Full Potential

by L. J. Kentowski

  Riley’s pointed stare said pot, meet kettle.

  “Whatever,” Jena said, tugging her arms out from under Riley’s vise grip. She went to the fridge and grabbed two more beers.

  Riley screwed the cap off hers and raised it to her lips. “I’m only saying, maybe you rocked his world as much as he did yours.” With a wink, she took a swig.

  “Why? Did he say something to you?”

  Riley stared back with a goofy smirk.

  With narrowed eyes, Jena plunked the beer down on the counter. “Riles.”

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “I don’t.”

  “Yes, you do, you big fat liar. He asked about you several times. Wanted to know when you were returning to town. I had no idea what to tell him, of course, because my best friend avoided me for months.”

  She put her hand on a hip. “I said I was sorry.”

  Riley stepped up and placed her hands on Jena’s shoulders. “I know. And you’re forgiven now that I know why. You had a big scare, one I wish you would have told me about, so I could have been there for you. It made you realize what you felt for Tyler, and your big girl panties fell off.” Pulling her into a hug, she whispered in an ear, “But guess what? Seeton has a special kind of Super Glue for that problem. This should be fun.”

  Gaping, Jena watched as Riley stepped away and turned toward the sink, whistling. She should have known her best friend would peg her true fear, the one she barely wanted to admit to herself. Yes, Jena was scared of how intense her attraction to Tyler had been, going beyond the physical. And yes, she’d stuck her tail between her legs and hid behind the distance separating them, but wasn’t that the problem? The distance between them? He had a life in Seeton, and she had one back home, hours apart. Then again, was it really a life?

  Shaking her head, Jena quickly dismissed where those thoughts were leading. Distance wasn’t the whole problem. There were several other complications when it came to the two of them, too many to consider a serious relationship happening between them. With that conclusion, she downed the rest of her beer.

  As she leaned against the sink, Riley watched her friend go into the refrigerator. “I’d hold off on another if I were you.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because you’ll be toast before the night is done. We’re going down to the bar soon. Dax is working, and I told him I’d bring you in for drinks.”

  Jena eyed her suspiciously. “Tyler won’t be there, right?”

  Riley shrugged, no conviction to the gesture. “It’s a bar, Jena. You never know who might show up. Now, come on. You’re long overdue to have an engagement shot with me.”

  From pure, unadulterated blackmail, Jena walked the plank straight toward ground zero of all her troubles.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Tyler was about four hours into his shift and pretty proud of himself for keeping his thoughts off Jena, considering he had a perfect view of her car sitting right next door. He’d kept busy. Not an easy task at a firehouse in a small town. The entire house was spotless from top to bottom, including the toilets, which was everyone’s least favorite job. Normally, that task fell to the responsibility of the junior firefighter, Max. Tyler decided to do it himself on impulse after he’d peeked out the window for the twentieth time. Jake, another fireman who’d had almost as many years on the department as Tyler, kept shooting suspicious looks his way as the nervous firefighter flew around the house with various cleaning utensils. So far, he hadn’t mentioned Tyler’s obsessive behavior.

  The station hadn’t been called on a single run to take him out of the firehouse, which seemed to be closing in on him as he found fewer chores to do. They’d not even had a daily run to Mrs. Steiner’s, who never failed to set off the smoke alarm while cooking and used a broom to shut the damned thing up, her words.

  Around six, Tyler was resting in a recliner on the apparatus floor, watching another episode of American Pickers with his eyes closed when a jolt to the back of the chair nearly sent him flying off the damned thing.

  “What the hell?” he yelled, scrambling to get his bearings. Glancing around, he spotted Dax standing next to him, a self-satisfied grin on his face.

  “Sleeping on the job again?”

  “Taking a break. You know how crazy this place gets.”

  “Uh huh. Because the wild things of Seeton never rest, right?”

  “You know it.” Tyler got up from the recliner, stretched, and swiped a hand through his hair. “What’s up? You got one over there you need help with?”

  “No, we’re good. I can handle the disorderlies at Beckett’s. I came to tell you to come over after your shift ends.”

  Tyler’s this is a set-up detector went off in his head. “Why?”

  “Because we’re throwing a small impromptu get-together, and you need to be there.”

  The fact he’d said we meant Riley was involved, and in turn, Jena. Shit, it was already starting, and the redhead hadn’t even been in town twenty-four hours. This didn’t bode well for him and his man card.

  “What if I already had plans for tonight?” he asked.

  Dax tilted his head. “If you did, I’d tell you to cancel them, but you don’t, so get your ass over there when you’re done. And I know you’re off at eight, so I’d better see your ugly mug by eight fifteen. I’m being nice and giving you time to change and primp, so make me proud, princess.” He spun around to walk away.

  “How do you know what time I get off? And what if I don’t have clean clothes here? What’s this get-together for anyway?”

  “The maid of honor is finally in town, and the best man should make nice. This is Seeton, dumbass.” His smile mocked. “I even know what underwear you put on this morning. Hope you have an extra pair that doesn’t squeeze your balls as tight as they are now. Be there, or I’m coming for you, and it won’t be pretty. Oh, Wade’s coming. He mentioned wanting to get to know Jena better before the wedding. See you at eight fifteen, dickhead.” Then, in his friend’s typical arrogant style, he was gone before Tyler had a chance to argue.

  Standing in the middle of the apparatus floor, Tyler stared at the closed door of the firehouse, his mind nowhere near the direction his eyes were focused. Questions flittered around in his head like angry bees with a target, stinging once they landed before buzzing away. Would Jena talk to him, or blow him off again? Would she mention their time together? Did he want her to?

  Christ, he wasn’t ready for the confrontation. He figured it would be a couple of days before he’d be forced to face her again, assuming she and Riley would want to catch up, especially with wedding plans. That kind of shit took a while, didn’t it?

  Well, there was no sense in dwelling on it for the next two hours. No way could he avoid going. Dax was like a brother to him. As the best man, Tyler was going to do all he could to make sure the wedding went without a hitch, even if it meant manning up to his awkward situation with the maid of honor. Dax’s first marriage had ended in disaster, so he deserved a new happy ending with Riley, regardless of the dickwad he’d become.

  The fact Wade was going to be at Beckett’s trying to feel Jena up was another reason to go, if that was even true. Dax might have been feeding his friend a line of bull, knowing it would get him to the bar. He loved getting a rise out of Tyler, and for the last few months, he’d used the hook-up with Jena to do it. Knowing each other since childhood had its drawbacks, especially when it came to Dax understanding his weak spots too well.

  Fuck it. He’d go and play it cool, be himself. If Jena wanted to talk about old news, then fine, he was game. She’d laid all the cards out on the table before she went back to the city. Jena had made it perfectly clear they were one and done. He could be friends with her through the wedding shit, right? And if she didn’t bring up anything related to a relationship, all the better. With other women, Tyler preferred it that way. So, why was Jena different? Why was he hoping she’d bring it up?

  When Tyler’s man brain flashed images
of exactly what he wouldn’t mind her bringing up, he adjusted himself and went to the utility closet to grab a mop and bucket. Hauling them into the kitchen, he rested the mop against a counter, put the bucket in the sink, and turned the water on.

  “Didn’t you mop the floor already?”

  Tyler twisted his neck to find Max leaning against the counter next to him, staring at him as if he were some crazy germaphobe.

  Know-it-all little shit.

  “Yep,” he said, turning back to the sink and shutting off the water once the bucket was full. Grabbing the handle, he lifted the pail out of the sink and plunked it down in front of Max, smiling when the water sloshed out and splashed the fireman’s pants and shoes. “But as a cub, you’re going to make this shit shine like fucking glass. Get at it.”

  Max’s eyes went wide, and for a moment, it appeared as if he was going to argue. When he saw the expression on Tyler’s face, his gaze dropped down to the bucket at his feet. “Yes, sir.”

  While Tyler was happy with Max’s obedience, he was also pissed the distraction he’d plan to use for the next two hours was gone. Now, what the hell was he going to do?

  About thirty minutes later, Mrs. Steiner came to the rescue. She must have been cooking with a pound of garlic because when the fire crew walked in, the stench was so strong, Tyler contemplated wearing his gas mask. It was smoky as hell in the room, and he used that as an excuse to open a window in her kitchen, quite certain he saw vampires fly out, screaming for their lives. Regardless of the horrendous smell, he took the lead with the smoke alarm and made sure to stretch out the time it took to put it back together. Jake was eyeing him suspiciously, knowing damned well it wasn’t as hard as he was making it out to be, but Tyler didn’t care. More time working equaled less time thinking.

  The run to Mrs. Steiner’s was the only one they’d had all shift. Taking his time at the end of the workday, Tyler showered, changed, and thanked the primping gods he had deodorant and cologne in his locker. He sure wasn’t going to play by all of Dax’s rules. Not that it mattered, of course. He wasn’t going to Beckett’s to impress anyone. Nope, he didn’t care who sniffed him, he thought to himself, spritzing one more time. Didn’t care at all.

  By eight thirty, Tyler was ready to go, and as he shuffled his feet to the door, his phone went off. Pulling it out of his pocket, he saw a text from Dax.

  Dax: Pretty Princess – your ass better be here in less than five or I’m coming for you

  With a shake of his head, Tyler pocketed the phone and left the firehouse.

  While putting the bag in his truck, he heard clicking footsteps behind him, definitely not belonging to Dax.

  “That bag better be the only thing you’re putting in your car, Tyler Cole, or you’ll be wheeling down the aisle at my wedding.”

  Tyler spun and flattened against the truck. Sure, he looked like a deer in headlights, but Riley was scary when she was mad.

  What the hell is Dax getting himself into?

  “You’re coming, right?” she asked…in more of a demanding tone.

  “Y…yes…yes, ma’am.”

  “Don’t yes, ma’am me. I only wanted to make sure you weren’t trying to sneak off.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because you know Jena’s in there.”

  Tyler couldn’t handle the way Riley was examining him, so he angled his gaze over her shoulder toward Beckett’s parking lot. “Looks like a lot of people are there. No big deal.”

  “Oh, don’t you dare pretend Jena being in town doesn’t affect you. Remember? I’m the one you were asking about her for months after she left.”

  “Yeah, well, a lot of time has passed.”

  “But she’s here now.” Riley met his gaze head-on. “You two should talk.”

  “Maybe we will. Maybe we won’t. I’m a grown man, Riley, and she’s a grown woman. Leave it between us. Stop trying to play negotiator. There’s nothing to mediate. We’ll be fine.”

  “She’s my best friend, Tyler. I don’t want her hurt.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think that’s possible, but if it is, I won’t be the one to hurt her. Can we go now?”

  She pointed at his chest. “That’s what you’re wearing?”

  He looked down at his black t-shirt with the white outline of a flame enclosing the words, I Put Out. “You want me to throw a tie over it? I might have one somewhere in the firehouse.”

  Riley laughed. “No, it’s you, and there’s no changing that now. C’mon, let’s go.”

  Not sure whether that was a compliment or not, he followed her into the bar.

  ***

  Beckett’s was busier than Tyler had witnessed in a long time. The tables were full of Seeton locals, many of whom were friends he and Dax had grown up with. Singing along to the latest country hits coming from the jukebox, they shot darts, played pool, or simply hung out. Riley and Dax were continuously trying to bring Beckett’s into this century, and so far, everything had been a hit with the patrons. The digital jukebox was the newest addition.

  Tyler and Riley had gotten two steps into the bar when his mom and dad appeared in front of them.

  Lynn Cole pulled Riley into a hug. “Riley, we had a lovely time meeting Jena. She’s wonderful.” The older woman faced Tyler and put her arms around him too. “Hi, honey. We were hoping you’d get here before we left.”

  “Tyler, I’m going to see what Dax is up to,” Riley said with a hand on his arm. “We’ll see you up at the bar.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “Hey, son,” his dad greeted when Riley left them. “How was work?”

  Rich, or Richard Cole, as his mother called him when in reprimand mode, was proud of his son’s career choice, especially since it was his own footsteps Tyler had followed. He never got bored hearing about the rescue calls, reliving his own days as a fireman while he listened.

  “Long and uneventful,” Tyler said.

  “Ahhh, one of those. Had plenty of them in my day. I learned to bring projects to pass the time.”

  They’d had this conversation several times before, much as his dad never seemed to remember. Tyler had also told him on many of those occasions that he did bring tasks to work. In fact, those side projects helped him stay afloat with the bills.

  He nodded. “I cleaned the firehouse. The slobs in that house give me plenty to do. What brought you guys out?”

  “We heard the maid of honor was in town and stopped over to meet her since we were over at Chris’ anyway,” his mom said. “She’s a lovely woman. Have you met her yet?”

  Jesus, did everyone need to treat Jena’s return to town as if it were a national holiday? He was trying to play it cool here. “Yeah, I met her last time she was in Seeton. Why did you go see Chris?”

  “Oh, just shop talk. Well, it’s getting late, so we’re headed out.” His mother gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Have fun and be safe, Ty.”

  “He knows to crash at the firehouse if he drinks too much, Lynn.” His dad winked.

  Tyler nodded with a smile.

  His mom shot a thumb over her shoulder. “Wade is at the bar. He can always drive you home if need be. Have a good night, dear.”

  After his parents left, Tyler peered through a crowd of people. A glint of red hair at the end of the bar caught his eye. His heart rate sped up. When a hand pushed the red hair aside, and the asshole attached to the hand leaned in to whisper in her ear, his heart practically pounded through his chest.

  Jena laughed and playfully swatted the dickhead before they both picked their glasses up from the bar and clinked them together.

  Tyler tensed. Without thought, he strode through the crowd, ignoring all greetings along the way.

  Wade was about to find out just how tough big brothers were.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Wade Cole was devilishly handsome, funny, and so obviously flirting with Jena. It was hard not to be affected by his charms. But there was no way she would allow their int
eractions to go any further. She would not hook up with another Cole brother. Not only was it bad taste, but she was on a mission with her life, and it didn’t include another man hundreds of miles away from home. Jena definitely needed to lay off the drinks, though, because it was getting tougher to keep those priorities in check.

  And just as that resolution set in, her biggest challenge eased between her barstool and Wade’s to lean against the bar. “Hey kids, having fun?” Tyler asked, staring back at them, his tone full of accusation.

  Great, and now she had an urge to do shots.

  “Absolutely,” Wade said. She caught the smirk he was shooting Tyler.

  There was nothing remotely pleasant about the look Tyler was firing back.

  Okay, this was awkward, but what the hell? Did Tyler really think she would get together with his brother? What kind of woman did he think she was? Granted, he only had their one-night stand for reference. And yeah, maybe she’d come off as loose and uncaring by the way she’d cut and run. That didn’t mean she was a slut who slept with any good-looking guy who flirted with her, especially those related to ones she had slept with.

  “Hey, Tyler,” she said, drawing his attention away from Wade. “Happy to see you made it.” Her gaze landed on his shirt as she was about to ask how his day had been. Instead, she lost all sense of words, sentences…hell, basically all brain functions besides the memories of what the saying on his t-shirt aroused.

  “Looks like Wade was keeping you pretty entertained.”

  Tyler’s tone was accusatory again, and Jena was not one to be reprimanded, especially when it stemmed from some apparent testosterone-filled rivalry with his brother.

  “He was,” she said with a smile meant to feed the fire. “Wade’s got some great stories about the people here.”

  “Oh, yeah? Did he tell you about the one where he got knocked on his ass for hitting on Greg Bolland’s girl? Now, that was entertaining.” Tyler’s devious grin was aimed straight at his brother.

  Wade dropped his head and chuckled, then brought his amused expression up to match Tyler’s. “Yes, it was. Especially after I showed him how a real man fights without their opponent’s back turned. I also taught him how mistreating a woman would leave him old and lonely.”