“I’m coming!” he yells back at them. “Just follow us to the station; you can pull around back to the parking lot, and I’ll meet you back there in just a couple minutes,” he says before heading back to the truck. I get in my own car and follow them out of the parking lot and the few blocks to the station. I do as he instructed, finding a parking spot near where a few tables are set up outside, along with a grill and some outdoor games for the guys to play when they’re here, but waiting to be dispatched out.
“You were off today, right?” Tucker asks once we’ve both dug in to our food.
“Yep, had a lazy day, mostly. Allison and I went on a walk around the lake this afternoon, but other than that, I was just at home. I did get to talk to my cousin, Reese, for a little while this afternoon!”
“How’s she doing?”
“Good, really good. I miss her so damn much, but she’s going to try and come home for Thanksgiving in a few weeks.”
“Still crazy to think that she’s accomplished everything that she has,” he muses.
“I’m so damn proud of everything she’s accomplished.”
“And from what I can tell, she hasn’t allowed the fame and fortune to go to her head.”
“Oh, God, no. She’s still the best, down to earth person you’ll ever meet. Her husband, too. They’re perfect for one another.”
“Good for Reese; she deserves it,” he says as he finishes off his container of food. I don’t know how in the hell he packed away all of it, as the portions they serve are huge. I always end up with a couple meals out of just one order.
“What are your plans for the rest of the night?” he asks as I close up my box.
“More of what I did this morning, movies and sleep. I already cleaned my house, so I don’t have that to keep me busy, then early to bed, as I’m covering a shift tomorrow. What time are you off?” I ask just as the alarms go off. Tucker jumps up from the bench.
“Sorry, gotta go!” he calls out as he takes off running for the front of the firehouse. “I’ll talk to you later!” he calls out over his shoulder just before he heads into the bay where the trucks are parked. I clean up our trash and take my leftovers with me. I wait in my car for all the emergency vehicles to pull out before I leave the parking lot. They turned left while I turn right and head home.
7
Tucker
I roll out of my bed at the firehouse, my back popping as I stretch my tired body. Our call last night was a long call. A fire broke out on a farm, first in the fields, and then reaching one of the smaller equipment barns. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but with the gas and other chemicals that were in the barn, things got a little hairy when they caught fire and sent a ball of flames in the air. We worked with another firehouse for a few hours to get everything out.
The new shift of guys will be here in about thirty minutes, and I want to be ready to head out as soon as they’re here. My bed at home is calling my name, and then I need to pick up my girl.
“Mornin’,” my dad calls out as I make my way to the coffee pot.
“Morning,” I grunt more than say. I need coffee before I’m going to function today, apparently.
“You guys did good work last night,” my dad compliments as he stands sipping his own coffee.
“Yeah, it was a late night, but no one was hurt, so I’ll call it a win.”
“The report I got from Chief Bower said that everyone worked efficiently and that the landowner was thankful that we kept the fire from reaching their other barns or, worse, the house.”
“They were very concerned about that, but it would have taken a lot for the fire to eat up that much distance,” I tell him as I finish my first cup of coffee, filling my cup right back up for my second cup this morning. “Unfortunately, the one barn was a total loss, along with all the equipment inside of it. A few tractors and I’m sure a lot of tools.”
“All stuff that can be replaced,” Dad states. Being in this business as long as he has, he’s the first to remind everyone that stuff is replaceable, people and pets aren’t. So, if we can respond to a call and leave with everyone intact, we’ve accomplished the most important part of the job, according to him. “Are you bringing my granddaughter over for dinner tonight?” he asks, changing the subject to his favorite one, Paisley.
“Maybe, let me see what transpires today. I’m going to head home here in a little bit and crash for a few hours. I need to catch up on some sleep before I do anything.”
“Okay, well, just let Mom or I know so we can plan for dinner.”
“Will do; see ya later, Pops,” I tell him, smacking him on the shoulder. He heads down the hall toward the offices while I head to the locker room so I can grab my things from mine and head out. A few of the guys from the next shift have started to trickle in, so I visit with them until everyone is accounted for, and my shift is officially released for forty-eight hours, when we’re expected to report back for our next shift.
* * *
I wake up a few hours later, feeling like a well-rested man. I head first for the bathroom, where I step into the shower, turning the water up as hot as I can stand it and then letting it beat on my body. The tension melts from my tired muscles as the water works its magic. While I’m showering, an idea springs into my mind, so I set about to make it happen.
I’m out of the shower, dried off, and dressed, all within fifteen minutes. I run a comb through my wet hair, attempting to style it before I head out.
I pull into the parking lot at the hospital a few minutes later. I only know that Lindsay is here because she told me that she was covering a shift today right before I ran out on the call last night. I assume it will be in the ER, since that’s where she usually works.
I walk through the automatic doors, walking into a waiting room that only has a few people in it. The aide at the desk looks up, smiling when she sees me. “Tucker, what brings you in today?” she asks.
“I was actually hoping to talk to Lindsay, if she isn’t busy?” I ask, realizing that my plan might not work.
“I think she’s available, just have a seat and let me check,” Mary says before she disappears into the back. I do as she says and find a seat facing the doors that lead back into the treatment area of the ER. A minute or so later, the doors open, and Mary is standing there, waving for me to join her. “She’s at the nurses' station, you know the way, correct?” she asks as I pass by her.
“Yep, I’ve got it from here,” I assure her. I walk the short distance to the nurses' station, a few of them all sitting around chatting amongst themselves.
“What do we owe the pleasure of you visiting us today?” asks Debbie, one of the nurses who’s worked here since I was probably a kid.
“I’m just here to talk with Lindsay for a few minutes,” I answer Debbie.
Lindsay turns, giving me her attention now that she’s off the phone. Her face lights up when she sees me, her smile hitting me square in the chest.
“Hey!” she says, standing and giving me a short hug. “What are you doing here?” she asks.
“Just came by to see you and to ask you something,” I tell her and think here goes nothing.
“Oh yeah?” she questions. “What’s that?”
“Can I take you out tomorrow night on a date?”
“Ooh,” I hear coming from the other nurses behind Lindsay. “She says yes,” one of them calls out, and Lindsay’s shoulders start to shake from her laughter.
After turning to look at her coworkers, I can only imagine the look she gives them. She turns back to me. Her cheeks are a tad bit rosy from the blush that has crept onto them. “I’d love to go on a date with you tomorrow night,” she tells me as her coworkers all hoot and make a ruckus behind her. They’re almost as bad as a firehouse full of guys. Almost.
“Perfect, I’ll pick you up at five.”
“Okay.” She gives me a huge smile. “Any clues on what we’ll be doing, so I know how to dress?” she asks.
“Nothing super fancy, dre
ss in whatever you’re most comfortable in.”
“That I can do.”
“I guess I should let you get back to work; I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“See you then,” she says before I pull her in for a quick hug. I release her after just a few seconds. If I didn’t end the hug when I did, I don’t know that things would have stayed PG. I take a few steps back, still holding eye contact with Lindsay. “Hey, Tucker,” she says, my name all breathy like, and my damn brain goes to what she’d sound like calling my name out when I make her come.
“Yeah?” I finally remember to reply.
“Watch out behind you,” she says, a smirk on her lips as I back into a column that I forgot was behind me.
“See you tomorrow,” I reiterate. Thankfully, I don’t completely make a fool of myself by crashing and burning after running into the wall. I do, however, turn and walk straight for the door.
I head to pick up Paisley from Lilly, and then to my parents' place.
“Nona!” Paisley calls out when we walk through the door.
“There’s my princess!” Mom calls out as she pokes her head around the corner. “I’m in the kitchen; come help me with the cookies,” she tells Paisley.
“Dad’s in the living room watching football,” Mom says to me as Paisley runs to the kitchen after we’ve removed our shoes.
I head into the kitchen, stopping first to kiss my mother on the cheek and sneak a spoonful of the cookie batter, before I grab two beers from the fridge and then head out to the living room to join my dad.
“How’s it going?” he asks, kicked back in his recliner. I pop the top on one of the beers, holding it up for him. He takes it, and I do the same with the second one for me before I sit down on the couch facing the TV.
“Pretty damn good,” I tell him before I take a drink of the cold beer.
“You’re going to have to expand on that for me.” He chortles.
“Just been a good day, that’s all.”
“Who is she?” he asks; not much has ever gotten past Pops.
“What makes you think there's a woman involved?” I ask.
“A few things, actually,” he says, tipping his beer bottle at me. “First off, you practically came bouncing in here; secondly, I hear you had dinner with someone at the firehouse last night, and thirdly, you’ve just been a little different lately.”
Well, hell. “Lindsay Blackwood,” I tell him. No reason to hide anything about who’s got me wound up like a bull in a shoot, ready to be released with a rider on his back.
“Nice girl, good family, and ties to the community. She works over at the hospital, yes?” Dad questions.
“Yep, a nurse in the ER,” I confirm. “We’ve spent some time together as friends, lately, and there's been some sparks. Something that I’m interested in feeling out, so I asked her out, and we’ve got a date tomorrow night.”
“What are your plans for said date?” Dad asks.
“That, I’ve still got to figure out. All I know, so far, is that I’m picking her up at five.”
“You’d better get things figured out.” Dad laughs at my expense.
“No shit, Sherlock,” I deadpan. “I was thinking of driving over to the fall festival at the fairgrounds. We can take in the food and vendors, hang out and listen to the free concert that will be going on.”
“Is Paisley going to be with you?” he asks.
“I was hoping that she could stay the night here?” I ask, knowing that my parents, nor Paisley, would turn down the chance to have a sleepover together.
“Of course. Your mom will be ecstatic.”
“What will I be ecstatic about?” Mom asks, her and Paisley carrying a plate of warm cookies into the living room and handing them over to Dad and me.
“That Princess Paisley gets to have a sleepover with us tomorrow night,” Dad tells both of them. I hadn’t yet brought it up to Paisley but knew that she’d have no issues with it.
“Yes!” Paisley cheers, jumping up and down, throwing her fist into the air.
I snag one of the hot cookies, stuffing it into my mouth. The melted chocolate hits my tongue, and I have to hold back a groan. My mom’s always been a fantastic cook and baker. I swear she could put Betty Crocker to shame. Everyone just loves whatever she makes.
“So, what's up tomorrow night?” Mom asks, sitting down on the couch next to me.
“I’ve got a date with Lindsay,” I tell Mom, filling her in.
“About time you went after a wholesome girl,” Mom says. She’s asked me a few times over the years when I was going to settle down and possibly give her and Dad more grandkids. Seeing as I’m an only child, I’m their only shot at grandkids, and while I know they’d be happy as can be with just Paisley, they’d like to spread the love around to some more, if they come along.
* * *
“Daddy,” Paisley says my name all-seriously, or as seriously as a four-year-old can.
“Paisley,” I state her full name, so she knows she’s got my attention.
“What’s a date?” she asks, looking up at me from where she’s been splashing around in the bath.
“It's when two people go somewhere together, like to dinner or to the movies. Like what Mommy and Mike do sometimes,” I explain to her as best as I can.
“Who’s Lindsay?” she asks, all inquisitive.
“One of Daddy’s friends. I’ve known her since I was your age,” I tell her as I pull my phone out and open up Facebook. I find Lindsay’s page and tap on her profile picture, making it fill my screen. I flip the phone around, showing Paisley who I’m talking about. I know that they’ve met before; I just can’t place when and where that would have been. Probably at some town function.
“She’s pretty,” Paisley comments.
“She is,” I agree with my daughter. I help her wash her hair before rinsing her off and getting her out of the tub and ready for bed.
“How are you liking pre-school?” I ask once she’s brushed her teeth and is picking out a book for me to read to her before she falls asleep. Lilly thought that it might be a good thing for us to try with her this year, especially with the new baby at their house, plus, it will just help with the transition to kindergarten next fall.
“I’s love it! We get to do art and play, and my teacher, Ms. Kristen, is so nice,” she rambles on.
“I’m glad that you love it,” I tell her, patting the bed next to where I’m already sitting, waiting on her to join me. She hands me the book and crawls up on the bed. I get her all tucked in and then dive into reading to her. With the book finished, I kiss her goodnight, her little eyes hardly staying open as I do.
“Night, Daddy, loves you,” she says just as I stand up.
“Love you, too, baby girl.”
* * *
With Paisley dropped off at my parents' house for her sleepover, I head home to get ready to pick up Lindsay. I’ve got two hours, so plenty of time to get my truck cleaned out, showered, and dressed before I have to leave to be at her house by five.
As I’m driving through town back to my place, I go by the local florist, and the idea strikes me to stop and get a bundle for Lindsay. Thankfully, there's no one behind me, so I slam on my brakes in time to pull into their parking lot.
“How can I help you today?” the older lady behind the counter asks after I’ve entered the shop.
“I just need a bouquet of flowers,” I tell her, politely.
“Any specific occasion?” she asks, coming out from behind the counter.
“A first date,” I tell her, and she leads me over to one of the coolers holding already assembled bouquets.
“Do any of these catch your eye?” she asks. “Otherwise, you can select specific flowers from the loose bins, and I can arrange something special for you.”
I know absolutely nothing about flowers, outside of women love them, and that roses are what they usually want on Valentine’s Day. I look at the different options, finally settling on one that isn’t the
biggest arrangement but isn’t the smallest by any means, either.
“Oh, that one’s perfect!” the lady says as I remove it from the cooler. “Let me get you a box to set the vase in while driving.” She disappears into the back room, coming back out a moment later with a box. She places the vase in it before ringing me up. I toss in a box of chocolates they have by the register from a local chocolate shop. I guess I’m going big or going home with this date.
I head home, flowers and chocolates secured in my truck. Once home, I quickly clean it out. I try to keep it clean, but a few wrappers and, of course, crumbs get in the back seat from Paisley eating in here on occasion.
An hour later, I’ve showered, shaved, and am standing in front of my closet in a pair of boxer briefs, trying to decide just what to wear tonight. I told Lindsay to keep it casual, so I need to do the same, plus, we’re going to be outside for most of the night. I pull out a pair of shorts and a polo. Nothing too fancy, but also not just a junk T-shirt, either.
Once dressed, I check the time, and I’ve still got ten minutes to spare before I’ve got to leave. I check my wallet to make sure I’ve got cash for the fall festival. Not all of the vendors are set up to take debit cards, so cash is needed for tonight. I slip my wallet in my back pocket, grab my keys and cell, and head out to my truck. I only have forty bucks in my wallet, so I head out and hit up an ATM before driving over to Lindsay’s house.
I park in her driveway, shutting my truck off and grabbing the flowers and chocolates. I make my way up to her front door, taking in the flowers that adorn her porch. She’s got a cute little place, here. I rap my knuckles against the door as I patiently wait for her to answer.
“Hey,” she says, smiling at me.
“Evening,” I greet, trying my best to bring my southern charm front and center. “These are for you.” I hand over the flowers and chocolates.
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