Page 8 of From the Flames
Kevin nodded slowly and put an arm around him. “I understand how you feel.”
“I know you do because of what happened today. But that only brought home how close we all came to the end. And I’m frightened. What if we move into the new place and something happens? What if I can’t get to the kids? What if I hadn’t been able to?” His entire mind seemed on this loop that wouldn’t shut off, and he didn’t know what to do.
“Okay, first thing, you look a little wild, so close your eyes and take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and then let it out slowly.” Kevin’s voice was so calm that Willy did as he asked and then did it again. “Let go of all the things that could have happened and think about what did. You got to the kids and tried to get them out of the building. You could have made it out yourself very easily, but April and Grant were more important.The three of you are safe because of what you did. I was coming in to try to find all of you, and there you were right inside the door. I got you all out and away from the building. So you’re all safe because of what you did.” He took Willy’s hand. “And as for the new place, we are going to make sure that there is a working smoke alarm in every room, fire extinguishers, and that the wiring is done properly. You are all on the first floor, so we’ll also make sure all the windows open and that you know how to get out if you can’t reach the front door.”
Willy’s panic attack seemed to be abating. “I know we can’t stop everything.”
“No, but we can make sure that you know what to do. Now, it’s unlikely that anything is going to happen, so remember that you and the kids are safe, and that’s what matters. All the worry about what might have happened is wasted energy, and knowing April and Grant for only a few days, I can tell you that you need all the energy you can get.” He smiled, and Willy found himself agreeing with him.
Willy was so worn out. He leaned to the side, and Kevin gently tugged him into a hug. Willy went with it, letting himself be pressed against Kevin’s hard shoulder and chest. This felt so damned good, like nothing bad could happen as long as he was right here. Slowly, he lifted his head, meeting Kevin’s gaze, which grew heated. His heart beat faster, and the room grew warmer as anticipation took hold.
Chapter 4
“DADDY, I’Mthirsty. Can I have Diet Coke?” Grant asked as he came down the stairs.
Kevin groaned and sat back, trying not to let the disappointment show on his face.
“No. You can have some water,” Willy told him and sighed softly as he got up and went to the kitchen. He took the cup of water and Grant back up the stairs and soon loped down them alone.
“Diet Coke?” That was a new one.
“My mother is completely addicted to the stuff. She has it in the house, and whenever they go over to visit, Grant sees it, and she gives him drinks of hers, and now it’s his preferred drink if he can get it. I swear by the time he’s six, he’ll be swilling coffee in the morning, Diet Coke in the afternoon, and trying to take over the world at night.” He rolled his eyes and sat back down.
“Did he go back to sleep?” Kevin asked, afraid the moment was gone and that he might have lost his chance. Willy and the kids would be moving into their new place in the next day or so, and he only had so much time in order to make a move. Not that he was sure that Willy wanted him to or that he was ready to move on from the partner he’d lost, but Kevin was pretty sure that he needed to make his intentions known.
God, even in his head it sounded lame.
Willy shrugged. “I have no idea. He rolled over and hugged his bear, and Elsa took her place on his bed like she’s guarding his dreams. Those dogs are so sweet. I don’t know what the kids are going to do when we leave.” They had become attached tothem, and Kevin figured he was going to have three very mopey dogs for a few days.
“They’re all good pups,” Kevin said as he shifted slightly on the sofa. He felt like he was going in for the kill or something, and it just didn’t feel right. Instead, he leaned back and closed his eyes.
“When is your next shift?” Willy asked.
“Tomorrow morning,” he answered. “I have to be at the station by seven for turnover. I’ll come home at some point in the day to let the dogs out and feed them, but I won’t be home until late again.” He figured by then, Willy would have them in the new apartment. The truth was, he was going to miss having them in the house. It was nice having people fill the space in this old place.
“I thought I’d take the kids to daycare tomorrow. I have a couple classes I need to teach, and then I thought I’d check out some of the secondhand furniture places to see if there was anything that I could use to help furnish the apartment. I don’t want the kids to be living in a blank space. I should also see about getting them some toys and books… things like that.” He groaned softly. “There’s just so much. I wish the insurance company would come through. That would help a lot. But I guess they do things in their own time.”
“They do,” Kevin agreed and placed his hand on top of Willy’s. Their gazes met for a second, and Kevin held still, not wanting to do anything that might break the spell. He leaned closer, and Willy did the same. Then, for a second, he listened for the patter of little feet, just to make sure he wasn’t going to get kid-blocked again. “Look, there’s something I’ve wanted to do, but I didn’t know if it was what you wanted or if it was the right thing to do. I don’t want to push you or make you feel like you have to because you’re staying here, but….” Dammit, whyin the hell couldn’t he shut the hell up? Suddenly he had mouth run-on and sounded like an idiot.
Thankfully, Willy seemed to get the idea, leaning closer and putting him out of his misery by making the first move. His lips were soft and the kiss gentle and sweet. It didn’t last long, and Willy backed away with a slight smile on his lips.
“I wanted to do that too, since the other night when you came out in your boxers.” He turned beet red and looked away. “You were hot, and I had no idea if you liked me or even liked guys, and there you were in all your hotness just standing there. And instead of saying anything, I ran away like a scared bunny.”
“A cute scared bunny,” Kevin added. “Look, I meant what I said. I don’t want you to feel that….” He swallowed because he had no idea how to say what he wanted to without it sounding bad.
“We can take things slow, okay? I don’t know if I can handle anything in the relationship department right now. With the fire and….” He swallowed hard. “Everything. I’m going to need some time and a chance to think things through. I don’t do quickies or anything, and I have the kids to think about. Bringing someone into my life also means they’re in theirs, so I don’t want a revolving door of guys coming and going and breaking their hearts… or my own, for that matter. So let’s see what happens, and maybe we can go out once we’re a little settled.”
Kevin nodded. “Is this taking things too fast?” he asked, moving closer slowly and then sliding his hand around the back of Willy’s neck. He waited to see if Willy pulled away and then kissed him. He so wanted another taste of him, and Willy was just as clean and sweet as before. He deepened the kiss slowly, and damn it all if Willy didn’t moan deep in his throat.
That little sound was enough to get his motor revved into high gear, but he backed away and ended the kiss, because if he didn’t, it was likely he was going to push for things Willy wasn’tready for, though he sure as hell was. Breathing deeply, he sat back and kept his eyes on Willy’s. Kevin had made the mistake before of rushing into things. It was usually how he got himself into one of his messes.
“How did you become a firefighter?” Willy asked out of the blue. “I think we need a change of subject.” He actually fanned himself. “I can barely think as it is.”
“After one kiss?” Kevin asked.
Willy shrugged. “I don’t know. I have a tendency to overreact to things like that. It’s why I have to go slowly and think stuff over. It would be so easy to let the hormones and the dopamine take over and just jump into bed. It’s what a lot of people would do. But I need to think about stuff.”
“I get that.” Kevin took a few seconds to clear his head. “As for being a fireman, I sort of fell into that… so to speak. I needed a part-time job when I was in high school, and my teacher knew a number of the guys at the fire station near the house. They were looking for someone to do some of the grunt work, and Mr. Evans helped me get the job. I scrubbed the floors and did some painting, stuff like that, for a year or so. Then I asked about further training and volunteering. They said I had to be eighteen to be a full volunteer, but they taught me how all the equipment worked, how to be safe, how to check it all. Soon I was making sure their equipment stayed in good order.” He smiled at the memories. There had been a lot of work, but the guys were good to him. “On my eighteenth birthday, I was able to officially train with the firefighters for the first time. We did an exercise, and I came through with flying colors. I got certified after that, and once I finished college, I returned to the station, but they didn’t have any openings. The captain at the time made some calls and was able to help me get a job in Mechanicsburg. But eventually I was able to relocate here and come back to town.”
