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He trailed off.
So I whispered, “It was that hand that saved her husband.”
“Yeah,” he said gruffly, looked to his plate, and forked into a piece of chicken.
God, he was even more amazing than I already knew he was.
In fact, I wasn’t sure I could fully take that in, that was just how amazing he was.
“I don’t know what to say, but I have questions,” I said quietly.
“Shoot,” he said to his plate.
I drew in breath.
“That rookie on the radio?”
A short nod. “Brian. He quit too. I don’t know where he is. He dropped out, doesn’t keep in touch with any of the guys.” Rix looked to me. “You should know, this town…the department has great insurance. But I was injured on the job, so anything to do with my legs is covered for life. Hospital stay, rehab, prosthetics, chair, truck retrofit, OT stuff for the house, all covered. And when I wear out my legs, which happens about every three years, could be earlier for me ’cause I’m active, I’ll get fitted for new ones. Or if I need extra to do different things, I’ll get ’em. But this town, these people, they took a collection, raised so much money for me, Alex, I paid off my fucking house.”
Tears hit my eyes.
“Lost my legs, got a house.”
“Rix,” his name broke in the middle.
“I’m good, sweetheart,” he said.
“I hate that happened to you,” I replied.
“Me too. But it did. And I’m good.”
“I don’t want to talk about anything deep anymore,” I blurted.
“Okay, baby,” he agreed gently, but his eyes on me were gentler.
“It’s not that I’m weak,” I stated quickly. “It’s not that I can’t listen to something horrible and painful and tragic that didn’t even happen to me. It’s just that I like you. You’re a really amazing guy. And it upsets me a lot that something painful and tragic happened to you. And I need a bit to let that story settle. Okay?”
More gentle with his, “I said okay, honey.”
I sniffed and stared at my plate.
As a number of thoughts tumbled through my head, I didn’t know Rix was watching them tumbling until he ordered, “Don’t be pissed at Brian, everyone makes rookie mistakes.”
And yes, what my brain had tumbled to was that I was angry at fucking Brian.
I still was when I turned my attention back to Rix.
“You paid for his mistake,” I spat.
“You think he isn’t?”
Ugh!
Why was he being so benevolent and rational?
I stabbed a carrot so hard it broke apart.
So I stabbed the pieces.
They broke too.
“Al, it’s already dead,” Rix joked.
I gave up on the carrot, my plate entirely, and reached for my wine.
I downed half of what was left in my glass.
“There’s my girl,” Rix muttered, and as I lowered my wineglass, I saw his amused gaze on me.
“Stop being adjusted,” I complained.
“You want me to get up and throw my deck furniture around?”
“Can I?” I asked.
“No,” he answered, lips twitching.
“I don’t have anything deep like that to share,” I admitted.
“I’m glad, though your sister’s a bitch, and that couldn’t have been fun.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Everybody has their damage, babe,” he noted.
I then squinted my eyes at him and accused, “You’re being adjusted again.”
He grinned. “Sorry. Can’t help it. That’s just me.”
“Though, my sister is very difficult to deal with,” I sniffed, and turned back to my plate. “And we haven’t gotten into Chad.”
“Chad? Who’s Chad?”
“Blake’s fiancé.”
“His name is Chad?”
Rix sounded like he was about to bust out laughing, at the same time hurl.
And yes, that was precisely where it was with Chad.
I nodded. “Think of everything that defines a Chad and then multiply that by a thousand,” I said. “That’s Blake’s Chad.”
He was smiling. “Well, fuck, baby.”
“Exactly.”
He started chuckling.
“Warning, if Chad manages to form a coherent thought outside wondering where his next drink or good time is going to come from, he’s going to hate you,” I told him.
He chewed some chicken, swallowed, and asked, “Why’s that?”
“Because, and excuse me for being vulgar, but my guess is, the size of his penis is not all that much to write home about. However, the second he sees you, it’ll shrink an inch he can’t afford to lose.”
At that, Rix didn’t bust out laughing.
He roared with it.
Only minutes after he told his story, hearing that laughter, watching it, I knew it was the crowning achievement of my life until that point.
That feeling was addictive.
So I went for more.
“I’d ask you to tamp down your natural magnetism and virility for Chad’s sake, but it’s going to be too fun to watch him visibly not measure up, so you have my permission to open the floodgates.”
His hilarity had quieted down, but it was not gone when he said, “Thanks for permission.”
I swallowed some couscous and replied, “You’re welcome.”
He lifted his brows. “Natural magnetism?”
“Like you don’t know,” I mumbled.
“Virility?” he teased.
