In Love with the Firefighter

by Amie Denman

  “And you’re back to work full-time now?”

  “Yes,” he said, his tone implying he’d escaped some terrible threat.

  Back to work risking his life. Despite Nicole’s reservations about his career, it was clear that it was Kevin’s idea of living.

  They passed small seafood restaurants and oceanfront homes on the seaside drive.

  “I’m curious about something,” Nicole said. “How did you get the dent on your truck?”

  “My mom backed into it in her driveway.”

  Nicole laughed. “How did that happen?”

  “Last fall, my dad’s insulin pump failed and he went into insulin shock. It’s a scary thing. Mom called the ambulance, but I beat them there when I heard the call over the radio.”

  “It must have been frightening hearing your parents’ address,” Nicole commented. She pictured Kevin racing to their house.

  “It was. I parked alongside the driveway so I’d be out of the way of the squad. After the ambulance took Dad to the hospital—I went along—Mom backed out of the garage to follow them and didn’t notice my truck.”

  “Why didn’t you get it fixed?”

  For a man whose house looked like an advertisement for cleaning products, it didn’t make sense.

  Kevin shrugged. “I only have collision and liability insurance because it’s a pretty old truck. And it’s my painting truck. I hate to have it in the body shop for weeks.”

  Nicole laughed. “I can understand that.” She’d had the convenience of getting rides with Jane while her car was in for repair, but with Kevin’s two jobs, being without a vehicle would make life impossible.

  He turned off the highway into a large marina. Gleaming white boats bobbed at docks along both sides of the driveway. A large building with wide porches rose from an expansive parking lot. The whole place was upscale.

  “Nice,” she said. “You were never tempted to get a job here like you father and spend your days on the water?”

  Kevin pulled into a parking spot and set the brake. He turned to her and smiled. “It’s not for me. My dad’s diabetes made firefighting an unhealthy career option for him, so he went with his other love. Boats.”

  Too bad Kevin didn’t love boats as much as he loved fighting fires.

  “Go ahead and take as many shots as you want from the docks, and then we’re going out on a boat to get a perspective of the marina from the water.”

  “I have a list from the magazine of pictures they’d like for the article, but I’m happy to take plenty of extras,” Nicole said.

  Nicole strolled along the shoreline, taking pictures of the marina’s storage and maintenance facilities, showroom, restaurant and even pool. As she walked down the long floating docks, she was glad to have Kevin by her side. Although technically anchored, the docks shifted a little with their footsteps and made her feel slightly off balance. Kevin carried her camera bag so she could have a hand free, just in case she needed it to steady herself.

  “You’re quiet,” she said.

  “I was afraid you were concentrating. Didn’t want to get in your way.”

  “I can talk and work at the same time. How are things at the fire station?” she asked.

  He drew his eyebrows together and hesitated. “Are you sure you want to hear about that?”

  It was a fair question. A few months ago, she would never have chatted casually with a firefighter, much less asked him about risking his life that day.

  “Was it that bad?” she asked lightly.

  “Boring, actually. Slow couple of days, which is, technically, a good thing in my line of work. But it makes for a long day.”

  “Did you rescue cats or chop holes in roofs?” she asked as she knelt and took an artistic shot of a shiny white boat’s bow.

  “No cats. A couple of tourists who hadn’t been on a bike in years made the mistake of renting one. Those bike rental places should warn people.”

  “Uh-oh,” Nicole said.

  “Turns out you can forget how to ride one. Or at least how to use the brakes before you crash into a parked car.”

  “Are they okay?”

  “Mostly. I’d say his collarbone is broken and his wife will never get on a tandem bike with him again.”

  “I hope that was the worst thing that happened today,” Nicole said. She was starting to relax, thinking perhaps that Kevin’s job was not always facing infernos and putting his life on the line. Tourists on bikes, an occasional trash can fire—maybe it wasn’t as dangerous as she’d imagined.

  “After lunch we got a call to the mini golf course. Two brothers tangled on the seventh hole.”

  “They were fighting?” Nicole asked. That sounded dangerous.

  “No. They were only six and eight, just little kids. One left-handed boy and one right-handed. Guess their mom didn’t think how that would play out when they swung side by side.”

  Nicole covered her mouth with one hand. “I’m afraid to ask.”

  Kevin grinned. “One was fine, but the other one got six stitches above his eye. He’ll have a scar, but it’ll just make him look mysterious. The girls will love it.”

  “Was that a pretty typical day for you?”

  “Sadly, yes. It’s a resort town with thousands of people operating on vacation brain. I always hope they bought trip insurance, especially if they have the misfortune of seeing me on vacation.”

  Nicole laughed. “The poor tourists.” She cocked her head and looked at Kevin. “Do you buy trip insurance when you travel?”

  He shrugged. “I never go anywhere. I have six years’ worth of vacation time saved up.”

  “And you’ve been in Cape Pursuit all that time?”

  “Believe it or not, I did go to Canada for a training session with our water rescue team last year. I even had to get a passport.”

  “Why Canada?”

  “They have a lot of inland lakes, which are good for training. A group of us went to a special school there.” He held her camera bag open while she exchanged lenses. “How about your work in the shop? Going pretty well?”

  “I’ll put it this way. We saw dozens of tourists at the gallery. They didn’t break any bones or need stitches—they just hurt their credit cards. And we didn’t mind at all.”

  “Good business?” Kevin prompted.

  “Very good. Jane’s becoming a real success.”

  “You’re helping,” he said.

  Nicole shook her head. She was helping, but it was still Jane’s business. When the long, quiet winter season came, would she still be needed? Would she stay in Cape Pursuit? Jane would have a baby by then...

  “Jane and I make a good team,” Nicole said. “I’m afraid she’d be exhausted by the end of the day without my help.”

  “She’s a hard worker. Running her shop, being in the town government.” Kevin’s mouth straightened into a serious line. “We admire her a lot, but she should slow down. Take care of herself.”

  Nicole lowered her camera and scrutinized Kevin’s face. Did he know something?

  “It’s easy to overdo it,” Nicole said cautiously. “Especially during the busy season.”

  He nodded. “Charlie and I were talking about that a few days ago.”

  “Talking about what?”

  Kevin raised an eyebrow and bit his lip. “We were talking about...making time for the right things. Doing the right things.”

  There was no way she was going to come out and ask him, but Nicole would almost bet her camera lens that Kevin knew about Jane’s baby. She was tempted to just go ahead and say it, but she couldn’t risk her friend’s privacy. Not until Jane was ready. After what had happened with the failed proposal, Jane and Charlie had not spoken. That would have to end, but they both needed time.

  “Where do we catch this boat we’re going out on?” she asked, chang
ing the subject. “I’d like to get some pictures of Cape Pursuit from the water, maybe the lighthouse if we could take a little extra time—or the mermaid statue. I love that story.”

  “The tourist story about the pirate and his mermaid girlfriend?” Kevin asked.

  “Must be some truth to it,” Nicole insisted. “A story like that wouldn’t come out of nowhere.”

  Kevin laughed. “The part about the pirate hiding his stash I believe. I don’t know about the rest. I’ve been hearing that story since I was a little kid.”

  “Have you ever looked for the treasure? I’d think local boys wouldn’t be able to resist.”

  “My cousins went on an expedition once. I missed it because I had a broken arm at the time.”

  “How did that happen?”

  “Haunted house gone bad. The church set up a haunted house in the Catholic school, and some big high school kid jumped out and scared the daylights out of me.”

  “He broke your arm? How old were you?”

  “I was seven. He scared the heck out of me and I fell down the stairs.”

  Nicole smiled. “Not funny, sorry. I’m trying to picture you being so afraid you’d crash down a staircase.”

  “My brother made fun of me until Mom told him to stop,” Kevin said, grimacing. “And I missed the pirate expedition.”

  A powerful engine rumbled to life and Kevin pointed to a large boat at the end of the dock. “He’s waiting for us.”

  As Nicole walked down the dock to the beautiful boat framed by the sparkling blue ocean, she reminded herself to be careful and keep her footing. No matter how appealing Kevin was, she was there in Cape Pursuit to build a new life for herself, and now also to help Jane with the new life inside her. Losing her heart to Kevin Ruggles was the wrong thing to do.

  * * *

  HOURS LATER, when Kevin pulled in the driveway at Jane’s place, there was already a distinctive blue truck with one orange fender in the driveway.

  “Huh,” Kevin said. “That’s my cousin Tony’s truck. What’s he doing here?”

  “No idea,” Nicole said. A sinking feeling glued her to the seat of Kevin’s truck. Was Laura okay? Her heart raced, but she tried to use logic. If there was a medical emergency, there would be an ambulance there, not a blue pickup truck. Would Laura...be with a man she’d just met?

  No. Not her conservative teacher sister. At least not the Laura Nicole thought she knew. Before their family came crashing down with Adam’s death.

  Kevin parked and pulled the keys from the ignition.

  “Can I come in with you? Just to...make sure things are okay with your sister? I don’t want her to think I stole a boat and kidnapped you or anything.”

  Nicole knew what he was doing. And she didn’t mind. Whatever the reason for Tony’s visit, having Kevin by her side could only help.

  “Sure,” she said, forcing a smile. “Maybe your cousin stopped by to check the fire extinguishers at our house.”

  Before they stepped onto the porch, Tony opened the front door and put a finger over his lips.

  “What’s going on?” Kevin asked.

  “I was waiting for you.”

  Nicole stepped in front of Kevin. “Is my sister okay?”

  Tony glanced over his shoulder and gestured outside. He stepped through the door and closed it almost all the way behind him. The three of them stood on the small front stoop. Late-afternoon sunshine washing over them, but a sense of doom darkened Nicole’s heart. It reminded her of the morning a representative from the fire service came to her parents’ house to confirm their worst nightmare. It had been almost a year, but the pain was as raw as if it was thirty seconds ago.

  “She’s asleep,” Tony said in a low voice.

  None of this made sense.

  “She had...car trouble?” Nicole asked, her words slow and uncertain.

  Tony shook his head. “Your car is in the parking lot at the bar. I made sure it was locked and I have the keys.”

  “Thank you,” Nicole whispered. Her throat felt like she’d swallowed wool socks. “How did...this happen?”

  Tony shrugged. “I was driving by on my way home from work and I saw a woman trying to get into your car but she kept dropping the keys and seemed unsteady.” He gave Nicole a lopsided grin. “Your car is familiar to me because of the...uh...door incident. Anyway, I thought the lady was trying to steal the car, but when I looked closer I realized I’d seen her with you and Jane one night.”

  “She went to the bar after I left this morning? That wasn’t what I thought...what she planned...” Nicole stammered. Her sister needed more help than she’d realized.

  “The good news is I think she only had three or four drinks. The bad news is your sister can’t hold her booze. I don’t think she’s a very experienced drinker.”

  “Was she sick?” Nicole asked.

  Tony nodded. “She’ll be okay, though. Needs sleep and carbohydrates. Lots of water.”

  “I’m sorry,” Nicole said. The wool sock in her throat was now making her eyes sting. “She’s going through a tough time right now.” A tear escaped and she brushed it away, even though it was useless because she knew both men saw it. “I should have been with her.”

  “I don’t mind,” Tony said. “Your sister was a heck of a lot nicer than most drunks when I held her hair back while she puked.”

  Kevin slid an arm around Nicole’s shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. The gesture was friendly, and it was tempting to lean into him, but she had to be strong herself...strong for the one sibling she had left.

  “Your car keys are on the kitchen table,” Tony added. “I’d suggest Gatorade as soon as she wakes up, if she can keep it down.”

  Nicole squeezed her eyes shut tight, but she could picture the look Kevin was probably giving his affable cousin right now. A look that said shut up.

  “I should get going,” Tony said.

  “What can I do?” Kevin asked. “Anything you need?”

  Nicole shook her head, unable to say what was in her heart, even though she thought Kevin would understand.

  I’ve already lost a brother. I can’t lose a sister, too. Laura was clearly on a destructive path. If Tony hadn’t taken away the car keys...

  “Good luck,” Tony said, directing his words to Nicole. He turned to his cousin. “Can you move your truck so I can get mine out of the driveway?”

  Kevin nodded. “How about I drive you over to the bar and we pick up Nicole’s car?”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Nicole said.

  “No, that’s a good idea,” Tony agreed. “You might need wheels to go to the store. Gatorade and ibuprofen. Toast and crackers. Stuff like that.”

  Nicole blew out a breath. “Okay.” She tiptoed into the house, retrieved the keys, and met Kevin in the driveway.

  “Thank you,” she said.

  “Call me later. Sooner if you need something.”

  She nodded. Tony had the window down on the passenger side. Nicole leaned in the window and touched his shoulder.

  “Thank you for not letting my sister drive like that. She could have killed someone, or herself.”

  Fresh tears stung Nicole’s eyes at the thought.

  “Right place at the right time,” Tony said.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “FOOD TRUCK NIGHT,” Jane announced as soon as the last customer cleared the shop at closing time on Saturday.

  “I’ve got cash and a giant appetite,” Nicole agreed. She could practically taste the delicious food and feel the salt air. They’d indulged twice already in her stay in Cape Pursuit, and Nicole loved the festive food event by the harbor. “I hope the burger truck is there again.”

  Jane laughed. “You’re right next to the ocean and you’re going to skip the seafood trucks?”

  “Hey, I’m from the
Midwest where burgers are king. We’ll go for a walk after we eat so my body has a fighting chance at defeating the cholesterol.”

  “Walking is a good idea for me, too. Although burgers aren’t the reason I’ve switched to elastic-waist pants and stopped tucking anything in.”

  Nicole put her arm around her friend’s shoulders as they locked the back door and walked to Nicole’s red car. “That’s exactly what’s supposed to happen. You’ll be twice as beautiful when you can hardly fit through the door.”

  “I’m almost five months along,” Jane said. “And still only a few people know. Just the people I love and trust. My parents are supportive and excited about being grandparents, despite the circumstances, but you’re my lifeline right now.”

  Nicole got in the driver’s seat and waited while Jane buckled up. “Charlie would be supportive, too. You’re far from alone.”

  “I know. I need to figure out what to do about him.”

  “Maybe the decision is not as hard as you’re making it.”

  “Huh,” Jane said. “Believe me, this is as hard as it gets.”

  “If you didn’t care for him...if it was just a one-night stand...what would you be doing right now about his involvement?”

  Jane was silent as they negotiated the crowded streets, and Nicole was afraid she’d pushed too much. It was a hot summer evening with ocean breezes and food trucks waiting. She should let her friend off the hook and just enjoy the evening—should, but she knew Jane needed to talk it through. Several times every day the new life inside Jane had made its presence felt. And Charlie was always right there in the room even though Jane had pushed him away.

  “I’d be practical. Draw up an agreement, maybe talk to an attorney about financial and custody arrangements.”

  “So why aren’t you doing those things?”

  “Because it’s Charlie,” Jane said, exasperation in her voice. “He’s not a stranger.”

  Nicole tightened her fingers on the steering wheel. “Do you love him?”

  Jane let out a long breath. “You wouldn’t ask that question if you didn’t already know the answer. But love has to go both ways for it to work.”