her lips while she waited for Colton’s buddies to greet her. An odd prickle started at the base of his spine and rushed up to his neck, making him uncomfortable in his cotton T-shirt. He quickly withdrew his gaze from Amy’s face.
Drew nodded. “Hi, Colton’s friend, Amy. We met at the hospital, remember?”
“Sure I do, Drew.”
The others presented themselves, and even Cap came out of his office, probably curious about the unknown female voice. With a warm smile on his lips, Adam shook Amy’s hand. “So, you would be the daughter of Henry Powell? That rescue he pulled off from the fifth-floor high-rise back in the '80s is a legend. He was a very brave man.”
Amy’s eyes filled with a sorrowful glint, but her lips stayed curled up. “Yes, he was, Captain Lockhart. A good fireman indeed.”
“Call me Adam, please,” Cap beamed at Amy.
“How's your house hunt going?” Drew asked.
Amy shrugged. “I haven’t found anything yet, but I’m checking out two apartments tomorrow. One of them sounds rather promising.”
Colton’s stomach grew cold. Why was Drew asking about Amy’s search? His paramedic pal wasn’t overly chatty, especially not with strangers. Could Drew be interested in Amy? Colton studied Drew’s casual stance and crossed arms. Hmm, okay, his body language didn’t point at any excessive attention towards Amy.
Why hadn’t Amy told Colton that she would be visiting some new housing options the next day? Colton had believed she was putting her search on pause due to the extra nights she was pulling. There was no rush for her to leave his house. He had more than enough space.
Adam patted Amy’s shoulder. “If you're getting desperate, just let me know. We could always ask Judd Hoffman if he has some empty properties to rent out.”
“Judd Hoffman? You mean the billionaire?” Amy asked.
Colton, who was eager to recapture Amy’s attention, chimed in. “Yes, him. You remember I told you that our crew saved his daughter from a fire last year? He’s been very generous to our station ever since. Chances are, you’ll meet his daughter when she visits the hospital for her regular check-up.”
Amy scratched her neck. “Is her name Eloise? I heard the nurses mention something like that.”
Ian pointed at Amy and clicked his tongue. “That’s her. Ellie, she prefers to be called.”
“Ellie, right. Okay, I’ll keep that in mind if I happen to meet her. And Adam …” She blinked up at the captain. “Thank you for your offer. I’ll keep that in mind, too.”
Adam smiled. “Sure. I'm happy to help Colton’s friend any way I can. We are one big welcoming family here …”
Rhett nudged Ian between his ribs and spoke in a low voice. “As long as the newcomers don’t try to act like they own the place, like Gage …”
Adam rolled his eyes. “Well, we’ll have to teach him a thing or two, won’t we?”
All the men laughed, but Amy looked confused.
Colton leaned close to her and whispered, “We have a cheeky newbie who gives Cap a lot of headaches, so we’re helping break him in. For now, the guy is hard as a stone. And not in the good sense of the word. He’s the one who forgot to close the doors.”
Amy turned to face Colton. The unexpected closeness of her lips to his skin and her warm breath made him almost wobble on his feet. “My dad and his pals used to ask the new guys to put a cellar nozzle on a hydrant and charge it. Said they went fro
m zero to drenched in less than half a second.” She shrugged, grinning. “Just thought I’d throw that out there. Take it or leave it.”
Rhett, who was standing closest to them, clapped. “That’s an epic idea. I’ll add it to our prank collection for sure.”
Amy gave Rhett a mischievous grin. “I’m glad I could help.” She sighed. “Now, will one of you take this tray of goodies I brought you for breakfast, or do I have to take them home and let Colton eat them alone?”
Ian and Drew asked in chorus, “Those are for us?”
Colton put a hand on Amy’s back, beaming with pride. It was refreshing to present a girl to his crew who didn’t balk at the banter because of her uptight manners. “Yeah. For some reason, Amy wanted to make you a gift. I told her that you don’t deserve it, but—”
He couldn’t continue, because both Rhett and Ian jumped at him for an impromptu wrestling match. Amy backed off from them, holding the tray out of reach so that it wouldn’t get smashed.
Adam put a hand on Amy’s shoulder. “Come, I’ll show you where you can put that. The testosterone show-off should be over in a minute.” He led her over to a counter.
Colton followed them from the corner of his eye, even as he continued to fight off his two buddies. Was Adam’s gesture fatherly, manly, or just simply polite? Cap was older than the rest of them, but not old. Maybe his somber charm would get through to Amy despite her rule against dating a fireman?
Ouch! In that second of distraction, Rhett managed to lock Colton’s arms behind his back while Ian slapped him playfully in the face. “That’s for saying we don’t deserve treats,” Ian said.
But Colton’s mind was still whirling with paranoia. What was his problem? He shouldn’t care if Amy decided that Adam was the man of her dreams. The poor girl deserved a good guy after dealing with that sleazy ex who hadn't had enough sense to recognize what a treasure she was.
Amy and the captain returned. “That’s enough for now,” Adam said, and the words were enough to make Ian and Rhett release Colton. Cap’s eyes darted to the clock on the wall. “Sorry, Amy. We need to get on with the shift change.”
Amy put up her hands. “Of course, I’m out of here. It was lovely to meet you all.” She waved at everyone, but then turned back to the captain and gave him an over-the-top smile. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”
Colton’s insides turned to ice. What? Did Adam seriously hit on Amy during those two minutes Colton couldn’t hear?
Amy came over to Colton and kissed his cheek. “See you at home, Colt.”
Colton managed not to flinch at her gesture, even though the spot where her lips had touched his skin sent thrills cascading down to his neck.
Amy left the building, but Colton was still standing motionless, the bitter worm of jealousy eating through his chest. No, not jealousy. In fact, he couldn’t be jealous of Amy. Not now, not ever. He was just protective, concerned that she would jump into a new relationship so soon when her heart was still bruised.
Ian tapped Colton between the shoulder blades. “You coming? Roll call's starting soon.”
Colton jerked back. “Me? Yeah, be right there.”
Without thinking, he dashed to the fire pole and slid down. As soon as he stepped into the parking lot, he saw Amy’s petite figure walking toward her car. “Amy-cakes, wait up.”
She stopped and turned around. When she saw him running up to her, her eyes widened and her mouth formed a little circle. “What’s up, Colt? Don’t you have to be inside?”
Colton’s heart was still beating in his throat, and he knew he couldn’t blame it on the short sprint he’d just done. His body was used to handling much more physical activity than this. It was what he was about to say to Amy that had him worked up. He might be stepping out of his role as a friend and into dangerous, uncharted territory. He hesitated before opening his mouth, second-guessing his split-second decision to say anything. But as he met Amy’s large, expressive eyes, he steeled himself. He was doing this for her. She needed time to be her own person, time to heal. Going on a date would be rushing the process.
The words tumbled out like grains of rice spilling from a torn bag. “I don’t think you should go out with Adam. I mean, he’s a great man, but …”
His voice died off as Amy’s surprised expression shifted to utter bewilderment. She opened her hands and tilted her head to the left. “What are you babbling about, Colt? Going out with whom? Your captain? Have you gone mental?”
Colton rubbed his neck, feeling like an idiot. “You said you’ll be waiting for Adam’s call, so I figured …”
Amy’s lips twitched upwards as she giggled. “Oh, you silly! Adam promised to arrange a day for you and another fireman to drive the fire engine over to the hospital and let the kiddos in my department—at least those who are allowed to go outside to the garden—try out what it’s like to sit in a real fire engine. That’s what his call will be about.”
Colton’s chest expanded. His muscles became light as a feather. Amy wasn’t going on a date with Cap. Excellent news. “Ah, I see. Then I completely misunderstood. Sorry.”
Amy whacked him softly in the chest. “Colt, please. Don’t start acting like you did when we were in school. You and Zach kept me so heavily guarded that no guy ever dared approach me. I’m a grown woman now.” She squared her chin. “If I wanna date, I’ll date. But it won’t be your captain, or any other firefighter, for that matter.”
“Good,” Colton said for lack of a wittier answer.
Amy flashed him a smile. “Good. Now go back and do your roll call. I’ll go home and sink into bed.” Her hand went to her mouth as she suppressed a yawn. “I need to rest if I aim to keep my promise and come to your crazy calisthenics class, right?”
“But that’s not for two days,” he protested.
Amy smirked. “Not everyone is as fit as you, champ. Now hurry back before the others say I’m distracting you from your duties, okay? Bye, Colt.” With that, she turned and walked to her car.
“Okay, bye.” Colton marched back to the station’s door. His previous elation that Amy wouldn't be dating the captain had disappeared. Why was that?
The instant the question ran through his mind, he knew the answer. It was because Amy was being so diehard about holding to her rule of not dating firefighters. Her words kept rattling through his brain, turning his mood darker. Before he entered the building, he gave himself two small slaps. Unfortunately, the sting on his cheeks did little to jostle him from his miserable mental state.
He had a girlfriend. Theresa. He used to be happy with her before Amy moved to Jackson. Okay, maybe not happy happy, but reasonably satisfied. Enough to keep seeing Theresa for a couple of months, despite her questionable outbursts.
What had changed?
A pair of deep brown eyes flashed into his mind, and he swallowed. No, it couldn’t be that. It mustn’t be that!
He pushed the door ajar and hurried to unite with his crew. At least his colleagues would distract him somewhat from his senseless soul-searching.
8
Amy put on her sneakers, trying not to feel intimidated by the well-defined back muscles of the other woman in the Fire Up Gym’s changing room. Were all the participants in Colton’s class this fit? If so, Amy was in serious trouble.
The woman, who looked like she could be a weightlifting champion, pulled her hair into a ponytail and sighed. “Nothing like a good workout to burn off the stress of work. Am I right, or what?”
Amy smiled, glad that she could establish a connection with someone before entering Colton’s class. “Yeah, I guess. Though I mostly do jogging or Pilates. It’s my first time at calisthenics, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up.” Amy had googled calisthenics before coming here with Colton. It didn’t look like the simple we-just-use-our-body-weight-to-exercise slogan that Colton had used to get Amy to tag along.
The woman grinned. “Ah, you’ll do just fine. You might be petite, but you seem strong. That will benefit you
greatly in this sport. I’m Jeanna, by the way. Pronounced as Jeen-uh. Just sayin’, most people distort it into Jee-anna, and I hate that.”
“Nice to meet you, Jeanna. I’m Amy,” she answered, feeling a tick more confident. She still feared she would humiliate herself due to her lack of strength. But at least if she befriended one of the participants, she might not feel so embarrassed about her inferiority compared to the others.
Jeanna closed her locker. “Shall we get inside?”
Amy peeked at her watch. Where was Theresa? Colton’s girlfriend had said she was coming. Would she be a no-show? “Okay, let’s go.” Amy switched off the lights in the locker room as she followed Jeanna to a large hall that used to be a warehouse before it was transformed into the town’s CrossFit center.
Amy searched the corners of the room. Perhaps Theresa had already come wearing her exercise clothes, so she didn’t need to pass by the lockers. Colton would surely be disappointed if Theresa didn’t show up. He’d been so proud that he’d managed to convince both of the significant females in his life to finally try a real sport—aka his calisthenics class.
Significant females.
Amy’s throat closed up at the memory of his choice of words. It was weird to be mentioned in the same category as Colton’s woman. It made Amy’s brain toy with the possibility that someday she could end up being his girl.
She shook her head. Where was she going again with this? It was a colossal mistake to even envisage such a possibility. She could blame her thoughts on that awkward moment between her and Colton behind the station. For a second there, she’d thought that Colton was jealous of her and his captain.
But that couldn’t be the case. For jealousy to form, one had to have tender feelings for the other. What Colton felt was merely brotherly concern. He had a heart of gold, and he was always out to save others from danger. His interest in her was akin to that of Zach's.
After all, Colt must have heard Amy crying a few times in her room after she’d arrived in Jackson. Luckily, her heartbreak over Mark was less painful now. Amy had barely even thought of him this past week. Between her job at the hospital, the fun nights with Colton watching TV, playing board games, and just goofing around, her scars had been healing quicker than she would have expected.
Saving His Heart Page 6