Chapter 12 Blake #2
Tinsley, dressed in a pink ball gown, spots us from across the yard and screeches her brother’s name, tearing over to jump into his arms.
He laughs as he catches her and spins her around. “Happy birthday, pipsqueak.”
“No, silly,” she tells him with a roll of her eyes. “I’m Aurora.”
“My bad,” he says, placing her gently on the ground and passing her a large gift bag with a unicorn printed on it.
“Ooh, what is it?” she squeaks, trying to lift it, but it’s way too heavy for her.
“Shi—shoot, sorry,” he says, wincing when Emily smacks him over the head. Reaching into the bag, he pulls out a box with a giant dollhouse printed on the front.
“Thank you!” Tinsley squeals with excitement, while I groan inwardly.
Another flat pack.
I know exactly who’ll be putting that together later.
The arsehole spent over an hour watching me fix up the chest of drawers and put Tinsley’s bed together the other day.
I don’t think he even knows how to hold a screwdriver.
Of course, he was happy to accept the credit when Juliet thanked us later.
Tinsley hugs her brother and Emily before turning to me, her sparkling green eyes locked on the pink gift bag in my hand.
“Happy birthday, Sprout,” I say, crouching down to pass it to her.
I grimace as the tight pants cut into my circulation. Thankfully the seams hold.
“Thanks, Blake,” she says shyly, peering into the bag and pulling out the Little Mermaid Lego set.
“You’re welcome, kiddo.”
Emily helps me to my feet as Tinsley runs off to play with her friends, her presents forgotten.
We carry the gifts over to a table near the back door that seems to have been set up for that purpose, and Juliet comes over to greet us wearing a fitted Snow White costume, her shoulder-length blonde hair falling in a neat bob framing her face.
My mouth runs dry as I appreciate how stunning she looks. I won’t lie, I noticed how attractive she was on Thursday when we came by to help with Tinsley’s bedroom furniture, but holy smokes, this woman is effortlessly gorgeous.
“Thanks for coming,” she says with a beaming smile that lights up her green eyes. “You guys look fantastic.”
“Thanks for having us.” I rub the back of my neck, feeling like an absolute joker, but a quick glance around the party tells me all the adults got into the spirit of the festivities.
There’s an array of princess outfits on the mums, and a few dads who are either dressed in full suit and tie, or costumes like me and Everett.
We follow Juliet over to the marquee, where she introduces us to her friends. Not that I remember anyone’s name. I immediately wish I had pushed harder to get out of this. Making small talk with strangers is my least favourite thing to do.
I’m in the middle of a conversation with Belle from Beauty and the Beast and her husband, I think his name is Rory, when a loud cry rips through the air.
Everyone turns in a panic, and I spot Tinsley sitting on one of the stepping stones that follows the garden bed around the property.
She’s gripping her knee, tears streaking down her face.
Juliet races over to her, and I excuse myself from the conversation to see if I can help. When I reach them, Juliet is pulling Tinsley’s hand away to check the damage. I wince when I see the gravel embedded in the graze.
“You’re going to want to clean that with disinfectant,” I say softly, so I don’t scare the birthday girl. “Can I help?”
Juliet looks confused for a moment, then recognition dawns in her eyes. “You’re a paramedic.”
“A paramedic student,” I correct, “but yeah. Do you mind?”
She shakes her head and moves out of the way so I can bend and lift Tinsley into my arms. The little princess whimpers and buries her head in my chest.
“Do you have a medical kit?”
“In the bathroom.”
I follow Juliet inside and place Tinsley down on the vanity as her mum rummages around in the cabinet, pulling out the medical kit and passing it to me.
I quickly wash my hands with soap and water and then focus on the little girl in front of me, crouching so I’m eye level with her. “Hey, Sprout. Do you remember what I do for a job?”
She looks at me with shining eyes and nods, tiny hands still gripping her knee.
“Will you be a brave girl and let me fix up your knee?”
Her gaze darts from me to her mum and back before nodding again.
“Awesome,” I say with a warm smile. “I need to clean the dirt from the wound, okay?”
Tinsley lets out a moan and grips her knee tighter, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
“It’s okay, princess,” Juliet coaxes. “Let Blake clean you up, and then we can have cake.”
“Okay,” she says in a small voice.
“Do you have a clean cloth?” I ask Juliet.
She grabs one from the cupboard and passes it to me.
I wet it under the tap, then look up at Tinsley.
“I’m not going to lie to you, this might hurt a little, but I have to get the gravel out, okay?”
Fear flashes in her eyes, but then she squeezes them tight and reaches for her mum’s hand.
As gently as possible, I clean the wound. When I’m sure I have all the tiny stones out of it, I rummage around in the medical kit for some antiseptic.
Before I put it on, I look up at Tinsley again, seeing that she still has her eyes squeezed shut.
“You’re doing great, Sprout. This next bit will sting for just a second, but then you won’t feel it, okay?”
She scrunches up her face and nods.
When I dab the antiseptic cream on her knee, she lets out a small gasp. “That’s it. The worst is over. Now for the bandage.” I find one that will cover the large graze and secure it over the wound. “There you go. All done.”
Tinsley pries her eyes open and peers down at her knee, all the blood now cleaned away.
“Can I check your hands?”
She holds them out for me to inspect. There’s some blood on them from where she was holding her knee, but otherwise there’s no damage, so I turn on the tap and help her wash them with soap.
When she’s done, Juliet passes us a towel, and then I grin down at the birthday girl. “Good as new.”
Juliet leans down and kisses the top of her head. “Go out and play, princess, and I’ll get the cake ready.”
“Okay,” Tinsley says, bouncing. She grins up at me. “Thanks for fixing me, Blake.”
I laugh. “Anytime, Sprout.”
She runs out of the bathroom, and then it’s just me and her mum in the confined space. Her very attractive, very single mum.
“How lucky are we to have a paramedic on standby,” she says with a laugh. “Thanks for coming to her rescue.”
“It’s no problem,” I say, packing away the medical kit and handing it to her. “It was just a scrape.”
Our fingers brush, and a jolt of electricity shoots through my arm. Her eyes widen, and I wonder if she felt it too. My pulse quickens, and my chest expands as all the air is sucked out of the room.
I clear my throat, and her gaze drops, landing on my chest.
“Oh, no,” she says, reaching for the cloth. “You’ve got blood…”
I lower my eyes to the small bloodstain on my white shirt. “It’s fine. I doubt I’ll wear it again.”
She dabs at it with the damp cloth, but it only spreads. “If you take it off, I can spot clean it, and we can dry it with my hairdryer.”
I lift a brow as her cheeks flush.
“Are you asking me to take my clothes off?” My voice comes out rough, and I swear the temperature rises at least fifty degrees.
She licks her lips, and for half a second, I imagine leaning in and tasting her. Then I remember what happened the last time I kissed someone, and my body stiffens.
“It will take me five minutes,” she insists, forcing her gaze to meet mine. “I feel terrible.”
Guilt settles in my stomach for two reasons: the improper thoughts I’m having about my teammate’s stepmum, and for teasing her when she’s only trying to help. I hesitate, then pull my shirt over my head.
“Oh mon Dieu,” she whispers.
My heart stops beating.
When my gaze meets hers, I murmur one word. “Pixie.”