Page 74 of Not How I Saw That Going

Hmmm. I toss a screwdriver between my hands. That’s not a bad idea. I’ll just have Lyndi bet on me. She can use all the money in my savings account as long as I don’t have to go out with Sophie again. I can’t endure another “how was the war?” date.

But would Lyndi go for it? I could always bribe her with food.

“Preston, there’s someone here to see you.”

I eye the station intercom. Has that thing always worked? It’s never called my name before.

I don’t need to go far before I’m met with a burst of color and energy, both belonging to Lyndi and Crew.

“There’s my honey pie,” Lyndi squeals and rushes to me, hitting me with an extraordinary force. I barely have time to move my arms up to catch her in response.

“Weird!” Crew screams, plastering himself to my leg.

Caleb snorts.

Lyndi must have told Crew to do that.

“I’m so glad I caught you. I’ve missed you so much,” she says, but instead of looking at me, she clenches my biceps, then rubs my chest, patting my left pec like I’m a piece of meat.

I’m very aware of the other men and women in the fire station watching us.

Ah. I get it now. She’s trying to embarrass me by having me paged, or get back at me for insisting she was my girlfriend in front of my mom and Sophie, but the joke is on her because I—

Her fingertips graze my abs, and my mind shortcircuits. I draw a complete blank on how I should be responding right now.

“I’ve, uh, missed you too.” I wrap an arm around her back and give her a little pat.

Oops. Too low.

She wiggles her eyebrows. “I’ll say.”

I clear my throat and slide my hand up to her shoulders. Where it should be.

“I hope you don’t mind, but Crew insisted on another driving lesson. Are you busy?”

“Of course he’s not.” Caleb joins our little circle. “He’s got all the time in the world for his woman.” He pumps his eyebrows at me.

“Caleb,“ I say with a warning. I pick up Crew and turn toward the trucks. “Come on, buddy.”

“So you’re dating now. Tell meeverythingabout that.” I hear Caleb say.

Scratch that. Lyndi’s coming with us. I turn around and loop my arm around her waist.

“Wait.” She tugs against me. “I want to talk to him.”

I shoot Caleb a glare over her head. “He’s not nice. Crew, do we talk to strangers?”

Lyndi tries to protest. “He’s not a stra—”

“No, Mommy,” Crew responds.

Lyndi gives up her fight and fixes me with a look that says I just stepped in it. At least I think that’s what it says. I’m new to this eye language stuff. “You did not just use my child against me.”

I stop at the driver’s side door of the fire truck. “Did I?” I shrug innocently.

“Oh, you’re going to get it.” She breezes past me and steps up to the cab. I do not watch her climb in. Maybe only for a second. But then I keep my eyes—and my mind—strictly in the safe zone.

She slides into the passenger seat. Then I climb in and put Crew on my lap so he can reach all the buttons this time.