3. Dom
3
dom
The afternoon had been peacefully quiet. No fires, no accidents. Not even a cat stuck in a tree. To maximize the downtime, we ran through a series of practice drills to keep our skills sharp. Today, we concentrated on ladder deployment and forcible entry. No need to hit the gym on the way home tonight—that was for sure.
Now we were catching up on routine chores. Me? I was putting the finishing touches on our fire engine.
My hand rubbed in rote circular motions as I methodically applied a protective coating over the freshly washed machine with a sense of pride. We kept our equipment spotless and in pristine condition, ready to go at a moment’s notice.
The guys were joking and poking fun at one another as they did chores of their own, which was par for the course. We spent so much time training, working, and living together; we were more like family than coworkers.
I was only half listening to them, catching bits and pieces of their conversations. I was too busy thinking about the raven-haired goddess from the photo shoot. The woman had been on my mind more often than not over the past week.
It had been some time since a woman had piqued my interest so thoroughly. Even longer since one had straight-up blown me off. Women dug protective types, especially firemen. Nick—my brother, the romance writer—had told me once that firefighters were right up at the top of women’s hero fantasies. I didn’t know if that was true or not, but based on my personal experience, it seemed plausible.
Full disclosure: that was one of the reasons I’d joined the fire department, back when I’d been young and overwhelmed with hormones. Well, that and the fact that my favorite uncle was the department chief. I’d learned quickly that the job was about so much more than pretty girls and hero worship. At the risk of sounding full of myself, I thought I would have done well with the ladies, no matter what vocation I chose.
Regardless, I’d become lazy over the years. Bored even. Now that I was faced with a woman who presented a challenge, I was hooked.
Once again, her dark hair and eyes dominated my thoughts. The delicate lines of her face and the graceful, effortless way she’d moved. The way her features had softened when she focused her attention on the animals, as compared to the wary, guarded looks she shot my way on those rare occasions she deigned to look at me at all.
“Yo, Dom, are you in or not?” Jonah, one of the older guys, called out. His question was punctuated with a heavy, fire-resistant glove smacking the back of my head.
Based on the way the guys were staring at me with expectant looks, it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get my attention.
I did a mental rewind and tried to play back what they’d been talking about before I zoned out, and I drew a blank.
Henry took pity on me. “We’re meeting up at Keegan’s tonight to watch the game.”
My eyebrows rose. Keegan was a quiet guy, married with three kids. Model father. Not the one who typically volunteered his flat screen for guy time.
“The wife and kids are at the beach with her sister this week,” Keegan explained with a shrug.
“Doesn’t know what to do in that big house by himself, so we’re going to help him remember what it’s like to let loose.” That came from Dirk.
Joe smirked at me. “Think you can squeeze in some bro time between the ladies, Dom?”
Chas, smart-ass that he was, put his hands together as if in prayer and leaned his upper body forward in a bow of hero worship.
I nearly rolled my eyes at their ribbing. Other than family stuff, I didn’t have much of a social life these days. I didn’t advertise that fact, obviously. My reputation carried me forward without any action on my part.
I thought about going. Pizza, beer, and watching the game with the guys beat a night of reheated leftovers and streaming whatever was trending. Or more accurately, trying to discover more about the woman I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about.
I knew that her first name was Ella, but not much more than that. A quick visit to the shelter website hadn’t yielded any more information. The site was as basic as they came. Only the pertinent details of the shelter were listed—name, address, phone number. Nothing about the staff. Or the dogs themselves, I realized.
I needed to get my sister on that. Gina had a soft spot for animals. Once she saw the pathetic excuse for a website, she’d probably offer to revamp it for free.
I was still pondering the possibilities when someone asked, “So, who’s the lucky lady?”
Chas snorted. “As if he’s only got one lined up.”
“I bet it’s one of those hotties from the photo shoot,” Joe said. “Did you see the way they were eyeing him?”
“It was the puppy thing,” Chas said, nodding. “Brilliant move, man. Chicks dig puppies.”
Dirk laughed. “Do you remember when he saved that cat from the fire at the old folks’ home? There were women lurking around the firehouse for days.”
“I think we all benefited from that,” Joe said, earning another round of chuckles and murmurs of agreement.
Finished with my task, I tossed the rag in the bin and moved to the fridge to grab a cold water while they continued their commentary as if I couldn’t hear every word.
“I bet it was that redhead,” Chas said. “She couldn’t take her eyes off him.”
“That’s Ronnie,” Dirk said. “Total hose chaser, that one.”
Chas scoffed. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“Too easy,” Keegan said knowingly.
Joe rolled his eyes. “When are they ever not easy for him?”
I said nothing. Just took a seat at the table with my water, amused, while they discussed my love life as if it were a reality show. Sometimes, it felt like it was. Like I was just playing a role for others to watch and enjoy.
I wasn’t usually so cynical. I blamed my siblings and their wedded bliss. I’d been perfectly content with my life until they started falling in love and finding their soul mates.
Joe studied me, his eyes narrowing. “Nah, you’re way off base. It’s the shy, quiet one. Slim, dark hair, dark eyes.”
Chas sat up. “I don’t remember anyone like that.”
“Because you were too busy putting on a gun show for your adoring fan club.”
“I know who you’re talking about,” Keegan said thoughtfully. “Her name is Ella. She’s been at the shelter for about six months now.”
I hadn’t considered asking the guys about her, primarily because I wanted to keep her to myself—at least until I learned a little more. Now that the seal had been broken, I decided to break my silence as well. “And you know this because …”
“Because I know the vet there. Ben. Good guy. Went to school with him.”
I thought about the man who had shown up at the van. The one Ella had smiled at so fondly. I had questions. Like, Is this Ben guy married?
Before I could figure out a way to ask without seeming like I was fishing, Chas piped up.
“Tell me more about Ella,” he said, leaning forward in interest.
Something dark rose up inside me at the thought of Chas making a play for her. Deep down, Chas was a good guy, but he was all about the conquest. I didn’t want him attempting to conquer her .
I’d reflect on the why of it later.
I could see the possibilities forming in his mind as clearly as if he had a big thought bubble above his head.
I tipped my water bottle in Chas’s direction and said firmly, “No.”
His eyes sparkled with a combination of surprise and amusement. “Are you laying claim, Dom?”
Was I?
The station alarm sounded, giving me a reprieve. Between one heartbeat and the next, we were on our feet, moving like the skilled, experienced team we were. Donning gear while in motion, taking our places, settling into the groove of those who’d done this together hundreds of times. A familiar sense of excitement ran through me, overshadowing everything else.
Duty called.