Page 53 of Sunsets at the Beach House

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

“Oh, sorry. What did you mean?” She’d missed something, obviously.

“I meant…” He took a few breaths before he spoke again. “Are you going to stay with me?”

Maybe his pain meds were still making him loopy. “I’m still not sure I understand what you’re asking me.”

He sighed and sort of looked away for a moment before making eye contact again. Like whatever he was going to ask was hard. “Are you going to break up with me? Just tell me if you are. No point in dragging things out.”

“No, I’m not going to break up with you.” She stared at him. Whatever drugs he was on were doing more than making him groggy. “Why would you think I’d do that?”

“Because of the accident. Because it probably made you think about what a dangerous job I do. My last girlfriend…” He exhaled. “I just know it can be upsetting. She couldn’t handle it. Said it was the kind of thing that made a future with me impossible.”

“Wow. Harsh.”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

She put her hand on his leg. “The accident was definitely upsetting but not enough to make me break up with you. I knew you were a firefighter from the beginning. Leaving now because of that would be a pretty crappy thing to do.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Well, I’m sorry you had that experience.” Then she laughed. “Okay, I am sorry, but I’m also kind of not, because otherwise you wouldn’t have been single when I met you.”

He grinned and slid his hand over hers. “True statement.”

“Knock-knock,” a voice called out. Then Francine came in. “Did you get your food ordered?”

“We did,” Kat said.

Francine went to the other side of Alex’s bed. She took his temperature then looked at the monitor beside the bed for a few seconds. “Doing pretty well so far. I’ve got some more pain meds for you.”

He held out one hand. Thankfully, just the backs had been burned and not his palms.

Francine put the little paper cup of pills into his hand. He tossed the meds back, then looked at Kat, who was already waiting with his water.

He took a sip and downed the pills. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Francine said. “I know you have food coming, so why don’t we put your bed up a little bit more?”

“Okay,” he said.

She reached for the attached control unit and made a few adjustments so that he was sitting up straighter. “That should help. If you want to lie back down after you eat and you need help, just push your call button.”

“I will.”

Francine gave him a smile. “Do you need anything else before I go?”

He looked at Kat. “Nah. I have everything I need.”

Claire took one of the sour orange pies out of the fridge, covered it lightly with cling wrap so as not to crush any of the beautifully browned meringue peaks, then carried it over to Danny’s house.

He opened the door as she came up the steps. “I saw you coming.”

“How was your day?”

“Good. Busy. Better now.” He stepped out of the way to let her in. “What is this you’ve brought me?”

“Remember how I asked you if you’d ever had sour orange pie?”

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