Page 28 of New Day at the Beach House

She parked, grabbed the tin of cookies, and headed in through the open garage bay doors and past the firetrucks and ambulances. She went straight to the breakroom where she knew Alex and the guys would be.

“Hey,” one of them called out. “The treat fairy has arrived.”

Alex turned and smiled when he saw her. “You brought more popcorn bars?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Something different this time.”

He came over and gave her a quick kiss. “The guys are going to start liking you more than me.”

She laughed. “You haven’t seen what I brought yet.”

“Well, we’re just about to eat. Tonight is taco night. You’re hungry, right?”

She nodded. “I am.” She hadn’t been earlier, but being around Alex was already making her feel better.

“Great, because I set a place for you.”

Her smile felt like a permanent expression around him. He was so kind and considerate. “Thanks. I’ll take these in to Larry.”

“He’ll probably rope you into helping.”

“I don’t care. I’m happy to pitch in.” She waved at Miles, who waved back, then headed into the kitchen.

Alex came with her, announcing her to the man who did all the cooking. “Larry, our guest has arrived, and she did not come empty-handed.”

Larry stood at the stove. He glanced over his shoulder. “Kat! So nice to see you. Are you eating tacos with us tonight?”

“I am.”

“Outstanding. What kind of dessert did you bring us this evening?”

Kat put the tin down on the long counter. “A new creation of my mom’s. Something she’s trying out for the bakery. Popcorn cookies.”

Larry’s brows lifted. “Is that right? Well, those crispy bars of her were amazing, so I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt on this one.”

Kat didn’t blame him. She wasn’t so sure what they were going to taste like, either. “What can I do to help?”

“Start setting up the taco bar. It’s make-your-own, so we do it buffet style. Alex will show you; he knows the drill.”

“I do,” Alex said.

Working together, they quickly got things set up, arranging it all on the counter. Taco shells, tortillas, and all the fixings anyone could possibly want. There was beef, chicken, and beans to start with, then chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, three kinds of salsa, shredded lettuce, cheese, sour cream, black olives, and hot sauce.

On the table went two big bowls each of yellow rice and refried beans, and one large bowl of guacamole. There were also a couple of smaller bowls of tortilla chips, a plate of lime wedges, and several pitchers of ice water.

Kat was amazed by the spread. If she hadn’t been hungry before, seeing all of that food would have definitely got her appetite working. The firefighters ate well.

Before long, Larry rang the bell and the crew shuffled in. They stood around instead of taking their seats, all of them bowing their heads as the chaplain said grace for the meal. Then they hustled down the line with an efficiency that seemed appropriate for men used to responding quickly.

Kat and Alex got in line, too. Once her tacos were fixed, she and Alex went to the table, where they took seats next to each other. Miles sat on the other side of her.

“How are you, Kat?”

“Good. You?”

He smiled. “Good. Wondering how Trina’s enjoying the play.”

Frank, the fire chief, gave Kat a nod and a smile from the head of the table. “Nice to have you with us again, Kat.”

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