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If Ryland O’Hara didn’t stop looking at me like I was his last meal, I was going to burst into flames and go to hell. I had already taken off my grandmother’s cross, which I’d worn since I was sixteen. It didn’t go with my halter dress, or so I told myself. Mainly, I didn’t want Jesus looking down my cleavage while I tried to jump the hottest fireman in St. Louis.
If my overprotective older brother had any idea I’d been lusting after his best friend for years, he’d take me to the station and hose me down in a flurry of public embarrassment. I swore he
was worse than our dad ever was.
But that kiss… that sweet kiss that was far too short and teasing. I didn’t think Ryland would do it even though my entire body was chanting, go for it. My only escape from self-humiliation was when Ian arrived. The burly fireman saved me with a salad that belonged inside rather than outside on the table in the sun. I was lucky I didn’t drop Ian’s bowl of food from the sweat that covered my palms.
“You plan on mooning over that boy or helping me in here?” Lily snickered and pointed her sharp little knife at me rolling an onion down the counter I had to catch.
“Maybe, is watching a crime?” The smile that split my face couldn’t be hidden under my loose hair and Lilly laughed.
“Only when your brother kills him.” We chuckled and continued to prepare fresh bruschetta. I wondered if she given me all the onions to chop on purpose. By the time we finished, my light makeup had been cried off from the tears, and I smelled faintly of onions. Lily didn’t keep me long when I became more of a liability watching Ryland through the window than how I was chopping the vegetables.
“Go on get out of here before you give yourself a good bleeder.” Lily took my knife away and shooed me back outside where I escaped to play volleyball in the backyard, teamed up against my brother and Oz. I was too chicken to join him up on the patio in the presence of our family and friends. Besides, the object of my affections was in deep conversation and it didn’t feel right to interrupt him while everything was… well… whatever this was, it was still a secret.
Letting the volleyball soar over the net, I noticed that Ryland’s backyard had a lovely view from where his house sat on top of a hill. He lived far enough from downtown that the top of the arch was barely visible as it glittered with a mix of silver and gold, reflecting the last rays of the afternoon sun.
The patio was strung with miniature old-fashioned lightbulbs that crisscrossed from the beams above. For a bachelor pad, it had little touches here and there that made me wonder if his mom had come over recently. Mrs. O’Hara owned a decorating business, and I couldn’t see her letting her only child live like a typical single guy. His house was homey, inviting, and I wondered what it might be like to be with him, as a girlfriend. Ryland was the first guy I even fantasized about the more with. Not even my disastrous relationship with Beau struck these thoughts within me.
I spent my evening joking around with Oz, who told me a dirty little story about this cougar he was sort of hooking up with while Ian was giving him some solid relationship advice. I wondered why Ford tried to steer me clear of his co-workers, I thought they great and funny. Eventually, Ford pulled Oz and Ian into a deep debate about Class A and B fire extinguishers putting the snooze on our fun. I sipped wine with Lily discussing potential baby names for her and Benjamin while Ryland played the good host. He worked the backyard hobbling around on his crutches and whenever we passed by each other I’d feel him touch me. It felt like a drive by and fleeting but when I would look up he’d smile at me and go right back to his conversation stunning me. The party wrapped up with a few guys and the chief shuttling food to the fire house for the crew working today.
“Summerrrr Roooose.”
Leaning over the railing, I turned to see Ford staggering up from the yard a little worse for wear. Oz was no better, taking a final swig of his beer on swaying feet before tossing the empty into a recycling bin. So much for those fire extinguishers keeping them sober.
“Ford…” I was feeling grateful—I knew drunken Ford couldn’t lecture me about Ryland and any of the touches he might have glanced earlier. My brother still wanted to punch the doctor who cheated on me but settled for calling him a limp unicorn dick instead every time he assisted on a paramedic call. It made working in the ER awkward, but as long as my hotheaded, bossy brother steered clear of my business with Ryland, we would be okay. They were best friends, and I didn’t want to damage years of friendship with my crush.
“I’m a gonna need you to drive my car.” He exaggerated each word, gesticulating with his hands in a dramatic roll along with his eyebrows and lips.
“We came together, or did you forget?” I realized then that Ford’s truck was a manual, and I wasn’t the greatest at driving stick shift. I knew coming over here I should’ve just driven my little Prius, but Ford had insisted.
“Summer, that’s okay, Benjamin and I will drop Ford and Oz off. They’re on the way, right, honey?” Lily was holding a box of party supplies when Benjamin rounded the corner with Ryland hopping behind him.
“As long as they don’t puke or fall asleep in the backseat, sure. What about Summer, though?”
Benjamin nodded at me, and I felt a little uncomfortable with five sets of eyes staring at me. In fact, it felt downright conspiratorial based on Lily’s exaggerated wink.
“I can drop her off. She can’t drive Ford’s truck.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Are you supposed to be driving?” Worried that Ryland was doing something he shouldn’t, I hesitated and considered leaving with Lily and the guys.
“Summer, I’m fine.” Ryland smiled, but I still wasn’t reassured.
“All right, it’s settled, then.” Benjamin took the box from Lily, gave me a conspiring wink that matched his wife’s, and left us there to hash out the details. Ford still had his mouth wide open, looking confused, until Lily poked the bottom of his chin with her finger.
“Flies, Ford, you’re catching fire flies.” Lily shook her head, whistling some tune I probably wasn’t old enough to know. “Come on boys, your ride is leaving.”
Oz followed behind her like a puppy, but Ford stood there, looking back and forth between Ryland and me.
“Well, you heard the lady. Git moving, Ford.” Ryland used his crutch to point down the hall.
“Ry…” Ford was drunk, but his tone held a warning. The two seemed to square off in this silent battle of wills before Ford threw his hands up in the air and staggered after Lily before slamming the front door closed.
“What on earth was that about?”
Ryland took a deep breath, not answering my question as he silently hobbled back to the kitchen. I followed him into the kitchen and stood by the small butcher’s block island where I had chopped onions hours earlier.
