Page 88 of Burning Skies
“Hi.” She kisses me, then pets my kitten.
“Take her so I can grill.”
“Can I help with anything?” she asks as she kisses Fireball, who purrs in her arms. Huh. My kitten finally found someone she likes besides me.
“Nope. I got it. You okay with steak, baked potatoes, and salad?”
“Sounds great. I’m famished.”
“Wanna watch TV while I finish everything?”
She puts Fireball down and sits on the couch. “I have some reading I can do for one of my classes. Is that okay?”
“Whatever you need. I’m just happy to see you.” Leaning over, I kiss her again. “If you want to work, go for it. I started the potatoes in the oven, so dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes.”
After I get our steaks done on my grill out back, I head into the kitchen to grab us some beer. “It’s nice outside. Want me to build a fire, and we can have dinner out there?”
“I’d love that.”
I get the fire pit going and brush off my old Adirondack chairs. When we head outside with our dinner, I wrap a small knitted blanket around her shoulders and settle in my chair. “Cold front is supposed to come in later this week.”
“I love an excuse to wear a sweater. Winter is my favorite season.” She snuggles into her blanket. “How did you know I was chilly?”
“Just a hunch. I prefer summer, but I don’t mind the winter.” Cutting into my steak, I pause to watch her take her first bite.
“This is great. What seasonings did you use?”
“Rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pan-seared with clarified butter.”
She takes another bite. “I love that you cook. I could eat this every day.”
“We take turns cooking at the fire station. I’ll be honest. I’m only good at breakfast, steaks, and pasta.”
“What else is there?”
I chuckle in complete agreement. I’m smiling until I remember how Melissa behaved when Honey dropped off that tray of food. “Listen, I want to apologize again for how Mel acted yesterday. She was out of line. I just want to assure you that I avoid her when possible.”
Honey stops eating. “You know she still wants you, right?”
Sighing, I nod. “But I’ve never wanted more with her. We were never serious.”
Using her fork, she pushes her salad around her plate. “But you’re serious about me?”
“As a heart attack.”
Her lips tug into a grin. “Okay. I won’t replace her lotion with hemorrhoid cream.”
Laughing, I nod. “That’s my girl.” I cut into my baked potato. “I’m not gonna be a firefighter forever. As much as I love it, I can’t do it all. Something’s gotta give. Once I finish renovating my house, I’ll go part-time or maybe retire. I can’t get a pension until I’m fifty, but that’s okay. In the meanwhile, it’ll give me the extra income I need.”
“Can I just say that as much as I love what you do, I know it’s really dangerous? Ranching can be dangerous too if you’re not careful, but firefighting somehow feels more unpredictable. So I’m glad you don’t want to do it forever. I’d be sick if anything happened to you on the job.”
“Thanks, babe. I do my best to stay safe, but it can be tough.” As we finish up dinner, I set my plate on the rickety wrought-iron coffee table in front of us. “Have you had any trouble from Cash this week?”
“He’s been great, actually. I took him some donuts as thanks for not ratting me out to Dad and Trig.” She looks out into the night sky. “My dad’s still out of town. It’s weird, but I feel like something’s going on.”
“Like what?”
She shrugs. “I’m not sure. It’s just a feeling I get. My mom usually goes with him, but this time, she stayed home.”
