Chapter7
Luke was in the break room eating a donut two days after he’d kissed Quinn Harper. Two days, and she’d been constantly in his thoughts. He’d find himself staring at something and suddenly she dropped into his head. The taste of her soft lips, the feel of her when his hand had made contact with her skin.
“Fuck.”
He was doing it again. Thinking about the woman.
“One kiss,” he muttered. “You’ve kissed other women, so why is she such a big deal?”
She had something about her that got to him. She wanted to appear all cool and controlled, but he’d seen beneath that.
Downing a mouthful of coffee, he attempted to refocus on the newspaper in his hand. He tried to read it every day. Knowledge was important. He’d once decided school wasn’t for him and left barely being able to read and write. When he’d wised up, he’d set about changing that.
Quinn Harper had kissed him back. Leaned into him and opened her mouth to take more of his kiss.
“Jesus, this has to stop.”
Then there was the fact he’d wanted to punch Slick Sam for being a future person of interest in Quinn’s life. Not that she’d be fooled by someone like that shithead. That was all on Mrs. Harper and her need to throw men at her daughter, which was humiliating, if he was honest.
Any man would take a look at Quinn and be interested. He wondered if there was a man in her life.
“Fuck.” He snapped the newspaper.
“You got a minute, Luke?”
“Sure, Chief. What’s up?” He looked at the big man standing in the doorway.
“Bring your coffee.” The chief of Ryker Falls Fire Department walked away.
Luke followed, wondering what was going on. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done to piss anyone off. Okay, he didn’t include his brothers in that; it was, after all, a little brother’s job to annoy those above him in the sibling pecking order.
“Close the door,” Chief Carter said, taking the seat behind his desk.
Luke closed the door and took the one across from him. He’d first come in here as an angry teenager. Chief Carter hadn’t put up with any of his attitude and made him work off the punishment for spray painting rude words on the outside of the firehouse.
“What’s up, Chief?”
“Nothing bad.” He waved Luke’s worry away. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m looking at finishing up at the end of the year, and I want you to take over from me.”
Of all the things he’d thought his boss would say, that had not been one of them.
Chief Carter was a solid man, about five foot nine, with salt-and-pepper hair and a frown that could scare pretty much anyone into doing what he wanted.
“I can see I’ve shocked you.”
“Some,” Luke managed to get out.
“Not sure why, or why you think you’re not good enough to be chief?”
Old habits die hard, Luke thought.
“You’re up to it, and you’re already my second in charge. I wouldn’t have suggested you be my replacement if I hadn’t thought you could.”
Luke nodded, no words handy.
“You’ll need to take a few more papers, but you can handle those easily. I’ve put your name forward, so you need to get your head around that.”
“Okay.”