Page 3 of Combust (Everyday Heroes 2)
“No. Sorry. I . . . it’s just been a long few days.” I hang my head for a moment, swallow my pride when I’m so used to being strong, and then lift it back up. “Thank you for letting me stay on such short notice. I appreciate it.”
“You needed a place to stay. I have an extra room in a house where I’m gone several days of the week. And it’s Damon.” He shrugs as if letting a friend’s sister stay in his house for a few months is something he’d do any day of the week. “I’d do anything for your brother.”
“Thanks. Like I said, I appreciate it more than you know.”
“We all need to get out of Dodge sometimes. I get it.” He opens the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water. I shake my head when he holds one out to me.
The scanner on his bookshelf comes to life—codes dispatched to Fire Station Thirteen—scaring the shit out of me, and brings back the bittersweet memories of my childhood. I must jump a foot because Grady laughs. “Sorry ’bout that. I have a habit of turning it on the minute I walk in the door.”
“It’s fine. I’ll get used to it.” I was used to it once.
“You can always turn it off if I forget when I leave for a shift.” I nod in response. “Make yourself at home. Did you find the Wi-Fi code?”
“No.” I remember my fruitless attempt to find it. “I didn’t want to snoop.” I rest my hips against the back of the couch as he walks out of the kitchen and mirrors my posture against the counter a few feet across from me.
“Snoop all you like. I’ve got nothing to hide. Besides, I made
sure all the really embarrassing and equally pleasurable sex toys were put away before you arrived.” He flashes that grin, and I stare at him, mouth agape, wide-eyed and innocent when I’m far from it.
All I can do is choke on air.
He shakes his head. “Jesus. You’re as easy to rile up as your brother. If you’re going to live here, Dyl, you’re going to have to learn to relax. I like to joke. Life’s too serious not to joke. So get used to it.”
“Dyl?” I’m so used to Jett and his broody ways that Grady’s humor is going to take some getting used to.
“We’re roommates now. It’s normal to shorten each other’s names, isn’t it? You’ll call me Grade. I’ll call you Dyl. See? Perfect.”
“Are you always this cheerful?”
“Depends on the day. Or the morning.” He rubs a hand over his unshaven jaw and grins as his eyes flash toward the door. Ah, Mal, the source of his happiness.
My mind is moving a million miles an hour. Living here seemed fine twenty-four hours ago when I had the house to myself, and he was on shift. But now he’s home, and I have to get used to the fact that he’s going to be everywhere. Him and his cheery demeanor. Or rather, him and his girlfriend.
“Is your girlfriend going to have a problem with this?” My mind flashes to Jett. And walking in on him and Tara. In my bed. Not that I’d do that to Mal. Not that Grady would want that with me . . .
“Who?”
He has to ask? “Glitter-dress girl.”
“Glitter dress? Oh, no. She isn’t my girlfriend.”
“Oh.”
“And she won’t be around again.”
Could’ve called that one a mile away.
“Ah, you’re so sentimental.” My voice drips with sarcasm.
“At least I’m honest.”
“Does she know that?”
He rolls his eyes like a little boy. “Yes, she knows that. Mallory and I used to have a thing. She moved away and was home visiting some family . . . so we, uh—”
“Reconnected?”
“If that’s the term you want to use.” He chews on his smile.
