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  She let her thoughts drift back to their time at the ER, she would have loved to get inside Doctor Ashley’s head.

  Roan.

  Strawberry.

  She couldn’t help but smile even more at the nickname Sergeant Turner had launched at her brother. There had to be a story behind that.

  And she definitely wanted to know what it was. She wanted to know all kinds of things about Roan, but the Sergeant would know something was up if she asked about it.

  Not that it made a difference either way. Roan was a doctor. A well-respected member of the staff at Cole Medical. She’d seen enough of his interactions with the staff to ferret that out.

  Sure, quite a few female nurses gave him appreciative looks and at least one man, but what was clear was they all respected him. Listening intently to his words and quickly taking care of his orders.

  Yeah, Doctor Roan Ashley was head and shoulders out of her league.

  “Hey.” A clipped, repetitive sound turned her attention toward Crois. He was tapping his knuckles on the desk. “You almost done?”

  Pilar fought down the blush she felt warming her cheeks. She’d let herself be distracted with thoughts that she had no business having. She would have to be thankful for the fact that Crois seemed absolutely clueless to what she had going on in her head.

  “Yeah. Sure. You?” She let her fingers fly over the keys. No matter how much shit men had always given her for her ‘traditional feminine skills’ she never tried to downplay it. If pounding at a keyboard with a couple of fingers made some of the Neanderthals around her feel more at ease in her presence, that was fine.

  “I’m going to be here for a while.”

  She gave him a curious look.

  He waved a hand at her and sat back in his chair. “I can do it on my own. I just hate this part of the job.”

  Pilar blew out a breath. “I agree. I’d rather be put on patrol than typing up incident reports, but this is going to help in the long run. For the detectives to have our accounts for their investigation and if we end up in court to testify-”

  “Yes, boss.” He gave her a wink.

  “Sorry, I guess without my brother around to remind me of stuff I know, I have to dump it on you.”

  He laughed. “No problem. Dump away. I don’t have any siblings to offer advice, asked for or not.”

  “Well, eventually, my family will start coming up to check on me and you’ll get to see if it’s overrated or not.”

  He shook his head. “Oh, I forgot.” Reaching out to the end of his desk, he picked up a little paper and gave it a cursory glance before handing it over to her. “Audrey gave this to me when we came back. A phone message for you.”

  “Huh, thanks.”

  She couldn’t think of any calls that she was expecting, but when she saw the note, she felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders. Picking up the desk phone she dialed the number and waited for it to pick up on the other side.

  “Vitalia Campanelli.”

  “Lia! Hey, this is Pilar Bravo-”

  “Pilar! You got my message! Great! I didn’t have my phone at the House today. I wanted to let you know I have a line on an apartment for you.”

  Pilar felt her heart pound out an enthusiastic rhythm as she tried to get enough air into her lungs to speak.

  “That’s great! Where? How much? When can I move in?”

  Vitalia’s laughter helped loosen her own.

  “Sounds like you’re interested.”

  “Very!” Pilar leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling tiles. Talk about the answer to her prayers! “I really need to get out of this long-term hotel. The manager keeps looking at me like he’s expecting me to skip out, even though he has my credit card on file.”

  “Yeah, that doesn’t sound like it’s a good place for you. I think you‘ll be much happier somewhere else. I think I have the perfect place. Your landlord would be one of my dad’s firefighters. I’m on shift here at House Eight until tomorrow morning. That’s your day off, right?”

  “Yes.” Pilar blew out a breath and felt more of the tension release from her shoulders.

  “Great. Give me your address and room number and I’ll pick you up after I leave the station. Gibson said he’ll walk us through the apartment and talk to you about rent when we get there.”

  Could this really be happening?

  “Sounds great, Lia. After that, let’s go get something to eat, my treat for helping me look for a place. San Antonio is huge, but so is Center City in so many different ways. I would have been lost if you hadn’t offered to help.”

  Vitalia laughed. “You would have figured it out, but this is my hometown. I love that I can help you find your way around. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a firefighter, but sometimes it’s so much testosterone.”

  “Tell me about it.” Pilar chuckled as she slanted a glance over to Crois who was squinting at the computer screen. “It’s nice to have some feminine energy around me.”

  Crois heard that and gave her a confused look before he mouthed, ‘What about me?’ before he went back to his report.

  “Seriously. You have the best timing.”

  Vitalia agreed. “All right then, you get your stuff done and I’ll get mine done too. I’ll pick you up in the morning so we can get you away from that horrible hotel.”

  Pilar blew out a breath and smiled in relief. “See you then, girl! Bye!”

  “Bye!”

  Pilar attacked the keyboard, ready to get done and get out of the station. She needed to get her sleep so she’d be ready to have fun in the morning. Things were looking up.

  3

  Pilar knew she was going to look a mess when they got to the apartments. She hadn’t bothered to pull her hair back from her face when they got into Vitalia’s Jeep, and as they drove along the Riegel River there were more than enough wind whipping through her hair to make her feel like they were on the open road.

  As the light ahead turned to a brilliant green, both of them let out a hoot and then shared laughter like old friends.

  Vitalia leaned closer and called out to Pilar. “Careful, you lean far enough out and you might have to stick out your tongue.”

  Pilar did just that. “I don’t mind it. Dogs lead the best lives!”

  As they turned at the light and accelerated onto Interstate Fifty-four’s onramp, Pilar sat back against her seat and looked up into the bright blue sky.

  “It’s a beautiful day.”

  Vitalia reached over and gave her arm a pinch.

  “Hey!” Pilar leaned away from her friend. “What was that?”

  “I had a feeling that you were going to say, ‘Pinch me, so I know I’m not dreaming.’ So, I pinched you. And now you know it’s real.”

  Pilar sighed. “And it’s still beautiful.”

  As they pulled into the flow of traffic, Vitalia drummed her fingers on the steering wheel in time to ‘Wayward Son’ blaring from the speakers. “Maybe you are dreaming. Look, don’t get me wrong. I love Center City. I’ve lived here all my life, but beautiful?” She made a vague humming noise. “I guess it’s that it’s all brand new to you. And,” she belted out part of the chorus and then continued talking, “I think it’s also the thought of getting some digs. Oh My God!” Vitalia signaled to move over to the off-ramp. “How can you be living in a place like that?”

  Pilar giggled. “That was a shift in the conversation. I got a room at the hotel-”

  “Oh, there’s no way that dump can call itself a hotel. Motel of Dubious Hygiene, maybe.”

  Holding up her hands in surrender, Pilar agreed. “I got the room at the Roach Coach, because while I have some money saved up, it was the best price I could find when I was searching for apartments online. The prices gave me fits.”

  Vitalia shuddered. “I bet. They would to me too. That’s why I’m so glad this apartment building had an opening. You’re going to love it.”

  “If you say so I’m sure.” Pilar bit into her bottom lip for
a moment and then released it. “There’s going to be some stiff competition for it, right?”

  She felt something in her gut twist. Pilar really wanted to get away from that hotel… motel… whatever they wanted to call it. She was constantly worried that someone was going to steal her car or break into her room. And she certainly didn’t say anything about being a police officer. The people that hung out in the parking lot would just love to know that.

  “Look,” Vitalia gave her leg a pat, “one foot in front of the other, okay? Let’s just go and take a look at the place and worry about the rest… later.”

  “You sound like my sister-in-law, Sloane. She’s always telling me to relax a little. Let things come one at a time.”

  Looking over at her friend, she saw Vitalia nod slowly and then smile. “She sounds like a completely gorgeous, amazingly talented, all around fantastic friend.” Leaning forward, she turned on her signal and waited for a gap in traffic to turn onto Darden Drive. When they were moving along the drive, Vitalia turned back to Pilar and gave her a big grin. “I mean, if she’s like me, then she would be.”

  “You got that right.” Pilar nodded and then leaned back to enjoy the rest of the ride. “I’m going to take your advice and just let it all happen today. Maybe it’s going to work out.”

  Vitalia nodded and tapped her fingers to the ABBA song that came through the speakers. “Stick with me, girlfriend. We’re going to go places, just wait and see.”

  Pilar shook her head and pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head. Life was crazy. She’d moved more than twelve hundred miles away from San Antonio and worried for a while if she’d made the worst decision of her life.

  But she liked her Sergeant, her partner, and she had become friends with Vitalia Campanelli. Her life was changing for the better. She just had to hope it would continue that way.

  Roan made his way to the nurse’s station in the Emergency Room and picked up a phone call waiting on Line Three. “Hello? Doctor Ashley speaking.”

  “Well, hello there, Doctor Ashley, this is your sister speaking. I need your help.”

  He groaned and shook his head. “You know I’m coming up on the end of almost fifteen hours at the E.R. What do you think I can help you with? My brain is going to be shot.”

  His sister’s laughter might just send him over the edge. She sounded a little too happy that he was exhausted.

  “Well, I don’t need your brain, as big as it might be. I need your muscles and I know that you have those. So, when you’re done with your shift come on over to my apartment and I’ll tell you what I need moved.”

  Closing his eyes, Roan counted to ten.

  Slowly.

  “If you need something moved, call Walker.”

  “I did!” He could almost see her ear to ear smile. “He’s going to lift the other side. I’ll be waiting for you. Don’t worry about showering at the hospital. You can use my shower here.”

  “I’d rather use my own shower.” He clamped his teeth together. “At my apartment.”

  “Yeah, well… too bad. I’ll be expecting you. Oh, and I’ll have food. So, tick tock, brother dear. Love you!”

  The call ended and Roan set the handset back in the cradle. “Just great.”

  “Uh oh.”

  He knew that voice. Turning, he saw Doctor Kay Hata standing at his side. She set a huge stack of folders down on the countertop. Slender and attractive, Kay was the head of Emergency Services and the doctor he’d wanted to work for when he’d applied to Cole Medical Center.

  “You look like someone just kicked your puppy.”

  He laughed and it almost sounded real. “I don’t have a puppy.”

  She rolled her eyes and gave him a tired look. “Now I know you’re in a mood.” Looking at the clock on the wall she nodded thoughtfully. “You’re off in a couple of hours. Maybe you should go home and get some sleep.”

  He leaned against the desk with a weary sigh. “That would be great, but my sister called and, apparently, she needs me to help her move something.”

  “And you don’t want to go?” Her humor was gentle and the look in her eyes was full of warmth.

  “If I could grab a few hours first, I would be more willing to help.”

  Kay turned to look at the assignment chart on the wall. “We haven’t had any big calls coming in. If you want to go a little early-”

  “No,” he shook his head, “I’m good. I’m just going to go there and grumble at her a little. She said she’s going to have food. So I’m hoping she’ll at least let me eat before putting me to work.”

  Kay’s mouth pursed as she looked off in thought. “She’s your older sister, right?”

  He laughed for real this time. “I wouldn’t say that out loud, but yes.”

  She dropped her chin in a nod. “Then you better get yourself over to her apartment as soon as you’re done with work.”

  “I know. That, and she carries a badge and a gun. I’m not going to fight that.”

  Kay’s shoulders shook with laughter and clapped a hand on his forearm. She was a little too petite for her to reach his shoulder. “I knew you were a smart man. That’s why I hired you. Seriously, though. If you want to leave early, just let me know and we’ll take you off of rotation.”

  He shook his head. “I’m okay. Thanks, Kay.”

  She shrugged and walked off toward her office.

  When Vitalia pulled the Jeep up to the curb on Thirtieth Street, Pilar just looked at the house with a little bit of awe. “That’s not it. Is it?”

  Vitalia set her hand on the back of Pilar’s shoulder and gave her a grin. “Awesome, isn’t it? You wouldn’t think you’d find anything like this in Center City. Come on.”

  Pilar heard the driver’s side door open and close a moment later, but still, Pilar sat in the passenger seat waiting for her friend to jump back in the car and take them to the real apartment building.

  There was Vitalia, walking onto the grass outside of a beautiful Victorian home, looking like she had every intention of going in.

  A truck pulled up behind the Jeep and Pilar leaned against the door. “Lia! Come on. Let’s go!”

  Vitalia turned, but she didn’t look at Pilar, she was looking behind the Jeep. Pilar looked up in the rear-view mirror when she heard the truck door squeak open. She saw a man getting out from behind the wheel and she gasped in a breath. He looked like he could play Samson or Hercules in a movie. Red headed and built with muscles, his t-shirt did nothing to hide the muscles across his chest.

  She saw him raise his hand and smile at Vitalia. A quick look showed her that Vitalia was smiling back. That got Pilar out of the Jeep. Vitalia came over to her side and gestured at the red-headed giant. “Pilar, this is Lieutenant Gibson Brawn. He’s in charge of Truck Forty-Two at my dad’s fire station.”

  Pilar reached out her hand and he gave it a solid shake while Vitalia kept talking.

  “And Gibson, this is Pilar Bravo. She moved here from San Antonio and she needs an apartment.”

  There was something in the look that passed between the two that Pilar didn’t quite catch. It wasn’t a negative vibe she was picking up on, but it wasn’t completely positive either.

  It seemed as if Gibson was just as confused as she was.

  “Look, if there’s an issue, it’s okay, I-”

  “No issue.” Vitalia slipped her arm into Gibson’s and gave him a big smile. “Gibson’s just coming off a twenty-four hour shift like me. I bet if I promise him coffee, he’ll wake right up.”

  Gibson shook his head, smiling the whole time, and Pilar knew she shared something else with the giant of a man. Each of them was as dazzled by Lia as the other.

  “I’ve got the first-floor apartments ready to rent, but the back apartment is already spoken for. So, I’ll show you two the front apartment.”

  Yeah, something was up. Vitalia gave her friend a wink as they started to walk across the grass.

  Gibson looked over his shoulder at Pilar and she
had to jog a little to catch up.

  “I haven’t done much with the grass yet. I want to get the apartments done before doing any landscaping.”

  Pilar shrugged. “That’s fine. I wouldn’t mind helping out when you’re ready for that. I miss having a yard.” She grimaced a little. “I’m getting ahead of myself.”

  It was Vitalia who rushed to ease her mind. “You’re not. Don’t worry.”

  Yeah, right.

  “If you like the place,” Gibson continued on, “you have to understand that I’m still doing some renovations on the second floor. I’ll try to do them while you’re at work, but if not, I’ll let you know when I’m working.”

  Pilar snorted a laugh and then felt her cheeks flush dark. “Sorry. It’s just that at my motel, the last thing they worry about is inconveniencing us. The last time the maintenance man came in was when I had the DO NOT DISTURB sign out and I was in the shower. He thought it was really funny until he saw my revolver in my hand. I’d jumped in there after a long shift and left my gun close by.”

  She saw Gibson’s concerned gaze on her face for a moment before he looked back at Vitalia. A look passed between the two before they started walking again.

  They headed around the old Victorian toward what looked like the back of the house.

  “I bought this house from sheer dumb luck. The last owner was a sweetheart of a woman with no family. I do repairs for people from time to time and she hired me to fix a window for her. It was in the winter and the damn thing wouldn’t close all the way. She was freezing when she’d go into the kitchen to cook and while I was working on it, she told me about the house.”

  They walked up the steps to the cement porch and toward the door. As Gibson opened the door with his key, Pilar had a chance to look at the perfect paint on the trim.

  The door swung open easily and with barely a whisper of sound. “She was going to leave her estate to a children’s art program, but she was afraid that by the time the charity sold the house, and paid fees to the auction company or real estate agent, there wouldn’t be much left. So, she sold it to me. And I’m converting it into four apartments.” Gibson stepped inside and moved to give them plenty of room to follow him.