Chapter 24

“So exactly how long is this PMS going to last?” Ryan asked Luke, thumping him on the shoulder.

Luke replied with a glare, a middle finger, and not a single word.

They’d just gotten back from a pulled fire alarm at the high school, and he didn’t feel like talking.

School alarms were the bane of a firefighter’s existence. Because even as you knew the chances were good that it was some sophomore wanting to get out of his geometry test, there was always the terror that it wasn’t—that you had hundreds of young lives at risk.

Luckily, this had been one of the former times—a false alarm that resulted in a semi-organized evacuation, followed by Luke’s team’s thorough search of the building, which revealed not even a hint of fire threat.

Luke was grateful. Mostly that everyone was safe, but also that the call had been a much-needed distraction from the women in his life.

Oddly, it wasn’t the supposed confrontation with his ex that was eating at him, although there was definitely a stab of dread lodged in his chest at all times at the thought of seeing her again.

Instead, it was the blond woman in his recent past who had him tied up in knots. He hadn’t seen Jordan since their fight last week. He knew she was still in town, only because everyone around him had a huge mouth. But he hadn’t heard from her.

Or, rather, he’d ignored a couple of phone calls. Gotten a couple of Please call me texts that he’d deleted. Luke wasn’t even sure if he was mad at her. She’d at least had the decency to warn him about Eva’s arrival. Plus, if he bothered to call Jordan back, he could probably get more information on Eva’s grand entrance.

But he wasn’t sure what they could possibly say to each other that wouldn’t make the ache in his chest worse.

Luke figured the best they could end with was having had a good run and going their separate ways before anyone got hurt.

More hurt.

“I second the PMS inquiry,” Charlie said, following Ryan and Luke into the kitchen. “You’ve been edgy since Eva left and since Gil died, but this is a whole other level.”

Luke swung around to face his friend, the Coke in his hand forgotten. “What did you just say?”

Charlie winced but didn’t back down. “Look, man. I know we’re not allowed to talk about your ex, and I’ll respect that, but we all knew Gil. Yeah, you were closest to him. But we miss him too. And more than that, we miss the Luke we used to know before Gil died.”

“Shut up, Charlie,” Ryan muttered.

“No, it’s cool,” Luke said. “He’s got a right to speak his piece.”

Two of the other guys came in, only to promptly back out again when they saw Charlie and Luke facing off, with Ryan ready to play referee at any time.

“I don’t want a fight, man,” Charlie said tiredly. “I’m just worried about you. When you and Jordan hooked up, we finally saw the guy you used to be, and I hate to see that disappear because your head’s up your ass.”

“Meaning what?”

“Meaning that you two obviously are having some sort of dumb spat, and you need to work it out,” Ryan said, apparently deciding to join the conversation after all. And not on Luke’s side.

Luke swore softly and took a sip of the Coke as he continued to glare at both friends. The silence in the kitchen became deafening, even as the noise of the guys out in the main area grew louder and more rowdy.

Finally Luke cleared his throat, set his Coke on the table, and rubbed his hands over his face.

Maybe they were right. Maybe it was time to let it all out and then let it all go.

“I haven’t been the same,” he admitted slowly. “Not since I told Eva I wouldn’t marry her, not since she left. And definitely not since we lost Gil.”

“Look,” Ryan said, clearing his throat. “We understand—”

“No, hang on,” Luke said, holding out his hand. “Let me get this all off my chest. I’ve never told anyone why I didn’t marry Eva, and I think everyone believes I was protecting her. And maybe I was, a bit, but I was also protecting my pride. And…I guess on some level I was protecting Gil too.”

Charlie frowned. “How are the Eva thing and Gil related?”

Luke merely turned his head, met Charlie’s gaze.

He saw the moment Charlie got it. Heard from Ryan’s muttered fuck that he understood too.

“Gil and Eva…”

Luke picked up his Coke again, wishing it were beer. Better yet, whiskey. “Caught them together. The morning of the wedding, I picked up my tux. Decided to run home to hang it up so it wouldn’t get wrinkled in my truck while I picked up my aunt and uncle from the airport. Caught my best friend and bride in bed. My bed.”

Neither Charlie nor Ryan said a word, and for a moment Luke thought it was because they were shocked.

A second later he realized that they were shocked but perhaps not so much at his revelation as the fact that…

Their trio was no longer alone.

Following his friends’ gaze, Luke looked over his shoulder and into the shocked blue eyes of Jordan Carpenter.