Page 23 of Return By Fire

I’m melting and it has nothing to do with the fucking humidity. “What’s that?”

“How afraid are you of snakes?”

“Snakes? Why are you asking me about—” Everything, including time, stills as the heart that was pounding stops dead in my chest.

Just as I’m about to let out a scream Maris might hear back in Juneau, Dean’s face relaxes marginally. “Well, it’s not poisonous. That’s a good thing.”

“Good?” I’m a powder keg ready to explode at the mere mention.

Dean’s head cocks to the side. “Actually...” He lets me go and steps around me. Lifting a hand to the radio at his chest, he calls in to ask for a cage. “I think I just found the elementary school’s class pet. I’m going to try to catch it.”

Hearing that, I react instinctively—though I can’t say I’m proud of it.

I faint.

And it sure as fuck isn’t from pleasure.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Present Day

There are no words. Just an enormous amount of cackling between the four of us. When she finally can breathe again, Meadow demands, “Who told you this story?”

I say, “Dean,” as Maris announces, “Jed.”

That unto itself sends us all into a fit of giggles again. I lift my hand to get the group’s attention. “To be fair, my own husband almost fainted the first time he saw a king snake in our garage. He called the police to see if they would get rid of it.”

Maris punches me in the arm. “Ow!” I exclaim.

“You didn’t tell me that,” she informs me indignantly.

“And give you blackmail material over him?” I ask incredulously.

Rainey flaps her hands like the many seals that pose on the icebergs in Alaskan waters. “Fight later. Keep going, Kara.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Fainting at my feet is a perfectly normal reaction, Jed,” Dean informs me back at the firehouse. I almost fainted a second time when the jackass had the snake wrapped around his wrist as he carried me high against his chest.

“Wow, in all the information I read about you, nothing gave away any information about your inflated... ego.” There’s an edge to my voice because I’m embarrassed.

Dean leans forward to press the ice pack to the side of my head, a look of concern on his face. “Are you certain you don’t want to go to the hospital?”

“Positive.”

“You were out for a few minutes,” he frets.

“That was shock. I didn’t expect you to play snake charmer.”

“All in a day’s work,” he replies easily but being this close, I see the lines of worry still bisecting his face.

I lift my hand and place it on his shoulder. “Dean, I’m okay.”

His gaze is penetrating. “You sure?”

“Positive.”

He sits back and tosses the cold pack between his hands. “Can’t say I’m not a little irritated.”

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