AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“See?” Troy waved expansively. “Just enjoying this fine establishment.”
Right. Because we all believed that.
Hoyt made a low, growling noise.
A radio crackled, and one of the other firefighters spoke. “L-T, we’ve gotta jet.”
I felt him shift into work mode, his attention splitting toward the job. Hoyt stroked a thumb along my cheek. “I have to go.”
Chances were, whatever he was rushing off to deal with was dangerous. That was the nature of his job. It was something I’d have to come to terms with if this thing between us was going to work.
“Be careful, okay?”
“Always.” Brushing a fast kiss to my lips, he bolted for the door.
I prayed he’d be safe.
Feeling steadier than I had any right to be after everything that had happened, I turned back to the handful of gawkers. “Show’s over. Go back to your meals.”
Willa stood frozen where I’d left her by the bar.
Determined to get back to some semblance of normal, I pasted on a smile. “Sorry about that. Now, where were we?”
13
Hoyt
Buying a house on the east side of the island was a risk. I’d take the brunt of any hurricanes that blew in. But this house had weathered those for decades and was still standing, so I’d considered it worth the gamble for everything I’d be gaining. As I sat on the second-floor porch in my newly assembled Adirondack chair, watching the sun slowly crest the horizon with Caroline curled up in my lap, I knew I’d been absolutely right.
“This is part of why I bought the house. I wanted to be able to sit here and watch the sunrise just like this.”
She turned her head to look at me, her fingers twining in the hair at my nape. “Just like this?”
I tightened my arms around her. “I didn’t have you in mind when I picked it out, but I’d say this is icing on a pretty awesome dream.”
The corners of her mouth kicked up. “I don’t hate it.”
“I’d say I was sorry there’s only one chair, but I’d be lying.”
With a soft laugh, she nuzzled my cheek, then settled her head against my shoulder to keep watching the show Mother Nature was putting on across the water. The thin edge of light slowly lifted out of the ocean, brightening the burnt orange sky and bouncing off the thin scrim of clouds.
The only thing that could’ve made this better would’ve been if Caroline had spent the night in my bed. Still, it had been a great couple of days. An unexpectedly quiet couple of days that we’d spent more or less joined at the hip while she wasn’t working. I’d finally done some work on my side of the duplex, taking a page out of her playbook and painting, just to have the sense that I’d made progress. Since I hadn’t had a team of six to help me, I’d only gotten the downstairs primed, but it was still nice to see that blank canvas. The to-do list had been revised since I wouldn’t be knocking down walls anytime soon. That actually made the projects feel a little more manageable.
But my forty-eight hours were just about up, and I’d be going back on duty soon. I worried about leaving Caroline alone. There’d been no further sign of Hector. He hadn’t approached Gabi or Rios. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t the moment any of them were alone. Well, probably not Rios. But the girls?
I tipped my head to Caroline’s. “I wish I didn’t have to go to work.”
“Mmm. A lazy Saturday would certainly be lovely. But even if you didn’t have to go to work, I do. Marisol Gutiérrez hired me to help her set up her stall for the farmer’s market.”
“Oh yeah? Does she pay well?”
“Minimum wage. But she sets aside some of those gorgeous artisanal breads and pastries, too, so I call it a win.”
“That certainly seems like a side-gig worth keeping.”
Threading my fingers into the silky hair that had quickly become my obsession, I drew her mouth to mine for a soft, lingering kiss that tasted of the pre-dawn coffee we’d shared. She melted into me, a willing surrender that gave me all kinds of ideas we absolutely didn’t have time for. On a groan, I pulled back. “I guess that will have to hold me.”
“Guess it will.” She darted back in for another quick kiss, then slid off my lap. “I’ve gotta get going. Be safe.”
