Chapter 7 Cole
It turned out Samir was right to recommend a mix of books for Ella. My little girl was more than capable of following a story but learning the farm animals had been just as fun for her, and for me.
I couldn’t believe how much of her development I’d missed already. I couldn’t even remember the last time we sat together to spend some quality time without me fighting to keep my eyes open.
By the time Monday evening rolled in, I’d had more than enough rest and not nearly enough hours spent with my daughter. But I was more determined than ever to keep this pace, even if it meant ditching work at the Grill in the lead-up to Christmas.
Somehow, no matter how many employees we had, Christmas always ended up busier than we could handle. So I wasn’t so sure Carson meant the whole “don’t step foot in here again” thing, but I wasn’t going to challenge him. Besides, he knew if he needed me, I was just a call away.
So I walked into the station for my shift with a renewed sense of something. It wasn’t hope exactly. It was something like… like happiness. And I wanted to do everything in my power to maintain it.
“Well, well, well,” Dawn said as soon as I walked into the kitchen to grab myself some coffee. “Welcome back, stud.”
I paused, coffee jug in hand as I was about to pour and grimaced.
“Hi?”
“You’re going to be so popular!” she chortled.
“Popular where? What?” I asked, but the EMS admin assistant dashed out of the room before I could prod further.
I wondered what that was about.
I was curious but not curious enough to find out. So I finished pouring my coffee, grabbed an energy bar from the shift’s pantry, plonked down on the couch in the back of the day room, and put a training video on the TV.
Some minutes later, two of my shift buddies came in. Before I could greet them or ask them what smelled so delicious, they glanced at me and whistled.
“If it isn’t Mr. Casanova,” Josh said. Cooper chuckled next to him.
“What are you guys talking about?” I asked, my mind immediately going to yesterday and swooning—erm, meeting—Samir for the first time.
But how would Josh and Cooper know about that? Had Enzo gotten word out that I’d been drooling over the hunky bookstore owner or something? Then again, he didn’t even know my colleagues, so how could they know?
Cooper plopped down next to me, and his ramen shook dangerously in his bowl.
“Look, he’s pretending he doesn’t know,” he said.
“Pretending I don’t know what? Also where did you get that?” I looked at his bowl.
I was used to seeing the guy wolf down instant ramen, but Cooper’s and Josh’s—who sat down next to him—looked like they’d come straight out of a Korean restaurant. Last time I checked, we didn’t have any on this island—much to Hwan’s disappointment.
“Oh that? I’ve been learning how to elevate instant noodles. Want to try?” Cooper offered me his bowl, and I wasted no time to take it and try a bite.
“Ouch,” I said, burning myself on the hot broth, but despite that, I couldn’t stop eating. The noodles, the flavor of the broth, hell, even the soy-stained boiled eggs were fucking delicious.
“I think he’s stuffing his face so he doesn’t have to explain himself.” Josh chuckled and elbowed Cooper’s side.
“Definitely.” Cooper laughed.
I paused.
“Explain what?” I mumbled with my mouth full. “I have no idea what you people are talking about.”
Cooper raised his eyebrow. Josh grimaced.
“What do you mean, you have no idea? You thought you’d sign up for the charity auction and we wouldn’t find out?”
I dropped the fork and gasped.
“I… what?”
“You—you didn’t know?” Josh asked, staring at me in disbelief.
“Know what exactly? I’m confused. What charity auction?”
Cooper exchanged glances with Josh before he spoke. “The one we’re doing in collaboration with Duke’s Sanctuary? Did you really not know? How the hell did your name end up on the bachelor’s list?”
“What list?” I grumbled.
Josh pulled his phone out and typed something before he showed a page on the fire department website. My name was among a bunch of others as bachelors being sold for the evening.
“The fuck?” I yelled.
“You didn’t know? How is that possible?” Cooper said.
I shrugged.
“Beats me. I spent my days off with my daughter. I don’t know how the hell that happened.”
Although now that I thought about it, I’d seen the auction poster in Samir’s bookstore yesterday. And Enzo was there. Was it possible he had something to do with it?
Nah. It couldn’t be. I’d barely noticed the poster, how could have Enzo when he’d been too busy cooing at Ella and poking fun at me and my attraction to Samir?
Then again, stranger things had happened.
Just to be on the safe side, I pulled my phone out and dialed my friend’s number and filled my mouth with more ramen.
“He-hello,” Enzo croaked out after a few seconds.
“Hey. It’s me. Were you sleeping? Did I wake you?”
Enzo sighed.
“Definitely not sleeping.”
“Ew. Gross, dude. I don’t need to know when you’re banging my brother.” I groaned, and both Cooper and Josh chuckled.
“You asked,” Enzo said.
“I didn’t actually. Anyway, sorry to interrupt your riding lessons, but… did you, by any chance, sign me up for the bachelor auction?”
“What? Me? No,” he said a little too fast for my liking.
“Enzo!” I shouted.
“It was Mom’s idea,” he said.
“And mine,” I heard Carson say in the background.
“And okay, I called Grayson to let him know.”
I choked on the noodles and put the fork down again.
“You called my chief?”
“Oh yeah. He was really sweet.”
I laid back on the couch and closed my eyes, trying not to lose my composure.
“You guys. What the actual fuck?” I yelled.
“Oh, get over yourself, Cole. You need to get back in the game.”
“Back in the game? What if an old lady buys me, and I have to go on a date with her?” Cooper burst out laughing, but one look from me, and he sealed his mouth shut. Not that it helped with the whole laughing thing.
“Oh, stop complaining. It’s for charity. It’s to help Duke’s sanctuary, and we love Duke, don’t we?”
“I guess.” I grimaced. “But what if it’s some gross person who wants to do things.”
Enzo chortled. “We all make sacrifices.”
“But that’s an unnecessary sacrifice,” I said.
“Oh yeah? Tell that to Honeybee, or any of the other dozens of dogs and cats who just want to be safe, fed, and in peace.”
Well, when he put it like that, I couldn’t complain. I guessed I had to do my part. I just hoped I didn’t end up with a weirdo. This island had many, unfortunately, and they all loved to come out for such special occasions.
“Fine. I’ll do it. But you owe me.”
“Sounds like a deal,” Enzo replied. “Now can I go back to blowing your brother? His boner is almost gone.”
I squirmed. Literally squirmed.
“I hate you,” I told him.
“Yeah. Love you too,” Enzo said, and the line went dead without further delay.
I put my phone down and tried to take another bite of the ramen, but it was almost finished.
“Oh shoot. I finished your food,” I told Cooper.
“It’s okay. I can make another.” He smirked.
“What?” I asked.
“So you’re doing it? The auction thing?”
I rolled my eyes and sighed.
“It is for charity.”
“What did I say? Mr. Casanova.” Josh chuckled.
They both started laughing, and I glared at them, channeling all my bad juju energy, but nothing bad happened to them.
Unless…
“What are you laughing at? You’re taking part too.”
“No we’re not,” Josh said a little too defensively.
“Oh yes, you are!” I shouted and put the bowl down, sprinting for the door. “Oh, Kayla! I found two more bachelors.”
The guys chased after me, but it was pointless. By the time I got to the chief’s assistant’s office, she had already noted their names down and would make it official before the hour was up, no matter how much Josh and Cooper begged her not to.
“That should teach you a lesson,” I told my colleagues and went back to the day room to finish my coffee and pray to whichever gods Lilian believed in that I didn’t end up in some creepy old man’s dungeon or something.
Then again, I wouldn’t oppose ending up in Samir’s bed.
I shook my head and blinked several times.
Where the hell had that thought come from?