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Authors: Amy Vastine
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carried him upstairs to bed. Emma’s sister had found herself a good man. Emma would make sure they had the best wedding. Even if that meant she had to adjust her plans, thanks to Charlie. He’d better not make a habit of that, though.
CHAPTER SIX
P ROGRESS . C HARLIE WAS finally making some progress with Miss Emma Elaine Everhart. Max had reported that she had no boyfriend, only a potential date to the wedding. Max had heard she hadn’t even asked the guy yet. Serena’s advice to step up and have an opinion had given Charlie the push he needed to set up another meeting. Emma had agreed, and his hope had been renewed.
Hiring Pete and his wife to cater the wedding reception was a brilliant idea. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it earlier. Of course, he needed to make sure the O’Reillys were going to be around on the Fourth of July or he was in trouble.
“I’ve got a job for you, O’Reilly,” Charlie announced, leaning against the counter in the station’s kitchen.
“Cooking for you guys isn’t enough?” Pete asked as he pulled a large frying pan out of one of the cabinets. The heavy skillet clanged when he set it on the stove top.
“Not here. It’s a catering gig in a couple months, on the Fourth of July actually. If you and your wife are available.”
Pete lit the burner before giving Charlie his full attention. “Yeah? You got a catering job for me and the missus?”
“My buddy’s getting married and there’s a small reception afterward. Only forty to fifty people. You think you could handle something like that?”
“We usually head up to the Wisconsin Dells over the Fourth,” he said to Charlie’s dismay. “But I could see if we could move the family vacation to another time.”
Charlie didn’t want the man to change his plans, but with no Pete, he had nothing to talk to Emma about. “You sure?”
“I hate going up there on a holiday weekend. It’s too crowded and everything is more expensive. Maybe I can convince Gianna to go up during the week when it’s way quieter.”
“Well, if you’re sure, then we’d love for you guys to cook for us.”
“Great. You’re saving me money, making me money and I get to watch the fireworks over Lake Michigan for the first time in years. Win, win, win for me.”
Pete went back to cooking lunch. The smell of sizzling bacon soon attracted more than one hungry firefighter. No one missed lunch when Pete made his famous bacon-cheddar-chicken sandwiches.
“So, Fletcher, what’s the latest on the nurse who’s got your tongue?” Alvarez asked, taking a seat at the table. Pete and the lieutenant were also interested in Charlie’s answer.
“There’s not much to tell. I found my tongue. We talked a few times and she agreed to go out with me for some ice cream this week.”
“Ice cream?” Alvarez leaned back in his chair, disappointment on his face. “Sounds like you’ve been getting dating advice from Jones.”
“Better than getting advice from a player like you,” Jones returned, sliding into the seat next to Charlie.
A verbal spat ensued. Both Alvarez and Jones exchanged put-downs until Lieutenant Keller had had enough. He threatened to assign them both to bathroom cleanup for the entire month if they kept it up. That quieted them down for the time being.
“Gianna and I had our first date at an ice-cream parlor,” Pete said. “She still loves the place, takes the kids there all the time. If it worked for me, it could work for Charlie.”
“See? Ice-cream dates can lead to amazing things.” Charlie knew he really shouldn’t call their meeting a date. It was wishful thinking on his part, but he needed to save face in front of the guys. There was no telling how much grief he’d get for planning a wedding.
He also needed to believe this meeting had date potential. Armed with his new “No More Mr. Nice Guy” attitude, he was certain to pique Emma’s interest. Truth be told, it had to work. His heart couldn’t take
CHAPTER SIX
P ROGRESS . C HARLIE WAS finally making some progress with Miss Emma Elaine Everhart. Max had reported that she had no boyfriend, only a potential date to the wedding. Max had heard she hadn’t even asked the guy yet. Serena’s advice to step up and have an opinion had given Charlie the push he needed to set up another meeting. Emma had agreed, and his hope had been renewed.
Hiring Pete and his wife to cater the wedding reception was a brilliant idea. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it earlier. Of course, he needed to make sure the O’Reillys were going to be around on the Fourth of July or he was in trouble.
“I’ve got a job for you, O’Reilly,” Charlie announced, leaning against the counter in the station’s kitchen.
“Cooking for you guys isn’t enough?” Pete asked as he pulled a large frying pan out of one of the cabinets. The heavy skillet clanged when he set it on the stove top.
“Not here. It’s a catering gig in a couple months, on the Fourth of July actually. If you and your wife are available.”
Pete lit the burner before giving Charlie his full attention. “Yeah? You got a catering job for me and the missus?”
“My buddy’s getting married and there’s a small reception afterward. Only forty to fifty people. You think you could handle something like that?”
“We usually head up to the Wisconsin Dells over the Fourth,” he said to Charlie’s dismay. “But I could see if we could move the family vacation to another time.”
Charlie didn’t want the man to change his plans, but with no Pete, he had nothing to talk to Emma about. “You sure?”
“I hate going up there on a holiday weekend. It’s too crowded and everything is more expensive. Maybe I can convince Gianna to go up during the week when it’s way quieter.”
“Well, if you’re sure, then we’d love for you guys to cook for us.”
“Great. You’re saving me money, making me money and I get to watch the fireworks over Lake Michigan for the first time in years. Win, win, win for me.”
Pete went back to cooking lunch. The smell of sizzling bacon soon attracted more than one hungry firefighter. No one missed lunch when Pete made his famous bacon-cheddar-chicken sandwiches.
“So, Fletcher, what’s the latest on the nurse who’s got your tongue?” Alvarez asked, taking a seat at the table. Pete and the lieutenant were also interested in Charlie’s answer.
“There’s not much to tell. I found my tongue. We talked a few times and she agreed to go out with me for some ice cream this week.”
“Ice cream?” Alvarez leaned back in his chair, disappointment on his face. “Sounds like you’ve been getting dating advice from Jones.”
“Better than getting advice from a player like you,” Jones returned, sliding into the seat next to Charlie.
A verbal spat ensued. Both Alvarez and Jones exchanged put-downs until Lieutenant Keller had had enough. He threatened to assign them both to bathroom cleanup for the entire month if they kept it up. That quieted them down for the time being.
“Gianna and I had our first date at an ice-cream parlor,” Pete said. “She still loves the place, takes the kids there all the time. If it worked for me, it could work for Charlie.”
“See? Ice-cream dates can lead to amazing things.” Charlie knew he really shouldn’t call their meeting a date. It was wishful thinking on his part, but he needed to save face in front of the guys. There was no telling how much grief he’d get for planning a wedding.
He also needed to believe this meeting had date potential. Armed with his new “No More Mr. Nice Guy” attitude, he was certain to pique Emma’s interest. Truth be told, it had to work. His heart couldn’t take
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