Hometown Fireman

by Lissa Manley

  There he stood in the door leading from the kitchen to the garage. Truly a sight for her teary eyes.

  Ally pulled away from Grace, her knees quivering. “Wh…what are you doing here?” she managed to croak out.

  He moved into the kitchen, and it was all she could do not to fling herself into his arms and beg him never to leave again. But she resisted, still so unsure about letting herself go to that place, so scared to let him close to her heart.

  “Mom called and told me Rex was missing, so I’m here to help find him.”

  Ally shot a look at Grace and frowned. Grace simply shrugged as if to say, I called him anyway.

  Focusing her attention back on Drew, Ally said, “What about the Academy?”

  “There will be other academies,” he said. “There’s only one Rex.”

  “You gave up Academy to come back here and look for Rex?” Ally whispered. No one had ever given up anything for her. Rather, they’d given up on her. Left her to fend for herself. But not Drew. Wow.

  “Yes, I did. I know how important he is to you, and I wouldn’t have felt right not coming back.”

  Ally’s throat clogged and she couldn’t speak. Instead, she just nodded as her brain spun around and around with the significance of what Drew had done.

  He’d sacrificed his spot at the Academy for her! Unbelievable. Ally just stared at him, too shocked to formulate any kind of coherent response.

  In the silence that ensued, Grace took over. “Okay, so we have an extra pair of eyes and ears.” She looked at Drew. “Ally was just on her way to the beach. Do you want to go with her so you can cover more ground?”

  He held up his car keys. “Sounds like a plan.” His eyes found Ally. “You ready?”

  “Yes, yes, I am,” she managed to shove out.

  “Then let’s go find your dog,” he said. He turned and headed out into the garage.

  Ally just stared at the door for a second, her jaw slack, trying to comprehend what Drew had given up to be here. He’d walked away from his dream, his future. For her.

  Ally’s heart expanded and warmth filled her chest.

  “Now, that’s devotion,” Grace said, her voice echoing an obvious smile.

  Yes, it was. Devotion such as Ally had never known, or imagined. What did Drew’s gesture mean in the long run? And how did it change things between her and Drew? If it changed things at all?

  She had no idea. But what she did know was that with Rex still on the loose, now wasn’t the time to dissect his actions or her reactions.

  Eventually, she was going to have to face reality regarding her and Drew. No matter how much she wanted to ignore the truth to keep her heart safe. The seed had been planted, and it was going to be impossible to ignore the flower once it bloomed.

  She only hoped she could make the right decision in the end.

  *

  Drew pulled his truck into the deserted parking lot adjacent to the main stretch of Moonlight Cove Beach. The windshield wipers whipped back and forth, barely able to clear the rain that fell in a soggy torrent from the gunmetal-gray skies above.

  He put the truck in Park, turned off the ignition and then regarded Ally in the passenger seat, drinking in the sight of her as if he hadn’t see her in a year. Even though she was clearly stressed out, and had her hair pulled back into a haphazard ponytail, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, both inside and out.

  Forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, Drew said, “We’ll find Rex.”

  She turned a tearstained face his way, blinking rapidly. “I’m not so sure. He’s been gone a whole day already,” she said in a husky whisper. Her swollen, red eyes were a testament to how upset she was about her beloved Rex.

  Drew’s chest squeezed, and he wished he could make Rex appear and wipe the agony from her face. Her pain was his. “I wish you’d called me sooner.”

  “I didn’t want to distract you. Today was supposed to be a big day for you.” She gave him a trembling smile. “I still can’t believe you came back.”

  “I care about you, and Rex, too,” he said.”

  “Well, whatever the case, I appreciate your coming back,” she said solemnly.

  “Just try to keep me away,” he said, catching her gaze and holding it.

  She stared back for a moment, and he knew it wouldn’t take much for him to get lost in those gorgeous green eyes. She blinked and then sucked in a quick breath. Then her jaw tightened and she yanked her gaze away, breaking their connection. Up went that wall of hers—he hated that thing, how effectively it kept him at bay.

  A familiar ache throbbed beneath his breastbone. Maybe that was a permanent affliction.

  She pointed out the window. “Um…we should get a move on.”

  Guess he couldn’t blame her for wanting to proceed with the search for Rex. He corralled his thoughts and said, “Yeah.” He glanced north. “We can cover more ground if we split up.”

  She gave him an impersonal nod that landed like a kick to his gut. “Sounds good.” Then she quickly flipped the hood up on the rain jacket she’d borrowed from Mom and exited the truck.

  Reminding himself that it was all about Rex right now, Drew shrugged off his bruised feelings. Hastily he shoved a Mariners cap Seth had given him onto his head before following her out into the rain. The ever-present coastal wind sliced across his face, and he yanked on his hat to be sure it sat securely on his head.

  She shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. “I’ll go south and you go north, okay?” Her face looked pale and drawn underneath the big hood.

  “All right. Has anyone looked in the woods on the north end?” Moonlight Cove Beach bordered a wooded area thick with conifers—spruce, cedars and firs. “Might be a good place for a scared dog to hide.”

  She shook her head. “Not yet.”

  “I’ll head there, then. Call me if you find anything, all right?”

  Another stiff nod. “Sure. You do the same, all right?”

  “Okay.” He regarded her. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”

  She rolled her lips inward and closed her eyes, furrowing her brow. Tears leaked from underneath her eyelids. “I hope you’re right,” she said, her voice just a whisper in the wind.

  Again, her agony hit him like the stinging spray from a fire hose. Without thinking, he stepped forward to give her a comforting hug, and just to have her close for a brief moment. She froze as his arms went around her and stood there like a concrete statue.

  Yeah. Message received. This woman didn’t want him, and she never would.

  With an ache spreading through him as real as the tide pulling at the ocean just a hundred yards in front of him, he stepped back and let her go. A part of him expected her to topple to the ground and shatter into a million pieces, just as an off-balance statue would.

  But she didn’t topple. Or shatter. She was unbreakable. She simply gave him an impassive look and, before he could get words out around the clog in his throat, she turned and headed toward the beach. Her steps picked up as she neared the sand, and she called Rex’s name. Her voice was carried up and away on the wind, hopefully to Rex’s ears.

  Drew watched her go, a small dark figure in the rain, her shoulders hunched, as if the weight of the world rested there.

  A weight she didn’t want to share with him, or anyone, in any kind of meaningful way. That was the bottom line here, and the sooner he accepted that sobering truth, the sooner he could move on. Somehow.

  With a snort he refocused his thoughts on his mission—to find Rex and bring him back to Ally—and started jogging north, calling Rex’s name as he went.

  As he hit the beach, he noted that, not surprisingly given the crummy weather, it stood empty. He scanned up and down the waterline, over the large gray logs the tide had beached, looking for anything unusual.

  Wanting to be closer to the water, and on harder sand, he jogged toward where the tide broke. A trio of gulls soared above his head on the stiff breeze, cawing, as if t
hey were laughing at him from their vantage point high in the air.

  He grimaced, not sharing their delight in the slightest way, although he’d kill for a bird’s-eye view right about now.

  Drew saw the forest looming in the distance, a green smudge above the rocky coastline, and picked up the pace, sticking close to the waterline for several minutes, praying he’d find some sign of Rex. Anything.

  When the forest was a hundred yards or so off to his right, hugging the curving coastline, he headed inland, moving quickly even when the wet sand became harder to move through.

  After walking against the wind for a few minutes, which made his breathing ragged, he reached the large rocks that separated the beach from the woods. He and Seth used to play here as kids, pretending the rocks were their pirate ships, so Drew knew his way around.

  He clambered over the rocks, shouting Rex’s name as he headed toward the path that led into the forest and then onto a smaller, more secluded section of Moonlight Cove Beach farther down. It was only accessible from here and a little-used forest service road.

  The path was less obvious than it used to be, but still clear, although the tree limbs hung lower than he remembered. Maybe he was just taller now. Conifer needles and pinecones littered the ground, muffling his footsteps as he hurried down the path, scanning left and right, calling Rex’s name.

  Just as he was about to reach the end of the path that led onto the other section of beach, a sound drifted to him on the wind. He stopped dead and cocked his head, listening. Yes! There it was again, to his right, something that sounded like a…whimper?

  Homing in on the sound, he headed into the trees, his eyes searching as another whimper sounded, closer now. His heart thumping, he continued on, pushing tree limbs out of his way.

  He came to a clearing and stopped, looking around…and there, lying in a heap on the ground, lay a panting, whining Rex. The poor guy had some serious-looking scratches on his left flank and was bleeding.

  His breath coming fast and hard, Drew charged forward, then hit the brakes, pretty sure Rex wouldn’t take too kindly to Drew touching him, especially when the dog was injured and clearly in pain. But…what else could he do? Rex needed help, and fast. That wound looked life-threatening, and who knew how long he’d been lying here, injured.

  Unsure of Rex’s reaction, but driven to help him, Drew slowly moved forward. “Hey, Rex, old buddy. Looks like maybe you got tangled up with a coyote.”

  Rex whined as his black eyes met Drew’s.

  Drew crept forward a bit more, his hand outstretched. “That’s it, boy,” he crooned. “Everything’s gonna be just fine….”

  Rex watched him intently as he drew near.

  With infinite care, Drew made his way around to Rex’s left side and crouched down when he was close enough to touch the dog. “I’m here to help, boy. I’m here to help.”

  Rex whined. Did he understand? Drew, and his fingers, hoped so. One bite from those teeth could cause him serious injury.

  Steeling himself to pull away quickly if need be, Drew reached out a slightly shaking hand, holding it high so Rex would see it coming.

  Drew kept his eyes on Rex’s face, alert for signs of fear or defensiveness. Just as his hand closed in, Rex looked up at Drew, and, amazingly, trust shone in his dark, pain-laced eyes.

  Stunned—this from a dog that had been vicious in the past—Drew gently laid his hand on Rex’s shoulder. “I’m here, Rex. You can relax now.”

  With what sounded like a combination sigh and whimper, Rex relaxed as Drew stroked his smooth fur. The dog kept his eyes on Drew, and again, complete and utter trust and faith emanated from his gaze.

  Utter trust and faith. The kind that transcended fear and defensiveness and opened hearts to embrace and let in what had hurt in the past. What had wounded, seemingly irreparably.

  But Rex had shown Drew that those wounds weren’t beyond repair—as long as there was enough trust and faith to carry one beyond the pain and worry to the reward on the other side.

  A stunning realization blasted through Drew. He hadn’t had the same kind of faith in Ally. Or in himself, really. He’d used her fears, and his own, to insulate his heart. To keep it safe. Unscathed. But despite his efforts, it hadn’t worked. Sitting here with Rex, Drew saw now that he’d opened his heart after all. Everyone—Seth, Carson, Mom, Dad—had been right.

  Drew loved Ally, deeply, irrevocably, passionately. And he needed to take a cue from Rex’s reaction and have faith in Ally, and in his own undeniable love for her.

  Drew should have fought for a future for him and Ally, not let his doubts and uncertainties hold him back from admitting the truth to himself, and to Ally. Good or bad, he saw now that acknowledging his love and telling her was the right path, no matter what the outcome.

  “Well, Rex, as soon as we get you to the vet and fixed up, I’m going to tell Ally I love her.” He stroked Rex’s neck. “How does that sound to you?”

  Rex whined. Good, he approved. With a love to last a lifetime on the line, how could Drew not heed the amazing lesson Rex had taught him?

  Chapter Sixteen

  With her heart in her throat, Ally rushed out into the vet’s parking lot as soon as she spotted Seth’s truck pull in.

  Drew had called a short time ago and told her he’d found Rex in the woods north of the beach, injured from what looked like an encounter with a coyote but definitely alive. All business, Drew had quickly informed her that he was calling Seth to come get him and Rex in his truck, since Seth was familiar with the secluded forest service road that was the beach’s only access route.

  Together they’d decided to call Grace and ask her to pick up Ally at the beach and take her to the vet’s office. Drew and Seth would then meet them there. They would pick up Drew’s car at the beach later.

  Ally had agreed without arguing, even though all her instincts has screamed to get to Rex as soon as possible. And after she’d hung up, she’d stood on the beach, looked up to the cloud-strewn sky and thanked the Lord for leading Drew to Rex.

  Grace had arrived at the beach in record time and hastily driven Ally to the vet, but had taken off right away to go to Mr. Sellers’ follow-up appointment at the hospital. Ally had waited inside the vet’s office for the longest half hour of her life.

  And now, here they were, two men and her dog, safe and hopefully sound. She sobbed in relief and was headed for the back crew cab door of Seth’s truck before he’d even pulled to a full stop.

  Drew hopped out of the front passenger seat. “Hold on,” he said, blocking the back door.

  “What?”

  His gaze held hers. “He’s injured pretty badly.”

  Her eyes burned and her throat went tight. “I can handle it,” she said with a lift of her chin. “He needs me.”

  Drew stared at her for a long moment, unblinking, then tilted his head in acquiescence and opened the crew cab door.

  Rex lay there on a blanket, panting, his right back leg scratched and bloody. Tears burst forth and rolled down her cheeks. “Oh, Rexy, what happened, you naughty dog?”

  He whined, his eyes on her, and she leaned in and stroked his head. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you all fixed up.” Then a distressing thought occurred to her and her tummy plummeted to her feet. She turned and looked at Drew. “Um…I can’t afford to pay the vet.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll cover it,” he said.

  Her heart melted. “I’ll pay you back—”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  She nodded; it wasn’t the time to argue, though she would pay him back eventually. How had she been lucky enough to have this wonderful man come into her life?

  Seth appeared by Drew’s side. “Hey, Ally.” He looked at Drew. “You ready to carry him in?”

  Seth nodded. “Let’s do this.”

  Ally moved out of the way and let the two me
n work the blanket out of the truck with Rex still on it so he could remain lying down. Rex whimpered but otherwise cooperated. When they had him out of the truck, Ally walked alongside them, her hand on Rex’s head to comfort him.

  When they got to the door, Dr. Norman held it open. “Bring him in,” he said as the wind blew his short blond hair around.

  Once they were all inside, he said, “Follow me to the back.” He looked at Ally. “I think you ought to stay put.”

  “But—”

  “Believe it or not it’s easier on the pet when the owner isn’t there,” he said kindly. “I know it’s hard, but I promise, we’ll take good care of him and let you know how he’s doing as soon as possible.”

  “Oh.” She blinked. “Okay.” It was all about Rex. She fell back and pointed to a vinyl-covered bench near the door. “I’ll sit here.”

  Dr. Norman nodded. “Great.”

  Holding back a sob, she watched Seth and Drew carry Rex away.

  Ally’s shaking legs gave out and she sank down onto the bench, blinking back tears, which seemed to be in endless supply since Rex had run off.

  A young, dark-haired woman dressed in a pink sweater appeared behind the reception desk. “Can I get you anything?” she asked. “Tea? Coffee? Water?”

  Ally shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  But she wasn’t fine at all, not with the ball of dread coiling in her tummy like a snake. What was she going to do if Rex didn’t make it? His injury looked brutal…

  Seth and Drew came back out, their expressions grim.

  Ally stood, her hands clenched at her waist.

  “I have to get home,” Seth said. “I told Kim I’d take Dylan to a movie so she can rest a bit.”

  Ally touched his arm. “Thank you so much for your help.” She was touched by how kind everyone in Moonlight Cove had been to her. She’d been a stranger not so very long ago.

  “No problem. Glad I was available.”

  “Me, too,” she replied with a small smile.

  “Keep me posted, okay?” Seth said to Drew.