She patted me on the back and laughed. “That bed will be there, trust me.”
“Yeah, but I’m worried that I won’t.”
She laughed again as we walked back into the station. Our cars were parked out back in the rear lot, which was where we were heading. But we turned around and walked back toward the front of the station, where civilians usually visited if they had a reason to come to the station at all.
I was caught off guard when I saw the slim but curvy hazelnut beauty with the chocolate-brown eyes, long lashes, thick eyebrows, and plump lips standing there waiting for us. Angel Snow was a tiny, little thing, but gorgeous and fine. Despite her petite stature, she wasn’t missing any curves in the front or the rear.
I shook my head, trying to force those thoughts from my mind. After all, she was my best friend’s ex. An ex he had left behind for a higher-paying job and a woman whose father had gotten him that job, but still. It blew all of our minds when Jeremiah broke up with Angel rather than taking her with him to Hawaii for his new job.
I knew that he’d been messing around on the side, but I hadn’t expected it to turn serious. The woman he left Angel for was the daughter of a wealthy, entitled man, and she held those same attitudes herself. She was rich, spoiled, and entitled, andI doubted my man could live up to her expectations. Hell, she knew he had a woman, but I figured she would grow bored with him after a while, but it hadn’t happened.
“What’s up, Angel?” I asked when Essence and I stopped in front of her.
“Mommy thought I should bring a little appreciation gift.”
“Well, tell ‘Mommy’ I said thank you. I didn’t expect to see you again.”
She shrugged. “Yeah. Anyway, I brought you guys these. Belle and I baked them, or I will say that I baked them and Belle watched over me . . . to make sure that I mixed up all the ingredients properly this time,” she stated by way of reference to her daughter choking on a carrot and us coming to save her.
“I’m sure your cooking is always just fine. You’re a diva in that kitchen, girl. Besides, we didn’t do anything that you hadn’t already done.”
“Yeah, just time and chance mixed in with a little less panic.” Essence agreed with a warm smile.
“I’m sorry,” Angel apologized.
“No need for you to apologize, girl. You did nothing wrong. You’ve always been on point, and I’m sure you take good care of li’l mama.”
“I try to do my best,” she stated.
“What kind of cookies are these?” Essence asked, nodding at the three stacked platters in Angel’s hands.
“Cranberry-maple-pecan on the first tray, peanut butter maple on the second, and plain sugar on the third one.”
“Anything you do isn’t plain, Angel. This girl can cook and bake her ass off,” I replied, thrusting one thumb at her, rubbing my belly, and smiling at Essence. When I turned back to look at Angel, I was surprised to see her bright brown cheeks covered with a blush as she looked away.
She had always taken my compliments easily and teased me back. I’d never seen her react this way before. Maybe it was because we hadn’t seen each other in a while, and she wasn’t comfortable around me anymore. I wasn’t certain, but it was all good.
“I know y’all sharing those,” Kevin Moss, one of the other paramedics, called out.
“Yeah, because we always share,” Kaden Moss, Kevin’s firefighter older brother, chimed in.
“They don’t have much of a choice. If I hadn’t kept them from leaving, they would’ve missed her anyway,” Timberson stated with his arms crossed.
“We’ll share with y’all.” Essence laughed and took the trays and passed them around to Timberson and Kevin while holding one for herself. “Big back asses,” she muttered, walking to the kitchen with the rest of the guys.
“Thanks for that. You didn’t have to do that, Angel. It was part of our job.”
“I know. But it made the difference to me. That little girl is my world, and—” Angel stopped talking and looked away. Her eyes were slightly teary, and I knew she was getting choked up. She might have been thinking about Jeremiah, because he had been her life for a while.
“Hey, chill with all that. It didn’t happen, so it’s all good. You know, I always said everything happens for a reason. Maybe it was to bring a brother back into your life.”
She blinked rapidly and looked up at me. Her cheeks colored again. I stepped closer and squeezed her shoulder. “You could always use a friend. And I’m a great friend, or so I’ve been told,” I declared with a teasing wink.
Before she could say anything, I heard chants and claps behind us. Turning around at the crew shouting, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss,” I scowled at them.
Essence was pointing over my head. I looked up. Damn! The mistletoe that I hung up there, trying to set Essence and Kaden up, had backfired on me. The two of them had been flirting for a while, and sometimes the other guys’ wives and girlfriends visited the station.
I thought it would be cute for someone to be caught under the mistletoe and have to kiss. I’d even thrown a challenge out. Whoever got caught standing under it and didn’t kiss would have to pay a penalty: wash the truck and dishes without help for a week, even on our off days.
