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“Damn, girl.That dress ishot,” Skye says, pulling me in for a hug before stepping back and looking me over, then stepping away.“My brother is an idiot.”
I swear that’s what she mutters under her breath before she embraces Val and talks about the facial she got at our clinic yesterday.
“Best thing I’ve had on my face in ages.”
“That’s what she said,” Renee mutters, earning a round of startled giggles.
“Ren!”her sister Hayley says with a smirk.“I don’t know what it is about you nearly being a married woman, but damn, girl.You’re letting your dirty mind out to play in public more now than you ever have.”
Renee shrugs like she couldn’t care less, glancing my way and shooting me a wink.“Skye isn’t wrong about that dress, Lonnie.That’s a showstopper, and I should know.”
“Someonemight have asked if she’d wear it, not knowing our little Lonnie had already decided to anyway.”
“Wait ...”Dee, Rhodes’s wife, switches her gaze between Val and myself.“Lucaaskedif you’d wear the dress?”
I nod.“Yup.”
She groans and shakes her head from side to side.“I swear, that man needs to see what the rest of us all see and snap you up beforeanotherhot doctor comes along to whisk you away.At the moment, he doesn’t deserve to get eye candy like that.”
“Wait.You know too?”I ask her, suddenly feeling uncomfortable that everyone knows I’m in heavy like with Luc, or that I’m that so damn obvious that it’s just becoming a joke now.
“Okay, babe.No.I can see what you’re thinking and it’s definitelynotthat.I swear.I don’t think there’s anybody in the station thatisn’trooting for you two to get together.My husband included.He’s told me more than once that he can’t work out what Luc’s problem is.”
“It’s not a problem.It’s ...”My words get lost on my tongue because I never stopped to consider that maybe it’s not that Luc doesn’t want me.It’s that he doesn’twantto want me.Or worse ...he isn’t willing to risk anything else in his life to let himself have me.
Shit.Why am I even here?
“I should never have agreed to bid on Luc tonight.Maybe he needs Renee’s grandma to win him.”
“No, Lonnie.Get that thought right out of your head,” Val whispers, for my ears only.“You havenothingto worry about.”
I meet her eyes and shake my head.“I don’t want to be a punch line, Val.The Captain’s daughter mooning over the older lieutenant.”
“Well, you’re lucky there because he’snota lieutenant yet.And you’re not a joke.This isn’t fun and games, and as soon as we get in there and the auction starts, you’re going to realize that.I just need you to trust me.”She looks around the group, women I class as my friends, since we’re all parts of the firehouse family.“You need to trustus.Can you do that?”
Something starts niggling at my brain because Val seemsveryencouraging tonight.More so than ever before.It’s like she’senjoyingthis a little too much, and I’m starting to think that I’m missing something.
I know that none of them would steer me wrong, but their encouragement seems to be feeding into the crush that I’m trying hard to move on from.And the thought that I might have to distance myself from them, from the whole firehouse in order to achieve that objective, actually hurts.How did I get myself into this mess?Oh, that’s right.I agreed to come and bid on the best friend that I’m in love with.
“Butyou’ve got to promise us all that you’re going to make Luc squirm a little.Because there’s nothing I like more than seeing that cocky fucker get a little uncomfortable.So that’s where Renee’s grams and her friends come in.They’ve come armed with dollar bills and they’re willing to throw them at him if need be.”
Just the vision of that has me giggling.
“Grams always did say she liked a man in uniform,” Renee says with a devilish grin.
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think it’s high time we went to our table inside and started enjoying the fire department’s hospitality.I mean, they keep our men from us for a day at a time—the least they can do is supply us some champagne and good food for the pleasure,” Val declares.”
Dee’s chest puffs up as she shoots us a proud smile.“Considering it’smyrestaurant catering this event, I can guarantee you it’s good food.”
Val loops her arm in mine.“You ready to make your entrance?”
“Sure.Champagne and Dee’s food?You’re gonna have to hold me back.”
“Perfect,” she says, sharing a strange look with Skye before the group moves forward toward the ballroom.For a moment I consider what I might be walking into ...then I remember it’s a charity auction.I’m not walking into anything surprising.This isn’t going to be a life-changing night.I don’t have to do anything or eventhinkabout anything.Tonight’s about having fun with the ladies of Firehouse 101.
So why does it feel like something big is about to happen?
