Page 74 of The Bitter Heir and the Beauty

“Rescuing you, obviously. Anyway, I’m the one with the questions.” I point to the wall and my mouth opens and closes like a goldfish.

The seriousness in our expressions dissolves and we both try to suppress our smiles. I can’t be mad, not even fake-mad. I wrap my arms around this woman and hug her with everything I’ve got. She squeezes back. All legs, wearing one of my T-shirts, she practically climbs up me like she never plans to let go. I really, truly don’t want her to.

I bury my head in her honeysuckle-scented hair, breathing deeply, fully, finally home.

We both pull back, eyes meeting for a long moment. Hers get heavy and flit to my lips. I dip my mouth toward hers. We connect with a brief kiss because we both have explaining to do.

After Honey tells me about finding the ancient boxes of Christmas decorations, discovering her in the wall makes slightly more sense. Still, it’s rather perplexing.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming tonight? I would’ve—” she starts.

“I pulled into the parking lot at a motel but couldn’t get out of the truck. Missed my girls too much. Figured I’d press on until I couldn’t. Didn’t want to get your hopes up in case I hit New Orleans and had to pull over and sleep. Better to get here whole than wind up a pancake on the interstate.”

Her lips twist with a smile. “What makes you think you’d get my hopes up, Hotcakes?”

I sling my arm around her waist, lassoing her into my lap. She doesn’t resist the landing. My inhale flares when she smirks at me and sinks into my arms.

“Hotcakes, I like that, Hotcakes,” I say, calling her by the same.

Can we share a nickname? Yes, we can and we will.

Resting her head on my shoulder, Honey says, “When you first got to town, everyone at the restaurant was speculating about a firefighter who saves people and houses. We agreed that Hogwash needed saving, but I asked myself if I did. Turns out, yes. I needed to be saved from my hardheaded, stubborn self who refused to ask for help.”

“Honey, you did the heavy lifting.”

“Let’s call it a group effort.” She lets out a sleepy sigh.

“By the way, rescuing someone from inside a wall was a first.”

However, I can’t help but think about how, in so many ways, she rescued me, from limping down a long road of bitterness and loneliness. I’d pledged never to date again, and definitely not fall in love. I was on a path of destruction, ready to level Hogwash.

Instead, I found a second-chance family.

I say, “My Captain and longtime friend recently told me that I have a habit of rushing into things.”

“That probably helps when it comes to burning buildings.”

I think about Captain Leyton’s instructions toStop, Assess, Act. This woman makes my pulse explode, but I don’t want things to blow up as they did last time. “But that didn’t help in my previous marriage. I know better than to rush this between you and me, but I do want there to be a you and me. I don’t want to push you too hard, too fast.”

She laughs a smoky laugh. “You do realize you’re speaking to the driver of a Porsche.”

“It’s been noted. So does that mean what I think it means?”

“Real talk on babies.”

I wink. “I’ve become sensitized.”

She laughs. “You mean you’re cured? No longer allergic? You have a beating heart in your chest like a real human being and not a beast?” She presses her palm to my chest.

I laugh and plant my hand on top of hers, lacing our fingers together.

“What changed?” she asks.

My gaze drifts to Honey and then the baby monitor where Leonie sleeps peacefully. “I don’t know, but I remember the exact moment when it did. It was the first time I looked into Leonie’s eyes. As a kid, I never thought much about being a dad. Didn’t have a sister or ever play house. My Dad beat prostate cancer before I was born. After, it returned, I was told I was at high risk and might never be able to have kids. I shovedthe whole notion out of my mind. Developed an aversion, I suppose.”

She nods in understanding. “Maybe you did that to protect yourself. If you tell yourself you don’t want something, you won’t be disappointed when you don’t get it.”

I snort. How right she is. “Exactly.”

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