Page 81 of Firecracker

Sorcha stopped next to Arden. “Arden…table five is still waiting for their drinks.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.” She broke the connection and hurried away.

“Hi, Tyler.” Sorcha smiled at him.

“Hey, Sorcha. How’s it going?”

“Good.” Now it was her turn to perch on the arm of his chair. “Busy, but it helps with a few new waitresses. Hopefully they’ll stick around longer than some have. How’s the firefighting business? Save any lives lately?”

“Every day.”

“You must work out a lot to stay in such great shape.”

“Uh. Yeah.” He glanced at Arden who stood at the bar watching them with an expressionless face. Then she turned back to Liam who was handing her several cocktails that she set on her tray.

Sorcha was leaning in with a flirty smile, and he knew Arden had noticed.

He wasn’t the kind of guy to play games, and he’d never lead Sorcha on, knowing it would go nowhere, but hey, maybe it was good for Arden to see that another woman liked him. So he smiled back at her. “We all work out,” he said. “It’s part of the job.”

Her gaze lingered on his biceps. “I guess it is. Carrying those big hoses…”

He nearly choked. “Yeah, among other things.”

She sighed. Then she turned, catching a customer at a booth waving at her. She rose with a regretful expression. “Sorry. I have to get back to work.”

Tyler turned his attention back to his friends, who were now talking about how women had better hearing than men.

“It’s true,” Mila insisted. “Studies have proven it.”

“See, my last girlfriend didn’t believe me when I told her that,” Jamie said with a grin. “She kept accusing me of not listening to her. I just didn’t hear her.”

“Much as I hate to support you on that, there is science behind it,” Mila agreed. “Testosterone affects the development of the auditory system, so it blocks out unwanted, repetitious noise.”

“That’s why my brain was blocking her out. She was definitely repetitious.” One corner of his mouth lifted.

“Well, she probablyhadto be, to get you to listen,” Mila said. “But she did have a very annoying voice.”

“Yeah, you never liked Ashley.” Jamie frowned. “Come to think of it, you never like any of my girlfriends.”

Mila snorted. “That’s not true. And anyway, most of them aren’t around long enough for me to like.”

Tyler’s forehead tightened, listening to their exchange. Mila seemed…edgy tonight.

“I need another beer,” she announced, looking around. “Where’s Arden?”

“I’ll get it for you.” Tyler already knew Arden was in the kitchen. He rose. “Anyone else?”

Everyone else was good, so he headed to the bar and slid onto an empty stool. Liam noticed him right away and he ordered Mila’s Pilsner and another IPA for himself.

As he waited, he watched Arden come out of the kitchen with a tray of food for another table. She served them with her bright smile, getting more smiles in return.

“Jaysus, man, stop making glad eyes at her.”

Tyler turned to Liam, frowning. “What?”

“You can’t take your eyes off her.” Liam nodded at Arden. “What is up with that?”

Shit. Was it obvious to everyone? Tyler rubbed his forehead.

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