Emily
“Heard you were at the Gannon fire with Jake Thompson.” Dale taps his index finger on the ambulance steering wheel as he waits at the one stoplight in town. It’s a single flashing red light in the center of the intersection.
“He was at my mom’s house when the call came in.”
Mira, Dominic’s mother, walks across the street. She gives us a brief wave with a white package in her hand and continues her way to the other side. Likely, she’s on her way to the post office to drop off her mail.
The funny thing about a small town is that most of the time, you know what everyone is doing, and people don’t differ from their routines all that often. Except, instead of turning toward the post office, she stops in front of the café.
A man and a woman exit a Cadillac Escalade and join Mira in front of Jolie’s Café. Why’s Mira there? Who are these people? As Dale goes past the building, I turn my head and study them. Are they buying the café?
I snap my head back around. What in the actual fuck? It’s none of your business what they’re doing. You’re turning into a busybody like all the other older women in town. Next thing you know, you’ll be hanging out on the street corner gossiping with all the ladies.
“Are things okay between you two?” Dale steps on the gas as we travel back to the station from dropping off a patient at the nearest hospital.
I arch an eyebrow. “Between me and my mom?”
“Cute,” Dale smirks. “But you know what I mean, and if you’re going to all the trouble to avoid the conversation, I’m assuming it’s true.”
“What’s true?” My stomach drops as I cross my arms over my chest and give him my full attention.
“That you have a thing for Jake.”
“And where did you get that incorrect information from?”
“My keen sense of observation.” He flips on the blinker and turns past the fire station and onto the street that leads to the ambulance barn. The police department is half a block away, and of course, Jake’s pickup is parked in the lot.
“Well, you need to get your eyes checked. Maybe you need glasses. Some of those black rimmed, coke-bottle ones, because you don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t like Jake, and he isn’t interested in me.”
Dale backs into the parking space closest to the front door, causing the steady beeping of the backup signal to announce his progress. A bird swoops off the electrical line above us, dives down close to the ground, and then flies back up to land several feet away from its first perching place.
“He seems interested in you.”
“Bullshit.” I roll my eyes, unclasp my arms, and grip the door handle, causing the faint hint of my deodorant to fan outfrom under my armpit. “There’s nothing farther from the truth than that statement.”
He shoves the shifter into park and frowns. “Why not?”
“Because….” I inhale and straighten my shoulders. “Never mind.”
“Em….” He rests his hand on my shoulder. “Let me give you some advice. Men are stupid.”
“No shit,” I chuckle halfheartedly because thoughts of Jake and Amanda still spin in my head. As I unlatch the safety belt, he squeezes my shoulder and drops his arm down to his side.
“I’m serious. Guys do stupid things when we’re interested in a girl.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Did you?”
“Yes.” He rotates his shoulders as if wrestling with his own thoughts. “Before Tameka and I got together, I got into a fight with a guy who asked her out, and when she asked me why, I told her it was because he asked out a girl I liked.”
“Yes, her. That’s not so bad.” I wouldn’t hate it if Jake punched one of the losers I dated.
“No.” He shakes his head. “It wouldn’t have been bad, but when she asked who it was that he asked out, I said she didn’t know her.”
“And let me guess…. She went out with the guy because she was hurt.”
“Yes.”
I snap the door open. “Did you break up their date?”
