AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Though Kevin wasn’t taking any chances here.
Noah didn’t seem to notice because his attention was on Nikki. “Good to see you again.”
Kevin startled. “You’ve met?”
“Yes, she was at the Pediatrics photoshoot last September,” Noah said. “The day Captain Williams arrived and you fought the fire in the trailer.”
“Wow, good memory.” Kevin appeared stunned and did a quick check on his and her position by Aiden.
No wonder, because Aiden had inched his way toward Vanessa, which wouldn’t escape Noah’s notice if they weren’t careful.
“Good to see you both,” Erin said, watching Kevin take a measured step with Nikki to keep Vanessa away from Aiden while allowing the trio of A-shift lieutenants to move forward.
“Welcome, Bishop, Rodriguez, Clarke,” Noah greeted them. Erin nudged him, and Noah corrected himself. “Vanessa, Luna, and Aiden.”
“Good to see you, sir,” Aiden said, pushed to stand a good eight feet from his not-girlfriend, Vanessa. Unfortunately, that kept him within four feet of Luna, who was also his ex-girlfriend.
“Nice to see you.”
The three lieutenants stood there, trying to find more to say. Luna tried the hardest. “How are you doing, Chief, after your heart thing?”
“Right as rain,” Noah said. “I’m going for runs regularly now, though Erin kicks my butt at basketball at the end.”
“You two run together?” Vanessa asked. She was horrible at basketball but had been on the short list for the Olympic team in soccer before her stint as Ms. Universe and joining the fire department.
“Sometimes,” Erin said. “The wedding prep includes a daily forty-five-minute run. We try to do it together, and then we play a few games of HORSE at the front hoop.”
“You run together. It sounds cute,” Luna said, and then tried to backpedal. “Not that I think you’re cute or… stuff…”
“I’m too old to be cute,” Noah tried to make a joke about his and Erin’s 132-month age gap.
Silence. Actual crickets chirped in the background, and poor, confused Nikki glanced from side to side in confusion.
Apparently, Kevin hadn’t filled her in on the dynamics of the Erin and Noah relationship.
“When do you two find the time?” Vanessa said gamely.
Erin turned to her. “I try to run before work if I’m on shift. He runs every day after work. If I’m home all day, I’ll wait to run with him. If I’m not home… honey, what do you do?”
“I go for a run downtown to the lake. James joins me sometimes if he’s around after I visit Battalion 9,” he interjected, and the team got quiet at the mention. The ‘James’ he was referring to was Battalion Chief James Haskell.
This ship was sinking, so Erin tried to bail out the water by leaning into Noah’s shoulder. “I bet he doesn’t make you chase him the way I do.”
“Running is excellent cardio. I swear I ran so much on the soccer field, I was ready for the Olympics in a different sport,” Vanessa soldiered on bravely.
“I’ve found running on the beach by our lake house pretty relaxing,” Aiden said. “Though Kevin and I do have a good time in the weight room.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Guys and the weight room.”
“No kidding,” Nikki added the neutral statement.
Kevin, rejoining the conversation, put his arm around Aiden’s shoulder and imitated a caveman. “We men. We firefighters. Lift weights to lift women on our shoulders. And lift the keg. Very heavy.”
Which promptly made everyone freeze since he’d said it in front of the Chief.
“Actually, I meant to ask if you wanted me to move the keg. Which is very heavy,” Kevin backpedaled. “And we will not drink in excess at all.”
Theo reappeared, noticing the tight faces, and said with forced cheer. “Beer anyone?”
