The Last of The Red Hot Firefighters (Red Hot Reunions Book 1) (6 page)

She didn’t want to simply offer Jake her condolences, she wanted to wrap him in her arms and kiss his forehead the way her mother used to do when she was little. She wanted to promise him that his heart would heal, and that one day the world would be beautiful and magical and full of love again.

But then, maybe he knew that. Maybe Naomi was the one who was alone, the only one who still felt a pull between them so strong that not touching him was almost physically painful. Maybe Jake already had someone to tell him everything would be okay, and rock him through the night.

As if summoned by Naomi’s thoughts, the door to the aging firehouse squealed open and the blonde from last night banged out, jogging across the uneven paving stones toward the picnic table with a perkiness that made Naomi’s nose wrinkle. Even in a SFD sweatshirt and jeans, ponytail, and no makeup, Faith was gorgeous, so young and vibrant and humming with energy that Naomi felt shabby and tired in comparison.

“Hey, boss, what’s up?” Faith asked, not bothering to introduce herself to Naomi or even glance her way. “Can we have take-out family meal today?”

“Everyone was told to bring their own lunch today,” Jake said. “With the schedules thrown off, family meal is too much hassle.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t be such a grump.” Faith ribbed Jake’s side with her elbow in the sort of easy gesture that reminded Naomi more of a brother and sister than boyfriend and girlfriend. An observation that pleased her more than it probably should.

“It won’t be a hassle,” Faith continued. “We’ve got money in the till and I told everyone you and I would grab burritos from the food truck. I’m starving to death, and Kevin’s stomach is growling so loud I can’t hear myself think.”

“You’re always starving to death,” Jake said.

The obvious affection in his tone was so polar opposite to the brittle voice he’d used with Naomi that it made her chest tighten. She missed
that
Jake voice, the one that warmed you all over instead of raising chill bumps on your arms.

Faith grinned. “That’s because I’m the only one in the department who actually does my entire workout every day instead of skipping cardio.” She nudged Jake again. “So, come on. Let me buy you a burrito.”

“Thanks, but I already ate.” Jake tugged his cell from his back pocket and glanced at the screen. “And my twenty minutes are up. Make sure you have your pager, and you can run down to the food truck if you want.”

“I’ve got it,” Faith said, lifting the corner of her sweatshirt to reveal a pager clipped onto her jean pocket. “I’ll run down now. You sure you don’t want anything?”

“No, I’m good. Have to save room for all the fair food tonight.” He finally turned back to Naomi, the smile that had curved his full lips vanishing without a trace. “So I’ll see you at six?”

“Six it is,” Naomi said, not inclined to give Jake another chance to wiggle out of their deal. He clearly wanted to honor his obligations, and she was clearly a liar, liar with her pants on fire.

If this conversation had proved anything, it was that Naomi wasn’t going to be satisfied with peace between her and Jake. She didn’t want peace. She wanted to care about him. She wanted her friend back. She wanted to make him laugh the way she used to, to help him lighten up, and to realize he deserved time to play.

As she watched him turn and walk back to the firehouse with solid, dutiful steps, she vowed to make it happen. By the end of their month of dates, she would bring some pizzazz into Jake Hansen’s life, or die trying.

The thought made her smile until Faith turned to her and said—

“Who the hell do you think you are?”

—and sent her grin running for cover.

“Excuse me?” Naomi said, though she’d heard the girl loud and clear. But in her years of working with the often-volatile personalities in the entertainment industry, she’d found that most people didn’t have the guts to repeat an antagonistic remark twice. Given the chance to back down, most people would.

“I said, who the hell do you think you are?” Faith repeated, proving she wasn’t most people, and that Jake hadn’t cornered the market on loathing Naomi.

“Do you know what he’s been through?” Faith continued, propping her hands on her hips. “Do you have any freaking idea?”

“I do, and that’s why I came over to speak with him,” Naomi said in her sweetest voice, hoping it would soothe Faith’s ruffled feathers.

She didn’t want to get into a feud with anyone in Summerville, especially someone Jake cared about. After seeing them together today, she no longer thought Faith and Jake were romantically involved, but they were obviously close friends.

“I found out about what happened to his wife after the auction last night,” Naomi continued softly, not wanting her words to carry. “I realized it’s getting close to the day he lost her, and I felt terrible that I might be stressing him out at such a difficult time. I told him it was fine if he wanted to forget the month of dates thing, but he wouldn’t hear of it. You know how stubborn he is.”

Faith frowned, but when she spoke next, her voice was slightly less venomous. “You really said that?”

“I did. And I meant it. I don’t want to hurt Jake. I just want to be a friend to him.”

Faith’s pale brows shot up. “Are you serious? You think you and Jake are going to be friends?”

“I hope so.” Naomi smiled, hoping it looked more confident than she felt. “Jake means a lot to me, and I can be a good friend to him if he’ll let me.”

Faith gave an amused snort. “Lady, I get that you’re trying to be cool, and I appreciate it and all, but you obviously don’t know Jake.”

“Oh, I know him,” Naomi said in a wry voice. “But you don’t know me.”

“No, seriously,” Faith said, a hint of pity in her tone. “If you betray Jake’s trust—that’s it, no second chances. He’s like the Old Testament God, the one who turned people into pillars of salt for turning around to look backwards when he told them not to, and stuff. I mean, I love him like a brother, don’t get me wrong, but forgiveness isn’t his strong suit.”

“That’s why I bid on him last night,” Naomi said, gazing up at the slightly taller Faith, deciding she liked the girl. Anyone who cared this much about Jake was all right in her book, even if she was currently giving Naomi the third degree. “I knew the only way I would get him to stick around long enough to even
think
about accepting my apology was if he felt obligated to remain in my presence.”

“That’s pretty hardcore,” Faith said.

“
I’m
pretty hardcore,” Naomi answered. “And I don’t give up on things I want without a fight.” Then she added—in what she hoped was a reassuring voice, “But I promise I’m not going to do anything to hurt Jake. That’s not on my agenda.”

Faith bit her lip, seemingly debating whether or not to accept Naomi at face value. Finally, she sighed and lifted her hands into the air in grudging surrender. “Okay. We’re cool. For now. But I’ve got my eye on you,” she warned, narrowing her gaze as she stepped past Naomi onto the sidewalk.

Naomi nodded. “Duly noted.”

“I’m going to get burritos,” Faith said as she backed away, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder. “You want one?”

“Really?” Naomi asked, touched by the unexpected offer. She’d been away from Summerville for so long that even the most basic Southern hospitality still seemed like an amazing gift. Once more, she gave silent thanks that she’d finally had the sense to come home.

Faith shrugged. “Yeah, well, I know you guys bought the place across the street. I’m kind of torn between being a friendly neighbor, and giving you the cold shoulder out of respect for Jake. Right now, I’m leaning more toward friendly neighbor. But I could switch to cold shoulder any moment,” she added quickly, obviously wanting to make it clear to Naomi that a welcome-to-the-neighborhood-burrito didn’t mean Faith was letting down her guard.

Naomi nodded again, fighting a smile. The more Faith talked, the more Naomi liked her. Her bluntness was refreshing.

“I understand,” Naomi said. “I’ll skip the burrito. Go ahead and give me the cold shoulder for now. I think Jake would appreciate that.”

“But no hard feelings,” Faith said.

“None at all. I’ll even have my sister bring some cookies by the station later to prove it.”

Faith smiled. “Awesome. Catch you later.”

“Later.” Naomi waved good-bye, watching the girl go for a moment with a warm feeling blooming in her chest. At least she’d made headway with one of her critics. Jake would be a much harder sell, but Naomi had meant what she told Faith—she didn’t give up without a fight.

And tonight, she would start fighting for Jake Hansen’s friendship in earnest.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Jake

Jake crossed his arms and stood motionless near the entrance to the Summerville Holiday Fair, determined not to give any outward sign of the storm brewing within him.

He refused to show weakness or to let anyone see how much he was dreading the evening ahead of him. He’d had an easy out, but like a stubborn ass, he’d refused to take it, and now, he would have to suffer the consequences with a stiff upper lip.

Cutting off your nose to spite your face. Real smart, Hansen.

Jake sighed. It was true. He was an idiot. He should have taken Naomi up on her offer to cancel. If he had, he’d be at home relaxing and watching the game with a plate of buffalo wings, instead of standing on a street corner trying to keep a poker face while his stomach digested his heart.

But this afternoon, when Naomi had been standing there in front of him, her blue eyes filled with compassion and her concern for him so clear in her expression, something inside of him had rebelled. He refused to accept anything from Naomi, even her compassion. He didn’t want her to pity him. He didn’t want her to worry about him. He didn’t want her to feel anything for him except complete aversion.

In fact, he wanted Naomi Whitehouse so damned uncomfortable that she would reconsider her plans to stay in Summerville. He wanted to send her running back to Miami or London or Paris or wherever she’d called home before she stormed back into his life and disrupted his even-keeled existence.

Until she’d shown up, Jake had been doing just fine. Not great, but not bad, either. He’d had a routine, a close circle of friends, and a certain rhythm to his days. But Naomi’s arrival had shot his careful balance all to hell. Now, he was grumpy at work, unsettled at home, and downright miserable whenever he was within ten feet of Naomi.

He couldn’t deny the reaction he had to the woman. She still did things to him—crazy, unexpected things. If someone had told him yesterday that less than twenty-four hours after the auction he’d want to pull Naomi in for a hug, to tell her to relax and stop worrying about saying the right thing when he knew her heart was in the right place, he would have laughed in their face.

But when Naomi had started babbling outside the fire station, a part of Jake had wanted to do exactly that, to put her at ease. Another, more dangerous part, had wanted to cup her face in his hand, let his thumb brush over her bottom lip and find out if it was still the softest thing he’d ever touched.

Once, Jake had been addicted to those lips. One brush of Naomi’s mouth against his had been enough to make his blood rush, his head light up and the entire world feel full of wild, wonderful possibilities. Naomi didn’t just kiss with her lips; she kissed with her soul. Her kisses took him to places he could never have imagined on his own, creating worlds where nothing existed but the two of them, her touch, and the promises she made every time her body moved against his.

But her promises had been lies.

Naomi Whitehouse had never loved him the way he’d loved her. If she had, she couldn’t have left the way she did, or spent the next fifteen years flitting from one man to the next like she was sampling ice cream and determined to try every flavor.

Naomi was thirty-three years old, and to Jake’s knowledge had never even come close to settling down. He believed people could grow and change, but Naomi clearly hadn’t. She was still the same careless girl she’d been back then, and he had zero interest in being her friend.

Because you can’t be her friend, not when you still want her as much as you ever did. Maybe even more.

Jake would have liked to deny it, to tell his inner voice to shut up and keep its opinions to itself, but at that moment, Naomi appeared around the corner. She wore a short black coat over a red dress, and black boots that skimmed the bottom of her kneecaps. As she moved down the sidewalk toward the entrance to the park, the last of the pale winter sunlight caught the honey-colored streaks in her hair, surrounding her in a warm glow that made her blue eyes shine and her red lips look so tempting Jake couldn’t tear his eyes away from them.

She was…breathtaking.

Just looking at her was enough to make Jake’s entire body go warm and an ache fist in his chest. It was the same ache from this afternoon, that longing to have Naomi pressed against him so tight he lost track of where she ended and he began.

When she stopped a few feet away, looking up at him with a smile, Jake wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and hug her hello. Instead, he gave a terse nod, and turned toward the entrance without saying a word.