The Problem with Fire - M.E. Clayton Page 0,18

it for throwing away his family without even trying to save it first. That’s some selfish chickenshit, Monroe.”

“When I had asked him about Leta, he had said she’d get over it,” I admitted.

He let out a dark laugh. “And how’s that working out for him?” I grinned, and it felt good. “Fuck that dude, Monroe,” he said. “You deserve better.”

I could feel my cheeks heat. “Yeah…speaking of that…” He took another drink of his water, and why was his Adam Apple working up and down so damn sexy? The man was trouble.

Scorching hot trouble.

Like, Lord, help me trouble.

“There’s a very good chance Thomas is going to say something to Leta for petty revenge,” I said. “You know that, right?”

Sayer shrugged a massive, muscular, sexy shoulder. “So?”

I could feel my eyes widen. “So?” I choked out. “Never mind that we lied our asses off out there, but she’s going to think we’re dating, Sayer.”

“And?”

My head jerked back. “And?”

“And, so what, if she thinks we’re dating?” he asked, sounding like an asylum patient.

“Well, for starters, I don’t relish lying to my child,” I replied. “Second-”

“So, go out on a date with me, and we won’t be lying,” he said, flooring me completely.

“What?”

“I’m working for the next three days, and I know it’s your week to have Leta, but the week after that, I have Sunday off and Leta will be with Thomas,” he replied, ignoring my shock. “We can have an early dinner Sunday since you have to work that Monday.” How did he know all this? “With Mother’s Day just passing, my Sunday is clear.”

“You…you know we can just say we broke up, right?” No way did this hot, young, alpha fireman want to date me. I mean, right?

He flashed those damn dimples at me again. “I’ll pick you up around five,” he said, ignoring how this was completely crazy. “That’ll work, right?”

“Sayer-”

He stood up from the barstool. “It’ll be fine, Monroe,” he said. “We’ll go to dinner, have a nice meal, fall in love, move in together, get married, and have all the babies.” He grinned, then he threw a wink at me.

A goddamn wink.

I stood there, in utter shock, as he turned and started walking out of the kitchen. It wasn’t until his words penetrated, that I shouted, “I don’t want to have any more babies!”

“Then we’ll adopt some dogs!” he yelled back, right before I heard the telltale signs of the front door opening, then closing. Was he serious? I shook my head.

No. No way was he serious.

Right?

Chapter 10

Sayer~

Was this really happening? Did I really have a date with Monroe Stewart?

Now, granted, she hadn’t actually said yes to the date, more to just letting me know she didn’t want to have any more kids, which was fine with me. Leta could just give a shitload of grandchildren one day, and I was fine with that. Plus, Gideon and Nathan were family oriented. They were sure to give me some nieces or nephews soon.

As long as I had Monroe, I didn’t need anything else. And there were millions of love songs that laid claim to that fact.

“Dude, you look like a kid on Christmas Eve,” Kellen said, pulling me from my thoughts. “I’d say you were glowing, but then, that would make me sound like a pussy, and no thanks.”

I’d just finished restocking one of the firetruck’s First Aid kits. “I finally did it,” I told him.

His blue eyes rounded. “You slept with your neighbor?”

Dick.

“No,” I snapped. “I asked her out. And don’t talk about her like that.”

He blinked at me. “Dude, relax,” he replied. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

I shook my head and let out a deep breath. “Sorry,” I muttered. “I’m just…wound a bit tightly when it comes to her.”

“Ya think?”

I grabbed the First Aid kit and secured it back inside one of the firetruck lockboxes. When I turned to look at him, he had a damn smirk on his face. “Cut me some slack, will ya?”

His smirk turned into a grin. “So, you asked her out, she said yes, and there’s a wedding planned for September? Next May?”

“Who’s getting married?” We both turned to see Jake Wilder coming around the back of the firetruck, a huge grin on his face.

“Hayes is,” Kellen lied. “Met the woman of his dreams, and the fat lady is singing.”

Jake turned his head to face behind him. “Hey! Hayes is getting married!” he yelled, and you could hear the thunder of boot-clad feet coming our way.

“I am not getting married!”