Longing for Forever (Sunset Bay Romance Book 1)

by Debra Clopton

“I have to,” he said aloud, as if hearing the words spoken would make him move on.

  As much as he was reluctant to be anywhere near a wedding, maybe if he made it through it he could leave his own bad past behind.

  He didn’t like wallowing. He’d never been a wallowing kind of guy and he didn’t like himself much right now.

  Turning away, he headed back to his Jeep just as his alarm went off.

  Fire.

  That was his signal to roll. In seconds, he had the county dispatcher on his emergency phone to get the lowdown. A fire was in an apartment complex just off of Seashell and Starfish. The complex was just down the street from Bake My Day off Seashell and Main, his future sister-in-law’s coffee shop.

  Time to work. He hit the gas as soon as his tires touched pavement. He was barking orders into the phone as he drove. There were people in the building counting on him and his crew to get them out.

  And he didn’t plan on letting any of them down today. No matter how down he was in his own life, people were depending on him.

  Excerpt from

  LONGING FOR A HERO

  Sunset Bay Romance, Book Two

  Chapter One

  Lulu Raintree started out of the dog park, struggling to control Sebastian, a large, hairy, white beauty that was a mixture of breeds and a playful handful. She had just gotten the gate opened and stepped out onto the sidewalk when the all too familiar Jeep came into her view.

  Fire Chief Brad Sinclair.

  The instant she saw him in the driver’s seat, her gaze locked onto him like a heat-seeking missile. He looked upset. As if her gaze drew his attention, he looked her way. She jumped back behind the bush, tripped over Sebastian, and toppled backward over him. She landed with a hard thud on the grass next to the concrete sidewalk, with her feet straight up in the air. Sebastian, thinking she was playing, pounced on her, dancing on her chest and barking as if he were king of the mountain.

  “Sebastian.” She laughed, mortified that Brad might have witnessed her clumsiness and grateful that the big brute of a dog had helped to cover her up so that now there was a chance that the gorgeous fire chief might not have seen her at all.

  Pushing Sebastian off her and hugging him, she rolled to her knees and peeked to make sure the Jeep was long gone. It was. The coast was clear. Dusting herself off, she headed in the opposite direction from Brad. Sunset Bay wasn’t a huge beach town, but like most, it was long and left ample room to avoid someone if you really wanted to. And she wanted to avoid the man who drove all her good sense out the window just by the mere essence of his presence.

  Then again, there was the fact that she was a dog walker. At least, here in her new life in Sunset Bay, she was a dog walker. That hadn’t always been the case. But as a dog walker, the fact that the dog park was across the street from the fire station did pose problems.

  She was glad there hadn’t been any other dog walkers in the park to witness her topple. She rubbed Sebastian on the head. “Okay, you really have a problem,” she muttered. Sebastian turned his head and planted his big eyes on her. “Not you—me. I know you know it. I talk to you about it enough.”

  It was true. Her dogs were good listeners. No one else knew her history but she often found herself telling her doggy clients her troubles. Her fears and her hopes.

  As she contemplated her life and in general her weirdness, Sebastian yanked and strained at the end of the leash the moment he spotted a squirrel. She had to leave her thoughts behind and hold onto the dog with all her might. He loved to chase squirrels and when the nearly sixty-pound pooch saw something he wanted, he went for it. Lulu was short, carried a few extra pounds on her hips and had a weakness for fresh baked muffins, so she had an ongoing battle with the scales and it was hard for her to sometimes keep up with the powerful single-minded dog.

  Half the time, Sebastian drug her around town at the end of his leash instead of her walking him. It was no different this afternoon. As they were getting their walk in, she couldn’t get Brad Sinclair off her mind. She had to do something about her reactions to the man.

  What if someone had been watching her comedy act earlier when she saw him and then flipped backward over Sebastian and ended up on the ground? Rosie Olsen had spotted her hiding behind the Korney Korn truck during the town festival a couple of weeks ago. She saw Lulu peeking from behind the trailer but Rosie hadn’t known what she was doing. She had wondered, though, and Lulu was sure Rosie had believed she was acting strange.

  Of course, anyone would probably understand her actions if they knew it was Brad Sinclair who caused her reactions.

  But that didn’t change her confusion at those reactions to him. Or how foolish she felt.

  The man was a walking heartthrob and a heartache to her. Just the sight of him sent her heart slamming into her throat. Her knees had nearly buckled as she’d watched him pass by and, honestly, it was ridiculous that she, as a grown woman, felt the need to break out and run after his Jeep. Thankfully, she’d tripped over the dog instead.

  The man drove her crazy. In a crazy way.

  She had an almost unhealthy crush on him. She tried to avoid him at all costs because she was a bumbling klutz when he was around. So embarrassing.

  Once, she’d had the unfortunate situation in a restaurant that she referred to as the great shrimp fiasco and could not bring herself to be anywhere around him where he would recognize her. And yet, she came to the dog park across from the firehouse every day to let the dogs run free and play. She hid behind the large bush in the dog park so she was out of view, and yet, she could glimpse him every day. A problem—big-time—yes, it was. And she wasn’t sure how to fix it, because she didn’t completely understand it. She’d moved to Sunset Bay to get over heartbreak…real, true heartbreak so why had she immediately become infatuated with Brad Sinclair? She just didn’t understand her heart. Or herself for that matter. She had a problem and there was no denying the fact.

  The salted air ruffled Fire Chief Brad Sinclair’s hair and stung his eyes as, emergency lights flashing and siren screaming, he sped down the coastal road back toward Sunset Bay. He had been at his parents’ home for dinner and not driven the red SUV supplied by the county. His personal vehicle was set up for him to respond to emergencies also and he’d wanted the open-air Jeep tonight. After his brother, Adam, had sprung a sudden engagement to the owner of Bake My Day bakery on the family, he’d needed the Jeep and the blast of fresh air as soon as he’d been able to wish them well and make his escape to the outskirts of town and a secluded stretch of beach. No sooner than he’d arrived Adam had called him, having seen him leave and looking upset. Something he hadn’t wanted anyone to see. And then Adam had asked him to be best man.

  Best man.

  He was really happy for Adam, and he was now supposed to be his best man and he wasn’t sure he could do it.

  Just because two years ago the love of his life literally ripped his heart out and ran off to marry someone else didn’t mean he was supposed to be brokenhearted for the rest of his life. But the way it was going, he feared he might be. Despite the fact that he hid it well with a lot of dates, a lot of smiling, and work, nothing seemed to ease his pain.

  Work saved him. His work as fire chief was important. People counted on him. That kept him focused for the most part. It didn’t cure the pain, the feelings of rejection, or fill the hole. But it helped.

  As the plume of smoke in the air grew closer and the town came into view, he shoved the thoughts from his mind. He was almost there, meaning no room for thoughts of his past while he was working. His work required his full attention.

  People counted on him and despite the fact that he’d suffered a letdown didn’t mean he was letting anyone down.

  About an hour after spotting Brad, Lulu was across town and still thinking about the man. Whether she wanted to or not. He was just there, stuck in her head. Taking up space she really didn’t need him taking up.

  He’d looked upset when he’d passed her earlie
r, though. What had been wrong with him?

  She, like everyone in town, knew the story of his love for his childhood sweetheart and that they’d planned to marry and then she’d run off with someone else, leaving him brokenhearted—boy did she know how that felt. It was hard to see that the happy, dashing man who dated gorgeous women and rescued people from burning buildings sad. And she knew he was despite the brave face he showed the world. Of course, that was her take on him. He pretty much wore the red cape of a superhero where she was concerned. Just last week when she was walking Spaz and Sussi-Q the most terribly mannered terriers in the world, to put it in polite terms, she spotted him actually climbing a tree to save a kitty for a little girl. He had been completely adorable…the little girl had been too. But Brad, well he had stolen the show. She’d hidden behind Mr. Womack’s plumbing truck and had been thankful that the terriers were trying to sniff out a mole that was tunneling a trail along the edge of the lawn. Her only problem had been when they found it and started straining at the end of their leashes and barking their cute little dirt covered heads off with excitement. Brad had been halfway down the tree with the kitty snuggled in his arms and had looked in her direction. She’d had to pick the pups up and make a dash for the edge of the house before he spotted her.

  Yes, the man was a hero, and not just to kittens and little girls. He’d busted down a door to Mildred and Roland Birches home and he and Dex, one of the other firemen, had carried them out. That was just a few of the instances that he’d been a real life hero. But the truth was that he and the other firemen were ready to put their lives on the line to protect the people of this town from fire and disasters. And that was where the trouble for her started. There were plenty of heroes in town, from military veterans to firefighters to the police. There were more she was certain and the only one she had this infatuation with was Brad Sinclair.

  She was biting her lip and letting Sebastian lead her as they passed the firehouse. It was quiet there and she’d kept her head down. She hadn’t gone a hundred feet when the sirens sounded and she spotted the plume of smoke rising in the late afternoon sky toward her and Sebastian’s apartments on the other side of town. Moments later, the largest of the three Sunset Bay firetrucks barreled down Seashell Lane and sent Sebastian into a fit of excitement. Yanking at his leash, the dog took off, chasing the firetruck and practically dragging her behind him. Of course, the firetrucks left them behind instantly but that didn’t stop the dog from acting wildly out of control. Way out of control even for him.

  She barely held onto the leash as she struggled to get her short legs to keep up with him. “Stop, Sebastian,” she called. “Stop. Stay. Halt. W-whoa—” She struggled block after block but the dog would not calm down.

  She was winded but hanging on, running madly down the center lane of the oddly deserted street as the last block before her apartment complex came into view and she realized that was what was on fire.

  Was the dog out of control because it had sensed it the moment the firetrucks went by?

  Now, with the firetrucks and apartments and people standing around in sight, Sebastian completely lost it. She did too, and, gasping, pushed harder to follow along as they raced toward the fire.

  The scene of the fire at Starfish Manor was chaotic as, sirens blaring, the backup pumper truck pulled to a halt next to Brad’s Jeep. The first-floor apartment that had been engulfed in flames when they’d been called had been contained. He’d just come out from his initial look and he suspected an electrical problem had started the fire. No one had been in the apartment and his men were checking all the apartments to make sure everyone was safe.

  People swarmed everywhere, not knowing what to do. He’d gotten everyone to move back and barriers were put up as the men had gone into the burning building.

  He was thankful the fire was contained to one floor and the call had come quickly so they could arrive before it had spread. Though the barrier was up, residents were worried as his men made sure the fire was contained. He was having a conversation with his hose man when suddenly a dog barking wildly drew his attention to the street. A large white dog barreled past the pumper truck, towing a small red-haired woman behind him. The woman clung to the dog’s leash, yelling for the canine to stop. But it was doing no good. The dog was determined and had no intention of stopping until it reached its destination.

  “That doesn’t look so good.” Dex Carpenter stepped to the side to stare.

  Brad slapped his clipboard to Dex’s chest. “Here, hold this. Someone needs to stop that runaway train.” He could see the wide eyes on the redhead and knew that the dog was leading her straight into the path of his men. Although the fire hadn’t been anywhere near as bad as it could have been, he still didn’t need this disaster getting in their way. Besides that, it was clear the woman needed help. That dog was almost as big as she was. He took six steps and intercepted the dog.

  But it didn’t go exactly as he’d planned. The massive dog dodged him, and the woman slammed into him; his arms wound around her and they both flew backward and hit the ground with a thud. Her gasp of pain registered as he took the hit on his back and she landed on top of him. And where the dog went was momentarily forgotten.

  “I’ll get the dog, Chief,” Dex yelled as Brad lay sprawled across the grass with a mass of red hair covering his face and the fresh scent of fruity watermelon momentarily distracted him from the smell of smoke.

  “Are you okay?” He felt her heart pounding against his, and liked the soft feel of her in his arms.

  “I-I think,” she stuttered. Her head lifted from his shoulder to reveal an oval-shaped face, with clear green eyes that stared at him with bewilderment through the threads of her auburn hair. In the seconds that their gazes locked, her gaze went from bewilderment to shock; then her pretty pink mouth opened and her eyes filled with horror. “It’s you. Oh, no. Oh, I am so sorry.” She scrambled to get off of him and when that didn’t happen fast enough she pretty much crawled three feet away from him, muttering to herself then popping to her feet, all barely five feet of her.

  From there she glared wide-eyed at him—pretty much as if she’d just had a run in with a snake or a skunk.

  Stunned by her reaction to him, he’d released her and watched her frantic escape. Concerned for her and not sure what was going on he sat up. “Are you alright?” he asked, just as Dex showed up, holding the leash of the dog.

  “Got him,” Dex said.

  The dog woofed and dove on top of Brad. One minute, he’d had an intriguing soft woman in his arms and the next, he had the hairy mass of a brute dog dancing all over him. And all while he was trying to figure out what had caused the look of horror on the pretty woman's face. He’d seen her around town, just not close up very much. Once.

  “No, Sebastian, no!” Green-eyes gasped. She reached to wrap her arms around the dog’s neck and pull it off him.

  Brad pushed and Dex pulled on the leash, and together they got the out-of-control animal off him long enough for Brad to get to a standing position.

  From beyond the barrier, someone screamed the dog’s name and came running up. It was a woman in her fifties, wearing a suit.

  “Thank goodness, he’s all right,” she wailed, reaching them and throwing her arms around the dog. It instantly became a new dog and began wiggling happily in her arms. “There, there, baby. Mama’s fine. I heard about the fire on my drive in from work and feared you could be inside the apartment with a raging fire.” She looked up at Green-eyes. “I was so afraid, Lulu.”

  “It’s okay, Ms. Gilmore. I—” She shot him a glance from beneath shuttered eyelashes. Very long, cinnamon lashes. “I was walking him. He heard the sirens and he just took off, dragging me down the street as he tried to get to the apartments. I think he must have been coming to save you or something. He’s chased squirrels before but never this. It’s a wonder I held on.” She grimaced. “Brad—I mean, Fire Chief Sinclair got in the way and I lost hold of him.”

  “Oh,
you sweet dog, coming to rescue me. Thank you, Lulu. I’m forever grateful to you. Now, come on, Sebastian, let’s go get out of the firemen’s way so they can do their job.”

  Got in her way?

  Dex looked at Brad and hefted a muscled shoulder. “I’ll go check on the men’s progress, Chief. Maybe you need to stay out of the way,” he muttered and grinned.

  “Thanks,” Brad ground out, perplexed by the woman’s reaction to him. He recognized her, having seen her walking dogs but she always seemed to be heading in a different direction than him. There were a few times he’d spotted her and thought she’d avoided him on purpose. But, other than her red hair, she really wasn’t his type and he’d not had any desire to actively pursue anyone since Katie dropped him. He’d dated a lot but he’d never been the pursuer. So, there had been no desire on his part to actually wonder what the dog walker’s problem with him was. Now, however, she stared at him as if he’d just tackled her and thrown her to the ground and trampled her. And he needed to understand why she had this reaction. “Did you say you live here?”

  “Yes. I-I do live here. Is it bad?” She stepped away from him, still looking as if she were half afraid of him.

  “We got here in time and were able to confine it to the one apartment. Number Four A.”

  Her eyes flew wide. “Four A—that’s my apartment. H-how bad? What caused it? Oh no, it wasn’t something I did, was it?”

  “No, nothing you did. Looks like faulty wiring. These are old apartments.”

  She glanced around him and her mouth dropped open as she saw the blackened hole that had been her apartment. Windows were broken out and soot encased the brick.

  “I’m sorry. Looks like it will be a total loss for you.”

  Her face fell. “Oh, I see.” Instead of bursting into tears like most people did, she closed her mouth, seemed to suck in a deep breath and accept it. As if she was used to accepting bad information on a regular basis. She rubbed her forehead with two fingers. “Okay, I better let you get back to what you were doing. You don’t need me getting in your way anymore than I already have. Hopefully no one else has much damage.” Then, without waiting, she spun and hurried away.