Until Then (The Blue Collar Boys #1)

Epilogue Luke

“ T his woman is a pain in my ass,” I say. I huff out a breath, then press down on the bike pedals more aggressively. I refuse to be bested by a cycling class, especially not today. After last night, I’ve got too much residual energy, and it’s called for an exorcism.

I’ve watched Greer ride the hell out of this bike to quiet her demons, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

“Resistance up to forty-five now,” the instructor says. “Keep that cadence at around eighty.” It’s hard to believe how calm her voice is even though the music—and me—are definitely not.

“Shit,” I say. “I really need to get in better shape.” I focus on the screen, but in my mind, I can’t stop thinking about last night. It was one for the books.

Now that it’s the middle of November, most of the out-of-towners have vacated the city, but the few stragglers and handful of newcomers sure are causing a shitstorm for our small town.

Hunter’s been dealing with an uptick in crime for several months now but hasn’t been able to nail down any perps. I got a call from him last night just after dinner. He gave me a heads-up about a tip he received from an anonymous source that there might be trouble at the old mill. Even with a lack of details, he had no choice but to go check it out with his partner. We’re not ones to mother each other, but I appreciated that he checked in with me.

I didn’t bother going to my bunk room to sleep, not with Hunter walking into the unknown. Instead, I sat in my office listening to the scanner. I eventually nodded off and fell asleep on my desk but was abruptly awoken just after midnight when the tones rang through. When the dispatcher relayed the location, my heart lodged itself in my chest, fearing the worst.

Sweat flies from my forehead and lands on the mat under the bike. I’ve created quite the sweat angel as Greer likes to call them. I swipe a towel across my forehead, my heart rate pulsing wildly, then toss it to the side. Normally, I do well with the pressures and the unpredictable nature of the job, but never before have I been that overwhelmed with panic that something had happened to my best friend.

I try to shake away the thoughts of what could have been and focus only on the music and the instructor’s voice, but still, the images flash in my mind.

By the time we arrived, the old mill was billowing smoke as black as night. It wasn’t until I spotted Hunter waiting for us at the gate that the adrenaline in my body calmed. Flames poured from broken windows, flaring and sparking close enough to the surrounding forest to cause alarm. Almost immediately, I knew we had to abandon an interior attack and commanded the crew to set up a defensive attack until other units arrived. With so much debris and fuel inside the mill, it was slow going, but after two hours, we finally got the fire out. There wasn’t much left to salvage of the building, and I suspect it will end up being condemned.

We won’t know for a while what caused the fire, but Hunter and the fire investigator suspect arson. By the time we got back to the station, the crew and I had nothing left in the tank. Thankfully, A-shift was already there and offered to clean the rig so we could go home. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I barely muttered goodbye before grabbing my gear and getting the hell out of there.

My thoughts won’t stop spiraling, so with one hand, I reach over and turn the volume up even more. The heavy bass and drumbeats pulse through the speakers, rattling the pictures.

“Get ready to run out of the saddle!” the instructor yells through the screen. When the beat drops, I lift up, hovering just above my seat—and do my best impression of a badass cyclist. My vision blurs as I push my body to the limit, my quads ready to burst from exertion.

“Fuck me!” I say.

“I’d love to.”

My focus slips momentarily at her voice, but my smile is immediate as I lay eyes on her. “Hey, sweetheart.” I laugh. “You get off early or what?”

She plops down on a yoga bolster stacked in the corner. “Yeah, it was a half-day, and we had meetings, but something told me to come home.” Her eyes rove over my bare chest, and her lip folds beneath her teeth as she looks where my shorts ride low on my hips. “ Something is definitely better than meetings.”

The instructor calls for us to return to the saddle, but I’m only half listening now. I can’t take my eyes off Greer. She’s a vision in black leggings and a long, off-the-shoulder, cream sweater, hair down and curled in soft ringlets. She slips her feet from knee-high, brown boots and stretches them out in front of her, showcasing a new pair of socks.

“I dig your socks,” I say as I grab my water and take a much-needed drink.

“Figured you would.” She grins and wiggles her feet clad in Lord of the Rings socks proclaiming my precious on the bottom.

“They’re actually very fitting...” My voice fades off as I suck in more oxygen, doing a piss-poor job following the instructors commands. “This woman is brutal. I don’t know how you do this.”

“It’s because you’re out of shape, old man.”

I roll my eyes and laugh. The last two minutes of class feel even more difficult, especially under Greer’s watchful gaze. Nothing says pressure like your girlfriend—an indoor cycling addict—watching you get your ass handed to you by a bubbly instructor decked out in a sequined jumpsuit and space buns.

“Who you calling old man?” I say as I finally unclip, then grab my towel. “I’m only a few years older than you.”

Greer pops up from the yoga bolster and leans into my chest. She wraps her arms around my waist and goes to pull me in for a hug, but I push against her shoulders.

“I’m disgusting right now, sweetheart. You don’t want all this”— I nod down to the sweat pouring off my body—“all over you.”

“Mmm, I beg to differ.” Her eyes narrow as she steps back. She studies me, and I suspect her internal senses are blaring some kind of alarm. That’s something Greer’s good at, knowing when someone’s got too much on their mind.

“You need a shower,” she finally says.

Duke, Greer’s dog, who’d been waiting outside the door, leads us into her room, then proceeds to jump onto the bed and make himself right at home.

“Don’t get too comfortable, old man,” I say. “My back can’t take anymore trying to sleep while you’re in the bed.”

The side-eye he gives me looks almost human. He yawns and stretches out, putting his head right on my pillow.

“Maybe I should get a bigger bed,” Greer says. She wiggles out of her sweater and leggings leaving her in a matching bra and underwear set.

I grin. “Love the undies. The pumpkins and leaves are very seasonally appropriate.”

She places her hands on her hips. “I thought so too. Don’t worry, I got you a pair.”

“Sweetheart,” I say standing on one leg peeling off a sock, “I doubt they’ll fit.”

“Har har, smartass.” She disappears into her bathroom only to return with a pair of matching boxer briefs. She tosses them at me.

“Don’t say I never gave you anything,” she says.

I pause what I’m doing as she lowers her panties, unsnaps her bra, and saunters into the bathroom. Snapping out of my Greer-induced haze, I toss the briefs onto her reading chair, peel off my sweaty shorts, and chase after her. She’s leaning against the glass waiting for me as I stumble into the bathroom.

I stop dead in my tracks. “I’m so happy to see you,” I say.

I breathe deeply, then smile for the first time today. She opens her arms and welcomes me into her warm embrace. All the stress and anxiety bubbling beneath the surface instantly settles as she caresses the back of my neck and shoulders. She runs her fingers into the back of my hair and down the back of my ears before framing my face. She leans forward and presses her lips against mine. They taste like her strawberry lip balm.

I’m never one to need anything. But right now, I need her.

Greer’s arms loosen, then she opens the shower door, steps in, walks to the tub sitting against one of the shower walls, and starts the bath water.

I raise my eyebrows. “I’m not so sure we’re both going to fit in there.” I gesture to the tub.

“We will,” she says, “but right now, it’s just for you.”

I step into the huge shower, then sit on the small bench along the back wall. I’m not sure who decided it was a good idea to put a tub in the shower, but they deserve some kind of award. Greer ensures the temperature is perfect, places the stopper, and then begins filling it with flower petals, bath oils, and who knows what else, as though she were some kind of woodland healer.

“You making a potion over there or what?” I ask.

She smiles. “No, silly. But it’ll help you relax.”

When the tub is almost half full, she motions for me to get in. I step over the lip of the tub and ease into the water. Its warmth immediately seeps into my pores, and my tense muscles start to release. I can’t contain the groan that escapes. I close my eyes, then surrender to whatever she’s got planned.

“Scoot down a bit so I can get your hair wet,” she says.

“Sweetheart, you don’t—”

“I know I don’t,” she says, “but I want to take care of you. Now, scoot. Your hair needs washing.”

I do as commanded, the distant clicking of shampoo bottles punctuating the stillness. She trickles water over the top of my head, repeating the process several times. Next, she applies shampoo, expertly massaging my scalp. I groan again and she kisses my forehead.

“So,” she says, “want to tell me about it?”

I smile. “How’d you know something was wrong?”

“Because someone would only pick a cycling class like that if their brain were too loud. You’ve ridden my bike a grand total of six times, and it was always because you had a tough shift.”

Her hand slips down the back of my neck, squeezing and kneading my tense muscles, while the other combs through my hair and rubs around my ear.

“It was.” Several quiet moments pass. “But I’m not sure why it’s in my head so much.”

Greer washes, rinses, and conditions my hair while I tell her about the anonymous tip, the fire, and my worry for Hunter. Before she finishes, I tug her arm. She comes around the side of the tub, and I pull her into the water with me. She straddles my lap, and I run my hands up the smooth skin of her thigh before wrapping them around her back and holding her to me. She lays her head on my shoulder and allows me to hold her.

“I know Hunter can take care of himself, but...” I hesitate, trying to gather my thoughts. “When we got the call, I was worried about him.”

“I’m sorry, Luke.” She kisses my shoulder and wraps her arms around me. I appreciate that she doesn’t try to say anything to make me feel better; she simply holds space for me to feel what I need to.

The truth is, it doesn’t matter how much you bury it down, fear is always part of the job. You never know what to expect on calls, and realize early on that anything can happen in an instant.

“Are you still okay with everyone coming over tonight?” she asks, slipping from my arms and settling on the other side of the tub. She places her feet on top of my thigh.

I take in her body, covered in water and suds, her breasts sitting just under the water’s surface.

She giggles. “Luke?”

“Uh, yeah?” I finally bring my eyes to hers. She raises her eyebrows and I shrug.

“Tonight,” she says, “are you still okay with everyone coming over for movie night?” She runs the toes of her right foot along my thigh. I grab hold of it and press my fingers into the soles. She groans in delight, slipping farther under the water.

“I’m more than okay with it,” I finally say. “In fact, I think it’s just what I need.”

We talk and enjoy our bath for a while longer until we’re both on the verge of turning into raisins. I step from the tub, grab a towel, then motion for her to stand. She puts her arms out like a child, and I wrap the towel around her. I pull the plug in the tub, then grab my own towel.

“C’mere,” she says, pulling me into her body.

I raise an eyebrow. “Aren’t the girls going to be here soon to help you set up?”

“We’ve got time.” She winks, tugging me by the hand and leading me into her room.

It glows with a soft white light from the bedside lamps, bed still mussed from the previous night. Greer drops her towel, then pulls mine free. We crawl into bed and, like it always does when we’re together, the weight of the world disappears.

“I love you,” I say an hour later as we lie snuggled under the covers. “And thank you.”

I feel her smile against my chest. “No thank yous necessary. Now—”

Suddenly, a loud banging ruptures the silence of our cocoon, making us both startle.

“Greer? Luke?” A voice that can only be Navy’s shouts from the front door. “Are you guys home?” Navy bangs harder.

“We see your vehicles in the driveway,” Sutton shouts, “so we know you’re home. Get your cute butts dressed and come open this door, or I’m going to use my key. And lord knows we don’t need to be seeing what y’all got going on.”

Greer groans and tucks her face into the side of my neck. “She’ll totally use her key.”

“Yup,” I say. “Better get a move on.” I yank off the covers and smack her butt cheek.

“I’m going, I’m going.” She gives me one last kiss before pulling on her clothes again.

“Sutton,” she shouts walking out of the bedroom, “don’t you dare use that key. It’s for emergencies only!”

“This is...something,” Adam says as he steps up next to me at the kitchen island.

“With our girls,” I say, “everything turns into something .” We both laugh, taking in the organized chaos around us.

The girls decided another kick-off event like our lake day was needed and thus Holiday Cheermeister night was born. I have no idea what that even means, but if it makes Greer happy, I’ll do anything for her. The day after Halloween, she and the girls took down the plethora of Halloween decor, then transformed her entire house into a holiday smorgasbord.

Looking around, I can’t help but smile at everyone’s holiday gear. The girls and Vinnie are making gingerbread houses while Adam and I eat our weight in holiday treats. Navy shouts something at Vinnie, and tosses a candy at him. They’re having some kind of heated battle over candy walking paths. A fourth holiday movie creates the perfect soundtrack.

I snort when Greer elbows Vinnie for trying to steal her licorice. He feigns innocence and her face lights up with a smile that takes my breath away. I know how blessed I am to have this woman in my life. Her eyes catch mine and she winks, mouthing I love you.

“Luke,” Grace calls from her spot at the end of the kitchen table, “your phone’s ringing.”

I step around the island, then grab my phone off the sideboard. I don’t recognize the number and almost silence the call, but something tells me to answer. I press accept.

“Hello,” I say.

“Hi, yes, is this Luke Bradley?” a woman asks.

“This is he. Who’s speaking?”

There’s a rustling sound through the receiver, then some muffled voices. “Hi, Mr. Bradley, this is Ashley Bloom. I’m a nurse over here at Suncrest Valley Memorial Hospital.”

My stomach bottoms out. “How can I help you, Ashley?”

There’s more rustling and a deep voice in the background. After several moments, a new voice comes on the line.

“Luke, it’s me.”

My heart lodges in my throat, and I brace my hand on the back of the couch. “Hunter?”

Every eye in the room is on me, but I keep mine locked with Sutton, communicating a silent message. We aren’t twins or anything, but our sibling bond gives us a strong ability to talk without talking.

“Yeah, bro,” he says. “Look, something happened...” There’s a beat of silence before he continues. “I’m okay, but I need you.”

“We’re on our way. What room are you?” Without thought, I wheel around and grab my keys from the basket on the counter.

“Don’t freak out,” he says.

“Already am.” I pause at the edge of the kitchen island and look back to Sutton. Aside from the movie in the background, the room is completely silent.

“I’m in the burn unit.”

My eyes snap shut. “What happened?”

“I’ll fill you in when you get here,” he says.

“We’re on the way.” I watch as everyone jumps immediately into action—chairs being pushed out, whispered calls for shoes, keys and purses.

“Luke...” he hesitates, emotion clogging his throat. “Please tell Sutton I’m okay.”

“You can tell her yourself when we get there.”

The line is silent and I wonder if he’s hung up, but before I end the call he says, “Thanks, Luke. See you soon.”

The call cuts off, and I tuck my phone into my back pocket.

Greer steps forward. “What’s going on?” she asks.

“It’s Hunter,” I say. “I’m not sure what’s happened, but he’s in the burn unit at Suncrest Memorial.”

Sutton’s eyes go wide and she falters. Navy wraps her arm around Sutton’s waist at the same time Greer takes her hand. Vinnie and Adam make quick work of turning off the TV.

“Luke,” Sutton says, “is he okay?” Tears pool at the corners of her eyes.

“He says he’s okay, but he needs us.”

Find out what happens in book two of

The Blue Collar Boys Series.