Page 49 of Dandelions and Smoke

Desire coils between us like a living thing, the air crackling with anticipation. Chief doesn’t answer me, but his smile says everything that words can’t. We clear off the dashboard together, ready to head back to his place, but as he’s about to put the truck in drive, I notice a woman, distracted by her kids, drop money from her back pocket.

A part of me wants to ignore it, act like I didn’t notice. I should be focused on Chief, on us, on this date. But the other part of me, the louder part, knows that’s not possible now. Ignoring this would be like leaving a sentence unfinished, or cutting off a song mid-chord.

Before I can help it, I’m imagining, experiencing the loss and devastation she’ll feel when she realizes the money isn’t there. My mind has already run through several scenarios and questions. What if that’s all the money she has? Maybe someone else saw her drop it, or she’ll retrace her steps. What if that money was meant for something important?

What if?

What if? …

“Ugh,” I groan. “Hold on.”

Chief’s brows pinch together as he watches me unbuckle my seatbelt.

Yeah, buddy, I know. Welcome to my world.

It’s more than just doing the right thing because I feel like I have to. In my world, this is how I stay at peace. To protect my sanity, I can’t ignore this. If I do, my mind will replay the moment on a loop, because ADHD leaves my brain’s “default mode network” on go-mode like one of those obnoxious symbol-banging monkeys. This will literally haunt my thoughts for the rest of the night, draining my mental energy if I do nothing.

Lucky me.

I hop out of the truck and get instantly smacked in the face with the cold. Of course, because no good deed goes unpunished… or something like that. I roll my eyes at myself as I close the door, jog over to where the money fell, and return it to the woman.

I’m only a few feet from the truck when someone blocks my path. Not someone, no. It takes me all of three seconds to realize that it’s Nora, Chief’s ex’s friend. She looks me up and down with undisguised disdain. Her lip curls as though the mere sight of me offends her, and when her gaze lands on the Turtle Bay Fire Department logo on my shirt, her expression only sours further.

“Can I help you?” I ask dryly, raising a brow and placing a hand on my hip.

She looks down on me like she’s smelled something rotten, her face pinching as she chuffs.

“This is a joke, right?” She crosses her arms with a sneering expression, not even bothering to hide her contempt.

Seeing Chief walking up from behind her, I hold my tongue and bite back a smile that comes from this woman not realizing who she’s messing with. A giddiness fills me, an anticipation of all the places this could lead.

“Nora.” Chief’s voice is low and demanding of attention. Most likely honed by years of commanding a team of firefighters in the line of duty.

It’s meant to sound intimidating, and by the look on Nora’s face, it is, but I’m even more turned on now than I was a few minutes ago.

Nora recovers from her momentary stun, her face quickly twisting back into an ugly, sneering mask of contempt.

“Seriously?” she asks Chief, looking at him like he’s lost his mind. “She is way too young for you.”

He bristles at the accusation, his shoulders squaring instantly as he prepares to defend himself. Unfortunately for Nora, I’m not about to allow him to do that.

“She’s right,” I say quickly, surprising them both and completely capturing their attention. I tilt my chin down, avoiding eye contact as I fidget around to give the impression that I’m uncomfortable. “I mean, look at me.”

They do, but as soon as I have Nora’s attention again, I stand up straight, shoulders back. I may only be four foot nine, but my wit is sharpened by years of practice, and I walk into chaos like it’s a surprise party thrown in my honor.

With a smile, I continue. “I don’t look half as old as she appears to be, and it’ll be years until life turns me this bitter.”

Nora’s jaw drops in glorious outrage, and Chief bites back a laugh, but I’m not finished.

“Though on second thought, maybe I’ll just start calling him daddy.” My tone is innocent, but the meaning behind my words is anything but.

This time, Chief can’t hide his amusement. He chokes out a laugh, and something between awe and delight fills his expression. I’m so captivated by the way he looks at me and how it sends my pulse skyrocketing that I completely forget I’m in the middle of a conversation. Or rather, an altercation.

“Excuse me,” Nora snaps, sharply pulling me back into whatever this is.

“Ma’am,” I say purposefully, leaning into the age gap she so kindly pointed out. “You and your twatty attitude are most definitely excused. He and I have plans tonight, so we’ll be going now.”

My grin widens as I realize I’ve gotten under her skin. Ready to end this, I walk past her and straight to Chief. Without missing a beat, I leap up and throw my arms around his neck. He catches me instantly, my legs automatically locking around his waist.