Page 1 of Merrick
Chapter 1
MERRICK
The firehouse is usually quiet on a Saturday, but right now, I can hear the voices of my best friend, Aaron, and his nephew, Mattie, echoing off the tiled walls as they talk animatedly about practice.
I push back from the paperwork on my desk and head out of my office to greet them. I help Aaron out sometimes coaching Mattie’s little league team, but I missed practice today to get some work done.
“How’d it go?” I ask, leaning against the door jam.
“Merrick, you missed it!” Mattie shouts, his body nearly trembling with excitement as he runs towards me. “I got two hits today.”
“That’s great, buddy.” I hold my hand up, well over his head, to give him a high five. He laughs and jumps to smack it.
It’s been amazing this summer watching Mattie’s skills improve in baseball. He still struggles from time to time with his batting, but I've tried to help him with some techniques.
“Don’t forget, we have a make-up game on Saturday for the rain out from last week,” Aaron says as his phone beeps in his pocket. He pulls it out and glances at the screen. “We should have enough time if we hurry up after the game to get ready for the Fireman’s Ball.”
Dread courses through me at the reminder of the ball we are all being forced to attend. It’s for a good cause and all, raising funds for the Knight’s Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, but I hate dressing up, especially if I don't have a date. Jemma’s face pops into my mind at the thought of having to find someone to take with me, but I know better that it will never happen.
She’s Aaron’s older sister and Mattie’s mom, so she’s double off-limits. Keeping my feelings to myself is something I’ve grown accustomed to doing, seeing as I’ve been in love with her since middle school. But she never saw me as anything but her younger brother's, formally geeky best friend. I joined the Knight's Ridge Fire Department as a way to bulk up and show her I’m not the gangly little kid she once knew me as. And last Christmas, it seemed like she was starting to take notice of me, but nothing really came from it.
“Earth to Merrick.” Aaron waves his hand in front of my face.
I blink a few times at him in confusion. “I’m sorry, were you saying something?”
Aaron shakes his head. “I said that Ember asked if you knew who you were going to take to the ball. She has some friends that you might be interested in setting you up with if you can’t find someone on such short notice.”
“I don’t need to be set up,” I grumble.
“Oh, so you have a date.”
“Well, not exactly, but I’m sure I can call someone up.”
A car horn outside the open station door beeps twice as Jemma’s blue SUV pulls to a stop.
I try not to stare as Jemma steps out of the driver’s seat. Her head is thrown back in laughter, and I can’t help but smile at the infectiousness of the joy on her face. I want to be the one that makes her smile like that. I want to hold her in my arms, kiss her like she's never been kissed before, and ruin her for all other men.
“Mom!” Mattie yells, interrupting my thoughts, and runs towards the SUV.
I turn away from the object of my lifelong infatuation and run straight into Aaron with his arms crossed, looking like he somehow knows exactly what I was just thinking.
JEMMA
“Admit it.” Ember laughs. “You want him to peel off his shirt and let you grate cheese on those abs.”
I can't hold in the laugh that bursts out of me at the visual of me grating cheese on Merrick's abs, but she isn't entirely wrong. I made the mistake of telling Ember about my crush on my brother's best friend, and now she won't let up. She is determined to push us together at every moment that she can.
“Mom!” Mattie yells.
I lean down and catch him in my arms. It’s only been a few hours, but I already missed him.
“Mom, you won’t believe it! I got two hits today!”
“That’s amazing, sweetheart.”
I rest my arm on Mattie’s shoulder and walk back with him towards the station house. He’s talking a mile a minute, giving me the play by play of his afternoon. Mattie loves baseball, and I’m lucky enough to have a brother willing to volunteer his time to coach his team.
Mattie's dad left not long after the pregnancy stick turned blue, and I haven't heard from him since. I should be angry at him for leaving, but I was more concerned about what Mattie would be missing out on by not having a dad in his life. But like he did when he took over the coaching of Mattie's little league team, Aaron stepped in and played the part of a positive male role model to my son.
