Page 8 of Her Paramedic (Men in Uniforms #3)

“W here do you want this, Ma?” Slate asked, holding up the little Santa Claus.

“On the mantle, please.”

It was Christmas Eve, and he was visiting his parents for the holiday.

Since he had worked the night before, he’d arrived that morning, and they were decorating the tree and the living room.

It was a tradition his mother liked to keep, so they always decorated when he arrived, regardless of when that was.

His dad was currently stringing lights around the tree while his mother separated the ornaments. Christmas was never a significant affair for them, with most of the family spread out. It was typically the three of them, and they’d see the rest of their family at their summer gathering.

Christmas classics filtered through the speakers, his mom humming along, while he placed the rest of the decorations around the living room and hung the stockings on the fireplace mantle.

“How’s the new car coming along?” his dad asked while they added ornaments to the tree.

“It’s good. I have more parts I need before it’s finished.”

His hobby of restoring and selling old vehicles came from his father.

They worked on cars together when he was growing up, and he learned everything he knew from him.

His interests lay in classic restorations.

Getting them back to their former glory and selling them to collectors who would appreciate them and the work he put into them the way he did.

“How was the wedding?” his mom asked, passing him another ornament.

“It was nice. For something planned in a week, you couldn’t tell. Journee put a lot of work into it to make it perfect for them.”

“Journee?” his mom asked.

“She’s Kaydence’s best friend and Killian’s girlfriend.”

He wasn’t sure if they’d put a label on their relationship, but they were dating, and he knew his cousin.

“Killian’s dating?” his dad asked. Slate nodded. “Good for him.”

“And when do you plan on settling down?” his mom asked.

“Corrin, the boy has only been here a few hours, and you’re already starting in.”

“Do you not want your son to settle down and be happy, Solomon?” she challenged, and Slate chuckled as his dad began sputtering. His mother took great joy in catching his father off guard with what she said. Slate was sure that was where he got it from.

“I’m dating,” he supplied. “We’ve only been out a couple of times, and we’re taking it slow, but I’m committed to us building something.”

“Oh! Tell us about her,” his mom requested.

“He just said they’ve only been out a couple of times and are going slow. What do you want him to tell you?”

“That doesn’t mean he can’t tell us,” his mom countered.

Slate gave them a few details. Enough to satisfy his mom as they finished the tree. He yawned as he stacked the empty boxes.

“Why don’t you take a nap?” his mom suggested.

He nodded. After his shift, he’d gone straight to the airport and hadn’t slept on the plane. A short nap sounded like a good idea.

Slate went into the guest room, closing the door behind him. He checked his phone on the nightstand and saw a text from Talia.

Talia: I wanted to make sure your flight landed safely.

Slate: It did. I made it to my parents’ house, and my mother put me straight to work on decorations.

Talia: As she should have. Did you sleep on the plane?

Slate: I did not.

Talia: You should rest. I’ll text you later.

Slate chuckled at the text before setting an alarm and putting his phone aside. When he woke up, he’d put his parents’ presents under the tree.

T he next morning, he sat drinking coffee while his mother finished the large breakfast she was making. Their Christmas meal had always depended on how long he could stay. Their choices were between breakfast and dinner since they always helped at a soup kitchen around lunchtime.

Holidays were usually rotated. If they worked one, they got the other off, and it swapped the following year. He had to work tomorrow night since he’d switched shifts to be off for Maximus’ party. It would give the unit he swapped with a three-day holiday.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

“I’m sure, son,” his mother responded. “Did you get your girlfriend a gift?”

“There you go again, remembering what you want to,” his dad said, walking into the kitchen. “How did taking things slow turn into her being his girlfriend?”

“Solomon, this is an A and B conversation. See your way out of it.”

His dad snorted at the corny joke, and Slate chuckled before answering, “I did. I haven’t given it to her yet.”

“Ooh, what is it?”

“Stop being nosy, honey,” his father said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

She responded by tossing a piece of diced tomato at him, which his father easily sidestepped, and she turned her attention back to cooking.

After breakfast, they exchanged gifts. Slate gave them the two small ones he’d placed in the stockings.

His parents tended to buy things as soon as they wanted them, which made it hard to buy gifts for them.

He’d gotten his mother a pair of earrings and his father a new set of cufflinks.

When they opened the gifts from under the tree, it was a new coffee machine and a new electric kettle.

While his mom appreciated the earrings, Slate was sure the kettle was her favorite.

He received a new slim wallet and a gift card to an auto parts store in his stocking, which he would always be grateful for. Restoring vehicles, while one of his passions, could become costly, and though what he put into it could be recouped once sold, the less he spent, the better.

He also got a new dent-pulling kit, which he desperately needed, and a whiskey tactical box. It came with two glasses, a pair of tongs, two coasters, and six chilling stones.

His parents exchanged the gifts they’d gotten for each other. Then, the three got dressed and headed to volunteer.

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“A re you going?” Nova asked as the two were making cocktails for the other four women.

“I don’t know,” Talia responded.

“What would be the harm in doing so? You like him, he likes you, and it isn’t like you’d be in a group of people you don’t know.”

That was true. Her little sisters would also be there. Getting away for a day wouldn’t hurt, and she’d enjoyed spending time with him on their previous dates. She’d text him tomorrow afternoon to take him up on his invitation if it was still extended.

“So, did you get him a gift?” Nova asked with a teasing smile.

“Yes, I did.”

“When do you plan on giving it to him?”

“New Year’s Eve.”

“That means you’re going.”

“I am. I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

They carried the drinks into the living room, where the others had set up the next game. They were down two. Journee was spending Christmas with Killian. Kaydence and Axel were spending their first holiday as newlyweds alone.

They played Taboo for an hour, then Heads Up, and had another round of drinks. When eleven o’clock rolled around, she, Aariah, and Aryah shared an Uber. Alivia and Zuri were staying at Nova’s for the night.

The driver first dropped the twins off at their building before taking Talia to her house. She had a few appointments tomorrow, but the day after Christmas was always slow. She saw the same three clients every year. They always tipped her well, and she was out of the salon each time by two-thirty.

She showered and got into bed, checking her phone to ensure her alarm was set before turning in for the night.

T alia was about to put her shears in to disinfect when the door of her shop opened. The other stylists who were working that day were with clients, and her receptionist had requested the day off.

“Hey, can I help you?”

“I’m here for a wash and trim.”

“Okay. Do you have an appointment?” Talia asked, going around the desk to the computer.

“No. I was hoping someone could fit me in.”

“Of course. I’m free to take you.” She led the woman to her chair. “I’m Talia. You want a basic wash and trim?”

“Ruth, and yes, please.”

Talia removed the clip, holding Ruth’s hair up.

She had thick, lush, and healthy hair, 3C.

Even though they were not doing anything extensive, she quickly consulted with her before taking her to the washbowl.

She washed Ruth’s hair thoroughly, giving her a scalp massage that had the other woman’s eyes closing as she hummed in satisfaction.

Once she was blow-dried, straightened, and trimmed, Talia asked how she wanted it styled, and she ended up giving her body curls. She paid for the service and made an appointment to come back in four weeks, since it was the earliest appointment Talia had.

She swept and cleaned her station, putting her shears back in disinfectant and wiping down her chair.

She cleaned the wash bowl and wiped the chair before entering her office.

She double-checked her first appointment for the following morning, grabbed her purse, and exited, locking the door behind her.

She said bye to the other ladies and exited the salon.

Talia stopped by a drive-thru and picked up a late lunch before going home. When she stepped inside, she dropped her purse and keys on the entry table and went into the living room. It was almost four, and she decided to call Slate.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he answered after a couple of rings.

“Hey. How was your flight yesterday?”

“Quiet. So was the drive from the airport.”

“You could have called me if you needed company during it,” she responded, unwrapping her food.

“I didn’t want to pull you away from your plans. Speaking of, did you have fun with your friends?”

“I did. We exchanged gifts, ate, had drinks, and played some games. Did your mom like her kettle?”

Slate chuckled. “You would think I’d paid for her to travel the world with how happy she was with it.”

“The simple things in life make people the happiest.” She paused for a second. “I wanted to take you up on your invitation for New Year if it was still open.”

“Of course it is. I can pick you up at noon. The party doesn’t start until eight, but the guys and I are going early to help set up.”

“That works for me. I didn’t ask. Where does he live?”

“He doesn’t live there full-time but has a vacation house in Aspen.”

It had been a while since she had been to Aspen. It was always pretty in winter, and she was looking forward to seeing it again.

“Do you work tonight?”

“In a few hours,” Slate responded.

Talia debated whether to tell him she’d gotten him a Christmas gift, but she decided to give it to him when they saw one another.

They spoke for over an hour before they ended the call, and Talia decided to spend the rest of her day binge-watching one of her favorite shows.