Page 14 of She's Got that Fire

"Thank you, ma'am. But I’m fine. I'll be done in half an hour, then there's just the cleanup. Thanks again, though."

She waves again and bustles inside. I know her husband Dan from running into him all the time in the hardware store. Small town connections and all that.

As I finish up the job, my mind begins to spin. Will West Stoneburg be big enough for Opal? She's a vibrant artist. A creator. Will there be enough to keep her interested here? Hell, willIbe enough to keep her interested over the long term?

I finish up, haul my supplies back to the truck, then sweep the area with my magnet broom and do a visual check for anything that might have fallen around the house. It's this attention to detail that's always kept my life and home in order. I think it’s also one of the reasons that people respect me and trust me with their roofing jobs.

What will the guys at the VFFT think when they see me with my sweet, blonde, budding pyromaniac? I can't ask her not to pursue her life's work. I guess all I can do is help her stay as safe as possible.

Mrs. Lindrop sends me home with a container of carrot muffins and the assurance that her husband will transfer the payment tonight. Before I start the truck, I check my phone.

Opal: I was inspired by your giant grill. There's something about steel and fire together that's so primitive, right? Check it out!

There's a photo of a gigantic rusted-out iron frying pan with huge flames leaping out of it. Granted, the size of the fire depends on how big that pan is, but it seems a bit large for one person to control. I can't see what kind of combustible material she's using. Can't quite tell from the background whether she’s outside in the shade, or inside in the garage.

The need to race over there to check on her is almost overwhelming, but I tamp it down. She's an adult, and I need to give her the space she needs to do her work.

We haven't talked about the fact that she’s younger than me yet. But I do have a lot more life experience, especially when it comes to fire control. I don't want to squash her confidence or her creativity, and at the same time…damn. Keeping her safe is now my number one priority.

Taking a deep breath, I count to twenty before typing carefully, rereading it three times before hitting the send button.

Yes, steel and fire look amazing. That's an intensely dramatic shot. You're outside with that, right? Those flames are pretty high. Sorry, I have to ask…I'm sure you have water buckets around, yeah?

There's no response immediately, which makes sense if she's working. But still… I have a bad feeling.

Once Opal is living with me, I can make her a fireproof setup in the backyard and give her all the safety equipment she could possibly need. A lot more than those damn lobster print oven mitts.

Wait.That’s a pretty big assumption. We've only been together a few days. And here I am just thinking she's going to want to move in with me? Stay with me forever? I've never had such a possessive streak before. Never thought about making something permanent so fast.

Yet I know that that is precisely what I need. What will pull my entire life together.

Opal. Even if she is a somewhat dangerous fire opal, this girl is my precious gem.

10

OPAL

Ioften get lost in my work – like a trance, but not in the way that makes you slow down or get sleepy. More like so revved up that time itself loses all meaning because I can't keep up with my mind as it expands to solve every problem and task.

After switching from still photos to video, I fall into the work for…who knows how long. I can't be sure. I only know that my shoulders are stiff and my knees are green from crawling around on the grass. Has the light changed? Has that wind gotten more erratic?

I've been even more careful about wind shifts after listening to Liam’s pep talk about fire’s chaotic nature. It's the only thing I've been pausing for as I play with the flames.

I add some more steel wool and cotton, shooting another few sections before sitting back and letting the flames die down. Damn, they got a bit high that time. It’s okay. The garden hose is right nearby, and it rained hard recently.

My gaze drifts to the garage. Where Liam first kissed me like…like he wanted to show me he needs me forever. Where I first started having real feelings for him. Where I became completely aware that he wants me.

My entire body is still ringing from our intense experience last night. Funny how I wish he were with me all the time, except maybe when I'm working. It was a blast shooting his grill with him as my assistant, but I couldn't get as lost in the moment with him there.

If we keep growing closer, I hope he doesn't start hovering while I'm working. Twenty percent of the time it would be fun to have a sexy assistant. One hundred percent would drive me nuts. Would that offend him? Would he play the "I'm a firefighter so I know best" card?

I know Liam wouldn't ever want to stifle my creativity, but things like this are really hard to explain to non-creative people. Maybe I'll work on that. And hope that he's working on not being overly controlling when it comes to my projects.

Jumping to my feet, I shake everything loose, then check my phone. A heavy sigh washes through my body when I see his message. He's worried about me. Of course he is.

I'm getting the impression that Liam feels responsible for the safety of my projects now. Which is sweet, I guess. I mean, a guy should want his…it's too soon to use the word girlfriend…his "female companion of undetermined seriousness" to be safe. That’s sweet.

But of course, with him, it's more than that. He's afirefighter. It could be incredibly awkward if his buddies ask him about my work. Wow… They wouldn't kick him out for hanging out with a dangerous person, would they?

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