response like that.
But she wasn't going to be anybody's punching bag. She told herself that this was the last time she went out of her way for him. He might have saved her life, but that didn't mean she was going to stick around for the abuse he seemed content to throw her way. Not after today, anyway. Today was his last chance.
She realized she was coming up on the firehouse. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath. The big red garage doors of were open, the gaping mouth of the the firehouse open for anyone to see inside, where one fire truck was parked. Big burly guys meandered about, in navy blue pants and polo shirts. Toni noticed a tall black guy standing outside, having a smoke. Putting on the smile that usually made men smile back, she stepped to him.
“Hi,” she said.
“ Well. Hello,” Big, Dark, and Handsome said, squinting and smiling at her in the sunlight. So apparently, her smile wasn't broken. It was just O'Donovan's reaction to her smile that was broken.
“ Is Sergeant O'Donovan here, by chance?”
“ What would you want with an asshole like that?” he said, straightening and tossing his butt into the street. Toni took in the breadth of his shoulders and his flat stomach. Shoot. Maybe to hell with O'Donovan, she thought.
“ He's a friend of mine,” she said, letting her sweet Southern girl act run a little rampant. “I know he's been in the hospital and I figured I would bring him something to make him feel better.” She held up the peach pie, wrapped in plastic, that she had slaved over that morning. The man's face lit up.
“ I'll take it to him,” he held out his hand, a flirtatious smile curving over his face.
“ I can do that, but thanks,” she said, wagging her finger at him. “He wouldn't be here, would he?”
“ Hey Bradford, I think your wife is on the phone.” An older white man from inside the firehouse stepped out into the light. He patted his beer gut with a good-natured smile. Bradford, a sheepish look on his face, ducked his head.
“ Sure, Captain. Sure she is.” He laughed. “Nice to meet you, Toni,” he said with a wink before strolling back into the firehouse.
“ I'm Captain O'Reilly, can I help you?” the older man said.
“ Nice to meet you, Captain,” Toni gushed, trying a little too hard. “I'm Toni. I'm looking for Sergeant O'Donovan?”
“ O'Donovan's not here,” O'Reilly, said. Toni felt the wind go out of her sails. “Can I ask what you need?”
“ To give him this.” Toni held up the pie. Then she went off the cuff, hoping that her assumptions were correct. “He's been laid up and hasn't really been eating too well lately, so I thought I would break the habit for him.” The older man peered at the pie, his interest apparently piqued. “Maybe I could take it to his place, if I knew where it was.”
“ What kind of pie is that?”
“ Peach,” she said, batting her eyes innocently. “Does he like peach pie?” she said, almost gagging on the laugh that was threatening to force itself out of her mouth. O'Reilly cleared his throat and clapped his chest.
“ Hell if I know,” he bit out. “But he'd be crazy not to.” Toni beamed. She hoped to get the same reaction from O'Donovan. “I tell you what, Toni. O'Donovan is nursing that broken heart of his right around the corner. Murphy's Pub,” he said, pointing the way. “I think you might be just what the doctor ordered.”
“ Thanks so much.” Toni gave him a wink and headed in the direction where O'Donovan pointed. Then she stopped and turned back. “What broken heart?” she asked.
“ Maybe you should ask him that,” O'Reilly said, before heading back the way he came into the firehouse. Hmm. Toni narrowed her eyes. Everything was starting to fall into place. So she'd been right. O'Donovan had been unlucky in love, and that's why he was acting like a major asshole.
Poor baby.
She couldn't stop herself from smiling and she could feeling herself perk up immediately.
But she wasn't going to be anybody's punching bag. She told herself that this was the last time she went out of her way for him. He might have saved her life, but that didn't mean she was going to stick around for the abuse he seemed content to throw her way. Not after today, anyway. Today was his last chance.
She realized she was coming up on the firehouse. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath. The big red garage doors of were open, the gaping mouth of the the firehouse open for anyone to see inside, where one fire truck was parked. Big burly guys meandered about, in navy blue pants and polo shirts. Toni noticed a tall black guy standing outside, having a smoke. Putting on the smile that usually made men smile back, she stepped to him.
“Hi,” she said.
“ Well. Hello,” Big, Dark, and Handsome said, squinting and smiling at her in the sunlight. So apparently, her smile wasn't broken. It was just O'Donovan's reaction to her smile that was broken.
“ Is Sergeant O'Donovan here, by chance?”
“ What would you want with an asshole like that?” he said, straightening and tossing his butt into the street. Toni took in the breadth of his shoulders and his flat stomach. Shoot. Maybe to hell with O'Donovan, she thought.
“ He's a friend of mine,” she said, letting her sweet Southern girl act run a little rampant. “I know he's been in the hospital and I figured I would bring him something to make him feel better.” She held up the peach pie, wrapped in plastic, that she had slaved over that morning. The man's face lit up.
“ I'll take it to him,” he held out his hand, a flirtatious smile curving over his face.
“ I can do that, but thanks,” she said, wagging her finger at him. “He wouldn't be here, would he?”
“ Hey Bradford, I think your wife is on the phone.” An older white man from inside the firehouse stepped out into the light. He patted his beer gut with a good-natured smile. Bradford, a sheepish look on his face, ducked his head.
“ Sure, Captain. Sure she is.” He laughed. “Nice to meet you, Toni,” he said with a wink before strolling back into the firehouse.
“ I'm Captain O'Reilly, can I help you?” the older man said.
“ Nice to meet you, Captain,” Toni gushed, trying a little too hard. “I'm Toni. I'm looking for Sergeant O'Donovan?”
“ O'Donovan's not here,” O'Reilly, said. Toni felt the wind go out of her sails. “Can I ask what you need?”
“ To give him this.” Toni held up the pie. Then she went off the cuff, hoping that her assumptions were correct. “He's been laid up and hasn't really been eating too well lately, so I thought I would break the habit for him.” The older man peered at the pie, his interest apparently piqued. “Maybe I could take it to his place, if I knew where it was.”
“ What kind of pie is that?”
“ Peach,” she said, batting her eyes innocently. “Does he like peach pie?” she said, almost gagging on the laugh that was threatening to force itself out of her mouth. O'Reilly cleared his throat and clapped his chest.
“ Hell if I know,” he bit out. “But he'd be crazy not to.” Toni beamed. She hoped to get the same reaction from O'Donovan. “I tell you what, Toni. O'Donovan is nursing that broken heart of his right around the corner. Murphy's Pub,” he said, pointing the way. “I think you might be just what the doctor ordered.”
“ Thanks so much.” Toni gave him a wink and headed in the direction where O'Donovan pointed. Then she stopped and turned back. “What broken heart?” she asked.
“ Maybe you should ask him that,” O'Reilly said, before heading back the way he came into the firehouse. Hmm. Toni narrowed her eyes. Everything was starting to fall into place. So she'd been right. O'Donovan had been unlucky in love, and that's why he was acting like a major asshole.
Poor baby.
She couldn't stop herself from smiling and she could feeling herself perk up immediately.
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