“I’ve already got a nickname.Must mean I fit right in.”Blane nudges Grace with his shoulder.“Hope I’m not stealing your fan club.”
“Please.”She shakes her head.“They were being nice.”
Kellen scoffs.“Nice is one word.”
Blane’s mouth curves at him.“You flirtin’, man?Careful—she bites.”
Grace elbows him.“Only when provoked.”
The table laughs, except me.Clocking my mood first, Oliver gives me a quiet nudge to my shoulder.Then Blane glances over, and his smirk sharpens, satisfied.
Grace catches it a half second later, her eyes moving to mine, and something moves across her face.Like she can’t decide if she’s glad I’m failing to hide my annoyance, or if she wants me to pull it together before someone else notices.
Too late for both.
“Hey, looks like we need refills, and Maisy’s got her hands full.”Oliver motions toward the floor where Maisy Doncaster is hustling between tables, tray balanced and expression focused.
“I’d love a beer.”Blane raises his hand, making sure he’s not forgotten.If only.
“Sure thing.Mad, let’s grab drinks.”Oliver’s not asking, and I follow him to the bar.
Eddie Winslow’s at the bar, nursing a beer and holding court with a few of the older crowd.Oliver’s brother is twenty-one years our senior and twice as settled in his ways.
I clamp a hand on his shoulder.“Hey, Eddie.”
“Hello, boys.”He turns on his stool.“Was thinking about working my way over.”
Kellen wedges himself between Oliver and me.“Eddie.Good to see you.”
Eddie runs a hand through silver hair.“You three letting loose with a few days off?”
“Something like that.”Oliver catches Duke’s eye behind the bar and holds up seven fingers.
“Make it six—I’m good,” I call over the noise.
Duke nods and moves down the bar.“You boys are next.You good, Ed?”
“Never better.”Eddie waves him off and turns back to me.“Maddox, got a visit from Katie the other day.She was pretty worked up about Lara Crandall.”
I open my mouth just as Grace appears at my side.
“You’re the firefighter.”Her face lights with recognition as she points at Eddie.
“Yes, ma’am.”He dips his chin, a rare smile finding its way out.“How you doing?”
“Good.”Her smile matches his warmth.“I wanted to thank you for everything you did that day.And… sorry about the oxygen mask.I was being stubborn.”
A laugh breaks out of me before I can stop it.She glares my way, and I give her one right back, not even a little surprised she left that detail out of her version of events.I can picture it perfectly—Grace waving off the mask, insisting she’s fine, smoke inhalation be damned.
Eddie shakes his head, but he’s still smiling.“Not unusual.Most people say they’re fine.But I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
“Thank you.”She tucks a curl behind her ear.“Sorry for interrupting—I just came to help.”
“It’s fine.”I shift slightly so she fits more naturally into the group and glance back at Eddie.“So… Lara Crandall.You talk to her?”
“I plan to—talking to Katie was the first I heard.I want to enjoy my Thanksgiving before I take her on.”
Grace studies Eddie with that look she gets—curious, cataloguing, already composing questions.Always a reporter.I smile before I can stop it.