Page 310 of Off Limits: The Firsts

I laugh. “God bless him. What time is he going up?”

“In about an hour. Everyone’s heading out to get a bite to eat and then meeting back here at seven. You want to come?”

I glance at my watch. That gives me seventy minutes to fill out a few reports for Blue Skies and complete the last few things on the new to-do list Travis gave me this morning.

“I can’t go out to eat with you guys,” I say, “but I’ll be geared up at the plane at seven.”

“Cool. It’s been a long time since we just jumped for the hell of it.”

“Amen.”

Leo leaves me be, but I can still hear him rattling around and gathering his things in the office before the bells on the door ring as he shuts it behind him.

I’m not sure how much time passes before the bells on the door go off again.

“Sorry, we’re closed,” I call out to the front of the shop and mentally chastise myself for not taking the time to lock the door.

Then the thought hits that it’s Chris coming back while I’m here alone.

“We’re closed,” I call again just as I turn the corner to the front office and run smack dab into someone.

“Whoa! Where’s the fire?” Grant’s hands are on my shoulders, holding me steady as I look up at him. I hate that I sigh in relief that he isn’t Chris.

“No fire,” I say as I catch my breath. “We’re just closed.”

“So you said.” Grant’s eyes narrow as he studies me, and I know he sees fluster. “Everything okay, Em?” Concern laces his tone, and the sound of it makes me step back quickly.

“Yeah, fine.”

“You sure?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

Why am I suddenly so nervous?

“Em?”

“It’s nothing, Grant. The loan guy was here earlier, and he was just . . .”

“He was just what?” The muscle in his jaw pulses as he clenches his teeth.

“I told you, I’m a big—”

“Girl who can take care of herself. Yeah, yeah. That doesn’t mean that prick has the right to treat you how he does. Who is he, Em? I can take a quick stop by his house and—”

“No. You’re not doing anything.”

“All it would take is some asking around, a little detective work,” he says, flashing me a smirk as he points to his shiny badge pinned over his heart, “and I could fix the fucker.”

“Thank you for the chivalry. I really appreciate your willingness to be my knight in shining armor, but I’m a big—I have it handled.”

He stares at me for a beat, our eyes warring over his hero complex and my independence. On any other day, I’d smile at the trait and think it was cute . . . but not right now. Not with my loan at stake.

“This is off your beat, isn’t it, Officer Malone?” I ask with a smile and try to switch gears.

“You keep ignoring me.” There is just a bit too much accusation there for his statement to be casual.

“No, I don’t,” I lie. “I’ve just been super busy.”