Her Firefighter Hero (7 page)

Zach showed a genuine smile. “Likewise. I understand you're our new boss.”

Jared nodded, then glanced at Sean. “Are you all ready for the rest of your team to return to work next week?”

“Yeah, it's been a long winter, but I'll get them back in shape real quick,” Sean said. “We've got a couple of new hires. Some real good guys. They've worked on a few regular hand crews and passed our rigorous physical tests.”

“Good. Has Brian approved them, too?”

“Yeah, he did. I'll get their hiring paperwork over to your office in the next couple of days.”

“That'll be fine. It sounds like you've got everything under control,” Jared said.

“Would you like to join us?” Tessa asked.

She was also a member of the hotshot crew. The only woman on the team. That was quite rare, but Jared had been told she could work most men under the table and she always carried her own weight.

He glanced around and noticed Caleb and June sitting in a far corner, chowing down on fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy. Jared had no doubt that Megan would be somewhere close by, and he had a strong urge to see her again. He tried to reason it away by telling himself that she was just one of his contractors and a friend. Nothing more.

“I don't want to intrude,” he said.

“It's no intrusion.” Zach scooted over to make room.

Jared felt a tap on his shoulder and turned.

Connie Wixler showed a wide smile. “Sorry, folks, but I'm afraid Jared is already spoken for tonight. Caleb is waiting for you over here. Come on.”

Without waiting for his reply, the waitress headed toward the children's table. Jared smiled his apologies to Zach. “Sorry. I guess I'm having dinner with the kids tonight.”

Zach's smile widened and he winked. “That's okay. Their mom's pretty special, too. Enjoy yourself.”

Tessa and Sean flashed knowing grins. Jared ducked his head. He felt a moment of uncertainty but decided to ignore it. He wanted to explain that he and Megan were just friends, but he could see how some people might misconstrue their relationship. After all, they were both single and involved with each other—at least when it came to firefighting, to a certain degree.

Connie led him over to the booth. Caleb looked surprised to see him, but scrambled over to make a space for him. Jared couldn't help wondering if putting him at this table was all Connie's idea, and he figured the woman was still up to her old matchmaking tricks.

“Hi, Jared. Look what I got.” The boy pulled a squiggly toy spider out of his pocket and dangled it in front of Jared's nose.

Jared laughed. “Yeah, that looks fun.”

“I don't like it.” June gave a shudder of disgust.

Caleb promptly thrust the spider at her, and she let out a little squeal. Several customers glanced their way.

“Now, stop that,” Connie said.

“Yeah, you shouldn't tease your sister,” Jared said.

That won a smile of approval from June. The boy showed a mischievous grin as Jared helped him stuff the spider back inside his pocket.

“What'll you have?” Connie asked, handing Jared a menu.

He handed it back and indicated the children's plates. “The same as the kids, with a tall glass of milk.”

“Fried chicken and apple pie. It's the special tonight. Coming right up.” Connie scurried away to put in his order.

“Are you gonna go out with our mom again?” Caleb asked as he took a drink of milk. When he pulled his glass away, he had a white mustache on his upper lip.

Jared smiled, helping the boy wipe his face with a napkin. “Actually, we weren't on a date before. We just happened to be at the same party over at Connie's house when your mom's truck broke down.”

“But Sandy said it was a date.”

“Sandy?” Jared said.

“Yeah, our babysitter. She said you were on a date with our mom. And June didn't like that,” Caleb said.

Jared glanced at the little girl. She smacked her brother's shoulder with the palm of her hand. “I didn't say that, dummy.”

“Yes, you did.”

The girl ignored her brother and peered at Jared with suspicion. “Why do you want to go out with our mom?”

Wow! He never expected to get the second degree from these two children. Maybe he should have sat with the other hotshots, after all. But he kind of liked that these kids were looking out for their mother's best interests. It meant they were genuine. He also liked their open way of talking to him. It meant they trusted him enough to speak the truth. June seemed a bit withdrawn, but he'd won Caleb over hook, line and sinker. And he wondered why their approval mattered so much to him.

“I suppose it was sort of a blind date. But we didn't agree to it. We didn't know about it at the time. We were kind of set up by Connie and Tim,” he hedged.

Caleb tilted his head to one side. “What do you mean a blind date? Can't you see our mom? She's right over there.”

The boy pointed a finger to where Megan stood running the cash register. She looked up, saw her son pointing at her and flushed red as a new fire engine.

Jared glanced her way. She visibly flinched, then looked down as she counted out change for a customer. If Jared didn't know better, he'd think she was purposefully avoiding him tonight. And that was probably wise.

“That's not what he means.” June bumped her brother's shoulder again. “He means he didn't ask Mom out and he didn't know they were gonna be on a date. Connie and Tim set it up without their permission.”

“It wasn't a real date and I didn't...”

Jared trailed off. The kids were looking at him with open curiosity.

“I don't understand this blind-date stuff,” Caleb said.

“It's when other people set you up with someone you don't know,” June said.

“But you know our mommy,” Caleb said.

Jared nodded. “Yes, that's right.”

“So, how could your date with Mom be a blind date?”

“It's because we didn't agree to it,” Jared said. “We didn't even know about it until after we arrived.”

“Oh,” Caleb said.

“But don't you like our mom?” June said, her voice vibrating with animosity.

Jared almost groaned. No matter what he said, there was no way to make them understand. He didn't want to cause a bigger problem by trying to explain.

“Of course I like her. I like her a lot,” he said.

Caleb smiled and showed his sister a victorious grin. “See? I told you so.”

June glared harder than ever.

A fissure of unease filtered through Jared's mind. Obviously the kids had discussed this issue among themselves in great detail. And he couldn't help wondering what else they'd said.

“You could ask Mom out again. We like you. Huh, June?” Caleb spoke with his mouth full of potatoes.

June stared at her plate, her forehead curved in a deep scowl. “You're not our dad.”

“Of course I'm not,” Jared agreed. “No one can ever take your father's place. I'd just like to be your mom's friend, if that's okay. I want to be your friend, too.”

Friends
was good. It was simple and uncomplicated. Jared held his breath, hoping that made the girl feel a tad better.

June's face softened and she looked up, her eyes meeting his. “Yes, I guess that's okay. But don't make mommy feel bad, okay? She's been real sad since our daddy died, and I don't want to see her cry anymore.”

Jared's heart gave a powerful squeeze. Wow. He hadn't expected this but realized June was completely sincere. The thought of putting Megan into tears really tore at him. The little girl had driven home how serious this situation was. It was safer to let the subject drop.

He reached out and patted June's shoulder. “Don't worry, sweetheart. I'd never do anything on purpose to hurt your mother. Or you kids, either.”

June nodded and went back to eating. And that was that.

“So, how's the swing working out?” Jared asked, breathing a bit easier now that he'd passed the third degree.

“Great! I love it,” Caleb gushed. Then his forehead crinkled in a troubled frown. “You should come over and try it out some time. But Mom would be there too, so you'd have to see her again. Is that okay?”

“Of course it's okay. I don't mind seeing your mother.” Jared rubbed the boy's head.

Caleb smiled with delight. Jared realized the boy didn't understand the intricacies of dating, but he sure didn't want to explain it to him. No doubt it would get back to Megan, who might misunderstand and take it the wrong way.

“That might be nice.” June smiled before scooping string beans into her mouth.

Jared almost groaned. His plan to remain neutral had officially backfired on him. Maybe he shouldn't have come here for supper tonight. Maybe he should have stayed home where it was lonely and safe and eaten a frozen dinner. Maybe...

He released a heavy sigh. His feelings had become so convoluted, even he was confused.

The situation only worsened when Connie delivered his meal. She set the plate of food in front of him with a grand flourish and a wide smile.

“Here you are. And can I just say, it's sure nice to see you and Megan getting so cozy?” the woman said.

Jared blinked, feeling as dazed and confused as Caleb had been earlier. “But I... We're not... We haven't...”

He couldn't finish. Anything he said might be misconstrued and taken out of context. After all, Megan was avoiding him like a plague of warts. She'd stayed far away from him since he'd walked into the restaurant. It could simply be that she was very busy tonight, yet he thought it was something more. Right now, he didn't know what to think. He tried to tell himself that he didn't want to get close to her, either, yet he'd come here for dinner and was now eating with her kids. How could he figure out what Megan wanted when he didn't know his own mind?

Just then he glanced up and saw her chatting with the group of hotshots. She worked as she talked, clearing a table next to them before wiping it down with a damp cloth. Though he couldn't hear their words, he caught their laughter. Why did she seem to have such a negative attitude toward him when she was obviously friends with his crew members?

He bit into a juicy drumstick and noticed her surreptitious looks thrown his way. Or maybe he was just feeling self-conscious. He might be reading more into this situation than he should, and she was just keeping an eye on her children, to ensure they were doing okay. Her looks probably had nothing to do with him at all.

He finished his meal in record time. He said goodbye to the kids and stepped over to the cash register and pulled out his wallet. Not surprisingly, Megan was nowhere to be seen. She'd disappeared again.

“How was your dinner?” Connie asked as she stood before the cash register.

“Delicious. What do I owe you?” He looked up and waited.

“It's on the house.” Connie leaned her hip against the counter and folded her arms.

He shook his head and pulled out some bills. “Nah, let me pay for my meal.”

“No can do. The boss said it was part of your truck-rental agreement. Home-cooked meals for life.”

“Not for life. No way.” He shoved the bills at her, but she wouldn't take them.

Connie jerked her thumb toward the back office. “Besides, I'd get fired if I took your money.”

Yeah, right. He wished Megan would forget about their truck agreement. But seeing the stubborn glint in Connie's eyes, he realized she would never relent.

He thrust his wallet back into his pocket. “Okay, tell Megan I said thank-you. The food was great tonight. I appreciate everything.”

Connie gave him a knowing smile. “I'll tell her. And you stop by anytime.” She leaned closer and whispered, “And do yourself a favor. Ask her out on a real date.”

He stared. Surprised that she'd come right out and said what he knew she'd been thinking.

“Um, thanks,” was his only response.

He turned and walked through the door to the parking lot. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw through the wide windows that Megan had returned to the front of the restaurant. A low laugh escaped his throat. Yep, she had definitely been avoiding him. A good mother, who was probably thinking only about her kids. After all, he imagined a woman had to be careful what men she brought into the lives of her children.

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw that her gaze followed him as Connie stood chatting beside her. No doubt the waitress was telling Megan everything he'd said.

He got into his truck. And he drove home, feeling lonelier than ever before.

Chapter Six

W
hen Jared showed up at her house on Monday morning, Megan told herself it was no big deal. After all, she'd called and invited him over to inspect the equipment and supplies she'd gathered for her catering job. On the one hand, seeing him again was like Christmas morning. She felt giddy and happy inside. Yet on the other hand, she also felt heavy and fearful at the same time. She didn't understand the emotions coursing through her but fought to ward off her confusion.

As she opened the front door, she caught the scent of rain. A lightning storm in the night had washed her green lawn, making it glimmer in the morning sunlight. Stepping back, she admitted Jared to her living room.

“Hi, there. I brought your truck over from the repair shop. They finally have it ready.” Jared showed that endearing smile.

“You picked up my truck from the garage?”

“Yeah, I hope you don't mind. I thought it'd save you some bother if you didn't have to drag the kids all the way there and back.”

She glanced past his shoulder, looking outside. Sure enough, her rusty old truck sat parked in her driveway. Grant must have finally gotten the parts in and finished his work.

“It's running great,” Jared said, “but I'd still rather you use the one I lent you when you drive up on the mountain. It's newer and I think it's more reliable.”

She shook her head. “You didn't need to bring my truck over. I'd already settled the bill with Grant yesterday, but I didn't plan to pick it up until later this afternoon.”

“It's no bother.”

“Well, thanks for saving me the trouble. Grant has had it over two weeks and I was beginning to give up hope of ever seeing it again. It ended up needing a complete engine rebuild.”

“Yeah, car failures are the pits. And expensive, too. I'm sorry it broke down.” Jared handed her the key while she closed the front door.

His gaze clouded over, and he looked away and she realized the guards were up between them. An invisible wall she didn't know how to breach even if she wanted to try. Which she didn't.

“I appreciate you coming over. My equipment is in the garage.” She led the way through the kitchen, conscious of him trailing behind her.

“Where are the kids today?” He followed her out into the backyard.

She glanced at the swing hanging from the tall tree and remembered the day he'd hooked it up for her children. They'd enjoyed it nonstop ever since. “They're over at a friend's house, having a playdate. They'll be home in an hour. I thought it would make our meeting easier if we didn't have them interrupting us every five seconds.”

Jared chuckled. “I don't mind. I've become pretty good friends with Caleb and June.”

Yes, she'd noticed. Although June was still a bit reluctant, she was slowly warming up to the man. And Caleb adored him. Megan liked him, too. A lot. And if she let down her guard, it'd be so easy to fall madly, deeply...

No! She couldn't think that way.

“Last Thursday was their last day of school. I'm trying to find ways to keep them busy during the summer break while spending some quality time with them, too. Tonight, we're going to watch a movie and eat popcorn together.”

He slid one hand into his pants pocket. “That sounds fun. I imagine being a single working mom poses a lot of challenges. But you seem to handle it all with a smile.”

“Thank you. From what I've seen, you're good with kids, too.”

Oh, stupid. She shouldn't have said that.

“Well, it's easy when they're as sweet as Caleb and June. They've got a good mom,” he said.

Ah, that melted her heart as nothing else could.

“Thank you. Why haven't you ever married?” The moment Megan asked the question, she regretted it. It was too bold. Too personal. But she really wanted to know.

His eyes widened in surprise. “Actually, I was married once.”

Now it was her turn to be startled. “Really?”

“Yeah, but it didn't work out. Sharon hated the small, remote towns I dragged her to live in for my profession. She was a city girl through and through. While I was working up in the mountains, she found someone else she wanted more than me.”

Oh, boy. Megan wasn't prepared for that much information. She didn't know what to say. What to think. And she honestly couldn't imagine why any woman would ever toss this handsome man over for someone else.

“I'm so sorry, Jared. I didn't mean to pry,” she said.

He gave a low laugh, but there was no humor in it. “It's okay. Actually, it feels kind of good to finally talk about it. You're the first person I've mentioned it to since it happened.”

She heard the hurt in his voice and felt like a heel for reminding him of his painful history. She didn't want to be the person he confided in. It brought them closer somehow, and she couldn't allow that. No, not at all.

He took a deep breath, as though he were gathering his courage. “It's in the past and I need to move on now.”

She was trying to do the same with her own life, and she realized how much they had in common. Both of them had been hurt deeply. Both of them had former loves they were still trying to get past. And honestly, she didn't think she could ever get over losing Blaine.

They stepped beyond the backyard. It widened up into a spacious lot, partitioned by a lawn area with a swing set, a small garden and a tall fence. The mobile kitchen and a semitruck sat off to one side. And Megan resolved to focus on business again.

“I've made a number of contacts,” she said, “to hire several more cooks and some high school kids to help cater the meals to the fire crews. If we get a fire in our mountains, I'll be ready.”

“That's good.”

Opening the door to the garage, she flipped on the light. She blinked, letting her eyes become accustomed to the dim interior. Jared did likewise, gazing at the shelves filled with tools and camping and yard equipment.

She pointed at several rolls of colored tape sitting on the workbench. “I'm planning to color code the boxes of food, to ensure things like pancakes don't get sent out to the spike camps without butter and syrup to accompany them.”

He nodded and gave a low sound of approval. “Great! I can't tell you how many times I've had to eat a dry loaf of bread and apples with nothing but water to wash them down because the caterer didn't send us any meat and cheese to go with it. Just bread and apples.”

She made a little grimace. “That wouldn't be much of a meal for a hungry firefighter.”

“Yeah, it isn't. But when you're out there working like a dog, you'll eat anything you can get.”

That made her laugh. She liked this man's sense of humor and hard-work ethic. Not to mention his gorgeous smile. He was close to perfect. But they wouldn't even be having this conversation if he wasn't a hotshot. If she ever gave another man a chance, he'd have a job she was sure would bring him home every night.

Once more, she resolved to keep her distance.

* * *

“Um, will you still need some Cubitainers for things like milk, juice and water?” Jared asked, trying to focus his thoughts back on work. Megan's question about his marriage had left him feeling a bit uneasy. And yet, it felt good to finally talk about his divorce. He'd kept it all bottled up inside of him for so long that it actually relieved some tension to speak the words out loud.

She nodded. “Yes, if you can get them for me.”

“Do you have the necessary dining tables and chairs for people to sit on?”

Her long ponytail bounced as she nodded her head. “Yes. And the kitchen trailer includes deep fryers, grills and even a tilt skillet for preparing scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes.”

“That sounds great,” he said.

“I've also got some additional insulated containers, warming ovens, a propane refrigerator chest and a trailer to haul it all up onto the mountain.” She pointed at each item stacked neatly beside the trailer and a sturdy tarp to cover everything with, in case it rained.

He liked the note of confidence in her voice. The expression of buoyancy on her face. She'd been working hard, and he realized he'd made the right call by giving her the contract.

She stepped past him to display the rows of canned foods she'd already purchased from her grocery supplier and set aside for when she needed it.

Her arm brushed against his chest, and he sucked back a quick inhale. After his divorce, he thought he was immune to ever being attracted to another woman. But that had changed with Megan.

“I can get the Cubitainers in for you next week,” he said, wishing he could keep his mind on their task.

“That should be soon enough. Any idea when we'll get our first fire in the area?”

“No telling. The weather's been dry and warm, which provides a lot of tinder for the lightning storms we've been having.”

He paused, taking a deep inhale. Even in the musty garage, he caught her clean, fragrant scent.

Time to go.

“I'll bring the Cubitainers over as soon as they come in,” he said.

“That will be fine.”

She walked with him out to the front of the house.

“Thanks for coming over,” she said.

He smiled, liking the way the sun highlighted streaks of gold in her hair. “Anytime.”

As he climbed into his truck, he felt light and cheerful inside, and he didn't know why. He'd confided some personal things to Megan, yet he knew without asking that she understood how he was feeling. And that she'd keep his confidence.

Having her to lean on was not something he could get used to, though. Because he wasn't ready for another relationship—even with someone as capable and pretty as Megan.