Lana gave her a look full of skepticism. “Come on, Sienna.” When Sienna remained quiet, Lana let go of the bag and put her hands on her hips. “You are so stubborn. Before my sister’s arson and FBI problems, you refused to go clubbing with Kate and me because you were working most of the time. What made you change your mind?”
Sienna suddenly felt herself struggling with a thick wad of emotion. How could she explain? It was always so hard for her to make connections. “You saved my life, Lana, when you pushed me out from under that burning beam.” She’d never forget how all three of them met. Paige Dempsey, Lana’s sister, had her warehouse torched and was implicated on a fraud issue, involving her soon-to-be husband, FBI agent, Justin Connor.
It wasn’t until Kate had come to Sienna to ask her to help them clear Paige’s name that Sienna had let the two women into her life. She hadn’t regretted one moment with them.
“You never said anything about it.”
“I know and I should have. It’s just that…well, I really didn’t know what friendship was until I met you two.”
“Hell, me and Sister Kate really like you, too.”
“Ha, Sister Kate. She wasn’t so timid when I was reprimanded on that arson case to clear your sister.” A warmth settled in Sienna’s heart as she remembered how Kate had bristled at Captain Sandoval and went toe to toe with him on her behalf. It was the first time in Sienna’s life that she could remember someone standing up for her, someone who had nothing to gain at all.
Sienna looked at Lana, then away. Even though she’d known these two women for a year, and she had confided in them, she really hadn’t told them how much they meant to her. Lana and Kate had stood by her then and had continued to stand by her ever since. She owed them—they brought laughter and camaraderie into her life. Suddenly, she couldn’t seem to be quiet. “Kate was like a protective pit bull. We were a team during that investigation, and I need you two.” The declaration made Lana smile, and she hugged Sienna for a brief moment.
“Kate was awesome. The both of you were awesome. Thanks to you two, Paige was cleared,” Lana said, grabbing at the bag to stop the swinging motion. “Have Paige and Justin set the date?” Sienna asked.
“No, not yet, but they’re working on it.” Lana stepped forward. “I’m glad you told me all this.”
Sienna nodded and met Lana’s gaze. She hit the bag hard. “I find it difficult to confide in other people. I was alone a lot when I was young, before the Thompsons took me in.”
“By design?”
“Yes.”
“Friends are there for each other, and Kate and I need you in our lives, too. So stop sandbagging me and tell me what else is bothering you.”
Sienna felt a twinge of reluctance. The thought of opening herself to the gutsy firefighter made her stomach churn. She took a deep breath and said, “I missed another fitting.”
Lana let go of a breath. “It shouldn’t be a problem, unless you’re doing it on purpose.”
Sienna hit the bag with a combination of vicious hooks and jabs. Her voice shook with the exertion. “I really want to be in her wedding. Even though we’re seven years apart, we’re pretty close.”
“Isn’t it the third time you’ve missed it? If I’m not mistaken, the wedding is this weekend.”
“I warned her that it would be hard for me to plan anything. Cops’ hours aren’t normal.”
“Are you going to reschedule?” Lana asked gently.
“As soon as I can.”
“Parker!”
It was her captain’s voice and for a moment she was disoriented. She looked up at the clock on the wall and saw that she still had an hour before reporting for duty.
“This looks really official. I should go, but call me if you want to talk,” Lana said, laying her hand on Sienna’s arm. “Anytime you want to talk.” She turned and headed out of the gym.
Sienna gave the bag one last punch, turned around, and came face to face with Lieutenant A.J. Camacho dressed officially in his pristine white uniform. He was shaved, impeccably groomed, and had his hat tucked under his arm.
In that uniform, A.J. glowed with fierce masculinity, so much so that she was sure she wasn’t the first woman to go all doe-eyed when she saw him. Her reaction to him was too intense, all out of proportion. It shook her to the core. And the last thing she needed now was a man who drove her crazy. So crazy, she couldn’t think straight.
Caught off guard at his presence, Sienna tensed. Her eyes narrowed and focused on him while every muscle in his body tightened as he became alert. It was a heightened instinctual response to danger, and she wasn’t sure he was even aware of it.
It bothered her that she should react to him this way and she took a confrontational stance, spurred on by his official dress. “I feel like I should salute.”
“Gauging by the look on your face, I’d say it’d be the one-finger kind.” He smiled and tilted his head slightly, watching her like a sleek panther mildly intrigued by a mouse.
And she had no doubt at all he was as dangerous as that panther and the fact that he thought her as ineffectual as a mouse irritated her, too.