Page 11 of My Mail Order Valentine

I'm amazed at how easily I can make certain choices now. If it's good for Evie, I'll go for it. If it's not, I'll pass. What would it be like to share those decisions with someone else?

Stop thinking about her, Hunter.

When I saw the fire in my room, I felt shocked. As a firefighter, I thought my house should be safe from fires. Then I thought about Evie and her well-being, but what worried me the most was that I was terrified that Elena would be hurt.

I just met the woman and I'm far too concerned about how she is and what she feels. I need to remember that I want her gone as soon as possible. I also need to get the old biddies to take my profile down from that agency's website.

As I return to my cabin, my mind is swirling with thoughts. When I get there, I see Elena sitting down on the front steps waiting for me. This makes me so mad, and I don't even stop to wonder why. I stomp up the sidewalk to the front of the house and glare at her.

"What are you doing? You must be freezing!"

She jumps up and starts poking me in the chest with her finger.

"You're late!"

I should start noting that Elena's moods are constantly changing, but I know one way to appease her.

"I'm sorry. Mrs. Brown wanted to chat. But how about we go to the coffee shop you like?"

Deep inside, I want to shout at her and tell her that she could have waited inside. I'm not going to do that. I don't want to butt heads anymore with this beautiful woman.

"O-okay."

"If you're ready, we should go. I want to stop by the fire department before we go to the coffee shop."

"Can't we do the coffee first?"

"I want to spend some time in Perfect Brews talking to the owner, so that will take a while. Don't worry, the seats on my truck are heated."

I walk next to her and open the truck door so she can get in. When she's seated, I lean forward to buckle her seatbelt. The sweet scent of peaches and vanilla invades my senses, and I'm frozen for a minute.

"Wha-what are you doing?"

Snapping out of it, I step back and close the door, avoiding her gaze. Her eyes follow me as I move in front of the truck and remain on me while I prepare to drive. I ignore the look she's giving me and simply perform the usual checks I make before starting the engine.

Having her attention on me is a bit unsettling, but in a good way. If I weren't embarrassed about having sniffed her, I would love it if her beautiful amber eyes were on me. We get going, and the atmosphere is so tense you could cut it with a knife.

When we arrive at the fire station, all my colleagues swarm Elena, and I begin having doubts about bringing her. Marc opens the car door and helps her out. Everyone surrounds her, and they start asking her questions.

Thankfully, she just smiles at them and seems to be making small talk. I look around and see Captain Miller approaching me.

"Hey, Captain."

"What was this about a fire last night at your house?"

"Small accident. Nothing to worry about."

"How's Evie?"

"Tons better, but now I have a new problem," I say, looking at Elena.

"I don't know, Hunter. That's a beautiful problem to have."

"I need to find her somewhere to stay. She left everything to come here and marry me."

"I don't see the problem. My wife can plan a party in less than a week."

"Captain!"

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