Wild About Her Wingman

by Robin Bielman

  “Hiya Troy. Looks like I caught you in the middle of…something.” Her gaze never left his body.

  “Locked myself out and Erin here has been nice enough to wait for the locksmith with me.”

  Candace darted a hurried look at her. “Oh, hello Erin.”

  “Hello, Candace.”

  Candace’s eyes zeroed back in on Troy as she bent down and practically had her head inside the car. “Well, I was just at the station dropping off some pumpkin squares and since you were off today I thought I’d come by and hand-deliver a plate for you.”

  “Thank you.” Troy took the dish.

  “My pleasure. I hope you like them. It’s my grandmother’s recipe and everyone says they’re to die for.”

  Maybe she’d choke on one.

  “I’m sure I will.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll mosey on. It is chilly out here.” She straightened. “I was wondering if you weren’t busy Friday morning if you’d like to grab some coffee, Troy?”

  “Uh, sure.”

  “Great! I’ll meet you at Crem’s at say nine?”

  He nodded. Candace turned on her high heels and sashayed back to her car.

  Erin’s heart sank. Troy was the guy Candace had set her sights on, no doubt about it. And Erin didn’t want him having coffee with her. She didn’t want him having coffee with anyone, really.

  …

  Friday morning Troy walked into Crem’s not sure what to expect from Candace. From the outside she seemed like someone he might want to get to know better. Sweet, family oriented, relaxed. He thought she was the same age as Erin and vaguely remembered her from their younger days. “Prim and proper” came to mind.

  Yep, a safe bet.

  As usual the smell of cinnamon, chocolate, and vanilla hit him as he looked around the bakery. Candace hadn’t arrived yet, so he took the opportunity to look over the small gifts on display toward the back of the store. When he’d told Bree where he was headed this morning she’d asked him to buy a new teapot for their mom. Her birthday was next week.

  He didn’t know the first thing about damn teapots.

  “That’s a nice one,” a woman said from behind him.

  Troy turned his head and found Erin’s mom nodding toward the pot with tiny flowers on it. “Hi, Mrs. Watters.”

  “Please, call me Paula.”

  “Okay. Hi, Paula.”

  “You looked like you needed some help. Buying a gift?”

  “For my mom.” He picked up the teapot Paula had nodded toward. “Thanks for the advice.” He caught a glimpse of Erin standing in line at the pastry counter and his breath caught. She was beautiful as ever, but the slump in her posture told him something wasn’t right.

  “You’re welcome.” She noticed where his attention had strayed. “She’s upset this morning, so I’m hoping to cheer her up with coffee cake.”

  “What happened?”

  “She brought Rover home.”

  He frowned.

  “Home as in my house. And Rover is her cat. Erin took him with her when she moved, but he’s hated it. So she brought him back to live with my husband and me. She really misses him, even though she can visit him any time. Excuse me, would you? I was actually on my way to the ladies’ room.”

  “Sure. Nice to see you.”

  “You too.” Paula smiled and left him free to stare at Erin.

  He had the urge to scoop her up and carry her back to his place. Massage the tension out of her shoulders. Whisper words of affection. Not that she needed or wanted rescuing. But he didn’t think she let anyone take care of her and maybe she’d let him do that. As a friend.

  They’d decided their kiss was a mistake—well, she had decided that. He didn’t regret it for a second. But she had an idea in her head of the kind of guy she wanted, and he’d agreed to help her find him. He wanted to see her happy with someone who equaled her in all the ways she thought important. Someone different from him. Hopefully his buddy Henry would get back to him today so he could set a date up.

  About to step forward, he paused when Candace walked in with a woman he didn’t know. They spoke quickly and loudly and stopped behind Erin. Candace didn’t bother to look around the bakery, instead tapping Erin on the shoulder.

  Erin turned.

  “Your help isn’t needed this year for the tree lighting ceremony,” Candace said. “I’ve formed a new committee and you’re not on it.”

  “Okay,” Erin whispered, Troy reading the word on her lips more than he heard it.

  “We don’t want someone with your, uh, ego, and who might have foolhardy plans up her sleeve.”

  “You finished?”

  Candace lifted her chin even higher. “Yes.”

  Erin twisted back around and stepped to the counter. Candace turned her head and seeing him, waved her hand and plastered a big smile on her face. She said something to her friend, something that caught Erin’s attention because Erin’s baby blues found him.

  Candace walked toward him, her tall frame blocking his view of Erin. “Hi, Troy. I didn’t see you there.”

  “Hey.” He gestured to a table and pulled a chair out for her. It bothered him the way she’d talked to Erin, but it wasn’t his place to say anything. “What can I get you?”

  “Decaf coffee and a bran muffin, please.” She smiled up at him.

  “You got it.” Yep. Safe. Simple.

  Colorless.

  He turned and caught the front door of the bakery closing behind Erin and her mom. His eyes connected with Erin’s through the window when she glanced over her shoulder. It lasted only a second.

  He reached the counter, ordered for himself and Candace, and sat back down.

  “Thank you,” she said, before launching into twenty questions about everything from his favorite color to his plans for New Year’s. He’d never felt more put on the spot and he’d started to wonder if this was an interview.

  For a husband.

  A chill swept over the back of his neck and the hair on his arms stood at attention.

  She put her hand on one said arm. He jolted back. Unintentionally.

  “Troy?”

  “Sorry.” But damn he was happy with his body’s reaction to his assumption. “You were asking…?”

  “I thought maybe we could take a drive down the coast or something?”

  “You don’t have work today?” He realized he had no idea what she did.

  She waved away his question. “I work from home and set my own hours. I write for Cascade’s blog and do some other freelance writing, but”—she lowered her voice—“that’s sort of a secret. So I’m free as a bird.”

  Who wanted to nest with him.

  No, thank you.

  “That’s nice of you to ask, but I have some things to do today.” He had to pick up Amelia from preschool, for one.

  Her shoulders slumped. “Oh well, this has been really nice.”

  He smiled. And let her talk for a few more minutes before he excused himself.

  And decided Candace wasn’t at all the kind of woman he wanted.

  Chapter Nine

  Henry played guitar, worked in finance, skied, surfed, knew a few good jokes, and had blond hair. But most importantly he’d agreed to meet Erin. He and Troy sat in the bar at Zeroes, talking sports and old times while they waited for her. Troy had agreed to her request to be there, but she’d texted him that she was running late.

  “Please tell me that’s Erin,” Henry said over the din in the restaurant.

  Troy followed his friend’s gaze and almost swallowed his tongue. He cleared his throat. “That’s her.”

  She wore a little black dress, shoulders bare, and the black boots that went to her knees. Hair the color of honeycomb was loosely pulled back so it fell around her shoulders in soft waves. His mind rushed to blue and lace and he wondered what color thong she had on underneath. Since she’d told him on the bridge that’s all she wore, he’d wondered that every time he saw her.

  “Hi,” she said. />
  He and Henry stood. “Hi. Henry, this is Erin. Erin, Henry.”

  “Very nice to meet you,” Henry said.

  Erin smiled and sat, and they ordered a couple of appetizers and fell into easy conversation. Until Henry brought up the Patriots-Jets football game scheduled for Sunday. Henry was born in New York and saying he hated New England was putting it mildly.

  “The Jets have finished second to the Pats in four of the last five seasons,” she said.

  “Yeah, but the last time we faced off in the postseason we knocked you out of the playoffs. Be prepared for a repeat.”

  “I don’t think so.” Erin put her napkin beside her plate. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to use the ladies’ room.” He and Henry watched her walk away.

  “Dude, she is awesome,” Henry said when she was out of earshot. “Why aren’t you dating her?”

  Troy kept his attention on Erin until she vanished around a corner. He’d had reasons, but at the moment he couldn’t remember them. Couldn’t remember hers either. He’d listened to her talk tonight and it hit him that every time he was with her he had a great time.

  She was smart and funny and spoke her mind. She teased and took it when teased back. She made him happy. And he wondered if maybe he could make her happy back.

  “I, uh—”

  “Henry?”

  He was saved from further answer when a woman approached and took Erin’s spot at the table. Henry made a quick introduction and then forgot all about Troy until a few minutes later when he leaned over and whispered, “You don’t mind if I bow out of our date, do you? I’ve been after this girl for a while.”

  “No problem,” Troy said, amused at the reference to “our date” and excusing himself to check on Erin.

  The hallway outside the restroom was empty. He looked around and then knocked on the door labeled Women. She opened it a split second later.

  “You okay?” he asked, trying to ignore how good she smelled. How he had her alone and all he had to do was kick the door shut and maybe she wouldn’t argue if he wanted to kiss her again. Touch her. Find out what she had on under the black dress.

  Her eyes sparkled with mischief like maybe she could read his thoughts and Christ, his pants got tight. She swallowed. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  He was dreaming. This had to be a dream. His tongue stuck to the back of his throat. “Yeah?” he managed to get out.

  “I’m ready to leave and I didn’t want to offend your friend. Or you. I know you’re trying really hard to find the right guy for me, but Henry’s not it.”

  Relief flooded him. “He’s not?” No need to tell her she wasn’t it for Henry either now.

  “No. He’s nice—even though he hates the Patriots—but I’m just not attracted to him. There’s no spark.”

  “And you want sparks.” The first time he’d touched Erin had been at the Crown & Anchor at her sister’s bachelorette party. They’d brushed arms and a shiver had burned through him like flickers of light.

  “And then some,” she added.

  “Let’s go then. I’ll walk you to your car.” He held the door for her.

  Her hip grazed his and she trembled. Her eyes flew to his. He wondered what she saw. He’d felt the electric shock, too. “Sorry,” she said, quickly, as if dispelling the vibration as static electricity.

  Only maybe it wasn’t.

  They said a quick good-bye to Henry, who barely noticed. Troy put his hand on the small of Erin’s back because he really wanted to touch her again, and they wove their way through the crowd toward the exit.

  “Go Bragh! Is that you?” a guy shouted as they got to the front of the restaurant.

  Erin turned. “Dominic? No way!”

  Dominic wrapped her in his arms and lifted her off the floor. “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Hey yourself.” She hugged him back.

  A sting of jealousy shot through Troy.

  “I’ve missed you,” Dominic added, putting her down.

  “I’ve missed you, too. Dom, this is Troy. Troy, this is my friend Dom.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Dom said, shaking hands with Troy.

  “Damn, it’s good to see you.” Dom couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off Erin. Troy fisted his hands. His stomach clenched.

  “I can’t believe we haven’t spoken, Go Bragh. And I’m really sorry about what happened with Scott. The guy blew it. Big-time.”

  She shot Troy a look out of the corner of her eye. “Thanks. I guess I picked the wrong fraternity brother,” she teased.

  “So Troy, how do you know this beautiful creature?”

  “We’re from the same hometown. I take it you two went to college together?”

  Dom nodded. “This babe was one of the best parts of my college life. I owe my getting into med school to her.”

  “That’s not true.” She pushed him in the arm. “Everyone knew you’d get in no problem.”

  “She helped me study for the MCAT.” Dom put an arm around her shoulder. “Spent quite a few nights quizzing me until I couldn’t see straight. Pissed the hell out of Scott.” He fell back and ran his hand up and down his stubbled jawline. “Jesus, you don’t think that’s why he—”

  “No,” Erin said adamantly. “There’s no excuse for what he did.”

  “What did Scott do?” Troy asked. He had a feeling it wasn’t a good thing.

  “The ass cheated on her. And got another girl pregnant.”

  Troy wanted to take her hand and squeeze, but he didn’t, unsure of how she’d feel about that in front of Dom. “Ouch. I’d say ass isn’t a harsh enough description.”

  A smile edged out her frown. “Oh, I called him lots of other names.”

  “And disappeared on us,” Dom said. He cupped her chin and tilted her head so he had her undivided attention. “Now that I’ve found you, I’m not letting you vanish again.”

  Troy stepped back so Erin and Dom could catch up further. Scott was obviously the douche boyfriend who had been the catalyst to Erin’s adventure-seeking. And Troy got it now. Because he understood how the adrenaline rush of jumps and climbs and extreme activities made a person forget everything else. And he understood why she kept herself guarded. Why she thrived on her independence. She’d had her heart broken and probably had a hard time trusting someone not to do it again.

  He glanced at her and his heart nearly broke a rib it beat so hard.

  For her.

  …

  The next day Troy bent down and picked up the puppy in the cardboard box left outside the station. He’d almost tripped over it on his way out. The tiny beagle pup licked his chin and wiggled in his arms. Troy looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of who had left the gift, but the street stood empty.

  Pumpkin and pecan pies from different townspeople had been hand-delivered the past couple of days leading up to Thanksgiving, but this was a first.

  “Finally getting some action, huh?” Oliver said, coming up behind him.

  “Shut up. What should we do with him?” Troy asked.

  “We?” Oliver backed up and lifted his hands in surrender. “There is no we here. And the last thing Captain wants now that we’ve got two new trainees is a four-legged one, so you’d better figure something out that doesn’t include heading back into the station. See ya.” Oliver waved over his shoulder and hustled down the concrete walkway.

  The dog barked.

  “Yeah, you tell him, Fido.”

  Fido barked again.

  His sister wouldn’t be happy if he brought home a puppy. As much as Amelia wanted one, they were still adjusting to their new life, and bringing a pet into the equation would only add stress Bree didn’t need.

  One other person did come to mind. She always came to mind.

  He put the puppy back in the box and carried it to his truck. A few minutes later he parked outside Erin’s.

  The sun cut through the fog this morning; dew clung to grass blades and tree branches. Smoke billowed up from chimneys. Troy inhale
d the smell of burning wood and dank earth and

  knocked on her door.

  She answered wearing plaid boxer shorts, a long-sleeve thermal shirt, and fuzzy boots—or maybe they were slippers—that went up to her knees. Her hair was beautifully messy and her eyes glistened like precious stones.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “Hi,” she said to the puppy.

  “Can we come in?”

  “Sure. Who’s your friend?”

  He stepped inside and put the box down on the coffee table. The puppy practically jumped into his arms. “I don’t know. Someone left him on the station doorstep this morning.”

  She locked the door and turned. Now that Fido was out of confinement, she took a good look at him. “He’s so cute.” She put out her hands. Troy obliged and handed over the squirming mutt.

  Fido licked her face like she tasted better than any doggie treat. “I think he’s in love,” Troy said, and the second the words were out of his mouth, some deep-rooted emotion jabbed him in the stomach.

  “Someone just abandoned him?” Watching the puppy kiss Erin and watching her grin and giggle as she clutched the small thing in total abandon stirred an image of surprising her like this every morning. With small gifts. Big gifts. Gifts that told her how much he…

  He cleared his throat. “Yeah. And so I thought you might like to have him. Your mom told me about Rover moving back in with her and your dad and this little guy needs a home so I—”

  His gaze had moved unfocused somewhere across the room, so Erin startled the hell out of him when she put an arm around his neck and kissed his cheek. The dog licked his chin, but then the dog was wriggling inside the box and Erin was backing him up until his calves hit the couch and his ass hit the cushion.

  Last night outside Zeroes, they’d had a moment. One of those moments where something’s changed but you’re afraid to act on it because it could ruin everything.

  She straddled his lap, stared deep into his eyes, said, “Thank you,” and pressed her lips to his.

  Whatever that moment had been, it was back in full force.

  Her fingers ran over his scalp; her body shimmied closer. He cupped the back of her head with one hand, her bottom with the other. She tasted like peppermint and woman and every sane thought in his confused head ceased to exist. Nothing rattled him, nothing worried him, nothing bothered him, when he was with Erin.