This was such a bad idea, coming here. “Ocea,” he calls again.
I turn, and they both come to a stop beside me. “Hey, how are you?”
“Good. I’m good.” I smile too enthusiastically.
“Uhm…this is Meghan and Gaby.” He smiles at the little girl. “Kyle’s ... This is his daughter, and Meghan is his...” He looks between us awkwardly, and I want to laugh.
“I’m Kyle’s fiancée,” the lady tells me. Aidan widens his eyes.
“They’re in the transfer room,” I tell them, pointing to the door behind them.
Aidan sets Gaby down, and she and Meghan walk away to see Kyle.
“She’s not his fiancée. Thought I’d clarify that.”
We both laugh. “I kinda figured that with how awkward you were around her.”
“Yeah, I went to pick up the kid to see her dad, and Meghan was already at his mother’s house. Kyle must have told her, though.” He shakes his head. “You working again?” He shoves his hands in his pockets. He’s nervous, which is slightly charming.
“Nah, I actually came to ask Kyle for your number.”
“Oh.” He smirks, and I feel my cheeks flush. This guy is far too sexy for his own good.
“To thank you,” I say quickly. “For what you did with the car. That was really nice of you.”
“I did owe you an apology for the way I acted last night.”
“Yeah, I was kind of confused.”
“I used to live in that house. Well, I think you had it rebuilt? I guess you could say I have some unpleasant memories there.” I never expected him to explain.
“My aunt. She had it rebuilt. And I get that. Have some of my own.” I bite my lip and lower my eyes. “Anyway, thank you. I’d like to repay you, though.”
“Not necessary. Nate owed me one.” He puffs out his chest in a way that tells me my insisting will fall on deaf ears.
“Well, I should go. Staying here any longer will get me roped into working.” I offer him a small smile.
“Yeah, you take care then, Ocea.” He grins, and I swear my heart stops beating. After staring at him for a few seconds too long, I walk away, annoyed that he hasn’t asked for my number.
6
Aidan
“You should have asked for her number.”
“Yeah, and you should mind your own business,” I bite back. We’re sitting on Kyle’s mother's porch drinking beers. His leg is in a cast, which means he’s off duty for six weeks. I’m off for the first time in a long time.
“Come on. I’m not saying you should marry her. I’m just saying she is sexy as fuck.”
“Then you date her. Set Megalodon straight, and go date, Nightingale.”
“I mean, come on, you already have a nickname for her. That’s cute.”
“You two still bickering?” Missus Wills asks. A boisterous woman with gray hair that is always in a bun at the nape of her neck, she’s like a mother to all the boys at the station. She holds out a basket of barbeque wings, and I stand to take it from her.
“Just telling this hard head that he needs to settle down, Grams.”
“Oh, the way you are, baby?” she sasses sweet as sugar.
“I thought you’d be on my side.” Kyle throws his hands in the air.
“If that girl calls me Big Momma one more time, I’m gonna whip her ass.”
I spit my beer. “She calls you that?”
“Wouldn’t say it ’less it be true, boy.”
I laugh so hard, my stomach hurts.
“Now, you let him settle down when he’s good and ready.” She leans down and kisses my cheek.
“Sometimes, I wonder who’s her son in the first place.”
I can hear a cartoon in the background, andGaby belting out the lyrics. This is as much family as I can muster. Every time I have a day like this, it’s hard not to feel like maybe I should have this one day, and then I think of my mother and what good love ever did her, and I’m sobered.
The shrill of my phone wakes me, and I’m on high alert, throwing off my covers, my eyes darting around the room. I reach for the phone on my nightstand. It’s a number I don’t know. My digital clock on my dresser reads three a.m. Who could be calling at this god-forsaken hour?
I press the answer button. “Aidan Wild,” I greet.
“Aidan Wild,” a woman slurs, attempting to imitate my voice.
“Who is this?”
“Florence,” she blubbers.
“I think you have the wrong number, Florence.” I’m losing my patience.
“Can you come get me? My car broke down.”
“Florence, should you not be calling someone, you know?”
“I know you. You said we’re like fire and water.” She giggles.
I frown. “Ocea?”
“Yeah.” She laughs again, and so does another woman in the background.
“Where are you?” She stumbles over a few words, but I know the club on the other side of town. Not a very good side of town. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Great. See you there. Here.” She falls into a fit of laughter and cuts the call.
When I pull up outside the club, three women are leaning against her car. As I near them, I notice it’s the doctor and another woman I don’t recognize. Ocea’s face splits into a grin when she sees me. The closer I get, the more annoyed I am. “Hey, Wild.” She beams and tries to take a step forward. She stumbles into me, her hands against my chest. Her eyes widen, her gaze falls to my lips, and I push her back against the car.
“Ocea, ladies. I hear you have some car trouble.”
“Uh-huh.” She nods.
“Where’s that handsome friend of yours?” the Doc slurs.
“Probably in bed, where you three should be,” I tell them.
“I’m Tamara, but my friends call me Tam,” the other woman says, twirling her hair between her fingers.
“Nice to meet you, Tamara,” I tell her.
“Thanks for coming to our rescue,” Ocea says, her thick eyelashes kissing her cheeks when she blinks.
“I’m gonna pop the hood and see what’s the problem,” I tell her.
They all nod simultaneously, their eyes roaming my body like I’m their next meal. They all giggle and whisper to each other. They may find this amusing, but I don’t.
I pop the hood and let out a growl.
“Everything okay?” she asks. She did it and did a pretty bad job of it.
“Seems like the battery cables are loose.” I grit my teeth. “It’ll be good to go in a few minutes.”
I tighten the cables and go around to the driver's seat. The engine roars to life on the first turn.
“Oh wow, thank you,” Ocea exclaims, jumping in the front passenger seat. I look over at her, and my anger dissipates. There is something about this woman that fascinates me, and even though I should call her on her bullshit, I can’t.
“I should get you girls home.” Her face flushes, and she runs her teeth over her top lip, letting it go with a pop.