Page 26 of Hot Under the Collar

He’d run into burning buildings for a living. But this was worse. No alarm bells. No warning.

Just helping rescue a litter of cats.

Just a favor.

Just her.

11

Lynne (Then)

Andrew was different than other guys she’d dated. Safe, predictable. Kind of a relief. He taught history at Autumn Ridge High School and coached their soccer team. So she figured, if he had the patience to handle being around a bunch of teenagers all day, he must be able to handle a lot of other things well.

But when she glanced across the bar at him, he seemed to be politely tolerating the chaos of an Autumn Ridge Halloween. She almost felt sorry for the guy. He hadn’t lived here long, and although she’d warned him about the crowds and how all the businesses except O’Donnell’s shut down around five for trick-or-treating, she didn’t quite expect to see him look so out of his element in the town banter. Like a man who’d been up since 5 a.m. teaching kids and a bar was the last place he wanted to be.

But he came for her, and that made her smile. Plus, she told him it was the only place in town where he could grab her ass in public tonight without fear of one of his students or their parents catching him. Suddenly, Andrew loved the idea.

Andrew raised his empty glass to catch her eye, and she sauntered down the length of the bar with another stout. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, then held her there for a moment. “You’re so busy,” he whispered. “Maybe your dad could hire more staff so you all don’t have to do it alone?”

He wasn’t wrong. Lynne and Ruby had been telling her dad this for years. He should be enjoying more nights off—maybe even giving his back a rest—instead of constantly getting his hands sticky in the trenches with them.

“He loves nights like tonight, though,” Lynne told Andrew. “I mean, just look at him.”

They glanced toward the entrance, where her dad was wiping his brow from laughing too hard at someone’s joke and passing out hugs to everyone who came through the door.

Andrew sighed. “Well, I don’t want to be the man who takes away Dale’s happiness,” he admitted. His hand slid down to her ass and gripped it tight, pulling her in for another kiss. “Speaking of happiness … you coming back to my place after all these shenanigans are done?”

Before she could answer, the bell above the door chimed again, and in strutted Leo March and half the Autumn Ridge Fire Department. Lynne tried to hide behind Andrew, but she wasn’t fast enough. Leo spotted her and waved just as Dale smothered him with a hug.

Lynne waved back, and Leo flashed her a smile cut with vampire teeth. But her dad clapped him on the back, and he spat the teeth into his hand by accident.

Lynne tried to stifle a laugh but ended up snorting into her fist.

“Who’s that?” Andrew asked, crinkling his nose.

“A walking disaster, apparently,” Lynne quipped.

There was no use in trying to explain much more. Leo was already headed over. The guys next to Andrew cleared their bar stools and gave Leo and his friends their seats, shouting “Happy birthday, man!” and offering to buy him his first drink.

“Thanks, but Dale’s got my first one covered. Right, Lynne? Hey, where’s Mazzy?”

Lynne felt Andrew’s arm around her stiffen.

“Andrew, this is Leo March.” She cleared her throat. “It’s his birthday. Leo, this is Andrew—my boyfriend.”

Leo didn’t miss a beat in extending his hand and offering Andrew a warm greeting. Andrew forced a smile as he shook Leo’s hand.

“We put her upstairs a couple hours ago. Too rowdy,” Lynne explained.

“Ahh. Sad I missed her.”

“So how did you all meet?” Andrew asked.

Lynne’s eyes locked on Leo. “I used to babysit him.”

“Damn, Leo,” one of the other firefighters—Mark, maybe?—shouted. He was dressed like a hair band member and reeked of alcohol. Guess the party had already started. “From diapers to drinks.”

“Let me guess,” Lynne said, pointing at Mark then Leo. “The Lost Boys?”