“Don’t even think about it,” Tex’s girlfriend warned.
“Darlin’, I have half a brain. Not much, but it’s the half that works.” He didn’t even try touching her as the pair made their goodbyes.
Reggie, the last member of their four-man fire crew, stood next to Mack’s mother in jeans and a jacket. He sniffled a few more times for effect. “This cold is just awful. Too bad I couldn’t have joined you.”
Considering the guy had been just fine the night prior over beers and darts, he wasn’t earning any loyalty points for not playing this morning.
“I’m so disappointed in your weak lies.” Mack shook his head.
Reggie apparently felt no such upset because he just grinned. “Gotta go. I promised Maggie and Emily doughnuts this morning.”
“Fine. Go. Not like we could have used you or anything.”
“Great. Bye.”
Reggie left.
And then there was one…
“Oh, Mackenzie. Monkey-face, you’re a mess.”
He cringed. “Ma, not here.” Where too many witnesses might overhear and use that name against him at work.
She huffed. “Please. It’s a fine name. After your great-grandfather.”
“Not Mackenzie. That nickname.” He lowered his voice. “You have no idea what the guys—”
“Oh, Mon-key-face…” Xavier, older by two years but always so much more immature than Mack, called in a singsong voice. “There you are.” He walked up to his brother and mother and grinned. “Buddy, you look awful.”
“Right back at ya, moron.” Mack couldn’t help grinning back. The youngest of four, Mack loved his family. Even if they didn’t always seem to understand him. Or like him. But today, Xavier appeared in a decent mood, and their mother had cheered for Mack, the lone firefighter in a family of cops.
Perhaps soon he’d see pigs fly.
Mack made small talk, watching as the crowd dispersed while subtly looking for one particular dirty player—pun intended. There. He saw Carmichael wringing the bottom of her shirt by the parking lot.
“Be right back.” He left before his family could corner him. “Hey, Carmichael.”
She flipped her head back, slapping herself in the face with a wet ponytail, and glared at him. “Well, if it isn’t Mr. Pushy.”
“Oh please. You pushed me first. I didn’t even touch you. It was my fast moves and amazingly handsome face that caused you to go down, hard.”
Her lips twitched, but to her credit, she didn’t laugh. “You are so full of it.”
“I really am.”
Ha. There. She smiled. Her expression turned sour once more, and she said in a crisp, cold tone, “What do you want, Revere?”
Excited she remembered his name, he nevertheless tried to play it cool. “Just wanted to let you know I was okay, that my tailbone is still in one piece, you know, in case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Yeah, I’m feeling loose.” He rolled his neck and pulled a knee to his chest, carefully balancing as he stretched his glutes. “Everything still works.” He set his foot down before he fell over and ruined all his careful posturing.
“Am I supposed to be happy for you?”
“Yes, you are.” He smiled. “So, you busy tonight?”
“Seriously?” She spread her arms wide, bringing unintended attention to her full breasts. “I’ll be spending the next week washing the mud from my body.”
