Playing With Fire (22 page)

She leaned against the wall and hugged her stomach, which felt the way Booter's must have when he swallowed the latex gloves. On the one hand, her career had finally come together. On the other hand, her love life had fallen apart. The end result left her emotionally torn in half and prone to tears.

Booter, always responsive to her moods, came and sat beside her, leaning heavily on her leg. She stroked the smooth fur on his head. Abruptly, he sprang to his feet and trotted from the supply room. His rambunctious barking echoed throughout the station.

"Fine. Leave me, why don't you?” She snatched the inventory sheet off the shelf, determined to pull herself out of her slump. “See if I care."

But she did care. Booter didn't generally abandon her unless it was for someone he liked. And besides Emilio, the only other firefighter who fit that description was ... Matt!

Hope blossomed inside her. She immediately repressed it. Matt was in Tucson. To think differently was nothing more than wishfulness on her part. Yet what other explanation could there be for the achingly familiar male voice in the distance?

No. She must control her overactive imagination before it got the better of her.

Yeah, right.

One minute later, Lindsay reached the entrance to the apparatus room. Both overhead doors were wide open, allowing the early afternoon sunlight to shine in and voices to carry.

Emilio was talking to someone on the other side of the engine. Lindsay couldn't see who.

"Keep us posted, buddy."

The visitor said something too low for her to make out clearly.

"She's here.” Emilio again. “In the supply room."

She? In the supply room?

Her heart practically flew out of her chest. She burst into the apparatus room. Rounding the back of the engine, she came face to face with Matt.

And stopped short.

Whatever he'd been saying to Emilio died on his lips as their eyes met. He looked tired. Tired, pale, and rumpled. But the light in his eyes was unmistakable. Though her arms longed to hold him, she kept them glued to her sides. There they'd stay until she learned the reason for his visit to the station. To see her, yes. But she didn't want to jump to conclusions.

He spoke first. “Hi."

"Hi.” Suddenly shy, she brushed an imaginary strand of hair from her face. She was dimly aware of a crowd gathering. Emilio, Randy, and Travolis, the man from Rebecca's crew whom Dennis had traded days with. “How's your father?” she asked.

The acute tension in his face relaxed. “Better."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Lindsay.” He took a step toward her.

She did the same.

All at once, she was in his arms, and he was kissing her. Kissing her as if they'd been apart three years and not three days.

And Lindsay kissed him back. She didn't care that they were at the station. Or that Emilio and the others were watching. She didn't care that regulations strictly prohibited intimate physical contact of any kind. Nor did she care that they could both be fired.

All that mattered was Matt and being with him.

When he at last ended the kiss, they were both laughing. Their laughter died when he dropped to one knee and took her right hand in his.

Lindsay's other hand floated to her cheek, which was hot to the touch. Her legs wobbled, and a strange tightness squeezed her chest.

Is this what if feels like the second before your whole life changes?

Matt's eyes never left hers. “I didn't have time to buy a ring. But I swear to you, I'll do everything else right for the rest of our lives."

The room went suddenly still as they all waited expectantly for his next words. Especially Lindsay. She wasn't disappointed.

"Marry me, Lindsay."

"Matt...” Her voice shook.

"I love you. I know I'm a washout in the romance department. I should have put more thought into this. Prepared a speech or something. But I was in a hurry—"

She placed a finger on his lips, silencing him. “You're doing fine. Absolutely perfect.” Tears stung her eyes.

"Is that a yes?"

He looked so hopeful, if Lindsay weren't already head over heels in love with him, she'd fall right then and there.

"Yes.” She started laughing again and pulled him to his feet. “I'll marry you."

He let out a whoop, scooped her up in his arms, and swung her around. The room erupted with noise. The men clapped and cheered while a barking Booter ran in circles. No one told him to be quiet. They were too busy doing something. Lindsay, whose head was high in the clouds, didn't pay attention. She should have.

In the next instant, they were blasted with chilling cold water. The men had taken down the hose from the engine and turned it on them. The pressure nearly toppled Lindsay and Matt, but they managed to stay upright by holding onto each other.

It would be like that always, she realized. No matter what came at them, they'd weather the force so long as they had each other.

Over the roar of rushing water, Matt shouted, “Have breakfast with me in the morning."

The last time he asked her that, she'd refused, and he'd had to coerce her into going with him. Not this time.

"Promise me something first."

"Name it."

Ignoring everything and everyone else, she pressed her wet body close to his in subtle invitation. “We have breakfast in bed."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cathy McDavid isn't a firefighter, but she did aspire to be one once when she was nine years old and went for a ride on a shiny red engine around the town square. Experiences like those stay with a person and eventually, many years later, the story idea for
Playing With Fire
was conceived. Two teenagers, a busy construction company she and her husband own and manage, an active writing career, and more animals than the law allows keep this award winning author busy. When Cathy isn't glued to the computer, she and her family spend as much time as possible in their cabin in the mountains northeast of Phoenix, a remote and peaceful place far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. Of course, she takes her laptop with her in the likely probability inspiration will strike.