by Lynn LaFleur
“So what are you going to do? Pine after her your whole life? Never get married, never have a family?”
Sometimes Quade’s questions really pissed Dylan off. “Look, I confided in you one night when I was really down. You don’t have the right to keep throwing that back in my face.”
“I wasn’t aware I was throwing anything in your face.” His voice softened. “I’m your friend, Dylan, and I care. I wish you’d let me help you.”
“I’m not crawling on your therapist’s couch and letting you inside my head.”
“I’ve been inside your head. It’s not a bad place. But it could be better with some help.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.”
Quade looked like he might argue, but then he nodded. “Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.”
He slapped Dylan on the back, stood, and tossed his empty bottle into the glass recycling bin. Dylan watched his friend saunter outside and begin to help Stephen and Dusty set up the folding chairs Talia brought. She laughed at something one of the guys said. The musical sound carried across the breeze to his ears.
He clenched his hands around his empty bottle as thoughts of his past filtered through his mind.
Damn you, Dad. Damn you for making me just like you.
3
“I brought a present for us,” Paige whispered into Talia’s ear.
Talia picked up the empty bowl that had held Mrs. Hampton’s amazing pasta salad and placed it on a tray with other dirty dishes. “What?”
Paige looked around the area. “Where are Lucia and Keely?”
“Lucia’s in the kitchen washing dishes with Maysen and Clay. Keely is probably necking with Nick.”
“Well, they’re still newlyweds, so I can understand that.” She pulled a tall paper sack from behind her back. “She’ll just have to miss out on the present.”
Paige lifted a bottle of sweet-tea vodka so Talia could see the label. Talia immediately flashed back to the last time she, Lucia, and Paige had indulged in that particular liquor. “Oh, no. I’m not doing shots of that stuff. It’s dangerous.”
“Oh, come on, Taly! It’ll be fun. We only have a little bit more to clean up and then we’re through with the celebration. Most of the people are gone. We can go across the street to the riverbank, watch the moon come up, and get plastered. We worked hard today. We deserve it.”
They had worked really hard today, although Talia had loved every minute of it. They’d served close to seven hundred people, according to the count Keely kept of the paper plates she’d stacked on the tables. They’d run out of some of the side dishes that people donated, but still had plenty of leftovers of some of the other sides, plus lots of barbecue and turkey. Clay had passed the word that any of the firefighters who wanted to take home food could help themselves.
Paige made a good point. It had been weeks since Talia had just let go and had a good time with her girlfriends. “Okay. Sounds like a good plan to me.”
Paige grinned. “All right! I’ll put this in a safe place so one of the guys doesn’t steal it, then help you finish here.”
Shaking her head at her silly friend, Talia continued to pile dishes onto the tray. Once she had what she figured she could carry, she lifted the tray to her shoulder and headed for the kitchen.
She rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks. Clay held Maysen in a tight embrace. His hand slid up and down her back and over her butt while they kissed. No one else occupied the room, so Talia heard nothing but their deep breathing and an occasional moan.
Jealousy exploded inside her. She wanted to be the one in her lover’s arms, feel his hands drift over her skin, taste his lips. She wanted to be the one who would accept him into her body later tonight, pleasure him as much as he would pleasure her.
To her mortification, tears flooded her eyes. She had to get out of here before she spoiled their private moment.
As quietly as possible, she set down the tray and backed out of the kitchen. Once back in the garage, she closed her eyes and leaned against the door. She hated the self-pity that clawed at her. She’d always been a positive person, one who looked on the bright side of things. Loving Dylan and his not loving her in return had turned her emotions upside down until she didn’t recognize herself any longer.
Getting plastered tonight sounded better than when Paige first mentioned it.
Tears still blurred her vision, so Talia didn’t see Quade until she bumped into him. He grabbed her upper arms to steady her.
“Whoa! Easy.”
“Sorry,” she muttered, not looking in his face. She didn’t want him to see her crying.
“No problem. I love to have beautiful women bump into me.” Still holding her arms, he leaned down, peered into her face. “You okay?”
“Sure,” she managed to choke out.
“Now why don’t I believe that?” He gave her arms a gentle squeeze. “What’s wrong? Maybe I can help.”
She lifted her gaze to look at Quade’s handsome face. One look at his six-foot-three, two-hundred-pound-plus body, and a person thought linebacker. Buff and incredibly strong with long black hair, he had the appearance of a badass biker. Instead, he had the kindest, most gentle nature of any man she’d ever known.
Why can’t I love you instead of Dylan?
More tears flooded her eyes as she gently touched his cheek. “You can’t. But thank you for offering.”
“Are you sure? I’m a great listener.”
“I know you are. And you’re a good friend.”
He drew her into his arms for a comfort hug. Talia wrapped her arms around his waist, laid her cheek on his chest. Quade stood a foot taller than she, but she felt safe in his arms, not overpowered. It was like hugging a big teddy bear. Granted, a teddy bear with nice, solid muscles, but still a teddy bear.
“Am I interrupting something?” Dylan asked from behind Quade.
Talia gave Quade’s waist one more squeeze before she stepped back and looked at Dylan. A scowl turned down his mouth, almost as if it angered him to see Quade holding her. “No. You aren’t interrupting anything. Quade, thank you for your concern. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime.”
Talia walked past Dylan, but didn’t make it more than two steps when he held her arm to stop her. “Why are you crying?”
She jerked her arm away from him. “None of your business.”
Dylan turned his scowl toward Quade. “Did he hurt you?”
“Of course he didn’t hurt me! How could you ask such a thing?”
Dylan’s scowl faded, to be replaced by confusion. “Then why are you crying?”
Talia stopped herself before she stomped her foot in frustration. “It’s none of your business. Just leave me alone.” She spotted Paige coming toward her with the paper bag of vodka and another, smaller bag. Perfect timing. “Paige. I’m gonna get a blanket out of my car for us. I’ll meet you by the river.”
“Okay.”
She left the garage without looking at either man again.
“What’s wrong with her?” Dylan asked Quade.
“She wouldn’t tell me.”
“What makes you think something’s wrong with Talia?” Paige asked.
“Because she was crying.” Dylan pushed his hair back from his face. He hated knowing Talia hurt and he couldn’t help her.
Paige touched his arm. “I’ll take care of her, Dylan. I promise.”
He glanced at the paper bag in Paige’s hand that obviously held a bottle of liquor. “With whatever’s in that sack?”
“Yep.” She grinned. “We girls are going to par-tay.” She waved at both of them. “See y’all later.”
“I don’t like this,” Dylan muttered. “Talia shouldn’t be drinking when she’s upset.”
“Maybe not, but she won’t listen to anything either of us says.”
“Do you have any idea what happened to make her cry?”
Quade shook his head. “She was crying when she came out of the kitchen.”
<
br /> “So someone in there must have upset her.”
Fists clenched, Dylan stormed toward the door that led into the kitchen. Laughter greeted him when he stepped into the room. Someone laughed while Talia cried? Oh, no. That’s not the way it works.
He stepped around the corner to see Maysen and Clay having a water fight. The faucet ran while each of them flicked drops on the other one. “Hey! What the hell are y’all doing?”
The laughter abruptly died. Clay hurriedly turned off the faucet, wiped drops from his face. “Just cooling off a little.”
It had to have been Clay who upset Talia. He couldn’t imagine Maysen ever saying anything to hurt anyone. He walked up to within inches of his chief. “What did you do to Talia?”
“What did I …” He blinked, as if trying to understand Dylan’s question. “What?”
“She came out of the kitchen crying. What did you do to her?”
Maysen stepped next to Clay. “Dylan, we haven’t even seen Talia lately. Clay did nothing to her.” She motioned toward the tray of dirty dishes on the counter. “Someone brought in that tray, but we didn’t see who. It might’ve been Talia.”
“How could you not see who brought in a tray piled up with dirty dishes?”
“Someone must have brought it in while Clay and I were kissing a few minutes ago.” A becoming blush spread over Maysen’s cheeks. “We didn’t see or hear anything then.”
Clay slipped his arm around Maysen’s waist. “I’m sorry if Talia is upset, but it isn’t because of us. So how about if you take a couple of steps back?”
Ashamed of accusing Clay of hurting Talia, Dylan did as asked and moved back. “Sorry, Chief.”
“No problem.”
The door opened behind him. Hoping it might be Talia, Dylan turned his head to see who entered. Disappointment flowed through him all the way to his toes when he saw Lucia and Keely.
Lucia set another tray of dirty dishes on the counter. “This is the last of it, Chief. Everything is cleaned up and put away. Wanna have a drink with the other gals, Maysen? Paige brought a bottle of sweet-tea vodka.”
“Yeah, but only one,” Keely said, rolling her eyes. “I can’t believe she thought one bottle would be enough. I sent Nick to the liquor store for another one.”
Maysen looked at Clay. “You can finish up in here, right?”
Clay chuckled. “Yeah. Go have fun with the gals.”
Smiling broadly, she gave him a quick kiss. “See you later.”
Once the women left, Clay turned to Dylan. “Wash or dry?”
Dylan blew out a heavy breath. “Dry.”
The feminine chatter and laughter reached Dylan as soon as he stepped out of the kitchen and into the garage. The sun had set over two hours ago, meaning he couldn’t see the women at the edge of the river. He didn’t have to see them to know their exact location.
Only a few cars remained in the parking lot. Several of the male firefighters had already left, maybe to spend the rest of their Saturday night with their dates. Or perhaps they headed to Boot Scootin’ to shoot pool, or O’Sullivan’s for darts. Dylan could do the same. He knew he’d be welcome at either place.
Or he could wander across the street and check on the ladies.
Grabbing one of the last cans of Coke in the ice chest, he took several sips while strolling toward the river. The closer he got to the women, the more he recognized voices. He clearly heard conversation among Talia, Lucia, Paige, Maysen, Keely, Julia, and Rayna. But then he heard male voices. Apparently not all the firefighters had left.
Streetlights along the walking path by the river gave him enough illumination to make out everyone. Kirk and Kory Wilcox had managed to worm their way into the ladies’ party. So had Royce Underwood and Judd Hamilton. Royce sat between Talia and Lucia. The youngest firefighter in the department at twenty-three, Royce joined the team a year ago and made it his mission to sleep with all three of the female firefighters. Paige and Lucia had given in—according to Royce—but he’d never mentioned being with Talia.
She had more intelligence than to submit to a guy who only wanted to carve notches in his bedpost. Or she normally had more intelligence. If she kept knocking back shots of vodka, she might be persuaded to do something she wouldn’t normally do.
He made his way around the circle, saying hi to everyone who greeted him, to where Rayna sat and squatted beside her. He gestured to the can of Dr Pepper in her hand. “Guess you’re off the hard stuff until the baby comes, huh?”
“Yes, but I don’t mind.” Even in the dim light, he could see her face light up as she placed one hand over her tummy. “This little one is worth it.”
Dylan glanced at Talia to see her watching him as she downed another shot. “Any idea why Talia is drinking so much?” he asked softly.
Rayna’s smile disappeared. “No, and I’m afraid she’s going to pay big time in the morning. There’s nothing wrong with having fun, but she seems to be punishing herself.”
“She can’t drive after drinking so much.”
“She won’t. Julia, Keely, and Maysen have a way home with their fellows. Marcus and I will make sure the other gals get home safely.”
“Good.” Dylan felt better knowing Rayna would take care of everything. “Thanks, Rayna.”
“Hey, Dylan,” Judd called out, “wanna shot of this vodka? It’s mighty fine.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.” He lifted his half-full can of Coke. “I’m on the soft stuff now.”
“Ooh, ooh, look!” Paige exclaimed. She pointed across the river. “The moon’s coming up.”
It had been full five days ago, but still made a magnificent sight as it rose over the water. Dylan’s bedroom faced east, so he could lie in bed and watch the moon or sun rise.
It had been a long time since he’d shared that view with anyone.
Dylan turned back to the group to find Talia gone. Concern skittered down his spine. She didn’t need to be alone after all she’d drunk. “Paige, where’s Talia?”
Paige shrugged. “Don’t know. She said she’d be right back.”
“Probably had to potty,” Lucia said with a giggle.
Dylan ignored that piece of too much information and stood, searching the area for her. He didn’t see her anywhere. She wouldn’t have had time to cross the street to the fire hall to use the ladies’ room.
He did see Clay, Marcus, Nick, and Stephen making their way toward the group. They would probably collect their ladies and head for home.
Marcus walked behind Rayna, leaned over to give her a kiss. “You ready to go?”
“That depends on Paige and Lucia. I promised I’d get them home safely since they can’t drive.”
“I can drive,” Lucia said before she hiccupped.
“Yeah, right.” Clay reached out his hand to her. “It’s almost midnight. Enough partying for the night. Maysen and I will drop you off on our way home.”
“What about my car?”
“It’ll be here tomorrow. You can pick it up after you get over your hangover.” Clay looked at Dylan. “Quade is locking up the fire hall. Will you help him get the equipment back in the bays?”
“Sure thing, Chief.”
One by one, everyone stood and strolled toward the parking lot. Or waddled, depending on how much they’d drunk. He hadn’t seen Royce and Judd drink that much; they’d mostly flirted with the ladies. If Clay and Marcus hadn’t insisted on taking Paige and Lucia home, Dylan would have. Even though they both lived only a few miles outside of town, he wouldn’t let them drive after indulging.
Dylan scanned the area again, but still didn’t see Talia. His concern began to morph into fear. Removing his cell phone from his belt, he keyed in Quade’s number.
“Yo,” Quade answered.
“Did you see Talia in there?”
“Nope, not recently.”
“She said she’d be right back, but the group is breaking up and going home. I don’t know where she is.” He looked up at the sky as his f
ear grew. “I’m worried about her, Quade.”
“I’ll check around in here before I come over to help you move the equipment.”
Desperate to find Talia, Dylan dialed her cell phone number. The call went directly to her voice mail.
“Damn it,” he muttered. “Where the hell are you, Talia?”
Quade walked toward him. “Did you find her?” Dylan called out before Quade made it halfway across the street.
“No. I even went inside the ladies’ room after I knocked. She wasn’t there.”
“She isn’t answering her cell.”
“She probably turned it off while she was serving and forgot to turn it back on.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
Quade laid a hand on Dylan’s shoulder. “She probably caught up with Clay or Marcus and caught a ride home with one of them. Her car is still in the lot, so she didn’t drive anywhere. That’s a good thing, right?”
“Yeah. The way she was tossing back shots of vodka, she shouldn’t be behind the wheel of a car.”
“Let’s move the equipment. That’ll give Talia time to get home. Then you can call her there.”
It sounded like a good plan to Dylan. “Okay. I’ll start with the tanker.”
“I’ll take one of the brush trucks.”
Dylan opened the door to the tanker and stood on the running board. His gaze swept the area one more time. No sign of Talia.
“Be on your way home,” he whispered. “Please be on your way home.”
4
The rumble beneath her ear woke Talia. She lifted her head from a hard surface and blinked her eyes into focus. She remembered downing a few shots of the sweet-tea vodka Paige had brought. After that, she began to get sleepy, which always happened when she consumed more than one drink. Deciding a walk would help her wake up, she’d wandered away from the group and …
She released a squeak of surprise when the hard surface beneath her moved. Having no idea what would happen next, she threw her arms straight out to give her more balance. Only after she’d blinked a few more times to stop her head from spinning did she realize she lay on top of the ladder truck.
She remembered now what she’d done. She’d become sleepy, but she’d also wanted to get away from Royce’s wandering hands. The man didn’t understand the word no. She had no desire to go out with him, much less sleep with him, yet he couldn’t seem to get that through his thick, conceited brain. She’d decided hiding would be the best thing to do. And what better place to hide than on top of the ladder truck?