“Wait, you run into burning buildings and shit, right?” I asked. “Like, the whoosh whoosh with the hose?”
A big laugh exploded from him. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
I shrugged. “Am I wrong? But if that’s boring, what the hell do you find exciting?”
He scrubbed at his face. “Calls are always adrenaline-inducing, don’t get me wrong. I’m having more of a life-related ennui. Maybe not boring, but like… no room for advancement. Why I’m pouring all this out to a stranger, I have no idea.”
“Hey,” I countered. “I’m not a stranger. I’m your sister’s ex.”
“You know that makes it weirder, right?” Still, a smile crept onto his face, and I savored the twinkle in his brown eyes.
“Weird is my specialty.”
He let out another laugh, and I reveled in it. This outing with Drake was as unexpected as the fire in my kitchen, but one was far more preferable. Talking with him was easy and comfortable, and he didn’t seem to balk at my oddities, which was always a good sign.
However, while I could indulge in this little flare of attraction now, I couldn’t see my ex’s brother again.
Chapter four
Drake
Isagged against the kitchen counter at the station, relieved to be back. The Class K fire was annoying enough to deal with and seemed to be a theme of the week for me.
Except this was a restaurant kitchen with a bit more damage in the aftermath.
And I wasn’t treated to a burger with a hot guy after.
I rifled a hand through my hair, a different sort of exhaustion slamming in. The post-adrenaline crash after a call hit like nothing else, but it was worth the effort every time.
Mahoney, our chief, swaggered in looking fresh as a daisy. Clearly, he hadn’t just been on a call. He was a heavily bearded guy who appeared gruff but was as soft as they came. I’d heard of chiefs from hell in other fire companies, but Mahoney made sure everyone wastaken care of here, and I wouldn’t even think of going elsewhere. I might’ve grown up in the city, but over the past few years, Kennett Square had become my home.
“Castillo,” he said, striding past me to pour himself a cup of coffee.
“Isn’t that going to keep you up this late?” I teased.
He arched a brow at me, the twitch of his lips barely hidden by his beard. “My schedule’s fucked anyway. I was hoping to talk to you.”
I straightened up from my lean against the chipped counter. “Am I in trouble?”
Mahoney shook his head and waved a hand. “Nah, not at all. This should be easy. Our usual fundraisers aren’t pulling in as much as we need.”
I placed a hand over my chest. “Oh my word, you mean ancient fish fry and spaghetti dinners aren’t drawing the masses?”
He snorted. “That there’s the problem. Clearly, we’re not reaching the younger crowd, and I’ll admit I’m out of touch. In my day, everyone was happy to bring their families to a fish fry.”
“Bro, most of the guys here aren’t toting around families, and the ones who are would be wrangling their kids the whole time. You need something that’s going to engage folks, that’s going to draw people in.”
Mahoney’s eyes glimmered. “Exactly why I want you to run the next fundraiser.”
I wrinkled my nose. Damnit. That would be a hell of a lot of extra work on my plate.
“We need upgrades to the kitchen, and the only thing that’ll pay for it is a fundraiser.” Mahoney batted his lashes at me.
“You need to stop flirting,” I teased. “I’m a young, single guy.” Mahoney was as straight as they came, had a missus he loved and twocollege-age kids, but he liked to give me shit. Though, he wasn’t wrong about the status of the kitchen. It had definitely seen better years.
Mahoney barked out a laugh and took a sip of coffee. “Right, so I’ll put your name on the agenda.”
My brain began to whir with ideas, and I hated to admit this was the sort of thing I’d been needing—a new project to sink my teeth into. The idea of putting together something music-related flared strong—my love for punk was unparalleled—but I wasn’t sure I had the contacts, time, or venue for a fundraiser of that magnitude. Still, I knew I could do better than a spaghetti dinner. My sisters had both coordinated everything from impeccable baby showers to full-blown galas, but maybe this was a little space I could carve for myself.
