Montana Fire by Vella Day

groomsman you were paired up with at the wedding?”
    Jamie sighed. She’d shared too much. “Yes.”
    “It’s destiny. That’s all I’m saying.”
    “Keep thinking that.”
    Sasha laughed. “For helping you out of a jam, you owe him dinner at least.”
    She did? Yes. Sasha was right, but it didn’t prevent Jamie from scrunching up her
     nose. “I don’t think he’d accept.”
    While he had been nice and quite the gentleman, both Amber and Zoey had said he wasn’t
     much into the dating scene, though Jamie had heard rumors to the contrary.
    “Then you have nothing to worry about.” Sasha looked toward the middle of the restaurant,
     probably to see if anyone had overheard, as her voice had escalated. “It’s the thought
     that counts.”
    Jamie couldn’t take the chance of him turning her down. She’d then know he believed
     she was too damaged. Jamie had to make up something to keep Sasha from pressuring
     her into asking him out.
    “He’s not my type.” That was partly true.
    Sasha set down her drink. “Really? Not your type? You said that Benny was weak and
     lacked ambition. Max seems to be the opposite. He’s perfect for you.”
    Her friend was right, but she wouldn’t admit it. Not yet. “I ran into Max a few months
     ago at Banner’s Bar. Zoey had invited me to meet her men. Amber, Stone, and Cade were
     there, too, as well as a few others from the fire and police department.”
    “So? Was Max rude or something?”
    “No. He sat at the other end of the table, and I swear the man didn’t say a word to
     anyone the whole time.” She shook her head. “I dubbed him Robot Man.”
    Amber had explained that right after that party, the cops, along with Max, had caught
     the arsonist who’d murdered his family. Only then did Max come out of his shell.
    “You didn’t.”
    “I did. He was there, but not there, if you know what I mean.” Seeing him now, she
     found it hard to believe Max had been so withdrawn. He sure had changed a lot. She
     wanted to believe that if Max could do it, so could she.
    Sasha rotated her cup so the handle was parallel to the edge of the table. “All of
     the men I’ve gone out with have been there, but not there, so I know where you’re
     coming from. Was he stoic this morning when he came to your rescue?”
    Jamie was botching this. “No. He was actually quite charming. Flirty even.”
    “There you go. Then why not go after him, girl?”
    Sasha was like a woodpecker—determined, unceasing, annoying. “He tries to get into
     my head.” Actually, he had the uncanny ability to see right through her. It was quite
     unsettling.
    “That’s called interest. I wish I could find a man who wanted to know what I was thinking.”
    “I guess.” Jamie sipped her coffee and her insides warmed. Sasha lips pursed. “What?”
    Her friend downed the rest of her drink. “For starters, you’re closing yourself off
     again. You have to let those emotions out.”
    “Yeesh. You’re as bad as Zoey.”
    “Bad, huh? Well, if you don’t want him, direct him my way.”
    Before Jamie could respond, their meal arrived. She blessed the waitress for the distraction.
     The first bite into the juicy meat made her remember how good food could taste. “Mmm.”
    Sasha dug into her salad then leaned back. “Seriously, you have the perfect opportunity
     to land this guy. I bet he offered to drive you home today. Am I not right?”
    “Yes, but I hate to inconvenience him, and secondly, I don’t want to land him. Besides, he experienced a trauma when his family died in a fire. He doesn’t
     need to be around a basket case like me.”
    Sasha shook her head. “What are you talking about? You’re a catch, girl. You need
     to believe that and start living again. If you don’t, I swear you’re going to blow
     away. Every day you get tinier.”
    “I’m not that bad. I’ve been working long hours, and sometimes don’t have time to
     fix a meal.”
    Sasha’s eyes widened. “I