Page 31 of Falling for the Hotshot

Driving into town made me feel both excited and anxious. There were things about large groups of people that made me feel claustrophobic, but I couldn’t deny that it was also fun to hit the town once in a while. I had spent far too much time there already this season lying in a hospital bed, but the powers of The Pumpkin Perk Cafe were not lost on me either, and I couldn’t wait to bite into a delicious concoction.

Plus, Don had told the crew of guys that I was going there, and Jimmy called ahead to place a pick-up order for me to bring back later today. I was laughing just thinking about it.

When I pulled up to the main drag of Maple Haven, there was a neon orange light shaped like a pumpkin that read “OPEN.” I hobbled out of the truck, my leg feeling stronger today than it had all season, as I shifted and walked on it, almost normally. If it wasn’t for the leg brace, I thought I could get away with just being a guy with a mysterious limp. It may have added to my charm or made me look creepy. A toss-up.

Inside the cafe, the owner Tucker had a rectangle table set up with a bright orange tablecloth. On the table was a large boot, like a firefighter would wear, and there was a roll of raffle tickets and a fishbowl to put them in. A lone chair manned the table.

“Blaze?” Tucker came out from the kitchen wearing an apron over his cowboy attire and shook my hand.

“Tucker, nice to see you, man.”

“I’m thrilled we could host you guys again. The event we held in June was such a success, and with this weather—we know it’s coming.” I nodded.

“We appreciate the chance. I’m happy to be here.” I walked over to the chair and sat down.

“We just had our first morning rush, and our second rush should start any minute now.” As Tucker spoke, a group of women walked in and beelined for the counter. “They will pay for the raffle tickets with me and then come over to you to fill them out. Alternatively, they can put cash donations inside the boot.” I nodded, thankful this was going to be as easy as sitting here.

“Thanks, Tucker. Say, did someone named Jimmy call in an order?” Tucker laughed and nodded.

“Yeah, he sure did. I think I’ll be back there all morning making enough pumpkin scones to fulfill it.”

“Great. If you finish it by the time I’m done, I’ll take it with me.” Tucker nodded. Just then, a woman walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Blaze, this is my fiancé, Ginger.” She smiled, extending out a hand with long, sparkly pink nails and a rock on her finger to rival the moon.

“Nice to meet you, Blaze,” she spoke, before turning all of her attention back to Tucker.

“Nice to meet you, too, Ginger. When’s the big day?” I asked, and the two of them looked at each other bashfully.

“In two weeks.” Her cheeks reddened, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say his did, too.

“Congratulations!” I cheered, while the group of women from the counter came over to fill out their raffle tickets. They each bought ten, and I could tell this was already going to be a very busy and generous day for Maple Haven Fire District.

*****

The fundraiser ended at four in the afternoon. Throughout the day, Tucker never let me go hungry or thirsty. After seeing the disappointment in his face that I didn’t drink coffee, he brought me over two fresh-pressed apple ciders, a maple scone, and a turkey sandwich that tasted like Thanksgiving dinner.

“It has cranberries and stuffing,” he exclaimed. “Something new that I’m trying, adding a few savory menu items, as man cannot live on pumpkin pie alone.”

“Who said we can’t?” I asked with a laugh. “Mostly, my fiancé, Ginger. She’s been helping me come up with some healthy items for the menu. Though, I can’t say this sandwich with homemade stuffing is exactly healthy. It’s a start, however. We are figuring it out.” His smile when talking about his fiancé was contagious. I knew a little about Tucker, having come here with a rodeo background, but I didn’t know enough, I decided. I hoped that Tucker and I could be friends.

“I’m almost done for the season and when I get back, I’d love to hang out sometime.” The words were awkward falling out of my mouth, but Tucker didn’t seem to notice.

“Heck yes, brother. I was thinking the same thing. In fact...” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a 4x6 size card. “Why don’t you come to the wedding? Hopefully, the fire season will be over, as it’s in two weeks. You can even bring a date.” The word date brought a flush to my skin that I hoped wasn’t obvious. Was it weird that I wanted to bring a woman I’d never met, or even seen, other than a glimpse of the end of her hair? I shook the thought out of my head. Even if everything tampered down tomorrow, I would still be on duty and wouldn’t be able to attend.

“Thanks, man. I don’t think I’ll be done with the season just yet, but I send you both my best,” Tucker nodded.

“Well, I’ll go grab the order for Jimmy. It’s all done, and I added in a few extras that I just know the crew will like.” He disappeared into the kitchen and came back with two giant brown paper bags, bursting at the handles.

“No more pink bags?” I asked, taking the handles from him.

“We started selling merch last spring, and the community wiped us out of inventory, and now there’s a pink bag shortage. I’m looking into it, and I promise I’ll send you back with pink bags next time.”

“You know what? I think brown suits me. I’m okay with this, but I respect the business model,” Tucker shrugged and laughed.

“It certainly works,” he smirked, as another group of women walked through the door.

On the drive back to base, I had driven out of the way for a few miles to drop off the food to my crew. The radio was playing softly in the background and after an hour, the only other vehicles I passed belonged to my fire department.