the buckles are intact. Check the test date, and make sure your cylinder is a hundred percent full. If it’s not, you need to recharge it.”
Jesus. I could only gape as Amanda rattled off all the SCBA maintenance tips. “Recharge it. Right. How?”
“I’ll explain that when we have more time.” She waved a hand. “Next, you should always make sure the cylinder and the remote pressure gauge’s readings match within ten percent. Got that? Ten percent.”
“Yeah, yeah, okay.” I’d never needed to take notes before. So why was I suddenly wishing I’d written all of that down?
“Last one. If he asks you when you should wear SCBA, the answer is always , okay? Even outdoors.”
“Okay. Why are you telling me this?”
“Because outdoor fires can still burn toxic.”
“No. I mean why are you doing this? You made it pretty obvious you don’t like me and don’t want me here, and now you’re helping me. Why?”
She glanced over her shoulder again. “No, I don’t. But I also don’t like the way John’s using my class to get back at you. So don’t let him, okay?”
Don’t you let him. Promise me!
The scrape of her chair jolted me out of my memory. Amanda took her seat just as my father strode back into the room, glaring holes through me.
Amanda was right; Dad did fire questions at the class, his face growing redder with each answer I nailed. By the time class was over, I was smiling.
Dad wasn’t.
Chapter 6
Amanda
“I’m sorry.” Gage pulled the car to the curb and shifted into park. “About before. What I said about Matt.”
I lifted a shoulder and just kept looking out the passenger side window. I heard Gage sigh heavily.
“Man, listen.” He shifted. “I miss him. A lot. Matt was…God—”He pounded the wheel. “He was the best. But Reece isn’t him. I keep seeing you stare at him with hope in your eyes.”
My head whipped around. “You’re seeing things, Gage.” Hope was something I hadn’t had since I was nine and a lawyer promised me my mom would come home soon.
Gage held up both hands, surrender style. “You gonna be okay?”
Slowly, I nodded. “He’s ours now, Gage. Like it or not.” And I really, really did not.
“A brother, Mandy.”
I twitched. Oh, I knew he meant a member of our brotherhood. But it felt like another reminder. Like I’d ever forget Reece was Matt’s brother? I flung my head back against the seat and groaned. “This sucks, Gage. Did you see the way John looked at him?”
“Did you see the way Reece looked at John?” Gage countered, shaking his head. “That kid’s messed up. I just—” He broke off, biting his lip. “Forget it.”
“No, what?”
He searched my eyes. “Mandy, just…just stay out of it. You always get all messed up over family stuff. It gets into your head,” he said, swirling a finger next to his own.
“No, I don’t.” I looked away.
Gage cocked his head and smirked. “Oh really? So you’re saying that the time Kevin’s mom flipped out when he got hurt during class had no effect on you at all.”
I blew out a loud sigh. Okay, so maybe I was a little upset when my guys had problems with their parents or something. Didn’t mean it messed me up. “I was worried for him. She said he had to quit.”
“Man, you threw up. You actually puked and don’t think that has anything to do with your own mother? Denial much?”
I shot him a glare. “She had nothing to do with that.”
Gage shook his head. “Really? So why haven’t you gone to see her?”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s really none of your business.” I hadn’t seen my mother in a year. As far as I was concerned, I’d never see her again.
“Oh, it’s my business when it clouds your judgment.”
“My judgment is fine, Gage. Back off. I promised the chief I’d help Logan learn the material, not have his babies.”
He rolled his eyes. “Be serious. Whatever’s between Reece and John needs to stay between them .”
“Yeah. Okay,
Jesus. I could only gape as Amanda rattled off all the SCBA maintenance tips. “Recharge it. Right. How?”
“I’ll explain that when we have more time.” She waved a hand. “Next, you should always make sure the cylinder and the remote pressure gauge’s readings match within ten percent. Got that? Ten percent.”
“Yeah, yeah, okay.” I’d never needed to take notes before. So why was I suddenly wishing I’d written all of that down?
“Last one. If he asks you when you should wear SCBA, the answer is always , okay? Even outdoors.”
“Okay. Why are you telling me this?”
“Because outdoor fires can still burn toxic.”
“No. I mean why are you doing this? You made it pretty obvious you don’t like me and don’t want me here, and now you’re helping me. Why?”
She glanced over her shoulder again. “No, I don’t. But I also don’t like the way John’s using my class to get back at you. So don’t let him, okay?”
Don’t you let him. Promise me!
The scrape of her chair jolted me out of my memory. Amanda took her seat just as my father strode back into the room, glaring holes through me.
Amanda was right; Dad did fire questions at the class, his face growing redder with each answer I nailed. By the time class was over, I was smiling.
Dad wasn’t.
Chapter 6
Amanda
“I’m sorry.” Gage pulled the car to the curb and shifted into park. “About before. What I said about Matt.”
I lifted a shoulder and just kept looking out the passenger side window. I heard Gage sigh heavily.
“Man, listen.” He shifted. “I miss him. A lot. Matt was…God—”He pounded the wheel. “He was the best. But Reece isn’t him. I keep seeing you stare at him with hope in your eyes.”
My head whipped around. “You’re seeing things, Gage.” Hope was something I hadn’t had since I was nine and a lawyer promised me my mom would come home soon.
Gage held up both hands, surrender style. “You gonna be okay?”
Slowly, I nodded. “He’s ours now, Gage. Like it or not.” And I really, really did not.
“A brother, Mandy.”
I twitched. Oh, I knew he meant a member of our brotherhood. But it felt like another reminder. Like I’d ever forget Reece was Matt’s brother? I flung my head back against the seat and groaned. “This sucks, Gage. Did you see the way John looked at him?”
“Did you see the way Reece looked at John?” Gage countered, shaking his head. “That kid’s messed up. I just—” He broke off, biting his lip. “Forget it.”
“No, what?”
He searched my eyes. “Mandy, just…just stay out of it. You always get all messed up over family stuff. It gets into your head,” he said, swirling a finger next to his own.
“No, I don’t.” I looked away.
Gage cocked his head and smirked. “Oh really? So you’re saying that the time Kevin’s mom flipped out when he got hurt during class had no effect on you at all.”
I blew out a loud sigh. Okay, so maybe I was a little upset when my guys had problems with their parents or something. Didn’t mean it messed me up. “I was worried for him. She said he had to quit.”
“Man, you threw up. You actually puked and don’t think that has anything to do with your own mother? Denial much?”
I shot him a glare. “She had nothing to do with that.”
Gage shook his head. “Really? So why haven’t you gone to see her?”
I sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s really none of your business.” I hadn’t seen my mother in a year. As far as I was concerned, I’d never see her again.
“Oh, it’s my business when it clouds your judgment.”
“My judgment is fine, Gage. Back off. I promised the chief I’d help Logan learn the material, not have his babies.”
He rolled his eyes. “Be serious. Whatever’s between Reece and John needs to stay between them .”
“Yeah. Okay,
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