Nate lifted his brows, shutting off the water pump. “Remind me to never call you an arsehole.”
Warren flung his hands to his sides in exasperation. “She was impossible! You heard her!”
“Aye, but it’s not the first time we’ve had a distraught civilian in our way.You’reusually the level-headed one. Still scary with your lectures, but never unprofessional.”
“Well, she’s different.” He glared through the window at the huddled figure. He could hear her murmuring and supposed she was on the phone, hopefully to that uselesslandlady of hers. This all could have been prevented if the owner had checked the rusted old tank in the attic. “Infuriating.”
“Why? Because she didn’t fall at your feet when you tried to flirt with her?” Nate asked, laughter bubbling just beneath his surface.
“Because she’s full of insults and judgement. And because she clearly has no care for her safety. That makes her dangerous.Andbecause she still has my helmet.”
Nate snorted into his gloved hand. “Do us all a favour and drop her home, mate. Tell her we’ll get this place ready for clean-up by morning.”
“Youtake her home. I’ve had my fill of her tonight.”
“No. I’m scared of her,” he admitted quietly.
“See!”
Not thatWarrenwas scared of her, though he did stand by his former statement: she had a mighty huge stick up her arse.
But he was curious – definitely not worried – to see if she’d calmed down out there yet, so he straightened up from the furniture he’d been moving and went to the window.How the tables have turned, he thought to himself as he watched her. She sat on the kerb in front of the fire engine, phone pressed to her ear as she massaged her temples with her free hand. She wasn’t talking much now, just nodding. And then: “No, don’t come and pick me up. I’m fine.”
Liar.
“Okay. I’ll get a cab,” he could hear her saying. “I’mfine, Harper! I’m hanging up now. Go to sleep. Goodbye.”
And then she dropped the phone to her side, and he saw all that pain welling in her, deeper than the flood they were draining. It left something in him cracked, because he knew what that dejected hunch of her shoulders meant. Knew what it looked like when a weight you’d been carrying finally got too heavy.
Her silhouette shuddered. Crying. He’d leave her, just for a minute. He’d only make it worse otherwise.
But then …
Then, he’d probably have to make sure she got home.
7
Eiley jumped as something was draped across her shoulders, then faltered when she realised what it was. Who it was from.
Coffee Giant – Warren, she remembered the other firefighter calling him – gripped the grey blanket to keep it from falling, his free hand raised in a show of surrender. Whatever scorn she’d brought out of him earlier was gone, only a calm pleading left in its wake. “Only trying to keep you from freezing to death on the street.”
She wiped the tears from her eyes and drew the blanket around her shoulders, any sense of pride long gone. God, she was embarrassed. She’d been ridiculous in there, yelling at him and acting like she could somehow save the stock in her pyjamas and a stolen helmet. She dreaded to think what the others must have thought. Whathethought. She stood by the fact that he was an arsehole, but hehadbeen doing his job – and all of that dislike for him washerproblem, not his, born from insecurity and disappointment. She could have just told him no at the pub and walked away. She could have tried to maintain her composure in front of him tonight. Instead, she’d erupted.
So it didn’t seem right that he was here, now, lowering to sit beside her on the kerb. He steepled his hands between his knees, and she tried not to notice the way his uniform stretched over his bulky biceps and thighs. Failed, because they were right there, only a healthy distance from her own body, which felt frail and dwarfed in comparison.
“Waiting for a cab?”
She shook her head. She’d lied to Harper that she’d call one, as well as playing down the flood damage. If Harper asked Fraser to come and get her, as she’d offered, it would only disturb the kids’ sleep, and she didn’t have the courage to face him, or them, yet.
So she hadn’t moved, because moving meant going to Mum’s house. Telling her that, not a month after packing her bags, she was coming back. They’d all take it as proof that she just couldn’t do this alone, because even when she tried – so,sohard – it was impossible to navigate every sharp, unpredictable turn.
“Can I call you one?” he asked, voice quiet. “The water is nearly all gone now. Should be okay to go back in by morning. No point you hanging around until then. Besides, this should really be the property owner’s problem.”
Eiley shuddered, only now realising how cold and wet she was. And how utterly disheartened.
“I don’t want to wake anyone,” she said, which was also the truth, if only half of it.
“I’m sure they’ll understand. These things can’t be helped. Well, they could be, if—”
