Page 3 of Spring Break with a Fire Chief

“Sounds like our girls were playing matchmaker.”

“Sounds like there was already a match.”

The two of them turn and look at me and all of a sudden their camaraderie is staring me in the face.

“You two are worse than a pair of gossips, you know that?” I stand behind my desk, rearranging papers that make no sense, just trying to get them out of my office.

Maddox laughs at me. “And there’s our brush off.”

“He’s acting like he doesn’t know.”

“Bet my mom knows exactly who she is?—”

“Enough!” I slam my hand on the desk and make myself jump just as much as them. Guess there’s no dismissing it now.

I take a breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm myself down. “Yes, I know Madeline. Why?” I ask carefully.

“Because she’s in town.” Maddox nudges Jace. “And she was asking for you.”

I connect eyes with their smug grins and banish them from my office. “Go! I’ve got things to do.”

“Mmhmm. Things to see, people to do…” Maddox lingers and I hold his stare before he clears his throat. “Let’s go, probie.”

“I’m not a fucking probie anymore. Can you get a new name?”

“How about snitch? You better tell your woman to keep my dick hats to…”

Their words linger as they leave my office but my own thoughts are loud.

Madeline is here?

I take a breath and think about where to start first. I could call the hospital and find out from the Love Beach CEO if she’s offered her a spot. Or I could wait for the gossip train to give me what I need to know.

Or I could see if she shows up here at the station.

That would tell me everything I need to know.

Chapter 2

Madeline

Ileft Cakeology knowing the girls behind the counter had heard of me. Hell, for all I know they’re the ones who got the hospital to call me back. It's a small town. I can only imagine the gossip that's spread, good or bad, true or not. But I wasn’t quite ready to spill my guts about it all. It took everything I had to even drive back into town. I have no right to come back here. I have no right coming back and interrupting his life.

Maybe he’s moved on.

Maybe he hates me.

Maybe I was never good enough for him to begin with.

I jump back into my two-door white Mercedes which is a huge flashing neon sign alerting everyone I am in town and I know it won’t be long before my arrival makes its way through the grapevine. I drive straight to Candee Baylor’s house. I haven’t seen my close friend since I left town three years ago and though we’ve spoken on the phone I can’t wait to finally squeeze her. Candee and I met almost fifteen years ago when I did my first travel nurse assignment here at Love Beach Hospital. I got my Bachelors in Nursing then continued in schooling foranother two years to become a nurse practitioner. I worked hard knowing I wanted to be able to travel and help as many people as I could and do it at a moment's notice. Back then, it was exciting to pick up and leave, go where I was needed for as long as they needed me. I had nothing to tie me down so why not?

But there was something about Love Beach that kept me coming back. The townspeople are amazing, the beach and the shops make this small town ever so appealing. Having no close family, I found a great friend in Candee and her husband Bill, despite me being twenty years their junior. It was so nice to have someone in my corner, who supported my dreams but who also understood my need to move, to search for more. Bill is a retired fireman and Candee worked at the hospital as well, then once she retired, she continued to volunteer there. I suspect it was part of the reason why I kept being called back.

The last time I was in Love Beach to work was four years ago. I had just turned thirty-six and Candee threw me a birthday party at the firehouse. It’s where I met Ryan Donnelly. He was a captain at the time, quickly rising in the ranks. He caught my attention immediately with his tall, muscled build and shaggy dark hair that looked so soft I just wanted to run my hands through it. A calm demeanor but with dark lustful eyes that promised there was a whole other side to Ryan Donnelly.

And I found it.

“Maddie!” Candee yells from the front porch as I step out of my little sports car. I leave everything in it and run towards her. We meet in the middle of her yard hugging and laughing.

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