Chapter 22 #2
“Nope.” I gesture with my thumb to her friends. “You can go back to sleep if you want. I’m not tired.”
She yawns again, covering her mouth with her hand. “I think I will.” She tries to get comfortable, leaning her head against the window of my truck, but she keeps readjusting every few minutes.
After I’ve moved a few car lengths forward, she shuffles again and huffs.
“Shayna, just come here.”
She peers over at me. Her eyes are heavy, but she listens and scoots across the bench seat.
I open my arm and wrap it around her shoulder.
Shayna’s face softens, and she immediately melts into me, resting her head against my chest. I wonder if she can hear how my heartbeat just picked up speed.
I’m never this close to girls, aside from those in my family. Hopefully, she’s too tired to notice.
“You’re going to be the best firefighter,” she murmurs. “You’re always saving me.”
I don’t know what exactly I’ve saved her from, but her words have me beaming.
The smile forming on my lips isn’t something I’m accustomed to.
If my mom saw me smiling right now with Shayna Monroe in my arms, she’d snap a hundred pictures.
And also probably be frustrated that I’m smiling for a girl when I never smile for her pictures.
But I don’t think smiles are meant to be forced, only earned.
And I don’t know what it means that Shayna’s words are making me smile, but for now, I’m happy there’s another person in the world who knows what I want to do in life. And the fact that she believes in me has me smiling the rest of the way home.
“Con?” Shayna whispers, pulling me from my reverie.
“Yeah?”
She squeezes my hands tighter in hers, like she’s pulling from my strength to build up the courage for whatever it is she wants to say. “I know it’s only for charity—that it’s not real—but this has been the best date I’ve ever been on.”
I press my cheek to her sun-warmed hair. “It feels pretty real to me.”
I’ve been living on a high since my date with Shayna.
We didn’t promise each other anything when I dropped her back off at her car, but the idea of something more between us lingered in the air like the scent of freshly brewed coffee in the crew kitchen.
And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the next time I see her.
Life has been busier than usual for the last month.
Between moving and shifts at the station, plus all the time I’ve spent with Shayna, I’ve hardly had a spare moment to finish the shelves for her flower truck.
Luckily, Cap gave me permission during my last shift to work on them while I’m here as long as I kept up on all my other duties around the station.
I think he felt bad about telling me I was going to be in the bachelor auction, but if it means I have an opportunity to work on the shelves, I’m not mad.
I promised Shayna I’d have them ready for her approval soon, since we’ll be able to get her truck from Pat’s shop next week. I couldn’t live with myself if I let her down. I’d pull multiple all-nighters before I let that happen.
Thankfully, today is a slow day at the station, although I guess I shouldn’t even think those words.
Any time you admit to a slow work shift is when the day turns into utter chaos, but today I really need things to stay quiet here so I can finish the final sanding on these shelves in case she decides she wants them stained.
I head to the bunkroom where I stored the wood and grab the shelf I’ve been working on, along with a sheet of 220 grit sandpaper.
I sit on the edge of the bed and begin sanding.
I already worked on the shelves with my sander, but the cutouts in each one to hold the vases need to be sanded by hand.
Plus, I enjoy going over my projects a final time by hand.
Most woodworkers hate sanding, but the combination of the rhythmic motion mixed with the sound of the sandpaper running along the wood has always been calming to me.
As I’m working on the second shelf, I hear mumbling outside the door.
“Go on,” Malone whispers, her voice quiet but commanding. “Knock.”
“What if he’s sleeping?” Fisher’s loud voice carries, and Malone shushes him.
“He rarely naps on shift,” Lieutenant Barnes says.
“Move aside.” Gordon opens the door and steps into the room without any pretense.
The rest of our crew, aside from Captain, stands behind him.
“How was the date with your little badge bunny?” If it wasn’t for his condescending tone, I wouldn’t mind the question.
But the way he refers to Shayna has my blood boiling.
“Don’t call her that,” I growl.
Gordon jerks back, holding his hands in the air. “I think the man doth protest too much.”
I grit my teeth, ready to show him how I feel about his accusations, when Lieutenant Moreno places a hand on my shoulder. I startle, wondering how he got across the room without me noticing.
“She’s not a badge bunny,” Moreno says.
I nod along, thankful for the backup from our usually silent lieutenant. I know he chooses his words carefully, like me. Since it’s usually just commands that come out of his mouth, I’m grateful he’s choosing to help me defend Shayna.
Moreno shrugs, as if the answer is obvious. “She’s his person.”
I jerk my head to the side, wondering when my love life became a casual topic of conversation.
I look to the rest of my crew, expecting someone else to rally to my defense, but the room remains silent.
Malone and Fisher nudge each other and look at me with matching conspiratorial smiles.
Even Lieutenant Barnes is smirking at me with a knowing look.
I set the shelf I’m sanding onto the mattress and cross my arms, waiting for an explanation.
“You told us Shayna was your sister’s best friend. But let’s face it, you don’t look at her like she’s only your sister’s best friend.” Fisher smiles. He’s not wrong.
“Yeah, ever since you saved her from the flower-shop fire, it’s been obvious.” Malone picks at her nails. “Then when she showed up here with donuts, I knew y’all had something special.”
“By your standards, does that mean every civilian you save who brings a gift by the station as a thank-you is ‘your person,’ too?” I ask.
“Only when you look at them in some type of way.”
“I didn’t look at her in any kind of way,” I scoff. At least, not back then. After this weekend is an entirely different story, but they don’t need to know that.
Malone shrugs. “If that’s what you have to tell yourself.”
“Plus, you went and visited her in the hospital after,” Fisher adds.
“Because Cap told me we do that for community morale,” I argue.
Moreno shakes his head. “We don’t do that.”
That stops me in my tracks. My mouth falls open. “Cap hazed me.”
Everyone nods.
“He’s done it to all of us in some way or another.”
“That means you’ve officially been welcomed onto the crew.” Fisher claps me on the shoulder.
“Then was the bachelor auction a form of double-hazing?”
“No, the LFD requested you specifically,” Lieutenant Barnes responds. I know she doesn’t have a reason to lie, so it must be true.
Malone’s lips tilt into a grin. “But isn’t it ironic that Shayna is the person who won a date with you?”
“We can’t forget that she dropped a grand for it when you would’ve taken her out for free,” Fisher adds.
Gordon laughs. “And you still expect us to believe there’s nothing going on between you two?”
When I rolled out of bed on this dreary Monday morning, the last thing I expected was to be questioned by my crew like I’m on trial.
I don’t understand their fascination with my connection to Shayna.
It’s not exactly platonic anymore, but I’m hesitant to call it something it isn’t yet when I’m still trying to process all my thoughts and fears.
To determine if I’m fit for a relationship.
“What did you do on your date?” Malone nudges my boot with hers.
“We went to Waterfront Botanical Gardens and then had a picnic lunch at the park.” I figure offering a brief, honest answer will satisfy whatever need they seem to have regarding my dating life.
“Didn’t know you were a romantic, dude.” Fisher claps me on the shoulder.
“That’s adorable since Shayna worked for that flower shop.” Malone places her hands over her heart. “Did you hold hands? Are you going to see her again?”
“He’ll see her again if he’s not an idiot.” Gordon laughs dryly. “She’s gorgeous.”
Moreno raises one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “’Course he will. She’s his person.”
I grit my teeth. Looks like this is going to be the longest shift of my life.