Page 44 of Heating Up (Nugget)
That went well.
She waited for Clay to drive out of the parking lot in his big Ford truck and turned off the air conditioner. On her way out, she gathered her purse and paperwork, flicked off the lights, and headed home for lunch. Since Aidan had been on shift, the house felt so organized. She’d stacked all their subscription magazines in alphabetical order, divided their mail and put it in special holders with their names, and rearranged the garage. It was quiet too. Frankly, too quiet. She missed having him around, disrupting her tranquility, which was weird because she liked life orderly and peaceful. He, on the other hand, let kids wander in off the street to eat his Otter Pops, slung his wet bathing suit wherever it was convenient, and watched sports at ear-piercing levels.
Just for a change of scenery, she swung by the firehouse on her way home, and lo and behold, Aidan stood in the driveway washing one of the fire engines. She wondered if male firefighters were mandated to do that particular chore shirtless. It was certainly a brilliant PR strategy; any female fortunate enough to get an eye load of Aidan’s sinewy chest, all tanned and rippled, was sure to give to the Firefighters Foundation.
She pulled over and rolled down her window. “Hey, you can do mine next.”
He turned off the hose and strolled over, big smile stretched across his face. “What’s going on?”
“I just had a meeting with Clay McCreedy, who is not happy. How long have you been back?”
“We got in last night. That brushfire was a bitch, kept changing direction on us. Why is Clay McCreedy unhappy? He’s the cowboy, right?”
“Mm-hmm. He’s afraid my client is going to turn the Rosser place into a factory outlet mall.”
“Is she?”
“The land is zoned for agricultural use only.”
“That didn’t answer the question.” He stuck his face in the window. “Where you off to?”
“Home, to eat lunch.”
“Come in the firehouse and have a sandwich with me.”
“Are you allowed to do that?” she asked, skeptical.
He opened the driver’s side door and grabbed her hand. “Sure.”
She tried to resist but, in typical Aidan fashion, he wasn’t taking no for an answer. The last thing she wanted was for him to throw her over his shoulder like he’d done the last time. So she followed him, curious to see what the inside of the station looked like. It was a lot cozier than she would’ve guessed, and quite clean.
The living quarters held a series of dormitories, a kitchen, a dining area, and a TV room. Nothing fancy, just utilitarian furniture that appeared to get a lot of wear and tear. But homey. Aidan showed her a small gym where a couple of guys were bench-pressing weights.
“This is Dana, everyone.”
The men grunted in acknowledgment, and Aidan led her to the kitchen, where he proceeded to pull out half the contents of the refrigerator.
“Sit.” He nudged his head at a nearby table and chairs and started building two sandwiches.
He put them on plates, cut each one crosswise, and served them up with a pile of potato chips and two cold cans of soda. “Dig in,” he told her, taking a bite of his own sandwich. “So did this Clay guy give you a hard time?”
“Not really. I think he was just frustrated by my answers because I had to be vague. We’re still in negotiations. I can’t give out details at this point.” Or at any point, according to the nondisclosure document she’d signed.
“He’s that worried about an outlet mall?” Aidan took a gulp of his soda. Dana liked the way his Adam’s apple moved when he swallowed.
“That was hyperbole. Sierra Heights was before my time, but it caused a big brouhaha with the residents. People don’t like change, they don’t like seeing their rural town becoming homogenized with minimansions, and I can’t blame Clay for being concerned that the nation’s largest agricultural state is at risk of being developed into track homes and shopping centers. But I can’t tell him anything about my client’s reason for wanting the property, especially while we’re still in discussions.”
“You think it’s gonna happen?”
Dana shrugged. “My client, a corporation, really wants it, but we’re talking big bucks. Ray Rosser just countered for more money.”
“You told me it was a woman and she just wanted a piece of horse property,” he said.
“It’s a corporation now,” which was totally true. “And there are some horses involved.” She noticed he had circles under his eyes. “You look tired.”
“Knocking down fires is tiring work.” One side of his mouth tipped up in a sly half smile, and she was pretty sure she’d just developed a heart murmur. “As long as we don’t get called out again, I’ll sleep tonight and be in my own bed by tomorrow. What are your plans?”
She wasn’t sure what he meant. “For what?”
