Page 85 of Burn Point

“Jordan, I spoke to Sandi,” Mom said without greeting. Great, this was starting off on a good note, with her already sounding anxious. It was unusual for her to talk to Sandi, and that should’ve been my first clue. Nate gave my hand a squeeze, asking with his eyes if everything was okay.

“How is Sandi?” I asked, not sure I wanted to hear her answer.

“Jo, Sandi says you are dating some guy.” Mom’s voice sounded incredulous, which should have been insulting, but I couldn’t stop the smile that spread over my face as I glanced up at Nate.

“I am, Mom. His name is Nate,” I said, earning a quick squeeze of his hand and an answering smile. If anyone was watching us, I’m sure we looked like two dopey teenagers.

“Why am I hearing about this from Sandi, and not my own daughter?” Her voice kept growing shriller, wiping the smile off my face. Of course she couldn’t simply be happy for me, she had to make this about her.

“I’m sorry, but in all fairness, Sandi wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t gone to see Dad,” I said, trying to keep my patience in check.

“Yes, I heard about that too. How awful that you had to see that on your own.” Her tone turned on a dime. Sympathetic. “If you’d have called me, I would have been happy to go with you.”

Irritation rolled through me at the thought of dealing with my mother, yet here I was, letting her bend my ear again. “It was something I needed to do on my own,” I said, losing patience with the conversation quickly.

“I’m sure it was emotional for you, sweetheart. I could’ve been there to help you.”

The sugary sweetness of her voice grated on my nerves that much more. I bit my lip to keep from saying something hurtful. Something like, I didn’t tell her so that I could focus on processing my own thoughts and emotions without having to cater to her.

“I’m finding that sometimes I need to do things solo, Mom. So, did you need something? Nate and I are on our way somewhere,” I hedged. It’d be great if I could end the conversation before she could launch her next round. Maybe I wouldn’t have to suffer her usual hysterics.

“Yes, I do need something. I need you to think long and hard about what you are getting yourself into, young lady. Sandi says that this person is a firefighter.” Her tone turned reproachful. “Jordan, that is a dangerous profession. You don’t want to be mixed up with someone who works such a dangerous job. Haven’t you been through enough?” Negativity and attitude laced her every word and pricked that tender spot I’d been trying so hard to heal.

I froze in the middle of the sidewalk, pulling the phone away from my ear to look at the screen, unable to believe what she’d said. How dare she just naturally assume that something bad was going to happen to Nate? And how dare she assume that I was so like her that I couldn’t handle being in this relationship?

Nate stepped in front of me, blocking me from the foot traffic, concern written all over his face.

I slipped the phone back to my ear as Nate asked, “What’s wrong?”

My mother was still spewing her attitude. “…is that him? Are you with hi—”

“Mom,” I said harshly, cutting her off mid-sentence.

Gripping my phone hard, I lowered my voice, fighting for control. “Yes, I am with him right now. And I will continue to be with him. I am not letting you force your fear on me anymore. I can’t help what happened to Dad. But I am so ashamed of myself that I wasted years, years, not taking the time for him, all because you thought I couldn’t handle it.” My voice vibrated with pent-up emotion. Hot angry tears burned my eyes, but I would not cry for her anymore.

She gasped on the other end of the line, but I was on a roll, my breath sawing in and out as my agitation grew. “I care about Nate a great deal. I would think you’d be happy that I found a man that treats me like I hung the moon, instead of trying to scare me away from him. He’s a good man. So he has a scary job. I trust him enough to take care of himself, and he will, for me. And I am not about to let a day go by that I don’t cherish every single moment I have with him.”

My phone was snatched from my hand. I gaped as Nate put it to his ear, eyes burning a hole into mine. In a low, firm voice, he said, “Jordan has to go.”

He ended the call and slipped my phone into his pocket and jerked me up into his arms, planting a deep, passionate kiss on me. By the time he was satisfied, I was panting for a different reason and he had me leaned back over his arm, every inch our bodies pressed close together.

“Thanks for standing up for me, Skippy,” he said, his eyes roaming my face, and a slow smile creeping over his.

“Uh.” My brain wasn’t back online yet. “You’re welcome?”

He gave me a peck on my nose. “You’re adorable,” he said, drawing me back to stand on my own. Tugging me along with a waggle of his eyebrows and a wink, he set off toward town. “Let’s go find some ice cream.”

My heart flipped at his ability to make everything okay. He was the expert at saving my day.

Leaving the conversation with my mother behind, I followed him. He was worth every harsh conversation, every scary call, because what I’d told her was true. He’d do his damn best to keep both of us safe and happy.

Chapter 25

Nate

“Hey Nate, I put another case in the cooler,” Thoren called across the yard from the side of the house. The first of what I hoped to be an annual July Fourth party was well under way. Mike commandeered the playlist and had us vibing to some good tunes. Leah and Kylie were helping Jordan move food inside and desserts outside. Thoren was restocking drinks, and Cal was necking with his date on the far side of the shed. Mo and Theresa hadn’t been able to make it. He was recovering well and was almost ready to come back to work.

“Hey, Cal! You know we can see you, right?” Thoren jogged up the steps to meet me on the back deck.

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