Page 5 of Burning Love (Looking For Love #7)

brOUGHT HER SUCH COMFORT

“ Y ou did what?” Talia screeched two hours later.

“I brought cookies to the nice firemen that rushed here Tuesday. I was making them for you, so I did a double batch.”

She wanted to snarl, but instead stuffed a cookie in her mouth. Her third one.

Between calls, she’d smelled the notes of vanilla and chocolate in the air and raced upstairs to snatch one off the counter while it was still hot.

The chocolate pulled away as she’d taken a bite. Her eyes closed while she savored the childhood taste that always brought her such comfort.

She’d kissed her mother on the cheek for doing it, then grabbed another and returned to her work. It was going to be a busy morning and she’d closed herself into her office.

If she’d known what her mother was going to do, she would have locked her in there too.

“Why did you bring them cookies?”

“To thank them,” her mother said. “I’m glad to know their response time is so quick. What if it was something more serious? It was the least I could do.”

“You talked about me, didn’t you?”

She knew her mother’s MO. Always meddling in everyone’s business.

Her mother should be content with three of her children married, another engaged, and a fourth in a serious relationship. She even had her first grandchild coming.

But nope, her mother still had to interfere.

“Why would you think that?” her mother asked. It was the smirk that she grew up seeing. The one where it didn’t matter what you said, her mother was going to do what she wanted.

“Because you can’t help yourself,” she said, crossing her arms. “What did you do?”

“I dropped off cookies and commended them on a wonderful job.”

“Just great.”

“Oh stop, Talia. It’s the nice thing to do. I was being considerate. I believe the captain you said was sexy is the one I talked to. Jace?”

She groaned. “Yes.”

“I gave him your card and said that if they needed anything to reach out. I’m sure you could find some money somewhere to buy them what they require. If not, I’ll reach out to West. He’d appreciate knowing that his mother and sister are so well taken care of.”

Her jaw dropped. “Do you ever hear yourself speak?”

“All the time,” her mother said, laughing as if she was proud of how she got everyone’s attention.

“You wanted to get a good look at him. That’s why you did it. I said he was sexy and you thought you’d check him out. Can’t you at least be honest with me?”

“Fine,” her mother said. “He’s very cute, but he’s way too old for you.”

“Age means nothing. West and Braylon are both ten years older, or thereabout, from their wives.”

“That’s different,” her mother said.

There was no use arguing over this. “It doesn’t matter. He was doing his job. Nothing more.”

“Then I don’t see what the big deal is,” her mother said. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

Her mother left her office and Talia turned back to her computer. She saw the time in the right-hand corner, noticed her sister Laken was online, which was rare, and shot her a message to see if she could talk.

Laken replied she had ten minutes, so Talia shut her door and placed the call through her computer.

“What’s going on?” Laken asked. “I heard things went well in Colorado.”

“Who told you?”

“West. I just got out of a meeting with him. You’re lucky you caught me.”

“I sent my report this morning to him. I’m surprised he read it already.”

“He’s on top of it when it matters,” Laken said.

“Or he’s watching over me because he thinks I’m going to screw up. Be honest.”

“I am being honest,” Laken said. “And he doesn’t think you’re going to screw up.

Do you have a lot to learn? Absolutely. But the foundation is new and it means something.

He knows you’ve got a good heart and, as things progress, I’m sure he won’t be watching as carefully.

Very few get his undivided attention. You should be honored. ”

“No, thank you. I had his undivided attention for years as a fill-in dad along with all the rest of the boys.”

“There isn’t anything you can do about that,” Laken said. “I know. Get over it. Was there a reason you wanted to talk?”

“Mom.”

“Oh boy,” Laken said. Talia heard the laughter in her voice. “What did she do?”

She filled her sister in on what happened a few days ago and then this morning.

“Mom is being Mom,” she said.

“She’s never going to change,” Laken said. “And sorry, but I can’t believe you turned the oven on without looking.”

Her fingers curled into her fists. She was forever going to be thought of as helpless.

Even if she was a touch of it.

“It was a bad day. I started out with cramps, then my flight was delayed, my bag was the last to come off the plane, then I forgot where I’d parked my car at the airport.”

“It takes getting used to,” Laken said. “Bring carry-ons.”

“I was there for three days. I needed more clothes than I could fit in my carry-on.”

“I’ll send you a link of the luggage I have. Wear one business outfit to fly. Have it pressed or steamed at the hotel. That saves you packing it. Packing leggings and a T-shirt takes much less room and you can change into them when you arrive and hang your suit or dress.”

Her shoulders dropped. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Wear basics,” Laken said. “You can get away with wearing the same black pants twice if you have to with a different top. No one notices those things. It’s the price to pay when you’re on the road and you want to get in and out of the airport faster.”

“You never have to worry about a car at the airport though.”

“No. You can take an Uber,” Laken said.

“I can, but I’d rather have my car. I’ll get the hang of it, but I don’t want to travel as much as you.”

“You’ll have to figure those things out,” Laken said. “I can’t help with the cramps, but I can give you work advice.”

“I appreciate it.”

She’d never been that close to her sister. They were too far apart in age, then Laken moved to New York.

It was nice that they were getting closer these past few months.

Maybe she was even being looked at as a peer rather than a baby sister.

“Tell me more about this fireman that has you worked up.”

“There is nothing to tell other than I embarrassed myself first by turning the oven on and smoking the house out, then by making an appearance dressed in a short towel. Finish it off with my shirt was on inside out when I changed. I didn’t even know that.

Then Mom brought them cookies. I bet she had to give my card so that they didn’t think I was some ditzy blonde. ”

Just what she needed. Her mother coming to the rescue again.

“I doubt it was that,” Laken said, laughing. “It’s more likely that you said someone was good looking.”

“Sexy,” she corrected. “I said he was sexy.”

“And Mom had to check him out herself. She’s nosy that way.”

“She is.”

“Go down and talk to him yourself.”

“What am I supposed to say? Oh, sorry my mother came here throwing my name around. I’m not an airhead. Look, I run a department that my older brother created for me.”

“Talia,” Laken said impatiently. “You’re knocking yourself down for no reason. You’ve spent years telling us all you’ve grown up and now you’re sounding like a whiny thirteen-year-old again. Get a grip.”

At least she wasn’t told to grow up.

“Fine, I am. I’m hormonal on top of it. Laken, he was really cute. No, handsome. Cute is for boys and he was a man. I wanted to figure out a way to see him again and Mom ruined it.”

“Get used to it,” Laken said. “Mom likes to ruin a lot of things, but she always fixes them too.”

Her mother had gotten in the middle of all of her siblings’ relationships. Most times it was to knock heads together and get things mended.

“There was nothing to fix here. I didn’t have a chance to find out more. For all I know he’s married or in a relationship anyway.”

“Only one way to find out,” Laken said. “If you want something bad enough, go after it.”

“It’s hard to know what to want when I saw him for ten minutes in that situation. Maybe it was more the fact that my hormones were on overdrive being that time of the month and there is this big dude coming to save me.”

“That is a nice romantic thought. Now it’s up to you to see if you can make it a reality.”