Page 18 of What it Takes
Chapter Five
Ben wiped his hand across his face, but it did nothing but grind the dust and grit deeper into his skin. It was hot and humid for late June, and right now he wanted nothing more than to ride his quad out to the Northern Star and dive into their pool. But Rosie would slap him sideways if he jumped in as filthy as he was.
Or Laney would.
Oh, I can show you dirty.
It was three days later and he still felt his face get hot when he remembered that moment. As soon as the words had left his mouth, he’d realized how it sounded and been afraid Laney would take it the wrong way.
And maybe she had, but she hadn’t slapped his face. Or gotten tense and turned away. Something had flared in her eyes and her lips had curved into the hint of a smile as she looked at him. The unintended innuendo hadn’t offended her. It had intrigued her.
And he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even now, sitting on his ATV in front of the fire station with his helmet on his lap because he couldn’t summon the energy to get off the damn thing, he was thinking about that look on Laney’s face.
“Hey, you planning to sit there until Whitford gets a takeout joint that’ll deliver?”
Ben turned to see his brother Jimmy leaning against the brick wall of the station and remembered they were supposed to have dinner. “How much do you think it would cost me to have a pizza delivered?”
“Considering the nearest place is probably twenty minutes away, time and the price of gas, maybe a hundred bucks.” After a few seconds of silence, Jimmy cocked his head. “You’re not actually considering it, aren’t you?”
Ben laughed. “Not really, but it sure sounds good. I’m starving.”
“Then get off the machine and we’ll walk over to the diner.”
That was the plan they’d come up with, but Ben hadn’t been exhausted and so sweaty the dust was turning to mud on his skin. “I have to replace the supplies I used and bring the ATV inside before I can go.”
“Then get moving. And no, you’re not getting a rain check. The boys are driving Chelsea crazy lately and you wouldn’t believe how hard it was to get a night out. I have to help her clean closets this week.Andput up shelving in the basement for all the bulk crap she buys with coupons.”
With a groan, Ben climbed off the ATV and hung his helmet off the handlebar. “I have to eat, anyway. The fact you’ll have to organize your wife’s shoes just makes it that much sweeter.”
“How the hell did you get like that, anyway? Did you stop and roll around in the dirt on your way back?”
“We responded to an accident. Family in a four-seater got hit by a guy on a quad. They were okay, but the mom got a dislocated shoulder because she saw it coming and reached back like she was going to brace the kids or something. But the guy took off and they said he was drunk, so we left Dave and the other guys to handle the mom and took off after him. Drew just put new tires on the PD’s quad and the tread was throwing up dust like a damn cloud.”
“Who the hell gets drunk at lunch and then goes out on the trails?”
“The same guy who’s eating dinner in a cell tonight because we know the trails and he doesn’t. We split up because we knew Matt was coming in from another direction and he ran out of places to go.”
“At least it wasn’t worse.”
Ben couldn’t begin to count the number of times he’d said that to himself over the course of his career. He knew what worse really meant, and today it definitely could have been worse.
Even though the injuries had been minor, he still had to do the preliminary paperwork and a quick inventory. Then he backed the ATV down between the engine and the wall into a small space they’d cleared for it. Because of the drugs he was able to carry and dispense, the machine couldn’t be left unattended unless it was in the station, but the engine and the utility truck ate most of the space.
Then he did the best he could do washing up in the sink and called it good. Jimmy had told his wife he’d try to be home in time for the bedtime routine, so it would take too long for Ben to shower and change. And Paige had built the diner’s business on being snowmobile and ATV friendly, so they wouldn’t mind a little dirt.
When she’d bought the closed-down restaurant, Paige had redone the inside but kept a cool retro look. Black-and-white marble. Red vinyl. With good coffee, great food and friendly staff, it was no wonder she’d made a success out of the formerly dismal and ultimately abandoned establishment.
Rumor had it she’d also invested in the Northern Star when the family realized the ATV trail access was going to not only save the lodge, but make money if they expanded. And her investment was separate from that of her husband, Mitch, who owned one of the top controlled demolition companies in the country. Ben wasn’t sure how much of that particular rumor was true, but he did know that the family had jumped through all the legal hoops to turn the Northern Star into a structured business, which then grew into the Northern Star Lodge & Campground.
Tori was working tonight, he saw as he walked through the door. The pretty brunette was married to Max and they had a six-month-old daughter named Chessie, who’d be at home with her daddy. Max worked from home and Tori actually did, too, since she did some kind of graphics work with book covers or something. But she liked getting out of the house, so she’d picked up shifts at the diner before she and Max got together and she kept on doing it.
Her cousin, Gavin, was cooking, and as soon as Ben saw a glimpse of him on the other side of the pass-through window, his mouth started watering. Gavin’d gone away for a while to cook in Kennebunkport, but then one day he’d come back and Ben didn’t know the story of why. But he didn’t really care. The man was an amazing cook.
“Hey, guys,” Tori said, setting menus down in front of them. “Rough day?”
Ben shrugged. “Could have been worse.”
“Coffee or something cold?” They both asked for coffee. “By the way, Gavin made chicken parmesan tonight and that might sound boring, but you would not believe how amazing it is.”
