by Teri Wilson
A desperate one.
He took another gulp of black coffee and winced. Gross. Duchess’s gaze finally swiveled toward him as he reached for the maple syrup.
“Stop looking at me like that, dog.” He poured a splash of pure Vermont glory into his cup. “I’m going to make it up to her. I’m going to do something nice for Felicity. Just wait and see.”
Wade had never felt like the hero everyone in Lovestruck seemed to think he was, but he was a decent guy. Mostly, anyway. He shouldn’t have tried to meddle in the foster home situation, just like he shouldn’t have felt a jolt of pure joy shoot through his chest when Felicity told him she’d reconsider. Only a few months had passed since he’d been bugging Jack about not being totally honest with Madison when he’d found out the truth about their weird pen pal situation. Of course, that arrangement had worked itself out. Eventually.
Wade simply needed to take his own advice and fix things with Felicity. She wasn’t his secret pen pal or his girlfriend, but after yesterday’s events, he felt connected to her somehow—more connected than he’d felt to anyone in a long time. He didn’t want to ruin the strange, newfound intimacy between them. She’d seemed so rattled last night, so vulnerable. He felt utterly helpless where the baby was concerned, but he could make things better for Felicity.
And he knew just how to start.
* * *
It took multiple cups of chai tea and a dash of superhuman effort for Felicity to drag herself downstairs in time for her early-morning gentle yoga class. She hadn’t slept much at all after Wade’s late-night visit. Mostly, she’d just stared at the ceiling, wondering why on earth she was thinking about moving in with a near-stranger and caring for an abandoned infant.
She blamed Christmas. After all, what kind of monster refused to take in a helpless baby during the holidays?
She did, apparently. Felicity herself was the monster.
But she couldn’t dwell on that right now. She had a class to teach...maybe. So far, the early-morning gentle yoga session had been the only class on the schedule to attract a regular following—if Madison’s Aunt Alice and the two or three ladies from her knitting circle that she sometimes managed to drag along could be considered a following, per se.
Felicity loved those women. They definitely counted, and not just because they liked to bring her homemade cobblers and pies. Failing to show up for them wasn’t an option, no matter how emotionally and physically exhausted Felicity was, so fifteen minutes before class started, she padded downstairs and flipped on the studio lights. A nice, quiet, gentle yoga class was probably just what she needed to give herself a little perspective, anyway. She was pretty sure she wasn’t a monster. She was just heartbroken. Opening her home to a baby was one thing, but opening up her heart again was another matter entirely. And Felicity wasn’t sure how to do one of those things without the other. She wasn’t sure it was possible.
Should it be possible?
Breathe. She turned on the sound system and a soothing lullaby accompanied by gentle ocean waves filled the air. Just breathe.
Felicity took a deep inhale. She couldn’t teach class if she was a jumbled-up mess inside. For the next hour or so, she just needed to concentrate on mindfulness and put all thoughts of babies and a certain charming firefighter out of her head.
No problem. She could totally do that. She could do anything for sixty minutes, right?
Wrong!
When Felicity unlocked the frosted glass door and pushed it open, the face she saw on the opposite side didn’t belong to Alice at all. It belonged to the ridiculously handsome, baby-saving fireman himself, Wade Ericson.
“Um.” Felicity shook her head, convinced she was having some strange hallucination—a result of sleep deprivation, no doubt. Then she blinked hard, but he was still there, grinning his trademark flirty grin.
Where was Alice and her cobbler? Felicity would have traded her Birkin bag for a glimpse of Madison’s aunt holding a pie then, instead of Lovestruck’s favorite firefighter.
Okay, maybe not the Birkin. She hadn’t completely lost her mind.
“What are you doing here, Wade?” Honestly, was he going to keep showing up on her doorstep at odd hours? It was awfully...unsettling. “I have class in a few minutes.”
“I know. That’s why I’m here.” A smile tugged at his lips, and Felicity’s stomach did a rebellious little tumble. “That’s why all of us are here.”
He jerked his head toward the right, and Felicity managed to drag her attention away from him long enough to see three burly men standing a few feet away. Madison’s husband, Jack, gave her a reluctant wave and the other two men shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, looking as if they’d rather run into a burning building than attempt a single downward dog.
Felicity bit back a smile. Was this really happening? “This is quite a surprise. Since when do Lovestruck’s bravest have a sudden passion for yoga?”
The firefighter standing closest to Jack—Brody, if Felicity was remembering correctly—shrugged. “Since Wade woke us all up this morning when he called and promised to volunteer for every Fancy rescue for the next six months if we signed up for your sunrise class.”
Jack jabbed him with his elbow.
“What?” Brody frowned. “Was it supposed to be a secret?”
Wade’s face turned a nice, Christmassy shade of red. “Anyway, do you have room for four new students this morning?”
Felicity probably should have turned them away. This was charity, plain and simple.
But it was also undeniably sweet. Wade had actually listened to her last night, and he was doing what he could to help. She doubted his motives were pure. After all, she was supposed to give him her final answer today about the baby.
Still, her heart felt full to bursting all of a sudden. And she definitely couldn’t afford the luxury of turning away students. So Felicity swallowed what little pride she had left and pushed the door open wide. “I think I can squeeze you in.”
The men made their way inside, and as they filed past her, Felicity snagged Wade by the elbow. “Not so fast there, Smokey.”
He let out a low chuckle that she somehow felt deep in the pit of her stomach. “Smokey, huh? As in Smokey the Bear, right? I like it.”
Of course he did. Felicity’s cheeks grew warm. “There’s something I need to know.”
Wade winked. “I’m an open book.”
She wholeheartedly doubted that was the case. In the past twenty-four hours alone, he’d already surprised her in myriad ways. It was happening again, even now. There were tiny flecks of gold in his eyes that she’d never noticed before, shimmering like starlight against the deep blue-green of his irises.
She swallowed hard. Why had she pulled him aside, again?
Wade leaned closer. He smelled like a snowy Vermont morning, all frosted air and evergreens. “What is it you need to know?”
Why are you doing this?
Why does that baby mean so much to you?
Are you really as heroic as you seem?
She couldn’t force the words out, so she smiled and asked something else. “Brody said you promised to volunteer for every Fancy rescue for the next six months. What does that mean, exactly? Rescuing people James Bond–style, in tuxedos?”
Her question was far less probing, but still something she was curious about. And honestly, as far as things she wanted to know about Wade Erickson, it was only the tip of the iceberg.
“Tuxedos? Hardly.” Wade laughed and raked a hand through his hair, still glittering with tiny bits of snow. “Fancy is the name of cat.”
Surprised, yet again. “Oh, wow.”
“Unfortunately, Fancy has a bad habit of getting stuck in trees,” Wade said.
“And the fire department has to get her down?” Felicity had never seen such a thing in Manhattan. Ever.
Wade
shrugged. “It’s not a requirement, but we like to help out the community.”
Felicity felt herself smile. “By rescuing kittens in trees.”
“Hey, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Fancy is—how should I put this?—rather rotund. Not to mention, cranky. The last time we sent one of our guys out to rescue her, Jack ended up in the hospital.”
And Wade had just volunteered to keep that cat safe for the next six months. All for her.
Felicity could have kissed him, right then and there.
“Any more questions?” Wade reached to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and as if he could read her mind, his gaze drifted slowly downward, until it landed on her mouth.
So many.
Felicity licked her lips, then took a giant backward step when she realized what she was doing.
“Nope. We’re good, Smokey,” she said, and then made a beeline for her yoga mat at the front of the room.
So many questions.
* * *
Alice showed up just minutes after the firefighters did, along with a nutmeg maple cream pie and two of the ladies from her knitting circle. Felicity wasn’t sure which group seemed more enthusiastic about class—the grandmotherly knitting enthusiasts, now that they’d been joined by some rather valiant surprise guests; or the firemen, once they realized their sixty minutes of gentle stretching would be followed by Alice Jules’s homemade baked goods.
Either way, Felicity could have wept with delight. Her little yoga studio was filled with warmth and laughter. Finally, finally, things at Nama-Stay Awhile were like she’d imagined they would be when she’d yanked all the money out of her savings account and invested everything she had in her new life in Vermont.
Okay, so maybe they weren’t exactly how she’d pictured them. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that her sunrise gentle yoga class would be such a hit with first responders and senior citizens, nor had she thought she’d ever be sitting cross-legged on her yoga mat while she ate maple cream pie after class. Her yoga teacher training class had in no way prepared her for Lovestruck. But maybe she could make a go of it here, after all.
“Here.” She tiptoed toward Wade’s mat at the back of the class and offered him the near-empty pie pan. “You deserve the last slice.”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t. All this camaraderie is your doing. Your class was just what I needed. I feel more relaxed than I have in weeks. All I did was coerce a few guys into coming along.”
She glanced toward the front of the room where the firefighters were offering up suggestions for whatever Alice baked for the next class. They were planning on coming back for the next sunrise class—all of them, fireman and knitters alike.
“How crazy is this?” Felicity couldn’t stop smiling. “Seriously, eat the last piece of pie. You deserve it.”
“Share it with me?” He sat down cross-legged on his mat and patted the empty space beside him.
She nearly said no, out of habit. She hadn’t come here looking for a relationship...with anyone. No babies, no men. Her heart already felt like it had been put through a paper shredder. All she wanted was to teach class during the day and dart back up to her little attic apartment at night. Alone.
Small towns didn’t operate that way, apparently. In Manhattan, she could have easily planned such an existence. In a city of millions, it was so easy to get lost in a crowd. Not here, though. Here there were Christmas festivals, pies and cats in trees. She couldn’t get lost in Lovestruck if she tried.
Wade gave his yoga mat another pat, and she finally acquiesced, handing him one of the plastic spoons Alice had brought in a little silver bucket tied with red gingham ribbon. She grabbed a fork for herself, and they speared into the single slice of pie at the same time.
Felicity laughed and met Wade’s gaze in one of the mirrored studio walls. Why did this feel like a picnic date instead of just two people eating pie straight from the tin after an exercise class? She didn’t want to think about the answer to that question any more than she wanted to meet his gaze full-on. Looking at his reflection was much easier. It felt less vulnerable, somehow. But the longer they sat there, watching one another in the mirror, the more exposed she began to feel.
Felicity looked away, concentrating intently on the empty pie pan. “Thank you for this morning. It really meant a lot to me, even though I still know what you’re doing.”
“I don’t think you do,” he said softly.
She turned and accidentally looked right at him, drawn like a magnet toward the earnestness in his tone. Then she swallowed hard. “Come on, Wade. We both know this was for the baby. You’re still—”
“No,” he said, cutting her off. “This wasn’t for the baby. It was for you. No strings. You have my word.”
Well, then. Just what was she supposed to do with that information?
Nothing at all. No strings means no strings.
The decision was hers and hers alone. She could stick to her guns and protect herself, or she could open herself up to more pain and heartbreak. More goodbyes that tore her to pieces.
Across the room, Alice’s knitting ladies laughed at something Jack said. In Manhattan, the second a yoga class was over, everyone bolted for the door, Felicity included. So far, none of her new students had even rolled up their yoga mats.
More moments like this one.
What Wade had done for her had cracked her heart open—not all the way wide, just the smallest possible bit. But it was still enough to let the light in, and now there was no turning back. Joy filled her like sunshine.
“I’ll do it,” she blurted before she could stop herself. “If the social worker says we can move into your house temporarily and if you agree to help, I’ll take care of the baby.”
Wade’s mouth curved into a tentative smile that seemed to build by the second, as did the sudden swirl of panic in Felicity’s chest. “Seriously?”
Her heart felt like it had lodged at the base of her throat. Everything was going to be fine, though. This was only temporary. He realized that, right?
She held up her hands. “Just until the holidays have passed, or until someone steps up and applies for adoption. Can you live with that, Smokey?”
Wade’s grin widened until it seemed to take up his entire, handsome face. Good gravy, what was she getting herself into?
“I can live with that,” he said.
But could she?
Chapter Six
“You’re late,” Cap said without tearing his gaze from the computer at the dispatch desk when Wade and Felicity walked into the firehouse.
They’d come straight from yoga, and yes, Wade was technically late for his shift—by a minute and a half. He’d promised Cap he’d leave promptly at eight in the morning to drive the baby to the hospital in Burlington.
But Wade was never late. Ever. He prided himself on his punctuality, just as he tried his best to be the best possible firefighter he could be. It kept him from feeling like an imposter on the occasions when he was awarded medals for bravery. Or congratulatory pizzas from the mayor. Or casseroles...
Wade glanced down at the 13x9 plastic-covered dish on the farm table. A Post-it Note with his name scrawled on it in loopy, feminine handwriting was stuck to the Saran Wrap. He didn’t know the handwriting, but he recognized the aroma. Chicken and wild rice—the third such casserole he’d been gifted since he’d delivered the baby.
Wade wondered if Felicity liked chicken-and-wild-rice casserole. He supposed he was about to find out. They would probably be finding out a lot about each other in the coming days.
He cleared his throat. “Sorry, Cap. But we’ve got some news.”
We. As if they were a unit. A couple. A family.
Slow your roll, Smokey. It’s only temporary. Super. Now he was calling himself by Felicity’s silly nickname.
“What?” Cap sp
un his wheeled chair around, doing a double take as his gaze landed on Felicity, standing quietly beside Wade. He stood. “Felicity, hello. This is a surprise.”
“I’m sure it is. I’m sorry I left in such a hurry yesterday. I’ve had a chance to think things over, and I...” Her voice drifted off as her attention snagged on the casserole.
“Don’t mind that. Just another drop-off from one of Wade’s devoted fans.” Cap picked it up and shoved it at a rookie firefighter nearby. “Go put that in the fridge, will you?”
“Wade’s fan club?” Felicity frowned in the direction of the passing rookie and then swiveled her attention back to Wade. “Does that happen often?”
“It does not,” Wade said decisively.
Simultaneously, Cap said, “All the time.”
“Wow.” Felicity’s frown deepened.
Was it Wade’s imagination, or did she take a tiny side step farther away from him?
“We’re not here to talk about casseroles. We’re here to talk about the baby,” Wade said. “Actually, where is he?”
Wade glanced around the firehouse’s common area. The box of diapers he’d purchased the night before was sitting open in one of the recliners. Several rinsed bottles were lined up in a drying rack on the kitchen counter, and a puff of baby powder hung in the air. The infant himself, however, was nowhere to be seen.
“The little rascal is napping in my office.” Cap jerked his head toward a closed door decorated with a plaque shaped like a fireman’s badge that read Captain Jason McBride, Engine Co. 24. “Jack brought over a portable crib late last night, and we set it up in there.”
That made perfect sense. Since the twins had been born, Jack had accumulated enough baby supplies to open his own Baby Depot.
Felicity crossed and uncrossed her arms as if she’d been prepared to hold the child and suddenly didn’t know what to do with herself. “I’ve had a change in heart. I’d like to take care of him during the holidays.”
