Page 15 of Fire and Ice
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Chelsea’s voice was so beautiful, her face so expressive, Grady could have listened to her for hours, but he recognized her need to move the focus from herself. He released her hand as the server placed the caprese between them.
He nodded to the plate and waited for her to serve herself. God, she was stunning with her beautiful eyes and long eyelashes. The blue dress was the perfect color for her, and her long blonde hair fell in a silky wave to her shoulders. A pair of diamond earrings sparkled at her ears.
Her sweet personality blew him away. Everything about her was so clearly genuine.
Grady couldn’t remember her question for a moment, then responded when he did. “Growing up in my family was one adventure after another.”
She watched him with an intense, interested expression. “You said you have ten children in your family, including you. Six sisters and three brothers?”
“Exactly.” He dished some of the appetizer onto his plate. “Twelve of us make for one hell of a holiday. Then you add in all the spouses, nephews, and nieces, and it becomes a zoo.”
Chelsea laughed. “I’m picturing a madhouse.”
“A madhouse would be tame in comparison—at least there, the inmates are locked up.” Grady held back a laugh as Chelsea clapped her hand over her mouth as if trying to block a flood of giggles. He used his fork to cut into the fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, and fresh basil. He took a bite, then chewed, swallowed, and chased it down with iced tea. “There’s no such thing as a quiet moment with the exception of the five hours when everyone is finally asleep at the same time.”
She smiled. “Sounds crazy.”
“Yep.” He nodded. “Our family reunions are nuts and usually last three days.”
“Did you play hockey with your family?” she asked.
“Are you kidding?” Grady ate another bite and finished before continuing. “Hockey is in the Donovan DNA. Our family hockey history goes back to the late 1800s.”
“I’m not surprised.” Chelsea looked impressed. “You’re good at it.”
“I do okay.” He shrugged. “Had to hold my own in our family.”
“You are far too modest.” She gripped her fork as she looked at him and smiled. “Own that skill.”
Grady flashed a grin. “If you insist.”
“I insist.” She cut into her caprese. “Tell me about your background in the sport.”
“If you put it that way.” He winked. “I played junior leagues in Seattle from the time I was four years old and continued on up through high school. I played for Washington State University and had a promising career ahead until a career-ending injury. At that time, it was the end of the world.”
Chelsea looked at him with understanding in her gaze for what it had meant to lose what had meant so much to him. “When you’re ripped away from something you love and want to do for the rest of your life, it’s not easy to take.”
“It sure isn’t.” He shrugged. “I switched to Option B.”
She tipped her head to the side. “Was Option B becoming a firefighter?”
“Yep.” He nodded. “Thankfully, I had the best doctors, and they fixed me up so well that the injuries didn’t ruin my chances of being a firefighter. I wanted to do that or play hockey from a young age. Life chose for me.”
They paused for a moment as the server arrived with the main course and set the plates on the table. She gave a little bow of her head, asked them if they needed anything else, then left when they responded in the negative.
Chelsea continued their conversation. “Were you already taking classes toward a career in fire science?”
“Just the basics,” he said. “I transferred to a college that specialized in fire science, went through the academy, and eventually ended up where I’d wanted to be as a kid.”
She enjoyed a bite of gnocchi before asking, “You were a firefighter in Seattle?”
“Fourteen years.” He set his fork down. “Then I moved to Arizona and rented a house in Phoenix. I wanted the slower life, though. I checked out King Creek and moved here a few months ago, when I was hired on to the fire department.”
With a grin, she said, “And you have a Dalmatian named Spot from your sister, Jackie.”
His lips twitched. “Yes, a firefighter’s best friend. He’s good company, too.”
