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“Why don’t you date?”
She whipped her head around. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Why. Don’t. You. Date?”
With every enunciation, her scowl deepened.
“That’s none of your concern,” she said shortly.
“I don’t date that much either,” I volunteered. She looked at me skeptically. “Crazy hours. Dangerous job. Dirty truck.” I attempted to lighten the mood, but she didn’t crack a smile.
“Sounds like you date your job.”
“Looks like you do too.”
“This isn’t a job for me,” she said, her voice reverent.
Images of the way she treated the dogs and Miss Adeline flashed through my head. What little I’d seen, she behaved like they were everything.
Then it occurred to me being a firefighter wasn’t just a job for me either. It was a calling. While part of me had cooked dinner for Pepper and Miss Adeline just to get under Pepper’s skin, I’d done it to keep myself occupied because I should’ve been doing it for the guys at the station tonight.
Anger bubbled up. I’d serve this suspension. There was no point in fighting through the bureaucracy bullcrap that might get me sidelined even longer. But if Captain thought I’d take this quietly, he didn’t know me well. And he should. He’d held the position thirteen of my fifteen years. I followed orders I believed in but wasn't afraid to buck the system. Our relationship had been strained the entire time because of that.
One of Pepper’s dogs jetted forward. She stumbled but didn’t fall. “Oscar. Easy. I know we’re almost there.”
She was so good with them. Patient. Kind. She spoke to them as if they understood. Judging by the way Oscar slowed his gait, maybe they did.
“So that’s Oscar. And that’s Sadie.” I lifted one of the leashes in my hands. “I know Muffy and Ash. But who else do we have?”
That skeptical look was back. Like she didn’t want to bother because I’d just forget later.
“You haven’t exactly introduced yourself either,” she said.
“You’ve been dying to know my name, haven’t you? And here I thought you were content to continue calling me Mr. October.”
“Miss Adeline is,” she muttered.
I’d never been a fan of the photo shoot for the calendar. The photographers always had us in the weirdest positions. We were oiled down, shirtless—always—and had to hold the hoses and other things nothing like we’d hold them if on the job. But Miss Adeline calling me Mr. October had been amusing, and Pepper’s irritation by it even funnier.
“Teague. I like to go on long walks, prepare gourmet meals, and rescue cats.”
Oscar jerked his head around at the wordcats.
Pepper laughed, though I wasn’t sure if it was at Oscar or me. “He likes cats too. I’m just not sure rescuing is the right description.”
“Milwaukee, but Millie for short.” She motioned toward the other dog in my grasp. “And Jet.”
And there were nine more dogs. That was a lot to keep up with, especially for one person.
“How often do you call one of them the wrong name?” I strolled beside her, fascinated with how easy she made this look.
Sadie stopped to sniff a food wrapper that had been discarded on the sidewalk. I paused to pick it up, but Jet kept moving. As my arms stretched in two directions, I felt like Gumby.
Sadie wouldn’t let go of the hamburger wrapper and Jet had picked up speed as another dog approached. I tugged on the leash, but that only made him more excited.
The paper ripped in half. Part of it was in my fist, along with Sadie’s leash, the other dangling from her mouth.
“Teague,” Pepper said urgently.
