Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“What happened?” I kept my voice low, hoping to keep him talking.
“Tale as old as time.” Tony laughed bitterly. “Took a hard hit in the last game of the regular season. I was distracted because of family shit, not enough sleep, didn’t have my usual reflexes. Not that excuses matter.” He gave a wave of his hand before adjusting the pillows on the chaise. “I landed awkwardly, broke my shoulder, and did a number on some ligaments. Recovery was long and painful, made worse by a lack of decent health insurance. The scholarship offer evaporated, and I ended up at the community college here in town.”
“That’s how you met Sean and Eric?”
“Yep. I was tired of butting heads with my old man, so moving into an apartment with my friends felt like a great option. I was still close enough to keep an eye on my sisters. However, I wasn’t earning enough to help the family and make rent, so when the army came calling, it seemed like the better bet than continuing with EMT and firefighter training.”
“I’m sorry.” My heart ached for his younger self, the dreams he’d had to leave behind.
“Don’t be.” Tony pursed his perfect lips, full eyebrows furrowing, the most attractive dismissal of sympathy I’d ever witnessed. “Serving in the Rangers was the best thing that ever happened to me. And hey, now I get a do-over on the fire academy.”
“Good for you. Second chances and all that.”
“Yep.” Tony abruptly stood up. “You want a beer or something?” He glanced down at me, but before I could reply, he called out to the others in the yard. “Hey, who wants some soda or water?”
Not surprisingly, all four of the teens requested drinks, along with nods from Denver and Sean across the yard.
“If you’re going in anyway,” Sean called, stretching lazily in his chair. “We’ll take some of that local root beer. I got a case on the last shopping run but forgot to bring some bottles over here.”
“I’ll help you carry drinks,” I offered, standing and following Tony into the kitchen before he could tell me not to bother. The kitchen was a bright room with white cabinets and a large island. Tony headed for the double fridge and started placing soda bottles on the counter.
“Beer?” He held up a bottle from a local brewery known for its pale ale. “Something else?”
“Beer is great.” I accepted the bottle. As I removed the cap with the nearby bottle opener, I tried to catch his gaze. “I’m sorry if I made you think about unhappy memories.”
“You didn’t.” Tony let out a rough exhale. “Or rather, you did, but it’s okay. They’re not all crappy memories. And I’m forty-two. Way past when I should be pining for high school glory days.”
“At least you had glory days.” I saluted him with my beer.
“That bad, eh?”
“You could say that.” I groaned, not particularly wanting to revisit my own past, but he’d already shared. “I was a chubby, geeky kid with a talent for saying the wrong thing and being too eager to be included. Bullying was a daily thing through most of middle and high school. The curse of being an extroverted nerd. “
“You’re sure not nerdy now. Or chubby.” For the first time, Tony looked at me. Like looked, an appreciative once-over that was the last thing I’d expected from him.
“Thanks.” My face heated. Damn, I liked his notice so much more than was wise.
“What changed for you?” Tony asked as he filled plastic cups with water from the fridge dispenser.
“Losing my dad partway through high school.” I kept my voice flat, the same way Tony had when reporting his career-ending injuries and bad home life. “My dad was a firefighter and died on the job in a bad warehouse fire in North Portland.”
“I’m so sorry.” Tony set aside the last water cup, stepping closer and placing a hand on my shoulder.
“I’d never really given much thought to what I’d do after school. I only wanted to survive high school.” My words sprung out too quickly, Tony’s palm searing my skin and jumbling my brain. Maybe if I kept talking, though, he wouldn’t pull away. “After he passed, Dad’s two best friends started taking me to work out, like a mentor thing. Funny thing, the more I worked out, the less teasing I had to endure. And there was this scholarship fund the station started for us. I wanted to prove I could do the fire academy and make him and all his friends proud.”
“Sounds like you did exactly that.” Tony’s tone was as warm and welcome as his touch. He stood far closer than a friendly distance, and damn if I didn’t want to lose myself in his embrace rather than revisit old memories.
“Mostly. I got good grades in the fire program at a community college closer to Portland, but getting on with Portland Fire is notoriously hard. When the job in Mount Hope opened up, Dad’s friends encouraged me to take it for the experience.”