Page 22 of Spring Break with a Fire Chief

Me: Can we meet at noon?

Saige: Sure thing. I’ve got everything set

“Sarah! I’m running out. I won’t be more than thirty minutes.”

“Go!” She waves me on and I’m out the door. I’m so excited to be signing papers today. Yes, it’s only for a year's lease but it’s the longest I’ve ever committed to being in one place.

And it’snotmaking me panic.

I’m hoping Ryan sees it for the gesture I plan it to be. And then in a year's time? Well, I'm hoping he and I can make new plans.

I arrive at the realty shop and walk in seeing Saige at her desk. She’s outstanding with long black hair and a gorgeous shape. She’s dressed very professionally.

“Hey, Madeline! Come on over.”

“Hi.” I pull out the chair and sit, laying my purse on the chair next to me.

“How are you feeling?” She slides the paperwork out from an extra-large envelope and fans it before thumbing through it.

“I feel good. Happy.”

She looks up. “Does Ryan know?”

I smirk and shake my head. “Not yet. We’re having dinner tonight. I’ll tell him then.”

“I think he’s going to be happy, too.”

“I hope so. I really hope he sees I’m putting in the effort. I want Love Beach to be where I grow old.”

She smiles. “It’s a perfect place to be.” She slides the contract closer and hands me a pen. We go over the details. I sign my name to the line and twenty minutes later I’m stepping back out onto the sidewalk and heading towards the hospital.

“Oh!” I bump right into Maddox as I take the corner.

“Nurse Torre! I’m so sorry. Are you alright?”

I step back and adjust my purse. “I’m fine, Maddox.”

He looks at the door I just came out of and then back to me, getting a sly grin. “Looking for real estate, Ms. Torre?”

I shake my head. I know Maddox is a wild child, I saw it with my own eyes over the years. Candee has told me countless stories about him growing up and I know Ryan is always having to rein him in. But he’s got a heart of gold and everyone adores him. It’s evident just by the way people speak about him when he isn’t around to hear it.

I roll my lips in. “Why yes, actually, I am. And I found a place and just signed a contract.” I raise a brow as his eyes light up. I laugh at him. “This town and their gossip!”

He laughs. “Oh, this is much more than gossip. This is a five-alarm fire!”

“Shh!” His laugh is contagious. “Listen, please don't say anything yet. I’m trying to surprise him.”

He puts his hands up in defense mode. “I won't ruin it for him.” His hands drop and a sincere smile spreads across his face. “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course.”

“You’re what he’s been missing.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve been missing him, too.”

When I first arrived in Love Beach years ago, the cottages were described to me as quaint, which is also another word for tiny. But as the years went on I looked forward to coming back and staying in them more and more. Coming home tonight, knowing this would be my home for the next year, with an option to buy at the end of that term made the quaint place so much more special.

I set my dining room table, which only has room for two chairs, and lit a candle adding to the ambience I want to create. The wine is chilling, and I also have Ryan’s favorite beer from Love Beach Brews on ice. Lasagna and garlic bread are staying warm in the oven. A knock draws my attention and I take a deep breath as I head for the front door. Opening it I’m always taken back by just how handsome this man is. Tall, built and the mostperfect hair. And he smells good all the time, like the beach salt water mixed with a bit of smoke.

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