Hometown Fireman

by Lissa Manley

  Just then, an orderly arrived to ferry Dad to his tests, saving Drew from coming up with a response. After a brief conversation, the orderly unlocked the bed and started wheeling his dad out the door.

  “You’ll think about what I said?” Dad asked, piercing Drew with a razor-sharp gaze.

  Drew nodded stiffly.

  “Good,” Dad said emphatically. “Because life’s too short to close your eyes to love. Just grab it by the horns and thank God for bringing such a blessing into your life.” His mouth trembled. “I wish I’d done that instead of trying to do everything on my own. Maybe I wouldn’t be here now if I had.” And then he was gone.

  Drew stood alone in the dreary E.R. bay, stunned by the turn of events. And by what his dad had said. A vision of Ally rose in his mind, and right along with that a memory of holding her close, breathing in her floral perfume. His heart started thumping and suddenly he couldn’t wait to see her again.

  Oh, yeah, he’d be thinking about his dad’s advice. In fact, he doubted he’d be pondering much else in the near future. And for a man who’d thought his path to fulfillment and happiness in Atherton was so clear, so well planned, so perfect in every way, having a diversion from the route—two of them, actually—was a complication he simply didn’t want to face.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ally found Drew standing on the patio in the dark. “Drew? Are you all right?”

  He and Grace had arrived home from the hospital just a few minutes ago, just as Ally was going to settle in with Sadie and the pups for a cuddle session. Drew had gone directly to this spot without a word, and Grace had walked to the kitchen to rustle up a late dinner, Rex following at her heels. Not surprising, really, that Grace had headed that way; Grace’s way of coping with stressful events seemed to be centered around puttering in the kitchen.

  Grace had called hours before to let Ally know what had happened to Hugh. Aching for all the Sellerses, Ally offered to go down there for moral support, but since she’d started watching Heidi after school and would have had to bring her, Grace told her to stay put. Carson had picked up Heidi half an hour ago.

  Drew didn’t turn around, just spoke, his deep voice emanating from the darkness. “Did you know my dad designed and built this whole patio himself?” His tone held a sad edge that tugged at her.

  “No, I didn’t.” She’d finally seen Mr. Sellers in passing last night, when he’d arrived home after midnight and she’d taken Sadie out front for a potty break, but that was as far as their relationship went.

  “Well, I helped, but, yeah.” A pause. “He and I hauled in all the pavers, laid them all, too.” He let out an audible breath. “It was a big job, and it took us weeks, working in the evenings and on weekends.”

  Ally stayed silent, figuring he needed to get his thoughts out, and, amazingly, she wanted to be the one he talked to.

  “Now…he’s sitting in a hospital bed, with three heart blockages, about to undergo an invasive procedure in the morning.”

  Ally moved closer and then laid a hand on Drew’s arm. “It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?”

  Another huff. “Yeah, it is.”

  “But he’s going to be okay?” she asked, stepping up next to him.

  “Hopefully. They kept him overnight to monitor him, and then they’ll do the procedure in the morning.”

  “Angioplasty?”

  He turned and made a face. “Yeah. How did you know?”

  “Remember Mrs. Landry, the lady who took me to church when I was young?”

  He nodded.

  “Her husband had the procedure when I was ten or so, and I walked their dogs while he recovered.”

  “So he was okay?” he asked, his voice alight with hope.

  “I got a Christmas card from her last year, and he’s still around, driving her crazy because he refuses to wear his hearing aids.”

  Drew’s face relaxed. “Oh, good.”

  “So, try not to worry, all right?”

  “I don’t know if that’s possible.” He closed his eyes. “He just looked so…old and frail, and I feel as if I could have prevented some of this.”

  “How?”

  A significant pause. “Dad’s pretty shaken up, and he told me that he thinks stress brought some of this on.”

  “Because of what’s going on with him and your mom?”

  “Partly.”

  “What’s the other part?” she asked.

  Drew rubbed his eyes. “He also told me that the business is on the brink of going under and that he’s been working such long hours to save it single-handedly.”

  “That would be pretty stressful,” she said, trying not to let her shock show, sensing Drew needed an even keel right now.

  “And he hasn’t told my mom what’s going on.”

  Ally dropped her jaw. “Oh, wow.” She thought for a moment. “So he’s been trying to turn the business around in secret?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “No wonder he ended up in the E.R.”

  “Yeah, no kidding.”

  She regarded him. “So…I don’t get it. How could you have prevented this?”

  “I’m abandoning him right when he needs me the most,” he said in a husky whisper. “No wonder he’s been so freaked out by my plans.”

  She moved around so she was facing him. “You aren’t a mind reader, right?”

  He simply inclined his head in agreement.

  “So you cannot possibly blame yourself for this.”

  “Really?” he said in a tortured rasp. “I’ve been selfish and tuned out, focused on my own escape, my own wants and needs, and all along, my mom and dad have been in crisis.”

  It seemed natural to step close, so she did, slipping her arms around his taut waist, resting her cheek against his chest. “You are one of the least selfish people I know.”

  After a seemingly shocked pause, he wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin on the top of her head. “I don’t know how I could have been so oblivious to what was going on.”

  His embrace brought a sense of peace to her, despite the volatile subject matter. “You have your own life,” she replied. “And your parents are grown-ups. You can’t take all their problems on as your own.”

  She felt him nod. “I have God to help me, right?”

  His words made her heart glow. “And me.”

  He leaned back and brought both hands up to cup her face from below, his fingers warm and gentle on her jaw. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

  She hung on his gaze, and when he dipped his head to kiss her, she met him halfway. All at once, all of her painstakingly built barriers fell.

  Had she lost a big chunk of her heart to the man holding her in the moonlight as if she were the most precious thing on earth?

  *

  The next morning, while his dad underwent the angioplasty, Drew stopped by the office at Dad’s request to take care of some offer paperwork that couldn’t wait. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before Mom called and told him that Dad had made it through the procedure with flying colors and would be in his room shortly.

  Guess it was a morning of important phone calls. Just as he was heading out to his truck to make the quick drive to the hospital, Chief Jamison from the Atherton Fire Department called to tell Drew that he’d been accepted into the next Fire Academy, set to start next week! Drew had told Chief Jamison he’d have to get back to him.

  How could Drew possibly leave now that he knew Sellers Real Estate was in trouble? Now that Dad had driven himself into the ground trying to save the business?

  Sure, Drew wanted to go to Atherton to be a full-time firefighter; he always had. But…now? Now his dad had suffered a big setback and needed him. Drew would feel like the worst son around if he just deserted him.

  Yeah, see you later, Dad. Sorry, can’t help you. Gotta go do my fireman thing. Bye.

  A sick feeling gripped Drew, and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. No way. He couldn’t utter those words. He
just couldn’t. Everything had changed in just a day’s time, ever since Dad had spilled his guts yesterday. From a hospital bed.

  And there it was, the heartbreaking reality, which couldn’t be ignored or swept aside. At least not easily. Or respectfully. And despite his and Dad’s rough road lately, Drew couldn’t for the life of him disrespect his father. Not after what he’d been through.

  Drew turned left at Sand Dollar Avenue, something withering up inside of him, leaving a hollow, black hole in his chest. There went his dream, for now. Oh, well. Life wasn’t easy, never had been. So be it. There would be other academies. Right? He hoped so, but with the business struggling, who knew? And, frankly, the older he got, the less chance he had to stand out against younger applicants.

  He parked his truck in the hospital’s parking garage and sat there for a few moments, his head down, as disappointment weighed on him.

  A prayer rose in his head. Please, Lord, help me to weather this turn of events. Help me to accept this unexpected development with grace and consideration and with the wisdom to see that this is the right thing to do.

  Some of the weight lifted from him as he asked for God’s help, and he mentally thanked Ally for reminding him about why he needed to reconnect with the Lord. With thoughts of her came another realization—look how gracefully she’d dealt with the setbacks that had been part and parcel of her life. If he could emulate her, even just a little bit, he’d be okay. She was an amazing woman.

  With that thought providing strength—and immeasurable comfort, which he was grateful for—he went into the hospital, noting as he walked that the sun had come out after a steady morning drizzle.

  When he reached the inpatient surgery waiting room, he stopped in his tracks at the unexpected sight that greeted him. Ally was there, holding up a magazine, pointing out something to his mom, who sat next to her.

  Something melted inside him at the sight of Ally, and not just because she was doing the thoughtful thing by being there for him. She was there supporting his mom, too, which somehow got to him even more.

  Ally’s help meant a lot—even more than he’d realized—and a big part of him wondered how well he’d be handling this whole medical crisis if not for her. Not well, probably. But he had other, more pressing matters to worry about right now. Such as a father fresh out of an invasive procedure and a mom who was estranged from her husband and had no idea why things had spun so far out of control.

  “Hey,” he said, joining the two women.

  Mom turned and Ally stood. She wore a hot-pink fleece top with figure-hugging jeans, and she had her hair pulled back in a low, loose ponytail. She looked very pretty.

  “I didn’t know you were going to be here,” he said.

  “Do you mind?” she asked somewhat tentatively, obviously taking his statement the wrong way.

  “Not at all,” he replied truthfully as he slipped an arm around her shoulder, needing her steady support. In fact, he liked that she was here. More than he would have dreamed a few weeks ago. A lot had changed since Ally had come into his life.

  She sighed. “Oh, good.”

  “Your dad is back in his room now,” Mom said, raising an eyebrow, her eyes lingering on Drew and Ally. “We were waiting for you to go see him.”

  Drew was glad she didn’t comment on his and Ally’s obvious closeness. He only wanted to deal with one “crisis” at a time, and Dad’s condition took precedence right now. Clearly, Mom saw that, too.

  “Thanks. Let’s go see him.”

  Mom pointed at the hall. “I’ll meet you there. I have to use the ladies’ room.” She left the room.

  “You ready?” he asked Ally, gently pulling on her shoulder.

  Ally dug her heels in and hung back. “I’ll wait here.”

  He turned. “What?” he asked, frowning. “Why?”

  She crossed her arms over her abdomen. “This is a family matter.”

  Ah. And she didn’t feel as if she were part of the family. Just as she had never felt a part of any other family. His heart just about crumbled in his chest.

  He took her hand in his. “Yes, it is. And right now, you’re part of this family, and I’d like you to go with me.”

  She bit her lip and stayed silent for a moment. “You sure your dad won’t mind?”

  Drew thought back to his conversation with his dad yesterday. “I’m sure.”

  She looked doubtful. “Well, if you’re sure…”

  “I am,” he said, taking her hand. “Trust me, he’ll be thrilled to see you.” With me. Wow. Things had certainly changed fast.

  He felt her small, soft hand in his, and his breathing gave a little hiccup. He looked at her and smiled, and she smiled back, her green eyes meeting his gaze.

  “Thank you for being here for me,” he said. “And for my mom.” Again, he realized how much he liked having Ally by his side.

  “You guys have been there for me,” she replied softly. “Of course I want to do the same.”

  “It feels…nice to know I can lean on you.”

  “It does, doesn’t it?”

  Guess they were in the same place.

  Hand in hand, they headed down the hall to Dad’s room. Drew’s mind swirled; huge stuff was happening. And he had a feeling that the potential changes hovering on the horizon were even bigger and more profound than he could have ever imagined. Or expected.

  Was it possible to embrace them?

  *

  “Thank you for making dinner and cleaning up,” Drew said to Ally as he slipped on his jacket. “Mom’s exhausted after spending most of the day at the hospital.”

  Ally put the last plate away, trying not to stare at him, which was hard, considering that his presence seemed to fill the kitchen. Especially since their unforgettable kiss last night. She was seeing him in a whole new light. Uh-oh…

  “No problem,” she said, grabbing a kitchen towel. “Good thing my cooking repertoire is growing, or we’d be eating spaghetti seven nights a week.”

  He laughed. “That’d be okay with me as long as you served it with cookies.”

  She playfully flicked the towel at him. “Do you ever think about anything but cookies?”

  He moved closer. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about our kiss quite a bit.”

  Swallowing, she regarded him. What was the sense of denying the truth? “Me, too,” she replied. “It was quite…unexpected.” Special…

  “Unexpected?” He mimed stabbing himself in the chest.

  “Okay, it was…wonderful.”

  “It was, wasn’t it?” He stared, his eyes moving over her face in a way that made her blush. “So wonderful I’d like to do it again.”

  Her breathing went all funny, and her knees got flimsy. “Oh, you would, would you?” she whispered, swaying toward him. “I guess that would be okay,” she said, downplaying her reaction. Truthfully, her sanity had taken a hike to the next galaxy. At this point another kiss sounded like the best idea she’d heard all day.

  He moved closer and his arms came up to rest on her shoulders. As if someone had shocked her, her heartbeat went haywire—

  A cell phone rang.

  Drew froze, wincing. His eyes slid down. “That’s mine.”

  She nodded, squelching the desire to take his phone and chuck it out the window. “Business?”

  He pulled the phone out of his pants pocket and looked at his cell. “Yup.”

  “Go ahead and take it.”

  His eyes shone with regret. “Guess I’d better.” He dropped a quick yet deadly kiss on her mouth. “Don’t move.”

  Exiting the kitchen, he put the phone to his ear and took the call. Ally sagged back against the counter, giving in to her rubbery legs, pressing a shaky hand to her lips. Wow. Even a little kiss had her feeling all mushy. Quivery. Like getting another smooch was the most important thing in her life. In the kitchen, no less!

  She whirled around and looked out the window over the sink. She’d known after their kiss last night that she was
in deeper than she’d ever intended. As in over her head in a gigantic way. Romance had never been on her agenda. Not even near it.

  But Drew got to her in so many ways—his goofy side, the way he interacted with Heidi, his willingness to reestablish his connection with God. He was a good, faithful man, and, frighteningly, he made her defenses crumble.

  She chewed her lip as she watched a bird splash around in the bird feeder by the window. Was it such a bad thing that she liked him, a lot? Just the thought of letting him into her heart, taking that risk, dropping her guard, only to be hurt, terrified her. But then, the thought of another kiss sounded sublime. Feeling this way—so conflicted—was exhausting.

  She stretched her tight neck side to side, sighing. As if she didn’t already have enough to worry about. Obviously, the dog rescue was on hold, and she needed another job, yesterday. It felt as if her whole life was in limbo. Not exactly the best time to jump headfirst into Drew’s arms, was it? But would it ever be the right time?

  Suddenly, the bird shook and sent tiny droplets of water flying. Then, with a look up to the cloud-dotted sky, it flew, lifted by the breeze, up, up, up until it disappeared in the branches of a giant oak tree in the neighbor’s yard. Looked as if it was on the way to its next adventure one yard over. Brave, wasn’t it, to make that kind of a move into unknown territory? There might be cats next door. Or windows the bird might fly into. That would be bad. Disastrous.

  Drew’s voice broke her ominous train of thought. “I’m sorry to say, I have to go.”

  She turned, both relieved and disappointed. What a mess. “Real estate emergency?”

  “So to speak,” he replied. “An unexpected offer came in, and I need to meet the sellers at their house to discuss their counteroffer.”

  She forced a smile. “Go ahead.”

  With a sigh he took her hand.

  She fought the urge to pull him close and kiss him silly.

  “I wish I could stay,” he said, his thumb tracing a pattern on the back of her hand.

  She somehow managed to say, “Me, too. But a job’s a job. Pretty soon you’ll be answering fire calls in the middle of the night, right?”

  Something flashed in his eyes. Doubt? Unease? “Right,” he said, nodding, his face unmoving.