I look up into warm brown eyes set in one of the most handsome faces I’ve ever seen. Square jaw, clean-shaven, and full lips—his uniform jacket hugs broad shoulders. The light from his vehicle gives him a surreal, ethereal look, or possibly, I have a head injury.
“Ryan—McCallister?” I repeat, more to keep myself focused than anything else.
“That’s right.” His eyes are kind but serious as he looks me over. He is professional, quite possibly looking for visible injuries. “What’s your name, again?”
“Ember Rose Harper. Ember.” I gesture vaguely with the hand that isn’t death-gripping his forearm. “Like the—you know. The fire thing. The little glowy bits—” I make a fluttering motion with my fingers that probably looks ridiculous. “My mom is really into metaphors.”
“Ember.” He tests my name on his tongue, and something about the way he says it makes my stomach flip. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, softening the hard edges of concern. “Well, Ember Harper, you’re certainly living up to the name. You crashed into town like a Firecracker.”
“Firecracker?” I blink up at him through the rain, trying to focus on his face. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or?—”
“It’s definitely a compliment.” His thumb brushes against my arm—steadying, grounding, keeping me present wheneverything else is spinning. The smile reaches his eyes now, crinkling the corners. “I need you to stay with me, okay? Right here, Firecracker. Keep those eyes on me.”
“Firecracker,” I repeat, the word feeling warm in my mouth. “Okay. I can do that. Stay. Handsome face. Easy. So, you’re a firefighter who’s trained?”
“Yes, I got all the certifications. Handsome face and all.”
“Well, I do appreciate your fast response time,” I reply, trying not to wince at the pain shooting through my head.
He chuckles, the sound rumbling through me. “I was off duty, heading home. Saw the deer you swerved around and missed before your car went off the road.”
He smiles, and damn if it isn’t the kind of smile that makes my heart flutter despite the car accident adrenaline and my throbbing head.
“I have to say, this beats my last date. At least you showed up.”
A warm chuckle reaches my ears.
He looks up; the rain is still falling. “Let’s get you to my dry truck while we wait for EMS.”
His arms are wrapped around me for support as he walks me to his vehicle. But my legs feel sluggish. The rain under the trees seems like it is starting to ease up; making the downpour less punishing.
“Did you know I once saw a deer give a TED Talk? It was a real eye-opener,” I say.
Those brown eyes study my face intently, filled with… concern and something else I can’t quite read.
“Ember.” His voice cuts through the fog, sharp with command but gentle with concern. My legs are complete jelly. “Eyes on me. Tell me your name again?”
“Firecracker?” I offer hopefully leaning into him more.
He laughs—really laughs—as he signals to someone behind him. “Close enough. Let’s get you checked out, okay?”
“Okay, Captain—” I squint at his jacket. “Captain... Sexy firefighter man?”
“Do you feel pain anywhere? Dizziness?” His warm breath fans across my face, smelling of mint.
“Only when I look at you.” I reach up, touching his stubbled jaw.
The world starts to fade at the edges, and something clicks in my mind, but my mouth decides to verbalize it. “Ryan. Rrrryy-ann.” I test his name on my numb lips. “I swear I dreamed you up. You’re my soul mate.”
The last thing I see before everything goes dark is his startled expression. His warm brown eyes widen with concern as he reaches for the back of my head. Oh, I like his strong hands. My body feels light and floaty.
“Stay with me, Firecracker. Stay with me…”
The beepingof machines and the distant chatter of voices gradually pull me back to consciousness. I briefly remember the ambulance, but then I was out again. I’m in a hospital room, a bed with rails, the white pain—no, that is peach paint. Still, it’s a hospital room.
I blink, then squint against the bright fluorescent lights above me. I’m in a hospital. Turning my head, I spot a familiar figure talking to a female in a similar uniform.
His name, what is his name… Ryan… the beeping around me picks up a decibel in my ears.
