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It’s a little ironic that now that I’m finally visiting and getting a chance to meet the guys, I already know one of them more intimately than I’d have ever imagined.
Oh boy, maybe I didn’t think this through very well…
I climb out and slam the door.
Several heads turn my way, and sunglasses get dipped down onto noses when they notice my apparel.
I hadn’t even given it a thought—the fact that I’m in a structured blouse and pencil skirt for work—but now that their eyes are roving over me, it might not have been the best idea to agree to come here.
I should have insisted we go out.
“Hey there, honey,” one of the guys says, a charming smile making his face transform from dirty to dangerous.
Man, there really should be some kind of a warning system about firemen. They’re too hot for their own good.
“Can we help you with something?”
I know better than to leave any opening, so I cut right to the chase. “I’m good. Just here to meet my dad, Captain Carroll.”
His eyes widen as he changes his tune really quickly.
“Oh. Right. You’re the Cap’s daughter. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. I’m, uh, pretty sure he’s in his office.”
“Thanks,” I say, a little bit of satisfaction from making a grown man cower taking some of the edge off my nerves.
Eyes follow me surreptitiously as I head inside, but I keep my head down and walk—one foot in front of the other.
The change in lighting is swift and significant as the door closes behind me.
Several guys mill around inside, much like out in the yard, but they at least have the good manners to have their shirts on.
I scan their faces, hoping to land on one and one alone.
I’ve finally decided. It’s probably a dumb call, but my heart knows what it wants. I’d much rather see him—know that he’s alive and well and whole after going out on a call this morning—than not.
Even if I can’t touch him or kiss him or act like he’s anything more than an acquaintance to me.
It doesn’t matter. I just want to make eye contact.
Just for a little bit.
But I don’t see him anywhere.
My dad comes out of his office, a smile on his face when he sees me. And just behind him…Garrett.
His eyes widen and mine do the same as my dad rushes over to give me a hug.
“Hey, Laurie,” my dad greets, giving me a hug. “I didn’t know you’d get here so early.”
“I don’t have a whole lot of time,” I say, while looking at Garrett over his shoulder. “I left as early as I could so I wouldn’t have to rush too much to get back in time.”
Garrett’s eyes are sparkling in the distance, and every stupid emotion I’m feeling myself is bubbling right there under the surface. Seeing him like this, with my dad right here as a witness, is really not all it’s cracked up to be. My heart didn’t know shit about shit on this one.
It doesn’t feel good. It doesn’t feel right, and I don’t like it at all.
Nope. Not one single bit.
“Who’s this?” one of the guys behind me asks, a jovial timbre to his voice as my dad pulls away from our hug.
Garrett’s stare hasn’t eased or broken, and it’s all I can do to peel my eyes away from him as my dad turns me to face the direction of the voice.
“This is my youngest. Lauren. Lauren, this is Ben Mills. One of our rookies.”
I smile as big as I can manage in the awkward cloud of uncertainty drowning me.
“Nice to meet you, Ben.”
My dad, not satisfied with the single introduction, yells out into the open room. “Guys. Everybody! Get your asses over here before your pervy little eyes get you in trouble. I’m looking at you, Wilks,” my dad adds, his voice stern. “She’s a doctor, for God’s sake.”
My cheeks flame hot as I glance over my shoulder at Garrett.
His jaw is hard as he looks at the guy apparently named Wilks too.
“Sorry, sir.”
“Don’t apologize to me, asshole,” my dad commands. “Apologize to her.”
“No disrespect, ma’am…I mean Doctor,” Wilks says immediately, tipping his head in an overly gallant gesture.
I nod, thoroughly embarrassed now.
“It’s…um…fine.”
Wilks takes a couple fake punches from the other guys and gets shoved to the back of the room.
It’s all I can do to keep up as the other guys step up one by one to shake my hand. There are over twenty of them, and I’m drowning in handsome smiles.
It isn’t until my dad turns around and notices Garrett still standing back at his office door, though, that my heart starts to really flutter.
“Alexander!”
Garrett’s eyes jolt from me to my dad for the first time since I arrived.
“Sir?”
“Get your ass over here and say hello to Lauren.”
