He tucks something into my pocket then gives me a hint of a smile before he turns away and follows my dad.
Maryanne crosses her arms, her eyebrows arched. “What the heck was that?”
After forcing down a tight swallow, I peek at what he tucked into my pocket. It’s a napkin with his phone number scrawled across it in big block letters. I wad it up and shove it back in. “He thinks he knows me, but he doesn’t.”
We shuffle forward in line. “Looks like he’s eager to try,” Maryanne says wryly.
“It’s…awkward, alright?” It comes out testy, and I exhale, puffing my cheeks. “He works with Dad. And soon, he’ll be working withme.”
“Is there some rule about fraternization I’m not aware of?”
I can’t imagine there is, but it’s not like I’ve read the fine print.
“He’s the one with something to lose,” Maryanne insists. “Your dad being his boss and all. But he’s not acting too scared.”
I rub my forehead. Just what I need—my love life compromised by my father. I think a teeny part of why I got so stuck in my relationship with Nathan is because I was afraid Dad would think that I wasn’t strong enough, smart enough, to take care of myself. So I hid, and it became even easier for Nathan to isolate me from my family. But since the breakup, Dad’s been every bit the strong, caring hero I needed. Even giving me space while I figure things out.
So admitting to him that I’ve gotten cozy with his apprentice makes me feel like a cat in heat. Irresponsible. I can’t stand the thought of losing Dad’s respect. He’s too important to me.
You ever wanna not be careful again, do it with me.Replaying that in my mind should not make me want to pull CJ into the nearest broom closet, but it does. A part of me is intensely keen to find out just what he means by that.
We finally place our order, and after Miranda hands us our bags of donut holes, we step to the side to wait for our coffees.
“So what’s Bear’s story?” I ask to move away from the messy situation I’ve made for myself. “If he’s asking you out, does that mean he’s local?”
“He grew up in McCall. He and CJ and the two other guys were smokejumpers together. Bear’s the only one still doing it though.”
“A firefighter, huh?” I pump my eyebrows. “What’s he do for work in the winter?”
“Skis. He also has a side gig flipping vacation homes. He does all the work himself too.”
I’ve known a few wildland firefighters. It can be a great way to make money in the summers, but the lifestyle is brutal. Living in temporary camps, being dirty and hungry when you’re not on the line, digging and backburning and working in hellish heat, then spending your one day off face down in your cot, exhausted.
“But he’s thinking of testing with the Finn River Fire Department after next fire season,” she adds with a twist of her lips that is the opposite of nonchalant.
“Where’s he taking you on this date?” I ask.
The barista calls our names for our coffee order. I add a splash of cream to my americano and bring it to my lips for a quick slurp.
“I told him I needed to talk to you,” Maryanne says, snapping a lid to her latte.
I frown. “Why?”
She shoots me a cheeky grin. “Because you and CJ are going to join us.”
Chapter Twelve
“Grampy, come color with me.”Tanya slips her tiny hand in mine and tugs me away from the crowded kitchen. I let her because grandkids are the dessert in life, and mine are the sweetest.
We duck under Curren and Zach playing catch between the sunken living room and dining area and continue to the small table Sofie has set up in the corner with art supplies and what looks like an unfinished snack of grapes and goldfish crackers.
Because the chairs are sized for littles, lowering that far to the ground makes my sore quads burn and warning spikes to fire through my hip, but it ebbs as I settle in.
“What are we drawing?” I slip a fresh piece of paper from a stack and rifle through the box of crayons and colored pencils. Sofie had to hide the markers because Tanya snuck them into the bathroom and painted her tongue, then graffitied one of the cabinet doors.
Tanya scrunches up her little face. “A kitty.”
I pluck a pencil and start sketching. “What color is this kitty?”