I’m ready to tease him as we exit the building, but then both of us stop short. The hell? We step outside right in time to see our ambulance screeching off down the street, red lights flashing. What the fuck is going on? Who in their right mind steals an ambulance?
Sam and I sprint down the street, yelling and waving our arms after the disappearing bus. It gets to the end of the street before slowing and eventually stops, pulling over to the curb. I get to the driver’s side and yank open the door, prepared to read the riot act to this stupid-ass clown, but to my surprise, it’s Pepper, my daughter’s best friend, at the wheel.
“Pepper?” I ask, dumbfounded. “What are you doing?”
She turns to me and smiles like the cat that’s just eaten the canary. She’s gorgeous, even if the smell of alcohol is strong in the air. Her curly hair bounces, and her cheeks are flushed. Her breasts look like ripe melons beneath her t-shirt and my fingers itch to squeeze them, even if it’s utterly inappropriate at the moment.
“Hey, Mr. Trainor,” she slurs. “Sorry, is this your ambulance?” And then she laughs like she’s made a great joke.
I shake my head. I’ve known this girl for years, if not a full decade. I remember her as a stick-thin, freckled kid with messy brown locks who used to follow my daughter around like a shadow. Now though, she’s grown. In the past five years or so, she’s turned into a full-figured Venus. God, I shouldn’t be thinking about her like this, especially when she’s drunk. Yes, Pepper’s gorgeous, but she’s the same age as my daughter. It’s entirely wrong for me to think of her as anything more than my daughter’s friend.
Still, I can’t help but smile a little as I help her out of the ambulance. She stumbles against me, pressing her big breasts against my chest.
“Oops!” she slurs, looking up into my face, still smiling from ear to ear. She kept her auburn hair short all through high school, but now it’s grown out and curls delicately around her heart-shaped face. Suddenly, I’m taken by the urge to run my hand across her cheek, but Sam’s voice cuts through my dreamy haze.
“What the fuck were you doing?” he shouts. “You think you can just take this ambulance and do whatever you want? There could have been lives at stake!”
“I…” she blinks at him, and then frowns. “I was only going to keep it for a little while—”
“Are you stupid? Did no one teach you not to take things that aren’t yours?” he asks angrily.
I know he’s right to be pissed, and I know that Pepper deserves to get an earful not only from him but from me as well, but when she flinches, my instincts flare. I want to protect her.
“Sam, I think she gets the point,” I say pointedly. “Back the fuck down.” But my partner’s on a rampage.
“No, I don’t think she gets it at all. When I get the police involved, maybe she will after a night in jail and a felony charge. You know that’s what happens after you steal an ambulance right?”
Pepper blinks slowly at him.
“Wha …?” she slurs. Oh shit. I need to take over and I throw my partner a stern look. “No police.”
This time, Sam looks flabbergasted, his handsome face pulling into a frown.
“What? Are you fucking kidding me? She’s a felon!”
I nod.
“Yeah, but I know her. She’s not a bad kid. She went to school with my daughter, Mindy. I’ll take her home, and I’ll help her get sober. No one this young deserves to have a felony charge for a stupid mistake.”
Sam shakes his head. “This goes against everything you’ve ever taught me, Rob. If this were anyone else, you’d have them in the slammer in a sec.”
I nod.
“You’re not wrong, but again, I know her. I can’t let this get on her record because she’s my daughter’s childhood friend.” He doesn’t seem convinced. “Listen, I’ll owe you, okay? You name it, I’ll do it.”
Sam thinks for a moment.
“You can’t tease me about Mrs. Wheatley anymore.”
“Fine.”
He raises his hand. “I’m not done. And you have to promise that when we get calls to come out here, you’ll handle her instead of me. And you’ll still owe me a favor even after that.”
I close my eyes briefly. “You drive a hard bargain, kid. But fine, I’ll agree to your terms.”
“Good.” He grins. “Glad you see things my way.” Then, he looks back at Pepper, and grimaces. “I still think you’re making a mistake, Rob.”
“You’re not wrong, Sam. But I’m going to do it anyways.”
With that, I help Pepper into the back of the ambulance, and Sam drives us to the hospital parking lot. By the time we get there, the sky is dark. He lets us off, gives me one last disapproving look, and then takes care of logging our vehicle in the system.