Chapter 2
TWO
REMINGTON
Pushing the drooping Santa cap back in place on my head, I twirl the dart between my fingers. “How much do you want to bet I can hit the bullseye with my eyes closed?”
My best friend Maverick arches an eyebrow. “Why would you want to throw a dart with your eyes closed?”
I lift a shoulder. “To prove that I can.”
“Fair enough.” With a nod, he slams a twenty-dollar bill on the high-top table. “I’ll take that bet.”
Smirking, I shuffle two darts into my left hand and line up my shot with the right. With the target in sight, I pull my fingers back.
Just as I’m ready to release, Maverick says, “Did I tell you Jade is back in town?”
My heart leaps at the mention of her name as I flick my wrist and send the dart sailing. It strikes the poster of Santa Claus next to the board.
“Damn, bro.” Maverick lets out a low whistle. “You weren’t even close.”
“That’s because you distracted me.” Gritting my teeth, I stalk to the wall and tug the dart out. The tip breaks off and I frown. “You also broke my tip.”
“Remington with a broken tip.” He shakes his head and chuckles. “You’re going to disappoint a lot of ladies if you don’t get it working again soon.”
I snort on a laugh. I can’t stay mad at Maverick. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let him off easy.
I grit my teeth. “To answer your question, no. You didn’t tell me Jade was back.”
“Well, she’s back.”
“I know.”
His brow furrows. “You know? How?”
“Because you just told me.” Not to mention the fact that I clocked Jade the second I walked into the bar. I’ve always had a sixth sense where she’s concerned. Like, I can somehow always sense she’s around or that she’s sent her brother a text message.
Of course, I’ve kept that notion to myself. Mav is my best friend. And even though I jump out of planes and helicopters to fight fires, I don’t have a death wish.
“Oh.”
Maverick looks around until his eyes land on his sister’s table. It’s a table I’ve been watching a little too closely myself. Especially after the flush cheeked, bright eyed look she gave me not too long ago.
It’s a good thing I quickly found an empty seat. The table hid the tent I was pitching in my pants.
I wonder if she flushes anywhere else on her body. What I wouldn’t give to peel that top and jeans off of her body and bury my face between her thighs to see how pink she gets down there.
I clear my throat and shift my stance to avoid pitching another tent. Fuck me. I can’t keep having thoughts like that about Jade.
With thoughts of plunging into icy waters in my head, I hold one of my darts to Maverick. “Double or nothing I can make it on this next shot.”
He’s interrupted from taking—or rejecting—the offer by Calloway, our smokejumper crew leader, who comes bearing a fresh pitcher of beer and a scowl.
“Your ex,” he says through gritted teeth, “called our emergency.”
“My ex?” I frown. “What ex?”
“She said her name was Leanne. Or Lanie.”
“Well which one was it?”
Maverick chuckles as steam practically bursts out of Calloway’s ears?
“Which one is it?” he parrots in disgust. “You expect me to keep track of your women when you can’t be bothered?”
“For the record, I know the names—first and last—of every woman I’ve had.” Not to mention knowing just about everything there is to know about the one woman I want more than anything, but will never have. “I’ve never dated a Leann or Lanie.”
Calloway scowls. “Then why is she on my phone asking to talk to you?”
I shrug. “Wishful thinking.”
“Yours or theirs?” Maverick asks.
“Please.” I roll my eyes. “If I wanted to be with either of them, I would be.”
“Because you’re just that good?”
“What can I say?” I smirk. “I know what women like. And I’m more than happy to give it to them.”
“So why are you playing darts here tonight instead of ‘giving it’ to either of them.”
“I’m not interested.”
“Well, what’s wrong with them?” he asks.
“Nothing.” I shake my head. “I’m just not in the mood for another one-night stand.”
“Uh oh.” Maverick gives Calloway a knowing look. “It sounds like our boy is ready to fall in love.”
“Ugh.” He wrinkles his nose. “Just because the two of you drank the matrimonial Kool-Aid, it doesn’t mean everyone else is lining up to be fitted for a ball and chain.”
“Methinks the dude doth protest too much.”
“Not exactly.” I shrug at his fresh scowl. “I’ve just been thinking.”
“Dangerous last words.”
“I’ve been thinking that maybe it would be nice to get serious with someone. Not married,” I clarify. “At least not right away. But after seeing how happy the rest of you guys are”—not to mention that a certain woman is back in town—“I thought maybe I’d give monogamy a try.”
“That reminds me.” Calloway sets down the beer. “I need to give my woman a call.”
“You’ll let Leann or Lanie or whoever down gently for me?” I ask.
He just grimaces before racing away. I chuckle but stop as I catch Maverick’s stare.
“What?” I rub my nose. “Do I have something on my face?”
He studies me for another moment. I resist the urge to wriggle in my seat. “Did you mean that?”
Suddenly feeling awkward, I let my hand drop to my side. “Yeah. I did.”
I wish I could tell him the full reason my thoughts have turned that direction. But I can’t. Not yet. Maverick is like a brother to me. We’d lay our lives down to protect the other.
It doesn’t mean he’d be excited to find out I’m crazy about his baby sister. That I have been for years. Not when we used to be each other’s wingman back when he was single and he knows all the good and bad things about me.
If I want to prove I’m ready to be a one-woman man—and that his sister is the one woman—I’m going to have to make some changes.
“You know…” Maverick arches an eyebrow. “If you’re really serious about wanting to get serious with a woman, maybe you should consider a vow of celibacy.”
Anderson, another of our smokejumper pals, drops at the table next to Maverick, scoffs. “Yeah. Right. Do you think this guy could actually last living like a monk?”
I scowl, which only makes Maverick’s smirk that much more smug.
“I’m not saying he’d have to do it forever,” he says. “But just long enough to take sex out of the equation when it comes to building a relationship with a woman.”
“How long would that take?” I ask, rubbing my forehead. A dull ache is starting to build even while my frown becomes more fierce.
“I don’t know.” Maverick lifts a shoulder. “A month. Three. I wouldn’t think it would take more than a year.”
“A year.” Anderson bursts into a fresh fit of laughter, which draws attention from the neighboring tables.
My ears turn red and I tug at the collar of my flannel shirt, which suddenly feels hot against my neck.
“Could you keep it down?” I hiss. “People are staring at us.”
“Oh, let them. It’s a good joke.” Anderson wipes away at the tears now streaming down his face. “You couldn’t last till New Year’s.”
My jaw ticks. “I could so.”
“I’m pretty sure your chestnuts would fall off into a roasting fire if you didn’t use them.”
“I can go till the end of the month,” I say a little more loudly, straightening my spine and ignoring the curious stares from around us. “Hell, I bet I can go without well into the new year.”
Actually, this might be a good way to show Maverick just how serious I am. I already haven’t gone out with another woman in weeks. Staying celibate for a few more won’t kill me. Plus, I’d already planned on it.
In the meantime, I can focus on work and maybe even befriending Jade. Lay some groundwork. And at the end of it all, Maverick will see that I’ve put my Tom-catting ways behind me.
It’s almost too perfect of a plan.
Plus, I can wipe that shit-eating grin off Anderson’s face. And knowing our crew’s penchant for placing bets, maybe I can make this even more beneficial to me.
“Okay, how about this.” I cock my head to the side. “If I spend the holidays celibate, you’ll do my paperwork for a whole month.”
Anderson snorts. “And when you don’t last more than a few days?”
“He oversees all of the equipment prep for next season,” Maverick says. “For the whole team.”
Shit. That would take me forever to do. It’s a good thing I have no intention of losing this bet.
I extend my hand. “You have a deal gentlemen.”
No sooner have we all shook on the deal, then Maverick’s phone starts ringing. He checks the display and jumps to his feet.
“I’d better take this. It’s the wife.” He sighs. “Pregnancy cravings.”
Anderson nods in understanding. “I should probably check in on my woman too. The baby is teething.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes as they both leave to call their better halves. I plan to be a devoted and supportive partner when my turn comes. But I guarantee you won’t catch me being so lame like my smokejumper brothers. Especially not on guy’s night.
“No, sir,” I mutter to myself,
I reach for my beer, but there’s a slight scuffle. I look up just in time to catch Jade.
As she falls into my lap.