34. For the Record
THIRTY-FOUR
For the Record
STEVE
Kiro was the first to look up when Tara appeared. “Hey, Tara.” He stood up and walked over to greet her with a quick peck on the cheek. “This is a surprise. What brings you by?”
“I was hoping to recruit some muscle,” she announced.
“I’m over here,” Tim Ellis’ arm reached up above the couch, where it looked like he was napping. A pillow flew and landed on his face. Snatching up the pillow, he sat up in a hurry, ready to defend himself. “Who threw that?”
Steve shook his head at his fellow firefighters, enjoying how Tara laughed as she reached her hand into her tote bag.
She pulled out two plastic containers and set them on one of the tables. “I’m here to ask you all for help with our shop.” Tara made eye contact with the men as she opened the containers to reveal homemade cookies.
Derek walked up and inspected the goods. “So you think bribing public officials will help your cause?”
“Derek Mitchell.” She grinned. “Haven’t seen you in a long time;, and no, I am not above bribing public officials.”
Kiro stepped up to help. “Listen up, everyone,” he called to get everyone’s attention. “Tara needs our help.”
Heads lifted and perked up. Steve started toward the counter behind Tara, his arm brushing against hers as he walked past.
“Tara?” Kiro snapped his fingers in front of her.
“I’m sorry, what?” Tara blinked.
Steve leaned against the counter curious as to why she stopped by the station.
Kiro laughed. “What all do you need?”
“Uh, I could use some help.”
“We’ve figured that out, goof,” Kiro smirked. “Help with what?”
“Oh. Right.” She met their eyes and held up two fingers. “My parents’ bookstore, Between the Lines, could use your help for two events.”
Steve noticed the cautious expressions on everyone’s faces, his own included. This might be a hard sell for Tara.
She held up a finger. “One - we need a couple of people to help us for HomeFest.”
“HomeFest?” some of the men grumbled.
“Yes.” She put on an optimistic front. “I’ve already checked the calendar. You’re on for twenty-four hours and off for forty-eight, right?”
They all nodded in the affirmative.
“Great! That means you won’t be on shift for HomeFest.”
“Yeah, but we’ll have the engine there for the kids,” Tim offered.
“And you all work that?”
“Eh... yeah… but just a couple at a time,” he begrudgingly admitted. “We take shifts.”
“Perfect! So you can help us out. I already have a couple of people from the shop helping, but we could use two or three more. Just for set up and tear down, that’s all.”
“What’s the other thing you needed?” Kiro asked her.
She grinned and pushed the open containers closer to the men on the other side of the table. Like moths to a flame, their attention zeroed in on the cookies. The men drew closer to the table.
The cookies ensured a captive audience while Tara laid out all the details.
“We have to paint, and set up the retail space next to our shop so it can be ready for an Ohio Author’s event. But it has to be done right after Halloween.”
“Ohio Author’s event?” Tank shoved a chocolate chip cookie in his mouth but kept speaking with his mouth full. “You really need a better name for that. Hey! Are these snickerdoodles?” He grabbed a couple and sat down at another table.
Emerson selected a couple of sugar cookies. “How about a meet and greet?”
“Or an author’s showcase?” Shek grabbed one of each kind of cookie.
“Or a signing?” Tim stuck a cookie in his mouth while grabbing another handful. “Seems like a classic to me.”
“All good ideas,” Tara clasped her hands together. “Thank you. But before it occurs, we need some muscle and a fair amount of elbow grease in exchange for pizza and beer.”
“What’s the catch?” Emerson’s glance reeked of suspicion.
“No catch,” Tara smiled, then her finger shot up. “Just painting and we also have a bunch of stuff that needs to be brought down from the top floor, but it’s no big deal.”
“And there it is.” Tim reached in to grab a couple more cookies.
“That’s not a catch. That’s where the muscle comes in.” Tara knitted her brow at the sound of groans. “Come on. You’re all firefighters, right?”
They all muttered in the affirmative.
“Aren’t you used to going up and down stairs while carrying heavy equipment? This’ll be the same thing but with less danger and more comfortable clothing. We just can’t do it until right after Halloween, when the current shop tenants move out.”
“Maybe we like danger.” Steve snickered.
Emerson and Tank grabbed a couple more cookies and plopped down on the couch.
“What’s in it for us?” Steve repeated, his blue eyes fixed on hers.
“The knowledge that you’re helping maintain a long-standing Grant’s Crossing institution, my parents’ bookstore.” She smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes.
“That’s it?” He dropped his voice. “Come on, Sugar. You can do better than that.” Derek and Kiro traded smirks with Steve’s use of a pet name.
She raised her chin. “I’ll feed you pizza and beer.”
Steve turned his lips down and bobbed his head as if considering it. His hand reached into the container to grab some sugar cookies before they were all gone.
“I’m in.” Derek patted her on the shoulder as he leaned in for a handful of cookies and strode to one of the recliners.
“Me, too,” Kiro told her. “Maybe I can talk Celeste into helping, too.”
“Celeste is already planning to be there. So are Aimee and Lydia. Actually, Aimee will be there for HomeFest, too, since her shop won’t open that evening.”
Emerson raised his hand from his spot on the couch. “I’ll help with both. Just let me know when to show up.”
“Thanks,” Tara grinned.
Tim smacked the back of Emerson’s head. “You’re so predictable.”
“Hey!” Emerson’s hand flew up to rub his head.
Kiro was right behind him to smack him on the upper arm. “And you said I was whipped.”
“Hey!” Emerson cried out again.
“Since you said you needed muscle, Tara,” Tim’s deep voice sounded. “I might as well help, so you’ll actually have some.”
A few of the men muttered under their breath. Sure, he was the biggest guy there, but they could all hold their own.
“Thank you!” Tara grinned. “Oh, by the way, Tim. The books you ordered came in.”
“Books? What books?” Tank perked up.
“Uh… nothing.” Tim held up his hand. Thanks, Tara. I’ll stop by tomorrow.”
Chief Travis walked out amidst the volunteering. “Who brought cookies?”
“They’re from Tara,” Kiro answered.
“Oh, good.” He grabbed a few. “Thank you. So, do you know why basketball players like cookies?”
The other men groaned and shook their heads.
“So they can lay them up.”
“Oh my God,” Kiro muttered while closing his eyes.
Steve dropped his chin and shook his head while Tara scrunched her face.
“No, no. Wait. That’s not it,” the chief caught himself. “Because they can dunk them. Yes. That’s it.” He smiled, very proud of his poorly delivered punchline.
Tara pressed her lips together and giggled as he returned to his office.
“How long am I supposed to pretend his jokes are funny?” Steve sighed.
Tim patted his back in sympathy. “Not long.”
Steve breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god.”
Tara picked up her phone and typed herself a note. “Okay, so Kiro, Derek, Emerson, Tim…” she paused and gave Steve an expectant look.
He walked close enough to hear her breath quicken. “I’ll help if you have dinner with me.”
“Done.” She grinned and pulled her phone back up to add his name. “I’ll be buying the pizza.”
“That’s not…”
“Okay,” Tara said quickly. “For HomeFest, I have Emerson and Steve. And for the author event–”
“You still need a better name,” Tim called out.
She waved him off. “Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For the author event that needs a better name, we have Kiro, Derek, Emerson, Tim, and Steve. Anybody else?” She scanned the room. “Going once? Twice? Done.”
“How’d I get roped into this twice?” Steve leaned close enough for him to smell her perfume.
“Because you’re nice?”
He chuckled and leaned in even closer. “I hear there are fireworks at the end of HomeFest.”
“Yes.” She tipped the last couple of chocolate chip cookies into the box with the remaining sugar cookies and snickerdoodles. “There are. We’ll have closed up shop in time for you to see them.”
“Good.” His lips curled into a crooked smile. “How about you go with me to the fireworks in exchange for helping you with the festival?”
She narrowed her eyes.
With barely a glance away from her, he reached down and brought another sugar cookie to his mouth. His sly grin stayed firmly in place as he sunk his teeth into it.
She swallowed.
“Deal.” She held out her hand to seal it with a handshake.
His eyes dropped to her hand and back up with a raised brow, but he took her hand in his and gave it a shake. He continued to hold her hand for longer than he should. The touch of her skin was electric, sending heat coursing through his body.
He leaned in with a devilish look in his eyes. His voice sounded gravelly when he spoke. “For the record, Sugar, I think you can do much better than a handshake.” He released her hand, grabbed another cookie, and joined the other men on the couch to watch the game.
Tara walked through the lounge to the door and stopped for a quick wave, receiving a few haphazard waves in return. “Thanks, boys!”
Steve’s eyes were on her as she walked through the door with a big smile on her lips. As he bit down on the last cookie, he thought about how good it would feel to sink his teeth into her neck, or her chest, or her thighs. As she walked past the plate glass window that separated the lounge from the garage area, he made one last survey of her curves, eyeing her all the way down her long legs and back, stopping at the curve of her ass that he knew was just calling his name.
“I knew you couldn’t resist helping her.” Kiro laughed. “And they said I was whipped.”
“You are,” Tim and Emerson both called out from the other side of the lounge.
Kiro spread his arms wide. “Really?”
Derek shifted in his seat and shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth as he put his hand on Steve’s shoulder. Steve tilted his head toward Derek but his eyes were still trained on the closing door.
“Guess you’re off the market, huh?” Derek asked.
Steve quickly chewed the rest of the cookie and swallowed. “I’m just watching the game.” He switched his gaze from the door to the TV.
“Uh-huh.” Derek laughed but kept his voice low. “Say what you like, but that just leaves more for me.” He patted Steve’s shoulder again.
Steve turned his head in time to see Derek picking up the carafe to pour himself another cup of coffee.
Kiro snorted out a laugh, then pressed his lips together to give the appearance of a straight face, earning him a front-row viewing of Steve’s middle finger.