Single Dad Navy SEAL Firefighter

1. Brooke

Chapter 1

Brooke

A blank canvas with a field of opportunities to create new memories was my first thought when I saw my new apartment. The white walls, exposed face brick, wooden floors that didn’t creak at every step I took, and the casement windows that let in natural light; all of these features sold this apartment for me. Plus , it had a bathtub!

“ I can’t wait to create new memories in here!” I squealed as we placed the boxes down in the middle of the room. I placed my hands on my hips, taking in my new home once again. I did it! I was finally living alone and didn’t have to deal with that old place that had some terrible cranky plumbing, creaking every time somebody flushed their toilet.

Sometimes it felt like I could hear my upstairs neighbor’s sewage moving through those old pipes the landlord never wanted to fix; and when the pipes made that horrible creaking sound, I had suspicions that something was stuck.

Thank God I didn’t have to deal with that anymore!

“ This place looks amazing, Brooke ,” Matthew complimented, and I struggled to not blush. The entire moving trip from my old apartment to the new one had been a challenge because he was there. I could hear him, I could smell him, and I could feel him. Ugh !

“ Yeah , you sure you don’t want a roomie?” my best friend Marie asked me as she wrapped her arms around my waist, and I chuckled humorlessly as I shook my head. Absolutely not!

“ Sure ! Who wouldn’t want to live with you?” I sarcastically remarked, and she rolled her eyes and motioned toward Matthew with her head.

“ I didn’t mean me. I meant, would you be willing to live with other people?” She lifted her eyebrows, signaling that she was hinting at something, and I slowly shook my head.

“ While you guys discuss that, I’ll go ahead and fetch the last box from my car,” Matthew said, and I thanked him as he left my apartment, and Marie violently hit my arm.

“ What did you do that for?” I shouted as I rubbed on the stinging area, and she clicked her tongue.

“ You are so bad at signals! I’m trying to get you to extend an invite to Matthew ,” she whispered as if she didn’t want him to hear anything even though we both knew he was on his way downstairs to his car.

“ Invite him for what? He has his own apartment,” I scoffed as I opened a box and began unpacking; she joined me, but I could tell just from her huff that she was annoyed with me pretending I didn’t know what she was talking about.

Can’t get mad at a girl for acting clueless.

“ You know very well what I meant! Come on, Brooke , you’re grown...he’s grown, too. Get what I’m saying?” She shook her shoulders, a stupid grin on her face as she winked, and I shivered.

It wasn’t that I was horrified by the actions she was suggesting; I was horrified that she was mentioning them.

“ No , that would be weird,” I disagreed with her, and she groaned and dropped the wrapping paper into an empty box, gently placing the plate in her hand down on the counter. “ Besides , he isn’t interested in me like that.”

“ Does he know that you’re interested in him like that?” she threw the question back, and I shrugged a shoulder, as I spoke softly.

“ I like his posts and share them on my story; wouldn’t you say that’s flirting?” I asked her, and she looked at me, shocked, as she registered what I had just said.

“ Huh ?” she whispered as she pulled her eyebrows together, and I nodded innocently. I believed I was shooting my shot and Matthew was just blind.

“ I liked his Facebook stories more than thirteen times; it really doesn’t get louder than that Marie . He’s not interested.”

“ Yes , it does!” she shouted, shocking me as she slapped her hands against the cold granite, and I winced. Her hands must sting so badly right now. “ What are you, an idiot?”

“ No ,” I mumbled, and she pushed her fingers through her short wavy locks as she whispered something under her breath. “ I’m not an idiot!”

“ You sound like one. You have to say, ‘ I like you; let’s go out,’ and then you’ll be able to tell whether he likes you or not after he gives you an answer,” she said all in one breath, and I looked at her as if she was the stupid one.

“ You would never say that to a man you liked,” I called her out, and she giggled as she bent down and grabbed another plate, repeating the process of throwing the wrapping papers into the empty box, and I made a mental note to take the box out with me when I escorted Marie and Matthew back downstairs.

“ No , I wouldn’t, but they do, and it works on me all the time,” she grinned as she cupped her face, and I sighed as I shook my head. And she calls me the idiot?

“ That’s why all your exes are horrible people,” I said. She gasped and threw a paper in my direction. I laughed as I picked it up from the floor.

“ You can’t blame me for them. I am a lover of love, and they took advantage of that!”

“ Hmm -hmm,” I nodded sarcastically, and she clicked her tongue.

As she was about to respond with something along the lines of how at least she gives love a chance, unlike me, Matthew came back with the last box, informing us of the strange man he met downstairs.

“ Brooke , you might have a brooding neighbor,” he warned, and I looked at him confused but nervous, as well. “ But heck, he was handsome!”

I should prepare something and introduce myself to my neighbors.

“ How handsome?” Marie asked as she leaned against the island top, and Matthew explained how the man was tall and had a dark expression but that something about his frown made him seem attractive.

He sounded just like any other man from Chicago to me.

“ Hmm , maybe Brooke will like him,” Marie teased, and my eyes widened in shock. I quickly looked at Matthew , wanting to see his reaction, but he had the same friendly smile etched on his face as he unpacked my books.

“ Yeah , they would actually make a pretty attractive couple together,” he said, and I pulled my eyebrows together. What the fuck? I wanted to be a pretty attractive couple with him!

“ Oh , so you think Brooke is attractive?” Marie of course chose to focus on something he hadn’t said - typical Marie .

I called her “ The Extractor ,” because she always somehow knew how to get information from people that she had no business getting, but she somehow failed to access that skill when it came to her boyfriends.

“ Yeah , Brooke is pretty,” Matthew nodded as he looked at me and smiled, but that smile didn’t say, “ I want to be with you,” it said, “ I will compliment my friend,” which meant I wasn’t as pretty as I wanted to be in his eyes.

“ Ooh , then you should totally ask her out and see how gorgeous she is,” Marie pushed, and I tugged at her dress, trying to get her to stop her antics because she was clearly not reading the room.

“ Aha ha! No , Matthew and I are just friends and work colleagues,” I waved my hand, and he nodded, agreeing with me almost too immediately. There was no hesitation in his actions, and that kind of hurt.

Marie stared at me, annoyed; I had just driven a bulldozer through the stack of cards she was strategically building. But I would honestly rather reject myself than be rejected!

“ I mean, you would never know until you tr?—”

“ Oh , we know!” I interrupted her again, and her shoulders slumped, her right eye twitching as she looked at me. “ I’m sorry,” I mouthed, and she shook her head.

“ Marie is funny,” Matthew chuckled as he looked at me, and I forced my laughter as I nodded. “ Can you believe that Agent Brooke ?” Matthew slapped my back, and I swallowed in my gasp as I nodded.

What was it with all of them slapping me today?

“ Agent Brooke ?” Marie whispered, confused, as she stared at me, and Matthew took the responsibility upon himself to explain how I had gotten my pretty nickname.

“ Brooke can sell you about anything. At the center, she’s able to convince any veteran that walks in there to leave with a K9 under fifteen minutes,” he exaggerated excitedly, and I shook my head.

“ When they walk in, they already have their minds made up.” I waved my hand, and he threw his arm around my shoulder, causing me to stiffen as his scent wafted through my nostrils, and my heart rate quickened as I held my breath.

This sucks.

“ Come on, don’t downplay your skills, Brooke . Everybody wants to know how you do it.” His hearty laugh met my ears, and I nervously giggled, looking at Marie desperately, but she had a shit-eating grin pasted on her face.

She lifted her phone and took a quick picture as she shook her head. “ That’s quite a skill you have, Brooke ,” she goaded, and Matthew fed right into her schemes, gloating about my skills even more.

“ She’s just so amazing! That’s why I would drop anything to help her if she ever called.” He pressed a soft kiss on my temple, and Marie tilted her head to the side, cooing, as she pressed her hands to her chest.

I subtly shook my head as I tried my hardest to tell her not to say what I knew was about to come out of her mouth. But , of course, when had she ever listened to me?

“ Oh , you guys make such a cute couple! You complement each other,” she squealed, and I shut my eyes tightly as I heard Matthew’s deep chuckle. He didn’t think so. I knew it.

“ The same way I complement you!” I interjected as I hugged Marie , before Matthew could reassure her that we were only friends. “ Don’t you agree, Matthew ? I make anyone look good,” I shrugged, and he chuckled as he nodded.

“ Yes , you do; now, the two of you would make a cute couple!” he said, and I nodded, pinching Marie’s back before she could say anything else. He looked at his watch and sighed as he shook his head. “ Well , I need to get going. I promise to bring you a housewarming gift once you’ve settled in, Brooke .”

“ Oh , you don’t have to do that. You already helped me so much today.” I accepted his hug, and he clicked his tongue.

“ Nonsense , expect a gift soon,” he told me, and I rolled my eyes. “ Do you still need a ride back to your place, Marie , or will you be staying with Brooke ?”

“ Actually , I have work tomorrow, so yes, I will catch a ride with you.” Marie hugged me and gently rubbed my back; it took all that was in me not to break out in tears right there and then.

“ Thanks , you guys, for helping me; let me escort you to the garage,” I offered, and they both declined, letting me know that the elevator was a far enough distance for them.

“ Text me once you’re home,” I said as the elevator doors closed, and they waved as a response. Once the doors were fully closed, I breathed out a long breath as I felt the exhaustion take over my body.

I decided to run myself a hot bath the moment I entered my apartment, because I finally had a bathtub with a shower! The apartment was spacious and perfect for a single woman. I couldn’t wait to decorate it according to my tastes.

My friends had helped me organize the place a bit, but there was still so much work that had to be done.

As I was about to go to get into my bath, I noticed my new scented candles that I had bought for myself to relax. I decided to light them up and place them around the apartment. The jasmine and lime scented candles smelled amazing once lit, and I could feel myself slip into a relaxing mood.

I took my clothes off in my bedroom, enjoying the mood I had set up in my new apartment. There was no better way to end the day than a hot bath, lit candles, and bubbly.

It feels so good to be a girl!

I walked into the bathroom and was enveloped by the steam in the bathroom; the temperature was just right, and I knew my body would thank me for it by immediately passing out the moment I got into bed. As I was about to soak my body in the bathtub, I realized I didn’t have my body wash, and I quickly wrapped a towel around my body and walked back to the kitchen, where most of my boxes were.

The cold air hit me immediately, and I rushed through the boxes, wanting to return to my hot bath. Joy filled me when I found my grapefruit and lime body wash—yes, I liked lime a bit too much.

As I stood up straight, it felt like everything was happening in slow motion as I knocked over the lit candle into the wrapper-filled box that I had meant to throw away earlier. FUCK !

I watched the papers that had protected my ceramics be the very same that almost burnt down my apartment, but I was quick. I grabbed the cup that Marie was drinking water with and tossed the contents into the box, and my eyes widened as a scream left my lips. The flames grew! They grew?

I quickly sniffed the cup, and my eyes widened in horror when I realized that she was drinking champagne, not water. Double fucking fuck!

The blaring fire alarm was set off, and I glitched in my spot as I tried to put the fire out while simultaneously trying to switch the fire alarm off, but I froze as the smell of smoke quickly filled up my apartment.

I couldn’t move. Why can’t I move?

The next few seconds happened in a blur. The loud bangs against the door made me lift my head, and I watched in shock as the door fell on the ground with a sharp noise.

A man appeared with a fire extinguisher in hand, and white foam appeared from the nozzle, extinguishing the fire.

“ What the fuck where you thinking just standing there, huh?” Just like five years ago, I stood and watched instead of acting sooner. Why do I always do that? “ Hello ? I’m talking to you!”

Why am I so weak? I almost burnt down my apartment on my first day, and all I did was stand there.

“ Lady . You do know that the lease clearly states that you can’t light up this many scented candles in your apartment, right? Besides , don’t you know that you shouldn’t fucking play with fire? You could’ve died!”

I snapped out of my thoughts and pulled my eyebrows together as I looked at the burly man who shouted at me. How did he get in he— I looked at my door and noticed that it was broken.

“ You broke my fucking door?” I shouted back at him as I pointed at the door that was literally hanging by a single frame.

The man looked at me, confused, and he stared at the door for a second before his deep blue eyes found mine, and he scoffed, his frown deepening as he pointed to the box that almost ended my life.

“ I just saved your life, and you’re worried about the fucking door?” he yelled, and his tone pissed me off, not allowing me to appreciate the fact that he was a hero who had saved my life and my apartment.

“ Yes , I am worried about the fucking door! I just moved in; how the heck am I going to pay for it? You owe me a new door!”

He took a step back and looked me up and down. That was when I remembered that I was only wearing a towel, but my pride wouldn’t allow me to be embarrassed or remorseful. What was wrong with me?

“ No ,” he answered simply as he shook his head and walked toward my broken door.

“ What do you mean, ‘no’? You owe me a door! I had it handled!” I yelled after him, and he pulled the door that was left on its last hinges and slammed it close, causing the rest of the broken frame to fall off.

He left? And all he had to say was “no.”

No ?