SEBASTIAN looked over at Clint.

“I think I’m going to ask her to move in with me. Check.”

Clint blew out a breath and made his next chess move, putting himself closer to losing the match. Sebastian chuckled as Clint kept his hand on the piece and rethought the play. He whistled in surprise at Sebastian’s announcement. “Ask who? Lexxi Rock?”

He nodded. “What do you think?”

The television played quietly in the background. Clint’s cozy living room offered a break from being home all the time, especially since Alexandra was back in Los Angeles again. Beth was in the kitchen cooking dinner. It was getting close to five o’clock in the evening, far later than they usually hung out. If Sebastian weren’t there, the happy couple would probably be sitting down to start dinner right now. Clint didn’t mention it, and he didn’t seem ready for Sebastian to leave when they started their third game of chess. It had been a long day.

“What the heck do you think I think? It’s a great idea. Make sure you remember an invite whenever the wedding comes around. When are you going to ask her?”

“I’m not sure yet. Probably when she comes into town again.”

“Make sure you wear something nice. You have to smell good for something that big. Oh, and comb your hair…or gel it down or something.”

“I got it under control.”

“Not that hair, you don’t. What did that barber think he was doing this last time?” He looked up at the front of Sebastian’s head. “Maybe he forgot that part. That thing’s long enough to put in its own man-bun.”

“No it’s not. I haven’t been to the barber for a couple of weeks.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Hey, even coming over here means arranging with my aunt to give me a lift. Doc wants me to wait one more week before I start driving again.”

“See, that’s messed up. You’re fine to drive, if you ask me.”

“One more week of following orders.”

“Yeah whatever…So, what’s up with your physical therapy sessions? Does that end in a week too?” Clint asked after a while.

“Roughly.”

“And the fit test, when is that?”

“The week after that.”

“Damn. I hope you make it, bud.”

“You and me both. This Kennedy chick is a pain to work with.”

“She’s still on your ass for a date, isn’t she?”

Sebastian nodded. “What’s up with that anyway?”

“Don’t ask me. She got a taste of the Bash and now she wants another one. Didn’t you hear that line?” He grinned. “Once you go Bash, you’ll only come back.”

“Cut it out. This is serious,” Bash admonished, although he was starting to laugh himself. “Let’s drop it. I don’t even remember what she was like. I just want the sessions to be over and done with so I don’t have to see her again.”

He kept right on chuckling. “With your track record, she’ll be at your door any day now…or night, I should say.”

“Maybe I should move.”

“Or put up a sign. The love shack is closed, effective immediately. Hey, you could even put a few numbers up on there, to refer them along. Nate’s, for starters.”

“Not gonna happen. You know we don’t recycle women. It’s the firefighter’s code. Anyhow, let’s drop it.”

Clint shook his head and put his chess piece down. “Lady killer.”

He wasn’t dropping it, so Sebastian did what he had been holding off for two or three turns. “Checkmate. Game over.”

“Well shit, Bash.” Clint ran a hand down his face and clucked at the chessboard, trying to figure out how he lost so quickly. “You know, you’re the only person who beats me every time.”

“The secret is distraction, my friend. The minute I get you talking, it’s over and done with. Distract and conquer.” He smiled broadly.

Clint crowed with laughter. Sebastian stretched and kept his eyes off the TV. Clint had changed it to his celebrity news shows, and Sebastian didn’t want to chance seeing Lexxi, with Wilkes, and possibly his own face up on the screen, with some heading that might read Lexxi’s Tucson Love Triangle. He hadn’t heard from Aileen or her husband, so he imagined anything was possible.

On the bright side, his aunt dropped by almost every other day now. With Sebastian holed up on the first floor to avoid having to take the stairs, his aunt made a point of coming by with meals, dropping him to and from his appointments, and even made him dinner a few evenings. He owed her tons. She didn’t hover or coddle him too much. She was often out of the house within an hour or two of coming by. Mostly, she made the process of relearning how to walk on the operated knee a lot easier.

“Have you heard from any of the guys from work?” Clint changed the subject.

Sebastian nodded. “Every few days. They used to call more, back when I first took leave. Lately the calls have been fewer and further between…”

“Yeah…yep, that’s how it is.”

“How do you stand it, Clint? I’m trying hard not to sink under the weight of this. I just want to get back to work, but what if—”

“Stop feeling sorry for yourself,” Clint muttered. He shook a cigarette out of a pack. He rarely smoked, but he did when he was choked up about something.

Sebastian studied him and realized something he said probably ticked him off. “I’m not. I’m just saying, I’m having a hard time.”

“So why are you looking like you’re feeling sorry for me?” he gruffly countered.

“No, no…I mean. Christ, Clint. You know what I mean.”

Finally he laughed a little, puffing on his cigarette and staring at the TV. “Sure I can relate. When this first happened to me and I found out I’d be stuck in a wheelchair the rest of my natural born life, this big ole tattooed firefighter blubbered like a newborn squealing for a suckle. I couldn’t function. I had no idea how to accept my fate. What brought me out of the woods was surrendering my pride long enough to realize one man can’t take on the whole world. I needed help, and people around me. Bash, the truth is you have to make sure you see the big picture and don’t lose out on those opportunities.”

“You’re talking about Lexxi again, aren’t you,” he asked, shaking his head. “You know, I did just tell you I’m going to ask her to move in.”

“Yeah? When?”

“I said…when she’s back in town.”

“Okay, so when’s that?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s my point.”

“What kind of point is that?”

Clint pointed at Sebastian, squinting. He blew out a cloud of smoke. “The point is you. I’m talking about you. I’ve watched you for years, and I know you hide out whenever you hit a rough patch. You did it after what happened with Aileen last Christmas. That’s the worst thing you could do right now. You need to come out into the open, Bash. Frankly, if that means picking up the phone and asking Lexxi tonight…well then, I reckon you ought to ask her. If it means sitting around my ole stoop half the night, you’re welcome to do that, too. So long as you do something and stop feeling sorry for yourself. Cause hell, we all could be worse off, and we all need to count our blessings. No sense in comparing hardships.”

“Point taken,” Bash said with a nod. Sighing, he leaned into the firm chair back, inhaling the smell of fried chicken and field peas. He checked the time and decided he’d get home before it got too late. He didn’t want to intrude on their family time. Pulling out his phone again, he called a cab to get him. When it arrived, he grabbed his crutch, said his goodbyes and went home.

Finally at home, he looked around his house, thinking of the nights Alexandra had stayed here with him.

Yes. I’ll phone her now.

I’ll ask her to move in with me.

If she asks me to move out there, I’ll give some serious thought to that too.

With his thoughts on her, he pulled out his phone and called, trying to picture what she might be doing. At her office working her ass off. Recording a new song. In her mansion. It struck him that he didn’t even know how she spent her days.

The call went to voicemail. Sebastian hung up without leaving a message. Moving off from the foyer, he grabbed a plate of leftover grilled chicken from the fridge, warmed it up, and ate alone in the kitchen.

We’re worlds apart.

I can only guess what’s going on in hers.

Fuck. I’m not going to let her go.

Time to fight for my woman.