Chapter Thirteen
Jeff barely let Gavin get in the door before he brought up the accident. “Hey, Boudreau, I saw you on the news last night.”
He’d been expecting that. Even if not a single guy on either crew had watched the news, Scott’s wife had responded to the scene, so he knew. And what he knew, everybody knew.
“It could have been a lot worse,” he said. It was a pretty standard response for anybody talking about an accident with no fatalities, but the sentiment behind it had cost him some sleep last night.
It could have been worse. He could have been unable to stop and plowed into the rolling car. Cait could have been the one in the neck brace with a shard of glass in her thigh.
His stomach rolled and he tried to shake off the what-ifs. He was usually good at that, since it was a useful skill in his line of work, but too many scenarios had tormented him as he lay in his bed in the dark.
“Jamie said he was playing the EMT’s assistant when she got there,” Scott said, obviously trying to get a reaction out of him.
“She had it all under control,” was all he said, refusing to rise to the bait.
He had to retell the story several times as they did their equipment and apparatus checks before moving on to some housekeeping chores. He’d just finished stowing the vacuum when Rick Gullotti reached past him into the storage closet for the broom and dustpan.
“So you and Cait are a pretty steady thing now, huh?”
“We seem to be, I guess.”
“I’ve gotta be honest with you. I did not see that coming.”
Gavin laughed. “Trust me, neither did I.”
“Got plans for the big day tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I’m taking her and her mom and brother out to dinner.”
Rick’s eyebrows shot up. “So you’ve already met the family and you’re doing family dinners?”
“Not exactly. I met her brother when he played basketball with us recently, but I’ll be meeting her mom tomorrow night when I pick them up.”
“Sounds like you guys are a more steady thing than I thought.”
“She’s... I don’t know.” He was still having a hard time admitting to himself how important Cait was to him already, so he certainly wasn’t ready to talk about it with somebody else. “I really like her. We have fun and enjoy each other’s company and stuff and she’s got...a lot. Her family’s pretty needy sometimes. It’s hard to explain.”
“It’s not hard to explain at all,” Rick argued. “She’s a woman with adult responsibilities and you don’t want to help carry anybody’s baggage.”
Gavin frowned because the LT’s tone made it clear he was criticizing, not empathizing. “That’s bullshit.”
“You like her, but her family needing her might be too much for you to put up with?”
He gave himself a few seconds to get his temper under control before responding. While they might just be having a casual conversation, if push literally came to shove, Rick was his superior. “I don’t want to start helping her carry her baggage and then decide it’s too heavy for me and drop it on her.”
Rick looked at him for a long moment before nodding. “You really do care about her, then?”
“I do. I know it hasn’t been a long time, but I have a hard time picturing my days without at least talking to her on the phone anymore. And I don’t want to picture it.”
“Sounds serious. I haven’t seen her at Kincaid’s with you, though.”
Gavin was aware of that, since he’d been thinking about that very thing lately. He liked Cait being part of his life, but right now she only got some of it. The guys he worked with were family to him, and the more time he spent with Cait, the less time he spent with them. Not that he expected her to hang around the bar all the time, but it was time to merge his life together.
And it was time for the other guys to know Cait was important to him and for them to get to know her beyond EMT Tasker.
He’d never brought a woman he was dating to Kincaid’s to hang with the guys before and while she wouldn’t be aware of that, the guys would and they’d know.
“I’ll ask her if she wants to hang out there Saturday night,” he said, knowing if he said it out loud, he’d have to do it.
“Maybe I’ll stop by,” Rick said. “And it wouldn’t be cool to hit Kincaid’s without letting the other guys know I’m looking to shoot pool.”
Gavin groaned. “I don’t think everybody needs to be there the first time.”
Rick just smiled and walked away, leaving Gavin shaking his head. Taking Cait to Kincaid’s knowing everybody would be there shouldn’t be a big deal, but it was. It was a big step for him, and he had no idea how she’d take any ribbing they decided to hand out.
But first they had to make it through dinner tomorrow night, with her mother and brother. He believed himself capable of handling things if it went to shit, but he’d done a lot of worrying since Cait told him they were all in. Worrying about her mom breaking down. Worrying about Cait not enjoying herself. Worrying about saying or doing the wrong thing and setting it all off.
Usually he didn’t sweat meeting anybody. He was personable and polite and people responded to his smile. Carter had taken to him pretty well. But if their mother didn’t like him, he wasn’t sure what Cait would do, and that had him losing sleep.
It needed to be perfect.
* * *
Hey, who died? was not the response Cait wanted to hear from her Valentine’s Day date, she thought as she looked in the full-length mirror in her mother’s room. But, despite her best efforts, she looked as if she was getting ready for a funeral.
“What is it the kids say nowadays?” her mom asked as she stepped into the room and their eyes met in the reflection of the mirror. “Oh, honey, no?”
“This is stupid. We don’t even know where we’re going, and Gavin likes me just fine in jeans and a sweater.” She turned away from the mirror. “Why am I so nervous? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“You’re introducing your boyfriend to me, so it makes perfect sense to be nervous. But just imagine how nervous he is.”
As twisted as it was, it did make her feel better to know he was probably just as nervous as she was. If not more, since he’d be having dinner with a woman he didn’t know and a kid he’d only met a couple of times. At least Cait would know everybody at the table.
“You should wear my red dress.”
“No.” Cait shook her head. The black sweater and long black pencil skirt with the tall black boots that enabled her to hide black tights so she wouldn’t freeze her ass off were at least more her style, if slightly funereal.
“Just try it on. For me.”
Cait rolled her eyes, but peeled off the sweater and unzipped the skirt. “I’m wearing the tights.”
“They look nice with the bra,” her mom said, giving her a pointed look before going to the closet.
And that was the Valentine’s Day splurge. Black and lacy, it brought a lot more sexy than it did support, but it got the job done. Gavin had never complained about the plain but comfortable underwear she usually wore—in the mere moments between the clothes coming off and being naked—but she thought she’d spice it up a little.
The red dress was simple and the kind of dress that was never cutting-edge stylish, but was never really out of style, either. It had slim three-quarter sleeves and a V-neck that dipped toward the waist. Then it flared out over her hips and fell almost to mid-shin.
Cait had to admit it looked good on her, even if she wished the vee weren’t quite so deep. And it was longer than the tops of the boots, so she didn’t have to lose the tights.
“You’re wearing that,” her mom said, and it wasn’t a question.
“Yes. Thanks, Mom.” She looked at the outfit her mother had chosen. A sheath dress with a matching jacket in a pale blue, which matched her mother’s eyes. They had the same hair coloring and skin tone, but Cait had gotten her dad’s dark eyes. “You look beautiful, by the way. Very elegant.”
“Let’s go see if Carter managed to tuck his shirt in.”
They found him in the living room, fussing with the buttons on his sleeves. He was wearing khaki pants and a blue button shirt that complemented their mother’s dress. The top two buttons were left undone, but he’d tucked it in and was wearing a belt, so Cait considered it a win.
The sound of a vehicle pulling into the drive caught Cait’s attention and she frowned as she walked to the window. It didn’t sound like Gavin’s truck.
It wasn’t. She watched Gavin get out of the driver’s seat of a freshly washed red four-door sedan and went to open the door for him.
“Happy Valen—” The words stopped coming out of his mouth as his jaw dropped. His gaze followed the vee of the dress, skimming all the way down her body before returning to her face. “Wow. You look stunning.”
“Thank you.” His expression made the awkwardness she felt wearing the dress totally worth it.
He had flowers in his hand and he separated a small bouquet of wildflowers from the roses and held them out to her. “These are for you. As I was saying before I got waylaid by what a lucky bastard I am, happy Valentine’s Day.”
She took the flowers and pulled him close for a kiss. “Thank you. And you look pretty hot yourself.”
He was wearing khaki pants, too, but with a black button shirt and a leather jacket. They suited him and she realized that, like her, outside of his formal uniform, his suit was probably fit for funerals, too.
“Where’s your truck?”
“I swapped with my brother-in-law for the night. The truck has the back seat, but it’s pretty full and I thought it would be awkward for two women dressed up for a night out.” He shrugged. “And I don’t have to worry about my truck because my brother-in-law can’t back it up for shit and just takes my sister’s car if he has to go anywhere.”
Cait laughed and then stepped back inside. “Come in and meet my mom.”
It felt as if butterflies were having a rave in her stomach as she led him into the living room, where her mom and Carter were waiting. They stood when he walked in, and her mom smiled.
“Mom, this is Gavin,” she said. “And this is my mom, Diane Hill. You know Carter, of course.”
Gavin walked to her mom and shook her hand before handing her the roses. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Hill. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
For a second, her mom’s eyes got shimmery and Cait tensed, but then she smiled. “Thank you. It’s nice to finally meet you, too, and you can call me Diane.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Cait laughed when her mom shook her head. “He can’t help it. He ma’ams everybody.”
Once the flowers had been put in vases and they’d inhaled the scent of the luscious roses, her mom poked her in the side with her elbow and whispered, “He’s very handsome.”
“Yes, he is.”
“And it was nice of him to bring me roses. Obviously he was brought up well.”
Cait smiled and nodded, glancing over at Gavin who was deep in conversation with Carter, before leaning in to smell her flowers. They weren’t as fragrant as her mother’s roses, but they were pretty and far more her style.
When they were ready to leave, she wasn’t surprised when Gavin offered his arm to her mom. Or that he led her to the front passenger side before opening the door for her. Her mom was definitely right about his upbringing, she thought as he closed that door and then opened the back door for her. She climbed into the back seat with Carter, wondering if she’d like Gavin’s mom or if she’d be too nervous about her own manners.
Gavin had chosen a small Italian restaurant that was nice enough so they didn’t stick out in their dresses, but not so fancy or popular that there was a Valentine’s Day crowd at the door. Once they were seated, and after consulting with her mom, Gavin ordered a bottle of wine and a soda for Carter.
“I can already tell I’m going to eat a week’s worth of calories tonight,” her mom said, looking over the menu.
Gavin grinned at her. “It’s Valentine’s Day. I’ve heard rumors that calories don’t count on holidays.”
Her mom laughed and Cait felt herself relaxing. She knew her mom’s laughs and that one had been warm and genuine. She liked Gavin and she was having a good time. That meant Cait and Carter could have a good time, too.
And they did. Throughout dinner there was small talk and a few funny firefighting stories from Gavin, which her mom found fascinating. The food was incredibly good, and so was the wine.
But as they were nearing the end of the meal, Cait noticed her mom’s gaze being drawn repeatedly to a couple at a nearby table. The man didn’t bear a strong resemblance to Duke, but they were about her mom and Duke’s age, and they were clearly having a romantic dinner for two. There was a lot of touching across the table and soft laughter and meaningful looks.
And it would have been them if Duke hadn’t died.
“Do we want to see the dessert menu?” Gavin asked.
Carter groaned, putting his hand on his stomach because he’d just demolished the biggest, thickest slab of lasagna they’d ever seen. “I would literally explode.”
Cait watched her mom fiddle with her napkin, her hands trembling. She didn’t look up, but when she spoke, Cait could hear the slight tremor in her voice. “I’m so full. I don’t think I could eat another bite.”
Gavin didn’t miss the signs, Cait noticed. His expression turned to one of concern before clearing again. After a quick glance at Cait, he signaled for the check. “That was quite a meal. I think a rich dessert would be too much.”
When they got back to the car, her mom shook her head when Gavin opened the front door for her. “Cait can ride up front with you on the way back, and I’ll sit with my son.”
Ever gracious, Gavin opened the back door for her and closed it gently once she was inside. Before Cait got in the front seat, their eyes met and she could see that he knew where this was going. Her mom was on the verge of tears and it was hard to tell if she’d be able to hold it together long enough to get home.
She did, but barely. When Gavin walked them to the door and Carter had gone inside, she turned back to face him with almost dry eyes. “Thank you for taking us to dinner with you. The food was amazing and so was the company.”
“I’m glad I got to meet you, and I hope you had a nice Valentine’s Day,” Gavin said.
Her mom tried to smile, but her face was crumpling and she nodded before turning away. Cait heard her footsteps practically running up the stairs and closed her eyes for a few seconds.
The feel of Gavin’s finger touching her lip made her open them again. “I’m sorry, Cait. I shouldn’t have mentioned the holiday when she was...having a rough time.”
“It wasn’t you, I promise. She was watching another couple at the restaurant and...anyway. She really did enjoy dinner, though. Up until the very end, all three of us had a wonderful night.”
His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “So did I.”
“I should probably go be with my mom.”
The smile faded as he gave a sharp nod. “I guess. Although she might just need to cry it out. I have a mom and a sister and, well, sometimes women need to cry.”
And they don’t need supervision was the part he didn’t say, but Cait could see the thought in his tense jawline. “It still makes Carter anxious when she cries too much and that makes it worse. I have to stay, Gavin. I don’t want to, but I have to.”
“I know you do.” He hooked a finger inside the neck of her dress, sliding it down until it revealed a peek at the black lace bra. Then he inhaled deeply and let the breath out very slowly. “You’ll wear this again soon?”
“Yes.”
“Very soon?”
She smiled, but she knew it was a little shaky since she was trying not to cry. “I promise.”
He kissed her, a sweet kiss that made the urge to cry even stronger. “Goodnight.”
“Gavin,” she called after him when he was halfway to the car. He turned back. “I’m sorry.”
He looked at her for a few seconds, and then he gave her that charming grin of his. “We had a really nice dinner, Cait. I enjoyed it and so did you. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
After she closed the door, she leaned her head against it for a moment, trying to get her emotions under control. Gavin was being gracious, of course. They’d both had much different plans for after dinner than him dropping her off at home with her family. And she not only felt bad that he was going home alone, but she was angry about it, too. She didn’t care if it made her selfish. She wanted to go home with Gavin tonight.
She did her best to swallow that anger and accept that they’d both known this could happen because the last thing she needed was for the sobbing woman upstairs to feel even worse.
After unzipping the black boots and pulling them off, she looked at Carter, who’d taken up a position on the couch with his earbuds in, and got a sad smile. She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile in response and, after taking a deep breath, walked slowly up the stairs.