Chapter 11
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
Collin
“Hey, loser!”
I turn around and find my sister walking through the back gate, where I’m currently doing some spring yardwork. “Hey,” I reply, setting the rake against the small fence and turning my attention to her.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, pulling work gloves off my hands and walking the few steps over to where I left a bottle of water.
“I was out and about. Thought I’d drop by and see my favorite brother,” she replies, flashing a quick grin my way.
I roll my eyes. “What do you want?” I ask, knowing it’s something. Not that I care. I’d do anything for my sister—hell, we all would—and she knows it.
“I brought you something,” she says, a playful little smile on her lips as she extends her hand.
“What’s this?” I ask, taking the card and flipping it over. It’s a small four-by-six envelope with my name written across the front with big, fancy letters.
“I don’t know,” she states, looking like she’s about to burst with excitement. “Someone dropped it off for you.”
Without opening it, I look up. “What?”
She shrugs. “I was with a client in my room when someone dropped it off at the front desk for you.” Charli’s a massage therapist at the local salon.
I’m so confused right now. Why the hell would someone drop something off to my sister’s work? “Did she say who it was from?”
“Jenn didn’t recognize the woman, and you know between her and Lila, they know everyone in this town. She said she was young, blond, and busty.”
I roll my eyes. “Is this a joke?” I ask, not taking my eyes off my sister for a second.
“Of course not!” she bellows with a laugh. “I’m dead serious.”
I glance down at the card and toss it into the brush pile I’ve been working on.
“What the heck? You aren’t even going to open it?” she hollers, reaching down and grabbing the card.
“Nope,” I reply, turning my attention back to cleaning up along the fence line.
It catches all the leaves and crap that I don’t get cleaned up before winter hits.
Not to mention the sycamore tree in the middle of the yard that drops big leaves and sticks all the damn time.
It’s a messy tree, but it’s huge and provides shade for a big part of the yard, so I don’t complain too much.
“Well, I’m gonna,” she states, ripping open the sealed envelope and pulling out the card.
I keep my eyes focused on what I’m doing, but admit I stop and turn her way when she bursts out laughing.
“Oh my God, this is the best pick-up card I’ve ever read!”
“A what?” I ask, afraid to hear the answer.
“‘My dearest Collin, roses are red, violets are blue, firefighters are hot, that means you. I’d love to get to know you better. We met once before about six weeks ago. My pussy cat was stuck in a tree, and you rescued her. Now, I have another pussy that needs a little attention.’ Oh my God!
This is so scandalously nasty!” my sister bellows through her laughter, and now I really wish I had lit the card on fire before she had a chance to read it.
“‘Please meet me at Station Street Bistro at ten o’clock Friday morning. I’ll be the woman in red. Love, Cherie.’”
Charli doubles over laughing, tears streaming down her face. “Holy shitballs, Col. This was better than I could have expected. I wish Cade and Cam were here,” she states.
“I’m glad they weren’t,” I mutter, thankful for small favors.
Why I thought I should let my sister read it was beyond me.
I knew whatever was inside was probably trash, and I was definitely right.
Believe it or not, firefighters do receive all sorts of random mail like this.
Police too. It’s worse on the internet. All it takes is one woman snapping a photo of you in your turnout gear, and suddenly you’re an internet sensation to be fawned over by horny women around the world.
It’s been a while since we’ve received anything of this nature at the firehouse, but it happens.
Hell, there’s a whole cabinet of notes from over the years.
Some have accompanied baked goods, and most are simple shows of appreciation.
However, there are times where a woman steps forward with a firefighter fantasy and she expects us to fill the role. It’s fucked up.
But what’s more fucked up is the fact this wasn’t left at the firehouse like any other note. This was hand delivered to my sister’s place of employment. That means, she not only knows my name, but she knows where I live—and who my family is.
I rub my temple, a headache already forming. Extending my hand, I wait for her to hand over the card.
She shakes her head. “I’m keeping it,” she replies, slipping it beneath her arm.
I move, fast, practically tackling her to get the note away. “You’re not keeping it. You’ll show it to everyone,” I insist, shoving my fingers into her side, which I know will get the result I’m looking for.
Charli squeals and squirms, opening her arm and allowing me to grab the card. “Dirty trick, Collin.”
I shrug and slip the card into my back pocket. “You know I can’t let you leave with it.”
She giggles. “It’s fine. I have it memorized already anyway.”
I exhale deeply, wishing I hadn’t been so stupid as to allow my sister to open the card. “Whatever.”
“Do you know who it is?” she asks, her face straightening as she gets past the words on the card and finally understands the seriousness of the situation.
“No clue. I’m sure I can look back over the calls I’ve responded to, especially if her cat in the tree story was accurate.”
My sister tries to fight a smile but fails. “You mean…her pussy.”
I sigh loudly. “Go away.”
“Fine, but I’ll see you later,” she says.
“You will?” I ask, mentally running through my calendar.
“Yep! I heard Lizzie is considering doing a paint night, and I want to support her and sign up.”
I run my hand through my hair, knocking some debris loose. “Do you really think they’re as big as people say?”
Her eyes widen in shock. “Are you kidding me? Paint nights are huge. I’m surprised Cooper Town hasn’t had more of them.”
A single eyebrow shoots upward in question. “If you say so.”
“I do. I bet she’ll sell out, and me and my girlfriends will be there,” Charli states emphatically.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you there later then.”
“Yep. Maybe I’ll call Cam to see if he wants to come up and have a drink with me,” she says.
I shake my head. “Two of you?”
She barks out a laugh and walks over to where I stand, pecking a kiss on my cheek. Of course, in order for her to do it, I have to crouch a little. “Behave, or I’ll call Cade too.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
She turns and heads for the driveway. Just before she’s out of sight, she glances over her shoulder and announces, “Try me.”
Of course when the heavy door opens and I see my sister walk in, I groan at the sight of both of my brothers and a couple of friends trailing behind.
“What’s wrong?” Lizzie asks, turning her attention from reorganizing the shelves beneath the bar.
“The riffraff just got here,” I state, narrowing my eyes at my sister, who is smiling from ear to ear.
She stands up and smiles the moment she spots my siblings approaching the bar. “Hey!”
“Lizzie!” they all seem to holler in unison.
“What brings you all in tonight?” she asks, noting the larger than normal group.
“I came to talk to you about your paint night, but I gathered the troops to come bother that big lug,” Charli informs Lizzie, throwing her finger my way, as if to make sure she knows I’m the lug.
“Oh! I just confirmed the date and time,” Lizzie announces, moving closer to my sister.
“I can’t wait. I know my girlfriends and I will be here.”
“The art teacher is going to teach the class, which will be next Saturday evening at six. I’m going to have some snack foods and drink specials. I’m really excited,” Lizzie replies, her energy palpitating from where she stands. I can’t help but just watch.
“Me too. Sign me up, and I’ll text my friends now and see who is going to join me.”
Lizzie nods and moves her notebook across the counter. “Go ahead and put your name and cell number down on the list. She’d like to keep it to under twenty, so I’m having people sign up, first come, first serve.”
“Yep, I’m in. I’ll have more for you by the end of the night,” Charli states, pulling out her phone and letting her fingers fly over the screen.
Lizzie chuckles. “Don’t you want to know the details?”
Charli shrugs. “They won’t care. We’re always looking for fun things like this to do together, so the cost is irrelevant. But you should totally have people prepay to reserve their spot. This way you can fill the event and don’t have to worry about no-shows who took spots from paying customers.”
“Yeah, but I was worried about asking for money right away, considering I’m new to the area.”
Charli waves off her statement. “You’re a business first and foremost, and anyone who doesn’t understand that probably wouldn’t have signed up and shown up anyway.”
I crack a smile at my sister’s very diplomatic, businesslike reply.
I remember what it was like with her starting out her massage business at twenty-three.
She had tons of no-shows and that affected her bottom line, because those spots were filled with names, taking the spot of another potential paying customer.
She implemented a two-strike no-show policy, in which you get charged fifty percent of the cost of your massage if you no-show a second time.
“Are you gonna get us a drink or just stand there and make googly eyes at the pretty girl all night?”
I turn my attention to my twin and narrow my eyes. “Why are you here?”
He grins widely. “You mean besides the fact you are?”
I sigh, already knowing my sister opened her big fat trap and told him what was on that card dropped off to her. “What can I get you? If you’re going to take up space, you’re going to buy something.”
“Just a Coke for me. I’m babysitting the kids tonight,” he replies, obviously referring to our youngest brother and his friends, Quinn and Robby.