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His eyes dart over to mine and he frowns. I drop my eyes to the ground, staring at my shiny new boots as my face burns red.
I have to fit in here.
I don’t want to go back home. The small town in Kentucky that I grew up in has nothing waiting for me. All of my brothers have left, my mother died, I can handle talking to my father once a week on the phone, but more than that is too much.
And there are no prospects in the men department. I’m a strong girl. Built tough. What I didn’t get from working on a farm all of my childhood, I got in the gym. It was important to me to be as strong as any of the men on my team.
In a normal firefighting unit, I would be, but with freaks like Grey and Brees beside me, I don’t stand a chance in meeting their strength.
Anyway, I was too muscly for any of the men I dated. I could see it in their eyes when I walked into the restaurant or bar. Who wants a girlfriend who could kick their ass? I’m sure some don’t mind, but they weren’t living in my hometown.
I hope Belgrade Springs is going to be different. I’m sick of being alone.
“Frye!” Quinton bellows at me, calling me by my last name. “It’s your first rodeo, so you’re on the pipe.”
My smile widens. I get to hold the hose and put out the flames? This is too good to be true. I’m so excited and grateful that I feel like I’m going to cry.
“Just don’t get in the way,” Grey mutters in a low voice.
I think it’s the first thing he’s said to me. I know all about alpha male bullshit and you can’t let them get away with it. That’s the first rule of living and working with a bunch of guys.
“Why is that?” I snap back at him. “You afraid you’re going to be outshined by a girl?”
Brees and Enzo burst out laughing. Even Quinton is chuckling as he shakes his head.
“Yeah, Grey!” Enzo says with a chuckle. “You afraid of being—”
Grey’s huge arm whips out and he grabs Enzo by the hair. His laughter is immediately replaced by a wince as he’s yanked forward.
“You want to finish that thought?” Grey asks in his deep booming voice.
“No, no!” Enzo quickly says, his demeanor and tone of voice doing a one-eighty. “I know you’re not afraid of anything! Can you let go of my hair please? Once you lose it at my age, it doesn’t come back. Every hair is precious.”
Grey holds on for another few seconds and then lets go.
Enzo sits back in his chair, smoothing out his messy hair with a red face.
Grey stares me down and I stare him down right back. The tension grows until we pull into the parking lot and I turn to gawk at the burning building through the window.
I forget all about Grey as the excitement and anticipation come roaring back. I can smell the smoke. I can feel the heat.
The truck stops and the guys jump out so quickly it’s a blur. I don’t even have my safety belt off.
“Shit,” I mutter as I fumble with it. My fingers are all shaky and my heart is pounding so hard that I can barely think.
I’m the last one out by far. The others are already doing their job as I rush out of the truck and head for the hose. I grab it and easily pull it to the fire hydrant. All those intense workouts in the gym have paid off and I’m glad I’m not struggling.
I hook it up in record time as I feel Quinton’s eyes on me, watching me and making sure I’m not screwing up.
I feel other eyes on me as well. The feeling is intense, but I don’t dare look away and risk screwing up in front of my new crew. I unleash the water and it fills the hose up until it’s hard and ready to burst out of the nozzle.
I rush over to grab the other end, but just as I arrive, Grey steps in and elbows me out of the way.
“Back in the truck, rookie,” he mutters as he picks up the pipe and pulls back the lever. A heavy stream of water surges out and soars into the burning blaze.
“Hey!” I shout at him over the roar of the flames and water. “That’s my position!”
“What are you going to do about it?” he answers with a grin.
I don’t know what comes over me, but I kick him as hard as I can in the dick and yank the hose out of his hands.
He falls to a knee and the look of pure rage on his red face tells me that was a huge mistake. Probably a fatal mistake.
