Chapter 14
Steel
“You’re positive you don’t mind me using your truck for a couple days? The insurance company assures me I’ll be given the okay to get a rental car within forty-eight hours.” Violet winced when she asked the question.
Did she honestly think I was going to go back on my word?
There was an electric charge in the kitchen already, something that I’d known would occur.
All from the connection of the night before.
“What are you going to drive?” Her second question held a spark in her voice. “Or are you walking since you’re a chivalrous man?”
“You seem to mistake me for a hero. Don’t worry about me. I have a couple other vehicles I can use.”
“Oh, a man of wealth.”
“Just a guy who preferred cars as a kid instead of football.”
“I see. A true rebel.”
“Something like that.” I pulled out her hand, placing the keys in them and curling her fingers around them. “Just do me a favor, brat. Don’t set it on fire and please for the love of God if you do, make sure you’re near a fire station and not the Zullies hangar.”
“Ha. Ha. Although,” she said and lifted her gaze, hers more mischievous after what we’d shared all through the night.
It was early, the light of morning just beginning to slide peacefully over the horizon.
“I was planning on coming by and taking a few pictures of the crew. If that’s allowed.
” She placed the keys on the island, fiddling with them.
“Since smokejumpers are a true part of the city, it only makes sense I’d snap a few pictures for the magazine. ”
“Hmmm… I hate having my picture taken.”
“Come on. You’re a very handsome man. Why not show it off?” She even winked while stroking my arm.
“You are incorrigible. That should be fine. Just a few.”
“Yes, sir.”
I rubbed my jaw, enjoying her words a little more than I should.
She’d showered early, deciding not to wake me.
I’d lingered in bed, wondering if she’d hoped I’d left by the time she was finished.
Seeing her with her hair still damp and barely wearing any makeup, I was reminded that she was years younger than I was. The moment was awkward and I hadn’t wanted it to be. Yeah, I should have left, but I also had wanted to make certain she was okay in driving the truck.
My entire body was brimming with electricity, but entirely different from the night before. I wasn’t a pillow talk kind of man and had never been good with the day after. Plus, with Violet, I wasn’t certain where I stood in the scheme of things.
Or if I should push one way or another.
“What other kind of pictures are you taking? Nature, I hope?”
“Oh, I don’t know. The city. The people. The outdoors,” she said softy. “Are you offering a few shots in the manly shower?”
She playfully swatted my chest and moved away before I could grab her. “I’m sure you’d find a few Zullies who’d volunteer. But you are forbidden to do that.”
Feigning shock, she spiraled around me at a distance while heading to the coffeemaker. “I didn’t think you’d be a jealous man.”
Seeing her in a playful mood seemed to bring out the Neanderthal in me. Plus, the tightness in my chest indicated I did have an attack of the green monster. That caught me completely off guard. “Yeah, well, I know how the guys are. Real pricks.”
“Wow. If you talk about your friends that way, I could only imagine how you treat your enemies.”
“Nah. I don’t have enemies. Just… people I can’t stand.”
Her laugh sounded more bitter than anything. “I guess we’re alike in that way.”
Why was it that with normal conversation we were both befuddled like a couple of teenagers? “So, I know the owner of the bar across the street from the accident. She thought it might be nice if I brought you and Damon by tonight.” Wow. That sounded a hell of a lot like I was asking her on a date.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. He’s had so much excitement in the last couple of days and I really need to concentrate on getting the reason I’m here up and running.”
I looked at her sheepishly, knowing Shannon wouldn’t let me live it down if I didn’t convince her to stop by. “They make the best hamburgers in town and I know Damon was craving them last night.”
If looks could kill…
“You’re the incorrigible one, but okay. That sounds great.”
“Excellent. I’ll pick you up at say five-thirty?”
“Sure.” With her smile leveled on my inner thighs, I realized my hands were sweating.
Another wow moment I certainly wouldn’t admit to anyone.
“Um, do you happen to know where they took my burned-out carcass of a Jeep? Just in case there’s anything left?”
“Yeah, Sheldon’s Towing. It’s down on Market Street.”
The woman was thoroughly confused. “I guess I need a map.”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “How about I drop by at five and I’ll take you there first.”
“I’m going to need to start paying you to be my chauffeur.”
“I could think of worse things.”
She fiddled with the coffeemaker before opening the cabinet and pulling down two mugs.
“Can you stay for coffee?”
I checked my watch as if time was what I was worried about. “I should get going. I need to be at the hangar in a couple hours. Besides, I know you want me gone before Damon wakes up.”
Her hesitation affirmed my suspicions and she tentatively grabbed a single mug, gently placing it under the Keurig machine.
Maybe I was hoping she’d disagree with me, although I was under no illusions of grandeur.
I’d spent the night more out of circumstances than anything.
What we’d enjoyed together was likely a one-time thing.
I understood. I was a big boy. Not all women were out for a relationship.
She had a life. I had a life. Thousands of miles apart.
“Steel.” When she said my name, I knew a serious conversation was about to hit me.
“Violet.”
Her nose wrinkled and she grabbed a coffee pod, taking her time to place it into the coffeemaker and hitting start before turning to face me.
I was no master of reading body language, but it was easy to tell she was shutting down what we’d shared.
Her jaw was set and at least she was able to look me in the eyes.
“You don’t need to jump through hoops, brat,” I told her. “Last night was cool. No, it was great actually, but I know you need to do what you came here for and it’s almost fire season.”
“What does fire season mean?”
“Just that more fires occur between July and November than the other months of the year.”
“Are you ever afraid that you won’t make it through the season?”
She had a way of catching me off guard with her questions. “Um. I honestly don’t think about it too much.”
When she looked away, I realized I hadn’t given her a decent enough answer.
“It’s a dangerous job, Violet, but don’t worry. Every candidate goes through rigorous training.”
“Are there many deaths?”
Now we were in the uncomfortable zone. “Almost never.”
“Almost.”
I wasn’t eager or willing to talk about Will. Not right now. Maybe never. Even though I didn’t show it, the pain was still raw, the year since the horrible accident doing little in the way of calming my anger. “Nothing is perfect. No job is bulletproof and anyone could die at any time.”
“You sound like a psychologist.”
“Well, the captain has been known to bring one around from time to time.” While I tried to make light of her concerns, I could tell it was the wrong thing to do. “It’s okay, Violet. We’re not a couple. I can tell that’s not what you want. No big deal.”
“You make me sound horrible. It’s just that Damon has been through a lot. This is the first time I’ve bothered to… I mean that I ended up…” She laughed while her face flushed. “I am so out of practice I don’t know what I’m saying.”
“Because of Damon’s father?”
“You mean the freaking asshole? Yeah. The few times that sweet kid has gotten his hopes up, his father made certain Damon was reminded he wasn’t a priority in his father’s life.
Not that either one of us ever were. But he’s just…
He’s a special kid with a lot of anger hiding under that sloppy smile of his. ”
“Anger, huh? Those fires you mentioned?”
Violet blew hair from her face in response.
“Yeah. The last one got him kicked out of school. I just don’t know how I can deal with his behavior as he grows older.
Coming here was… I was hopeful that he’d finally realize that life could be something special for a change.
That’s why losing the Jeep hit me so hard.
I want him to have everything he wants. Then the puppy, which I can’t keep in my apartment back home because my landlord is a prick and now, I’m forced to rely on help from strangers. All while in a new town.”
While I wasn’t good at dealing with feelings like this, likely since I sucked at handling my own, I remained quiet.
“I’m sorry. I’m rambling on feeling sorry for myself. I assure you that’s not what I’m made of. I’m also not usually so flabbergasted.” She turned away, yanking cream from the refrigerator. I could tell how tense she remained.
When I was around her, I wanted to protect both her and Damon. Even now. From a man I didn’t know but who’d obviously hurt them both. How could a man do that to his own child? I walked closer, placing my hand on her shoulder.
What I wasn’t expecting was for her to turn around at the same time.
Now we were mere inches apart, but she wasn’t looking at me.
Without thinking, I lifted her chin, forcing her to look into my eyes.
“Violet. You don’t have to apologize around me.
You also don’t need to carry such a tremendous burden on your own. ”
“Yes, I do, Steel. You’re not always going to be around.”
Being this close sparked the same hunger I’d experienced the night before. Enough that I lowered my head, longing to kiss her soft lips all over again.
Then I felt a light pressure against my leg and obviously, so did Violet since her brow furrowed. We both looked down to find Zorro with his paws on the two of us.
I backed away so fast I almost tripped on the dog. Wow. It felt like the first time I’d been caught with a girl at fifteen years old. A lifetime ago.