Page 77 of When You Blush
“Yes, three on, then three off. What’s your schedule like this week?”
I try to mentally pull up my calendar. “Half day in the clinic today, ER tonight. I have two more days in the clinic after that. IthinkI have a couple of days off once those are done.”
Harper bounces in her seat, making me grin.
“The stars have aligned our schedules again.”
“Thank God for the stars.” I pull up to Xanders, then push out of my car and walk around to open her door. When she steps out, I tug her against me and kiss her long and slow. Her hands fist in my sweatshirt, making me groan. “If you don’t go inside, I’m going to fuck you against this car.”
She licks that bottom lip. “Rain check.”
With a smirk, I pull her bag out of the back seat, and she takes it from me. I kiss her forehead, breathing her in one last time.
“Have a good day, Harper.”
“You too.” She grins at me, then she jogs up the stairs to the door, keys in the code, and disappears inside.
Rubbing my hand over my chest, I get back in the car and drive off. But when I get home, the house smells like Harper, and it’s way too empty without her, so I fill a gym bag and decide to go lift some weights.
Bridger’s the fire chief, and he’s offered up the gym at the fire station for us siblings to use whenever we want, so I head there. It’s quiet this morning. The sky has lightened to gray with the predawn light, and birds chirp as I walk inside the firestation.
No one is in the locker room, and once I’ve changed and shoved my stuff into a locker, I walk out to the weight room and grin.
Brooks and Bridger are at the squat rack. Brooks is lifting, and Bridger’s watching, and I immediately feel good about coming here so early.
“Hey,” Bridge says with a smile as I stride to them.
“Good morning.” I shake my brother’s hand and pull him in for a man-hug, and do the same to Brooks once he’s racked the bar and stepped over.
We’re all tall in our family, well into the mid-six-foot range. We’re muscular and broad naturally and add in the workouts we all do, and well, we’re strong.
But Brooks takes it to another level.
The man looks like he could wrestle professionally. He could give the Rock a run for his money in the size department.
“How’s it going?” Brooks asks.
“It’s great. I just dropped Harper off at home and thought I’d come work out for a bit. I don’t have to be at the clinic until around noon.”
Bridger’s eyebrows climb in surprise. “You let her stay all night?”
“Don’t be a dick.” I shake my head and walk over to the barbells for curling. My brothers follow me over. “She’s stayed a few nights now. Atmyhouse.”
“Hold up.” Brooks crosses his arms over his chest. “This is a relationship.”
“Fuck yes.” I set the barbells down and wipe my hand over my face. “It is. And you two can give me shit all youwant, but I don’t care. She’s great, and I plan to spend as much time with her as possible.”
They both stare at me, and Bridger sets his hand on my shoulder. “Good for you. I like her, you know that. I assume she’s on the same page.”
“Same page,” I agree with a nod. “I’d like to murder her ex for being a general asshole and giving her some insecurity issues, but otherwise, things are great.”
“Everyone has baggage,” Brooks says and starts doing curls of his own. Double the amount of weight that I just lifted.
Asshole.
“If you care about her, don’t give up on her.”
Bridger and I share a look.
