tongue out. “This hair.”
She’d long ago given up on doing anything extraordinary with her hair, and keeping it short worked when firefighting.
After grabbing her only purse, a black satchel that had seen better days, she went downstairs to the living room at ten to six. Nerves jumped around in her stomach, but she ignored the butterflies. She’d almost forgotten to check her cell phone to see whose phone call she’d missed. When she realized Jeeter had called, she frowned. He never called her, so she assumed it had to be about work. Perhaps they were calling her back. Despite the fact they’d almost had to force her to stay away from work, she wanted this time with Mark, a little light-hearted fun. She called Jeeter back and he picked up immediately.
“Hey Juliet.” Jeeter sounded grave. “Thanks for calling back.”
“What’s up?”
“How are you?”
“I’m good. You?”
“I’m great.”
The pause puzzled her. “Is there something wrong? Why did you call?”
He made a half-laugh. “You almost got buried under a building the other day. I thought I’d check on you.”
“Sorry, you just surprised me.” She smiled and wandered to the front window to look outside. “I’m good. Thanks for asking. I’m a little stiff and achy but nothing major.”
“You’re sure?”
“God, Jeeter, you’re like a mother hen.”
“Sorry, but I just worry about you.”
Could Mark be right about Jeeter being interested in her romantically? He’d never paid that much attention to her. At least not until now.
“That’s sweet Jeeter. Very thoughtful.”
He cleared his throat, as if he felt uncomfortable. “Everyone was worried about you and I said I’d call.”
“Say hi to everyone. I wish I was coming back right away.”
“Nope. Chief also told me to remind you that you’re off for a week. He doesn’t want to see your face in here.”
She took that the right way. “Okay, I promise. But you guys call me if you need me.” She saw Mark’s SUV drive up to the curb. “Hey, there, I’m sorry to cut this short. A friend just drove up.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Can I call you back tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
After they hung up, she wondered if she’d made a mistake promising to call him back. She didn’t want to encourage any relationship beyond friendship and coworkers. She decided not to worry for now, since Mark had walked up the sidewalk to her door. She opened the door before he could use the old-fashioned knocker. Tonight he wore a long-sleeve lightweight sweater and dark slacks with casual dark dress shoes.
Damn. He’s hot.
“Hey,” she said, a little breathless at the sight of him. “Come in.”
With a warm smile, he entered the house, and she shut the door. His gaze took her in, a blatant once over that didn’t give her any doubt how much he appreciated her form-fitting sweater dress.
He took her hand and lifted it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the back. “You’re beautiful.”
Heat filled her face, beyond flattered. “Thank you. You’re looking very handsome.”
He grunted, a sound of disbelief. “Thanks. Ready to go?”
“Absolutely.”
He opened the SUV’s passenger door for her, and she couldn’t recall the last man who had ever done that for her.
As they drove across town, she said, “Things are pretty calm tonight. It doesn’t feel as scary being out at night.”
“Yeah, I thought about whether I should just invite you to have dinner at my place at Sentry Security.” He threw her a glance, and she caught the concern in his eyes. “If you’re not feeling safe, I can take you to Sentry or back home.”
She did feel safe, and that surprised her a little. “No, I’m fine. I haven’t been out to eat since last Christmas when I had dinner at Chief Krisky’s house.”
The remainder of the drive they talked security, how Mark and the other men at Sentry Security had dealt with recent events in Buckleport and Bangor. When they reached the restaurant,
She’d long ago given up on doing anything extraordinary with her hair, and keeping it short worked when firefighting.
After grabbing her only purse, a black satchel that had seen better days, she went downstairs to the living room at ten to six. Nerves jumped around in her stomach, but she ignored the butterflies. She’d almost forgotten to check her cell phone to see whose phone call she’d missed. When she realized Jeeter had called, she frowned. He never called her, so she assumed it had to be about work. Perhaps they were calling her back. Despite the fact they’d almost had to force her to stay away from work, she wanted this time with Mark, a little light-hearted fun. She called Jeeter back and he picked up immediately.
“Hey Juliet.” Jeeter sounded grave. “Thanks for calling back.”
“What’s up?”
“How are you?”
“I’m good. You?”
“I’m great.”
The pause puzzled her. “Is there something wrong? Why did you call?”
He made a half-laugh. “You almost got buried under a building the other day. I thought I’d check on you.”
“Sorry, you just surprised me.” She smiled and wandered to the front window to look outside. “I’m good. Thanks for asking. I’m a little stiff and achy but nothing major.”
“You’re sure?”
“God, Jeeter, you’re like a mother hen.”
“Sorry, but I just worry about you.”
Could Mark be right about Jeeter being interested in her romantically? He’d never paid that much attention to her. At least not until now.
“That’s sweet Jeeter. Very thoughtful.”
He cleared his throat, as if he felt uncomfortable. “Everyone was worried about you and I said I’d call.”
“Say hi to everyone. I wish I was coming back right away.”
“Nope. Chief also told me to remind you that you’re off for a week. He doesn’t want to see your face in here.”
She took that the right way. “Okay, I promise. But you guys call me if you need me.” She saw Mark’s SUV drive up to the curb. “Hey, there, I’m sorry to cut this short. A friend just drove up.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Can I call you back tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
After they hung up, she wondered if she’d made a mistake promising to call him back. She didn’t want to encourage any relationship beyond friendship and coworkers. She decided not to worry for now, since Mark had walked up the sidewalk to her door. She opened the door before he could use the old-fashioned knocker. Tonight he wore a long-sleeve lightweight sweater and dark slacks with casual dark dress shoes.
Damn. He’s hot.
“Hey,” she said, a little breathless at the sight of him. “Come in.”
With a warm smile, he entered the house, and she shut the door. His gaze took her in, a blatant once over that didn’t give her any doubt how much he appreciated her form-fitting sweater dress.
He took her hand and lifted it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the back. “You’re beautiful.”
Heat filled her face, beyond flattered. “Thank you. You’re looking very handsome.”
He grunted, a sound of disbelief. “Thanks. Ready to go?”
“Absolutely.”
He opened the SUV’s passenger door for her, and she couldn’t recall the last man who had ever done that for her.
As they drove across town, she said, “Things are pretty calm tonight. It doesn’t feel as scary being out at night.”
“Yeah, I thought about whether I should just invite you to have dinner at my place at Sentry Security.” He threw her a glance, and she caught the concern in his eyes. “If you’re not feeling safe, I can take you to Sentry or back home.”
She did feel safe, and that surprised her a little. “No, I’m fine. I haven’t been out to eat since last Christmas when I had dinner at Chief Krisky’s house.”
The remainder of the drive they talked security, how Mark and the other men at Sentry Security had dealt with recent events in Buckleport and Bangor. When they reached the restaurant,
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