his arms, and dragging Mary Catherine and me along until we could all imagine what he had in mind for the place. Eventually Debra left, and the three of us stayed in the parking lot talking for a while longer. As excited as Mary Catherine was about the possibility of a retail space, she was having a hard time getting her mind off Analise.
Mary Catherine bit her lip. “I wonder if I shouldn"t stop by her place and see if she"s heard.”
Ken said, “We could do that right now. I can take you there before I drop you off at Miss Independence.”
Mary Catherine turned to me. “Do you need a ride back?” I couldn"t help glancing over to the firehouse. “I think I"ll stay here for a bit. I"ll see you tomorrow?”
“Fine.” Mary Catherine waved. “I"ll see you then.”
“Nice meeting you.” Ken put his hand out again, and I shook it. He had a warm, firm grip and gave a little pump before letting my hand go. “I think we"ll be seeing a lot of each other if this works out.”
“I look forward to it.” I really did. I watched them drive away with a heart that felt—if not hopeful exactly—a little bit lighter.
The cold morning mist that moved in from the ocean like a blanket had never burned off completely, and this close to the water, visibility was limited. I stepped inside the firehouse and found Cam and his buddies playing cards.
58
Z. A. Maxfield
He winked up at me, ready to throw down his hand and see what I wanted, but I shook my head and asked where I could find JT.
“He"s in the kitchen cleaning up. Are you sure you don"t want me?” Everyone laughed as I passed and headed for the kitchen without answering.
Things must be vastly different in St. Nacho"s if you could joke like that at the firehouse.
I found JT loading the dishwasher. Something smelled mouthwatering, and I peeked into a nearly empty pot on the stove.
“Not chili, I take it. I thought firefighters always eat chili.”
“That"s a myth.” JT closed the dishwasher door and turned on the wash cycle.
“Like red suspenders?”
“No. That one"s true.” He had the same teasing light in his eyes that I"d originally thought might be flirtatious. Now I guessed it was just his way.
“Good to know.”
“Want to get some coffee?”
“You don"t have coffee here?” I looked around and found a full pot sitting on the counter.
“I want to take a walk.” He looked away. “I want to talk to you.”
“Oh.” I felt the first stirring of apprehension. “What about?” He jerked his head, indicating I should follow, and I did, walking alongside him, passing Cam"s card game, back out to the street.
“You warm enough to be out here?” he asked, hunching his own shoulders. He wore street clothes, jeans and a long-sleeve henley shirt. He glanced back at the fire station. “I could probably find you a sweatshirt.”
“No, I"m fine.” I followed him when he headed for the beach. At one point the walk was narrow because of a row of hedges, and he went ahead. I had to tell myself not to watch him, not to look at the way his jeans fit him perfectly, hanging low on his lean hips, or the way his shirt pulled across his back when he moved. I had to tell myself he was straight and off-limits.
I had to remind myself more than once.
“Why are we here?” I asked finally, when he got to the pier and stepped out onto the old timber boards to look over the water.
JT looked oddly nervous, despite how he stood with his hands draped casually on the weathered wood railing. “I think I may have given you the wrong idea,” he began, looking anywhere but at me. “I feel bad about that. I should have told you I had a date last night.”
“Why didn"t you?” I asked, then thought better of it. “No. Never mind. That"s stupid. Why would you?”
“I saw the way you looked at me… I think…”
St. Nacho’s 3: Jacob’s Ladder
59
He was embarrassed for me. Great . “I"m a big boy. I know sometimes you like someone and they don"t like you
Mary Catherine bit her lip. “I wonder if I shouldn"t stop by her place and see if she"s heard.”
Ken said, “We could do that right now. I can take you there before I drop you off at Miss Independence.”
Mary Catherine turned to me. “Do you need a ride back?” I couldn"t help glancing over to the firehouse. “I think I"ll stay here for a bit. I"ll see you tomorrow?”
“Fine.” Mary Catherine waved. “I"ll see you then.”
“Nice meeting you.” Ken put his hand out again, and I shook it. He had a warm, firm grip and gave a little pump before letting my hand go. “I think we"ll be seeing a lot of each other if this works out.”
“I look forward to it.” I really did. I watched them drive away with a heart that felt—if not hopeful exactly—a little bit lighter.
The cold morning mist that moved in from the ocean like a blanket had never burned off completely, and this close to the water, visibility was limited. I stepped inside the firehouse and found Cam and his buddies playing cards.
58
Z. A. Maxfield
He winked up at me, ready to throw down his hand and see what I wanted, but I shook my head and asked where I could find JT.
“He"s in the kitchen cleaning up. Are you sure you don"t want me?” Everyone laughed as I passed and headed for the kitchen without answering.
Things must be vastly different in St. Nacho"s if you could joke like that at the firehouse.
I found JT loading the dishwasher. Something smelled mouthwatering, and I peeked into a nearly empty pot on the stove.
“Not chili, I take it. I thought firefighters always eat chili.”
“That"s a myth.” JT closed the dishwasher door and turned on the wash cycle.
“Like red suspenders?”
“No. That one"s true.” He had the same teasing light in his eyes that I"d originally thought might be flirtatious. Now I guessed it was just his way.
“Good to know.”
“Want to get some coffee?”
“You don"t have coffee here?” I looked around and found a full pot sitting on the counter.
“I want to take a walk.” He looked away. “I want to talk to you.”
“Oh.” I felt the first stirring of apprehension. “What about?” He jerked his head, indicating I should follow, and I did, walking alongside him, passing Cam"s card game, back out to the street.
“You warm enough to be out here?” he asked, hunching his own shoulders. He wore street clothes, jeans and a long-sleeve henley shirt. He glanced back at the fire station. “I could probably find you a sweatshirt.”
“No, I"m fine.” I followed him when he headed for the beach. At one point the walk was narrow because of a row of hedges, and he went ahead. I had to tell myself not to watch him, not to look at the way his jeans fit him perfectly, hanging low on his lean hips, or the way his shirt pulled across his back when he moved. I had to tell myself he was straight and off-limits.
I had to remind myself more than once.
“Why are we here?” I asked finally, when he got to the pier and stepped out onto the old timber boards to look over the water.
JT looked oddly nervous, despite how he stood with his hands draped casually on the weathered wood railing. “I think I may have given you the wrong idea,” he began, looking anywhere but at me. “I feel bad about that. I should have told you I had a date last night.”
“Why didn"t you?” I asked, then thought better of it. “No. Never mind. That"s stupid. Why would you?”
“I saw the way you looked at me… I think…”
St. Nacho’s 3: Jacob’s Ladder
59
He was embarrassed for me. Great . “I"m a big boy. I know sometimes you like someone and they don"t like you
Similar Books
