Fourth Down

by Desiree Holt

  It was a long afternoon. Four people had been overcome by smoke and had to be rescued. Some of the occupants who had made it out required oxygen, so a second ambulance had to be called in stat. Holly had no idea how many hours had passed by the time they had everything under control. Several people had been treated by the EMTs and a few were sent to the hospital, two of them with very bad burns. When the roof threatened to collapse, the chief ordered everyone out, and just in time before it all fell in on itself. When they pulled back into the firehouse, she was exhausted and emotionally drained.

  And the equipment still had to be cleaned. By the time everyone was finished, her shift was over and it occurred to her she hadn’t once thought about Chase or his lack of a phone call. She poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed her cell, but before she could check for messages, it rang in her hand. Chase’s name popped up on the screen and for a moment she hesitated, not sure she wanted to answer it.

  Suck it up, Holly. If he’s calling to say it was all a mistake, better to know now before you have too much emotional investment in this thing.

  She punched the accept button.

  “Hey, Chase. What’s up?” She hoped she had the right degree of nonchalance in her voice. Whatever he had to say, whichever way this went, she was in control of herself and that was all that mattered.

  “I, uh, I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier, but we were out on the water sniffing for a drug dealer.”

  “Oh. Wow.” Well. That was certainly a good excuse. Right? “Hope it went well.”

  “Yeah, it did.” She could hear his sigh across the connection. “Little fish today. Some idiots who thought they could smuggle weed into the country with no problem. I think between all of them their IQ didn’t reach seventy.”

  “We run into a lot of people like that too.” She paused. “So what’s up?” Whatever he had to say, she wished he’d say it and be done with it. She’d be fine either way.

  “I, uh, was wondering…that is…”

  She couldn’t believe how nervous he sounded. Chase DeMarco, big bad football player and Coastie, nervous? She actually chuckled at the thought.

  “Chase, just spit it out. Whatever it is, it’s okay.”

  “Are you going to Pump It Up tonight?”

  Well, that was almost the last thing she’d expected him to say.

  “I was, but we had a bad one today. Three-story house fire. We didn’t get back until late and just finished cleaning the equipment. I’m beat. I don’t think I’m up to putting myself through my paces tonight.”

  “Are you up to sharing a pizza?”

  Okay, he wasn’t calling to say the experiment was a bust. She did her best to squelch the little thrill that ran through her. Maybe he’d forgotten about what she was calling in her mind the kiss. Maybe he figured ignoring it would get them back on the “just friends” track. Maybe they would just hang out like good old buddies and go on from there. She’d be good with that. She swore to herself she would.

  “Holly?” Chase’s voice pierced her internal musings. God. She had to quit doing that. “You there? If this is a bad idea, please say so.”

  “Bad idea?” She frowned. “No, I’m good with that. I love pizza. There’s a great place near me, as a matter of fact. I could meet you there.”

  “Uh, well, actually I was thinking I might pick it up, maybe with a salad, and bring it to your place.”

  Holly nibbled her lower lip. Was this the buddies hanging out type of evening or did he want to find out if last night’s kiss opened the door to something maybe neither of them were quite prepared for?

  Crap, Holly. No wonder most men shy away from you. Who wants a woman who’s always talking to herself and second-guessing everything?

  “That sounds great.” She even put a smile in her voice. Whichever way it turned out, she really liked this man and looked forward to spending the evening with him. “I have Netflix so the movie world is wide open to us.”

  “Excellent. By the way, Joe Reilly’s show is on tonight if you’d like to see it.”

  “Perfect. Is seven o’clock good for you? I need time to get home and clean up from today, but I don’t want to miss the show.”

  “The show is on at seven-thirty, so seven sounds good. See you then.”

  So he wanted to hang out. Have a nice evening. Was he saying the kiss was a mistake? Was she the only one who felt the chemistry between them? Damn it, she’d felt it, sizzling beneath the surface ever since that dinner and igniting last night. But she wasn’t going to turn herself inside out over this, the way the old Holly would. She was done with that. Enough already. She was past all that is he/isn’t he stuff. This was the new Holly, confident and self-assured, successful and happy. She would follow his lead. If all he still wanted was friendship, that would be fine with her. Fewer complications. Less stress. Less anxiety.

  Meanwhile, she had to get her ass in gear. In record time, she had her turnout gear hung up and pulled her stuff from her locker. Of course she hit the five o’clock traffic on the way home, thankful she at least lived in a suburb of San Diego, not in the middle of the daily traffic jams.

  Instead of her usual shower she decided to treat herself to a bath tonight, with scented bath salts and a touch of bubble bath. She ignored whatever her motives were, just tossed her clothes in the hamper, pinned up her ponytail on top of her head, and eased herself down into the blessedly hot water. She closed her eyes in bliss as the heat of the water soothed her aching muscles.

  Wine probably went better with scented bubble baths, but Holly was at heart a beer girl, so she’d opened a bottle from a local microbrewery, one she’d found had a really good product, and took her first taste, letting the cold liquid ease her smoke-parched throat. With the little waterproof bath pillow behind her head, she leaned back and closed her eyes, letting the stress of the day ease away from her.

  She felt good about today. Not about the people who were injured, of course, but that they’d prevented more injuries from happening and gotten everyone else out of the house safely. The structure itself was beyond saving. but they’d contained it to the one building, and that was another good thing. The ache in her muscles gave her a sense of satisfaction at a job well done. All her dreaming about being a firefighter, all her planning, all her battles with Brad, and here she was. Enjoying her work and doing a good job at it. If she felt some pride in herself, it was justified.

  When water sloshed into her nose, she sat up with a start, glanced at the little clock on the vanity and saw she had twenty minutes before Chase arrived. Crap! She probably shouldn’t have finished the bottle of beer but damn, she’d earned it today. While the water drained from the tub, she hopped into the shower to give her hair a quick wash. Tonight she’d leave it loose for a change. She didn’t have to be the tightass firefighter with Chase. She could be herself. At least she hoped.

  She was just deciding on what to wear when her cell rang. She looked at the readout, hoping it wasn’t Chase, canceling out.

  Nope. Will. How did he find these exact moments to call?

  “Hi, big brother.”

  “Hey, kiddo. What’s doing?”

  She smiled as she thought of what was really doing. “Oh, this and that.”

  “Would it be some this and that with the new guy in your life?”

  “Yes, but I’m not giving details,” she told him, “or answering any questions. When I have something more to tell, you’ll be at the top of the list.”

  “Not even any more details about him?”

  She swallowed a laugh. She could tell from his tone of voice he was trying so hard not to hammer her with questions.

  “He’s a guy, Will. What else do you want to know?”

  “A few details would be nice,” he growled.

  “Okay. He’s in the Coast Guard, and he played football in high school and college.” She paused. “And he’s cute.”

  “Oh, well. The cute definitely makes it oka
y,” he teased.

  “And don’t ask me anymore,” she said, shortstopping an inquisition. “We’ve just been out a couple of times.” She smiled. “I like him, Will. He’s a good guy. But I don’t want to jinx anything by talking about it.”

  “Okay, kiddo.” She could hear his sigh across the connection. “I just worry about you, so feed me a few details now and then, will you?”

  “Sure.”

  “Oh, and by the way, Chuck Hensley might be in San Diego in the next couple of weeks. He’ll probably look you up.”

  “Oh, ugh.”

  Chuck was one of Will’s law partners and oldest friends. Before she’d hooked up with Brad, she’d had a brief but giant-sized crush on him. She’d wondered if her being Will’s baby sister would have stopped him from testing the waters. That was before she discovered what a player he was, with hot and cold running women, and an ego bigger than Texas.

  “I swear, Will, I don’t know how you’re even friends with him. He’s such a douchebag.”

  “He’s a damn fine attorney,” he told her. “Besides, he leaves all that bullshit outside the office.”

  “Still, don’t his activities turn clients off?”

  “Not when he handles their legal work like a shark. They love him.”

  “Well, he’d better behave while he’s here. Just sayin’.”

  Will laughed. “I think you’re safe. He won’t go after my baby sister.”

  “Let’s hope you’re right.”

  “Besides,” he added, “I’ll feel a lot better if he lays eyes on you and tells me you’re great. He’s not quite that bad.”

  “Yes, he is,” she insisted. “I don’t care if he’s your friend and your partner. He’d better behave with me.”

  “I’ll be sure he gets the memo.”

  “Good. Listen. I gotta go get ready. Talk to you soon. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  She stood holding the phone for a long moment after she hung up, thinking about Will and what his reaction to Chase would be. He’d like him; she was sure. Chase was his kind of man, much more than Brad had ever been. Maybe next time her brother called, she’d have more to tell him. But if not, she knew this time she was better equipped to handle whatever happened. She was her own person and that made the difference.

  Okay, enough with the wandering thoughts. Chase would be here any minute. That meant she better get her butt in gear and get dressed. She went casual all the way, pulling on a pair of soft jeans and a T-shirt that said Firefighters Get Hot. No makeup except a touch of eye shadow and a little lip gloss. Hair brushed out and falling just below her shoulders. She had just misted her throat and wrists with a little perfume when the doorbell rang. She didn’t even bother with shoes and hurried from the bathroom. Taking in a deep breath and letting it out, she smiled and opened the door.

  There he stood, holding take-out food with both hands and looking so damn good she couldn’t help staring at him. A navy T-shirt with the Coast Guard insignia stretched across broad shoulders and washboard abs. The denim of his jeans outlined muscular thighs and accentuated his powerful legs. And there was that ocean breeze scent drifting lightly around him. At the moment Holly wanted nothing more than to plaster herself to his body and see if the next kiss would be as good as the first one. Instead, deciding to wait and take her cues from him, she stepped back to let him inside.

  “Hi. Come on in. I hope you aren’t one of those guys who is allergic to chick flicks.”

  Chapter 12

  “I tried to remember from the other night what you like on your pizza.” Chase slid the two boxes onto her counter. “I should have asked you, idiot that I am. Hope you like pepperoni, meatballs, and mushrooms.”

  “Yum.” She licked her lips. “Three of my favorite toppings. You have a winner.”

  “I brought a salad with it too.” He set the other box down next to the pizza.”

  “I have beer,” she told him. “Gourmet dinner, here we come. Oh, the remote is on the coffee table. Why don’t you turn it on to Fox Sports so we’ll be ready for Joe’s show?”

  “Works for me.”

  She turned to get dishes from the cupboard and ran smack into a hard, muscled chest. Chase’s hands came up to cup her shoulders and when she looked up, heat blazed in his eyes. A muscle twitched in his jaw, as if he were making a deliberate effort at self-control.

  “Oops!” She tried to take a step back and bumped into the counter.

  “Yeah, oops!” Chase blinked as his eyes focused on her T-shirt. “Is that true?”

  She wrinkled her forehead. “Is what true?”

  He pointed. “What it says on your T-shirt.”

  She looked down. “Oh. Yeah.” She nibbled her lower lip, wondering if she’d been too blatant choosing this. “You know, with fires and all.”

  “That right? How about outside of fires? That same thing true?”

  “Um, well, uh—” Why was she stumbling over her words? She’d thought it would be fun to wear the shirt when she’d put it on. Now she wondered if she was sending the wrong signals? Too blatant? Too suggestive? Crap. She seemed to have lost her ability to flirt.

  “No answer, huh?”

  The way he looked at her for a long moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Then he stepped aside.

  “I’ll, uh, just get some dishes out. How about getting the beer from the fridge?”

  “No problem.”

  As she lifted out the plates, she saw her hands had a slight tremble to them, not to mention the sudden acceleration of her pulse. Okay, time to pull herself together. She set everything out on the counter so they could help themselves.

  “Nice place.” He stood with his hands in his pockets, looking around.

  “I like it. It fits me.”

  She looked around trying to see it through his eyes. The kitchen, dining room, and living room formed the central core. A very short hallway led to the guest bedroom on one side and the guest bath. The door to the master bedroom opened right off the living room.

  The master bedroom. Off the living room. Oh, damn. She thought about closing the door, then figured it would be too obvious. Maybe he’d just ignore it.

  They carried their food into the living room and settled on the couch. They were just in time for the opening of Inside the Helmet. Holly was curious about the show and a man Chase had been friends with in high school.

  “Good evening, folks.” Joe’s handsome face flashed on the screen. “We have a special show for you tonight. This weekend the Austin Mustangs are honoring former running back, Jake Russell, at halftime. In preparation for that, we’re going to bring you some footage from last year when Granite Falls High School retired Jake’s number. We have Jake and his fiancée, Erin Bass, in the studio with us and we’ll be chatting with them after this clip.”

  There was a brief camera shot of the couple. Holly felt an unwanted stab of envy at the obvious love between them and the happiness on their faces. Would she ever find that?

  But then she lost herself in the video clip. When the Coyotes marching band finished the school fight song and spelled Jake and thirty-one out on the field, tears came to her eyes.

  Chase frowned. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “I cry at parades too.”

  Coach Fenelli gave a short speech, followed by the official retirement of Jake’s number. But then she really lost it, as she watched Jake call Erin out and get down on one knee to propose.

  Tears dribbled down her cheeks, and she kept trying to rub them away.

  “I didn’t want to upset you.” Chase put his arm around her and pulled her against him. “Let’s turn this off.”

  “Don’t you dare.” She sat up and wiped her cheeks again. “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I’m so glad I got to see this.”

  “I promise his other shows aren’t such tearjerkers,” he teased.

  “That’s okay. I don’t mind this ki
nd of tears. You played ball with some really great guys.”

  “Yes. I did. Some of the best years of my life.” He picked up the remote. “So. Who gets first choice of movies?”

  They haggled good-naturedly back and forth until they found one they both wanted to see. Even as her body kept sending her urgent signals, Holly kept reminding herself this was a just a “friends” thing. She had to admit, though, that it was nice having him here with her. She curled up at one end of the couch, legs tucked under her, plate in hand. Chase had parked himself at the other end of the couch, long legs stretched out, feet balanced on the coffee table, his plate resting on his rock-hard thighs.

  Unbidden, the image of him from her fantasy the other night, naked and oh so ready, snapped into her mental field of vision. The throbbing between her legs was so intense she wondered if Chase might actually hear it. Moisture seeped into her panties, enough that she had to squeeze her thighs together. And damn! Her nipples had leaped to attention and sent her a message that they wanted his mouth on them.

  Crap! This was not going the way she planned.

  As they watched the movie, she kept stealing sideways glances at Chase, only to discover he was doing the same with her. By the time the movie was half over, she’d lost interest in the pizza and salad and was clutching her beer bottle for survival. Was he waiting for her to make the first move? Should she? Was she misreading the signals?

  Geez, Holly, get a grip. So he’s a hot guy. So what?

  A hot guy who kissed like a dream.

  But just friends, remember? No more relationships.

  Maybe I can have a non-relationship. Just sex. Friends with benefits.

  She’d never done that before, but with Chase she might be up for it. Since they’d made their little pact, she’d found herself becoming more and more comfortable with him, more than any other man she’d ever been with.

  More than Brad.

  Got that right.

  By the time the movie was over, she was a bundle of nerves and doing her best not to show it. She wasn’t that needy little girl anymore, but damn! She sure needed Chase DeMarco, even if it was only for one night.