As Hot as It Gets

“The last float is comin’ up.”

Mia glanced over at Evie, who practically had to bend her entire head to get her mouth close to Mia’s ear. The cheers and applause of the crowd gathered on each side of the street made it difficult to be heard, so Evie raised her voice even higher as she went on.

“Trust me, you’re gonna love this one, Mia.”

A moment later, Mia understood Evie’s mischievous prediction—the float that appeared on the street featured half a dozen shirtless men, ranging from twenty to forty years old and wearing bright-red fireman helmets.

“Abbott Creek’s volunteer fire brigade,” Evie declared with a grin. “See the one over on the far left?”

Mia followed the young woman’s gaze and grinned when she spotted the muscular blond firefighter. “A friend of yours?” she teased.

“Not yet, but I intend to change that once I’m legal.” Evie sighed loudly. “His name’s Kellan and he has a strict rule about not dating anyone under twenty-one. We’ve been flirtin’ for the last year, but the pigheaded fool refuses to make a move.”

Jackson cleared his throat. “Can you please not subject me to this, Evangeline?” he griped to his sister. “I don’t wanna know who you’re makin’ googly-eyes at.”

His sister stuck out her tongue. “Tough. ’Cause Mia wants to know all about it. Right, Mia?”

She laughed. “I don’t know… I say we put your brother out of his misery and talk about it later in private.”

“Deal,” Evie said immediately.

After the final float disappeared around the corner, Jackson’s parents drifted over to the trio. While the Ramseys tried to figure out where to go for dinner, Mia discreetly snuck a peek at Arlene’s and Kurt’s interlaced fingers. She’d noticed that the older couple never stood more than an inch or two apart, and they always stole kisses when they thought no one was looking.

The love they felt for each other was so evident it might as well have been advertised on a Times Square billboard. Mia had never met a couple who was still so in love even after decades together. Arlene and Kurt acted like newlyweds, and seeing them brought a strange pang of longing that Mia didn’t understand.

She’d been trying to make sense of the troubling emotion since they’d arrived in Jackson’s hometown, but she hadn’t figured it out yet, and she had no time to dwell on it now, because the Ramseys had reached a decision about dinner, and the group was moving away from the crowded sidewalk.

As she and Jackson fell into step with each other, he looked over and said, “Did you still want to go to the saloon after dinner?”

She answered without hesitation. “Hell yeah. Every time I see those swinging doors I’m just dying to go in.”

“Then we’ll go.”

The smile he gave her seemed incredibly strained. “Or we don’t have to,” she said hastily.

“Naah, it’s cool.” He lowered his voice. “Just be prepared to get stared at some more.”

Her heart ached for him, and the unfairness of the situation really hit home when she noticed a passing trio of women smile at Shane and his wife, who were walking ahead of them. Those same ladies frowned the moment they saw Jackson, which irked the hell out of Mia.

She suddenly had to wonder if maybe Shane and Tiffany were contributing to the icy reception Jackson received each time he came home. Maybe if the two of them made an actual show of solidarity with Jackson, the townsfolk would realize there was nothing for them to gossip about, that it was all water under the bridge.

“Why don’t we invite your brother and Tiffany to come with us?” Mia spoke in a barely audible voice, but she knew Jackson had heard her, because his wide shoulders went rigid.

“You really think that’s a good idea?” His lack of enthusiasm showed on his face.

“You’re going to have to talk to them eventually, right? Wasn’t that the plan?”

“Yeah…but in public?”

“Might as well.” Anger colored her tone. “At least if it’s in public, he won’t be able to lay a hand on you.”

“Now, sugar…”

“Sorry,” she muttered. “Uncalled for.”

Jackson sighed. “I guess it wouldn’t kill me to make the first move. Y’know, extend the olive branch or whatnot.”

Mia had learned that when Jackson made up his mind about something, he didn’t dilly-dally around. He was the kind of man who followed through immediately, and that was exactly what he did now.

“Shane,” he called out gruffly.

His brother’s back tensed for a moment, and then Shane glanced over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Mia and I were gonna head to the saloon after dinner. Do you and Tiff wanna join us?”

Shock flared in the other man’s eyes. “Uh…” He exchanged a quick look with his wife, then nodded awkwardly. “Sure. We’ll join you.”

Jackson nodded back. “’Kay.”

Just like that, the “date” had been set, and Mia didn’t miss the wave of surprise that traveled over the rest of their little group. Jackson’s parents looked like they’d just seen an elephant lumbering down Main Street, while Evie was completely agape.

“This has the potential to end very, very badly,” Jackson told Mia in the softest of voices.

She attempted to be optimistic. “Or it could go great.”