Page 65 of Embers in Autumn
And if I was honest, the only thing that terrified me more than admitting it was the thought of her not feeling the same.
I grabbed a rag and a bucket, more out of habit than anything else, and started wiping down the side of Engine 3. The chrome shone under the afternoon light, my reflection bending with the curve of the metal. There was something calming about it—the rhythm, the smell of soap, the silence when the bay wasn’t full of shouting.
When I finally sat down on the bumper to take a break, I pulled out my phone. A message from Amber blinked across thescreen.
Amber:Guess who just came by the bookstore?
I smirked, thumbs already moving.
Dean:If you say Lana, I hope she wasn’t buying anything too weird. I've seen the kind of books you sell.
Her reply came quick, like she’d been waiting for me.
Amber:Her and a couple of friends. They picked out some books for a group project. Oh, and pumpkin candles.
I huffed a laugh, shaking my head.
Dean:Selling fire hazards to the daughter of a fireman? You really trying to test me here, book girl?
Three dots appeared, paused, then came back again.
Amber:Relax, Chief. They’re in glass jars. Totally safe.
Dean:That’s what they all say before they burn the place down.
Amber:Funny. I don’t remember you complaining about candles the other night when you—
She stopped there, left it hanging, and my pulse kicked hard in my throat.
Dean:When I what? Go on, finish that sentence.
Amber:Nope. I’d rather watch you squirm.
I shook my head, a grin spreading across my face despite myself.
Dean:Cruel. You know I’m at work.
Her reply landed before I even slipped the phone back into my pocket.
Amber:Too bad. I was just about to send you a naked picture of me.
My breath caught, and I sat up straighter on the bumper, the rag slipping from my hand to the floor.
Dean:…You’re joking.
Amber:Am I?
Three little dots pulsed on the screen, then disappeared,then came back again. She was doing this on purpose, teasing the hell out of me.
Dean:Book girl, if you’re messing with me, I swear
Amber:Swear what? You’ll put me over your knee?
I scrubbed a hand down my face, fighting the groan rising in my chest. If the guys walked in right now, I’d never live it down.
Dean:You are evil. Straight up evil.
Amber:Maybe. But you like it.
