by Sable Hunter
Shane shrugged, refusing to let go of her own sense of well-being.
“Go where?”
“We wait.” They climbed in and he started up the engine to drive a few blocks, finding a big oak to park beneath. Brodie reached on the dashboard and tossed her a training manual. “Study.”
She caught the book and for the next hour they sat in silence while she read over the policies and procedures of the Gillespie County VFD and First Responders Unit.
After a seeming never-ending period, Shane spoke up. “What do we do for lunch?”
“Fast food.” Glancing at the clock on the dashboard, he put the vehicle in gear and eased onto the road.
“Okay, sounds good.” She turned down a corner of the manual to save her place and they said no more until he pulled into a BBQ joint.
“You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”
“No.” Shane figured it wouldn’t have mattered much to Brodie if she’d said yes. “I love BBQ.” What was the matter with him? He was, bottom line, the least friendly individual she’d ever met.
He didn’t wait on her, there was no ‘ladies first’ mentality going on with him. He walked to the screen door, entered, and let it practically shut in her face. Shane stood there a second or two, so if there was someone inside paying them any attention, they wouldn’t assume she and Brodie were together. When she did go into the rustic restaurant, it was to see her boss placing his order with a cashier. Shane took a moment to study the menu, tapping her toe nervously on the stained concrete floor. Once she’d made up her mind, she made her way to another individual and told him she wanted a moist brisket sandwich with coleslaw. By the time she got her food, Brodie was nowhere to be found.
The very thought of sitting by him to eat while he proceeded to ignore her wasn’t an appetizing thought. So, Shane found a table near the window so she could eat and keep an eye on the EMT vehicle. If he started it up, maybe she’d see him before he went off and left her.
Behind the wheel of the ambulance, Brodie could see Shane eating her lunch. Every once in a while, she would glance his way as if making sure he was still there. He tried to call forth some guilt at how he was treating her, but the remorse stuck in his craw.
The truth was…Brodie could barely look at her.
He knew it wasn’t Shane’s doing, but the fact that she was so vibrantly alive when Mary was dead made him furious. The presence of no other woman seemed to affect him this way. Brodie had no explanation, he only knew that being near Shane was almost unbearable.
“Rescue 1, this is Dispatch, do you copy?”
Grabbing the mic, he answered, “I hear you, Rose. What’s up?” Brodie swallowed the last bite and took a sip of cola to wash it down.
“Mulholland 402, we’ve got a man down on the ground, gasping for air.”
“On it.”
To get his partner’s attention, he tapped the siren once, letting it emit one sharp blast of noise. He saw her instantly stand up, starting toward the door and tossing her trash in one graceful move.
Shane didn’t let grass grow under her feet. As soon as she opened the door and bounded up into the seat, she was on the ball. “What do we have?”
Brodie repeated what Rose had told him. “I have no idea what the cause might be, we’ll ascertain when we get there.”
Luckily, they were only a mile and a half from the victim. When they arrived, the scene was exactly as Rose had described. The man was lying on his back with his face fast turning a pale shade of blue. “Drug overdose?” Brodie asked the couple of men standing by.
“Yea, we think so.”
Brodie yelled at Shane. “Get me the Narcan nasal spray, it’s in the bag.”
Shane didn’t recognize the name, but she started digging to find it. “Here it is.” She knelt by the big man while he administered the drug.
“This is a new overdose-reversal treatment. I saw it used on a man who was choking.”
They watched carefully as the man opened his eyes a little bit, but a few seconds later they rolled back in his head and he was unresponsive again. “You want another?”
“Yea, let’s try it.” Shane ran to retrieve the second dose of Narcan. After Brodie gave it to him, the man seemed to recover quickly. “Okay, let’s load him up.”
“What? Where am I?”
“You passed out, sir. Have you been taking drugs?”
“No. I ain’t had no drugs.” He tried to sit up.
“We need to take you to the hospital, sir.” Shane laid the backboard next to the patient.
“I ain’t going to no hospital.”
“Are you sure?” Brodie asked.
The man, who appeared to be in his early thirties, refused any further treatment. He stood up and stumbled off. “Are we going to just let him go?” Shane asked.
“Yea, we did our job.”
“Who’s going to pay for this stop?”
“The county,” Brodie shrugged. He said no more, just returned to the ambulance. Shane followed. On-the-job training was always a factor, Shane just wished her instructor was a bit more forthcoming.
“We’re 2 and 0, boss. That’s good, huh?”
Brodie just grunted. He avoided looking toward her. The uniform they wore had no business looking so good on Shane Wilder. Black trousers hugged slim hips and a crisp white shirt showcased an intriguing swell of small breasts. Her skin was tanned, her limbs were toned and the hair she wore shoulder-length and curly looked to be soft as silk.
“What now? Are we just going to park again?” Yea, Shane was talking to him. She didn’t have anything else to do and the silence she’d endured earlier had been nerve wracking.
“For a while.” Brodie hated that she’d used the word ‘park’. Now all the could think about was kissing her, learning the taste of her lips, tracing the shape of her mouth with his tongue.
“Have you lived in Stonewall all your life?”
“No.”
Shane waited, when there was no more information forthcoming, she tried again. “Are you married?”
“Will you shut the fuck up?” Brodie shouted. “My private life is none of your damn business!”
The viciousness of his attack took Shane’s breath away. “Sorry, I was just trying to be friendly.”
“I don’t want to be your friend!” Even as the angry grief spewed from his mouth, Brodie knew it was inexcusable. Having to get away, he jerked open the door and just walked off a few dozen yards.
Back in the ambulance, Shane just sat there, shaking. Why did he hate her so much? What had she done to make him so angry? Part of her brain, the rational part, assured her that this wasn’t her fault. Something else triggered Brodie Walton’s outburst. Another part, the place where she stored hopes and dreams, flinched at his attack. Her husband’s rejection and the revelation of his unfaithfulness was still too fresh for her to let this man’s venom roll off of her like water off a duck’s back.
Brodie dry-scrubbed his face, finding his equilibrium. He needed to go back and apologize to Wilder. The very thought of saying the words made the back of his throat ache. Why did she push all of his buttons so easily? Spitting out a curse, he retraced his steps, jerked open the door and crawled in. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No problem.” Shane didn’t know what else to say.
“Let’s just keep everything professional, business-like, and impersonal. Do you think you can handle that?”
“Sir, yes Sir!” Shane saluted him, then turned her face to look back out the window. This was a job, nothing more. She could deal with anything for just eight hours a day. Tonight, when she got home, she’d call Aunt Bess and unload. Talking to her always made Shane feel better.
Brodie raised the window and cranked the A/C. “Damn, it’s hot.”
Shane had no response. When the radio squawked, she was relieved. Anything would be better than spending time alone with Brodie Walton.
“Rescue 1, this is dispatch. We’ve got a man screamin
g his head off. Extreme pain. Red Oak 1700. Number 315.”
“On it.”
Without further ado, they answered the call. What they found, was something totally unexpected. After examining the guy who was lying on the floor, whining and afraid to move, she diagnosed the problem with disbelief.
“What’s wrong with him?” Brodie asked. “Appendicitis? Something bit him?”
“His zipper’s hung on his penis ring,” she answered evenly, trying to push back the image of Brodie in the same position. She didn’t really wish pain on anyone…but him. Hell, he deserved it. He was an ass of the first order.
“Seriously?” Brodie frowned, shaking his head. Together, they tried to help the man but anything they did seemed to cause him additional pain. “We’ve got to take him to the E.R.”
“Yea, he needs some general anesthesia,” Shane agreed.
Since the man couldn’t straighten up to walk, they got him on the backboard and loaded him up. After he was delivered safely to the hospital, Brodie headed back to the fire station. They rode in complete silence. To the relief of both parties, their first day of being partners came to an end.
* * *
Back home at her apartment, Shane stared at an empty refrigerator. After eating out at lunch and knowing she’d be doing the same tomorrow, she grabbed her purse and left to go to the neighborhood HEB. On the way, she spotted a farmer’s market and couldn’t resist. Whipping in, she couldn’t help but lick her lips at the sight of the brightly colored fruits and vegetables. This was one advantage central Texas had over Houston. Roadside stands with fresh produce abounded here.
Wandering among the booths that offered everything from artisan baked bread to custom jewelry, Shane managed to find some homemade tamales, fresh greens, and a pecan tart. After gathering everything up, she stopped to buy a cup of coffee and when she turned around, she ran smackdab into…Brodie Walton, sloshing coffee all over his clean white shirt.
“Goddammit!” He jumped backwards, then glared at her with irritation on his face. “You!”
“I’m sorry.” Shane didn’t know what else to say. “I didn’t see you.”
“Why can’t I get away from you? Are you so desperate that you’re following me around?”
“Brodie, man, take it easy.” A younger man with blond hair touched his arm.
Shane flushed with embarrassment, seeing passing strangers stop to stare at them. She didn’t know what to do so she just turned and began to walk away.
“Hey, I’m sorry.” His friend followed Shane. “You’ll have to excuse him. He’s not himself.” He held out his hand. “I’m Sawyer Lewis.”
Accepting his offer of a handshake, Shane gave him a half smile. “He might not be himself, but this is the only Brodie Walton I’ve met so far.” At Sawyer’s confused look, Shane clarified. “I’m his new EMT partner.”
“Oh, oh.” He frowned. “You’re Shane Wilder? Brodie thought you were going to be a guy.”
“Yea, so I gathered.” Shane fell into step next to Sawyer. “I’ve always been a tomboy; one would think that would be enough for him.” Sawyer tried to hide it, but she caught his gaze traveling up her body.
“Look, Shane, this isn’t personal with Brodie, so don’t take it like it is.”
A tired wry laugh escaped Shane’s lips. “It sure feels personal.”
Sawyer stopped to face Shane; he couldn’t see what she could see. Brodie was on his way back, most likely getting impatient with his friend. “All of this is about Mary,” Sawyer began to explain. “Brodie was a different person when Mary was alive.”
“Leave Mary out of this, Sawyer!”
Shane didn’t know who Mary was, and obviously this wasn’t the time to ask. What she could tell, without a shadow of a doubt, was how much the topic distressed her partner.
“It’s okay, Brodie,” Sawyer said, not fazed by his friend’s outburst. Apparently, he’d heard it before. Seeing that her presence irritated Brodie even further, Shane gave them both a nod and made as graceful of an exit as possible.
Hurrying to her car, Shane entered and slammed the door quickly. Only then, did she venture a look back at her boss and his friend. The look on Brodie’ face was one of anguish. She couldn’t help but wonder about the woman named Mary and what might have happened to her.
Back with Brodie…Sawyer didn’t cut him any slack. “What’s wrong with you, man? You can’t treat people like that.”
“I didn’t do anything to her, I just want to be left alone.” Brodie ran his fingers up into his hair and pulled on the strands hard enough to hurt. What was happening to him? He knew he was being an ass, he wasn’t stupid. “I…I just can’t seem to help it.”
Sawyer felt his heart soften. “I know. Come on, let’s go home. We’ve got a ball game to watch and some beers to drink.”
CHAPTER THREE
The next morning, as she parked in front of the fire station, Shane shivered with emotion. To say she dreaded facing Brodie Walton was the understatement of the century. His accusation that she was following him and desperate for male attention just brought back the memory of her husband’s outbursts and slurs. At least those had happened in the privacy of their own home. The attack Brodie had subjected her to was a public one. And he was her boss! Even though hours had passed, she was still mortified at the memory.
After she’d returned home and ate her supper, Shane had phoned her aunt. She hadn’t shared about the mess with Brodie. Frankly, it was too embarrassing. Instead, she’d listened as Bess extolled the virtues of her great-granddaughter, the one Bess had left her job at Tebow Ranch to help bring into the world. Shane knew there were two very good reasons Bess did not regret her decision to retire. One, she loved being with her family and two – her departure from the McCoy’s employ had opened the door for Libby Fontaine to take her place. The story Bess had recounted more times than Shane could count was a romantic one, Libby had found more than a job, she’d ended up married to the oldest McCoy, Aron.
“I’m going to call Libby and get you two together again. I know you met her when she came to visit me, but you’ll love all those girls my boys married.” She went on to tell her about Jessie, Cady, Avery and Skye. By the time Bess was finished, Shane felt like she knew them already.
But for now, she had to face Mr. Nasty. Trying to make as little noise as possible, Shane entered the building, forcing a smile to her face as she saw the firefighter she remembered as Ronan. “Morning. How are you today?”
“I’m good, pretty lady. How are you?”
His jovial manner made her feel better. “I’m good. Is there any coffee made?”
“Absolutely. And I put a big roast in the slow cooker, so when you get hungry later, feel free to dig in.”
His kindness warmed Shane’s heart. “How nice. Thank you. I’d love to share cooking duty sometimes, if it would be all right.”
“Wilder! Get over here!”
Her boss’s booming voice made Shane jump. “I’m being summoned.”
Ronan chuckled. “Yea, I heard the bull bellow. Don’t let him intimidate you, Brodie is all bark. He’s a good guy.”
“Yea, so I hear.” She gave Ronan a thank you grin. “Thanks for being nice to me.”
Her response caused Ronan to frown, but she didn’t wait around. Keeping Brodie waiting was probably not a wise idea. “Coming, boss!” she called.
Coming? Brodie groaned. Did she have to say that? Now, his brain was taking him places he had no intention of going. Mentally, he rehearsed his apology. He didn’t want to make it, but like Sawyer had reminded him, this woman was his responsibility as long as she reported to him. Brodie hoped to make their relationship as a superior and his subordinate as short as possible – but until then, he had to get a handle on his attitude. “Take a seat.” He gestured at a chair, doing his best not to notice how big and blue her eyes were or how nice she smelled. Any acknowledgment of another woman’s attractiveness was a slap in the face of Mary’s memory – and he refuse
d to go there. “We need to talk.”
Talk. When someone used that word, ninety-nine percent of the time it wasn’t good news. Shane sank into a seat and steeled herself for the worst. “Okay.”
Brodie dry-scrubbed his face. Honest to God, he’d rather go to a dentist and have all of his teeth pulled rather than say what he was about to say. “I want to apologize for my behavior at the farmer’s market. It was uncalled for and I’m sorry.”
Shane lifted her eyes to look at Brodie Walton. He looked sincere. Hell, he looked amazing. She’d really never been around a more magnetic man. Her husband had been classically handsome, but this man with his dirty blond hair, his dark eyes and incredible body was in a whole other category. Brodie was a panty-wetting, nipple pebbling, cum-worthy man. Pity that his personality didn’t match his physical attributes. “Apology accepted.”
“Thanks.” Brodie momentarily closed his eyes. He’d expected an argument. Shane Wilder got a point for being reasonable.
Shane studied his face as he seemed to search for inner strength. He didn’t know it, but she had already forgiven him. Did she have questions? Yes. She would have liked to know more about his turmoil. Who was Mary? Why did he seem so on edge about everything? She wanted answers to those question, but not enough to come out and ask. Time would tell.
“What’s on the agenda, Mr. Walton?” She remembered to address him in the manner that he’d requested.
“Until we’re called, we’ll train. There are several online classes for further certification that I need you to get through. We’ve also got two new guys who’ll be coming on next week, we’re going to be doing some research on the best way to split our schedules.” He still didn’t meet her gaze. It worried Brodie to have to admit it, but he was embarrassed. Sawyer had read him the riot act the night before. He knew his behavior was unreasonable, but there was just something about Shane Wilder that rubbed him the wrong way.
“All right. What computer shall I use?”
“The one in here.” He pointed to his desk. “I’m going to be meeting with Logan this morning, so you can have the place to yourself. You’re covered for a lunch break, too. Until our other team reports for duty, Logan has arranged for Titan Sloan’s team to trade-off with us.”