she'd expected to hear. The change shouldn't be as hard as losing the woman he loved, right? So why had he put it that way? Was he hiding his true pain? That he wanted to protect her made sense, but he needed to know she was there for him.
"I'm so sorry she hurt you."
He looked surprised. “You couldn't know. I knew she was unhappy. I just ... didn't do anything to change it. You know how it is. You think if you ignore something it will go away."
She did know that. She glanced out the door again.
"Eddie's not here."
"No, I know,” she said automatically, though truthfully, she hadn't thought of him till that minute. Before, she would find out if he was on the schedule before dropping by. No, today it was a different handsome firefighter, whose schedule she did know, that she was looking for.
"Have you seen Seth?” She wanted to swallow the words the minute they left her mouth. She knew how they sounded to her own ears; did they sound the same to her dad?
"No, why?” His tone had her turning back to see that suspicion had darkened his expression. “Did you dress like this for him?"
"Please.” She tossed her hair and hoped he wouldn't see through her. “He said he'd give me money, too."
"What are you getting out of it?"
"Dad!” She hopped off the desk. “Nothing. I'm just doing him a favor."
"It's your favors I'm worried about. Especially when I see you dressed like that.” He nodded at the skirt again.
She straightened it nervously. “I thought you liked Seth."
He nodded, but his brow was still furrowed. “I do, but I'm a father. And I see the boy isn't ready to settle down. The timing's not right for you. I don't want you to be another one of his conquests."
"Please. I know him better than anyone. I know he's not interested in anything long-term. Not that that's something I need to worry about.” But boy, did it hurt to say it. She couldn't let her father see; she couldn't let anyone know. “So how are you getting along? You know you can come stay with me."
Mitch spread his hands and gave her a weary smile. “This is home."
Yes, it was. She knew that, had known it all her life. At times like this, she wished she'd been able to pass the firefighter's course. She was almost jealous Seth had been able to do what she couldn't make herself do.
And then she heard his voice. She stopped herself from spinning around to look for him. Instead, she lifted her head as casually as she could manage, and saw him walking past the office with Mary Ann Vasquez, the sole woman at the station. Then, as if sensing her, he turned and looked straight at Lauren. Surprise registered in his eyes, then he smiled. He excused himself from Mary Ann and walked into Mitch's office. He skimmed his eyes over her outfit and her body temperature spiked. Then he crouched and looked at her knee, his fingers brushing lightly over the bare skin. She ground her teeth not to react to the intimacy, especially in front of her father.
"You think you should be walking around on heels already?” Seth asked.
She repressed the urge to crack him in the jaw with her other knee. That was the completely wrong reaction to her carefully planned outfit. He must have sensed her growing temper, because he straightened and took a step back.
"You have money for me?” she asked, and hoped her voice didn't sound as strained to the two men as it did to her own ears.
Seth arched a brow. “What for? Did I lose another bet?"
"For Crystal's present. I'm going shopping, remember?"
"Ah.” He reached for his wallet, looked into it and frowned. She peered into it as well and saw nothing but receipts, a ten and a five.
"That ain't gonna cut it."
He grunted and pulled out his ATM card. “Get a couple hundred out with this. You know the code."
She did, from countless drive-thru transactions. Still, she hesitated, her fingers flexing as she looked up at him. “You trust me?"
"Not when you're dressed like that.” He winked. “But I haven't gotten paid
"I'm so sorry she hurt you."
He looked surprised. “You couldn't know. I knew she was unhappy. I just ... didn't do anything to change it. You know how it is. You think if you ignore something it will go away."
She did know that. She glanced out the door again.
"Eddie's not here."
"No, I know,” she said automatically, though truthfully, she hadn't thought of him till that minute. Before, she would find out if he was on the schedule before dropping by. No, today it was a different handsome firefighter, whose schedule she did know, that she was looking for.
"Have you seen Seth?” She wanted to swallow the words the minute they left her mouth. She knew how they sounded to her own ears; did they sound the same to her dad?
"No, why?” His tone had her turning back to see that suspicion had darkened his expression. “Did you dress like this for him?"
"Please.” She tossed her hair and hoped he wouldn't see through her. “He said he'd give me money, too."
"What are you getting out of it?"
"Dad!” She hopped off the desk. “Nothing. I'm just doing him a favor."
"It's your favors I'm worried about. Especially when I see you dressed like that.” He nodded at the skirt again.
She straightened it nervously. “I thought you liked Seth."
He nodded, but his brow was still furrowed. “I do, but I'm a father. And I see the boy isn't ready to settle down. The timing's not right for you. I don't want you to be another one of his conquests."
"Please. I know him better than anyone. I know he's not interested in anything long-term. Not that that's something I need to worry about.” But boy, did it hurt to say it. She couldn't let her father see; she couldn't let anyone know. “So how are you getting along? You know you can come stay with me."
Mitch spread his hands and gave her a weary smile. “This is home."
Yes, it was. She knew that, had known it all her life. At times like this, she wished she'd been able to pass the firefighter's course. She was almost jealous Seth had been able to do what she couldn't make herself do.
And then she heard his voice. She stopped herself from spinning around to look for him. Instead, she lifted her head as casually as she could manage, and saw him walking past the office with Mary Ann Vasquez, the sole woman at the station. Then, as if sensing her, he turned and looked straight at Lauren. Surprise registered in his eyes, then he smiled. He excused himself from Mary Ann and walked into Mitch's office. He skimmed his eyes over her outfit and her body temperature spiked. Then he crouched and looked at her knee, his fingers brushing lightly over the bare skin. She ground her teeth not to react to the intimacy, especially in front of her father.
"You think you should be walking around on heels already?” Seth asked.
She repressed the urge to crack him in the jaw with her other knee. That was the completely wrong reaction to her carefully planned outfit. He must have sensed her growing temper, because he straightened and took a step back.
"You have money for me?” she asked, and hoped her voice didn't sound as strained to the two men as it did to her own ears.
Seth arched a brow. “What for? Did I lose another bet?"
"For Crystal's present. I'm going shopping, remember?"
"Ah.” He reached for his wallet, looked into it and frowned. She peered into it as well and saw nothing but receipts, a ten and a five.
"That ain't gonna cut it."
He grunted and pulled out his ATM card. “Get a couple hundred out with this. You know the code."
She did, from countless drive-thru transactions. Still, she hesitated, her fingers flexing as she looked up at him. “You trust me?"
"Not when you're dressed like that.” He winked. “But I haven't gotten paid
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