Page 12 of Curvy Girl and the Firefighter Chief

Sadie pokes her head in, her red hair catching the evening light.

"Everything's fine. Dad asked me to help you down to the kitchen for dinner."

I force a smile, trying to ignore the twinge of disappointment that Luke didn't come himself. Apparently, I'm not as successful at hiding it as I think.

"Don't overthink it," Sadie says, sitting on the edge of my bed. "Dad can be an idiot sometimes. He needs time to process his emotions – probably still stuck in the 'must maintain professional distance' phase."

"Maybe you're just hoping your dad likes someone," I say softly. "But I might not be that person."

A mischievous grin spreads across Sadie's face. "Want to bet on it? You can ask anything of me if I'm wrong."

I raise an eyebrow, an idea forming. "Anything? Okay, if you're wrong about your dad having feelings for me, you have to ask Kane out on a date."

Her eyes light up with terror and excitement, and I can't tell if this challenge is encouraging or terrifying her.

"Deal. The firefighter's ball is next week – most of the town will be there. They're hoping for some big donations this year." She takes a deep breath. "I was already thinking about asking Kane to dance, but if Dad doesn't like you, I'll ask Kane to be my date instead."

"The firefighter's ball?"

"It's this huge annual event. Everyone dresses up; there's dancing and silent auctions. It's actually pretty magical." She holds out her hand. "So, do we have a deal?"

I shake her hand, grinning. "Deal."

Sadie helps me out of bed, and I'm grateful for her support as we make our way to the stairs. Even halfway down, we can hear the loud voices and laughter coming from the kitchen.

"Is this... normal?" I ask, gesturing toward the noise.

Sadie laughs. "Oh yeah. They might be all serious and professional when they're saving lives, but the rest of the time? They're just big kids playing heroes. Dinner is always chaos."

I pause on the stairs, suddenly nervous. My body still aches, and I'm exhausted – what if I bring down everyone's mood? But then I think about Luke possibly being in that kitchen, and I know I must go.

This might be my last chance to see him.

I'll probably leave the station tomorrow or the day after, and who knows what happens after that? My life is a complete messright now, and my future is uncertain, but one thing I do know: I want Luke to be part of it, whatever 'it' turns out to be.

"Ready?" Sadie asks as we reach the kitchen door.

I nod, and she knocks.

"Knock it off, everyone!" Max's voice booms from inside. "The ladies are here!"

The door swings open to reveal organized chaos. Danny's at the stove, wielding what looks like several cooking utensils at once. Ashton and Max are setting the table while arguing about the proper way to fold napkins.

Damon's trying to rescue what appears to be burning garlic bread from the oven. Shane's mixing something in a bowl that's definitely splashing over the sides. And in the corner, Kane stands with his arms crossed, looking both annoyed and amused.

But my eyes immediately find Luke standing near the counter with a beer in his hand, and when our eyes meet, I swear the room temperature rises several degrees.

"Welcome to the madhouse," Sadie whispers in my ear. "Just wait until they break out the embarrassing stories."

"Should I be scared?" I whisper back.

"Terrified. But don't worry – I'll protect you from the worst of it." She pauses, then grins, "Though I'm pretty sure Dad would do that job if you asked him to."

I watch as Luke sets down his beer and moves toward us, his expression unreadable. My heart starts racing, and I'm suddenly very aware that I forgot to change clothes, and I'm still in his station's clothes, probably looking like a mess.

But when he reaches us, his eyes soften slightly.

"Feeling up to joining this circus for dinner?"

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