Page 11 of That One Heartbreak

“Why? Is there something wrong? Is she hurt?” He frowned, because that thought made his stomach knot.

James shook his head. “No, she’s just refusing to let me join the junior firefighters and train with you on Sundays. I need you to tell her to let me.”

Marley let out a mouthful of air. “I can’t do that,” he told James. “She’s your mom. It’s her decision.”

“But it’s the wrong decision. Dad wanted me to join. He always said he did. You know that. And it’s not like there’s a long line of volunteers lining up outside the fire house.” James lookedat him pleadingly, his blue eyes clear and bright. “Please talk to her. I need to do this.”

Marley’s stomach felt tight. He felt a responsibility to this kid. Not just because he was Paul’s son and Paul was gone, but because he’d known James since he was toddling around in diapers.

And now James was the one struggling. And despite knowing that Kate would be pissed if she knew James was here, he couldn’t turn him away. He just couldn’t.

If you decide to start running another route, I’d be absolutely fine with that.

If that wasn’t a brush off, he wasn’t sure what was.

“I guess I could ask her…” he said, trying to think it through. Let’s face it, she already seemed to hate him. Things couldn’t get any worse.

“Please do,” James replied quickly. “I know you’ll make her see sense.”

“Now hang on there,” Marley said, his voice low. “Your mom already sees sense. She must have her reasons for not wanting you to join. I said I’d talk to her, not that I’d be able to make her change her mind.”

But James was already smiling. And looking at Marley like he was some kind of God covered in gray construction dust.

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.” It was the hope in his voice that almost killed Marley. “You’re the best.”

“I’m really not.”

But James was already walking away.

“Ethan, honey, I need to wash that t-shirt,” Kate said to her son as he walked out of the bathroom in his pajamas, carryingthe dirty clothes he’d been wearing all day. On top was Paul’s old Hartson’s Creek fire department t-shirt, which Ethan had insisted on wearing to school, even though it was stupidly big on him.

But she hadn’t had the heart to argue with him this morning.

“No, I like the smell,” Ethan protested. “And I want to wear it tomorrow.”

As if a day dealing with the Stitch and Snitch brigade wasn’t tough enough, now she had to deal with her son’s fixation with his dad’s t-shirt. They didn’t teach you about this in the life after grief books.

“You can’t wear it to school tomorrow,” Kate pointed out, trying to keep her voice even. She was frazzled but she wouldn’t let it show. “You wore it today. You have plenty of clothes in your closet that you can wear. Let me clean this one.”

“No.” Ethan frowned, turning around and gripping the clothes tightly. “I’m wearing it.”

There were some fights worth fighting. And others you had to give into gracefully. “We’ll talk about it in the morning,” she conceded, fully planning to sneak into his room once he was asleep and grab it. “Now get into bed. I’ll be in to kiss you soon.”

Thankfully, Addy was already in bed. She was a tired little puppy now that she was at school every day.

As for James, he was studying at a friend’s house, which was a minor miracle. She’d given him strict instructions to be home by nine-thirty.

And to top it off, Addy’s class had a bake sale tomorrow and she’d somehow missed the email the class parents had sent out last week. So, now a batch of very boring, allergen friendly cupcakes were in the oven, ready to be iced when they cooled down, probably at midnight if her luck continued this way.

When the knock at the door came, it made her jump. Assuming James had forgotten his keys, she rushed down the stairs to pull it open.

Only to see Marley Hartson standing on the stoop.

He wasn’t in his usual running gear. Instead, he was wearing jeans and a gray Henley, the fabric tight on his torso, revealing the powerful set of his chest muscles.

She blinked. “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

Okay, that came out the wrong way. But it didn’t seem to faze him. Maybe he didn’t hear her.

---