The Firefighter Daddy (6 page)

“Yes!” Katie pumped her arm in the air.

“What if we don't, or Katie doesn't and I do?”

“Then Katie can't take food or drink out of the kitchen. You can.” Liam slid his gaze to first Madison then Katie before it settled on Sarah. The smile she sent him warmed him. He felt as though he'd taken a step in the right direction.

Madison took the last bite of her meat loaf. “Sarah, I want to help with the kittens. I hate seeing them in the shed all day.”

Katie dropped her fork on the plate, the clinking sound echoing in the kitchen. “You can't let them out. They could get lost. If their mama comes back, they won't be there.”

Madison glared at her younger sister. “If you would let me finish, I have a solution. After school we could come down and play with them in the backyard.”

“And Gabe,” Katie inserted quickly, receiving another glare for interrupting again.

“I know you'll be tired after working all day, so you need us to care and feed them. Also to play with Gabe,” Madison said in a rush then blew out a large breath.

Sarah's gaze riveted on Liam. “What do you think?”

“We could, at least the days I'm home, but I hate to ask Aunt Betty.”

“We can, can't we, Madison?” Katie asked.

His eldest niece nodded while her teeth dug into her bottom lip, a sign she was nervous, unsure.

Liam wanted to erase Madison's worry. She struggled to figure out what she was feeling. “It'll only be for a while until they're placed in homes if their owner doesn't come forward first.”

“Maybe a month or less. I'm okay with it if your uncle is. I know Gabe would love to see you.” Sarah turned her attention to Liam.

This was a chance for him to bond with his nieces. He couldn't pass it up. “I'm all-in. But I don't want you both to become too attached to the kittens. I haven't talked to Aunt Betty about getting a pet yet.”

“We won't.” Katie glanced at Madison. “Right?”

“Nope. Gabe might get jealous if we only play with the kittens.”

“Good. Any of the days from Tuesday through Saturday that you all can come will be a bonus for Gabe and the kittens.” Sarah asked, gathering up the plates, “What's for dessert?”

“Banana pudding. Nothing fancy.” As she continued stacking the dishes, he captured her hand as it reached for his utensils. “What are you doing?”

“Cleaning up the table.” She scanned their faces then winced. “Sorry. A habit. At our house whoever cooks doesn't clean up. The others do. So it falls to me and Nana. My mom always insists on cooking, and I gladly let her.”

“Hmm. An interesting policy. What do—” He started to ask the girls if they wanted to do that but stopped. He realized he was asking a question that would no doubt elicit a big no from both of them. “Tell you what. Girls, one of you clears the table while the other puts them in the dishwasher. I'll rinse them off. And one day a week, you two will be the cook. With some help from me. You've been wanting to learn.” The memory of the concoction they'd recently made shivered through his thoughts.

“And you'll totally clean up that day?” Madison asked, doubt in her voice.

He nodded. “I think it's time I teach you both how to cook.”

Katie clapped while Madison scrutinized him for a long moment before saying, “Yes.”

“But for tonight, we'll all clear the dishes, and I'll clean them up later. We don't have a lot of time before you'll need to get ready for bed. It's a school day tomorrow.”

Both girls hopped to their feet, took some of the dishes Sarah had stacked in front of her and set them on the counter by the sink.

“Can we get the supplies out?” Madison asked.

“Sure. I'll dish up the dessert and bring it into the den.” Liam checked the wall clock. “We only have an hour.”

His nieces ran from the kitchen.

He waited a minute, glancing toward the doorway. “I've had to fight them every meal so far. What do you think? Will this work?”

“Hopefully, but knowing kids, there will be some slipups. Be prepared for them.”

“Yeah, with Madison, I'd be surprised if she didn't. She loves to test me.”

“Most kids do.”

“That's what the guys in my single dads' group told me the first time I went.” He rose. “Do you want dessert?”

“Yes, I love banana pudding. Do you use vanilla wafers in it?”

“That's the only kind. I used to eat half of it in one sitting. That frustrated Mom until she started doubling the recipe.” He opened the refrigerator and removed a bowl. “I'll bring yours and the girls' into the den.”

“Then I'll go see how they're doing.”

When she left, Liam scooped some pudding into four bowls and set them on a tray with spoons. As he made his way to the den, he thought back to what Sarah had told him before dinner about losing her husband. That had saddened him. Hopefully she would get the chance to be a wife and mother again in the future. He'd eventually learned to accept that he wouldn't father a child, but it had taken time. From her expression when talking about it, he didn't think she had accepted the loss of her husband yet. He'd accepted that Terri left him three years ago, but he still couldn't forgive her for how she'd done it.

As he neared the room, Madison said, “I can't believe he's gonna teach us to cook.”

“Why do you want to learn?” Sarah asked, stopping Liam a foot from the door.

“Because Daddy did. She wants to do anything he did. What do you think of this kitten?” Katie's voice grew more excited as she spoke.

“A pink cat? That's ridiculous.”

Before a fight ensued between Madison and Katie, Liam stepped into the den. “I hope you're hungry. There's nothing left for seconds.” He set the bowls in front of them and took the chair across from Sarah.

Katie held up her poster. “There's nothing wrong with this.”

“Pink will catch a person's eye.” Sarah held her hand out for the paper. “I'll print the information on it while you make another one.”

Madison snorted. “Well, I'm gonna do the correct color.”

Liam inspected the two she'd done so far. “Those are nice. Let's try to do about ten tonight. We'll make a few more tomorrow and then hang them up to see if anyone comes forward.”

For the next hour Liam worked with Madison while Sarah helped Katie, who insisted on putting glitter all over the poster. His eldest niece grumbled a couple of times under her breath; otherwise the conversation was dominated by Katie telling Liam everything she'd done to help Sarah today.

He glanced at his watch near eight. “It's time to call it quits for the day. We did even more than I thought we would. We're a good team.”

“Some of us are.” Katie glared at Madison.

“I'd like one for the salon. I'll put it where everyone will see it when they come in. The problem is picking one. They're all great.”

Madison shot to her feet. “I'm going to bed.” She snatched up her bowl and stomped out of the room.

Katie giggled. “That means you can take mine.”

Sarah's gaze latched on to Liam's. “Since there are extras, is it possible if I take two of them? One of Katie's and one of Madison's? I can't decide between them, and I have two places they can go.”

He wanted to applaud her answer. He'd been trying to come up with a way that would leave both girls happy. This parenting thing made him feel as though he was trying to find his way through a smoke-filled building—progressing slowly, not sure of where he was going. “Go ahead. We can always make more if we need to.”

“I'm glad you're using the pink cat.” Katie stood, took her bowl and left.

“I'm sorry about Madison. Lately instead of adjusting better, she's getting worse. She gets angry at the smallest thing. Aunt Betty told me both girls used to be so close. She doesn't understand this change, especially with Madison toward Katie.”

“Suppressed grief will sometimes have that effect on a person. Has she seen a counselor after her father died?”

“A couple of times, then she refused to go. Counseling isn't effective if the person doesn't want it. I'll let her know that option is still available.”

“That's all you can do. I'd better go.” She started to grab her bowl.

“I'll take care of it. I really appreciate your help this evening.” Liam pushed to his feet at the same time Sarah did. “I'll see you out.”

When he stepped onto the porch, he peered around. “Where's your car?”

“At home. We walked here from my house.”

Liam stared at the darkness that surrounded them, except for the dim illumination on the porch and the streetlights. “I don't like you walking home alone without Gabe.”

She chuckled. “It isn't that far, and Buffalo is different from big cities. I'm safe. When I can't swim for exercise, I've walked before at night after work, and I've never been afraid.”

“If you're sure. I can get the girls down here—”

She put her hand on his shoulder for a second. “I'm sure. Thanks for offering, and for these.” She waved the posters.

Although she'd removed her hand almost instantly, his heartbeat revved into double time. Since coming to Buffalo, he hadn't gone out on a date, even when Brandon had tried to fix him up on a blind date. He'd had too much to deal with, and he hoped to return to Dallas with his nieces in six months.

“Good night. The dinner was great.” She descended the stairs to the sidewalk.

He watched her until she disappeared from his view. If he dated here in Buffalo, it wouldn't be Sarah. Although he was attracted to her, she wanted children someday. He saw it every time she was with the girls.

That was one thing he couldn't give a woman.

Chapter Five

O
n Tuesday, Liam slid into Brandon's F-150 truck, their fire equipment in the back in case there was a fire they would have to respond to. Since showing up at the station that morning, Liam had wanted to pull Brandon to the side to talk to him about what was happening with Madison. He had two sons close in age and might have gone through the same problem.

Brandon pulled out of the parking space. “You've been awfully quiet this morning. Something going on?”

“Girl problems. Madison is fighting with Katie more and more. I thought things would settle down after a few months getting used to me as their guardian. Katie is doing pretty well. Madison's reverted to the way she was that first month I came to Buffalo, and I don't know why.”

“Have you asked her?”

No, he hadn't. Why not? “I did try when I first came, and she would just clam up. According to her, everything was fine. Actually
peachy
was her exact word.”

“Peachy? I wonder who she got that word from.”

“Aunt Betty, no doubt.”

At the stoplight Brandon looked at him. “I'm not sure what works for a boy would be the same for a girl. My oldest was so angry when his mother died. I tried to talk to him, and he wouldn't have anything to do with me. Then Nathan in the single dads' group told me he needed to learn to release that anger. Both his kids were going through it. With his son, he got him involved in karate as an outlet for his feelings. You'll need to ask Nathan what he did for his daughter because, as you know, they don't think like us. Give him a call.”

Liam chuckled. “That's for sure. I'll call him before World War III erupts in my house.”

“Usually my sons get along, but for a while after Mary Ann died, they were at each other's throats. Each wanted my undivided attention without the other around.”

That could be the case. He seemed to do more with Katie because she asked. What if Madison was jealous or upset that she wasn't getting equal time? “So what did you do?”

“Each week I plan something special for each one. I make arrangements for the other to stay with a friend or family member.”

“I can't ask Aunt Betty to babysit any more than she already does.”

“Go the friend route, then, or I know a good babysitter on my block that you could use.” Brandon drove into the parking lot at the side of the Redbud Cafeteria. “Let me know, and I'll give you her number. She's sixteen and very reliable.”

“Thanks. This gives me something to try.” Liam climbed from the truck and headed for the restaurant entrance. “How long are these meetings?”

“It'll depend. Since this is the first one, it could go on for a long time if we can't decide what our fund-raiser is gonna be. This is my third year. The first year we had a three-hour lunch full of arguments. But once we have a plan, things start to move fast.”

After Liam followed Brandon through the cafeteria line and selected his lunch, they made their way to a back room where the meeting would be held. Half the seats had been taken. Liam scanned the faces and saw the Buffalo Community Church's pastor sitting there next to Sarah.

She
'
s on the committee? She didn
'
t say anything to me about it
. Since finding Gabe, he'd seen Sarah more often than most people. At least with her here, he knew three people on the fund-raiser committee, although it might make it harder to back off from Sarah.

There were empty chairs at the second table. Maybe it would be better to sit apart from her. “I see some places—”

“Let's go,” Brandon interrupted when he spied Pastor Collins.

His friend headed for the empty seats across from the pastor, and Liam had no choice but to accompany Brandon, especially when Sarah caught sight of Liam and smiled. The warmth in her expression, followed by Liam's heartbeat quickening, shouted to him to run away before he let her into his life too much.

“I didn't know you would be on the committee,” Sarah said as he sat directly across from her.

“I just found out a few days ago.”

“So did I. Mom usually represents the church with Pastor Collins, but she has her hands full with Nana these days.”

Pastor Collins inclined his head. “It's nice to see you again, Liam. Brandon and I are old hands at this.”

After pleasantries were exchanged, Liam dug into his chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes while Brandon carried on a conversation with the pastor. He satisfied himself with several bites before he looked up to see the seats were filling up. Then he made the mistake of glancing at Sarah.

Her dark brown eyes gleamed at him. There was no way to avoid Sarah. Even if she'd been sitting across the room, he'd be drawn to her. “How is your grandmother doing?”

Sarah took a sip of her iced tea then set it down. “Actually the past couple of days she has been doing well, but we never know when she'll go through a ‘spell,' as my mom refers to her forgetfulness. How about your nieces? Since you're working today, I gather they won't come by this afternoon.”

“No, unless they can talk Aunt Betty into it. I told them if they didn't say anything to Aunt Betty, I'd make sure we visited Wednesday, Thursday and then Saturday.”

“Great. I know Gabe and the kittens will like it. I was out in the backyard yesterday, and they had a ball.”

“Anyone contact you about them?”

“No, except one lady told me she'd love to have a kitten. Recently one of her cats died. She's coming this weekend to pick one out.”

Liam cut another piece of his meat. “That's good. One down and four to go.”

“Are you going to take one?”

“I hate to ask Aunt Betty to take on one more thing. She doesn't complain, but she's so tired when the girls leave her.” He sipped his iced tea. “So I'm assuming no one has come forward about the mama.”

Sarah ate the last of her chicken potpie. “No, that's why I think the stray cat that used to come by is their mama. Nana particularly liked her visiting. She had a cat before moving in with Mom. I think it would be good for Nana.”

“Has your mother thought about getting allergy shots, or maybe you can keep one of the kittens as an outside cat?”

“Then, in cold weather, it could stay in the garage.”

“It might work. See, you'll have the kittens taken care of in no time,” Liam said as an older gentleman stood, walked to the head of the room and raised his hands to indicate everyone be quiet.

The fiftyish man turned out to be the mayor. From the crowd in the meeting room, Liam gathered this fund-raiser was important to the townspeople.

“For the new people on the committee, the first thing we need to decide is what kind of fund-raiser we're going to have,” Mayor Adams started off. “In recent years we've had a rodeo, an arts-and-crafts fair and a carnival. We don't want to repeat those, so we need some new suggestions.”

“A talent contest,” a lady in the back shouted.

“Or a garage sale,” an older woman suggested. “I have tons of stuff I'd like to get rid of.”

Brandon leaned toward Liam and muttered, “But would anyone want to buy it?”

“A silent auction” came out of Liam's mouth before he realized he'd actually spoken.

All eyes were on him, and he wanted to squirm in his seat. He hadn't intended to say anything, since he was new to the town and the fund-raising committee, but he remembered attending a silent auction in Dallas. It had been well received and had raised quite a bit of money for the charity.

Sarah grinned then said to the group, “I like that. We could have a dinner and sell tickets to it. During the evening, items can be displayed for people to bid on, then at the end have a bachelor auction to wrap up the fund-raiser. I've heard in other places they can be quite successful. I attended one in Tulsa, and it brought in a lot of money.”

“We've had some where I'm from, and they were popular.” Liam didn't add that single firefighters were often asked to participate in the bachelor auctions.

“I like that idea the best. Something a little different,” Brandon chimed in, with several others agreeing.

The mayor twisted his mouth into a thoughtful expression. “Okay, but in the past we've tried to let all ages participate in some way in the fund-raiser. If we have a sit-down dinner, is it for adults only? I saw one on television once, and it was fancy. Black tie and everything.”

Sarah rose and faced the committee. “It can be either fancy or casual. We can have different classes at the school or a softball team or any group of children donate baskets for the auction. It's a great way for kids to give to other kids. The dinner can be a buffet or waiter service. We could use teenagers to be the servers.”

“Let's vote. We have several choices,” Beatrice Miller said, sitting next to the mayor.

“Okay. A show of hands for a talent show.” Mayor Adams counted the few who voted. The garage sale got a couple of more raised hands for the fund-raiser, but the overwhelming majority wanted a silent auction/bachelor auction combo.

Pastor Collins stood. “We can use the church's large hall off our kitchen for the dinner. At one end we have a stage where the bachelor auction can take place. The corridors and entrance would be a great place to set up the items for the silent auction. I would suggest myself, Sarah Blackburn, Liam McGregory and anyone else who is familiar with this type of event be on the planning committee. We can meet and come back next time with what subcommittees we'll need, then you all can sign up to be on one or two of them.”

When Liam heard his name included, he wanted to shout no.
I don
'
t know what I
'
m doing with my nieces, let alone a big fund-raiser!
He couldn't shake the sensation of being steamrollered, and he felt overwhelmed just thinking about it.

As several people raised their hands to be added to the planning committee, Liam leaned toward Brandon. “Is Pastor Collins always like this? He didn't even ask me if I wanted to do this.”

“Yep, usually in a more subtle way, but this sounds big and with the potential of bringing in more money than we have in the past. We should have started last month. When he sees a job that needs to be done, he digs right in.” Brandon grinned. “You'll be fine. So many of us have a job on the side when we aren't at the fire station. You don't, so you should have plenty of time for this. Look on the bright side, the kids are still in school so it will be easier.”

Liam chanced a look at Sarah. Her eyes were as round and large as the wheels on the ladder truck. For a few seconds that bond he'd felt before sprang up between them. They were in this together—reluctantly.

When Pastor Collins took his seat, Liam bent forward. “I'm new to town. I don't know that many people. I may be more a hindrance than a help. You should get—”

“Nonsense. You and Sarah will be a fresh perspective for us. We need new people, otherwise some will take over and do the same old thing. We'll make sure we meet on a night you're free.” The pastor swung his attention to Brandon. “How about you? We could use another man on the committee.” He lowered his voice. “You know how Beatrice Miller can be.”

Liam glanced at the woman next to the mayor. She'd captured the ear of the man and was waving her hands around. Liam elbowed his friend in the side. “Yeah, how about you? We're on the same shift.”

“Sure, I can do it if I don't have problems getting a babysitter for Seth and Jared.”

“I don't mind having the meeting at my house, and you can bring Seth and Jared over.”

Sarah's invitation surprised Liam. He swung back toward her. “How about Madison and Katie?”

“Fine. I have a feeling the kittens and Gabe will keep the children entertained. If not, my mom and Nana will be there.”

“Then let's meet Thursday night at six thirty. Is that all right with y'all?” Pastor Collins rose.

Sarah, Brandon and Liam all nodded.

“I'll go tell the other members. I'll need everyone there so we can plow through the details to bring before the whole group next Tuesday.” The pastor hurried off to talk to the others.

Brandon pushed to his feet and clapped Liam on the shoulder. “Ready to leave?”

“Yes, but I need to talk to Sarah for a moment.”

“I'll be outside.”

When Brandon left, Sarah scanned the area then asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Are you sure about having the meeting at your house?”

“Positive. I'm hoping Seth and Jared will take one look at the kittens and want one. Besides, my mother loves kids and will get a kick out of watching them. We have a great floodlight, and they can be outside for an hour or so, then they can use our big den, where they can watch TV and play games if the meeting runs late. Nana will love it, too.”

“Okay. I was going to volunteer my house, but with your mom there it'll be much better. And this way I can leave before it gets too late. With it being a school night, the girls will need to be in bed at least by nine.” Liam started walking toward the exit. “I still can't believe Pastor Collins volunteered me. I wasn't even sure when Richie asked me to be on the committee.”

“Notice we're the only ones younger than thirty-five in the planning group. And Beatrice will definitely try to run the whole thing.”

“Good point.”

“Have you ever participated in a bachelor auction before?” Sarah stepped outside.

“Yes, once in my younger days. It was for a great cause.”

“How did it go?”

The memory of his ex-wife, Terri, standing up in the room full of women and putting in the last bid for him chilled him in the warm April afternoon. “I brought in two hundred dollars for the charity.” He glanced at Brandon sitting in his truck. “I'd better go. See you Thursday night.” Liam would never have suggested a silent auction if he'd known where it was going to lead the committee. Now he would see Sarah
more
often not less.