Page 59 of The American Wives Club

"Saving kittens? I'm glad I got them out, but I was no hero. I almost got that woman killed."

"How long were you frozen?"

"A few seconds. That's what my mates at the fire station all told me."

"Seconds? That's nothing, Callum. You have no reason to feel embarrassed about it." I push up onto one elbow so I can look straight into his eyes. He has them squeezed shut, so I tickle his lips until he peels his lids apart. "Why did you let me think you hurt your knee when the beam fell?"

"Because the truth is humiliating."

"Is that why you quit your job? Embarrassment?"

"No. I quit because I'd lost the respect of my mates at the fire station. They called me Super Kitten Man and put stuffed kitten toys in my locker. Even gave me a cape—a pink one—and a matching mask."

"That's what guys do, right? Harass each other. It's how all you macho men show your affection."

He screws up his mouth. "My picture was in the newspaper. Well, it was a photo of my mate carrying the woman out of the burning house. But you could see me too—carrying the kittens."

"Come on, Callum. Tell me the real reason that bothered you so much."

He sighs—and tells me.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Callum

"It's bloody stupid," I say. Kate has convinced me to tell her the truth, and I'm starting to regret it. No, that's not true. I need to share more with her if I expect her to become my girlfriend. "They put me on desk duty after the fire, because of my knee. I hated it. Sitting around answering the phone and doing paperwork is not the sort of work that suits me. I like to be active. With the kitten humor and the fact I froze during that fire, I knew I couldn't stay at the fire station. So I quit."

Aye, Kate will want me now for sure. Super Kitten Man is the sort of title that makes the lasses swoon.

"Thank you, Callum," she says. "I appreciate how hard it was for you to tell me that. But you don't need to be embarrassed about anything. Everyone makes a mistake now and then. Yours didn't hurt anyone."

"But it could have." I groan and growl. "The kitten thing I could've let go. But being injured, not being able to work with my mates… That was the worst part."

"You're a hands-on guy, aren't you?"

"Aye."

"So you quit because manning a desk frustrated you."

"Aye."

Kate taps my nose with one finger. "Good boy."

Cannae help smirking. "Am I a dog now?"

"No. You're a big, sexy Scottish bear."

"Suppose that's better than being a kitten."

The lass leans over me, her lips close enough that I could kiss her if I moved a wee bit. "Kittens are adorable. Women love to cuddle with them, just like I love to cuddle with you."

"Well, maybe being a kitten isn't a horrible insult after all."

"You're finally catching on." She rolls half her body on top of me, folding her arms on my chest, and rests her chin on her hands. "Did you love being a firefighter?"

"Aye."

"Do you love being a carpenter too?"

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