She visibly swallowed. “He needs to fill out some forms.”
“He’s not resigning, is he?”
Her lips parted and closed a few times before she shrugged.
I stepped closer. “He can’t resign, Jocelyn.”
“I didn’t say he was.” She held up a hand. “Nothing’s official. He’s still on medical leave as of right now.”
“There are firefighters who’ve come back from injuries like his. And if anyone can do it, Corey can,” I argued.
She held up her hands with a small smile tugging at the sides of her mouth. “Trust me, I’ve told him the same thing on more than one occasion. He’s not quitting or anything yet.”
Her assurance had me feeling slightly relieved. We stood there for long seconds, neither one of us knowing what to say.
“Was there a fire?” she asked.
“What?”
She gestured toward the second floor. “They investigate arsons, right? Were you guys called to a fire started on purpose?”
Shit. I’d forgotten how observant Jocelyn was. She was an investigator, after all. But I wasn’t about to show my hand. God forbid if she knew the truth.
“Possibly, but Murray doesn’t think so.”
That same wrinkle appeared in between her brows.
“You better get those papers to Corey. You know he’s a pain in the ass when he wants something.” I nodded toward the envelope in her hands.
“Right.”
She tapped the envelope with her free hand and moved past me. I caught a whiff of coconuts and instinctively deepened my inhale.
“How’s he doing?” I asked.
She stopped and turned. A pitying smile tugged the sides of her lips. When she spoke, her voice sounded heavy. “He’s okay.”
“I’ve left him at least a hundred messages on his voicemail.” I paused to think of something else to say. “Tell him I said…” I trailed off, chest tightening. What could I have her say that I hadn’t already told him on voicemail? “Have a good one, Jocelyn.”
I moved past her to the exit, my brain moving a mile a minute as I pushed through the double doors. I needed to get out of here before I said something I didn’t intend to. Jocelyn didn’t need to know my suspicions. As for Corey, hell, I didn’t need to pass him any messages through his sister.
Chapter 6
Jocelyn
I pulledinto the driveway of my mother’s two-story family home. Sighing, I took in the stone building where I’d grown up and thought back to seeing Don. I couldn’t shake the look on his face from my mind. His hazel eyes had been so expressive as they’d held back whatever had been on the tip of his tongue to say.
I wondered if it was only me but there felt like a magnetic pull between the two of us as we stood there. Not for the first time, I allowed myself to observe the totality of him. Don stood at approximately six-foot-two, dark brown hair that he kept swept back off his face, a jaw chiseled by the Gods, and the most adorable damn freckles. To top all of that off, he had a mouth built for pleasure, plain and simple.
His full bottom lip was meant for sucking on. My throat grew dry thinking about the pleasure he could provide with his mouth alone.
I groaned and tapped my forehead against the inside of my palm. I had to remind myself that Don Alvarez couldn’t be anything more than a pretty face. And my brother’s best friend. He had no business starring in any fantasy of mine.
I glanced at the envelope in the passenger seat. The papers I’d picked up for Corey. Something didn’t sit right in my gut. I couldn’t read everything in Don’s expression, but I could’ve sworn I’d spotted guilt in the depths of his eyes. I remembered that look the night of the accident. I supposed Don could’ve felt guilty that Corey was injured, and he wasn’t. Like survivor’s guilt, or something, but questions still swirled around in my mind.
“Maybe Corey has the answers,” I mumbled, grabbing the envelope as I got out of the car. I unlocked the door with my key and stepped inside. “Mama?”
“She always makes herself known when she arrives,” my mother said, emerging from the kitchen.
