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Shit. How the hell did he get himself into these things? He liked free and easy. No attachments. He didn’t need a woman clinging to him.
But Cassie didn’t strike him as the clinging type. The woman was a knockout, yet she seemed unaware of it. She had a rack that any man would praise, but more than that drew him to her. When Mike looked at Cassie, the first thing he saw was her eyes. Green with a hint of blue. Expressive. So telling, he could read every sincere thought in her head. So significant, he could feel every emotion they conveyed.
He did want to see her again. She was fun and smart and grabbed him right in his gut.
That should alarm him. He considered it for a moment, then shook his head. No woman had ever led him around by the balls and none ever would. Why was this one stuck in his head?
As he drove, he took advantage of the quiet to get his thoughts in order. When he pulled into the lot beside the firehouse, he saw the bay doors open and Laredo out front spraying down the quint. His baby. You’d think the guy had nothing more to do than wash the rigs. This time, the radio blared to a tune of John Cougar Mellencamp, one of Mike’s favorites. If Jared had been out there, he’d turn it to a country station just to piss Laredo off. Knowing Laredo wouldn’t hear him, Mike waved, grabbed the bag of food he’d picked up and carted the groceries inside.
Shep stood at the counter, already busy cutting up tomatoes.
“Your turn to cook?” Mike asked.
“Got something for me?” Shep glanced up and lifted his brows. “And I’m not speaking about that bag of groceries.”
Mike pulled the release paper from his back pocket. “Signed, sealed and delivered.”
Shep gave a nod and went back to chopping.
“Hey Cap. Mike. What are we having tonight?” Cooper strode into the kitchen, leaned over Shep’s shoulder and snatched a slice of tomato. Shep smacked his fingers with his blade.
“Dude!”
“Keep your fingers out of the food.”
Cooper caught Mike’s eye and smiled, oblivious to Shep’s scolding.
Cooper arrived on the scene close to two years earlier. In less than one, he’d captured the respect of the entire team. All the guys gave Coop a rash of shit because he was the new guy. If they didn’t like him, they wouldn’t needle the kid. Cooper fit the team like a finger on a glove.
As for Shep, Cooper had won him over with hard work and dedication. It was good to see the easy camaraderie the kid had with the Captain.
“We’re having chicken fettuccini and salad,” Shep said.
“You’re the best, Cap.” Before Cooper cleared the doorway, Shep stopped him.
“Finished with the tanks?”
“Yep. Full and ready for the next run. Spares are gaged and loaded on the shelves.”
“Then you can stay and heat up the sauce pan.”
“Come on, Cap. No one can make the sauce like you.”
“It’s time you learned.” Shep turned to Mike. “What did you bring?”
“I figured we could use some fresh fruit.” He called out the items as he unloaded the bag. “I got apples, bananas and oranges. Picked up some butter and mayo. Have you got everything you need for your fettuccine?”
“Yes. Cooper. Use the butter from the fridge before we open this one.”
“Like I wouldn’t,” Cooper said, rolling his eyes. He took the container Mike brought and asked, “What about rolls?”
“Ms. Daniels brought a supply of rolls.”
Mike locked eyes with Cooper as he flashed a knowing grin.
Alice Daniels was a real estate agent who’d set her sights on Shep. The two mixed about as well as oil and water. The woman showed up anytime of the day, right out of the blue, making it clear who held her interest. She brought food most times, so the men liked her well enough. Shep tolerated her, but no matter how many hints he threw her way, she never got the message he just wasn’t interested.
“Al-lice,” Cooper purred in a sing-song tone.
