Amie Denman - In Love With The Firefighter

“To the future,” Nicole said, clinking her aluminum can against Jane’s bottle. “Whatever it may be.”

The front door opened and set off the chime, a foghorn sound that scared Nicole every time. It fit the nautical theme of the gallery and the tourists loved it, but to Nicole it sounded like a freighter about to run over a tiny boat. After the car door incident, she was jumpy about big loud things wreaking havoc on little ones. Too jumpy. There were a lot of things she was trying to get over. That was why she was here in Cape Pursuit.

“I’ll get it,” Nicole said. “You finish your lunch.”

She moved aside the filmy curtain that separated the back room from the gallery and store and stopped in her tracks. It was not a tourist at the door.

Dressed in a navy blue shirt and pants, a fire department insignia over the left side of his chest, Kevin Ruggles stood inside the door of Sea Jane Paint. He shifted from foot to foot, rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand and glanced out the front window. Uncomfortable , she noted. He ought to be.

Her movement caught his attention and he strode toward her, closing the gap. He was tall, over six feet. Broad chest. A day’s growth of beard darkened his square jaw. His dark hair was tousled as if he’d been up all night. He was far more attractive than she wanted him to be, considering that his occupation put him on her do not touch list.

He stood in front of her as if he wanted to say something, an expectant look on his face. Maybe the guy was used to a hero’s welcome wherever he showed up, but Nicole wasn’t handing out any accolades. She waited, giving him no encouragement other than one raised eyebrow.

“I brought you this,” he finally said, holding out a plastic grocery bag. He smiled and tucked his chin, the gesture making him appear vulnerable. “It’s the side mirror of your car.”

He has no right to be so cute. He was about her age, but his demeanor was boyish, eager. Nicole took the bag and looked inside, heat creeping up her neck.

“I know it’s broken,” he said. “And your insurance company will replace it when they replace your door. But I feel better if it’s in your hands and not...”

“On the Wall of Flame?” she asked.

He nodded, a pink flush spreading over his cheeks. “Yes.”

“So you brought me this so you’d feel better?”

His flush deepened. He smiled and raised both eyebrows, a goofy, charming look that probably worked on women from his mother to his girlfriend. She glanced at his left hand. No ring, no tan line where a ring had recently been.

“The other guys were giving me all kinds of crap about it. I’m getting rid of the evidence.”

It should have annoyed her, his selfish reason for bringing her the mirror. But somehow his raw honesty was cute. Too cute.

She held the bag at arm’s length and dropped it in the garbage can by the cash register with a clunk. Kevin swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple at her eye level. His smile faded.

He took his dark sea green eyes off hers for a moment and glanced out the front window. He turned slightly so she could see what was behind him. An ugly brown pickup truck with its side window rolled down was parked in front of the gallery. A huge dent marred the bed of the truck. Two wide paws and a nose rested on the open window frame.

“Your dog?” she asked. It was her first attempt at friendly conversation. She’d have to be a marble statue not to at least ask about the paws and nose. They were adorable.

He nodded, a hint of smile returning. “Arnold. I worked last night and ended up staying over to cover the day shift until they got back from a call. Poor guy was lonely so I brought him with me.”

Nicole craned her neck and tried to look around Kevin’s very broad shoulders. The dog’s head was visible now, and he appeared to be a beagle attempting to climb out the window.

“He loves a car ride,” Kevin added.

“Does he ever jump out?”

Kevin laughed, a deep, rumbling laugh. “He tries. Never made it yet and he’s at least twelve years old.”

Nicole stepped to her right and saw the paws and nose disappear into the truck. “It looks like he gave up.”

Kevin nodded. “He’s probably tired. He doesn’t sleep well when I’m gone all night. Arnold’s a worrier. I think he knows I have a dangerous job.” Kevin took another glance at his truck. “Dogs are sensitive,” he added. “Or he wonders who’ll feed him if I die in a fire.”

The air left Nicole’s lungs, and her shoulders dropped. Of course he had a dangerous job. The same dangerous job that had killed her brother when he was only twenty-one. Robbed him of his future, stole happiness from her parents, her sister and herself. She swallowed. Goose bumps rose along her chilled back.

A breeze behind her told her Jane had swept the curtain aside.

“Shopping for a painting?” Jane asked, her tone chipper and businesslike.

Kevin glanced at Jane and returned his attention to Nicole with a forehead wrinkle. As if he realized he’d said the wrong thing but didn’t know what.

“Uh, no. I was bringing something over.” He gestured to Nicole, but she had nothing in her hands.

“What did you bring?” Jane asked.

Nicole looked at Kevin, eyebrows raised, wondering what he’d say. She knew Jane had heard the entire exchange through the thin curtain. Jane always had her back and had been on her side since they’d moved into their freshmen dorm in college.

Kevin crossed his arms and faced the two women. Just when Nicole expected him to flee, he surprised her and held out his right hand.

“Let’s start over,” he said. “I’m Kevin Ruggles. I grew up here in Cape Pursuit. I’ve been a firefighter for about six years and the worst mistake I’ve made on the job was two days ago when I crashed into your car.”

Shocked, Nicole held out her hand. He took it. His hand was large, warm, rough. But gentle. His touch made her want to withdraw her hand and run for the safety of the back room before he drew her in further than she wanted to go.

“And I really brought you that mirror,” he nodded toward the trash can, “so I’d have a good excuse to come by and say I’m sorry. I’m sorry I smashed your car and made your first day in town a lousy one. I’m very glad you weren’t in the car and I didn’t hurt you.”

His solemn expression, eyebrows drawn together, underscored his sincerity.

“I couldn’t live with that,” he added.

Nicole didn’t say anything. Didn’t encourage him to go on. But the heat returned to her face and ears.

“We got called to a kid not breathing and I was driving fast. Thought I could make it, but some tourists on bikes swerved into the street,” he said, not dropping her hand or taking his eyes off hers. “I couldn’t hit them.”

Nicole swallowed, pulled her hand back and crossed her arms. She needed a barrier. Something about Kevin made her want to forget the agony she felt every time she heard a siren or saw a fire truck. Every time she thought of her brother, perishing in the flames of a forest fire he’d thought he could outrun.

“What happened to the kid?” Jane asked, filling the silence.

“He’ll be okay,” he said, directing his words to Jane. “It wasn’t as bad as his parents thought, but things often look worse than they really are.”

Kevin turned back to Nicole, a sad smile on his face. “Anyway, I’m sorry about your car. And I hope you like it here.”

She nodded, acknowledging him. “Thank you,” she said, her words hollow.

Kevin pivoted and walked past watercolors propped on shiny easels. He opened the front door, setting off the foghorn, and got into his truck. Nicole heard his door shut and watched him put on his seat belt and pet his dog before he pulled away from the front curb. The dog sat up in the passenger seat and stuck his nose out the window.