Page 1 of A Very Grumpy Firefighter

ONE

Lilou

I’ve always beena big believer that you can tell a lot about a couple by the way that they look at each other. Take my friends Vera, Maple, and Saffron, for example. I knew that their now boyfriends were in love with them long before they got together. It was all in their eyes, in the way that they looked at their respective girls. You could just see it.

For the millionth time, I wish that I could find someone to look at me the way that all of my friends’ boyfriends or husbands look at them. I want to know that it’s true love. I want to be able to see it written all over my partner’s face.

I have a lot of experience with spotting the fake kind. Growing up, my mom was always dating someone new, and each time, she swore that it was love. Watching her go through men like that kind of put me off dating, and for a long time, I swore that I would never date anyone. I was going to be happy by myself, and I was. It’s just…seeing all of my friends fall in love has changed something in me. They’re all so deliriously happy, so at peace. I want that.

The problem is that I don’t know where to start or how to go about it. Do I try online dating? Maybe a singles event? Where would I even find an event like that in this small town? And what happens if we break up? What happens if I turn into my mom?

I shudder at the thought and try to shake off my bad mood.

I sigh as I set my chin in my hand and stare out at the darkening sky. I’ve been up since five this morning, and I’m exhausted. I had my shift at the coffee shop this morning and then had just enough time to eat something before I started my shift at the bookstore this afternoon. Now, we’re close to closing and I’m secretly counting down the minutes until I can flip the open sign to closed and head home.

Twenty-two more minutes.

I sigh again and stand, making another round around the bookstore to make sure that everything is put away right and that Saffron, my boss, will have no problem opening tomorrow morning.

It’s been slow today, probably because of the weather. It’s been raining off and, on all week, and if I didn’t have to work, I probably wouldn’t have left my house the last few days either.

The bell dings up front, and I bite back a groan.

“Welcome in!” I call, trying to sound cheerful and like I’m happy to have a customer. I can still hear the edge of annoyance in my tone, but I’m hoping they can’t.

I check my watch and bite back a curse when I see the time.

Eighteen minutes. I can probably get them out of here before then.

I round one of the shelves, my best customer service smile in place as I start to greet the person who just walked in. Then I see who it is.

“Oh,” I say, my fake smile dropping as I relax. “It’s you.”

“Great to see you too, Lilou,” Milo quips, and I smile.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m just looking forward to closing up and heading home and was afraid that it was going to be Mrs. Ware back to do her hour-and-a-half perusal of the place before she buys one book.”

“Ah, I see. She does that a lot?”

“At least once a week.”

“Well, it’s just me.”

“What can I do for you?” I ask him, heading back behind the counter.

It’s easier for me to talk to Milo when there’s something between us. He has a way of staring at me that makes butterflies flap all over in my stomach, and then I get so nervous that he can tell that I have a crush on him that I just become even more awkward than I already naturally am.

Out of all of the boys that I’ve ever seen or met, Milo is the only one who has ever tempted me to break my vow of singledom. Even before I watched all of my friends pair up and settle down, I wanted him. Something about him just intrigues me.

He moved to Wolf Valley right after I did, and I’ve learned a lot about him in that time. He’s a firefighter and works for the station here in town. He has an older brother who is in the military, though I’m not sure which branch. He’s originally from Chicago and loves the cold and being outdoors, which is why he left the big city and moved to this small town.

I also know that he’s single and that he hasn’t been on one date since he moved to town, though it’s not because he hasn’t been asked. I’ve heard some of the girls in town complain that he never even glances in their direction. They seem annoyed, but it gives me a secret thrill that he’s not interested in them.

“What are you reading lately?” Milo asks me, and I blink out of my thoughts and blush as I remember the latest romance book that I started last night.

He does this every week. He comes in looking for something to read. He says that the downtime at the station can get boring, and you can only watch so much TV before you need a change of pace. I’ve given him recommendations before, and he’s picked up books that I’ve been reading in the past when he spots me with one around town. I’ve been trying not to read too much into that.

“It’s a romance. You probably wouldn’t like it,” I say, trying to change the subject. “Have you tried that new thriller that we got in?”

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