Chapter Five
Kent laughed after Lincoln finished explaining what Josie had wanted. “This whole thing has the potential to turn you into a groom.”
Lincoln spared his best friend a look but didn’t say what was on his mind. Which was that “groom” was another word for sucker. “There’s a big difference in what happened to you versus what’s going on with me. You have always loved my sister.”
Kent arched an eyebrow and smiled smugly.
“Don’t go there. I don’t love Josie.”
Kent slapped him on the back as they walked into the station. “I said those exact words about Casey.”
“And I’m happy for the two of you, but I’m not in the market for a relationship.” Love did nothing but set you up for rejection and heartbreak. The chance of actually finding someone who was your “soul mate” was too rare for the risk you were taking.
Lincoln went to get the cleaning schedule checklist. He had to assign the various duties around the station, and he was thankful to have something to do to occupy his mind.
“So I’m the only one who knows that you and Josie never dated, never actually broke up, and aren’t really trying to work on your relationship?”
When Kent put it like that, Lincoln could see all kinds of land mines just waiting to go off, but what was done was done. “That’s about the gist of it.” Lincoln put the clipboard aside. “Josie needed help. What was I supposed to do?”
Kent picked up the clipboard and glanced at the assignments. “You don’t even see it.”
“What? Did I screw up the rotation?”
“Not the duties.” Kent set the clipboard back down on the desk and gave Lincoln a probing look. “You don’t see how every single time Josie’s needed anything, you’ve ridden in for the rescue.”
“I don’t do that.”
“All right. If you say so.” Disbelief coated every word.
Lincoln’s gut twisted. Had he subconsciously played knight in shining armor to Josie? He couldn’t have her thinking that he was her hero in her happily ever after. He would fail her just like he’d failed his other relationships. “I do say so,” he said.
“All right, then.” Kent turned to go farther into the station but as he did, he said, “I’ll be the best man when your time comes.”
Lincoln wasn’t having any of that. The fake relationship between his sister and Kent had led to them getting engaged and they were going to marry soon, but that was not going to be the direction Lincoln’s life took. He followed after Kent, but he couldn’t shake the worry that Josie could potentially get the wrong idea.
He didn’t know if visions of wedding dresses danced in her head because she didn’t act that way around him, but she’d always longed for a family. What if she was looking for a husband? The thought made him feel chilled to the bone. He needed to make sure she knew he was off the groom-to-be menu.
Relationships that were supposed to last forever didn’t. Hearts often got caught in the battle zone of “I don’t love you anymore.” Then you ended up hurt, hungover, with empty hours to fill. He wasn’t doing that to himself ever again. Whipping out his cell phone, he sent Josie a quick text to make sure they were on the same page. Just so we’re clear—I am not going to marry you.
Seconds later, he received a response from her. This is why I dumped you. You can’t commit.
He smiled at her funny emoticon and texted, No, I dumped you because you were a nag about commitment.
She shot back with, You’re not very good at working on our issues. I think we may need couples therapy.
Lincoln laughed and pocketed his phone. He’d missed this with Josie. But as long as she understood that a real romantic relationship between them couldn’t happen, and he kept to his plan, he didn’t foresee hanging out with his supposed ex being a problem.
Two hours later, as he stood on the front of the firetruck washing the windshield, he wasn’t so sure about that. High heels clicked across the pavement and one of the rookies, Kevin, whispered, “Incoming.”
Lincoln’s heart sank as he turned around. His mother, Beverly Bradford, had the look of a woman on a mission. Even from where he stood, he could see the matchmaking gleam. Worse, she wasn’t alone. His grandmother was with her, moving just as determinedly.
In her mid-sixties, his mom still cut an imposing figure. Many nights when his father was on duty at the station, or away handling station-related business, she’d had to be both mother and father to him and his siblings. She was loving, tough when she needed to be, and he admired the hell out of her strength. But this did not look like the kind of impromptu visit he was going to enjoy.
Dropping the rag he held, he hopped down and crossed over the wet driveway to reach her. “You look upset. What’d my boneheaded brothers do this time?”
A huff of air mixed with an exasperated laugh escaped her lips. “This is not about Rafferty or Grayson.”
“Casey?”
“It’s not about your sister, either.”
“All right, I give. What’s up?”
His grandmother, Jean, let out a belly laugh. “You sure can play it close to the vest. Ragging on your brother about his dating life when this entire time you’ve been seeing Josie on the sly.”
“Oh. That.” The news had traveled fast.
His mother’s lower lip trembled. “Son, I love Josie as if she were my own daughter, and it upsets me to think you might have broken her heart.”
Lincoln felt the first stirrings of alarm. He wasn’t the kind of guy who broke hearts. At least not on purpose, and since his relationship with Josie wasn’t real, he didn’t have a clue how to respond other than to ask, “What makes you think I broke her heart?”
“You broke up,” Jean pointed out.
“We did, but we’re back together and working on our relationship.” He figured it was best to stick to Josie’s explanation rather than try to ad lib. When they both beamed, he hastily added, “It might not last.” Now they were looking at him like he was the villain who’d plundered the village.
Deciding Josie was right and they could have fun and make stuff up with the whole mess, he crossed his arms and adopted his best hurt expression. For good measure, he even managed to swallow and clench his jaw like he couldn’t bear to say the words. “What makes you think hers was the heart that got broken?”
His mother’s eyes instantly oozed sympathy. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”
Jean nudged her daughter. “But they’re working on their relationship.” She eyed Lincoln. “Right?”
Lincoln nodded. “As much as we can. I’ve been giving it my all, but Josie doesn’t like…” He took a deep breath. “Commitment.”
Beverly gasped and put a hand against her throat. “You mean you were ready to commit?”
“Yes,” Lincoln said, doing his best to keep his smile under wraps as his mother looked at him like he was a hero now instead of a villain. He added, “I wanted it all. The kids, the minivan, the whole enchilada.”
This time it was his grandmother who gasped. “Don’t give up. Josie’s crazy about you. Try harder.”
“I don’t think I could face that kind of rejection again.” Lincoln brought his fist up to his mouth and pressed it against his lips. In a soft voice, he whispered, “I’m sorry. I can’t talk about this.”
“Of course,” his mother said, rubbing his back in little circular motions.
Lincoln drew in a deliberately ragged breath. “I’d better get to work. I’m trying to stay busy to keep my mind off things.”
“Sure,” his grandmother said softly. “We’ll see you tomorrow. You hang in there. Josie will come around.”
Lincoln watched them walk away and looked over at Kent with a big grin. “See? That’s how you stay out of a relationship.”
Kent let out a long whistle. “I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when Josie finds out you played the commitment card.”
“It was her idea to have fun with this.” Lincoln went back to cleaning the truck.
“I’ll call you on your honeymoon and remind you of that.” Kent dodged the wet rag Lincoln threw at him.
After his friend walked off, Lincoln retrieved the cloth. He wasn’t worried about any of that. Josie wasn’t in love with him, and he wasn’t in love with her. The odds of them ending up as a real couple was as likely as Rafferty joining a convent. He’d made sure of that.