Chapter 11
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
SUNDAY MORNING, GEORGIA woke up to her phone buzzing. A reminder she was meeting her friends and brother for brunch in an hour. After the fastest shower, she threw on a navy-blue dress with ruffled sleeves, slipped into brown sandals, and headed for the door.
When she stepped into Sunrise Spoon, Sophie was sitting at a table with Anna. Giving them a quick wave, she headed over to their table.
“Where should I sit?” Georgia asked.
Sophie tapped the spot next to her in the booth. “Next to me. When your heathen brother gets here, I want him as far away from me as possible.”
Georgia slid into the seat. “You’d think I’d be used to you two fighting since it’s been this way all my life.”
Anna took a slow sip of her drink. “We need to talk before he gets here, so hurry up and get comfy.”
“We have another date for you scheduled for next Friday.” Sophie filled Georgia in on the upcoming plans. “His name is Dane Beaumont. He’s a nice guy and the new second-grade teacher.”
Their server came over, and Georgia ordered a water. They didn’t order food since they were still waiting on Nash.
“If he’s so nice, why don’t you go on a date with him?” Georgia asked, not sure if blind dates were the way for her to meet someone. Case in point, Adam Loughlin.
Sophie gave her a pointed look. “Because I already lost my virginity.”
“And you wanted to find someone to settle down with. After your last fiasco with Adam, this is a fresh start,” Anna sweetly reminded her.
“Plus, if you still want to test the limits with Elijah, he will hear all about your date because Dane is friends with Sloane. She will definitely gossip about it because she has been talking nonstop about Dane’s move here. ”
“Hello, ladies,” Nash greeted them, sliding into the seat next to Anna. “What are we talking about?”
“Georgia’s date on Friday,” Anna shared.
Sophie picked up her menu and stared at it like it was going to come to life. Her dramatics were overkill whenever Nash was around.
“Oh yeah? With who?” her brother asked.
“Whom,” Sophie corrected him.
“If you have something to say, don’t hide behind the menu.” As always, Nash pushed her.
Georgia was going to do her best to avert another argument between them. “His name is Dane.”
“Oh, the guy Sloane’s been talking about?” Nash scratched the scruff on his chin. “Who set that up?”
Anna raised her hand. “Sophie and I did. Sloane said he needed to make some friends.”
Sophie put the menu down and stared at Nash. “He’s so sexy. I met him at the school’s curriculum planning session, and I basically drooled when he walked in.”
“Did I mention I have a date tomorrow night?” Nash responded.
Sophie rolled her eyes. “Should I write her a sympathy card?”
Nash only smirked.
Their server interrupted the showdown, and they all ordered breakfast. Once she walked away, Anna picked up the conversation.
“I think George will like Dane.”
“When was the last time you dated?” Nash gave Georgia a curious look. “And please protect my sanity. I’m not asking about sex. I’m talking about dinner or a movie.”
Georgia sipped her coffee. “I went on a date last week.”
Nash’s laugh burst out of him. “That’s right, with Adam.”
“How do you know?” Sophie’s voice sounded like venom was laced in it.
Their food arrived, and Georgia bit into her egg wrap. Once Sophie and Nash got into it, all the fun was over. Georgia was more excited to finish breakfast and go home to read than to listen to her best friend and brother fight.
“Elijah told me.” Nash dropped the bomb, as if it were completely acceptable that the man she craved had told her brother she was out with someone else.
Georgia swallowed her big bite. “Why would he tell you?”
“Because he was giving me shit about not screening your dates before you went on them. That asshole said I needed to step my game up as your big brother.”
“There are lots of things you need to step up on.” Sophie swiped at him.
Anna put her fork down. “But what made him bring up Adam?”
“What she said.” Georgia took another chomp of the wrap while pointing at Anna, loving her detective work.
Nash shrugged. “He was in a shit mood, and after twenty minutes of me nagging him, he mentioned George and her date. Elijah had a point, though, because Adam is the worst.”
“Adam wasn’t awful.” Georgia tried to give the guy a little credit. “He was nice.”
“Nice doesn’t get a second date,” Nash replied with a cocky smile.
“Not when all he talks about is high school. Do you know he stopped at the station to see if I wanted to help him plan a reunion? The guy got all pissy with me because I said no. It’s not even like it’s our twentieth anniversary since graduating.
It’s only been eighteen years. He about lost his mind and left, saying I had no respect for the good old days. ”
Georgia cringed. “Wow, that is bad. On the bright side, my next date with Dane will be a step up.”
“Just don’t let Elijah know,” Nash warned her. “I don’t want to get yelled at for not talking to the guy before you do.”
Georgia and her girlfriends laughed because that was exactly what she wanted to happen.
Operation: Break Elijah was coming along just fine.
SLOANE WILLIAMS WAS one of the best paramedics Elijah had ever worked with. She was quick on her feet, able to solve complex issues, and never let her emotions show. They’ve worked together for five years, and not once has she lost control or behaved over the top.
Today, though, it was like she drank five gallons of coffee. She was all over the place.
“If you pace again, I’m going to have you wash the trucks,” Elijah cautioned her as she walked by his office for the hundredth time.
Sloane nodded, hesitating by his door.
That was when he caught it. Sloane wasn’t the cheerleader, smiley type, but she also wasn’t the type to sulk. However, that was exactly what she was doing.
Elijah motioned for her to join him in his office. Once she sat down, she didn’t appear to be comfortable at all. Well, it was the same for him. He wasn’t known to be touchy-feely, but something about Sloane was telling him she needed to talk.
“What’s wrong?” he flat-out asked her. No reason to beat around the bush.
She tightened the ponytail her curly brown hair was tied up in. “Why would you think something is wrong?”
“Besides you wearing down the carpet outside my door?” Elijah deadpanned.
Defiantly, she crossed her arms. “I was getting my steps in.”
“Bullshit.” Elijah didn’t hesitate to respond. “We had two fires yesterday, and today we assisted Chesapeake City with a crash that had eight vehicles. You’ve been running around for almost forty-eight hours. You’ve gotten your steps.”
Sloane bit her lip, and he prayed to all things holy she wasn’t about to cry.
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m only asking you one more time. Is everything okay?”
“Do you really want to know?” she responded with a nervous reaction, her eyes bouncing all over the room. Notably not looking at him.
And to be honest, no, he didn’t want to know. This seemed beyond his emotional capacity, but he also strived to be a good lieutenant, and taking care of his crew was part of that.
He nodded once.
“I have a friend who is new in town,” Sloane started to debrief him but stopped.
If she was waiting for him to ask for more details, she would be waiting a long time. He already didn’t want to be in the middle of whatever drama she had with this friend.
She took a deep breath. “This is between us, right?”
“Do I look like the type who gossips?”
Sloane chuckled. “Fair. Okay, back to my friend, his name is Dane. He’s only been living in Landmere for a week, and he already has a date.
I’m not a monster, and I want him to have friends, but one week in is a bit fast. Dane hasn’t even met her yet, but apparently she’s a doctor who recently moved back to town.
One of his colleagues at the school set him up. ”
Elijah sat straight like there was a rod in his back. This suspiciously sounded like Dane was getting set up with Georgia.
“Your friend works in the school?”
Sloane groaned. “Dane is the new second-grade teacher. Sophie set him up with one of her friends. You can’t say anything because I don’t know if Nash would care, but Dane is going out with Georgia. I mean, what other new doctor is in Landmere?”
Fuck, now Sloane’s problem really was his problem.
She was talking a mile a minute. “Georgia is beautiful, and obviously smart being a doctor and all, but I know Dane, and she isn’t his type.
Not in a bad way, but she’s way too upbeat for him.
Maybe I am overreacting. Perhaps the date is with someone else?
I want Dane to be happy, but he doesn’t need to fall in love. ”
Love?
“I thought you said it was a blind date?” Elijah grunted through a clenched jaw while pulling his shirt from his chest, determined to get some air.
“It is, but he seems actually excited to meet her, which isn’t Dane. We’ve been friends since kindergarten, and he’s never had a girlfriend. He’s like most of you here at the station. Being single works for him.”
Yes, Elijah tried like hell to remind himself of that. He was happy being single.
“Now he moves here and is suddenly ready to date. It doesn’t sit right with me.”
It didn’t sit well with Elijah either.
As casual as he could muster, he asked, “Do you know where they are going?”
“They’re going to Zingos tomorrow night,” she told him. “Low-key, with things to do if they aren’t hitting it off, you know?”
Zingos was a bar with bowling lanes, arcade games, and laser tag, popular with kids during the day. After nine at night, it was adults-only. It was the perfect spot for a first date, one Elijah was sure Georgia would love.
“I don’t want him to cancel,” Sloane whispered the lie. At least, it was a lie to Elijah. “But shouldn’t he get adjusted to Landmere?”
“Maybe we could all go.” Elijah cracked a smile that most didn’t see. “If you want him to make friends, we could get a few of us to show up. You can introduce him to everyone.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” Sloane was visibly in a better mood, no longer sitting hunched over in the seat. “I can text him—”
“No!” Elijah quickly interjected. Like the selfish prick he was, he didn’t want Georgia aware he was crashing her date. “You should surprise him. It might be overwhelming for him to meet all of us at the same time.”
“You have a good point. Thanks for this idea. I’ll see who else can join.”
Sloane left his office, and Elijah finally had one-up on Georgia. He couldn’t wait to see her face tomorrow.
When Elijah ruined her date.