Chapter Six
“Are you threatening my girlfriend?”
Tyler kicked himself for lingering so long in the conference room after Abbi had left. He’d told himself he’d been giving her space. But it was more like delaying when they’d have to run into each other one-on-one and figure out how to act.
But when he finally walked out, he heard shouting. Adrenaline kicked in before thought. He was up in Russ’s face in an instant, pushing the man back from where he’d cornered Abbi in the hall.
“This is between me and Abbi,” Russ said.
“And yet I distinctly heard you tell my girlfriend she’d be sorry.” The lie felt wrong. He had no right to be possessive.
But regardless of how he felt about Abbi at the moment, he wasn’t going to leave her on her own when it came to this creep.
“Are you okay?” Tyler touched Abbi’s arm. He wasn’t faking his concern.
A flash of irritation crossed her eyes, but she smothered it and said, “I’m fine. Russ was just leaving.”
He thought Abbi would be grateful once Russ stormed off. He thought she’d at least thank him for still giving a shit after what she’d put him through in that meeting with Walker and Chip. But as soon as Russ was out of earshot, she turned on him. “I don’t need you to keep doing that.”
“I know,” Tyler said.
“Then stop!”
He stared at her. “Russ was pushing you into a corner. You want me to see that and do nothing?”
“Saturday night was fun, okay? But that was it. A onetime deal. I didn’t know we’d find ourselves one fucked-up little family at my workplace.”
He hadn’t expected anything more from that night, either. But to hear her dismiss it as “fun,” like it was so forgettable—like he was so forgettable—made him seethe. He worked damn hard, and he wasn’t used to being overlooked by the people he’d saved.
“All the more reason a thank you would be appropriate right about now,” he said, fighting the urge to press her against the wall, hitch her legs around him, and remind her who he was.
“I can fight my own battles, Tyler. I don’t need you hovering around.”
“Great. Next time I see Russ look like he’s going to bite your head off, I’ll sit back and grab the popcorn.”
Abbi glanced down the hall. When she saw they were alone she leaned closer—but not for the reasons he might have hoped. “I’m not going to fuck you again just because I owe you,” she hissed. “So stop making me owe you.”
Tyler blinked. “That’s not why I—”
“Just back off. Okay?”
But he couldn’t. There was no way he could see someone in trouble and turn the other way. After his father shipped him off to his mother, he’d realized how expendable he was. So he made sure his mother would never want to get rid of him. He did the laundry, fixed the leaks, finished every task before she needed to ask—and most of the chores she never thought of to begin with.
Abbi didn’t understand. He wasn’t helping her because he didn’t think she was capable, or because he thought that was the way into her pants.
He was helping her because the only thing he knew how to do was be useful. Because there was no other way.
But even he had his limits. “You know what?” he said. “I give up. Good luck doing everything on your own. I’m sure the Forest Service is going to change its mind all because of you.”
“Then you shouldn’t be at all worried about your job.”
“My job is going to be fine,” he snapped. “It’s your promotion that’s never going to happen.”
He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. He had to remind himself that at least she had a job, even if she didn’t get promoted. If he slacked off on this firebreak, he had no idea what he’d do next.
“I’m glad to see your self-esteem isn’t suffering,” she said dryly.
He held up his hands. “You know I don’t mean it like that. This just sucks for both of us.”
He thought she was going to bite back with some comeback, but instead the look on her face faltered, and she sighed. “Listen, I told Russ that you came up here two months ago to scope out the area, and that’s how we met. Not that we’re ever going to sit around talking to him about it. But we should at least be on the same page in case it comes up.”
He opened his mouth to ask what the hell she’d just made up about him, and how much longer he was supposed to say he was her boyfriend without, apparently, stepping in and acting like it. And were there really signs of an endangered species nesting near the firebreak site?
But before he could say anything, she turned on her heel and left.
She walked into what must have been her office down the hall. He heard the lock turn decisively and the blinds flip down.
Great. That had gone well.
He knew she was right—if he trusted himself, he shouldn’t be worried. He’d been brought in for a reason. He could get everything done.
Which meant he shouldn’t be distracted by Abbi.
He shouldn’t be anxious about Russ.
And he sure as hell shouldn’t be thinking about how good she’d looked as soon as she stepped into the conference room, running her fingers through the blue in her hair, jeans hugging her curves just tightly enough to make him want to tear them off all over again.