Make Me Burn

by Marie Harte

  “You see him a lot, then?”

  “Not really. Now and then he’ll give me a hand if I ask. Though we did have to check his place when his water heater got busted. Cost me an arm and a leg, I can tell you.” Tilly handed Avery her cell phone. “Want to call him?”

  Embarrassed not to know his number, she shook her head. “I’ll just wait here with you for a few minutes.”

  “Suit yourself. I can call him if you want.”

  “Ah, okay. That would be good.”

  Tilly dialed, paused, then said, “I found a strange woman pacing in front of your place. Pretty, glasses, long legs, flip-flops. Says she’s not a hooker.”

  Avery swore she heard Brad’s laughter.

  “Right, well, she’s at my place when you get back. I didn’t want her loitering and scaring the children.”

  Avery rolled her eyes. “I’m not a prostitute.”

  “Bye, Brad.” Tilly disconnected and smiled up at Avery. “So, do you cook?”

  * * *

  Thirty minutes later, Brad found Avery and Tilly laughing over eggs and bacon in Tilly’s home. He carried two pounds of coffee beans—who knew Avery was such a snot about coffee?—and a bunch of pastries.

  Seeing the two bonding over breakfast made him smile. He had a warm spot for the older busybody. Though her handyman and his girlfriend watched over Tilly, Brad also kept an eye out for her. She’d once fallen in the basement, and he knew all too well how older people could break bones so easily, getting at least a call a day when working the aid unit.

  “How about some coffee and pastries?” he offered, seeing them seated and eating.

  Avery looked to Tilly, who nodded and said, “Saved you a plate.”

  He noticed an empty plate and silverware next to Avery. “Oh, so that’s not for your boyfriend, Smith?” The handyman.

  She grinned. “He’s way too young for me. But how old are you, Brad? Thirty-two now, yes?” She turned to Avery. “He just had a birthday this past Tuesday, you know.”

  “Is that right?”

  Brad felt like squirming. “I hate my birthday.”

  “But you’re that much closer to my age.” Tilly cooed. “I’m barely thirty-five, you know.”

  “And I have a bridge to sell you.” Avery snorted. “You’d eat him alive, Tilly.”

  “Ha. She knows me already, and we just met.”

  Brad settled down to an enjoyable breakfast with Avery and Tilly, relieved Avery didn’t make a big deal about him not mentioning his birthday. Time with Tilly amused him, and before he knew it, the older woman was shooing them out the door to go to church with her nephew.

  “Get out, you heathens. Quit it with all your sexting and go visit God.” Tilly whispered as she leaned closer, “I don’t mean that. But I’m not getting any younger, so I have to put on a good front with the Big Guy.” She pointed a thumb skyward.

  “Right.” Avery shook Tilly’s hand. “Have a good one, Tilly. Great to meet you.”

  “Say hi to God for me,” Brad said drily.

  “There’s the spirit, Brad.” Tilly winked and slammed the door behind them.

  Brad carried the coffee back down the hall, elated and trying not to be as he walked hand in hand with Avery. “Do I even want to know how that friendship came to be?”

  “I got locked out. Tilly found me. Probably heard you yell last night and got worried.”

  His cheeks turned red, and she laughed.

  “Funny girl.”

  “Funny woman.”

  “Sure thing, Ms. Politically Correct.”

  “Hey, I’m all for feminine power.”

  “Me too, which is why when you blew me last night, I blew you right back.” He happened to say that as they passed an open door. A pretty woman with brown hair stood in front of a giant of a man. Both of them stood frozen.

  “Brad,” Avery growled.

  The man grinned. “Hey, Battle. What’s up?”

  “Smith.” He smiled at the woman. “Still with this lug, huh, Erin?”

  Erin smiled back. “Life is good.” She smiled wider at Avery. “Have a great Sunday.”

  “Ah, right.” Obviously embarrassed, Avery hurried Brad to the stairwell and complained as they ascended to the second floor. “I can’t believe you said that.”

  “What? It’s true.” All innocence, he shrugged and let them into his apartment.

  “Yeah? Well, how would you feel if I said something like that in front of your mom? Not so hot.” They both paused. “Not that I’ll ever meet her, but still.”

  She looked even redder, and Brad wondered if it had been the mention of his mother that had done it. Did Avery want to meet his mom? Curiously, he wanted to meet hers. But exposing a partner to parents was a step in a serious direction. Did he want to take that yet? They didn’t know each other that well… A lie, because he felt as if he did know her, and he’d told her things he never would have considered sharing with the Avery he’d once known.

  Yet the past continued to fade, his hostility over her prying from years ago no longer important. He liked this Avery. Hell, he more than liked her, and that made little sense, yet there it was.

  Perhaps meeting his family would show him more about her. And of course, she’d have to deal with the guys at the station, though he’d warned Tex to keep quiet.

  “Okay, you’ve been staring at me with a really weird look on your face for a solid minute. What are you thinking?”

  “That we should go check on my brother and your Gerty.”

  She chuckled, sounding relieved. “My Gerty?”

  “She’s not your sister.”

  “Not technically, but we’ve been friends since high school. I love her like a sister.”

  “Hence, your Gerty.”

  “Oh, you said ‘hence.’ Ten smarty points for you, Brad.”

  He didn’t want to encourage her, so he bit back laughter. “Yeah? Well, twenty for you for using the word ‘anathema’ last night.” He paused. “I had to look it up.”

  She snorted with amusement.

  “That was gross.”

  “I’m sorry. Anathema? That’s nothing. How about vapid? Contiguous? Ostentatious?”

  “Facetious? Imperious? Bumptious?” At her glare, he returned a lofty look of his own. “Didn’t I tell you I like to read?”

  “Bumptious? That’s a new one on me.”

  “Ha. Victory is mine!”

  “Is it? What does ‘bumptious’ mean, genius?”

  “Arrogant. Same as ‘imperious.’” With a patronizing tone, just to annoy her, he added, “‘Facetious’ means—”

  “I know what it means, Bradford.” She sniffed. “See if I play any more word games with you.”

  “Oh, now we have to play Scrabble.”

  She grinned. “So long as you’re not a crier. I like to win.”

  “Why am I not surprised?”

  Her evil smile did more to break down the walls guarding his heart, and as they drove to her apartment, he wondered how soon he could get her to meet his mom and Rochelle and what they might think of Avery, whom he really, really liked.

  Way more than he should.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Back at Avery’s apartment, they found Gerty and Oscar playing a video game on the big screen in the living room. Fortunately, the characters were dressed and seemed to be killing things, so Avery hadn’t interrupted raunchy cybersex.

  Gerty must have read her thoughts because she laughed at Avery and gave a sly glance to the screen. “Want to play?”

  Oscar keeled over from the slap on the back Brad gave him and sprawled out on the floor. Talk about a melodramatic family. “Oh, the pain of brotherly love. Help! I need a health potion, stat!”

  Brad and Avery shared an exasperated sigh.

  “What d
id you do to him, you monster?” Gerty shrieked and cosseted Oscar. “Oh, you poor thing. Do you need medicinal sex to make you all better?”

  Avery snickered. “Oh yeah. They hooked up.”

  Oscar rolled to his feet, rubbing his shoulder, and smirked at his brother. “I could say the same.” He waved. “Hi, Avery. So sorry you had to participate in my brother’s clumsy efforts at lovemaking. But Gerty and I made a tutorial if you need help, Brad.”

  Brad cringed. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

  “Please.” Avery agreed.

  “Oh, relax, you prudes.” Gerty huffed. “As if you should be so lucky to watch the very best cyber-porn has to offer. You could both learn a thing or two.”

  “Gerty. Ew.” Avery leaned down to pick up Klingon, who danced at her feet. “You are so soft, little guy. Hi.” She laughed as he licked her face with enthusiasm, wishing she could experience such joy, living in the moment like a dog.

  Then she noticed the weird silence.

  Brad was looking at her in a very strange way. Gerty and Oscar were staring at him, then exchanged knowing looks that made even less sense. Then Klingon peed on her and broke the tension.

  “Oh, gross.” She handed the puppy to Gerty, who couldn’t stop laughing.

  “You have some weird effect on animals, Avery. They either want to hump you or pee on you.”

  “Why me?” Avery raced to her room to grab a new shirt and bra—gross—and washed off in the bathroom before putting on her clean clothes. She returned to the living room to see Oscar and Brad chatting with…her parents? “Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?”

  Her mother came over for a hug. “We passed Gerty on the way in. Sorry to hear Klingon still has bladder control issues.” Her mom snickered. “Gerty looks great.” In a lower voice she whispered, “I like her new boyfriend.”

  “I do too,” Avery whispered back.

  Her father looked intent as he spoke with Brad about Station 44. She would have rescued him, but her mother gripped her by the arm. “I like your new boyfriend too.”

  Avery blinked, trying to come up with something clever to say. “Ah, okay.” Then she decided to ask what had been bugging her for a while. “Why have you been avoiding me?”

  Her mom hushed her and pulled her into the kitchen. “I’m making coffee,” she announced in a loud voice.

  “Great, I’ll have some,” her father replied.

  June sighed, hugged her daughter, then forced her to sit down while she rummaged for coffee and a paper filter.

  “Third cabinet on your right,” Avery pointed out.

  “Oh, thanks. Honey, I’m sorry.” June prepped the coffee pot before sitting with Avery, who still wanted to save Brad from her father. “I was avoiding you on purpose.”

  “Ouch. Why?”

  “Because I’m a crutch, and you need to get a life.” Her mom smiled. “And it worked.” She looked past the kitchen, where Avery could see the back of Brad with Oscar and her dad. Gerty returned, and everyone turned to her and the puppy.

  Good. At least Klingon would take the heat from her hunky fireman.

  “Mom, you are not the reason I’m with Brad. An unfortunate incident with Banana at the Dog Days of Spring festival a few weeks ago did that. We’ve been seeing each other Friday mornings on the show, and we recently kind of clicked.”

  “Which you wouldn’t have if you were hanging out with me all the time. I love you, honey, but I think I monopolize too much of your time.”

  “Mom?” Where the hell was this coming from?

  “Your father agreed.”

  Ah, right. Lennox once again doing his best to rearrange Avery’s life as best suited him. “You know, Mom, I’m not afraid to say no to you. I could always say I’m busy if I didn’t want to hang out.” While part of her appreciated her mom giving her space, she also disliked her mother acting like Avery had no life.

  “Yes, yes, I know. But I felt guilty for taking up your free time. I know you’re super busy with the work you do for Emil and helping Gerty with Pets Fur Life on top of that.” June smiled. “But now you’re with your handsome fireman. He really is cute.”

  Avery flushed. “Mom.”

  “Introduce me.” Her mother pulled her out of the kitchen like a ragdoll.

  Avery assumed control and tugged her mother to meet Brad. “Brad, this is my mom, June. You already met my dad.” She glanced at him, surprised to see Len looking happy to be there. “And Mom, this is Oscar. Brad’s brother.”

  “I’m Gerty’s boyfriend,” Oscar said with a wide smile. “Pleased to meet you.”

  Gerty gave him a double thumbs-up. “How great is he? I trained him to say that to everyone new we meet.”

  “He’s not a dog, Gerty.” Her friend made her laugh, but honestly, Avery needed to give her pointers on how not to embarrass a guy.

  Oscar, however, rolled with it. “Like Klingon, except I’m housebroken.”

  “Not if you could see his own bathroom,” Brad had to add. “Seriously. He’s a slob.”

  Oscar scowled. “Ignore my brother. His brain is fried from fighting too many fires.”

  “About that,” Len said. “Brad, I was telling Avery she needs to talk to your battalion chief about the funding crisis. Do you think you could get her an interview?”

  Avery wanted to sink through the floor.

  Even her mother and Gerty cringed.

  Brad handled the request like a pro. “If Avery asks me, I’m sure I can manage something.”

  “But I won’t,” she said firmly and stroked Klingon, keeping her hands from reaching for her father’s throat. “Emil knows people in the fire department too, so if I needed anything for work, I’d go through him first.” She smiled to take the sting out of the rebuke that went right over her father’s head. He never had a qualm about using others to make the big story.

  “Well, that’s good then.” Len smiled and shook Brad’s hand. “Love the help you’re giving our city. And maybe you wouldn’t mind an interview for a friend of mine. He’s doing a series of articles on fire departments across the country.”

  “Not Erik, Dad.”

  Her father beamed. “Yes, Erik. He’s doing well, by the way. And he followed me home! He’s actually coming Tuesday. Brad, how would you like to come to dinner next week? You could meet my protégé and talk to him. Or not. Just come to dinner. We’d love to have you.”

  Avery wasn’t sure when events had spiraled out of her control. She met Brad’s gaze with a helpless one of her own and started to answer for him when he smiled and said, “I’d love to, sir. My mom is a huge fan of yours.”

  Len preened. “Oh, that’s nice.”

  “Sure. Just let Avery know and she can give me the details.”

  The coffee machine beeped. Gerty raced for the kitchen. “Coffee time! Who wants a cup?”

  “Me.” Oscar followed her, taking Klingon on his way. “But none for the pup. He’s trying to quit.”

  Brad came up behind Avery and hugged her. “None for me. We had some earlier with a friend.”

  We, he said. She warmed. Her parents passed them, even her father smiling at them standing there like a couple.

  “I’m so sorry for my dad,” she apologized to Brad in a low voice.

  “Don’t worry about it. I said no to you once upon a time. I can handle my own with Lennox King.” He faced her and grinned. “Besides, think of how excited my mom will be that I had dinner with him. He’s right up there with her fascination for Dan Rather.”

  Relieved her father hadn’t alienated Brad, she walked with him into their now packed kitchen. It took her by surprise, this sense of inclusion. No longer feeling like the oddball standing out when around her parents, she felt part of the family. With Brad by her side.

  Strange yet welcome, she enjoyed their visit. It wasn’t until after th
ey’d left that she realized she’d overlooked one very important part of the conversation. “Holy crap, Gerty. Did my dad say Erik is coming to town?”

  “Yep.” Gerty nodded for Oscar to join her. “We’re taking Klingon for a walk. Back soon.” They left in a hurry, with Oscar giving his brother a shrug on the way out.

  Brad leaned back against the kitchen counter, his arms crossed over that broad chest, a broody look on his handsome face. “Who the hell is Erik? And why did your father tell me I had some major competition if I wanted to hold on to you?”

  * * *

  Brad was still processing his meeting with the intimidating Lennox King. He conceded that the man had presence. A lot like Avery did, only hers was friendly, softer. Lennox seemed like a force of nature, breezing past everyone with probing questions and demands for answers Brad had felt duty-bound to deliver. Including the fact he and Avery were dating.

  It wasn’t that Lennox had a physically imposing presence. It was the way he held himself, radiating intelligence and focus. He dressed smartly, had a trimmed haircut and salt-and-pepper goatee, and wore glasses similar to Avery’s. But while hers made her look sexier, her father’s made him seem as if he could see the truth through those lenses.

  Lennox hadn’t said much about Brad dating his daughter except for dropping an innocuous comment about a visitor who might be major competition for Avery’s attention.

  So now Brad had to know who the hell this Erik was, why Lennox seemed so excited to help the guy, and why Avery seemed flustered.

  And what he didn’t like admitting to himself—why the fuck was he so jealous about a man he’d never met over a woman he’d just started dating?

  He pretended to be a lot calmer than he felt, not used to handling such raw emotions. Brad was good at his job because he always kept his cool, especially under fire. And he’d just come under some major fire from Avery’s imposing dad.

  “Erik is my dad’s dream of a son.” Avery sighed. “He’s the child my father should have had. Instead he got me.” Seeing Brad’s patience, she continued. “I met Erik at college. We shared the same interests, and we dated. Then he met my dad and fell in love.” She teased, “With my dad.”