Chapter 1 #2
“It’s not a problem.” I offered my arm, but she stubbornly pushed past me. That girl could really use someone keeping an eye on her. I shifted my gaze to Grant, who shook his head. I wondered if he’d been thinking the same thing.
Kendall was an excellent nurse, but she seemed to be lacking in self-care.
Her snappish reply at the hospital played in my mind again.
Had she thought I was going to ask her out this weekend instead of volunteering her time at the fair?
She hobbled to the door, barely stopping long enough to catch the side of the frame when she teetered.
If she couldn’t keep her balance barefoot, it made me think her pain was worse than she’d let on.
Or she had a lot more to drink. Either way, she needed to stop moving.
“Kendall Olivia,” I nearly growled. “Stop putting pressure on that foot. I’ll carry you to the car.”
She tossed her long ponytail over her shoulder, but by some miracle, she didn’t continue out the door. “You will not.”
Her posture, the sass, on top of whatever was really bothering her, pushed me to throw something at her I never had before. “One.”
Kendall laughed, throwing her head back. “That doesn’t work on me.”
“Two.”
She gulped and hung her head. Something about my tone, or perhaps whatever the hell she thought might happen at the end of a countdown, seemed to get through to her.
“Guess it was a good thing you were here tonight, Dalton,” Grant observed. “I hope the two of you have a good night. Next round is on me, all right?”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” I clapped Grant on the shoulder before striding to the doorway and lifting Kendall in my arms. She pouted but didn’t offer her opinion on the situation.
“Thanks, Grant,” she stated softly. “I’ve had a crap ton of stuff on my plate lately, but I appreciate you helping me.”
“You’re welcome.” He nodded to the two of us.
Carrying Kendall through the hallway and out of the bar, she buried her head into the crook of my neck.
She didn’t say anything when I unlocked the car and set her in the passenger seat.
Shutting the door, I tried to recall if Kendall ever mentioned any sort of relationship dynamics.
It was no secret many of us in the same friendship circle sought either a dominant or submissive partner, but I didn’t know her thoughts about it.
Pushing the rest of my musings away, I climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car.
“You live over on Fern Lane, right?”
“Yeah.” Kendall let out a long breath. “I thought of a way to make up for ruining your night. I’ll be Mrs. Claus this weekend.” She sniffled as she spoke.
“You didn’t ruin my night, darling. My last call of the day was transporting a twenty-eight-year-old male who fell onto a vase.”
“Okay.”
“And it slipped inside of him.”
“What the hell?” She shook her head in amazement. “I miss all the interesting calls. It must have happened after I left for the day.”
“He’s going to have trouble sitting down for a while, that’s for sure.”
“With all the toys on the market, especially ones with a tapered handle, it’s ridiculous to use an object that’s not meant to be inserted.” Kendall scoffed. “Fell on a vase,” she repeated.
“I agree.” Turning the car onto the road toward her house, I glanced at her. “Want to tell me what was on your mind this afternoon?”
“Drinking.”
“You succeeded, however I’m talking about our conversation.”
“I thought maybe you were asking me out.” She barked out a laugh. “It was stupid. You and I have known each other for a long time, but you wouldn’t give me the time of day.”
“It’s midnight,” I dead panned as I pulled into her driveway.
“You’re not funny.”
“I’m hilarious.” Other than teasing each other relentlessly whenever we saw each other at the hospital and meeting up for drinks with a group of friends, I never thought she was interested in me romantically.
I hadn’t invested time in finding a solid relationship the past few years.
Like everyone else, I was busy with work.
“I guess.”
Refusing to let her hurry out of the car, I cut it off at the pass. “Let me help you inside.”
Kendall hugged her arms to her chest. “I’m a big girl, Dalton. I can walk.”
“I’m sure you can, but if you face plant on your sidewalk and I witness it? Well, then I’ve got to do more paperwork and I’m not in the mood.”
I was mostly joking since it didn’t matter what was going on, I wouldn’t leave her to fend for herself.
Especially since I hadn’t gotten to the reason behind our strained interactions other than a lame excuse.
There had to be something else bothering her.
We’d hung out alone throughout the years and I considered her a friend, but it wasn’t our overworking that kept us apart.
Providing some holiday magic to show her she could tackle anything while giving her affection and spoiling the hell out of her? Check. Then I’d interrogate Grant and find out what the heck had been on his mind as well.
“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes as she finally responded. “Fine.”
Accepting her annoyed grunt as compliance, I shut off the car and rounded to the passenger side.
Kendall grabbed her belongings, and I lifted her up into my arms like I had at the bar.
She stared up at me as I strode to the front door and wordlessly handed me her key.
“You should ice your ankle a bit before you go to bed.”
“My ankle doesn’t hurt as much as the throbbing pain in my temples.” We walked inside and she dropped her shoes on the floor. “You can put me down.”
“Did you have any water while you were drinking alcohol?”
“No, Dalton, and I don’t need a lecture.” Kendall squirmed, as if trying to get out of my arms. “Put me down!”
“Why are you being so stubborn tonight?” I set her on her feet, but looped one of my arms around her waist so she couldn’t turn tail and avoid the question. “Talk to me.”
“I’m mortified for thinking that you might have been asking me out instead of just trying to get me to volunteer at the fair. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Running my thumb across her bottom lip, I swallowed hard. She had been drinking. It was not the time to talk about a relationship, but we needed to address it. I dropped my hand.
“Falcon Creek Fire and Rescue is hosting the toy drive and a meet and greet with Santa. Unfortunately, the higher ups didn’t give a shit, and they scheduled mandatory meetings for all the firefighters. We’re doing the best we can with limited resources.”
“That has nothing to do with my answer.”
“If I’d known you were interested, prancer, I’d have asked you out a long time ago. However, now is not the time. You need to be sober for that conversation.”
“Do you, um, think we could talk about it soon?”
“Yes, but you need to know that I’m most fulfilled in a multiple person relationship. If you’re not open to that, then we don’t have to explore it further.”
“A throuple like what Tanner is in?”
Tanner Hopkins and I had several conversations about his dynamics, so I knew enough to answer her, but we needed more time for such a discussion. “Yes, but the dynamics aren’t necessarily the same.”
“Never mind,” she backpedaled. “I can’t just throw my wants out into the universe and have Christmas elves deliver them.”
Kendall pushed out of the safety of my arms, spinning on her heels. As if forgetting that she’d overindulged on alcohol and the irritating injury she sustained, she immediately crashed to the floor.
“No more walking, bratting, or otherwise exerting yourself. You’re going to wind up really hurt. The last place either of us needs to be tonight is the Harmony Grove emergency department.”
“Bratting is not a physical activity,” she muttered.
“Sometimes it is,” I retorted before stepping around her and kneeling until we were eye-level. “Did you hurt yourself again?”
“Just leave.” Kendall crawled around me and headed toward the living room, but I was closer to her than she realized.
I caught her with my hand in her ponytail.
I didn’t tug, but she couldn’t get away.
Kendall glanced over her shoulder, shooting daggers my way.
I ignored her expression and kept my hold. “Let go.”
Repositioning my hand, I slid my fingers flush against her scalp, letting her feel the weight of it. “I will as soon as you answer me.”
“The only thing I’ve really hurt tonight is my pride.” She swallowed hard. “I didn’t expect to get into this with you.”
“We don’t have to get into anything tonight, but I still want an answer.”
“No, Dalton. I didn’t hurt myself.” Her eyes blazed with heat, but we were not in any sort of position to throw ourselves into a physical connection. “I am truly sorry about causing your plans to get disrupted tonight.”
“You don’t have to apologize. Let me help you to bed.”
“Then I’ll want you to stay.”
Being a medic, I punished myself from the sheer number of hours and physical toll my career took on my body. No longer was I going to sit idly by watching those around me find themselves in amazing relationships and deny myself the pleasure.
Something must have flickered across my face, something that Kendall had seen before, because she immediately tried to untangle her ponytail from my fingers.
Whatever was going to happen next from my actions would be my problem to resolve.
I tugged her toward me, and she had no choice but to scoot herself closer until she was pressed against my chest. I was pretty certain Kendall had a Little side since my Daddy senses were in overdrive.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was internally screaming for attention.