She would. Cristina might be sarcastic and caustic but she was brutally honest, emphasis on brutally, and loyal to a fault. In short, if you were on her good side, you had a friend to the death. Brooke knew the two of them weren’t there, not even close, but at least she didn’t have a nickname she couldn’t live with.

“There’s no point in remembering your name when you all eventually quit,” Cristina continued.

“I’m not leaving until my six weeks are up. I’m just past halfway.”

Leaning back against a tree, Cristina studied Brooke with interest. “People who aren’t from around here rarely stick.”

“Gee, really? Even with your sweet and welcoming attitude?”

Cristina smiled. “It’s too bad you’re not sticking. You could grow on me.”

“I am sticking. Until the job is over.”

“Speaking of sticking, I hear you were sticking to Officer Hottie’s lips. That true?”

Oh, boy. “Officer Hottie?”

“Yeah. So were you?”

“That’s…” She settled for the same line she’d given Dustin. “Personal.”

“How personal?”

Wasn’t that the question. She and Zach had only kissed, but it seemed like more, and there’d been lots of close encounters since…All she knew was that the wild sexual tension seemed unrelenting.

And overwhelming.

She really wanted to face that tension, and release it.

Let loose.

Assuming Zach still wanted to.

“I know my faults,” Cristina said into her silence. “I’m sarcastic, mean and I don’t like many people. But Zach? I like him. A whole lot. He’s going through a tough time, and he’s vulnerable.”

The thought of big, rough-and-tumble Zach being vulnerable might have been funny only a week ago but Brooke knew Cristina was right. “The arson thing?”

“The chief’s riding Tommy’s ass, and Tommy’s riding Zach’s. Zach could just shut up and walk away from it all, but it’s not in his blood to walk away, not when he knows he’s right. I care about him, we all care about him, and he needs to stay focused.”

“How do I threaten that?”

“You’re messing with his head. I’m the only one who does that.”

As warnings went, it wasn’t exactly subtle. “I didn’t realize you two were dating.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t call it dating,” Cristina said with a smile.

Okaaaaay. “What would you call it?”

Cristina just looked smug, then, standing up, grabbed hold of a tree branch above her. “Any new interesting calls lately?”

“Hard to top Viagra Man, but I’m sure there’s something just around the corner. What are you doing?”

“Pull-ups.” She did five in a row, and still managed to talk normally. “Cats and hard-ons. Interesting job, you have to admit.”

“True.”

“So where are you going when this is over?”