Breaking Protocol (Firehouse Fourteen Book 3) by Lisa B. Kamps Page A
Authors: Lisa B. Kamps
Ads: Link
tilted up in a hesitant smile. But she didn't say anything.
Dave shifted, even more uncomfortable, wishing there was a way to erase the damage he had done, wishing there was a way he could just make everything right again. He knew Angie had asked him out here for a reason, had thought she was going to grill him about CC. But now that they were out here, she didn't seem anxious to ask him about anything.
He could ask her what she wanted, just answer whatever questions she may have and leave it at that. But that would be the easy thing to do, and it would do nothing to heal the rift between them.
"Shit." He muttered the word and ran one hand over his face. Angie looked over at him, confusion clear on his face. Confusion, and something that resembled caution, like she expected him to lecture her or yell at her or something like that. And he hated seeing that expression on her face, in her eyes.
He closed the distance between them and yanked her into a hard hug. She held herself stiffly for a few seconds, no doubt surprised, probably confused and taken completely off-guard. Then her arms came around his waist, hesitant at first before finally tightening, hugging him back.
"I'm sorry, Angie. For everything. So sorry." Dave's voice was gruff, embarrassing him, but he didn't pull away. And he didn't say anything else, even though there was so much else to say. He just didn't know how.
Angie mumbled something, the words muffled against his chest. Her arms tightened a bit more around his waist then eased, and Dave felt her trying to pull back. But he didn't want to let her go, not just yet, not when he hoped his hug was saying all the things he couldn't quite put into words.
"You're squishing me."
Dave finally heard the words, muttered on a small wheeze, and he jumped back, surprised. He looked down at Angie, saw the slight smile on her face when she stepped away. She turned her head and brushed her face against her shoulder, her eyes still bright with moisture as she laughed. Not a full laugh, more like a surprised exhale.
But he'd take it, knowing—hoping—it was a start.
"Since when do you get all mushy?"
"I'm not mushy. What? I can't give my sister a hug and say I'm sorry for being an ass?"
Angie smiled up at him, a little more at ease, then threw her arms around him once more and hugged him so hard he felt his breath leave him in a small gasp. Then she pulled away and sat down on the bench, patting the space beside her. "I'm sorry, too."
Dave sat next to her, turning so they were face-to-face. "What are you sorry for?"
"I should have told you. When Jay and I first started dating, I mean. I shouldn't have tried to hide it."
"Ang, don't. I didn't exactly make it easy for you. I know that." Silence settled around them once more, not quite as uncomfortable as before. Dave shifted on the bench, looked down and took a deep breath, looked back at Angie. "So. Are things working out? You happy?"
"Yeah, I am." She paused, chewing on her lower lip like she was trying to decide what to say. "Jay bought a townhouse. North of Cockeysville."
"Yeah, I heard something like that at work."
She paused, picking at the material of her jeans, then watched him from the corner of her eye. "He, uh, asked me to move in with him."
Her announcement wasn't exactly news to him. He had heard the quiet conversations at work, caught more than everyone thought he did, even though everybody had been careful about what they said near him. But he still felt a flash of protectiveness, of concern, when Angie said the words out loud. His first instinct was to tell her no, she was too young to be shacking up with anyone, too young to be getting so serious.
But she wasn't too young. And it hadn't been a question. So Dave took a deep breath and did his best to unclench his fists before speaking. "Are you?"
Angie smiled, happiness lighting her eyes. "Yeah, I think so."
A hundred different things went through Dave's mind, a hundred different things
Dave shifted, even more uncomfortable, wishing there was a way to erase the damage he had done, wishing there was a way he could just make everything right again. He knew Angie had asked him out here for a reason, had thought she was going to grill him about CC. But now that they were out here, she didn't seem anxious to ask him about anything.
He could ask her what she wanted, just answer whatever questions she may have and leave it at that. But that would be the easy thing to do, and it would do nothing to heal the rift between them.
"Shit." He muttered the word and ran one hand over his face. Angie looked over at him, confusion clear on his face. Confusion, and something that resembled caution, like she expected him to lecture her or yell at her or something like that. And he hated seeing that expression on her face, in her eyes.
He closed the distance between them and yanked her into a hard hug. She held herself stiffly for a few seconds, no doubt surprised, probably confused and taken completely off-guard. Then her arms came around his waist, hesitant at first before finally tightening, hugging him back.
"I'm sorry, Angie. For everything. So sorry." Dave's voice was gruff, embarrassing him, but he didn't pull away. And he didn't say anything else, even though there was so much else to say. He just didn't know how.
Angie mumbled something, the words muffled against his chest. Her arms tightened a bit more around his waist then eased, and Dave felt her trying to pull back. But he didn't want to let her go, not just yet, not when he hoped his hug was saying all the things he couldn't quite put into words.
"You're squishing me."
Dave finally heard the words, muttered on a small wheeze, and he jumped back, surprised. He looked down at Angie, saw the slight smile on her face when she stepped away. She turned her head and brushed her face against her shoulder, her eyes still bright with moisture as she laughed. Not a full laugh, more like a surprised exhale.
But he'd take it, knowing—hoping—it was a start.
"Since when do you get all mushy?"
"I'm not mushy. What? I can't give my sister a hug and say I'm sorry for being an ass?"
Angie smiled up at him, a little more at ease, then threw her arms around him once more and hugged him so hard he felt his breath leave him in a small gasp. Then she pulled away and sat down on the bench, patting the space beside her. "I'm sorry, too."
Dave sat next to her, turning so they were face-to-face. "What are you sorry for?"
"I should have told you. When Jay and I first started dating, I mean. I shouldn't have tried to hide it."
"Ang, don't. I didn't exactly make it easy for you. I know that." Silence settled around them once more, not quite as uncomfortable as before. Dave shifted on the bench, looked down and took a deep breath, looked back at Angie. "So. Are things working out? You happy?"
"Yeah, I am." She paused, chewing on her lower lip like she was trying to decide what to say. "Jay bought a townhouse. North of Cockeysville."
"Yeah, I heard something like that at work."
She paused, picking at the material of her jeans, then watched him from the corner of her eye. "He, uh, asked me to move in with him."
Her announcement wasn't exactly news to him. He had heard the quiet conversations at work, caught more than everyone thought he did, even though everybody had been careful about what they said near him. But he still felt a flash of protectiveness, of concern, when Angie said the words out loud. His first instinct was to tell her no, she was too young to be shacking up with anyone, too young to be getting so serious.
But she wasn't too young. And it hadn't been a question. So Dave took a deep breath and did his best to unclench his fists before speaking. "Are you?"
Angie smiled, happiness lighting her eyes. "Yeah, I think so."
A hundred different things went through Dave's mind, a hundred different things
Similar Books
