Some Cowboys Brave the Flames (Keagans of Copper Creek #10)

Chapter 7

7

Ash

I t had taken every ounce of self-control not to throw a punch or two at the guy who clearly didn’t understand what the word “no” meant. From the moment Ash noticed Charlie had arrived, he’d kept his eyes on her. He’d told himself to give her some space. He was even going to cancel their next cooking lesson after their last interaction.

But the second that slimeball of a guy sat next to her, he knew he wasn’t going to stick with that plan. He slowed his running to a jog and watched as Charlie grew increasingly uncomfortable. He didn’t have to be standing beside her to know what was happening. It wasn’t hard to miss the way she’d tried to pull away from him.

Ash’s blood still boiled at the memory. The guy even had the gall to tell Ash that Charlie had come unto him.

His hands balled into fists, and he glanced away from Charlie to see if the guy was still at the tennis courts. Sure enough, he was chatting with three other men. And they were looking over at where Ash stood with Charlie.

When Ash turned back to face her, he found her watching him with a curious sort of gaze. Tension remained high between them. He hadn’t missed each time she’d tried to put distance between them. Each instance had been like a dagger to the heart.

“Where’s your car?”

She shook her head. “It’s not here. I walked.”

He gaped at her. “Charlie, do you know how long of a walk that is?” He regretted his statement when she scowled at him.

“ Clearly . I got here, didn’t I?”

“It’s got to be at least three miles.”

She shrugged. “I like walking.”

He dragged a hand down his face. Her brothers wouldn’t be thrilled to discover this tidbit of information. If he knew them, they’d probably lock her away in the house like one of those fairytale princesses.

“I’m an adult, Ash. I can handle myself.” Her clipped tone didn’t hold the confidence she probably wanted it to. Not after her experience with the guy from the tennis courts.

Ash jerked his chin to the paved path that lined the perimeter of the park. “Walk with me.”

Charlie lifted her brows. “You can’t walk me home?—”

“In case he tries to come talk to you again,” he clarified. “We can walk until I finish my rounds. Then I’m taking you home.”

She huffed, but at least she didn’t argue.

When he reached forward, she flinched, making him pause. He’d only been trying to access the door so she could put her book away. His eyes narrowed on her. “Are you sure nothing happened?”

The color that bloomed in her cheeks was the most beautiful shade of pink he’d ever seen. Thankfully, Charlie wasn’t looking at him while he studied her. She merely shook her head as she muttered, “Nothing happened, Ash. Just—” she bit her lower lip and finally lifted her eyes to meet his. “Don’t tell my brothers, okay?”

He hesitated. He couldn’t agree to something like that. Could he? Rather than answering her question, he pulled the truck door open and motioned toward it. “Put your book inside.”

She complied without a fight.

They started on their walk, Charlie keeping a comfortable distance between them. To the outside view, they definitely didn’t look like they were in a relationship. Hopefully that wouldn’t draw the attention of those at the tennis courts again. The last thing he wanted was to fend off more guys who didn’t know when to stop.

Neither one of them spoke for what felt like eons. The silence stretched between them so far and long that he wouldn’t have been surprised if she refused to say another word while they were together.

Well, he wasn’t going to let that happen. “What was wrong with him?”

She jumped at his voice and glanced up at him. “What?”

Ash smirked, putting on the mask of the teasing big brother she was probably used to. “Why didn’t you want to go out with him?”

Charlie scowled. “You’re the one who interrupted us.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “I only came over after I noticed how uncomfortable you were.”

“How could you even tell?

He stopped, and she took a few steps forward before turning to look back at him with question in her eyes. He folded his arms and cocked his head. “I’ve practically been part of your family for half of my life. You should be worried if I didn’t notice.”

“You were halfway across the park. How?—”

“I would have noticed you were in distress if I was on the opposite side of the park.” He let his words sink in, not caring if she started connecting certain dots.

“Then I suppose you have an answer to your question,” she said, her tone sharp, referring to his first question. “Something about him made me uncomfortable.” She spun on her heel and started walking again.

It took only a couple strides to catch up to her, but he wasn’t in the clear.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” she asked. “Are you following me?”

He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his throat. “I like to run here. I have to keep up my endurance—especially at this altitude. Next time I have to jump into a fire, I need to be in top condition.”

She sent him a side-eyed stare. “You look like you’re in decent enough condition to me.”

He gave her another flirtatious smirk, pleased with himself when she blushed and looked away. “You’d be surprised. It takes a lot of stamina to be able to fight fires. And when there’s a man down or someone we have to drag out of the fray, then I can’t rely on just looking like I’m in decent condition. I have to keep pushing myself.”

Charlie frowned at his statement.

“What?” he demanded with a laugh. “Is it bad that I want to be good at my job?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what’s that look for?”

This time she stopped to face him. “You know I don’t like what you do for a living.”

He chuckled. “Yes. You’ve made that very clear.”

“So forgive me if I don’t fawn all over you when you tell me you’re here so you can keep the job I loathe.”

“Why do you hate it so much?” He couldn’t help asking her. The disappointment she had in him because of his job more than confused him. It occasionally made him wonder if she might share some of the feelings he had for her.

Charlie groaned with frustration. “Do I have to have another reason besides the fact that you could get hurt—or worse? What if one day you don’t come home?”

His lips quirked upward. “So you’re saying you’re worried about me.”

“No—” she stammered far too quickly. “I’m saying that my brothers like having you around.”

“What about you?”

She ignored the question, though her face started filling with that delightful pink again. “And speaking of my brothers, I wouldn’t want any of them to be smoke jumpers either.”

He lifted his chin, folding his arms once more. “Okay. You think it’s dangerous and no one should do it. That’s fair. Now, tell me, if no one is doing that job, then what happens to the people whose homes are being burned to the ground? Who’s going to help them when they need it most?”

Charlie didn’t answer.

“You shouldn’t feel that way about a job that saves lives. Someone has to do it. Why not let it be someone like me who’s actually good at what I do?”

She huffed out a frustrated breath. “I don’t expect you to get it.” With that, she stormed away again.

Sheesh. Today, she was in a mood. He needed to come up with something else to talk about if he wanted to ensure they finished their walk.

This time when he caught up to her, he kept jogging—mostly in place—while she continued walking. “Okay, change of subject. What were you reading?”

Her eyes flitted up to meet his. “Why do you want to know?”

He fought the widening of his smile. He already knew she had an affinity for romance. She’d kept the cover well hidden from his view, but if he were to make a wager, he would guess it was that genre. Ash shrugged. “Maybe I need some reading material for when I’m on call at the station.”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “Somehow I don’t think we’ll share the same interest in books.”

“Why not?”

She gave him one more quick baffled look. “Do you like romance novels?”

“What are we talking?” Ash mused. “Romantasy? Western Romance? Christian Romance? Romantic Suspense? Dark?—”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” she said, throwing her hand up for him to stop. He didn’t miss the small smile that practically tore at her lips—a smile she hid behind a fake yawn. “If you must know, I was reading a cowboy romance.”

At the very moment he started laughing, she snapped, “Don’t laugh!” She stopped walking and her arms folded tightly across her stomach.

He shook his head, wiping his brow with his forearm. “I’m sorry. But cowboy romance? You live with a bunch of cowboys. You can’t be serious.”

“Oh? And what would you suggest I read? Hero romances?”

Ash noted the way her eyes swept over him in an obvious attempt to make him uncomfortable. So he trailed his tongue along his lower lip before rolling them into each other just to toy with her. As expected, Charlie flushed. He chuckled. “Tell me about this cowboy romance. Anyone we know?”

She scoffed. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Something I would like? Let me guess. He’s charming and a little grumpy. But he’s got a heart of gold.”

Charlie’s laughter made his heart sing. It all but soared out of his chest and to the sky.

“You have the best laugh,” he said. Ash only realized he’d said that out loud when she sobered and stared at him with that look that said far more than her words ever would.

She blinked several times and looked away. “Does your girlfriend like to read?”

He choked, coughing on the spittle that had inadvertently made it to his airway.

A quick glance from Charlie was all the sympathy he got. “Of course… she likes to read,” he said softly. “For as long as I’ve known her.”

Charlie worried her lower lip. “So, she likes books and food.”

He nodded, suddenly more uncomfortable than he’d been since he’d arrived in Copper Creek a few months ago. “Yeah.”

“Sounds like a keeper,” she murmured, then started walking again.

Gone was their lighthearted conversation, replaced with the reality of the lies he’d spun in order to avoid other women altogether. There would never be anyone better suited for him. He’d tried—and he’d failed. And yet Ash couldn’t have the one person he wanted most. He’d rather be alone than settle for someone he knew he wouldn’t be able to love like he loved Charlie.

That much had been made clear when he’d realized what she was going through today with that other guy. Ash would have risked everything to save her from potentially getting hurt. And yet their love story wasn’t meant to be written.

He fell into step beside her, and they continued their walk in silence. He didn’t dare bring up any other topics of conversation. None of them had ended well. So he forced himself to close the door on the possibility of happiness with a girl like Charlie—no, with Charlie.

Maybe he would have had a chance if she cared for him. Then he wouldn’t feel so guilty over their first kiss. Maybe then he’d finally be able to squash the feeling that falling in love with her was inherently wrong.

Ash shoved his hands deep into his pockets and turned his focus to other things. The tennis players were gone. The park was clearing out. Soon it would be mostly empty as people headed off to get lunch.

When they finished their walk, Ash drove Charlie home. She practically bolted from his truck the second he put it into park. He didn’t dare go inside to say hello to any of her brothers that might be home. It would only lead to questions, and he wasn’t in the mood for the third degree. So he put the truck into drive and headed home.