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Chapter Fifteen
Hill set his giant salad bowl on the table and took the spot across from Ramsey, who was already grinding pepper over his salad concoction. On their weekly lunch rotation, they tried to alternate the junk-food places with restaurants that were conceivably healthy like this build-your-own-salad joint. Ramsey’s dad, who’d also been a firefighter, had died of a heart attack two years ago, and it’d spooked Ramsey about his own health. It hadn’t made him stop eating french fries, but now he at least inserted some greenery in between.
Ramsey handed the pepper grinder to Hill and then started splashing hot sauce on his salad. The guy put Tabasco on everything. “So,” Ramsey said when he was done with his salad doctoring, “how’s the cookbook coming?”
Hill gave him a look as he swallowed a bite of his salad. “It’s not. I never agreed to write one.”
“Right,” Ramsey said with a sage nod. “Because you’re so busy and all, you just can’t find the time.”
“I’m not…not busy,” Hill said grumpily. “I’m rehabbing. Jogging. Strength training. Doctors’ appointments.”
“Uh-huh.” Ramsey shoveled more salad in his mouth, looking wholly unimpressed.
“I’ve been giving my neighbor cooking lessons,” he added. “And she’s teaching me about horror movies.”
Ramsey’s brows went up, and he swiped at his mouth with a napkin. “No shit? You’re still hanging out with your hot neighbor?”
Hill shrugged, aiming for nonchalant. “Yeah. Some. We got together for a movie night last week.”
Ramsey grinned wide and leaned back in his chair. “Well, goddamn, you should’ve led with that. I’m impressed—you know—with myself. My inertia pep talk totally worked. I should definitely get into motivational speaking.How to Win Friends and Occasionally Get Laid.”
Hill snorted and went back to his salad, spearing a chunk of avocado. “I said I was hanging out with her. I didn’t say I was sleeping with her.”
And even if he had been, he wouldn’t be blabbing about it. Not anyone’s business.
“Hey, man, baby steps,” Ramsey said, forking a piece of kale and eyeing it like he wasn’t sure why he was eating such a thing. “Are you into her? Or is it strictly a friends thing?”
“We’re friends,” Hill said, not meeting Ramsey’s gaze.
“Friends.” Ramsey leaned forward on his elbows, obviously trying to get more out of him. “Which doesn’t mean you’renotinto her.”
Most of the time Hill appreciated that Ramsey could read him so well. It saved him having to explain himself and had been indispensable when they were fighting fires together. But times like these, he wished his friend wasn’t so damn observant. Hill took a big bite of salad.
Ramsey laughed. “Yeah, you’re into her. But, let me guess, feel too out of practice to ask her out?”
Hill swallowed his bite and took a swig of his iced tea. “More complicated than that.”
Ramsey went back to his food. “What do you mean? She with someone?”
“No.”
“Then it’s not that complicated.” He pointed his fork at Hill. “It’s that fear of getting back on the horse blocking you. I get it. You just need some practice after being out of the game so long.” He smirked. “Which is perfect because I’m about to solve your problem.”
Hill gave him a cease-and-desist look. “There is no problem, Rams.”
“Sure, sure. You’re fine. Everything’s cool. You’re totally not a hard-up, grumpy shut-in. You’re absolutely not on a one-way trip to becoming the get-off-my-lawn guy in the neighborhood.”
Hill sniffed derisively. “Get off my lawn.”
Ramsey chuckled. “See. You’re way too good at that. But listen, I’m being serious. I have something that will help. I was going to talk to you about this today anyway, but now you have even more reason to say yes.”
“No.”
Ramsey lifted his glass and frowned from behind his Diet Coke. “You don’t even know what it is.”
“I know that look,” Hill said, going back to his salad. “Last time I saw that look, we almost got arrested for public indecency.”
Ramsey lifted his hands, palms out. “I swear this is not like that. Hear me out. This is right up your alley because I know that my friend Hill is a man of the community.” He put his hand on his chest. “He is a hero who sacrificed himself to save others. He is selfless and brave and wise.”
