Page 13 of Take a Hike
Hands reached for her to help her off her undignified perch, but Kieran’s snarled “I’ve got her” made the hands withdraw.
They’re worried he might bite them.If she hadn’t still been coughing, she would’ve laughed at that thought.
“Charlie!” Fifi’s voice rose above the babble of other people and loud thrum of the fire engine.
Kieran placed her on her feet and then helped her sit on the extended bumper of the fire truck. Fifi, her face pale, rushed over to her with Bennett close behind. His poker face was ruined by the worried wrinkles between his eyebrows, and Charlie made a mental note to tease him later.
For now, she knew they needed reassurance. “I’m—mmmph.” Unfortunately, her “I’m fine” was interrupted by the oxygen mask that was jammed over her face.
When she turned a glare to Kieran—the holder of said oxygen mask—he just raised an imperious eyebrow and growled, “Breathe.”
“Oh, Charlie! Are you burned? Smoke inhalation? Of course you inhaled smoke. Why would you be getting oxygen if you didn’t? I’m so sorry! We should’ve stayed together in the front.” Fifi’s eyes were wide and watery, and the sign of impending tears made Charlie up the scowl she’d fixed on the man who was keeping her from reassuring her worried sister. Since talking was out for her at the moment, Charlie gave Kieran’s arm a punch.
Instead of reacting, he just continued giving her a flat stare with just the hint of a snarl. His lack of a flinch was extra infuriating, since her punching hand hurt now.
“I don’t think you should be punching the arm that saved you,” Fifi said, her eyebrows high and startled as she looked back and forth between Charlie and Kieran. “I mean, the man carried you out of a burning building and is currently giving you first aid. Maybe wait a few minutes before beating him up?”
To Charlie’s relief, her sister at least no longer looked like she was about to cry, so she was grateful to the ass in front of her for that. Now he just needed to take off her oxygen mask so she could tell her sister that she’d been in the middle of saving herself when her unrequested—andunnecessary—rescue took place.
From his scowl, he wasn’t about to let her tell him offanytime soon, so she settled back against the cool metal of the truck and plotted her revenge. If the stories were right, it was best served cold anyway—not that she’d know, since she was always too impatient to wait. Right now, she just needed to find out if Lou was okay, so she gave her sister a questioning look.
Fifi settled on the bumper next to her. “Lou’s fine too.”
Charlie was grateful that her sister was a fair hand at reading her mind.
“Callum hugged her for a solid five minutes and is currently making her sit still so the paramedics can check her out.” Fifi nodded toward the ambulance, where Lou—a long-suffering look of strained patience on her face—was indeed being examined while Callum hovered.
Still muted by the mask, Charlie gave a thumbs-up to express her relief that no one had been hurt. Pointing toward the still-flaming building, she then lifted her hands in an exaggerated shrug, hoping Fifi’s charades skills were still on point.
“They don’t know yet,” Fifi answered her unspoken question. “Either that, or they’re not telling. The sheriff was trying to get a statement from me and B, but we were too worried about you to pay much attention to her questions. She’ll be back around, I’m sure.” Fifi turned her head as she examined the growing crowd, and then finally gestured toward a woman in a sheriff department uniform striding toward them. “Incoming, in fact.”
Charlie hated law enforcement interviews. She was suddenly grateful for Kieran’s overzealous application of first aid.
“Charlotte Pax?” the sheriff asked, focusing on her with alaser intensity that made Charlie feel instantly and undeservedly guilty. “Sheriff Summers. I have some questions for you.”
Trying to look as pitiful as possible, Charlie gestured toward the oxygen mask, giving the sheriff huge I-wish-I-could-help-but-I’m-incapacitated-after-nearly-dying eyes.
Kieran, that contrary beast, started to pull the oxygen mask away.
Grabbing his hand, Charlie jerked the mask back against her face, sending him a threatening glare.
His eyebrow and the corner of his mouth quirked up in a smirk, but he kept the oxygen mask in place. “Later, Sheriff,” he grumbled. “I’m treating her for smoke inhalation.”
The sheriff eyed them flatly, making Charlie fairly certain that Summers had caught the interplay, but she continued giving her best innocent-and-dumb expression until the sheriff turned to her sister. “Felicity Pax. Tell me why we’re lucky enough to have you visiting again so soon?”
Fifi hopped off the bumper and stood next to Bennett, leaning against him. Charlie appreciated her sister’s effort to get the sheriff’s attention off her. Batting her eyelashes at her new husband, who looked as amused as a boulder-made-human could look, Fifi said sweetly, “We never got a honeymoon. What better place to spend it than Simpson, where we fell in love?”
Summers gave the couple a sour look. “You brought your sister with you on your honeymoon?”
Fifi didn’t miss a beat. “He knew when he married me that my sister and I are a package deal.”
The sheriff’s eyebrows shot up, and even Kieran gave Charliea startled glance.
“Um…not a second-wife type of package deal,” Fifi quickly corrected, sending Bennett a panicked look. When he just smirked at her, she turned her flustered gaze on Charlie, who shrugged helplessly, grateful for the oxygen mask for the second time in as many minutes. “I just…really like spending time with my sister.”
“On your honeymoon.” Summers’s voice was flat.
“Well…sure.” Fifi was looking positively desperate for a save now. “All this free time…what better way to use it than for Bennett to get to know a member of his new family?” Her voice rose in the end, making it even more obvious that she knew exactly how ridiculous her explanation was.
