Until Then (The Blue Collar Boys #1)

25. Luke

25

Luke

Greer : Hey you 3

Me : Hey gorgeous, how is work going?

The next few weeks blur together. Whether we're fishing at our spot, out dancing, boating on the lake, or just relaxing at one of our houses, Greer and I are inseparable.

But, like all good things, her official summer came to an end. She’s been busy with meetings, classroom setup, and lesson planning. I’d honestly underestimated how much work goes into being a teacher. Granted, I wasn’t always the best in school growing up and couldn’t have cared less about school. But maybe, if I had a teacher like Greer, I might have paid more attention. Still, I’ve embraced my role as a teacher’s boyfriend pretty well. My laminating and cutting skills are top-notch.

Greer : Oh, you know, just watching another required health safety training video.

Greer : I swear, the people who make these videos have no idea just how gross kids are.

Me : That might be true. Although, I’ve been on calls and seen people do some nasty shit without proper personal protective equipment.

Greer : Personal protective equipment, huh? I love when you talk medic to me.

Me : I’ll remember that next time I see you.

Three dots appear and disappear on my screen multiple times. I can picture Greer perfectly—sitting in her meeting, brows pinched together, debating whether or not to send the text. I chuckle. Greer may look like she’s shy and hesitant when it comes to sex, but I know what a minx she is.

“What’s that laugh about?” Adam asks from across the dining table. It’s been a quiet morning, giving us time to cook a real breakfast and sit down to eat together as a crew.

“Let me guess,” Vinnie says, leaning against the doorway with a smirk that's almost too smug for his own good. “I bet you’re talking to your wifey.”

I level him with a serious gaze. I’ve wanted to shout it from the rooftops how crazy I am about her, how much she’s changed me for the better, how much she owns my heart, but I’m still trying to figure out if she’s ready to hear those three words. I should get a gold medal in patience.

“She is not my wifey,” I say before quietly adding, “yet.”

“You tell her you’re ass-over-heart in love with her yet?”

I shake my head. “Pretty sure that’s not a real phrase, Vinnie. And no, I haven’t. Don’t want to rush her.”

“You’re part of the equation too, bro,” Adam says from the sink. “It’s okay to do things on your own timeline, too.”

“Just tell her,” Vinnie says. “We all know she loves you.”

“You think so, huh?” I say.

They raise their eyebrows and shake their heads.

“It's obvious to anyone with two brain cells,” Vinnie says, slapping his hands on the table, then quickly fleeing to the bay.

“What’s his deal?” I ask.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Adam shrugs. “He’s been a grumpy bastard since the last time we all went to the lake.”

“Always something with him. So, about this weekend, you and Grace meeting at my house or what?”

With the school year about to begin and the anniversary of the accident coming up, I decided to surprise Greer with a trip to see her favorite EDM artist—something to give her a good experience and, maybe, lighten the weight of the anniversary.

Over the last two weeks, Navy, Sutton, and Grace helped wrangle the group and nail down the details of the trip. We’ll be driving about six hours south to a famous outdoor amphitheater. Thankfully, Greer’s been too exhausted and distracted to piece anything together.

“Grace has instructed me to tell you,” Adam says, “that we’ll meet at your house to surprise her. She also said we need to be leaving by eight a.m. sharp if we want to make our dinner reservations. She also said—”

“I better like glitter?” I ask.

“Exactly.” His brow furrows. “What kind of show are we going to anyway?”

“It’s one of Greer’s favorite EDM artists. I’ve heard it blaring through her house enough times, and she’s never seen him live. I thought it would be fun.”

My phone finally buzzes in my pocket with a response from Greer. Adam heads toward the office as I pull it out. A photo of her smiling in a bathroom mirror fills my screen.

Greer : I swear, you’d think I’d be good at this whole sexting thing.

Me : You know what they say, practice makes perfect.

Greer : It’s not like we haven’t seen each other naked or anything.

Me : Speaking of, you were magnificent last night.

Greer : So were you.

I made us dinner but decided to have her instead. Even now, I can feel her hands ravaging my hair as I kissed, licked, and sucked every inch of her body. The way she writhed on the counter as I devoured her. The sound of her voice in my ear as she jerked me off. The serene look on her face when she orgasmed.

We’ve both pulled back since our first attempt at making love, but after cleaning out her storage unit, she seems lighter. I’m a man dying of thirst whenever she’s near, but I know we’ll both sense when it’s the right time to cross that final boundary.

Me : So, this weekend?

Greer : We’re going to disappear together and do

absolutely nothing?

Me : Not so much. Pack a bag and be ready by

8:00 a.m. Friday.

Greer : Yeah? Where are we going?

Me : You’ll see. ;)

Hours later, I’m taking what little downtime I have to enter some paperwork, which might be the worst part of being a captain. After every call, it’s my job to complete the on-scene reports and make sure our i’s are dotted and our t’s are crossed. I rub my forehead from the headache brewing between my eyes.

Vinnie leans into my office, seemingly in a better mood. “Hey, Cap, Ms. Carol stopped by earlier trying to find you,” he says.

“Oh yeah?” I call out as I finish my last on-scene report.

“Yeah, she seemed a little out of sorts to be honest.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. She’s normally a filthy old broad, flirting it up with everyone, but she only wanted her best friend.” Vinnie shakes his head, a slick smile tugging at his lips.

“Jealous?” I tease.

“We’d all be lucky to have a friend like her.” He shrugs.

I nod in agreement, then set aside my papers. “I haven’t seen her since I stopped by a few weeks ago. I’ll reach out to her before we leave for Colorado.”

Ms. Carol has been coming around the fire station since before I was a rookie. She’s been married a few times but prides herself on being a bachelorette. Over the years, she asked me to do odd jobs around her house, and we quickly became close friends. She’s come to trust and rely on me, but, honestly, I think she’s just lonely.

A few minutes pass, but I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. Deciding to play it safe, I call Greer.

“Hey, you.” I hear the smile in her voice.

“Hey, sweetheart. I hate to bug you, but do you think can you do me a favor?”

“Of course.”

Greer’s met Ms. Carol a few times this summer. I actually think she only asks me over now to see Greer. After filling her in on the situation, she promises to stop by Ms. Carol’s house on her way home from school.

We’re in the middle of cooking dinner when tones pierce the air. We drop everything, double-check the stove is off, and rush to the engine. I’m pulling up the location when my stomach immediately drops, recognizing the address.

“Shit,” I say.

“What’s up, Cap?” Adam asks, catching me out of the corner of his eye.

“It’s Ms. Carol.”

“Fuck,” Vinnie says from the back seat as he slams his door. “I knew something wasn’t right with her.”

Adam puts the truck into gear, turns on the lights and sirens, and exits the station. As first responders, we all know the odds of running a call on someone we know are low—but never zero. In a small town, though, those odds are almost a guarantee. So far, I’ve only experienced it twice: Greer’s accident, something I wish had never happened, and now Ms. Carol.

The tension in the cab is so thick you could cut it with a knife. They might not be as close with her as I am, but with her frequent visits to the station, everyone is fond of her.

Adam pulls along the curb and ensures a safe surrounding. As soon as we’re in park, we grab our gear and rush inside the open front door to find Greer comforting Ms. Carol.

“She’s here,” Greer’s panicked voice calls from the living room, sharp and urgent like an alarm bell.

Vinnie, my acting medic, helps me move the furniture to make room for our equipment. “Pulse is weak,” he says. “We’ve got it from here.”

There are no further pleasantries. We focus on our patient. She’s breathing, but her pulse is weak. An IV line is started, and we check her other vitals. When the ambulance arrives, we load her onto the gurney and into the back of the rig.

“Ma’am, are you coming?” the EMT asks Greer. Without hesitation, she grabs her purse and jumps in the back.

“We’ll meet you at the hospital,” I tell Vinnie, who rides in with our patients. Greer gives me her awkward thumbs-up.

When we arrive, the hospital is busy for a Wednesday. Normally, the hospital staff take over upon arrival, and we tend to the paperwork before going back on call. This time, we go in search of Vinnie and Greer. They’re waiting outside the hospital room.

I wrap Greer in my arms, whispering reassurances. Guilt slides down my spine. I should have just made us do a welfare check and not given this responsibility to Greer. Not when my gut said something wasn’t right. “I should never have asked you to go,” I say.

“I’m glad you did,” she says against my neck.

“Ms. Carol stopped by earlier but wouldn’t tell Vinnie what was up. Should have known better.”

“Don’t do that,” Greer says. “You couldn’t have known she wasn’t feeling well. I got there right in time, and I’m sure the doctors are doing everything they can.”

After nearly half hour, the doctor finally comes out to give us a report on her condition and permission to see her. I don’t hesitate, grabbing Greer’s hand and heading toward the room. She doesn’t move.

“Greer?” I ask. Her eyes are glazed over, body utterly still.

“I really don’t like hospitals.”

Bracketing her face, I force her to look at me. Her blue eyes are filled with tears.

“I don’t like them either. You don’t have to go in there.”

She shakes her head. “No, I want to check in on her too.”

Hand in hand, we peek behind the curtains to find Ms. Carol resting in bed. “You know,” I tell Ms. Carol as I take a seat in the visitor’s chair, “if you wanted to see us, you could have just asked. No need for the show.”

This gets a weak laugh from her. “Yeah, yeah, smart-ass.”

Greer goes to Ms. Carol’s other side. “Why didn’t you tell us? We could have helped.”

Ms. Carol takes a deep breath. “Now don’t be mad at me, Luke,” she says and then proceeds to tell us everything. Turns out, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had recently started presurgical chemotherapy. Dehydration coupled with the side effects of the chemo had done a number on her today.

“Why didn’t you call 9-1-1 to begin with?” I ask.

“I’m sorry, Luke. You know me, I don’t want to go making a fuss where a fuss isn’t needed. I was on my way back from the store and just wasn’t feeling too well, so I stopped by to see you, but you were in a meeting. I headed home to get some rest, and, well, you know the rest. I’m lucky you showed up when you did, Greer. Thank you.”

“You scared the shit out of me,” Greer says.

“Scared the shit out of myself.”

“How long will they keep you?” I ask.

“Oh, just a day or so.”

I look to Greer. “We are headed out of town for the weekend, but we can cancel and stay here.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” I know Ms. Carol’s family isn’t close by, so I don’t understand why she’s refusing my help.

“Luke, honey, if I’ve learned anything since my diagnosis it’s that life is short. Something I think your Greer knows something about too.” She smiles at Greer before turning her attention back to me. “You two go on your trip and enjoy the hell out of it. You’ll know where to find me when you get back. I expect a full report.”

“But—” I say.

“But nothing, Luke Bradley,” Ms. Carol says. You know I love you, and I appreciate our friendship, so, listen to me when I say take your girl and go on an adventure. You can’t live your life if you’re always putting it on hold for other people.” She gives me that look.

My arms drift out in surrender. “Fine, but I’m going to check in on you while we're gone.”

“Wouldn't expect anything else from you, my boy. Now don’t you have something better to do than stand around here with this old gal? Plus, Jeopardy is starting, so you two get going.”

We say our goodbyes and meet the crew by our truck. Greer wraps her arms around my stomach, pulls me in close, and kisses the base of my neck.

“Thank you for being there for her,” I say against the crown of her head.

“Of course. Are you okay?”

Part of my job is facing mortality. As firefighters, we have to process quickly and try not to think too hard about what we’ve seen or experienced. Standing here now with Greer, I feel the weight of time. The ever-present ticking clock.

“Yeah, I am. It’s always nerve-racking running calls on people you know.” I kiss her temple, and she squeezes me tighter. I can’t help thinking of that dreadful call almost one year ago. “I’m glad you were there for her, and I’m glad she’s going to be okay. Well, as okay as someone who’s been recently diagnosed with cancer can be. I won’t lie, I have the urge to cancel all our plans so I can be there for her myself. I want to do everything for her. I also know she’s right. I don’t need to put my life on hold to prove I’m by her side. She already knows it.”

It’s hard admitting to oneself that you’ve been stubborn. My friends have always given me shit about my inability to say no. I’d let their words roll off my shoulder, telling them it’s no big deal. But now, with Greer in my arms and Ms. Carol’s words in my head, I see that it is a big deal. It’s okay to serve others, but it’s also okay to protect your own time.

The rest of the week flies by, and thankfully, it’s less eventful. Ms. Carol’s daughter was able to bring her home after her labs came back normal. Greer and I went over last night to bring her dinner and keep her company. She’s not a fan of being 'locked up like a criminal' and refuses to take it easy.

“You ready to go?” I peek into Greer’s room, where she’s frantically packing.

“I wish you’d tell me where we’re going. I feel like I’m bringing everything I own.” She throws a few more items into her suitcase.

“What you’re bringing is fine.”

“And you promise your mom is okay watching Duke this weekend? Mom said they could too, but—”

“G,” I say, “relax. Everything is taken care of. Okay?”

She huffs and rolls back her shoulders before turning to face me. “Fine.”

“Good. Now, let’s get this stuff in the truck. They’ll be here soon.”

Greer stands there, slack-jawed. Ignoring her, I grab her suitcase and backpack, putting distance between us as the torture of keeping this trip a secret reaches its boiling point. Her flip-flops smack against the tile floor as she runs after me toward the front door.

“What do you mean, they ?” Her voice fades off when she slides around the corner and sees all of us standing on her front porch. She stops mid-motion, arms out, legs splayed, as if she’s made of stone.

Hunter waves his hand in front of her face. “I think we broke her,” he says with a smirk.

“You ready to go?” Sutton asks, shaking Greer’s shoulders to pull her from her stupor.

“Go where?” Greer asks. “What are you guys doing here?” Her brow crinkles when she finds me in the crowd. “I thought you were taking me somewhere this weekend.”

“ I am. They just happen to be going too.” I wink then turn to put her suitcase in the truck.

“Man,” Adam says, “this is gonna be so fun.” He reaches for Grace’s hand and leads her to their vehicle, with Vinnie close behind.

“I can’t believe I have to drive with you,” Sutton mutters to Hunter before turning to get into his car.

“Well,” Hunter says, rolling his eyes, “this should be fun.”

Navy grips his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll play referee. Or maybe I’ll leave you both at a rest stop to work it out.”

Greer says goodbye to Duke and locks up her house before literally jumping into the truck. She’s wearing those cutoff shorts I love so much, so I can’t resist squeezing her thigh.

“What did you do?” Her tank top strap slides down her arm as she buckles up.

“You’ll see.” I slide my fingers beneath the strap, the back of my fingers dragging up her arm, to pull it back into place. Goosebumps pepper her skin.

She narrows her eyes at me and her breathing speeds up. “I’m feeling very anxious right now, but I’m trying to be all YOLO and shit, but, like, can you please give me some information, so that I can stop freaking the hell out?”

Bringing my hand to rest at the base of her neck, I pull her toward me and capture her mouth with mine. She’s tentative, but after a few delicate kisses, she opens fully. Our tongues collide, desperate for the other. Pulling away, I take in the pink speckles along her cheeks. She sighs dreamily.

“We’re going on a little road trip to Colorado.”

“Colorado? What’s in Colorado?”

“A place you might have mentioned a time or two.”

She smacks me across the chest, and I cover her hand with mine. “No way.” Shock fills her face. “No fucking way.”

“Yes way.”

“But? Wait, what day is it?” She pulls out her phone and checks the date, as if she doesn’t know what the date is, as if we both haven’t been tracking each day that passes this month, bringing us closer and closer to the anniversary.

She clicks on her events tab and bounces in her seat. “Are we going where I think we are?”

“Possibly.”

She throws off her seat belt and clambers over the console to me. Her hands burrow into my hair, and she yanks my mouth to hers. My fingers graze bare skin when I grip her hips, pulling her to me and forcing her full weight onto my lap. Our hands feverishly explore every inch of the other—hair, neck, face.

“Oh my god.” She pulls back panting. “I can’t even believe this is happening. I didn’t think you even heard me mention this show.” Still seated on my lap, she rolls down the window, leans halfway out, and yells, “Are we really going to Red Rocks?”

“Hell yeah, we are!” Grace yells back.

Greer pulls herself back into the truck and grips me by the sides of my face.

“How did I find you?” she asks, suddenly serious.

“Technically, Duke found me first.”

Greer bursts out laughing, throwing her head back as she wiggles her way her way back into the seat, a grin still plastered on her face.

“Well?” she yells at me. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”