One Last Risk (Oak Grove Series Book 1)

by Stopper, Nancy

  “Better now that you’re here. Come and give me a hug. How are you doing, sweetie?”

  “I’ll just grab some coffee.”

  Sarah leaned around the counter and hugged Emma. “I’m much better, thanks.”

  “So, what brings you two by?”

  Lucas slid the pot of hot liquid back onto the burner and blew over the steam rising from the cup. He took a long drink and closed his eyes. Sarah soaked in the look of bliss on his face.

  “Mm, Mm, that’s good. Oh, sorry, Emma.”

  “Well, I don’t want to interrupt you two—you and your coffee, I mean. If you’d like a moment alone, I can just stand over here and talk to Sarah.”

  Sarah laughed. Lucas did seem to have an intense experience when he savored his drink. Maybe he’d look the same when his feelings were more passionate. And directed toward her.

  He drank another sip and then raised his eyes. “I want to take some brownies back to the guys at the station. And let’s send Sarah home with some chocolate cupcakes. I have it on good authority that they’re her favorite.” He nudged her in the shoulder and winked.

  “You do, huh?” Emma flashed Lucas a smile. Both of them, shamelessly flirting.

  Maybe she could ask Emma about the festival? Emma knew about Alex and would understand Sarah’s hesitation. “Hey, Emma. I see you’re going to have a booth at the fall festival next weekend…”

  Emma’s smile grew bigger, if that was even possible. “I am. I can’t wait. After baking out of my house for years, this is the first year I’ve been able to swing it with the shop. I’m so excited. You’re coming to the festival, aren’t you?”

  Sarah bit her lip, yes and then no hovered on the tip of her tongue.

  Lucas answered before she could. “I’ve asked her to come with me. I’ve got duty in the morning.” He turned to Sarah. “All of the guys rotate through shifts throughout the day so everyone can enjoy the festival.” He finished speaking to Emma. “But after that, I’m hoping she’ll join me.”

  “Oh, Sarah. You just have to. You’ll have so much fun.”

  Sarah wasn’t sure what to do. But if she wanted to start a new life for herself in Oak Grove, she needed to take the risk and step out of her comfort zone. She glanced at Lucas and hope and desire reflected back at her. Daggone it, she’d overthought this entire situation. It was one date, one festival. She didn’t need to make a big deal out of it. “Okay. I’ll go.”

  Despite her resistance, she wanted to go with him, to explore the possibility of a future with this intriguing man, to see if life could consist of a lot more than what she had now.

  A smile broke across Lucas’s face so wide that it lit the room. He wrapped his arm tighter around her waist.

  “Great. It’s settled then,” Emma added. “Lucas, let me get your goodies so you can be on your way.”

  When Emma turned away, Lucas leaned down and whispered in Sarah’s ear. “Thank you for saying yes.”

  Sarah’s nerves jumped from the intimacy of his voice and his hot breath moistening her lobe.

  Emma handed a box to Lucas and a bag to Sarah and they said their goodbyes. She and Lucas headed out of the shop and back toward the station. Her steps slowed as they approached the corner. She was having fun with Lucas and didn’t want to leave. Lucas’s dragging strides told her he felt the same. They finally reached the open garage bays, but the crew had gone in. She and Lucas stood alone on the sidewalk in front of the station, the silence between them nearly deafening.

  “Stay right here for one second,” Lucas said. He dashed inside and came back quickly, his hands empty. “I wanted to run the brownies in for the guys.”

  “I guess you need to get back to work.”

  “Yeah, I probably should. I didn’t sleep much before my shift last night, and I’m on duty until midnight. I’ll probably head home and crash after that. I’m off during the day tomorrow, though. Can I see you?”

  She hesitated, glancing across the street and then back. “Why don’t I meet you in the park? I need to force myself to get out of the house more anyway. How about eleven?”

  “Eleven sounds great. I’ll meet you on our bench.” Lucas grasped her hand. “I’m so happy you agreed to go to the festival with me.”

  They stood for a moment, neither of them looking away. Lucas’s pupils widened, and a storm of emotions swirled in his gaze. She looked at his lips and licked her own in anticipation. He ran his hand up her arm and over her shoulder and her skin prickled in their wake. His fingers wove into her hair, then he grasped the back of her head and pulled her gently toward him.

  He placed his other hand on her cheek and closed the distance. His lips met with hers. She couldn’t keep her eyes open. She couldn’t catch her breath, her heart racing and her hands trembling. He kissed along her bottom lip, then her top, before sliding his lips fully on hers again. Just a simple kiss with this man and her mind was scrambled. She rested her hands on his chest, her fingers digging into his tight muscles as they kissed. No one could say this was an innocent kiss—not like the one she’d pressed to his cheek the other night. This kiss, in front of the station where anyone could walk by, told the world that they were together. After another swipe across her lips, he pulled away. His breathing ragged, he pressed his forehead against hers. “Goodbye, Sarah. See you tomorrow.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  TICK, TOCK. TICK, TOCK. STARING at the clock in the day room didn’t make the minutes go by any faster. Every minute felt like an hour. After leaving Sarah at the curb, Lucas’s body craved her, the need to see her again consuming his thoughts for the rest of his shift. When midnight finally rolled around, he didn’t go straight home. Instead, he drove down Maple Street and pulled up to the curb across from Sarah’s. Shutting off the engine, he rolled down his window and stared at her house. All the windows were dark and the lights were off.

  Sarah was likely asleep, lying on her bed, her blond hair spread out on the pillow. Her eyes would be hooded as she looked up into his with desire. Damn. He couldn’t let himself get out of control, as much as his body begged for Sarah’s touch. That one kiss he’d shared with her rocked him. Rattled him. Arousal coursed through him when their lips touched. It was all he could do to keep from pressing his erection into her, to show her exactly what kind of effect she had on him. If he were with her now, he would be lowering her to the bed beneath him, bringing his head to hers and kissing her. Claiming her. Devouring her. But instead he was sitting outside her house, wanting something he knew he shouldn’t.

  A porch light brightened the night sky from the house next door. Not wanting to be caught skulking outside Sarah’s house, he started his truck and put it in gear. He didn’t need the neighbors calling the sheriff on him for stalking—he just wanted to make sure Sarah was safe and settled in for the night.

  “SO, HOW’S YOUR week been, Lucas?” Dr. James asked.

  If that wasn’t a loaded question. He’d been on a call where he jumped onto the engine when he shouldn’t have, and he’d not only visited Sarah, but he’d kissed her. What did he want to share with the good doctor, anyway? He stuck with simple. “Good.”

  She raised her eyebrow, an expectant look on her face. He should have known he wouldn’t get away with that answer. “Is that all you have for me? If it were that simple, I doubt the captain would have sent you here.” Her tone wasn’t sarcastic or authoritative. She just presented it as a fact.

  A laugh bubbled in Lucas’s throat, and he rubbed his brow. There was no getting around the good doctor. She was trained to dig deeper, to see beyond his bull. He guessed he owed her something. He shifted in his chair. Maybe he owed himself something, too. “No, really. It’s been good.”

  “Alright. Tell me what’s been so good about it.”

  “We had a call the other night. Space heater overturned and caught a house on fire. An older couple. They barely got out.”

  Dr. James sat silently. She always lacked any kind of reaction. Stone-faced, regardless of
what he said. Did they train them to not react in sessions? They must have because she was an expert at it. He shifted again.

  “They were both in pretty bad shape, smoke inhalation, and the husband had second degree burns on his hands and arms. But we got both of them on oxygen pretty fast, and we treated his burns. They spent the night in the hospital, but they’re going to make a full recovery.”

  “And how did that make you feel?”

  He did laugh that time. The very first visit to Dr. James’s office, every stereotype he’d held about psychologists had been confirmed. This was just another. The laughter died in his throat. This wasn’t funny. She’d asked an important question, one he owed a serious answer. How did it feel when he helped the couple? “It felt good. Really good. Helping someone who relied on me because they were…” What, helpless? Counting on him to save them. In that regards, being a paramedic wasn’t much different from a firefighter—they both held the lives of others in their hands.

  “You sound surprised.”

  “I am.” He’d always looked at EMS duty as less dangerous, but being on the ambulance was just as important. Because he helped save lives. In a different way than pulling them out of buildings, but no less important. One job wasn’t more glorious than the other. Both involved danger. He risked his life when he went into a fire. The lives of his co-workers depended on his training to stabilize them. Both were noble, honorable, important and very necessary roles.

  “Why are you surprised? Can you tell me a little about why you got into firefighting in the first place?”

  This was easy. “I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter.”

  “Why?”

  Why had he chosen that career? “I’m the oldest of four siblings. My parents were great—are great. They taught us to help each other and others. Everyone had chores around the house, responsibilities to our family. And they taught us to be generous with our time. We all volunteered growing up. My parents were always involved with our Little League, the PTA—anything we did, they joined in. I guess that rubbed off on me. I’ve always wanted to help people, and I think I wanted to become a firefighter because I saw it as a way to support Oak Grove.”

  “That sounds great, Lucas. I’m glad you have such a good support system. But why a firefighter? Why not a sheriff or a teacher? There are a lot of ways you can help other people.”

  Wow, he hadn’t considered that. Maybe he should have. But most of them wouldn’t feed his internal adrenaline junkie. He smirked. “Firefighting isn’t easy. It takes a lot of strength and skill. And I wanted to be the best. Always have. I probably saw being a firefighter as the most challenging career I could have, so I wanted it.”

  “And how do you feel now that you’re just a paramedic?”

  His chest tightened. Was she putting down paramedics? It wasn’t easy to qualify as a paramedic. It took a ton of training and certification. How many people could say they saved the life of someone who nearly died in a car accident or from a heart attack?

  “I can see I struck a nerve. What are you thinking?”

  “You think being a paramedic is easy?” He pointed his finger. “Most people that apply and go through training don’t make it. There are never enough paramedics to meet the need. Not many people can do what we do.”

  She stared at him but said nothing. Again with the silence. He opened his mouth to argue again when a lightbulb went off in his head. If he wasn’t sitting in front of her, he’d probably slap himself across the head.

  “Right.”

  She didn’t need to say anything else. He got it. His issues about being only a paramedic were just that—his issues. No one else saw him as less because he wasn’t a firefighter right now. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t do everything possible to get back on the engine. That’s where he wanted to be. But he was quickly realizing that he enjoyed being a paramedic a lot more than he’d expected. She’d definitely given him something to think about.

  OVER THE NEXT week, he and Sarah fell into a comfortable routine. She took a walk into town each day. Sometimes, it was just the two of them after Lily went to preschool, and other times, Lily joined them. If he was on duty and could break free, they met in the park and talked. On his days off, they walked around town, grabbed a muffin or a cup of coffee at Emma’s. They held hands, and he took every opportunity to touch her, to feel her skin against his. And whenever he found a private corner, they kissed like teenagers. He often went back to the station or climbed in his truck frustrated. He wanted to caress her, to be with her, to explore their relationship—and her body—outside the intrusion of the entire town. He didn’t want to wait until the festival to spend time alone with her.

  Finally, on the Thursday before the festival, he’d had enough. He needed to see her alone and figured dinner was the perfect excuse. When he got off duty, he placed a call to his brother’s place and then headed out. It only took a few minutes before he was pulling his truck into J.J.’s parking lot.

  Darkness smacked him in the face when he opened the door of his brother’s restaurant. The walls, the ceiling, and the floors of the bar and grill were oak that had been stained dark brown. Under the colorful light fixtures hanging over the booths lining the walls and the tables in the middle of the floor, quite a few customers sat and enjoyed their meals. Music drifted across the room from the jukebox tucked in the back corner, the upbeat strains creating a lively mood.

  Joey’s planned renovations would really make a big difference. Who would have thought the youngest of the Bennett’s would turn into a successful business owner? With Joey settling into responsibility, maybe he’d find someone to share his success with. Who was Lucas kidding? Just because he was entertaining a relationship didn’t mean everyone would. Joey’s skirt-chasing reputation was well earned, and his dream was to be the token uncle when the rest of them got married.

  “Hey, Carla.” The curly-haired blonde bartender stood behind the wide, shiny wood bar that spanned the right side of the restaurant. The smell of grilling burgers and fries drifted through the pass-through window that separated the bar from the kitchen. His stomach growled.

  “Hey, Lucas.”

  Carla was attractive, but he felt no twinges, no desire. Nothing like the craving every time he thought of Sarah. Or touched her. Or kissed her. Or caressed her…

  This had gotten completely out of control. He had to do something about this. He would… tonight.

  “How you doing today?” Carla wiped a rag inside a glass mug. “I think you just missed Joey. He had to run out for a sec.”

  “Doing great. That’s okay about Joey. I’ll catch him another time.” That had been his plan. Joey’d be full of questions Lucas wasn’t ready to answer. This way he can scoot in, grab dinner for him and Sarah, and dash out before Joey grilled him. He didn’t need his baby brother’s probing questions right now.

  “Well, what can I get ya?”

  “I called in a to-go order.”

  “Let me head in the back and check on it.”

  “Thanks.”

  She walked through the swinging door and it smacked her on the backside. Her laughter carried into the bar from the kitchen. He’d barely taken his seat on a nearby barstool when the door to the kitchen swung open again.

  “Your order’s not quite ready. It needs a few more minutes.” Joey stepped up to the bar and leaned his arms on the rail.

  Lucas grimaced, steeling himself for the conversation he’d hoped to avoid.

  “Hey, big brother. How ya doin?” Joey asked.

  “Good.”

  Carla sidled up to Joey’s side. “I guess Joey told you it’ll be a couple of minutes. How about a soda while you wait?”

  “Sounds great.”

  Joey quirked his eyebrow. “So, what’s up?”

  “Not much.”

  “Not much? You want to explain the order for two?”

  So much for Lucas flying under the radar. “No, not really. Thanks for asking.”

  Joey laughed. “N
ot a chance. No way you’re getting off that easy. Now fess up.”

  Lucas paused. This wasn’t just his privacy, but Sarah’s, and he didn’t want to betray her trust. They hadn’t talked about what to say to other people. Were they dating? Were they hanging out? Was she becoming his girlfriend?

  “Actually, you don’t need to tell me. I probably already know. If I’m not mistaken, you’re headed over to have dinner with the cute little blonde.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Dude, you’re so busted. You’ve been seen all over town with her this past week. Curse of the small town, man. No secrets.”

  Lucas groaned. He should have known. The small-town grapevine hard at work. “Yeah, well, it’s not really a secret. I just hoped to keep it private a little longer.”

  “So, are you dating her now?”

  How did he answer that question? He knew what he wanted to say, but things were so complicated. “I don’t know. We haven’t had a real date yet. I mean, how do you date a single mother, anyway?”

  “I don’t know, man. I’ll warn you, though. You don’t want to go messing with her head. I’m sure she has enough in her life without you toying with her.”

  Lucas bristled. Just because Joey’s life consisted of serial one-night stands didn’t mean Lucas’s did. And Joey had no right to imply anything of the sort. Lucas stood and leaned in, his face mere inches from Joey’s. “I am not toying with her.” Lucas repeated Joey’s words to show exactly how distasteful they were on his tongue.

  Joey held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Oh, man. You’ve got it bad. I didn’t mean anything by it. If you really like this girl, I say go for it. But if you’re just looking for a good time, you need to back off now before her feelings get hurt.”

  Lucas shot his brother a look. “When have I ever gone out with a woman just for a good time?”

  “I’m just saying…”

  “I like her. I really do.” Lucas paused. How could he put this so Joey would get it? The family didn’t understand Lucas’s guilt over Shawn’s death, his obligation to Regena, and his resolution to stay commitment-free so he wouldn’t put another woman in that position. “I’m a bad bet, though.”