Page 12 of Collision

Sam busts out laughing. “You like the suspenders, huh?”

“Name someone who doesn’t. But on you? They’re even better.”

His voice grows husky. “Well, I’ll make sure to wear them tomorrow, then.”

“Good. I’ll be there.”

“It’s a date.”

CHAPTER 6

Sam

“Is everything ready to go?” The mischievous glint in Brody’s eyes makes me grin.

“Natalie’s mom, Katherine, is bringing the cake. I’ve got the banner stuffed in the cleaning closet. Taylor is in charge of getting the candles lit. I think that’s everything.” Rodney and Katherine have been dating for about as long as Tucker and Natalie have been. The whole house was happy for Katherine and Rodney because they both lost their spouses years ago, and seeing them find happiness after going through that is beautiful.

“Nice. They’d never look in there.”

I laugh. “I thought it was clever. And I’ve got these.” With a quick look around the station to make sure Rodney and Rick aren’t nearby, I pull out a handful of confetti poppers.

Brody throws his head back with a laugh. “Brilliant. They’re going to hate this so much.”

“That’s the goal.”

We walk down the hallway toward the kitchen. The noise level is intense compared to normal. All three shifts are here for the fundraiser today, making the small space feel overly crowded. Everyone’s moving in and out of the building as we get the tables and booths set up.

The Café, our local bakery, donated carafes of lemonade and tea along with a bunch of snacks for everyone to eat. We’re very grateful for the donation because it means we don’t have to muddle our way through trying to make everything ourselves. Each crew member has to take their turn on kitchen duty, but not a single one of us is good enough to create something worthy of sharing with the public.

I pick up a box of individually wrapped cookies to carry outside. It’s a perfect day. The sun is warm without being stifling, and a few clouds are floating by to offer a break from the sun now and then.

The pavement in front of the firehouse has been transformed into an inviting gameland. We’ve parked the trucks around the outer edge of the lot for both the best visuals and safety. If we get a call while the fundraiser is going on, we’ll be able to take off without being blocked in by people.

In the middle, we’ve got cones outlining our game booths and random tables set up to hold equipment and food.

Our goal for the fundraiser is not only to collect money but to show the town what we do and how we do it. It gives the kids—and the adults—an opportunity to learn about fire safety in a fun environment.

“People are going to start showing up soon,” Charlie says as she carries a box of candy to hand out as prizes for the games.

I flick my watch up to see if she’s right. The event starts in half an hour, which means we only have about fifteen minutes before people start arriving. Most everything is ready to go, except the food. We didn’t want to put that out too soon.

I drop my box onto the table and head back inside to grab the remaining items. The minute we get everything outside, people start showing up, and for the next hour, I’m distracted by leading one of the game booths.

The kids are hilarious with their plastic fire hats falling over their eyes. They’re loving every minute of today. My favorite part of hosting this fundraiser is watching the adults let go of their reservations to act like kids again. They participate in the games just as voraciously as the kids, cheering when they win and feeling bummed when they don’t. It’s only when the line at my booth finally dissipates that I notice Carter still hasn’t shown up.

I scan the crowd to see if I missed him, but after a few sweeps, I know he’s not here. I can see Tucker and his wife, Natalie, with their son, Noah, at the food table. Her pregnant belly is on full display in her sun dress, and it’s the cutest thing. Nolan and Adam are over there, too, with a woman I don’t know. Wouldn’t he have come with the rest of the family?

“Are adults allowed to play, too, or just the kids?” Carter’s voice sends shivers down my spine, and I spin around to see him standing behind me. How he snuck up on me, I’ll never know, but I don’t particularly care. All that matters is he’s here. And he looks fucking delicious.

His light grey T-shirt is stretched across his chest in a way that makes me want to run my hands down him to find out just how many muscles he’s hiding under there. When my gaze meets his again, I realize he is checking me out at the same time. Score one for the suspenders.

I scoop up the rings and hold them out to him. “Give it your best shot.”

His crooked grin flashes as he takes the rings. He analyzes the cones laid out in front of him before he tosses the ring. It hooks onto the furthest cone without a wobble. Carter proceeds to toss the next three rings, snagging them on each cone as if he’s done this a thousand times. The game itself isn’t inherently difficult, but to have the precision he shows on each throw is a little surprising.

When the final ring lands around the cone, I turn to look at him with my eyebrows almost in my hairline.

Seeing the bashful smile on his face makes me laugh. “I feel like my candy prize isn’t sufficient enough for that display of expertise.”

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