by Marie Harte
Brad felt his tension slowly dissipate.
“They bonded while Erik and I drifted apart. I didn’t want to move to New York or travel all the time for work. Not like he and my dad did. My dad used to leave us all for weeks on end when I was growing up, and I hated it. Erik wanted to make a splash in New York City, where all the action is.” She huffed. “I was tired of journalism by then, and when he left, we broke up. We’re still friends, but that’s all there is between us.”
“On your part,” he said, feeling her out.
She nodded, and he didn’t sense her hiding anything.
“What about Erik? How does he feel about you?”
“He’s still tight with my dad, who flew out to help him last week. Me? We’re buddies, that’s it.”
“Uh-huh.” He watched her. “So why did your dad tell me Erik was my competition?”
“He really said that?”
“In so many words.”
“Wow.” She stared at him. “Seriously?”
He nodded.
“He’s either pulling your chain to get a reaction, so good job not giving him one.” She sounded proud of him. “Or Erik mentioned it when Dad was in New York, which I doubt. Erik has two loves. My father and his work. Period.”
“Was that a problem for you when you were dating?”
“Yes. But it was more than that. He wanted to immerse himself in the job. I wanted…”
Brad prodded when she went silent. “You wanted what?”
“I wanted to get married and raise a family.” She blushed. “I went through a mini-mom period. Then I realized I just wanted something different from what I had. No more digging through people’s dirty laundry. I wanted a job that let me feel clean when I was done.” She stood and crossed to him. “I’m sorry for that interview before.”
He sighed. “If you apologize for it one more time, I’ll get mean. And rough.”
She pulled back and smiled up at him.
In that moment, nothing existed but Avery. Not work, his family, his past problems. Nothing.
He kissed her.
She kissed him back.
They stood there hugging and not speaking, and for a small bit of time, life was perfect.
* * *
Too bad perfection didn’t last.
“Brad, move your gorgeous ass to the left. A little more. Let the puppy lick you.”
“He smells like he just ate kitty litter,” he muttered, but not quietly enough because Hernandez and Mack laughed.
“He probably did.” Mack shrugged. “I saw him nosing around a litter box before you picked him up.”
“Gross. Ken’s smacking with cat poop.” Hernandez made a face.
Like the others gathered in Brianna Gilchrist’s small studio Thursday afternoon, he and six other members of C shift met with the photographer to get their moneymaking Pets Fur Life calendar started.
Hernandez, Wash, and Marcus had joined Brad and his crew, along with two guys from A shift and three from B. D shift had duty and had been pretty damn vocal about being excluded. As had the Station 44 ladies, but Bree had been insistent the calendar be for firemen, as opposed to the firefighters and later firewomen calendars she intended to put together next year. Nat and Lori had been mollified, a little. Brad expected payback in due course.
But now they had twelve firemen to handle all the months of the year for Pets Fur Life.
“Yo, Mr. April, smile,” Reggie called out, still annoyed he’d had to say yes or be party to dooming helpless animals to a life of vagrancy and despair. Brad had used Avery’s nicely scripted guilt trip, then passed it on to Tex, who had done a hell of a job pouring on the guilts, so that every guy invited made sure to show up on his day off.
Wearing an unbuttoned shirt and jeans, his hair mussed by a cute stylist with neon-pink hair, Brad had been made up to look sexy and handsome and absolutely “dreamy”—according to Bree.
Tex, Brad had noticed with much amusement, didn’t look happy about any of it. But Mr. December had to wait his turn. “Bree, we almost done?”
“Hell, no.” The smart blond took a few shots, adjusted the lighting, then ordered him into more angles and poses while the cute but stink-breath of a hound kept squirming. “Okay, Brad, you’re done. Hey, Rena, can you come collect Snoopy?”
The beagle puppy was adorable—and aptly named.
Rena, another hairdresser and a woman who often helped with the Pets Fur Life charity, hustled out, beaming. “Great job, Brad. Wow, you guys are so built.” She stared at his chest.
“The Viral Viking let you come mingle with all the ‘beefcake’?”
She grinned. “Hey, I’m on a job, supporting you with hair care.” She nodded to the cute stylist. “Tommy too. This is about giving to charity and helping those who need help.” She stroked Snoopy’s head.
“Covering all your bases?” He grinned. He liked the pretty woman, and he liked her boyfriend. He was smart enough not to want to get on the guy’s bad side though. Six-six and looking like a hit man on a good day despite the haircut that had made him famous, her boyfriend was not one to mess with.
“You know it.” Rena winked. “Oh, there’s Reggie. I think he needs a trim.”
“He hardly has any hair.”
“You are not the professional here, Brad. I am.”
“Well, do your best. He’s not happy about being here.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
“That’s Sergeant, and…never mind.”
Rena hustled over to Reggie and started oohing and aahing over him, which soothed Reggie’s annoyance. A pretty woman would do that.
And speaking of which…
He looked for his own girl and found her hemmed in by Hernandez and Wash. He removed his shirt to wipe off the spritz of oil Bree had insisted he use and donned a T-shirt. Mack groaned as Bree’s assistant dragged him toward the green screen and ordered him to lie down on a picnic blanket.
“Okay, this is going to be fast,” Bree warned. “Look happy and get rid of the attitude, Revere. Pretty is as pretty does.”
“Tex, she’s being mean to me. Make her stop.”
Others around them laughed until Bree shushed them. A bunch of Pets Fur Life people, Rupert included, centered around the shot, enclosing it with a moveable fence. Then three large pet carriers were opened and a swarm of puppies surged, covering Mack, who’d been spritzed with a bacon perfume—something Brad had never in his life thought might be a real thing.
Mack laughed uncontrollably as he was mauled by a dozen furballs.
Avery managed to duck the idiots surrounding her and made her way to Brad, who glared at the others before saying to hell with it. He leaned down and kissed her.
“I knew it!” Reggie crowed, “Washkowski, you owe me twenty bucks.”
Brad knew he’d never hear the end of the teasing, but these asshats needed to understand Avery was with him…since she’d made no move to distance herself earlier.
“Very macho of you, Brad.” Avery adjusted her glasses, not trying to hide her smile. “Way to keep us under the radar.”
“Screw it. And screw them,” he said in a louder voice, ignoring Reggie’s thumbs-up.
She laughed. “You’re cute, but not as cute as Mack and all those puppies! Oh my gosh, it makes me want to take one home.”
“A dog, not the idiot in the middle, right?” he teased, not really meaning it.
“Relax. Not that I don’t love the jealousy, but I’m not the kind who plays around.” She gave him a hard look. “Just like you’d better not be. Go easy with the flirting.”
“What?”
“I saw you with Rena. She’s got a boyfriend, you know.”
Feeling better about being possessive, he kissed her again. “I only have eyes for you… Watch out.”
She stumbled o
ver a cat, which hissed and took a swipe at her legs.
Then the feline ambled to Brad and wound around his ankles, meowing to be picked up.
Avery took a step back. “It’s the cat or me. I took my allergy pill before coming today, but I really can’t do cats.”
“But Avery, I love pussy.” Brad sighed. “What am I gonna do now?”
Mack bust out laughing. “Nice, Brad.”
“Yeah, nice, Brad,” Avery sneered.
“Perfect.” Bree took more shots from different angles. Once the puppies started losing interest in Mack, she ordered the next victim to approach.
“She’s like a drill instructor I had back in basic,” Brad said as Tex joined them.
“No shit.” He snorted then saw Avery. “I mean, no kidding.” He tipped his hat at her.
He wore faded jeans, a black T-shirt plastered to his chest it was so tight, and that stupid hat.
“Wow. You look good, Tex.” She stared, wide-eyed. “I want to look away, but I can’t. All this eye candy is addicting.” A glance at Reggie showed him flexing for Rena. Mack stood close to Bree, smiling. The other firefighters of Station 44 stood around, half-dressed and full of muscle. All there to help an animal shelter keep its doors open.
“Avery, close your mouth.” Brad sighed, now amused instead of jealous. He and the guys were brothers. And, he had to admit, in damn good shape thanks to all the exercise they did. It was one thing for Avery to like the look of the guys, another for them to like her back. Though he’d ragged on her about Mack, he knew his buddy would never make a move on his girlfriend.
It took him a moment to realize thinking the word “girlfriend” no longer bothered him. Because it fit.
She fit.
Hell. Fluttery thoughts about Avery continued to plague him. Thoughts about tomorrow, the future, and a lot of possibilities he’d never even considered with anyone else dogged him when he thought about his sexy reporter.
“Bree is being so bitchy,” Tex said to him in a low voice, breaking him out of his head. “That’s a good sign, right?”
“Sure. I guess. Wait. Why is that good?”
Tex turned to him, looking serious. “Because if she hated me, she’d ignore me, right? But if she had conflicting feelin’s, it’s still there.”
“What are you two talking about?” Avery asked and moved closer.
“He thinks Bree is still into him.” Brad ignored the glare Tex shot him. “Hey, she asked.”
“Breaking bro-code. Nice.”
Avery smiled. “I’ll feel her out for you.”
Tex considered her. “Well, that’s all right then.” He glared at Brad. “You’re still on my list, son.”
“Whatever.”
It took another hour before Bree took a break, and Avery hurried to talk to her.
“Seriously, Brad. Sharing guy secrets with the girl is a big step. Sure you’re ready for it?” Tex asked him.
Reggie and Mack joined them. “So, you and Avery.” Reggie nodded. “I like it.”
“Me too,” Mack agreed. “Even though she’ll never know the wonder that is me, she got second best with Ken. Ah, well. Poor girl.” He shifted a sly grin Brad’s way. “But you know, now that the cat’s out of the bag, so to speak, you are so in for it at the station.” He waved to Hernandez and Wash, who were smiling widely at Brad. “They were asking Avery tons of questions about you and the pet show earlier. It’s not looking good, Brad.”
“What does that mean?”
Tex grinned. “I’m thinking dominating Ken gets some Paw Patrol buddies while he’s doing black-haired Barbie in all kinds of ways.”
Realizing he’d be the hot topic at the station, again, Brad groaned.
Reggie laughed. “I can’t wait to see what they come up with.”
“They? More like you,” Mack said and winced when Reggie punched him in the arm and dragged him away.
“I knew Reggie was in on it,” Brad said, planning a subtle revenge for his friend.
“She looks good,” Tex said, sighing, and Brad agreed. He loved Avery in glasses, paired with jeans, a skirt, a T-shirt, he didn’t care. But she had to wear those frames. “Man, how can I get her to go out with me?” Tex whined.
Brad froze before he realized Tex was talking about Bree.
I have got to stop thinking everyone wants Avery. And Jesus, but how possessive could a guy get, anyway? Chill, man. It felt as if someone had injected him with a shot of testosterone, but he knew the distance wasn’t helping.
He hadn’t seen Avery yesterday, as he’d been on duty. The two days prior to that they’d shared dinner but little else. By some mutual, unspoken consensus, they’d given each other space.
He didn’t like it, though she seemed just fine with it. Yet she hadn’t liked him being too friendly with Rena. That made him feel better.
Avery returned soon enough, a large smile making her blue eyes shine. “Bree agreed to an interview. I’m going to include it with some heavy coverage on Pets Fur Life this week on the show. And it’ll be in the paper next week as well. Tomorrow morning, I want to focus on the Pets Fur Life people, so your part is going to be pretty minimal.”
“Whatever you need.”
She looked at him. “You’re really okay with having to do the show with me now?”
“I wasn’t at first, but we’ve been getting the animals adopted, fast. I like that.” I like you. “Rupert told me he approves, which makes Tilly happy. I did tell you she’s his aunt, right?”
“I love Tilly.” She smiled. “Why was she so curious to know if I liked animals?”
He paused. “Well, ah, I’m not supposed to have any in my apartment, but a few times I’ve helped out with fostering in emergency situations.”
“Oh, now I see. We’re not supposed to have animals at our place either, but Gerty—”
“Gerty what?”
She coughed. “She, um, charmed our landlord. Man, I hope that doesn’t backfire on us.”
“What do you mean by ‘charmed,’ exactly?”
“She’s nice. You’ve met her. Everyone loves Gerty.”
“Oh, well, that’s true.” But he worried for his brother, who had been spending every spare moment with Gerty since Saturday. “Is Oscar being at your place bothering you?”
“Actually, no.” She sounded surprised. “He takes out the trash, doesn’t make a mess, and is really quiet. And he makes Gerty happy.” She smiled. “Finally, a guy who gets my best friend.”
“Yeah, but you and Gerty are tight. Is Oscar putting a kink in your girl time?”
“Speaking from experience?” She gave him a knowing look. “Is that a problem when one of your crew hooks up?”
“If it’s the wrong woman, yeah.” He watched her, wondering how she’d fit in.
She watched him right back. “I’m not going to ask.”
He raised a brow.
“If I’m the right woman or not.” She huffed. “I’m amazing. You’d be lucky to keep me.”
“Is that right?” His lips twisted into a grin, hearing both her bluff and the shaky confidence underneath. “What about me? Would you be lucky to keep me?”
“That remains to be seen.” She poked him the chest. “Just remember not to live up to the stereotype.”
“Of?”
“Single firefighters who act like dogs.” She nodded to the guys flirting with the pink-haired stylist and Rena.
He winced. “You have a point.”
“I know.” She kissed him quickly, blushed, and said, “I have to get back to work. I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”
“Not tonight?” He didn’t want to sound needy, but damn it, he missed her.
She sighed. “I wish. I have some last-minute work to get done for Emil. But we can spend tomorrow together after I get home. If you want.”
/> He wanted. “Sounds good. I’ll see you in the morning.” He grabbed her hand and decided to tell her the truth. Glancing around and seeing no one close, he admitted, “I’ve been missing you.”
Her smile blinded him. “Good.”
Then she left.
Now what the hell did that mean?
Chapter Eighteen
Avery sat with Emil in his office Friday morning, having just finished the pet segment, and clasped her hands in her lap so as to stop with her nervous tells. Apparently, she fiddled with her glasses and nibbled at her thumbnail when nervous, as Gerty had oh so helpfully pointed out last night over dinner—otherwise known as the fiasco Oscar had attempted.
Bless him, but the man was all thumbs in the kitchen. Though with Gerty, he was all heart.
Avery really liked how he treated her best friend. She did reserve some judgment after Gerty had confided in her about his alcoholism. Yet he’d been upfront with Gerty about it, and Avery liked that. If Gerty could handle his issues, it wasn’t Avery’s business to intervene.
“So, have you thought about it?” Emil asked, apparently done babbling about his favorite perennials.
“About…?”
Emil sighed. “Are you hungry? I can almost see your brain floating away.” He tossed her a peanut bar. “Go ahead. Take mine.”
She loved the caramel holding it all together and gladly accepted, asking through a sticky mouth, “About what?”
“The video spot. Our new, highly successful streaming web channel. Alan’s handling production of the thing. I want you on right after Tara hits the hard news. Live streaming spots Friday mornings at nine instead of seven.”
“Um, well…”
“And you don’t have to be joined at the hip with your fireman. You two are terrific, but at some point, his chief will be breathing down my neck to let him get back to work. Another few weeks and he’s done. We can use his fellow firefighters at the station too, I’ve been told. But we don’t need to focus on Pets Fur Life forever.
“Avery, you’re really good on camera. You come alive. And you draw in a younger audience than Tara. Our demographics show the older set likes you as well. You come across as friendly and sincere. I want to turn the ten-minute spot into a twenty-minute Friday Feature. And if that does as well as I think it will, we’ll do more.”