Page 53 of The Fire Captain's Unexpected Baby
Too bad I don’t have any tangible memories of Paige.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say with a smile. Then, I decide that the flowers won’t hurt. “And I think I’ll take that bouquet, after all.”
I walk out, flowers in hand as the wheels in my mind turn. There has to be something that Paige would accept, something that would make her see reason. And then it hits me: Noah’s school performance.
She doesn’t even know that I know about it.
And Ididpromise to be there for Noah, no matter what goes on between his mother and me. Every kid needs someone to show up, and I’m determined to be that person.
The fire station is quieter than usual. Still, there are a few guys hanging around the kitchen when I show up and start hunting for a vase. A dusty glass will have to suffice.
“Are those from your secret admirer?” Samson laughs.
“Something like that,” I mumble, not sure how to say that the flowers are actually a gift from me.
“Paige must really like you if she’s sending you flowers.” The bouquet looks large in the center of such a small kitchen.
“Not from Paige,” I clarify, before walking out to avoid more questions.
“Aaron’s keeping his options open,” I hear someone say as I walk away. They mean it as a joke, but it stings all the same.
I don’t want to have any options. I don’t want a secret admirer or flowers. I don’t want anyone except Paige. And Noah.
“Ignore them.” Levi sits in the living room when I walk in, a book in his hands. “They wouldn’t know a serious relationship from a hole in the ground.”
I nod and sit beside him stiffly. It beats sitting by myself and hoping that the guys don’t rib me for it.
He closes the worn paperback, sets it beside him, and looks me in the eye. “You haven’t been sleeping. You look like a raccoon.”
“Gee, thanks. Haven’t had time today to apply my concealer.”
“I’m just saying that you have to take care of yourself. You still have a duty to this station. Do you have the energy to fight a raging fire? I’m thinking about this as superintendent, not just Paige’s brother.”
“You don’t have to worry about it,” I grumble.
“Make sure that I don’t. Why don’t you go ahead and hit the cots for a little while? Paige isn’t going to show up here, and you can’t leave. Might as well rest.”
He’s not entirely wrong. I’ve been up all night at home so that I’m available if Paige texts me. If she changes her mind.
But here?
Here, I know that I can’t leave the station regardless of what she says or needs. The guys are always around so that I don’t have to lie in bed in complete silence, counting the seconds.
Maybe Icouldsleep here.
I tuck myself into the hard bed, pull the covers up, and roll onto my side. Someone walks into the room, but I ignore the footstepsand don’t turn around. They sit down on one of the other beds, the springs squeaking.
I hear pages rustle, and I realize that Levi followed me.
Someone is looking out for methis time.
The thought floods me with warmth, with gratitude.
It would be so easy for Levi and the rest of the guys to take Paige’s side. Not that there are really sides to take. It’s not exactly a messy breakup.
But the guys are watching out for me. They’re helping me in small ways—the teasing, the rest, the camaraderie.
That’s the thought I have when my eyes feel heavier than they did an hour ago. My body relaxes, melting into the mattress.
