Chapter 3
three
Adelaide
Three weeks ago at the bar
“I should drive you home,” Denver says when I shrug into my warm jacket and kick off my heels into my comfortable walking shoes. I may only be a block or two away, but still, my feet have had about as much as they can take tonight.
“You know you can practically see my place from the bar,” I remind him. “I’m happy to walk.”
We’ve been talking all night, in between customers, and that hug we gave each other was nothing short of epic.
Of course when I first looked at him I knew something resonated inside me.
I mean, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen him, the lights were low, and I didn’t catch on at first. But then when I heard him call out my childhood nickname, it all fell into place.
It felt like a safety blanket that I didn’t know I needed being wrapped around my shoulders.
Warm. Comforting. Safe.
Even though I haven’t been in contact with Denver all these years, it doesn’t mean I haven’t thought of him.
Not a day goes by where I don’t think about that night and the close call we had.
I was four, going on five, so I barely remember, and some memories are too painful to relive.
Carrie barely made it out alive, and struggled more than any of us combined.
She suffered smoke inhalation and burns to significant parts of her body.
My parents were caught on the ground floor with her. I shudder to think what would have happened if we’d all been trapped down there.
I may have only been little, but I still remember the blaze, and Denver pulling me through that open window to safety.
Sammy’s little face was terrified, as I’m sure mine was, his small body wedged between Denver’s legs.
Sammy lived a long happy life after the rescue, and passed away peacefully at the ripe old age of fifteen, just after graduation.
“Well, we can walk. It’s still not safe at night for a woman,” he says simply. “And you know Daryl would be upset with me if he found out you walked home alone.”
“Well, thank you,” I reply. “I can look after myself, much to Daryl’s disapproval, but I appreciate the sentiment all the same.”
Denver slides his hands into his jacket pockets. He towers over me, which isn’t hard to do because I’m short, but at 6”3 and wide-set, he’s a freaking monster.
“Daryl told me you were in town,” Denver goes on as we begin to walk up the street. “But I didn’t expect to see you here. He didn’t tell me where you worked.”
“That’s because I only just got this job,” I say. “And trust me, nobody was more shocked than me to see you again. You’ve… uh, changed.”
“For the better?”
I smile into my puffa jacket. “That would be telling.”
He clears his throat. “Daryl texted me to say you were back in town, and then gave his usual big brotherly lecture about watching over you.”
“Sounds like my brother,” I muse.
“So, weirdly, I have your number already.”
“Oh?” I smirk. “But you weren’t planning on using it?”
“Well, you didn’t even know who I was.”
“You got me there, hotshot.” Oh, the banter we had when I was a teenager rolls right off the tongue. “I should’ve known it was you with that giant chip on your shoulder.”
He blows out an amused breath and gives me the side eye. “One would have thought you couldn’t forget this handsome face.” He grins widely.
I stifle a laugh, not one I can hold back, but it only makes his smile grow. “Wow, Denver, some things really haven’t changed, have they?”
“What are you trying to say, Red Robin?”
“You know, up until tonight I haven’t heard that name in a long, long time.”
“Still suits you.”
It’s my turn to give him the side eye. “You think so?”
He meets me gaze. My, oh my, he only got more handsome as the years have passed.
Fucking gorgeous, if I’m being honest. Back when I last saw him he was cute, but being a lot older than me, I really only saw him as Daryl’s best friend that had been around forever.
I may have had a small crush, but so did all my friends because he was blonde and beautiful and nice to us.
Not like other boys his age, including my brother.
But tonight, wow, I’m seeing him as a man as well as the full-blown hottie he turned about to be.
“Oh, I know so.” He’s also still cocky.
“So what’s new with you in the last ten years since I saw you?”
He chuckles. “Meaning?”
I shrug. “You know, life, work. Surely you have a wife and kids by now?” I know for a fact he doesn’t.
Daryl has inadvertently kept me in the loop over the years, and he’s always the topic of conversation when I’ve been back home to visit.
Granted, I haven’t visited much in the past few years, and our paths never seemed to cross.
“Has Daryl not mentioned me at all?” His eyes twinkle as we cross the quiet street only a block now from my apartment.
Damn. He got me. “Here and there. But who knows? I don’t see a wedding ring, but that doesn’t mean—”
“That I don’t have a wife stashed anywhere?” he laughs. “Pretty sure I’d know about it.”
“Hopefully the kids too,” I quip.
He gives me a playful look, and I’m pretty sure he’s telling me to quit while I’m ahead. Still, cheeky is my second nature, nothing much has changed there. “I’m very sure I don’t have any offspring. Thanks though, for your interest in my love life.”
“Just making conversation.”
His laugh warms me through, making my heart skip a beat.
He’s always had the ability to make me feel safe and seen when I’m in his presence.
Like I can be myself. Even as a teenager, Denver was always kind, and it seems he hasn’t lost that streak.
I thought I’d be more self-conscious—given a few things have changed for me since he saw me last. I’m much curvier now.
I filled out in a lot of ways as I grew into a woman—my hips expanded, my thighs got thicker, and my breasts fuller.
It’s taken time, and a few years of self-doubt that I’m never gonna be stick thin, but I’m happy with my body these days.
I’m healthy and I feel good. “What else do you want to know?”
If you’re single dummy… But I smile as sweet as pie, thinking it’s probably a good thing he can’t read minds. “I know from the grapevine you’re still in the fire department.”
“Ah, yes.” He nods once. “You know me.” An inevitable shrug follows like it’s no big deal.
“You still love it?” I ask.
“Rescue? Yeah, I do. I’ve had over sixty complex rescues in my career. Our captain, Grayson Cole, he’s a hard ass but fair. My lieutenant, JJ, is a good guy, and keeps us all in line. I live for it. Though, Bodhi wants a word with Cap with how overworked I am.”
My eyebrows knit together. “Bodhi?”
“My cat.”
A laugh bubbles out of me. Geez, why am I giggling like a damn schoolgirl? “You’re a cat dad?”
“Sheesh, you have been away too long.”
“It seems so. How did you come to be Bodhi’s dad?”
His lips twitch with a smile. “I’ve rescued one too many up trees and on roofs in my time to not love the little creatures,” he admits. “Bodhi is my favorite rescue.”
“Wow, is that how you found him?”
“Yup, sure is. No one claimed him after I grabbed him from a high rise ledge. He was stuck up there for days before anyone reported it. Poor thing could’ve fallen to his death at any time.”
“Wow. You two must be kindred spirits, living on the edge like you do.”
His chuckle is quiet and almost thoughtful. “Something like that. He’s king of the castle now, believe me.”
“I kinda got that impression.”
“Do you have any pets?” he asks.
My eyes flick up to his. “No. Not since, um, Sammy.” I stammer. My memories of that little dog still choke me up. “But I’d love to have a furry friend one day.”
If it’s not my imagination, I see his throat bob as he swallows. I guess mentioning Sammy brings it all back about the past. The memories always seem to hang between us.
“He was a good dog,” Denver says quietly, his voice even deeper, almost inaudible.
“He was the best, and he lived a good life. Thanks to you,” I tack on.
It’s not an after thought by any means—we were all very grateful for Denver’s bravery.
But the memories were too difficult for all of us, and rebuilding was going to be just too much for my folks.
So we ended up moving across the other side of the city to the suburbs.
Everything took its toll with Carrie’s injuries, and things just weren’t the same.
It makes me sad to think about. It’s not something you just get over.
Years of therapy has softened the edges for me, but the scars remain in places, especially for my sister.
And it makes me sad that for a long time she suffered.
Maybe that’s why I lived away so long: I just didn’t want to face the fact that things would never quite be the same.
But time has been a good thing because she is doing well now.
She works as a teacher, and I know she loves her job.
The kids she teaches love her to pieces.
“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” he says softly.
I don’t have to be looking at him to know it’s true. But we’re nearing my apartment block.
“Where do you live?”
“Not far from Printers Row,” he says. “That’s where the fire station is.”
I know it well. The South Loop is a lively hub with plenty of bars, cafes, and restaurants.
“I’ve passed it before,” I murmur. When we lock gazes again, I see the sincerity in his eyes. They burn an electric green that hasn’t softened over time. If anything, they’ve become more vivid but also like he’s seen too much.
I try not to take in the rest of him, but that’s hard.
He’s huge. His big arms and strong body cling to his henley underneath his jacket.
And he smells like a fucking spicy wet dream.
It’s easy to imagine how unsaintly that damn body is under those clothes and I wet my lips without realizing I’m doing it.
But also, it’s more than that. He’s doing exactly what he set out to do and I admire him for that.
He’s never run away from hard things; he’s stayed in the thick of it, facing his fears head on.
If I’m being honest, that’s where I know I’ve fallen short.
I thought a new city would be a fresh start.
I could start a career after graduation, live in a new place, make new friends, and life would just get better and better.
I’d reach for the stars. In some ways it was true.
I did start a new career, lived in a new place, and made new friends.
Somewhere along the line, however, things just became stagnant.
I missed my family, and I realized I was missing out on so much.
Living in Massachusetts really wasn’t making me happy anymore.
My parents are getting older, so are my siblings, and so am I.
My best friend, Delaney, in Cambridge, is always telling me life is way too short.
She was sad about me leaving to come back to Chicago, but I just felt the time was right.
And Denver? Well, he’s always been my hero. I’ve just never told him.
“This is me,” I finally say, coming to a stop at my building.
Old town isn’t a place I’ve ever lived before, but it’s well known for its history and architectural brilliance, tree-covered streets and Victorian homes.
My apartment is a tall and narrow four-level with bay windows, ornate trim, and arched doors.
The building itself is stunning with carved stone details in the decorative cornacing.
I’m just getting to know the area, but already love being able to walk to the lively Wells Street for a coffee and find interesting shops and cafes.
“I do love Old Town,” Denver says, looking up to the red brick building with a little smile on his lips. I’m just renting at the moment, but if all goes well, I’d love to buy my own place in the near future and build my interior design business.
“Oh, me too,” I reply. “Plus, it’s close to work so that’s convenient.”
He chuckles quietly. “This place suits you, Red.”
Another nickname I haven’t heard in a while—the shorter version of Red Robin.
My lips curl into a smile. There’s been a few firsts tonight. Denver Banks sure doesn’t hold back any punches. He’s exactly like I remembered, but also so much more.
Then it hits me about him. I feel safe. Denver makes me feel safe.
I don’t know why, but I cast my mind back to my ex.
My last relationship ended in disaster. It took me longer than it should have to realize that Camden wasn’t good for me. I was trying way too hard to make him happy and disregarded the little things he did to push my confidence lower than it ever should go. I let myself slip away to please him.
Looking back, I don’t even know why I’d put up with that.
We’d spend a short time apart, but I always took him back.
Then, like clockwork, we’d have a huge blow up and I realized he was holding me back from what I really wanted to do.
He’d become very needy, but only on his terms. My dreams didn’t matter.
He only hung on for the good times, never backing me when things got tough.
That was the crux of it: he never had my back.
“You think this place suits me?” I ask, looking up at the large bay windows that overlook the tree-lined street.
American elm trees stand tall in their cathedral-like canopy, arching up and outwards, the trunks thick and strong.
Nestled in between are a mix of different maple trees, dense and brilliant.
Their fall colors are something you could never recreate in a drawing, but only admire for how beautiful they are.
Maybe it’s why I feel so at home here, even though I’ve just arrived.
“It really does.” He nods toward the door. “You should get inside, it’s cold out.”
I nod, a little reluctant to let him go, but that’s ridiculous. It would be easier if his cologne wasn’t still permeating my senses after our earlier hug… “Thank you for walking me home, D.”
“Anytime. Uh, since I have your number from Daryl, I’ll text you mine. That way when he asks, I can say yes, I’ve annoyed the living shit out of you and walked you home safely. You know how he gets.”
“He hasn’t changed a bit,” I muse.
Out of nowhere he says, “We should catch up sometime.”
My heart races at the idea. I look up at him. “I’d like that.”
“Goodnight, Red.”
“Night, D.”
I wait for him to turn and start the trek back, it’s sweet he walked me home. But he stands firmly rooted to the spot, waiting for me to go in.
He gives me a chin lift toward my building. His good manners certainly haven’t wavered over the years. It’s refreshing. There’s not enough of it in my opinion. “Sleep tight.”