Buddy’s Honor (The Aegis Network: Jacksonville Division #6)

Chapter 1

1

“ W ake up. Your birthday is over.”

Buddy West groaned as he rolled to his side, pulling the covers over his head. He ignored his roommate, Duncan Booker.

“Rise and shine,” Duncan said, shaking Buddy’s shoulder.

“Bug off,” Buddy managed to say, though his lips stuck together like dried cotton.

“It’s your turn to mow the lawn,” Duncan said sarcastically.

“What are you, my wife?” Buddy had moved in six months ago when Duncan’s longtime girlfriend moved out and moved on, leaving Duncan with a broken heart. Even if he acted like the breakup was no big deal, Buddy knew better. He and Duncan had gone through the Air Force Academy, fireman training, and left the military together. Duncan was more like a brother than a friend.

“No woman on the planet would have you, especially in this condition. You look like shit.”

Buddy glanced at his knuckles and then cupped his bruised cheek. He hadn’t gotten into a fistfight since high school, so at thirty-eight, he was more than out of practice, but that asshole, Keith Jones, deserved a good punch. Not just for his rude comments to some of the new firefighters, but in general, he was a cocky son of a bitch and certainly not a team player. The few times Buddy had to work a fire with Keith, he didn’t feel safe, and that meant people could die. Firemen had to put their lives in the hands of the man standing next to them. Something that didn’t sit well when it was Keith who was that man.

Currently, Keith had been forced to take a leave for the next thirty days because he’d failed to follow protocol, making him more of a dick.

“I feel like death.” Buddy sat up, resting his back on the headboard, and stared at Duncan, who looked like the front cover of the latest Fireman and Puppies calendar in the bedroom doorway. Buddy’s memory might be a little fuzzy from last night’s celebration, but he knew Duncan had tossed back more than a few. “I’m too fucking old for this shit.”

“Keith’s face looks worse than yours, and I bet his ego is more bruised than you.”

“I hope he gets transferred to another station, but I don’t wish that asshole on anyone.” Buddy rubbed his forehead. Even he knew the only thing that would cure his hangover was a greasy bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg and a gallon of water. “How are you not dying?” Buddy asked.

“Oh, trust me, I am. I made love to the porcelain God for half an hour early this morning, something I haven’t done since we left the military. That was a fucking party that I don’t remember.”

Buddy laughed. “I don’t think any of us do.”

“Well, you’ll be happy to know I was a nice guy, and after I forced myself to take a hot shower, I went and got us breakfast.”

“You are the fucking man,” Buddy said, pushing back the covers as he found his shorts. His feet hit the floor, and his vision tripled. A wave of nausea rolled from his fuzzy brain to his sloshy gut. He pressed his hands against the wall to steady himself. “I used to be able to handle my liquor.”

“At least you didn’t trip and land face-first in the cake,” Duncan said, shaking his head.

“That poor girl. She was in way over her head last night.” One of the last things Buddy remembered was helping the newest member of the station house, Chastity Jade, back to her rental four blocks away. He and Duncan had tucked her into her bed before stumbling back home with a bottle of Jack Daniels that Chastity had told them to take because she never wanted to see it again.

And she was a whopping twenty-five years old, so one might think she could party like a rock star.

“We should go check on her.” Buddy blinked a few times as he stepped into his shorts, hiking them up over his hips.

“I already did. She’s headed out for a run and asked if we wanted to join her.”

“To be young again.” Buddy slapped Duncan on the shoulder as he pushed past him, heading toward the kitchen. They leased a three-bedroom ranch from a wealthy family with at least a half dozen houses in the neighborhood that had all been rented to either Aegis Network employees, firefighters, or military personnel. “Do we have coffee?”

“I’m not your wife, remember? But I made a pot.”

“Thank God for small favors,” Buddy mumbled, scratching his head, the cobwebs fading into the distance. The smell of bacon and meat filled his nostrils, easing his sour belly. “I’m starving.” After getting a mug and filling it, he sat at the table and opened the to-go container, his stomach turning over with one big growl.

“What do you think of Chastity?” Duncan asked.

That got Buddy’s attention. Duncan had been on an anti-woman campaign, saying he’d never get involved again. Duncan had always been a one-woman man, and everyone knew it. He just had shit taste in the ladies.

“I think she’s smart and a great addition to the station,” Buddy said.

“I know a few stations who are glad they weren’t assigned a female.”

“And they are all sexist assholes. Women make for some great first responders.” For years, Buddy had to help his twin sister, Kelly, fight for what she wanted, and now she was a deputy chief fireman in their hometown in Vermont, but she still had to deal with the misconception that being a woman meant she couldn’t save lives and fight fires. “But that’s not why you’re asking, now is it?”

“She flirted with me last night,” Duncan said as if that were horrible.

“I know. I heard everything thing she threw at you while we helped her to bed and didn’t acknowledge a single word of it.”

“She was drunk. She didn’t know what she was saying.”

Buddy lifted his sandwich and took the largest bite he could stuff in his face. Whoever created hangover food should be given the Pulitzer. He closed his eyes, enjoying how the grease rolled down his throat. The bacon crunched between his teeth, and the fried egg exploded like a mini orgasm in his mouth.

He nearly choked at the off-color thought.

“You know what they say about alcohol and truth,” Buddy said before taking another bite. He chewed and swallowed quickly, not letting his friend mull those words around too long. “Or were you too dumbfounded by the fact she’s got a crush on you.”

“I think she’s pretty damn incredible but so fucking young, and I work with her. What the hell am I doing even thinking about it?” Duncan shoved a French fry into his mouth. “Besides, I listened to her talk about the last guy she was involved with for thirty freaking minutes earlier in the night. I’m not sure I want to walk into that mess.”

“Not to sound like your future lieutenant, but it’s never a good idea to be involved with someone you work with.” Buddy held up his finger. “But if you like her, ask her out, because I’m kind of tired of listening to you waffle about it.”

“Arthur’s going to make for a great captain.” Duncan had always been good at taking the first opportunity to change the subject. If he wanted to talk more about Chastity, he would.

“I’m just glad he turned down the admin job. It would suck not to see his pretty face at the station every day.”

“Yeah, but he told Timothy and the Aegis Network that he doesn't want any assignments until his wife gives birth to their third kid,” Duncan said, diverting his gaze to the ceiling. “I don’t blame him. It’s got to be hard on Maren with a four- and one-year-old while dealing with morning sickness when her husband is always gone.”

“She’s got her mom to help out.” Buddy knew without a shadow of a doubt that Duncan wanted a wife, kids, and a white picket fence.

Hell, so did Buddy, but he’d yet to find a woman that took his breath away and made him want to do something crazy like put a ring on it. So, until that day happened, if it ever did, he’d enjoy being a bachelor.

However, he would do his best to avoid a hangover from now on.

“I better mow the lawn before my roommate has a cow.” Buddy downed two large gulps of coffee, thankful it wasn’t scalding hot. Grabbing the rest of his burger, he headed toward the back door and paused. “Thanks for a great birthday, man. I really did appreciate it.”

“Anytime.”

Buddy stepped into the garage and hit the clicker. The warm sun filtered through the opening. With hurricane season behind them, the temperatures had started to drop, but that didn’t seem to stop the lush green growth of the grass. He pushed the lawnmower out to the driveway, noting a white SUV parked at the house across the street and one door down with the hatch open. That place had been empty for the last two months since it sold. Someone told him the new owner wouldn’t be renting it out but moving in. Only no one had moved in yet.

Bending over, still staring at the house, he snatched the cord just as a woman in a pair of white shorts, showing off tanned legs that went on forever, graced his vision. Her black tank top hugged her midriff, showing off her tight abs and her curvy breasts. Her dark hair flowed over her shoulders. She peered over her large-rimmed sunglasses and waved. Her smile socked him in the chest.

He pulled the rip cord on the mower with manly gusto, ready to show her his excellent stud status but instead, he yanked in an awkward direction and fell over backward.

“Fuck,” he said with a moan as he landed on his ass on the concrete driveway. Another bruise to add to his collection.

“You okay?” the woman asked as she raced across the street.

“I’m fine.” Only his male ego took a major hit.

The woman stood over him, holding out her hand. “So, you’re a firefighter.”

“How’d you know?” he asked as his lungs deflated. He tried to suck in another breath, but it seemed for the first time in his life—a woman stole it.

She tapped her chest, right above her damn perfectly round womanly curves. “Your tattoo might have given it away.”

He’d forgotten he was in only his shorts. Taking her hand, he jumped to his feet, but he didn’t allow her to help. He just wanted to touch her skin.

His pulse raced with the kind of adrenaline rush he had right before he ran into a burning building.

“Are you moving in?” Buddy asked, still holding her hand, and staring into her almond-mocha eyes like a pathetic lovesick puppy.

She nodded. “I’m Kaelie Star.”

“Buddy West.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, pulling her hand away. “I’ve got to get going. I need to get a few things before the moving truck gets here. I hope to see you soon.”

“Maybe tonight we can have a drink. Yeah. Stop by. My roommate Duncan and I will just be hanging out. Might as well come over for dinner. I mean, who wants to cook while they still have to unpack?” Jesus, he sounded like a fucking moron as he babbled on and stumbled over his words.

“I have a meeting I have to attend around five, so maybe a drink later on.”

“Hope to see you then.”

She nodded, slipping her oversized sunglasses back on her face. Her hips swayed as she crossed the street.

Buddy tore his gaze away as he turned his attention back to the lawn mower. Jerking the cord, this time without falling over, the engine turned over once, then puttered out. He tried two more times before he realized the damn thing was out of gas.

He snatched the gas can from the garage and put it in the back of his pickup before heading back into the house to snag his keys and a shirt.

Duncan still sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee and scarfing down fries.

“We need gas,” Buddy said, pointing at the back door that just slammed shut. “And I met our new neighbor. She’s stopping by for a drink tonight. For me, not you, so don’t embarrass me or hit on her.”

Duncan laughed. “Because falling on your ass didn’t shame you enough?”

Buddy rubbed his bruised butt and winced at the thought. “I’m going to go get?—”

The cell phone on the table buzzed as the song “Maggie May” belted from the small electronic device.

“It’s Arthur.” Duncan tapped the phone, sending it to speaker. “What’s up, man?”

“How are you feeling this morning?” Arthur asked. He’d left the party long before it had gotten out of hand. Smart man.

“I’m not dead,” Duncan said.

“Where’s Buddy?”

“Right here,” Buddy said.

“I hate to ask since you both haven’t had a few days off in a long time, but it’s been abnormally busy out there; a few guys from the other squad are out sick.”

Buddy had never said no to helping out, and he wouldn’t start now. “I can be there in twenty.”

“I’ll come in with Buddy,” Duncan said.

“It’s an overnight shift,” Arthur said.

“Not a problem,” Buddy said. In three weeks, he’d be a lieutenant, and while that would change his role on the team, it wouldn’t change the crazy hours or the men and women he had the honor of working with.

And that was just fine with him.