Silvia stowed her personal items into her backpack, then closed her locker.
Well, tried to close the danged thing.
She opened it and tried to close it again and again and again.
“Stupid piece of trash!”
All she wanted was to go home, play with Harvey, take a long hot bath, and then read all day. But she couldn’t even do that without causing a scene.
“Need some help?” Daire leaned sideways against the wall of lockers.
“No, I don’t need your help. I can close a locker, thank you very much.”
He smashed his lips together, nodded, then sat down on the long wooden bench opposite the lockers. “Okay. I’ll just wait ’til you’re finished.”
Mid closing—attempting to close the stupid thing—she swung around, her hand still holding onto the crooked latch as if it would hold her up when it couldn’t even do its one job of latching. “Wait for what?”
He offered her a slow blink. “For you to close your locker.”
She blew out a breath and turned back to her task, willing the damn thing to obey. It wasn’t that hard. Line the freak up! she shouted in her head. So I can get out of here! So I can keep what little dignity I’ve earned over the last seven years.
The latch finally clicked into place, so she hooked her lock through the aligning holes and spun the dial.
She turned, planting fisted hands on her hips. “What do you need from me now, Daire?”
“I don’t need anything from you, Silvia.” He’d said the words softly, and although they should have come off as sounding mean, they didn’t. He just sounded drained. “I just need to get to my locker, so I can get out of here. Mine’s right beside yours, remember?”
Of course, his locker’s next to mine. Why wouldn’t it be? She’d conveniently forgotten that little tidbit since she tried never to be in the same room as Daire. It seemed karma itself wanted her to suffer Daire’s presence at all turns.
She stalked toward the exit, refusing to acknowledge his unusual melancholy or his remember question, which really wasn’t a question.
“Hey, Silvia! Wait up!”
There he is… Back to his chipper-self when all she wanted to do was get out of dodge.
Hand on the exit bar, she pushed hard, ignoring him. If she could get to her vehicle before he caught her, she’d never have to know what he wanted. Then maybe she could call LT and ask for a transfer before her next tour. She worked well with the Anchorage firefighters. It wasn’t too far of a daily drive—in the summer, that is. It would suck during the winter, though.
Ugh! I can’t transfer. I worked hard to gain the trust of the other firefighters. Why am I letting Daire get to me? He’s just a guy. I work with guys round-the-clock.
She clicked the fob for her Subaru Impreza. Other than the fact that the vehicle was as dependable as the sun, it wasn’t very impressive. It had more rust than white paint. The interior still reeked of tobacco, dog, and some odor she couldn’t name—even though she’d Febrezed every inch of cloth and carpet. And it made a rattling sound that no mechanic could seem to find. It was another relic from Harvey’s dead owner, which she’d bought for less than a month’s rent from her landlord. The twenty-year-old vehicle still ran through snow and ice like a dog sled at the Iditarod. Hopefully, it would sprint her away from annoying coworkers, too.
“Sil! Hang on!”
Stupid short legs.
Since she couldn’t outwalk the man, she turned and sneered. She wasn’t at work anymore, so she didn’t have to be polite. “What, Daire? I’m in a hurry.”
“Oh, you work another job?”
She heaved a sigh. “Is that any of your business?”
He smashed his lips together again. “No. Of course not. I just…”
If she had the guts to let her gaze drop, she imagined seeing him kicking up dirt with his black combat boots.
I must have looked since I know he wears black combat boots that always carry a high shine.
Odd that he looked so nervous. Daire rarely looked uncomfortable. The man epitomized the role of hottest first responder in Alaska, as Therese had so eloquently labeled him.
Silvia scratched a non-existent itch on her forehead. “I don’t have anywhere to be except home, but I’m tired. What did you want to ask? If you have a question about work, can’t it wait? We’ve already clocked more than twenty-four hours.”
He shook his head, then waved her off as he turned toward his truck. “It’s all right. Maybe next time.”
Silvia reached out and touched his arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m just over…you know…everything. It was a rough night.”
Daire looked down at her hand on his arm, so she dropped it. His eyes moved back to hers. “That’s just it,” he said. “It was a rough night. Rougher than usual. I can handle accidents and fires. But somehow, knowing those men purposely hurt those women—” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I have good friends who’ve gone through domestic abuse, yet it still shocks me when men hurt women. Or, worse, when a parent hurts their own children.”
Double ugh! She didn’t need to connect with Daire on this level. But, man, she sure did. Her other firefighter brothers had never voiced their opinions about abuse, even though she could see it bothered them. Daire just never held back his feelings—good or bad.
His lips turned up again. Not in a smile but in a quick questioning manner. “I just thought maybe I could buy you a beer.”
His words broke her out of her current state, and she laughed without warning. She looked at her watch, even though she didn’t have to. She knew what time it was. Less than an hour after their tour. “A beer? It’s nine a.m.”
He shrugged. “It’s five p.m. in my world. I can’t sleep after a tour. I’ll sleep tonight.”
Silvia felt her lips curve into a smile, but she waved her hands and reached for her door handle. “I actually don’t drink much, and I never indulge at nine a.m. But thanks.”
“I actually don’t drink much either.” He shot out the words as if he had to say them quickly. “I know a lot of first responders party hard, but big brother Sam is a stickler for not drinking,” he rambled on, moving next to her again. He didn’t stop her from opening her door, but he leaned against the rear door. “So…what do you do to unwind?”
Next to the tiny car, he looked taller than usual. Flush against the dull white paint, his skin looked darker than usual.
She closed her eyes to clear her head. “I unwind by playing with my dog. Then I take a long hot bath and read.”
He dropped his head but looked up at her from beneath his long ebony lashes. “That works? To forget about all you saw?” He inhaled deeply, then whooshed it out. “Doesn’t seeing that crap make you want to release some angst?”
“I run.”
“Running’s cool. But what about when it’s freezing out?”
“It’s always freezing out.” A nervous-sounding laugh slipped out. Where had that come from? “But yeah, when there’s too much snow, I do yoga. Well…” She shrugged. “A form of yoga anyway.”
“Wanna try what I do?”
“Beer at nine a.m.?” She laughed for real this time. “Umm… I seriously don’t think so, Daire.”
“Not beer. That was just an icebreaker.” He smiled. “But seriously, if you’re not busy, come to my house. I’ll show you what I do to unwind. And then maybe later, we can have one beer when the clock officially strikes five p.m. in our world.”
“Your house? I don’t have to tell you, right? I don’t date—”
“I know.” He lifted his hands as if he were surrendering something to her. “You don’t date coworkers or first responders of any kind. I understand. My house is my family’s house. There’s always someone there. You’ve met Erik and Kimi. They work from home and, usually, my mother or one of my other brothers is there. It’s a busy house. But big. We’ll have the basement to ourselves. It’s fun, I promise.” He bent at the hips and looked her square in the eyes. “I swear I’m not luring you back to my pad to seduce you.”
“As if!” She burst out a laugh, and it felt good. She rarely laughed. She rarely had anything to laugh about. But as much as Daire drove her crazy, he did make her laugh. A lot, it seemed.
“What? You don’t think I could seduce you if I wanted?”
“I’m not a seducee type of a woman, Daire.”
“I know you’re not, Silvia, and I swear it was never my intention to try.” Serious now, he rested a hand on her shoulder. “Come on. Let me show you how I unwind. I really think it will be good for you.”
Curious, she chewed on her bottom lip. Plus, if they spent a little downtime together as friends, maybe she could get over the unease she felt every time she was near him.
“Okay, but I have to run by my house first. I have to feed my dog. Text me your address.”
“My house is in Falcon Run.” He looked down at her car but didn’t comment on its ability or lack thereof to travel long distances. It did look pretty pathetic. “How ’bout I follow you home? And if your dog is friendly, bring him.”
“You sure? He’s friendly, but he’s a really big dog.”
“The bigger, the better. He’ll be able to keep up with Strider and Arwen.”
“Strider and Arwen? They’re not young kids, are they?”
“No… They’re our search-and-rescue dogs. They’re super sweet, though.”
Silvia exhaled deeply, but she couldn’t stop from nodding her assent. It had been so long since she’d gone anywhere other than work or home.
Everything about Daire’s obnoxious personality assured her that she wasn’t interested romantically, so there was no concern about anything other than a friendly relationship. Physically, that was another thing. The man oozed masculinity. But in the last eight years, she’d been able to suppress any urges. Spending a few hours with Daire wouldn’t change her world.
Besides, she was intrigued to learn about whatever Daire did to unwind. Every time she saw him, he was the most hyped-up and yet, happy person she’d ever met. Yeah, he complained, but somehow, his grumbles were usually superficial and involved his big brother Sam, as he always put it.
She couldn’t imagine leading an untroubled and happy life surrounded by family. Not anymore anyway.
Harvey seemed just as apprehensive as Silvia was to be heading into an unfamiliar situation. Daire’s back seat folded up completely, leaving an area where even a pup as large as Harvey could dart back and forth from window to window, though. So Harvey was taking advantage of the room and his restlessness.
For the hundredth time in the last thirty minutes, Harvey propped his giant paws on the center console and jutted his large head between the front bucket seats.
“Harvey!” She tried to push him back, but it was like pushing on a boulder. “Sorry. He’s usually better behaved when I have to take him somewhere.”
Daire ruffled the big dog’s floppy ears and spoke in doggy talk, “It’s okay, Harvey. You’re excited to go on an adventure, aren’t you?”
She giggled. “Why do we do that?”
Daire flicked his eyes to her, then back to the road. “Do what?”
“Use that sing-song cadence as if we’re talking to a baby when talking to something bigger than I am?”
If it were possible, Daire looked embarrassed. “Harvey may be bigger, but you’re tougher. And are you suggesting I speak in baby-talk?” His tone dropped several octaves, deeper than she’d ever heard.
She ignored his tougher comment. Good. She needed him to remember their roles. “We all do it. Regardless of their size, something about animals brings out our protective side, don’t you think?”
He cleared his throat. “Not me, ma’am. I’m all serious and professional.”
Harvey bounced his head back and forth, looking at them as they spoke.
“I think it’s sweet. When I meet people who like animals, I know they must be good…on some level. Don’t you think?”
Daire bobbed his head. “Mostly. I guess it depends on the kind of animals they like. I’ve known some people who have plenty of dogs, and they’re not nice people.”
“Do they treat their dogs nicely, or do they use them as security dogs?”
He shrugged. “Both.”
“Well, okay then. I guess I’ll have to rethink my hypothesis.”
“Wow…”
She turned and faced him. “What do you mean, wow?”
“I think that’s the first discussion I’ve ever won with you.”
She sighed. “I didn’t know we had a competition going.”
“We don’t. It’s just I’ve been consistently wrong with you. If my brother Sam wasn’t married, I would definitely introduce you. Well, maybe not. He’s a lot older than we are. But you two definitely have a lot in common.”
“And yet you invited me to unwind with you.”
Daire nodded. “I thought we could both use some unwinding. Remember, though, I’m not interested or anything. You are my boss, after all.”
“Never crossed my mind, Daire. And not that it makes any difference, but I’m not really your boss; I’m just training you.”
“Good to know.” He slanted a playful look at her. “Don’t wanna get a rep for working my way up the ladder.” He snorted a laugh at his own joke.
She smacked his arm. “Definitely not…since you won’t get too many rungs with me. You’d have to work Big Ivan for a higher level.”
He let out one of his bigger-than-life laughs, flashed her another playful look, then focused his eyes back on the road—where they belonged. “I’ll pass.”
Silvia turned and looked out the window—where her eyes belonged. She shouldn’t be playing with fire like this. They both knew that playing with fire caused blazes. Out-of-control blazes caused forest fires.
And Alaska really was beautiful. Not just because of the scenery, but because it was safe. Vast and private. No sense in causing anything that would threaten her existence here. Her mind moved away from the allegorical pretty to reality. As much as she loved Alaska, she was starting to forget her home. While Arizona had its beauty, there wasn’t a lot of green. Especially during the drought years. But she missed the dryness. She missed the exposed mountains. The deep reds. The wide-open sky. She missed her mother and sister. A tiny bit of tears welled in the corners of her eyes. She quickly blinked them away and refocused on the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
“So…” Daire drawled after a few minutes of silence. “Tell me, what do you miss most about California?”
That wasn’t a difficult question. California and Arizona did have one thing in common. “The sun.” She stared up at the cloud cover that always seemed to hover just above tree line.
“I thought L.A. was really smoggy, though.”
“Not as bad as it used to be…” She had done some homework on her fake home of birth. “Plus, I lived outside the city.”
“Oh? Any place I would have heard about?”
“Glendora. It’s nestled between the San Gabriel Mountains and L.A. We’re famous for our ficus trees, so I’m guessing not.”
Daire laughed. “Hmm… Ficus trees. That’s awfully close to being famous for the highest mountain peak in North America at 20,310 feet.”
“Well, at least in Southern California, we have year-round sunshine.”
Daire lifted his chin. “Northern lights.”
“Perfect temperatures, year-round. Never too cold. Never too hot.”
“Snow.”
“Sand.”
“Hey,” Daire complained. “Alaska has lots of sand. We have 47,000 miles of tidal shoreline, more than all lower forty-eight states combined.”
She laughed again. “How do you know that stuff or remember those numbers? I’m terrible at remembering numbers.”
He fanned his fingers on the steering wheel. “I don’t know. When you work search and rescue, there’s lots of downtime. My brothers talk—a lot.”
“More than you?” She chuckled.
“Hey… I’ll turn this truck around, young lady.”
“Now that sounds like something your mom must have said with all you boys in the back.”
“Does sound like something a mother would say. But she never did. Not one time that I can remember. I have the coolest mom in the world, I’m sure.” He glanced at her again. “Sorry. Maybe not cooler than your mom.”
“No, I’m sure you’re right. My mom was never very cool.” Damn it. You had to bring up his mom. She braced herself for what she knew was coming next. Talking about family always encourages others to ask about your family. She knew better.
“Still,” he said. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t brag about my mom. I know many people aren’t as lucky as I am.”
Wow… There was a new side of Daire. He actually appreciates his family. Just not Sam, it seemed. And to his credit, he recognized she was uncomfortable speaking about her own mother and didn’t press her to elaborate further.
“Sunshine, huh?” He shook his head. “I have to ask… Why would you move to a state with six months of darkness?”
“Because Alaska also has six months of sunshine.”
“True. But that six months of darkness and bitter cold does most folks in. So many people move here, but then they only last a year or so, at best.”
“Alaska was hiring.” Which was the truth. It felt good to share something truthful about herself. Half of everything she offered about her past was fabricated. Not this. She didn’t just become a firefighter paramedic because it was the only thing available in Alaska; she’d wanted it from her very core. Ever since she was sixteen… since her entire life flipped on its axis. “I always wanted to be a firefighter paramedic,” she continued. “Most places have a crazy-long waitlist, but Alaska was actively hiring. And they specifically suggested women apply.”
He nodded again. It seemed Daire was a better listener than she’d given him credit for.
He flicked the turn signal, then turned down a dirt road that looked as if it went on forever. Nothing but tall evergreens and birch lined the long road.
After several minutes, he turned onto a long drive that led to a wide, open piece of property. The first house was enormous, at least several stories. Across from the house stood a large barn with horses grazing out front. And behind the house stood the rental properties she’d heard the Anchorage firefighters giggling about when they’d been drinking at Grizz’s. Supposedly the Belgarde Brothers had a tendency to use the rental houses for extracurricular activities during the off-season.
“You grew up here?” Was all she could think to ask.
“Yep. Like I said, I know I’m lucky. Do you like to ride horses? If they don’t have a tour, I’m sure Erik and Kimi wouldn’t mind.”
Silvia quickly shook her head. “That’s okay.” She couldn’t imagine horseback riding. She was so small compared to them.
“Don’t get offended, okay? But…they do have some horses for kids. Maybe that wouldn’t scare you.”
“I’m not that small.”
“I’m not saying you’re small. I’m just saying—never mind. If you want, we’ll check it out. But that’s not what I wanted to show you anyway.” He opened the door and hopped out. Instead of walking to her side first, he opened the back door for Harvey, which she preferred. “Come on, boy! Let me introduce you to Strider and Arwen. They’re probably in the barn. Hey, Sil? Will he run off?”
Silvia hopped down and made her way around the front of the truck. “Not from my house. He wanders all around the neighborhood, but he’s good about staying off the road. I think his owner taught him.”
“I thought you were his owner.”
She scrunched up her nose. “I inherited Harvey. I never would have adopted a pet with our schedule.”
Daire nodded, then reached toward her hand but stopped at the last second and pointed toward the barn. “Let’s go introduce Harvey.”
As they approached the barn, Daire let out a loud whistle.
Silvia looked up. Not surprised, really. She was actually jealous. She could whistle, though not good. Her abuela had always admonished her when she tried to whistle, said that it was unladylike. Then she’d spouted off one of her old sayings: Never trust a woman who whistles or a hen that crows, which still made zero sense to her. She got the gist, but it was so antiquated that she was surprised that her abuela had repeated it to her. After all, her abuela had convinced Silvia’s mother that she should allow her to date at fourteen, saying that she would sneak out if she wasn’t allowed. Silvia hadn’t thought about that then, but her abuela was right. She probably would have snuck out to see him— Her thoughts were cut off as two huge German shepherds, one sable and the other several shades of gray, came barreling from the barn.
The sable-colored one spotted the new arrivals and barked. Then, as if waiting, the gray one followed suit.
Silvia darted behind Daire, and Harvey stood firm beside her, his hackles rising, but he didn’t move or bark.
“Freundes,” Daire spoke, lifting his hand in a stop signal. Both dogs stopped as if they’d been shocked. “Guter hund. Good dog,” he said, patting Harvey on the head. Satisfied, the three dogs commenced to sniffing one another. Daire pulled her beside him, his arm hooking around her waist. “They weren’t going to attack, but they do like to bark. Their way of marking their territory. Their commands are in German, but it’s so close to English that I wonder why Sam even bothers.”
“It’s all good. I had Harvey.”
Daire dropped his arm. “I see that. Come on, they’ll be fine. They have lots of property to run around and get to know one another.”
He turned and walked toward the back of the main house, to a door that must lead to the basement he mentioned.
Daire held open the door, and Silvia walked into a large area about the size of a house. Instead of rooms, it was a wide-open space with support beams. One corner looked like the turn-out station at the firehouse. Instead of fire gear, though, the area held search-and-rescue gear, including backpacks, axes, climbing rope, and many other articles of equipment.
Opposite that area was a workout gym and what looked like a game room and then just a wide-empty matted area where Daire was leading her.
“Are you planning to have a wrestling match?” she asked on a laugh since the area looked like a wrestling ring, only smaller. The squared-off area was about ten-by-ten feet. “I don’t think we’re in the same weight class. Although, I bet I could take you.”
Daire released his hearty laugh again. “Like I said…tough. I’ll take your word for it. Though, I could introduce you to Nora.” He grinned. “Thankfully, she no longer fights, but I bet she could teach you some moves.”
“Oh, yeah, I heard about her. The UFC fighter. Ooh, I would love to meet her.”
“You will,” Daire said, his tone nonchalant as if it weren’t even a matter of discussion.
Silvia shook off the thought of meeting his entire family. “So, what are we doing?”
Daire walked over to a shelf and pulled out two hand controllers and what looked like a diving mask, except that it didn’t have clear glass.
He placed the mask against his face but didn’t pull on the straps. “I’m going to set you up on Valery’s player. You two are similar in size.”
Silvia let out a nervous laugh. “What is this?”
“Hang on.” Daire clicked a few options. She heard the audible clicks and the chime through the headset. “I’m betting you’re pretty good, so I’m starting you on medium. What type of music do you like?” He peeked around the headset. “Be honest. You’ll have more fun.”
“I like…anything, but I’m partial to EDM.”
He smiled. “Of course, you are. I could have guessed.” He clicked some more. “Ooh…you’re going to like this one. Lots of sunshine. The beach.”
“What is this, Daire?”
He lowered the mask, tightened the straps, placed it on her head, then tightened it until it fit snuggly. Then he slipped one controller strap on her right wrist, then the other on her left. “Okay, just hit the white targets with your right hand and the black targets with your left hand. When you see the starburst thing, hit it with both hands. When you see the gold bars, squat below the horizontal one. Slip left or right on the slanted ones. The trainer will show you the rest. Just pull the trigger on the start button on the right side of the screen when you’re ready.”
“Oh my gosh!” Silvia said.
“You haven’t even clicked start yet.”
She moved the controller to the hovering screen and clicked start. At once, she was transported to Brazil, standing on a floating mat. A woman—her trainer, she suspected—was on another floating mat, welcoming her. Silvia listened as the woman told her how to warm up and went over some moves, but all she could concentrate on was the beautiful scenery. No matter what direction she looked, she saw something different. The sky. The water. The mountains. It was like walking through a video—and then a flying target raced at her.
She instinctively raised her hand to block it, and the target exploded. And then another target raced at her, and another and another.
“Oh my gosh! I can’t do this!” She flew punches as the trainer called them out.
“Yes, you can,” Daire said from behind her.
She punched and ducked, laughing when she missed a flurry of targets.
“Fun, right?” Daire asked, but she was busy punching.
“Whew!” Jab. Cross. Uppercut. Uppercut. Then another portal opened up, and she listened as the trainer explained how to follow the portals. “Oh. Wait. Nooooo. Whoo…” She did the bob-and-weave thingy, and it felt like she was surfing. Just when she felt warmed up, the song ended. “Is that it?”
“Nope. That was just the warmup. There are four songs in that workout.”
Silvia watched as her stats showed up, then the next song started.
Fifteen minutes later, she removed the mask. “Can I go again?”
Daire was sitting on a stool outside the boundary. “Play all you want. Click the MY List on the bottom right of the screen, and you’ll see Valery’s favorites.”
Silvia clicked the tab, and a screen popped up with about twelve different options. She clicked on one that read Punk and listened as the trainer walked her through another warmup and then explained more moves.
She felt like she was jumping around on a pogo-stick to the music as she hit the targets.
Sixty minutes later, the device flashed a message that it was time to take a break. “It’s already been sixty minutes?” She lifted her head, looking under the mask for Daire.
He ran over from a video game he’d been playing. “Yep! So, I guess you liked it?”
She lifted the mask from her head. “Like it? I’m getting one! Oh, this was so great. The sky… It’s like you can see the sky and the water. And the pyramids. Scotland. Volcanoes. Just…wow. What a way to get away from the six months of darkness.”
Daire nodded. “Exactly, and it’s an amazing workout. And who knows when a perfectly timed uppercut can come in handy.”
Silvia had been thinking just that. The punching had made her feel powerful. “I’m getting one.”
“I figured you might—”
A door opened, cutting off Daire’s words. They both looked up.
“Daire? Are you down there?”
She suspected that the deep voice belonged to one of Daire’s brothers. She was actually happy it wasn’t his mother. She would feel weird meeting his mother when they weren’t dating.
“Ugh…” Daire groaned.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Sam.”
Silvia perked up, eager to meet this ogre who was apparently the bane of Daire’s existence.
“Daire?” Footsteps thumped down the steps.
“I have company, Sam!” Daire said, and Silvia was taken aback by the ire in his tone, something she’d never heard from him. Even when she’d given Daire a difficult time, he hadn’t sounded angry. She didn’t like it. Not one bit.
“Oh, hi!” Sam waved, and Silvia saw that Sam Belgarde wasn’t an ogre after all.
Not only wasn’t he an ogre, but he was also gorgeous. He smiled, and Silvia almost took a step back. Had she just said gorgeous? She realized she knew that smile. The man looked like Daire. He was just older. Of course, they were brothers. But why had she immediately thought gorgeous, a word she was pretty sure she’d never used when describing a man?
“What do you want, Sam?”
Daire’s attitude toward his brother, who’d only said hi, set her on defense again.
“I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks, Daire. I just need to talk to you.”
“I’m busy.”
“I understand,” Sam said. “But can you find a few minutes soon? I really need to talk to you.”
“About what? I’m not your employee anymore, remember? You couldn’t afford me. I just finished my EMT hours, so now I’m training under Silvia.” Daire turned to her. “This is Silvia, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, Silvia.” Sam focused back on Daire. “Maybe after dinner on Sunday?”
“I don’t know if I’m coming this Sunday.”
“Are you working?”
Daire heaved a sigh. “I’m always working, Sam. Isn’t that what you drilled into my head since I was twelve?”
Sam looked at Silvia, smashed his lips together, just like Daire did when frustrated, then shrugged. “Okay, Daire. If you’re not working, please let me know when we can have a few minutes. It’s very important.” With that, Sam walked off, then tromped up the stairs two at a time.
When the door shut, Silvia tapped Daire’s arm. “Take me home.”
~ Daire ~
Daire didn’t question Silvia’s request. She’d asked him to take her home, so he stored the virtual reality equipment back in its case, then walked toward the basement door. No way was he going upstairs where he’d have to see Sam again.
A few minutes down the road, he looked in her direction. She was just staring out the window. He didn’t have to ask why she was upset. He didn’t have to be a mind reader to know that she’d asked to leave when he’d gotten frustrated with Sam. And she’d been having such a good time. So had he.
He’d loved watching her. Thrilled in listening to her giggle every time she missed a target. He’d hoped for a fun evening.
He’d told Silvia the truth, though; he hadn’t planned to come on to her. He just wanted to see her happy. He just wanted to break through that tough outer shell. In the last year they’d worked together, he’d seen how tough she was. But the previous night, he saw something else. Her entire demeanor had changed during the domestic calls. She’d been strong with the women, but afterward, she’d looked as though she’d been the one beaten by those men. He’d seen the look before…in his sisters-in-law and even Vince when he spoke about his past before he followed Erik home to their house when they were in grade school.
Silvia had a bad past, he was sure of it. Yeah, she’d said she moved to Alaska because they were hiring, but Daire had seen this too many times in his life. Many people moved to Alaska, but as he’d told her earlier, most of them moved away—unless they were hiding. Alaska had a reputation for being the hiding place of the nation. The Last Frontier, as it was called, was the perfect place for someone who was running from something—or someone. Many of the new residents were hiding from child support or bounty hunters. He doubted Silvia could have done anything worthy of a bounty hunter chasing her. Also, she didn’t seem like the type to abandon her children. So Daire’s money was on someone.
When he felt completely calm after his run-in with Sam, Daire tapped her shoulder.
The leather seat crinkled as she turned to face him. “Yeah?”
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugged in response. No, Sorry for what? No, I’m fine, as many women he’d met were fond of spouting as a rote response. No, You ought to be, as the rest of the women he’d known had offered. Just three of the many reasons he’d never had a serious relationship. He dated plenty, but not one woman had made him want more. Not until he’d met Silvia.
“Really, Sil. I am sorry. You were having a good time, and I put you on edge—”
“It’s not your job to make me feel better, Daire.”
“No.” He swallowed. “I know. But you were, right? You liked that. You were having a good time, and I had so much more I wanted to show you—”
She held up a hand. “Daire. Stop. I’m fine. I just wish… Never mind.”
“What is it?” He rested a hand on hers. “Please tell me.”
She released a long breath. “What does it matter what I think?”
He shrugged this time. He couldn’t very well admit because he stupidly thought he was in love with her. “Because we work together,” he said. “Because…I want you to like me. Like what I do.”
“Not everyone has to like you, Daire.”
“Okay…” He faked a sniff. “You don’t have to like me, but I want you to respect me. I may come off as a clown, but like you, this is all I ever wanted in life…to help people. Maybe it’s in my blood or because I’ve watched my family save lives for as long as I can remember, but it’s who I am.”
Silvia leaned over their arms resting on the shared center console, closer to his side of the truck. “I don’t think you’re a clown, Daire. You’re funny, but I would never call you a clown. And I do respect your work. You did a great job last night.”
She was so close that he wanted to kiss her. It took every ounce of willpower he had to remember that their relationship was one-sided. He searched for a response, trying to ignore her sweet breath, the smell of her soap… “You think I’m funny?”
She drew back to her side of the truck, gently removing her hand from beneath his. “Everyone thinks you’re funny, Daire.”
He didn’t care about what everyone else thought, he realized. He used to. But now, he only cared what Silvia thought about him.
She squeezed his hand, which was still resting on the center console, feeling exposed and cold without her hand beneath it. “And I had a great time. Like I said, I’m going to get me one of those.” She looked over her shoulder at Harvey, who was spread out on the back mat. “And it looks like Harvey had a great time, too. We’ll have to arrange a play date again soon.”
Daire took advantage of her suggestion. “How ’bout Sunday? We’re both off. My family gets together on Sunday—”
“Uhhh…” she groaned. “I don’t know about that.”
“Silvia, they all work in our field. All of them. My mother, brothers, and even sisters-in-law who don’t work search and rescue, still fill in. I promise you’ll never lack for conversation.”
“It’s not that. It’ll just feel weird.”
“Why?”
She blew out a breath. “Because I’m not your girlfriend.”
He laughed. “Umm… I’ve never brought a girl home to meet my parents. Friends, sure. All my friends come to my house. Always have. My house was always the cool place in the neighborhood. And you’re my friend, right?”
She laughed this time. “Yes, Daire. I’m your friend.”
“It’s settled then. I’ll pick you up Sunday morning.”
Silvia sighed. “Okay.”
Something about her Okay wasn’t okay, but Daire didn’t plan to press his luck. She’d said yes, so he’d accept that and not push for an explanation of why she sounded so reserved.
It would take a little time, he was certain, but he would learn who was hiding behind the mask of Silvia Markow. Even her name and hair color didn’t match what he saw. He didn’t really want to uncover her secrets. Not really. He just wanted to break down her walls so he could step into her world. Her real world.
As a bonus, if Silvia joined him for the family dinner on Sunday, his mother wouldn’t be disappointed by another no-show. Even better, Daire wouldn’t have to have a one-on-one conversation with Sam.