She bit her lip. “Can they do anything? I paid my taxes, and the account is overseas. Plus, you were under duress.”
“Probably not. Don’t worry, beautiful.” A sudden, awful thought occurred to him. “Damn! I quit my job.”
“No, you didn’t. Tanner called me, and he’s not accepting your resignation.”
“Thank God.”
“All right. Let’s change the subject.” She grinned. “I believe you owe me a surprise, fireboy.”
Happiness filled him to overflowing. This morning, he was convinced he’d never hear her call him that again. “You haven’t peeked?”
“Nope. I promised I wouldn’t, and I haven’t.”
“Come here.” Taking her by the hand, he led her through the house to the door leading out onto the deck. “Close your eyes.”
She squeezed them shut. He slid open the glass, led her through. “How far are we going?”
“A little ways. Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.” Carefully, he led her down the hill to the creek. The going was slow and truthfully, it would’ve been easier just to let her open her eyes and see his gift, but being there together was important to him. Symbolic, somehow. He led her onto the wooden planks and positioned her at the rail, facing the creek trickling under their feet. Took her hand.
Her fingers grabbed the rail. “What . . . ?”
“I hope you like it.”
“You know I will. Now?”
“Okay, open them.”
She did, her gaze widening. And took in his gift, dappled with sunshine, arching gracefully under the trees. He watched the pure, unadulterated joy flood her face.
“You . . . Oh, God, you built me a bridge! Zack, it’s gorgeous!” She launched herself into his arms and he caught her with an
oomph
as she smothered him with kisses. “Oh, I’m sorry! Your ribs!”
“Hey, that’s all right,” he teased. “I’ll build you a few more if I get this reaction.”
She kissed him again, lingering this time until he was hard against her belly. Throbbing.
“Thank you,” she said, raking her fingers through his hair. “I love it.”
“You’re welcome. I love you. Can’t have my baby falling into the creek anymore, can I?”
“Nope.” She paused, a strange light in her eyes. Taking his hand, she pressed his palm flat against her tummy. “Neither one of your babies.”
He stared at her, struck stupid. “What?”
“Surprise, Daddy. Whoopsy-daisy, the pill isn’t always one-hundred percent effective.”
He couldn’t have been more shocked had she smacked him in the head with a shovel. Hands shaking, he framed her sweet face. “Y-you’re pregnant?”
“How do you feel about that? Still want to go pack?”
God in heaven, he’d nearly left her. Nearly walked out of her life, not knowing about their baby.
His child.
Overwhelmed, humbled, he sank to his knees in front of her. Took her hands in his, and did his best to put his feelings into words.
“You’re my heart and soul, Corrine Shannon. As long as I have you by my side, believing in me, I can do anything. I love you, and I love our baby,” he said hoarsely. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Oh!” Dropping to her knees in front of him, she threw herself into his arms, almost knocking him over. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
His ribs screamed in protest, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was the woman in his arms. “Then I’m the luckiest guy on the planet.”
“And don’t you forget it.” She kissed him soundly, a promise, he hoped, of the evening to come.
“Keep that up and I’ll let you have your wicked way with me. If you’re
very
gentle.”
“No ropes or scarves?”
He laughed, shaking his head at her cute little pout. “Not tonight. This time, it’s just you and me.”
“Welcome home, handsome.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else, beautiful. Just here, with you.”
Forever.
Turn the page for a special preview
of the next book in the
Firefighters of Station Five series,
HIDDEN FIRE
Coming from Signet Eclipse in December 2009
Julian Salvatore sprayed a steady stream of water at Station Five’s ambulance, rinsing off the soapsuds and gyrating to “Life in the Fast Lane” blaring from the radio just inside the bay.
Nothing like the Eagles to make a boring task bearable.
Using the nozzle as a microphone, he lip-synched a little Don Henley, punctuating the heavy downbeat with blasts to the bubbles. Watching them slide away. Thinking, yeah, he could relate. He enjoyed life a bit too fast, a lot too naughty.
Too bad he was on shift. He craved some action, and not the type to be found here, working with five guys he couldn’t quite call pals. He conjured an image of feminine curves, toned thighs. Long, white-blond hair draped over his chest, violet eyes holding him captive while their slick bodies moved in time to the pounding music—
Which abruptly lowered several notches, poofing his fantasy to dust.
“Jeez, man. You selling tickets?”
Julian glanced toward the door to the bay. Zack Knight, A-shift’s fire apparatus operator, straightened and turned away from the portable radio, cell phone to one ear. Knight leaned against the grille of the big quint, cooing into the phone like a frickin’ turtle dove.
“. . . you know I don’t care, beautiful,” Knight was saying, face glowing with happiness. “Whatever color you want me to stain it is fine.”
Yep, totally whipped.
Rolling his eyes, Julian made an exaggerated gagging noise. Knight shot him the finger and a big grin, and Julian couldn’t resist smiling back as he shut off the water. So, the geek had grown a big, steely pair after all. Love must do weird shit to a guy.
He wouldn’t know. Nor did he care to.
“Salvatore!”
He started, stifling a curse and the urge to grab his chest.
Cristo
, the captain had a way of lying low, then leaping out of nowhere to lop off an unsuspecting victim’s head like some sort of damned ninja assassin.
Julian turned, pasting on his most innocent expression—a stretch, even on his best day. “Hey, Cap. What’s shakin’?”
Sean Tanner got in his personal space, vibrating with anger from head to toe. He rested his hands on his narrow hips, green eyes snapping. Hoo-yah, this was gonna be a scream.
“I’m going to say this once. Knock that crap off before you wind up with a formal complaint in your file.”
Julian stared back. What the hell? “Am I supposed to know what you’re talking about?”
“The tampon prank was funny the first time, although inappropriate. You’re lucky Eve didn’t make an issue of it before, but this? Stringing them across the ladies’ room door is going too far.”
Knight closed his cell phone, slid it into his pants pocket, and watched with interest. Julian laughed. He couldn’t help it.
“Man, you need to lighten up. Eve’s cool and you
know
she dishes out as much as she takes.”
Tanner’s face hardened. “Nevertheless, your prepubes cent shit is getting old. I’m about fed up—”
Julian’s humor fled. “Why don’t you look into the mirror,
amigo
, say that three times, and see if you land in Kansas? You’re not the only one who’s fed up.”
Color flooded Tanner’s cheeks as he sputtered. “What the fuck do you mean by that?”
“Want me to spell it out? Fine. You haven’t been doing a perfect job yourself, but you don’t hesitate to stalk around here shouting and bitching at everyone who doesn’t meet your impossible standards.” Julian shook his head. “You know what? Forget it. I’m not doing this. The point is, I’m not the one who pulled the stunt, I don’t have a clue who did, and frankly, sir, I don’t give a flying rat’s ass. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to finish.”
For the first time in his career, Julian gave his back to a superior. And it hurt a helluva lot more than he’d have thought.
Because in that moment, in a startling burst of clarity, he realized he’d lost all respect for his captain.
Everyone went through rough times, Tanner’s rougher than most. But the captain wasn’t the only one who’d faced total devastation and lived to tell, even if he hadn’t wanted to.
Oh, no. Not going there. Grabbing an old towel, he shoved the memory into its tamperproof compartment and began to dry the ambulance. He longed to get in Tanner’s grill, set him straight. Tell the uptight bastard he didn’t have the market cornered on pain and suffering. Tell him—
“Damn, you should’ve seen his expression,” Knight remarked quietly, coming to stand beside him.
“He’s gone?” Julian wasn’t about to give Tanner the satisfaction of looking.
“After he gave about two seconds’ thought to ripping your head off, yeah.” Knight paused, blinking behind his wire-rimmed glasses. “You shocked him. I mean, I’ve gotten pretty good at not letting him get to me, but nobody stands up to him like that except Six-Pack.”
Julian started on the windshield, keeping his voice low. “Has the intervention been scheduled?”
“I was on my way out to talk to you about it when Cori phoned. Six-Pack needs to meet with all of us first so we’re on the same page. Everyone else is free Friday afternoon. Work for you?”
“I’ve got a date later, but sure. I’ll be there.”
Knight clapped him on the shoulder, then wandered off. Julian tried to imagine Tanner’s reaction when he realized what they’d planned, and winced. No man wanted to listen to the people closest to him air his problem in a public forum. He had a feeling this giant group hug was going to backfire something awful. For the record, he’d warned them.
Still, something had to be done before Sean drank himself to death.
Three loud, high tones over the intercom system scattered his thoughts. The pleasantly creepy computerized voice announced a kitchen fire at one of Sugarland’s few high-end restaurants.
Pitching the towel into the bay, he sprinted for his gear, almost relieved for the distraction.
Almost. If he’d learned anything in all his years as a firefighter, complacence on the job was usually followed by unmitigated disaster.
He might get a dark thrill out of tempting fate, but he wasn’t stupid.
Julian grabbed a hose and jogged for the rear entry of the restaurant, Tommy Skyler at his back. Displaced diners milled around the front and side of the building, and Julian spared them a glance as he and Skyler approached the kitchen door.
Most of them appeared to have departed, but a few onlookers watched the proceedings with avid interest. As always, his roving eye zeroed in on the women, some dressed business casual, but a couple in classy power suits. Including a tall, willowy blonde who seemed to be staring right at him.
Recognition zapped him like touching a live circuit, charged his libido. He stopped so abruptly, Skyler plowed into his back with a curse.
Grace McKenna.
Five feet eleven delectable inches of cream-your-boxer-briefs temptation. The violet-eyed beauty of his lusty fantasies, the Ice Princess who’d ignored every one of his advances.
And Six-Pack’s off-limits sister-in-law.
He couldn’t have Grace.
Which, of course, only made him want her more.
“What’re you doing, man? Go, go!” Skyler yelled.
Shaking it off and breaking eye contact, he ran. What
was
he doing? A split second of inattention on the job could get a firefighter killed. He wasn’t ready to die today, and certainly not over a woman.
A woman who wouldn’t suffer a moment of remorse if something bad
did
happen to him.
Focus.
The kitchen was almost fully engulfed in flames, but he and Skyler managed to wrestle the blaze under control without too much difficulty. The stove provided the worst problem, covered in grease and equipped with a vat for frying, but was quickly subdued by Eve with chemical foam.
The heat was a nasty bitch, though, boiling his skin through the heavy protective clothing. He’d reek of smoke and sweat and he hoped they had a long enough reprieve from the calls to sneak a shower later.
Through the kitchen entry into the restaurant’s dining room, he saw Eve join Six-Pack to do a walk-through of the premises. Six-Pack gave him a thumbs-up for an all clear, so they had to concentrate on only the kitchen area and make sure no hot spots remained.
Leaving their buddies to handle that part, Julian and Skyler shut off the hose and exited the way they’d come in. Skyler took charge of helping Knight put the hose away, and as Julian removed his mask to let it dangle around his neck, he observed that the younger man had really started to mature in the past couple of months. When had that happened?
He shook his head with a rueful laugh. Yeah, he was such an expert on maturity.