Page 39 of Half Baked

“He said that we are up and running.”

They all blink at me for a minute, no one reacting. With a laugh I add, “As in, we got the permit. We’re approved to start doing our job.” I hold up the form for good measure.

“Hell yeah.” Nash grins back at me, slamming a fist on the table. “Let’s do this!”

“This is for real?” Wes asks hopefully.

“It sounds like it’s for real.” Jamie clasps him on the shoulder. “Ain’t that right, boss?”

I nod as the three of them turn back to me. “That’s right. As of this moment, we are on duty.”

Chapter 18

Poppy

“What are you doing?” Hayden shouts, jumping out of his fancy little car. I roll my eyes as he storms my way and I reach up for the next peach hanging before me. “Poppy,” he grits out, coming down the row of trees. “You can’t have a ladder leaning on a weak limb like that.”

“Why are you always so bossy?” I shoot back. “You act like I haven’t done this a hundred times.” I can see him nearing out of the corner of my eye and twist to face him. “Being a firefighter doesn’t make you a ladder expert?—”

But I twist too fast. Beneath me, the ladder becomes unbalanced. I squeal, reach to get a purchase on the nearest branch, and miss it. Squeezing my eyes closed, I brace myself to hit the ground. But it doesn’t happen.

Instead, I’m caressed down against a solid chest. Hayden steadies me, one hand under the bend of my knees, the other spreading across my back. “I’ve got you,” he assures me.

His arms hold me tight to him, and this time I don’t immediately pull away.

“I only fell because you caught me off guard,” I attempt to argue. But both my voice and my argument are weak.

His expression softens. “I need you to be safe, Poppy Seed,” he murmurs with a gentle tone that causes a flutter to erupt in my heart. It’s a very different reaction to the nickname than any time before. And maybe it’s due to the feeling of being in his arms, or maybe it’s the way that he sounded more concerned than condescending. But my brain is becoming hazy on the reasons I should despise him.

My arms had wrapped around his neck to brace myself initially, and I slowly relax them, letting my palms slide down his chest. There’s no hiding the way I’m studying the feel of his muscles. And from the way his breath catches, Hayden doesn’t seem to mind.

“This is where you tell me that I should thank you,” I whisper, staring up at his disarming gaze.

A slow smile creeps across his face. “But I’m guessing you have no intention of doing such a thing.”

“For once, you are correct, Baywatch.”

The air between us is thick, and I remind myself that it’s a humid summer day. This has nothing to do with the way our bodies are pressed together.

Hayden trails his thumb up and down my thigh from where he’s got my legs thrown over his arm, the motion sending ripples of heat to my core. I’m accustomed to feeling heated around him, but this is a wholly different kind.

I don’t want him to stop. I’m craving his touch. And the feeling is something I am utterly unprepared to experience.

I lift my hands from his chest and shake my head. “We should go inside.”

“Right.” He clears his throat, gently placing me back on the ground and moving to pick up the fallen ladder. “Do me a favor? Stop finding the smallest twig to lean this against.”

I toss my hair over my shoulder with as much fire as I can muster. “What I will do is be mindful of swinging my body around when you come charging over with demands next time.”

“I’ll take what I can get. That at least sounded close to you agreeing to be careful.” He stops and brings his hand to his chest in mock surprise. I slap his arm, moving to pick up my bushel of peaches when Hayden beats me to it. Carrying the load, he leads the way towards my house. I only catch up as he reaches the front door and lets himself right inside.

Acting completely at home, he moves through to my kitchen and deposits the basket of fruit on the counter. He turns to watch me enter behind him and asks, “What’s the plan for today?”

“Mini peaches and cream cheesecakes. Start washing the fruit and I’ll get to work on the graham cracker crust.”

“And then?”

“You can slice the peaches and put them in that food processor.” I point to the appliance waiting in the corner.

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