The kitchen really is tiny. When Cade opens the refrigerator to get the water pitcher, I can see inside, mostly empty except for basics. Milk, eggs, some leftover takeout containers. The freezer is better stocked, filled with what look like meal prep containers.
"You cook?" I ask, surprised.
"Batch cooking on my days off." He pours water into two glasses. "Easier than trying to figure out what to eat after a shift. And healthier than eating out all the time."
"That's... very organized."
"I have a lot of time alone with my thoughts." He hands me the glass. "Cooking helps. Gives me something to focus on."
I want to ask what else he does to manage the PTSD, the nightmares he mentioned yesterday. But Ruby's in the next room and this isn't the time or place for that conversation.
"Ruby's been taking a cooking class at the community center," I offer instead. "She made breakfast for dinner last week, scrambled eggs and toast. She was so proud of herself."
"Breakfast for dinner is underrated," Cade says seriously. "Pancakes at eight p.m.? There's nothing wrong with that."
"Spoken like someone who eats cereal for dinner regularly."
"How did you know?" He's smiling now, and it transforms his face, making him look younger, lighter.
"Because I remember you eating Lucky Charms at midnight and calling it a balanced meal because it had marshmallows and grain."
"The four food groups: grains, dairy, sugar, and food coloring." His smile widens. "That's still solid logic."
We're laughing when Ruby returns with my phone and a declaration that she's taken enough pictures and Scout is getting tired of the photo shoot anyway.
"Can we see the waterfall now?" Ruby asks, extricating herself from Scout, who gives her one last headbutt before sauntering back toward the bedroom with her tail held high.
"The waterfall's a bit of a hike," Cade says, glancing at his watch. "It's already past two. By the time we get there and back, it'll be close to dinner."
Ruby's face falls, and I'm about to suggest we save it for tomorrow when there's a knock at the door.
Cade frowns, clearly not expecting anyone. "Hold on."
He opens the door to reveal an older man in jeans and a Blackwater Falls Fire Department t-shirt. The same man I saw yesterday at the station—the captain, Dallas, if I remember correctly. He's got kind eyes and the bearing of someone used to command, but there's something gentle in the way he smiles.
"Cap," Cade says, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Heard through the grapevine that you were showing your family around town." Dallas's eyes move to me, then Ruby, and his smile widens. "Thought I'd stop by, see if maybe I could borrow this young lady for an hour or so."
Ruby perks up immediately. "Borrow me for what?"
"Well," Dallas says, crouching down to her level with the ease of someone who's comfortable with kids. "I was thinking maybe you'd like a private tour of the fire station. Get to see how everything works, sit in the trucks, maybe even try on some gear. What do you think?"
"Really?" Ruby's eyes go wide. "I can sit in the fire truck?"
"You can do more than sit in it. You can turn on the lights, sound the horn, the whole experience." Dallas glances up at Cade, then me. "If your parents are okay with it, of course. I figured maybe they could use some time to talk. Adult stuff."
Oh. Oh, he knows. He's giving us an excuse to be alone, to have the conversations we need to have without Ruby present. The thoughtfulness of it, from a man I barely know.
"Can I go?" Ruby turns to me, practically vibrating with excitement. "Please, Mom? I really want to see the fire trucks."
I look at Cade, who's watching Dallas with an expression that's equal parts grateful and exasperated. "Is that okay with you? I don't want to impose on Captain—"
"Dallas, please. And it's no imposition." He straightens, his hand resting gently on Ruby's shoulder. "I raised a daughter myself. I know when parents need some time to hash things out. Besides, the guys at the station have been dying to meet her since yesterday."
"They have?" Ruby asks.
"Oh yeah." Dallas winks at her. "Plus, I promised them I'd bring back photos of you in the fire gear. They're taking bets on whether you'll look more intimidating or adorable."
