Page 8 of She's Got that Fire

Her face drops as she pouts. Is there also worry in her eyes? Then she instantly brightens again. "Ooh! Can I go with you? I'll stay at least a billion feet away, I promise. Just let me grab my camera?—"

"Absolutely not." I hate the way her face falls, but there is no way I would let my sweet girl go anywhere dangerous. Yeah. She's already mine. That little fact inserted itself into the back of my mind without me even realizing.

"I promise the next time we have training or testing, I will ask if you can come document it. But baby, I don't know what kind of call this is. And it's definitely against the rules. I'm sorry."

She's already nodding. "I understand. Text me when you're home safe?"

And there it is. That little fragment of worry that some of the guys have spoken about, when they have to leave their families at home and rush into danger, and they can't truthfully promise that they’ll be back in one piece.

"Don't worry," I murmur as I kiss the top of her forehead. "Most of these calls are pretty small. I'll text you as soon as my hands are clean enough to use a phone, I promise."

With a quick kiss, I begin jogging toward my truck. "No more fires in the garage until I give you my notes," I call back over my shoulder.

"Gotcha." I hear her hesitate, then as I glance back, she adds, "Be safe." Her beautiful little face is scrunched up in a frown as she holds up crossed fingers.

Next time we're together, I'll have to explain how safe we always are. I jump into the truck, check the address, and speed off into the rain, very reluctantly setting aside all thoughts of anyone or anything other than the job at hand.

6

OPAL

When I first saw the huge, strong firefighter running through his training exercises, I was struck not only by how gorgeous Liam was, but also how meticulous. It looked like he took a great deal of care when carrying out each step of the exercises.

That was reinforced last night when he sent me a text barely an hour after he left, saying it was in fact a very small job and not to worry. Two hours after that, he told me that the cleanup was done, and he was on his way home to shower and eat, and he hoped I was having a good night.

I've heard horror stories of men being terrible at communication, so this feels like a good sign.

I spent the entire night wondering if this connection is real. Could an incredible man like him really take me seriously? He's such a sensible, dependable man. The solid, upstanding citizen type. Not the kind of guy to get involved with a weirdo artsy girl taking a gap year.

In the morning, I clean the entire kitchen to help Angie out, since she's working all day. I understand this year off paid for by my mom is an incredible luxury and is going to set me up with afabulous portfolio. It's also teaching me time management, since I always make sure I get some work done at least six days a week.

I've just finished mopping the entire apartment when my phone pings.

Liam: Hey, I have today off. Want to bring your camera over and film the flames of my barbecue? Then I can cook burgers and we can have a long, lazy afternoon lunch.

My response is almost instant.

Sure. Where do you live? Can I walk there?

Liam: I'll show you when I pick you up at noon.

Cool. Thanks!

Crap, that barely gives me enough time to get ready. Normally I don’t care what I wear when I'm working, but I want to look good, in case he wants to get handsy again. I blush from the thought of us being totally alone.

My hands quiver as I flip quickly through my clothing, looking for something comfortable so that I don't get antsy and uptight. A slightly baggy blue sweater over leggings will hopefully hit the casual-but-cute vibe I'm going for.

When Liam arrives, his eyes light up the second he sees me, so I guess I hit the mark there. On the drive to his house, he peppers me with technical questions about my photography, and what cameras I use. I think it's definitelyanothergood sign that he's taking this kind of an interest.

"So, is this stuff for school?" he asks.

"Yes and no. I did one year of art school, now I'm looking at other programs. I was working like crazy for a long time, thenMom got a huge promotion at work. She's in pharmaceutical sales. So since she's suddenly making bank, she's supporting me for a year so I can take the time to focus on my portfolio and develop my techniques."

Liam nods. "That's very generous of her."

"Right? I'm definitely going to be making her an incredible video birthday card this year."

He chuckles, turning into a long driveway that leads to a two-story red brick house with crisp, white trim. It looks like something straight out of a story book. "This whole house is just for you?" I blurt.

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