by Hope Ford
817 Fireman Lane
A Cherry Falls Romance
Hope Ford
Contents
1. Kent
2. Ava
3. Ava
4. Ava
5. Ava
6. Ava
7. Kent
8. Kent
9. Kent
10. Kent
11. Kent
Epilogue
Cherry Falls Romance
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About the Author
427 First Ave. © 2021 by Hope Ford
Editor: Kasi Alexander
Cover Design: Cormar Covers
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
1
Kent
I pull in with my truck and stare through the front windshield at the Cherry Falls Firehouse. The place is technically my second home, especially the last few years. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t have the station and all my brothers.
I get out and pocket my keys and can’t help but notice that Andrew and Porter are obviously up to their same ole antics. Usually, I just bypass them and let them have their fun, but today I stop next to Porter. “Andrew challenge the new guy?”
Porter looks up at me, and it’s obvious he’s up to something with the smirk on his face. “Yeah, something like that. We have to break Catlett in the right way.”
I shake my head, and instantly Porter throws his hands up. “What? Y’all did that to us when we started.”
I nod in agreement. He’s right. Anytime there’s a new person, there’s always a challenge. Not a hazing or anything, but definitely an obstacle challenge. Bascially, just a way to break in the new kid.
Porter puts his hands on his hips. “Yeah, Catlett bet a whole month of cleanup.”
“He’s smart at least. He didn’t take the challenge for just for show.”
Porter nods.
I cross my arms over my chest. “Did you tell him that Andrew is the reigning champion? No one has beat him on the course yet?”
Porter starts laughing and throws his head back. “No!”
I roll my eyes. Poor kid, he’s new and not only will have to do his own cleanup, he’ll have to do Andrew’s too. Tough break.
Porter grabs the microphone off the truck behind us. “Ready?”
From across the yard, first Andrew and then Catlett give a thumbs up. Porter giggles like a schoolgirl and mumbles to me, “Man, this is going to be good.” He puts his mouth to the megaphone. “On the count of three. One. Two. Three.”
They both take off, and I’m instantly surprised when Catlett takes off and is several feet ahead of Andrew. I follow them both as they run in their full gear. They climb the ladder and repel off the other side. Catlett pulls even farther ahead when he starts flipping the tire across the lot. Once there, he grabs the two hundred pound dummy –Andrew has the one hundred fifty pound dummy – and they both drag them back across the parking lot. Soon they’re both running full speed toward Porter and me, and all we can do is stand there in shock. Andrew is about to lose his title. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes. Andrew trains every day; he has the schedule of an elite athlete.
When Catlett stops in front of us, he bends over as if trying to catch his breath, and mere seconds later, Andrew stops too. Porter is shocked and seems to be embarrassed. I pat Catlett on the back. “Good job. Welcome aboard.”
Catlett stands up and pulls the helmet off his head, giving me another shock. Catlett isn’t a man... Catlett’s a woman.
“Uh...” I stammer.
The woman is beaming. I can’t look away. Her hair is sweaty, and even in the ponytail holder, it’s still going in every direction with loose blond hairs falling from the band. She has the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen, and the way she’s smiling, it’s showing off her full pink lips. She’s breathtaking... and I need to look away, but I can’t. “You beat Andrew,” I say, and not until the words are out do I realize how dumb that sounds. “I mean, congratulations.”
The woman pulls her gloves off and holds her hand out. “Hi. I’m Ava Catlett.”
I look at her small hand with the pink tips. Don’t do it, Graves, I tell myself. But I don’t listen. I reach out and wrap my hand around hers. “Kent. Kent Graves,” I say almost huskily. The difference is obvious between the two of us. I’m big, dark, and rough. She’s petite, light, and soft. I release her hand, and for the first time, I notice Porter and Andrew staring between Ava and me. Fuck.
I address Andrew first. “Is this what you thought you should be doing with your time? I’m sure there’s plenty to be done on any one of the trucks or the gear inside to be ready for the next call. Instead you’re out here goofing off.”
Andrew turns red and nods his head before walking away with a still smiling Porter behind him. Yeah, Andrew’s definitely not going to live this down. I should feel guilty for bossing them around, but I don’t. I’ve been at the station way longer than the two of them, and even though I’m not a higher-ranked fireman, people still listen when I say what to do. Plus, if my life hadn’t been so fucked up, I would have taken the many promotions that have been offered to me.
Lost in thought, I realize that Ava is still looking at me. Her lashes flutter on her cheeks when I look at her, as if she doesn’t want me to know she was watching me. I need to nip this in the bud. Yes, she’s attractive. Yes, I’ve not felt an attraction like this in a long time, but there’s no way I’m going to act on it. “And you... did you really think this is the best way to spend your first day on the job? Get to work.”
She looks stunned for a minute, and I almost take back my stern order. Almost. Until she juts out her chin and purses her lips. “Yeah, it was nice to meet you too.”
She walks off, and I tilt my head to the side as I watch her ass shake side to side. I watch her the whole way until she disappears through the big open doors of the firehouse. I fist my hands at my sides, instantly mad at the world. This is not going to fuckin’ work.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I storm inside and go straight toward the chief’s office. I knock under the plaque that says Chief Miles Malone. The chief barely gets out the words come in and I’m barreling through the door and shutting it behind me.
“Hey Kent.” He watches me as I sit in the chair on the other side of his desk. “What’s wrong?”
The fact he knows something is wrong is sort of messed up. I’m not a smiling, happy-go-lucky kind of guy. I’m firm, reserved, and don’t say a lot. So how he knows there’s something wrong is beyond me. “Are you trying to get us all killed?”
He leans back in his chair with his hands on the armrests. “Explain yourself.”
“Ava Catlett,” I say, as if just her name is explanation enough.
The chief flutters his hand as if he wants me to go on and he doesn’t understand. “Have you seen her? She’s small. We need to be able to trust the people we work with, especially in this line of work.”
“She’s small compared to you and some of the other guys here, but she’s passed all the training required. Perfect score, actually.”
I shake my head, disgusted. “You know those tests don’t prepare you for the real thing. You need real life experience.”
The chief interrupts me. “And she has it. Her grandfather was a fireman. Her father is the fire chief in Syn City. Her brothers are firemen. She passed top of her class, she worked the largest division in the city. She’s proven herself. You need to give her a chance. Ju
st like you did for Porter and Andrew when they first came.”
“If her whole damn family is on the force in Syn City, then why isn’t she there? What is she doing in Cherry Falls? That should be a red flag right there.”
The chief leans forward, tilts his head, and stares at me. I can feel his stare and start to get uncomfortable. I stand up and start pacing the room. Neither one of us says anything until the chief breaks the silence. “I don’t think you’re worried about Ava’s capabilities. I think it’s something else.”
I deny it. I don’t look at him, but I deny what he’s suggesting. “No, that’s not it at all.”
“You just met her, Kent, and already you’re feeling this strongly about her. What’s really going on?”
I keep pacing. Fuck, what do I say? I can’t tell him that my dick came to life today for the first time in three years. I’ve felt nothing for a woman in all that time, and one look from Ava’s blue eyes has me acting like a fuckin’ crazy man with a hard dick that I can’t control. “Nothing,” I mutter.
“It’s okay to move on, Kent. It’s time... it’s okay.”
My heart is racing, my palms are sweaty, and I suddenly feel sick to my stomach. “I have to get to work,” I tell him right before I slam out of his office. Fuck this, I’m going to the gym upstairs, take out my frustrations there.
2
Ava
I catch up with Porter. “What’s his problem?” I ask with a nod toward Kent. The man is big and bossy, and even though he’s an ass, I can admit he’s hot. I try to avoid that thought as I tear my gaze from the big Neanderthal.
“Who, Kent?” he asks.
When I nod as Kent walks past us toward the chief’s office, Porter shrugs. “He’s always like that.”
I look at him and wait for him to continue, but he doesn’t. I start stripping off my gear and shoving things into my locker. Andrew is on the opposite site of the station, but I can hear the guys ribbing him as Porter walks over to rub it in a little more. Maybe beating the station stud wasn’t the best move for my first day on the job, but I’m not the type of woman to just let a man win. I wasn’t raised that way, and I’m definitely not going to start now.
I have a whole internal debate going on about Kent Graves, and when the chief’s door slams, I look up and straight into the eyes of the man that has been consuming my thoughts. His eyebrows dip, and he looks quickly away... almost guiltily. I look between him and the chief’s door. Was he complaining about me? Oh hell no.
I stomp over toward the big guy and stand right in front of him. I’m mad, it’s obvious to anyone. I’m not trying to hide it. I want to poke him in the chest for more effect, but instead I clench my hands into fists at my side. “Do you have a problem with me?”
His nostrils flare as he looks at me. His scrutiny of me is like a caress as his eyes move across my face, down my neck, to my chest and back again. I hold completely still to hide the tremble that wracks through my body. I search his eyes, and for an instant I think he’s really checking me out, but just as quickly, it’s gone. In its place is fury and something so strong he looks like he’s barely hanging on. His jaw is tight and his words terse. “Not with you personally, no. I have a problem when a new hire weighs a buck thirty and puts me and the rest of the crew in danger because you have daddy issues and feel like you have something to prove.”
My mouth drops, and my body starts to shake. The attraction I felt for this man seconds ago is replaced with straight-up fury. I’m so mad I can feel the tears pooling in my eyes. But I take a deep breath. Never let them see you cry. I learned that from my dad, and I know he’s right. Never show weakness. I take a deep breath and force a smile on my face. “Thank you for the compliment. But I weigh a buck eighty.”
Then I grab my gear and stalk away. A breather. I need a breather. I walk out the big garage doors and around to the side of the building. Not until I’m out of sight and see no one around do I let out the breath I’ve been holding and sag against the brick wall. I take a few deep breaths in and out and try to ignore all the thoughts in my head. But one keeps coming back. Kent’s right; I do have issues with my father. He’s the fire chief for Syn City and has been a respected firefighter for the majority of his life. He talks and people listen. When he put me on desk duty, I lost my shit. I quit the department, leaving my father and brothers behind. Coming to Cherry Falls was supposed to be a new start. I knew I would have to prove myself, and I don’t have a problem doing that, but I didn’t expect to be straight-up attacked on my first day either.
I stand up and pull my shoulders back. You’re better than this, Ava. You’ve dealt with men like this before. Albeit, they definitely didn’t look like Kent Graves, but I’ve definitely dealt with assholes that have a problem with women as firefighters.
Shake it off, I tell myself, and literally I shake out my shoulders and arms. I’m just about to walk inside when Porter comes around the side of the building. “There you are. C’mon, the rest of the guys want to see the person responsible for bringing down Andrew.”
I laugh and walk next to him. “You act like it was hard or something.”
Porter stops, and I do too. He’s serious when he says, “Andrew’s never lost. Literally. We use him when we do field days and events against other crews. He never loses.”
I try to contain my smile. It’s already been a roller coaster of a day, and my shift just started. Before we get inside, Porter slows down. “Don’t let Kent get to you. He’s not a bad guy. He’s had... well, let’s just say there’s a reason he is the way he is.”
I nod, not wanting to talk about Kent Graves. I walk over to the crowd of guys that are still ribbing Andrew. I join in and even talk a little smack because it’s sort of expected of me. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t ignore the dark brown eyes that are watching me from across the room. Don’t do it, don’t do it, I tell myself. I know I shouldn’t look, but I do. I lift my head as the guys around me are all talking. I stare straight into the dark brown eyes of Kent Graves. If anything, that small zap of connection yards away seems to put him in another tizzy. He jerks his head and stomps off, slamming the back door as he goes.
The need to follow him is strong. It’s obvioius he’s a loner. He’s obviously well-liked and well-respected, but everyone keeps their distance from him. If Porter’s defending him, then the crew likes him. So what’s his problem... and why is he taking it out on me?
Kent
I barely stop myself from punching the brick wall. Of all the fire stations, why’d she choose this one? Why Cherry Falls? My life was fine until I laid eyes on her, and now it’s all fucked up.
I stretch my arms out and roll my neck. How in the world I thought Ava was a man is beyond me. In all that gear, the helmet and face mask kept her hidden so it was an honest mistake, but wow. Seeing her without all the gear on brings a whole new purpose to mind. When I slammed out of the chief’s office, the first thing I see is Ava. She’s standing in her tan pants that are tight across her ass, and instantly my own matching pants tighten in the crotch. I get a brief glance at her ass before she turns, and my focus lands on her large breasts in the blue T-shirt with the fire department’s logo on the front. When I jerk my eyes away from her body, I couldn’t stop from looking guilty. I definitely shouldn’t have been looking at a coworker like I was.
She surprised me when she walked straight up to me and confronted me. I towered over her, but she didn’t care. And what did I do? I hurt her. Yeah, I fuckin’ said things that I shouldn’t have. I knew it as soon as the words left my mouth and her face dropped as if I’d kicked her in the stomach or something. I went too far.
I almost followed her. Almost. But I know I’ve already pushed my luck for today. I think we both need some space, and I’m going to need to figure out how to hide this reaction to her before I talk to her again.
As soon as she walks out of the building, I walk up the steps to the weight room. I definitely need to punch something.
3
Ava
I went out of my way to avoid Kent this whole week. He walks into the dining hall, I walk out. He’s hanging with the other guys, I do my own thing. And even though we’re on the same shifts, I’ve even been able to arrange it so that I’m on a different truck than him. All in all, my first week improves from my first day. I still cringe thinking about that.
But even though I’ve succeeded in avoiding Kent, I’m starting to feel like he’s seeking me out. I refuse to let it happen, though. Obviously something about me bothers him. I wouldn’t have thought him to be sexist or anything, but what else could it be? It’s best if I just stay as far away as I can from him.
Cherry Falls is different than Syn City. It’s been a lot calmer with more down time, but I’ve already fallen in love with the town. I love the fact that I can ride my bike to work. I love that everyone seems to know everyone. And so far everyone that I’ve met – excluding Kent – has been nice and welcoming.
“Hey, Catlett. We’re going on a Code Astor. Want to go?”
I look between Porter and Andrew. Andrew seems to have gotten over me beating him, and we’ve actually started training together some. “What’s Code Astor? I don’t know that one.”
Porter shakes his head with a smirk. “I don’t have time to explain. You in or not?”
“I’m in. I’m in,” I tell them as I start grabbing my gear, and he stops me. “You won’t need to put on the gear. Bring it along in case we get another call, but you’re good like you are for this one.”
