Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Kate
“Go through it one more time,” Jackson demands, and I swallow a frustrated groan.
“Look, you’re the one who asked us to help you on this. Don’t start bitchin’ when we ride your ass,” Cal chimes in.
“I have regrets,” I mutter as I do one more rotation of assembling my breathing apparatus.
We’ve been through this tedious exercise so many times that I’m flat bored at this point and tired of taking their shit.
If I get it even close to right, and I haven’t yet, then they harass me because it took too long.
This evening alone, we’ve gone through the whole thing a dozen times, and I’m still struggling.
I blame the phone call from Gus and Vaughn.
It’s been a major distraction all day. I stopped by the station hoping that working with Jackson and Cal would both improve my skill and keep my mind off the other two pains in my ass.
Hearing from Gus had been a surprise, and for a split second, I was worried about him. But then he opened his mouth and made his insinuations… It was only the sweetness in Vaughn’s voice—
The mask I’m holding is slapped out of my hands as Cal barks, “Time.”
“What the hell, Cal?”
Jackson straddles one of the two chairs in front of me, and Cal plops down into the other, facing off at me like parents scolding a teenager.
“What gives, needle-pusher?”
“Yeah, you’re not your normal sharp self.”
I drop the gear and slump back into my own seat. “I don’t know.”
“Well, you look like shit.” Leo, my former partner on the ambulance, picks that moment to pipe in. Guess I’ve been so distracted I didn’t even notice he was back at the station.
“Because she’s sleeping on that fucking uncomfortable couch at Jackson’s,” Cal says.
Leo frowns. “What happened to the farm guy?”
“His grandson came back,” Jackson says.
Despite my partner blowing me off for the last few weeks since I’ve been in school, at least he appears to be offended on my behalf, so I give him the rundown of everything that’s happened since our last shift together.
“So now I sleep on Jackson and Maggie’s couch, and if I’m lucky, I don’t hear them getting it on every night that he’s off.”
Jackson and Cal high-five.
“Y’all are ridiculous.”
Jackson shoots me a wink. “You’re just jealous.”
Maybe. “No. I’m not. I’m tired. And my neck is going to have a permanent crick in it.”
“What are you gonna do? Want me to ask Tamara if you can take our guest room?” Leo says quietly.
I lay a hand on his forearm, grateful I have such kindhearted friends. “No, but thank you. Vaughn called today and asked me to come back.”
All three guys direct their attention to me. “Vaughn?”
“Yeah.” I glance between each of them. “Gus’s grandson.”
“You’re going back after he was such a dickhead to you?” Jackson doesn’t seem to like this idea very much.
I forcibly relax my shoulders and try not to let my anxiety over the situation show.
“Do we need to go with you to this chat? ’Cause I’m team Kate right now, and I’m ready to give those two a piece of my mind,” Cal adds.
A tiny seed of warmth lands squarely in my chest, even as I duck from their collective gazes to gather my things. “No, I’ve got it.”
Not a word is said as I finish packing up. “Thanks for letting me stop by. Can we do it some other time?”
Two nods and one narrowed gaze is my answer.
“Jackson, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Leo follows me down the hall as I head to my car.
“Everything okay, Leo?” I ask, sensing that he’s got something on his mind.
He’s quiet for a long moment as he walks me to my car.
“I’m worried about you. First it was the rookie school and living with the old man. Now it’s him and his grandson. I don’t like it. A pretty, single woman like yourself shouldn’t be in this position.”
It’s not odd for him to be acting this way; he’s always played my protector on calls. But it does feel a little over the top for him.
“Aw, you’re the best big brother a girl could ask for.”
“I’m serious, Kate.” He scrubs a hand over his balding head, completely agitated with this conversation. “Just… check in more often or something.”
I stop and really take in my partner to find concern for my well-being on his face. He’s serious. He’s truly worried.
“Yeah, I am.”
And I’m back to doing the whole speak-out-loud shit again. I step in and throw my arms around him, catching him off guard. “Thanks for caring, Leo.”
Maybe he doesn’t know my whole story and doesn’t realize how the act of simply looking out for my best interests affects me. But he’s a friend who cares. And I’m realizing that having a found family is almost better than having one of my own.