Page 6 of Steamy Dreamy Hearts

Phin smiled and gave me a quick squeeze. “It’ll happen.”

“Thanks.” I really did intend to stick with the breakup this time. Even if Tanner refused to get the memo. I was seriously done. I’d driven the rest of his crap to him a week ago, and I ignored his texts, ignored my loneliness and doubts. It was hard, but I was slowly making progress.

“In that case.” Phin nudged my arm. “James was asking if the latest dating app was any better than the other three you tried the last time you guys broke up.”

I shook my head. Selecting a photo for my profile had been tough. Using an old photo from before my accident didn’t seem right, but I didn’t have many current photos, so I’d settled for one with my face in the shadows, letting the focus be on my body. But I hadn’t yet found someone on any of them that I felt comfortable with.

“He might even be somebody you already know,” Phin added, glancing behind me.

“Morning,” Captain’s voice boomed near me.

“Good morning, Smack,” said Phin.

“Um…hey,” I said weakly, caught off guard.

The moment he entered the room, my entire body reacted to him, going on high alert, as if to signal what I could have if I took a chance. There was a man who needed no improvements, in my humble opinion.

“All right, let’s discuss our schedule because we have some sudden changes on the agenda.” Captain Smack shuffled somepapers in his hands. He was old-school, printing out things instead of emailing them.

It was adorable.

“First of all, we have a situation near Scottsdale. Could be teens again with their damn firecrackers. I’d like Phin to lead a team there since he dealt with a similar issue before.”

“And teens all love me,” Phin claimed, his eyes sparkling.

He didn’t react to the fact his assignment might lead him to Scottsdale. I knew his mom was out there, but they were fairly estranged. Phin was better since finding James, but I still worried about how much loss he’d suffered in the past. Phin had been sober for years now. Nothing was as strong a trigger as childhood shit, though.

“Do you want me to go instead?” I whispered to him.

“Naw, dude, I got it.” He flashed me a grateful smile.

Smack shuffled more papers. “Listen up. We have an inspector coming. Wyatt, you’ll show him around this week.”

Wyatt looked like he’d rather chew glass, but he nodded.

You didn’t argue with Captain Smack. If you did, there would be a stony glare worthy of Medusa. Years ago, I’d felt like Medusa myself, lying in my hospital bed, when my station mates came to visit, staring at me in shock like they’d been turned to stone.

“Just don’t give that inspector any of your chili,” warned Phin.

“My chili is fine.” Wyatt flipped him the bird.

“Nothingyoumake is fine, dude,” Phin retorted.

“What’s wrong with his chili?” whispered one probie to another.

Kamira winked at me before smirking at Wyatt. “I wouldn’t even give that chili to the cat Caleb rescued last week, and the cat’s got another eight lives.”

Wyatt pouted, but he gave up on sharing his chili. Ever since he gave us all food poisoning two Valentine’s Days ago with his seafood stew, no one who’d been there trusted him to make more than microwaved popcorn.

Phin especially held a grudge since his roiling stomach cost him a night of romance. It had been a big deal to Phin to woo James, and that was hard to do with multiple trips to the bathroom.

“Captain Smack had some,” Wyatt informed us.

“Extra brave, aren’t you, Captain?” Kamira asked.

Smack tapped his clipboard. “Enough about Wyatt’s culinary skills. Back on task, people. This last item is important. We’ve been asked to fight a wildfire. I’m sure you are all aware of the multiple fires occurring in California.”

“Oh, yeah, I did.” Wyatt waved a hand in the air as if in grade school. “One more is heading here.”

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