Page 63 of Worthy of Sunsets and Second Chances

Leaning down, totally unruffled, Eli says, “Have you been watching my videos, sweetheart? I didn’t know you even knew about my little jump rope videos.”

Shit.

Abort mission.

Jump ship.

Help.

Fuck.

“Umm, Lainey must have shown me,” I lie, blushing.

“Yeah, I’m sure Rem’s wife spends all her free time watching me jump rope, lift weights, post thirst traps, as you say. We should really confront Rem about this. I think we have a big problem.” Eli tucks a piece of hair behind my ear and I shiver.

“Okay, fine. Maybe I have seen them a couple times.”

“What’s your username?”

“I don’t remember.” I kiss the top of Wren’s sleeping head.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I will let all those insignificant strangers on the internet know that I am a happily taken man. And frankly”—he leans in to whisper in my ear so Wren can’t hear even though she’s softly snoring now—“I don’t give a flying fuck what they think.”

“Okay, I’ll go on a date with you,” I say, making Eli whoop with joy, startling Wren awake.

“Oops, sorry, peanut.” Eli blushes.

51

Eli

“She’s been watching my videos,” I tell the guys gathered for dinner at the fire station. Adrian Garcia cooked tonight, so we are all full of another one of his mom’s famous recipes and happy. This time he made one of our favorites, a cheesy green chili chicken with Mexican rice. Unfortunately there are zero leftovers for my midnight snacking.

I hit upload on my newest jump rope edit and smirk. It isn’t the most intense, high-tempo routine because I used the song “Best Years” by 5 Seconds of Summer. I don’t care about how many views it gets, I care about one viewer specifically. I am wearing Kendra’s favorite old cutoff in the video, the one that makes her eyes go hazy whenever she sees me in it, the one she was grumbling to Wren about on my back deck. I also captioned the video “I promise I will give the best years of my life, sweetheart. xoxo” So I think it sends a pretty clear message to all the followers on my page that it’s directed at someone special in my life, because I have never written something like that in the past posts I have made. Snark, humor, motivation—check. Romantic gestures and cranking up the swoon factor for someone special for the world to see, definitely out of my wheelhouse.

“So you’re going to seduce her through thirst traps? Instead of in person? Doesn’t she live with you now?” Ryan Banks, one of the younger rookies, questions me.

“Banks, I am using every tool in the shed. And now that I know Kendra’s been watching these”—I shake my phone at him—“I’m going to sharpen them.”

“So you want to stab her with your pitchfork?” Jacobs chuckles, elbowing Garcia.

“No, dumbass. I just need to use everything I have to my advantage, and this can’t hurt if she’s already looking.”

“The new fancy dick glitter didn’t do it for her?” Ryder chuckles.

I groan.

“I’m out!” Chief exclaims, shoving away from the table. “This is too much information for me. Banks, Jacobs, you are both on clean-up duty tonight.” Chief exits the room like his pants are on fire, leaving everyone else at the table laughing.

Rem says, “Not going to call Keller to book another appointment then?”

“Hell no,” I answer Rem. “And, for your information, not that any of you nosey bitches deserve it, I haven’t gotten to test it out yet—officially.” I cough.

“Hmmm.” Ryder glances around the table.

“Look, I ruined a relationship with Kendra once, you guys,” I admit, “so I have an uphill battle to prove to her that she can trust me with her heart. I’m taking this one day at a time and trying my best to not fuck it up again, because if I do there won’t be a third chance.”

“Maybe you need to do some kind of special grand gesture to show her that you are all in this time,” Garcia suggests. “Like get a star named for her or something, or plan a special trip that’s a few months away?”