Mr. February by Ann Roth

the funds to buy one. Rafe pulled his own phone from his pocket. “Here, borrow mine.”
    JR made the call and then returned Rafe’s phone. “Jillian’s going to pick me up.”
    Not exactly the woman Rafe wanted to see, but he figured he could handle himself by playing it cool.
    Pete’s ride showed up. Soon, only JR, the tavern owner, a police officer, Rafe, and his crewmates remained.
    Rafe told Ethan and Gus to stand by while he talked to JR. His two crewmates began to pack up.
    “What are you doing, hanging out with a guy like Pete?” he asked.
    JR scrubbed his hand over his face. “We haven’t really hung out since before I moved to Seattle in ninth grade. Pete’s not so bad. He said he might know of a job for me at the bottling plant where he works. We were discussing it over beers.”
    Jillian’s sedan pull into the parking lot. The rush that went through Rafe had nothing to do with the fire. “Your sister’s here, in record time. Your call probably scared her.”
    “You’re the one who asked me to call her.” JR rolled his eyes. “Sometimes she acts more like a mom than a sister.”
    She exited her car, her long legs encased in leggings and boots that looked sexy on her. Her forehead wrinkled with concern, she hurried toward her brother. “Are you okay, JR?”
    He gave a terse nod and brushed off the hug, reminding Rafe of teenage kid who didn’t want anyone fussing over him.
    Ethan and Gus and the men from the two fire trucks wandered over. Rafe figured those who knew Jillian wanted to say hello. The others no doubt wanted introductions.
    Within minutes, she’d greeted the men she already knew and had met the rest, along with Captain Comings.
    Warm, friendly and clearly comfortable in her own skin, she charmed them all, Rafe included. Even if he was bound and determined to play it cool. He might not want the white picket fence and all the trimmings, but he sure wanted her.
    After a few minutes of chitchat, the firefighters disbursed. Rafe asked Ethan and Gus to hang loose a little longer, and the two moved toward the aid car.
    “Did your pottery class go okay?” he asked Jillian, careful to hide his unwelcome warmth.
    “Until the end.” Her eyes narrowed at her brother. “I need speak with you for a minute. We’ll be right back, Rafe.”
    Rafe nodded and used the time to organize his gear in the medical kit he’d brought. Although Jillian and her brother kept their voices low, he could hear snatches of the conversation.
    “…agreed to help me clean up after class,” she said. “But no, you…”
    Between her angry expression and tone, Rafe easily filled in the gaps. JR had chosen to hang with Pete instead of helping Jillian.
    A mixture of guilt and defensiveness darkened JR’s face. “It was a spur of the moment thing,” he said, his voice carrying easily. “Pete said he might know of a job at the bottling plant.”
    “A job?” Her tone softened. “That’d be so great.”
    “Yeah, but according to Pete, they’re looking for certified welders. That leaves me out.” Hanging his head, JR kicked at a pebble.
    “At least Pete knows you’re looking. You did tell him to put out the word you need work.”
    Her brother stiffened. “Come on, Jill, I’m not that dumb. Of course I did. I don’t need you telling me how to look for a job.”
    Jillian crossed her arms and raised her voice. “Seeing as you haven’t lined up a single interview, apparently, you do.”
    Every person within hearing distance stared at them.
    “Get off my back!”
    She winced, and Rafe’s protective hackles rose. Forget that he meant to play it cool. He moved closer to Jillian, but she signaled for him to leave them alone. He nodded, but hovered nearby.
    “I hate that you’re upset with me,” she told her brother. “As much as I love you, I’m not thrilled with you, either. You haven’t followed through on your promise to give me a hand when I need you, and I don’t see you spending much time looking