Sudden Response (EMS #1)(9)

Women could be such bitches sometimes. Not all of them, but women like this one definitely were. It just pissed him off when women gave Joe a dismissive look because she wasn't dressed in the latest fashion and didn't pray at the altar of cosmetics. Joe was beautiful, hell, she was sexy in her own right. She was distinctly female and perfectly curved in his book. She might not wear the latest fashions, but she always managed to make his blood boil, probably always would.

He let his eyes roam over her hair that she left loose, it teased her shoulder blades as she moved. He nearly cursed when she took out an elastic and put it up in a messy bun, but she still looked good. He let his eyes run down her slender neck to the tight black blouse she wore that ended above her belly button. He liked that flat athletic stomach of hers. It was perfectly defined with a hint of muscle thanks to their job.

When she faced him, smiling, he licked his lips as his eyes took in her high firm br**sts, perfect for his hands, not that it would happen. He took in her figure, just perfect. Absolutely perfect. It really was no wonder women hated her. She was magnificent.

"Earth to Eric," Nathan said, pulling him out of his thoughts. Great, was he drooling? He sure as hell hoped not.

"Yeah?" he said, looking at his brother who simply rolled his eyes. "You want me to tell the story?"

"Knock yourself out," Eric said, dropping his head back to stare at the ceiling. No need to get caught ogling Joe again. She'd tease him mercilessly and tell him he needed to get laid. No doubt he did. It had been too long. Way too long.

After what happened the last time it was going to be a long time before he tried again, a really long time. That kind of shit really messed with a man's head.

"So, one day when Eric was eight, dad gets a call that some bully had not only beaten up his baby boy, but that bully made Eric eat a handful of worms," Nathan started.

"That's awful!" Camie said, looking thoroughly disgusted. It had been pretty gross, he had to admit. The worms weren't too bad, but all that dirt had been nasty.

Joe laughed once again, drawing his attention. He liked her laugh. It always soothed him.

"It gets better," Nathan promised. "I'm a year older so dad had me dragged out of class with the intention of having me beat the snot out of the bully. We walk into the office, looking for this big bad bully only to find these two scraped up and covered in mud. Dad demands to see the little boy who beat up his son and talk to his parents only to be told that this adorable little girl was the culprit."

"Hey! He started it by shoving the worms down my dress!" Joe argued, laughing.

"I had to do something to improve that ugly ass dress you were wearing. It looked like you were wearing a couch," Eric teased. Joe rewarded him by throwing a hot roll at his head which he caught and happily ate.

"Anyway," Nathan said, drawing back everyone's attention. "I, being the good brother that I am, offered to beat her up. Dad was at a loss, but still somehow managed to slap me upside the head when I offered."

"You did not!" Alice sounded horrified.

"He did," Joe agreed.

"Anyway, once dad decided I wasn't going to kick her butt we hung around, waiting for Joe's mother so he could talk to her. We waited two hours and she never showed. By then dad fell in love with the little brat," Nathan said teasingly.

"So did you, big guy," Joe said, sorting through the silverware.

Nathan chuckled. "Of course I did. I knew right off the bat that you were good sister material. So dad who was at a total loss and this big baby," he jerked a thumb towards Eric, "decided she should come home with us where everything could be straightened out. Mom gets one look at her and gushed and decided she was keeping her."

"So, you like, all adopted her?" Camie guessed.

Everyone except Caitlyn shook their heads. "Not exactly. Even though I think Dad mentioned more than once before he passed away that he was going to kidnap Joe and adopt her we never made it official."

"He would have to," Alice said with a watery smile.

"It didn't matter what the law says we all heard him referring to Joe as his little girl so it didn't matter," Eric said, earning a sad smile from Joe.

"So she never lived with you?" Camie asked, seeming determined to find out exactly what Joe's role was.

"She became an instant fixture in the house. She went with us everywhere, did her homework here, had chores here, but her mother wouldn't let her move in with us which was okay until she was about fourteen and then she started to sleep over here more often until she was living here and mom told us to go get her stuff. She stayed here until after she'd been working on the ambulance for a while and could afford to live on her own. I think she was nineteen at the time?"

"Yes," Joe said as she finished setting the table and started placing bowls of food on the table. "I moved out a month or two before Eric did."

"Only because you stole the apartment I wanted," Eric pointed out, stealing another roll.

Joe simply shrugged.

"Okay," Camie said slowly. "So Eric and Joe are like brother and sister?"

Eric and Joe shared a look of horror. Nathan winced and even Alice shook her head, looking like she might be ill.

"That's a seriously horrifying thought," Joe muttered. "Kind of disgusting actually."