AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She nodded with a sad smile.
“They’re just like hers,” I said.
“Thanks.” Her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink.
“Forgot I have to check on the menu. Be right back.” Marsden snatched the napkin from my hand and hustled out of the kitchen. Delaney shook her head, her chestnut ponytail swishing behind her.
“Well, did we pass?” She crossed over to me, wringing her hands in anticipation.
I glanced at the checklist, running my finger down the columns, knowing the answer, but taking my time just for the hell of it.
“Yes, Ms. Miller, I’m happy to say you have passed your fire inspection. As far as the fire department is concerned, you’re free to open to the public.” I scrawled my name across the bottom of the form and handed her a copy. “For your records.”
She breathed a sigh of relief, a smile breaking over her face. “Thank goodness. I didn’t have a back-up plan if I didn’t pass this.”
“No need to worry about that now,” I said, shoving a hand into my pocket. “You’re in the clear.”
“Well, that’s good news. Thanks.” She smoothed her hair, twirling a strand around her finger. We stood there for a moment, neither of us moving.
Marsden opened the double doors, popping his head in. “We passed, right?”
Delaney nodded.
“Excellent news,” he said, grinning. “In appreciation, we’ll be bringing lemon bars over to the station. You’ll be there, right?”
“Uh, yeah, I’m on duty,” I said.
“Cool, cool,” Marsden said. “And of course, everyone’s invited to the grand opening tomorrow!”
“He’s got it, Mars! How’s that menu coming?” Delaney cut her eyes at him.
“Uh, right. It’s good, I’ll just get back to it.” He inched out, letting the doors swing shut behind him.
“Sorry about that. He’s very meddlesome,” Delaney said, chewing on her bottom lip.
“It’s fine. Looking forward to those lemon bars.” Somehow, I was sure the two of them would be talking about me before I hit the sidewalk. They were clearly tight.
“Guess I better get to work then.” She smoothed down her apron. “Thanks again for bumping up the inspection.”
“No problem. See you around.” I tilted my head at her, then bolted before doing anything I’d regret later on.
* * *
“Hey, man. How’d it go with my sister’s inspection today?” Josh caught my eye as I walked into the station from the bakery.He and some of the other guys were sitting in the corner of the main room, playing a round of cards.
The question was innocent enough, but it sent me down a dirty rabbit hole as I thought back to the deep V of Delaney’s sweater, the jeans perfectly showcasing her assets.
I swallowed hard over the lump in my now-dry throat. “It went fine. Good. She’s all set to open tomorrow.” I pressed my lips together. The less I said here, the better.
“Thanks for taking care of her today.” He shot me a salute I didn’t deserve. I was fairly certain he wouldn’t be too grateful if he knew how I’dliketo take care of her.
Scrubbing my hand across the back of my neck, I said, “Sure, no problem. I’m gonna hit the gym before dinner. Catch ya later.”
“Hey, before I forget—you got a package today. I signed for it.” Josh stood and together we walked back through the station, to the bunk room where we had our lockers.
He opened his locker, handing me a small box.
“Thanks.”
