Her face split into a bright smile. “You’re welcome. Now what can I get for you, handsome?”
Oliver’s turn to grumble. No doubt Meredith knew his favorite too, but she wanted to give him a hard time. He ordered a Danish, Troy paid, and they sat down at one of the small wood tables. Troy bit into his crumb cake. Damn it tasted good.
The chimes on the front door sounded and the second Erin walked in, Troy bit his tongue. She wore a heart-stopping smile. Her light-brown hair fell around her shoulders and down her back in an early-morning mess, as if she’d just rolled out of bed and run her fingers through it. Bright-blue eyes sparkled with mischief, though, hinting at a much earlier wake-up call.
His gaze moved lower. She had on a form-fitting blue Superman waffle shirt, the logo stretching across her breasts in a most distracting manner. Yoga pants covered her shapely legs.
“Wow,” Oliver said. “I’m wishing my name was Clark Kent this morning.”
“We’re all set up,” she called to Meredith.
Meredith clapped her hands together and brought them in front of her nose. “You’ve really outdone yourself this year. Thank you.”
“I’ve got a reputation to uphold, you know. And it’s my pleasure.” She turned her head and Troy was pulled further into her magnetic presence. “Remember, I’m counting on you to make sure I don’t get arrested,” she tossed over her shoulder. “Hey guys.” She glided over to their table. At least it seemed that her feet weren’t touching the floor this morning.
Any ill will over his canceling their plans seemed long gone.
“Arrested?” Troy said.
She smiled as if she’d swallowed the canary and the cat. “It wouldn’t be the first time.” She sat and propped her arms on the table. “Although that’s not exactly true. The sheriff just gives me a little time-out because if he didn’t do something, Judge Brewer would be all up in his business.”
“I’m thinking the shirt means something today,” Troy said. He had no idea why he thought that.
“Yep. It means I can fly.” She broke off a piece of his crumb cake and popped it in her mouth.
Troy gulped. Erin always gave off a cheerful vibe, but he’d never seen her more lighthearted or ecstatic than right this minute. Whatever risky idea she had planned meant a lot to her.
“And how are you going to do that?” he asked.
She leaned forward. “Here’s the deal. It’s Meredith’s nephew’s birthday today. He’s ten. He has a rare heart condition and for the past few years I’ve helped Mer do something special. A surprise greeting for when he comes to the bakery with his mom and dad to get a chocolate chip muffin before school.”
“Ten minutes,” Meredith announced, a phone tucked in the crux of her neck.
Erin gave a thumbs-up. “So ten is a big deal, right? And he loves Superman, so I came up with this idea. Actually, I’d been wanting to pull this stunt for a while and this was just the catalyst I needed.”
The bakery door chimed. A twentysomething guy in fatigues poked his head in. “Erin?”
She twisted to one side.
“We good to go?” the guy said.
“Yep. Ten minutes. I’ll be right there.” She shifted back around. “Anyway.” Her eyes locked on Troy. “You guys should come outside and check it out. Basically, we’ve set up a zip line down Main Street.” A huge smile spread across her face. “We’ve got cable running between two giant spruces and I’m going to ride the line waving a giant Happy Birthday Cole sign behind me. Meredith thinks it’ll make him beyond happy.”
Troy scratched the back of his ear. “Is it safe?”
“Oh my God.” Erin rolled her eyes. “You would ask that. Yes, it’s safe. The trolley is made of stainless steel. There’s dual ball bearings with a built in backup. And I don’t come near the weight limit for the cable. Oh, and I’ll be strapped into a harness, because you know, I don’t want to set a bad example for a ten-year-old. Satisfied?”
“Who did the installing?” Troy asked. He couldn’t help himself. He wasn’t only worried about Erin’s safety, but the safety of those watching. If the cable snapped, someone could be hurt.
She stood. “I don’t need to explain anything to you, Mr. Fuddy Duddy. You’re off duty, and I’m out of here.” She spun on her athletic shoes and her cute butt strode out the door.
“Her wild streak is insanely attractive,” Oliver said.
Yeah. It was. Troy got to his feet. “Let’s go.”
“Watch?”
“Really?” Troy asked, shaking his head.
“Hey, with that safety stick up your ass, one never knows.”
“Shut up. Our job is to keep people safe, you know.” He pushed open the bakery door.
“True, but there’s such a thing as overdoing it, dude.”
A small crowd gathered on the sidewalk in front of Crem’s. “Hey guys,” Kagan said. Teague and a woman Troy didn’t know stood beside her. “You here to watch Cole’s surprise?”
“We are,” Oliver said, laying it on thick with his sweet-talking tone. No doubt due to the unknown female with dark hair and a nice smile. “Hi, I’m Oliver.” He grinned at her.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t think you’ve met my best friend, Charlotte,” Kagan said. “Char, this is Troy and Oliver, two of our fire department’s finest.”
“Nice to meet you,” the three of them said at the same time.
“Charlotte just moved here from New York. She’s going to take over my lease, since I’m moving in with Shane.”
“You boys don’t mind if I call you for little house emergencies, do you?” Charlotte teased.
Oliver jumped all over Charlotte’s question with a list of made-up emergencies designed to engage her in further discussion.
Light conversation bounced back and forth after that, but Troy paid little attention. He had his eye on Erin up in the tree about half a block down the street.
Meredith bounced out of the bakery. “He’s here.”
Cole and his mom and dad walked toward them. Meredith wrapped Cole in a hug from behind and everyone watched Erin fly over Main Street with a birthday sign trailing behind her. She yelled “woo hoo.” Troy couldn’t get over the grin and sheer delight on the boy’s face as the crowd sang “Happy Birthday.”
Erin jogged up, still outfitted in her zip-line gear. She scooped Cole into her arms and said, “Happy tenth birthday. How’d we do?”
“Great,” Cole answered.
“Muffins on the house,” Meredith called out.
“Hey,” Troy said, catching Erin by the arm before she followed the group into the bakery. “That was very cool.” Maybe he’d acted a little too concerned when he didn’t have to. Erin knew what she was doing and there was a middle ground to risk, he realized.
Amazing blue eyes edged with long, dark lashes twinkled in the first full rays of sunlight. “Really?” she asked in disbelief.
“Really.”
“Thanks. You coming inside?”
He put a hand on his stomach. “No, the crumb cake’s already going to sit like a lead weight on my run back home.”
“Oh. Well, I’ll see you soon, then.”
Not soon enough, Troy thought.
Chapter Five
“Quit looking at me like that,” Erin said to Rover. But the cat sat in the kitchen windowsill giving her the same look he’d given since they’d moved away from her parents’ house—and the ocean. Take me back, it said.
“I’m sorry you don’t like it here, but you’ve got to get used to it. I have.” And she loved it. Loved having her own space, loved the fresh clean air that smelled a bit like cedar and lemon. Loved sitting on her patio and staring up into the night sky where the stars seemed to twinkle just a little brighter.
Rover gave a low-pitched MRRRoooowww, which Erin had decided meant “I don’t care what you say, I don’t like it here,” followed by a drawn-out mrrroooow which meant “Open the door before I get aggressive on your ass for bringing me with you.”
Ah, cat speak. She supposed she’d start really worrying when he stopped meowing altogether. She let him out and went back into the kitchen. Apples and caramel were calling her name for lunch.
She grabbed an apple and the tub of caramel from the fridge. Looking out the small window above the sink, she took out a knife to cut the apple into pieces ready for dipping. Trees with leaves in shades of red and yellow filled her view; sunshine and blue sky made for a beautiful November day.
The birthday grin on Cole’s face when she’d zip-lined by him the other day filled her thoughts for the umpteenth time. She’d never seen him happier and according to Meredith, he’d talked about it all day. He was the first kid she’d bonded with. Children usually kept their distance from her. Like they sensed her unease with them. So this friendship with Cole meant a lot. Somehow they understood each other and he lifted her stiffness and lessened her apprehension.
Given that she’d be an aunt soon, she hoped she figured out the magic recipe to closeness with youngsters sooner rather than later.
And she should probably think of something more law-abiding to celebrate Cole’s birthday next year. Sheriff Fealy had been furious with her and for the first time ever, given her a fine and charged her with disorderly conduct.
So worth it to see the gratitude on Cole’s face.
Plus, Cascade’s blog and local paper, the Gazette, had called her a hero. She didn’t feel like that exactly, but she did feel a sense of achievement. She—
“Shit!” The knife slipped and sliced her finger. She dropped the handle and looked down. It hurt and a second later, blood drained from the cut. At amazing speed, she might add.
“Oh, God.” She managed to pull a paper towel and cover the sucker before stumbling back and sitting at the dining table. She applied pressure but sweat trickled down her back and her cheeks grew hot and her legs wouldn’t stop trembling.
Do not pass out. Do not pass out.
She peeked at the gash. Still bleeding. She bunched up the paper towel and pressed down. Hard. When had she gotten so accident-prone? She obviously couldn’t trust herself with happy thoughts and a blade at the same time. Another glance down and her head went all tingly and light. Blood had seeped through the towel.
I’m going to pass out.
Take a deep breath, she told herself. Very slow in through her nose and out through her mouth. That’s it. But when her finger started to throb, all that controlled breathing took a hike. She shook and felt pretty sure her entire body had blanched. She probably needed stitches. The damn thing probably wouldn’t stop bleeding until then.
She had to get to urgent care, but there was no way she could drive herself when she might pass out. And she hadn’t really had a chance to get to know any of her neighbors yet so she couldn’t ask them. Her cell phone sat on the table. She could call 911. But for a fricking cut? She’d be headline news on Cascade’s blog for sure with that, and there were much better things to do for attention, especially after the awesomeness of zip-lining. One reached higher, not lower.
The paper towel grew sticky under her fingertips. The room spun. She didn’t have a choice. She picked up her phone and texted the one person she knew could help her: Troy.
Can you come over asap? Am bleefing.
A few seconds later came his reply. What?
Through blurred vision she read her mistake. She shouldn’t have turned off the stupid, idiotic auto correct, unless there was such a thing as bleefing and if so then she took that back.
Bleeding
Where?
Finger pls hurry
On my way.
She laid her head on the table and closed her eyes.
Sometime later a knock sounded. “Erin?” Troy called from the front door she’d left ajar for Rover. “Amelia, have a seat on the couch, sweetie.”
Erin lifted her head but kept her eyes shut. “Took you long enough and it’s really tacky that you can’t remember my name. Was she your date last night or something? Plus, I’m staying right where I am.”
He knelt next to her. She knew this because (1) his delicious smell surrounded her, (2) he took her injured hand in his warm one, and (3) when he spoke his words were right beside her face. “It’s been ten minutes, and Amelia is my niece.”
Erin’s eyes flew open and she turned her head. Yep, there was a young girl sitting on her couch. Her legs were crossed at her ankles and she held a teddy bear dressed in sparkly pink clothes in her lap. Her blond hair was pulled into a ponytail and her big brown eyes stared back at Erin.
“Um.” Erin turned back to Troy. His head was down as he slowly peeled away the paper towel from her finger. “Sorry I bothered you.”
“It was no bother.” Troy lifted his head and cast the sweetest look at his niece. “We were just on our way home from Build-A-Bear. Bridget there is a new addition to the family.”
“Uncle Troy bought her for me,” Amelia said. “He got her two other outfits too. And a hat and sunglasses and backpack and reindeer ears to wear at Christmastime.”
“They’re called antlers, pumpkin.”
Her little shoulders lifted in a shrug.
Erin’s heart sped up. She wasn’t sure if it was the throbbing in her finger or the little girl sitting across the room with inquisitive eyes.
“So what happened?” Troy asked.
“I was cutting an apple.”
“Did you pass out?” He kept working and she sniffed his hair. It smelled really good. Like the sea and man and maybe a hint of lavender.
“No. I made it to the chair first.”
“That’s good. Just wanted to be sure you didn’t bump your head, too.”
She glanced back over to Amelia. The young girl held Bridget very still in her lap and watched them carefully. Erin had briefly met Troy’s sister and mom before, but never Amelia. And never Amelia’s dad. So many people had been saddened when Troy’s brother-in-law passed away. Funerals made Erin uncomfortable and she’d skipped the service even though her parents had gone and she might have shown some support, too. When tragedy struck, Cascade came together regardless of how well people knew one another. She really hated herself for not saying something to Troy before today.
“I’m really sorry about your brother-in-law,” she whispered, and a piece of her heart broke for Amelia. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that sooner.”
“Thank you,” he whispered back without meeting her eyes. “Don’t look down.”
“What?” she asked and did just that. Big mistake. Her finger was still bleeding and now that Troy had removed the paper towel she had the horror of seeing it.
A cold sweat overcame her and she got light-headed. Then everything went black.
…
Erin came to as Troy carried her over to the couch. Amelia scrambled off, her eyes wide, her lips trembling. “She’s okay,” he said to Amelia. “She’s okay.”
“Sugarbooger” Erin mumbled as he laid her down. “I wasn’t going to do that.”
Amelia hugged his leg, pulling on the denim and latching onto him. He bent down, eye level with both girls. Wrapping Amelia in his arms, he held her close and whispered, “Erin is going to be fine, sweetie. She fainted, but that is a normal thing that sometimes happens to people.” He pulled back. “It’s a good thing we were here to help her.”
“I’m sorry,” Erin said and Troy turned. “I looked down.”
“Yeah, I sort of figured that.”
She gazed at him with blue eyes a little less bright at the moment and he couldn’t stop himself from staring back. He moved her silky light-brown hair off her forehead, ran the back of his hand across her brow to check on her temperature. Good God this woman did things to him. Things he didn’t want her doing. When she’d texted she was bleeding his heart had tried to claw right out of his chest. And learning it was only her finger did little to help his anxiety because he worried she’d pass out and hit her head on something.
“Any sentence that starts with ‘don�
�t’ usually means I will.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“My finger really hurts.”
“I imagine it does.”
“Is it still bleefing?”
He smiled and all the tension in his shoulders faded. “No, but you’ve got a pretty nasty cut, and it could start up again if you’re not careful.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the rise of her chest drawing his eye. Her T-shirt said Keep Calm and Climb On.
His grin grew wider. Yeah, he wouldn’t mind doing that.
What? He seriously needed to stop looking at her like that.
He lifted her palm to get back to the task at hand and make a closer inspection of her finger now that she was calm and in a prostrate position. “You don’t need stitches but I’d be happy to bandage this up for you.”
Very slowly, she opened her eyes and every time she looked at him it grew harder to pull his gaze away. She broke contact first when a blond little head peeked at her from behind him.
“I haven’t scarred her, have I?” Erin said, glancing right back at him.
Grateful for the interruption, he dropped his attention to his niece. “I don’t think so. She’s a pretty tough four-year-old.”
“Four and three-quarters,” Amelia corrected.
“Right. Which means you are the perfect age to grab me some bandages.”
“Right.” She nodded and showed off her cute little dimples.
“Can you point her in the right direction?” he said to Erin.
Erin sat up, lifted her arm and…cracked up. She turned her wrist and glanced at her injured finger. Her pointer finger. Unself-conscious giggles continued and soon he and Amelia had joined in.
Erin was beautiful when she laughed.
“That was funny,” she said, finally calming down. She lifted her other arm and pointed toward a hallway. “If you walk down that way, the first door you come to is a bathroom. There are bandages in the drawer.”
He hadn’t meant to be funny, hadn’t realized how perfect that question was, but she didn’t know that and far be it from him to correct her.
“You know what to look for, right, Ames?” he added.
Wild About Her Wingman Page 7