She pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead. “I didn’t mean to wear this shirt. I just grabbed the first one in my bag,” she groused. “I didn’t even know I brought it.”
“Serendipitous, then, considering where you’re spending the day.”
She looked unimpressed. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance we can go back so I can change?”
He shook his head. “Sorry, too late. I have a schedule to keep.”
He could just see her squinting at him. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“This is my schedule every morning.”
“I mean you didn’t say anything in the kitchen so that I wouldn’t change.”
She wasn’t wrong. “How did you not see what shirt you had on?”
She sighed. “I was focused on getting ready on time. And drinking my coffee. I didn’t want to make you late.”
He gave her points for that. He hadn’t needed to prod her once. But she seemed the kind of person who liked to be early anyway. “I appreciate that. Almost as much as I appreciate the shirt.”
She crossed her arms and stared straight ahead. “I’m going to hear about this all day, aren’t I?”
“If it’s a slow day, there’s a good chance it’ll be the main topic of conversation. Sorry, not sorry.” He snorted. “How did you end up with that shirt?”
“Tessa gave it to me for my last birthday.”
“Your sister has a wicked sense of humor. As gag gifts go, that ranks right up there.”
“Not a gag gift.” She gave him a quick side-eye. “It’s actually my favorite reality show.”
“Really?” So she liked firemen after all. How about that? “I would have figured you for a Live PD fan.”
She shrugged. “I live that every day. I don’t need to watch it on TV. Besides, Real American Firefighters isn’t…well, they don’t just follow the firefighters on calls.”
“No,” he said, trying hard not to laugh again. “I understand they also show the men working out and washing the trucks. Often shirtless.”
“That’s not all they show.”
“Right. Didn’t they also show them posing for a calendar once?”
She glared at him.
He snickered as he made the turn toward Zombie Donuts. “Come on, you have to admit it’s amazing how often those guys aren’t wearing shirts. But then, I suppose that’s why the show is so popular with certain viewers.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She tipped her head. “How exactly do you know so much about this show?”
“You can’t be a fireman and not know about it.” He pulled into the parking lot and found a space. “I just hope you won’t be too disappointed at the firehouse today.”
She frowned at him as she unclicked her seat belt. “About what?”
He turned the truck off, barely holding his laughter in. “We’ll all have our shirts on.”
She rolled her eyes at him and opened her door. “Just for that, you’re buying me a muffin.”
“I’d be happy to.” He got out of the truck. “If it means I get to keep my shirt on.”
She snort-laughed. “You’re sooo funny.”
He shut the door and met her at the front of the truck. “I really am. Come on, let’s get some doughnuts.”
They went in and got in line. The place was busy, but the line moved fast. In a few minutes, they were at the counter.
One of the workers, Bess, greeted them with a nod. “Good morning, Chief. The usual two dozen?”
“Morning, Bess. Yes, two dozen,” Titus answered. “How about one dozen Glazed From The Dead, then mix the other one between Boston Scream, Boo-berry Cake, Dr Prepper, and… What’s your doughnut of the day?”
“Today’s doughnut is the Reaper. It’s a chocolate cake doughnut with a raspberry sugar glaze.”
“Sounds great. Throw a few of them in, too, please.”
“You got it.” She went to work filling the order.
Jenna tipped her head as she looked at all the doughnuts on display. “Those all sound good. Now I’m not sure I want a muffin anymore.” She glanced at him. “How about I buy a dozen too? Any chance that’ll get me less grief about the T-shirt?”
Her generosity would definitely be appreciated, but nothing was going to stop the guys from ribbing her over that shirt. “Maybe a little, but that shirt isn’t an opportunity they’re going to pass up.”
“Worth a shot.” When Bess came back, Jenna smiled at her. “I’ll take a dozen, too, please. Three each of Scary Cherry, Death By Chocolate, Cinnamon Ghost Crunch, and Marshmallow Mummy.”
Bess got Jenna’s dozen together. She and Titus paid, then headed back to the truck. The boxes went on the back seat, but that didn’t stop them from filling the cab with their delicious aromas.
By the time they got to the station, Jenna’s stomach had growled twice.
“Hungry?” Titus asked.
She put her hand on her stomach. “It’s the smell of the doughnuts.”
“Well, I’m starting breakfast as soon as we get in, so it won’t be long before you can eat. If you want more than a doughnut, that is.” He parked in his reserved spot.
“I do. What are you making?”
“The usual. Bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, home fries, and biscuits. Might do a side of sausage gravy since we have company.”
Her mouth came open. “You don’t really make all that food.”
“I do. I have a whole station of big eaters to feed.” He got out of the truck and took his boxes off the back seat.
She did the same. “Are they all supernaturals?”
He shook his head. “It’s a mix on every shift. Probably like the sheriff’s department is. But those who aren’t supernaturals seem to eat just as much.”
“No wonder you cook such a spread. You want help?”
“I never turn it down.” Being in the kitchen with her would be interesting. Hopefully in a good way.
They headed toward the building and went in through the regular door, since the big garage doors at the back and front weren’t open yet. They allowed the trucks to pull straight in and straight out, cutting down on response times.
A little conversation and the smell of coffee greeted them. As they walked farther in, Titus made an announcement to all within earshot. “Fair warning. Guest on the premises.”
Jenna looked at him. “Did they really need a warning?”
“Sure. What if one of them was shirtless?”
She sighed with playful exasperation. “If I could drive back to your house and change, I would.”
“Not a chance I’m letting that happen.” He headed into the station’s big communal kitchen. “Men, this is Deputy Jenna Blythe. Some of you probably know her already. She’s going to be with us for a little bit.”
Jenna followed him and was greeted by six curious faces. Two she knew pretty well from seeing them at Howler’s. The first was Sam Kincaid, who was also Bridget’s boyfriend. The second was Liam Murphy. She knew him because they’d been in the same CPR recertification class. Sam was a werewolf. Liam had a little bit of leprechaun in him, which made him extra good at finding things and unbelievably lucky.
She knew two others in passing—Frank Childers and Skip Mulvaney. They were old-timers, good guys, both human, although Skip was married to a woman named Jeanie, who was a crossing guard and a weather witch. The remaining two she didn’t know at all.
She gave a little wave. “Hey.”
Titus introduced the two unfamiliar faces first. “This is Brenden Nguyen and Kurt Amsler.”
Each nodded as Titus said his name.
Brenden spoke. “Are you Tessa Blythe’s sister?”
“I am. You know Tessa?”
“Not really, but my sister goes to Harmswood, and I know Tessa’s the dean of library studies over there.”
Jenna smiled. She was proud of her sister. “She is.”
Kurt came over to get the doughnuts, taking the boxes from Titus and Jenna. He gave her a long
er-than-usual look, then glanced at Titus. “Three dozen today? Does that mean you have bad news?”
Titus shook his head. “Third dozen is from the deputy.”
“Hey, thanks,” Frank said. “We always run out of doughnuts too fast.”
“Not today,” Jenna said.
Titus hung his keys on a pegboard by the door. “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean. Trucks need washing. Floors need mopping. Toilets need scrubbing. Let’s get the doors open. Don’t make me find work for you to do. Breakfast in thirty.”
Liam raised his hand, his smirk hard to ignore. “Chief, one question.”
“Yes?” Titus said.
Liam glanced at Jenna. “Are we allowed to keep our shirts on?”
Titus laughed while Jenna rolled her eyes. “Until Real American Firefighters starts filming here, shirts will remain on. Now get moving.”
And just like that, the men scattered with a chorus of “Yes, Chief,” and “On it, Chief.”
Jenna snorted. “It’s good to be the boss.”
“Takes a lot to keep this place running right.” He went over to a rack on the wall and took down two aprons. He threw one to her. “Put this on. We have work of our own to do, Deputy.”
“You Merrows are all alike. So bossy.” But she put it on all the same. Maybe happy to hide her T-shirt for a little while.
“You can always leave.” Grinning, he tied his, then headed for the big stainless-steel fridge that looked like an industrial version. He yanked the door open and started collecting ingredients.
“You need help?”
“Sure. Take these.” He handed her two dozen eggs and a big package each of sausages and bacon. He came out with two gallons of milk in one hand and a gallon of orange juice in the other. “You can put those on the counter.”
“What else can I do?”
“Bowls are in the big cabinet against the wall. We need three big ones. Get the set of measuring cups, plus the big Pyrex one with the handle. And the cookie sheets.”
While she did that, he got the rest of the ingredients together.
Before long, things were cooking, and delicious smells were filling the space. While he poured pancake batter onto the griddle and fried the bacon, she made more coffee, checked on the biscuits, and turned the sausages. They took turns stirring the eggs and watching the home fries.
Jam, butter, and syrup made it to the big table, along with stacks of plates, utensils, juice glasses, and coffee mugs.
Finally, Titus added a few more pancakes to a big stack, then nodded at her. “Go ahead and ring the bell.”
“Bell?” She looked around. “That one by the door?”
“Yep.”
She went over and gave the clapper a few good rings. The peal rang out over the station, and within a few seconds, the men started returning.
They filled in around the table and began loading their plates with food.
She took her seat beside Titus and helped herself to a pancake and some bacon, the two things closest to her.
The phone rang.
Kurt jumped up. “I got it.”
He answered the old-fashioned black phone on the wall. “Nocturne Falls Fire Department. Yes, she’s right here.” He looked at Jenna. “It’s for you, Deputy. It’s Birdie, down at the sheriff’s department. She says it’s important.”
“Thanks.” Jenna got up and immediately pulled her phone out of her back pocket. She’d had it on silent and had missed two calls, both from Birdie. “Rats,” she muttered.
She went to the phone on the wall, taking the receiver from Kurt. “Hi, Birdie. Sorry I missed your calls. I was helping Titus make breakfast for the guys at the station.”
“How nice! Well, I’m sorry to interrupt your domestic bliss, but a woman just came in here looking for you. She says she’s only in town for a few days and thought you worked here and wanted to get in touch with you. She says she’s an old friend and that you go all the way back to something called battle camp? Said you served together?”
Jenna’s memories of those days came flooding back. They were good times. Battle camp had provided some of her favorite moments growing up. Her time in service had been harder, but the friendships she’d formed had helped. “Was it Ingvar Swenson?”
“Yes, how did you know? Beautiful girl, although—”
Jenna interrupted to answer the first question. “Ingvar is an old friend. She contacted my mom, trying to find me a day or so ago. I can’t believe she’s here. I haven’t seen her in ages. Did she leave a number?”
“She did. But, Deputy, I have to say, even if she is a friend of yours, she gave off a slightly creepy vibe.”
Jenna laughed. “That’s Ingvar. She’s a seer. They tend to be a little different. Seers are kind of the ancient Norse version of a witch. They also do some healing work.” Now that Ingvar was in town, she might be able to help figure out the spell that had been cast over her and Titus. “Let me guess. Was it the raven’s claw necklace or the tuft of cat fur in her hair that got your attention first?”
“Ugh.” Birdie sniffed. “Is that what that fuzzy headband was? I thought I smelled cat. I’ll text you her number, although she said she already had yours. She was just hoping to surprise you.”
“Thanks. Did you tell her what’s going on? Or where I am?”
“Nope. Not a word. I just said you were out in the field working on a case. I figured that would cover it without being a complete lie.”
“That’s perfect, thank you. I guess I’ll talk to you later.”
“Hey! How’s it going with my nephew? Must be all right if you helped him cook for the house today.”
“It’s…going.” Jenna was hesitant to say too much, knowing what a frenzy Birdie could get spun up into. Also, because he was only about ten feet away. Engaged in conversation with his guys but still close enough to hear her if he wanted to. “We’ve agreed this whole thing will go a lot easier if we work as a team. So that’s where we’re at.”
“A team, huh?”
Jenna could practically hear Birdie’s smile. “Anything new on the evidence gathered at the attic scene? Prints? Anything like that?”
“Partial thumb and fingerprints were recovered off of a piece of the box, but they haven’t turned up any matches yet.”
“What about from Alice? Anything new there?”
“Nope. Sorry, Jenna. You’ll be the first to know, I promise.”
“Could you have a copy of the case file sent over to the firehouse? I don’t have a laptop, just my phone, so a hard copy would be great.”
“You got it. I’ll get it there within the hour.”
“That would be awesome. Thanks.”
“On it.” Birdie hung up.
Jenna put the receiver back on the cradle and stood there for a minute. She hadn’t seen Ingvar in ages. They’d been thick as thieves once but had drifted apart after their service had ended. It happened. Not because they’d made a conscious decision to stop being friends. They’d never do that.
But Jenna had moved to Nocturne Falls and taken the job with the sheriff’s department. And Ingvar had gotten an apprenticeship with a well-known seer and had disappeared into her own intense studies.
Life had happened to both of them. It would be good to reconnect and catch up. Jenna had a feeling it would be as easy between them as it always had been, which would be nice. Having someone to talk to about Titus and the spell would be great. Someone, unlike Tessa or Birdie, who could keep a calm head about the whole thing and not start making wedding plans.
“Everything all right?”
She blinked, looking at Titus. Handsome, handsome Titus. “Yep, everything’s fine. Nothing new from Birdie on the case. Well, they found some partial prints but haven’t identified them yet.”
“That’s a bummer. You seemed happy. I thought maybe there was some good news.”
How much catching up could she and Ingvar do with Titus around? He wasn’t going to want to go for a girls’ night
out. “There was, but it didn’t have anything to do with the case. Just an old friend in town who stopped by the department to see me.”
“A boyfriend?”
She narrowed her eyes. “No.” Was he jealous? “A female friend. Someone I was in service with. All valkyries and berserkers have to do mandatory fieldwork for four years. A few get exempted. A few stay in longer. Some even make it their career. Ingvar and I both did an additional two, so we were in for six.”
“She’s a valkyrie, too, then?”
Jenna nodded. “And a seer. Her last two years were in seer school, actually. Once she got out, she continued her studies independently.”
His brows bent. “A seer as in she can see the future?”
“In our world, a seer is more than that. They often do healing, sometimes guide battles, do a little magic. And yes, sometimes they can see or read the future. I don’t know what she can do now. She’s been studying for years. Unless something’s changed in her life, I imagine she’s gotten really good. She probably can see the future. Maybe even influence it. Legend says the best seers can.”
His face brightened. “Hey, then can she see how we get out of this? And help us with the wraith?”
“I plan to ask her about it, but I don’t know what she’s capable of. For all I know, she’s decided to focus on herbal medicine. I should also warn you that she’s quirky. And probably not as easygoing as I am.”
He snorted. “You’re easygoing?”
“For a valkyrie, I am. Let’s just say some of us are strung a little tighter.”
“Yeah, well, you and your BFF enjoy your time together.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll be elsewhere.”
“You know that’s not really possible.”
“We can be a hundred feet apart. That seems like a good plan for your reunion.” His smirk said he was only half joking. “In the meantime, there isn’t going to be any breakfast left if you don’t come back to the table soon.”
She glanced over his shoulder. The plates of food had dwindled fast. Were these firemen or locusts? She stepped around Titus to point at the guys at the table. “Hey, I will take that dozen doughnuts back if you guys don’t leave me another pancake and at least two strips of bacon.”
The Werewolf Dates The Deputy (Nocturne Falls Book 12) Page 11