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I hope my thoughts aren’t showing on my face.
“You can stay with me. I have an empty guest room you can use,” Kyst says.
What? My eyes are wide with surprise as I look at him, and butterflies fill my belly. “Oh no! I couldn’t do that. Besides, I don’t want to be a burden. I have my animals, and this is my problem, not yours,” I stammer, trying to hide my embarrassment.
It was lovely of him to offer that. It is a tempting situation because of all the stress I’m under right now. But, no, he is a complete and total stranger. It’s usually not a good idea when someone makes an offer like that. Then again, I felt so safe and comforted in his arms earlier. I really do need a place to stay. I have to think and figure everything out. Ugh, this is such a nightmare.
Kyst interrupts my internal drama by waving his hand. “Please, I insist. You can bring the animals too. It’s not right for all of you to be out here suffering,” he says gently.
I look at him and try not to cry. I’m so overwhelmed with emotions right now. That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. “Okay. Thank you. I’ll figure out a way to pay you back for this.”
His head tilts slightly to the side as he smiles. “It's my pleasure to help you and your animals,” Kyst says.
My belly fills with butterflies again, and I watch as he walks away to talk to the other firefighters. Standing near the truck, I try to take a relaxing breath. I can hear the dogs inside. I’m so glad that they are okay. All I can do now is wait for Kyst to tell me what to do next. My cheeks heat up when I think of his kind offer. You don’t expect that from a stranger. He must be a genuinely nice person to have suggested it.
Chapter Five - Kyst
As we all get into the firetruck, we make room for Mylah and her animals. It was my suggestion. I felt like it was the least I could do given her current situation.
The ride back to the fire station is quiet. The puppies sleep comfortably in their box the whole time. Mylah is silent, just looking out the window. To be honest, I’m concerned about her well-being right now, both mentally and emotionally. She went through such a traumatic experience that destroyed her means of living. When we were standing outside the vet clinic, she looked too emotional to drive herself. That’s why I suggested I give her a lift back with us. Even now, as I drive, I glance at her reflection in the mirror. She is trying so hard to stay positive, but I can see her holding back her tears.
We arrive at the fire station. The other guys and I jump out. I reach up and help Mylan down. “Thank you,” she says softly. She gives me a small smile, but it doesn’t light up her big green eyes. Once again, I see her emotions.
One of the firefighters reaches into the truck and grabs the box of puppies. Mylah turns to him. “Can I help you? I want to make sure they are okay,” she asks.
“Sure. We’re going to give them a real good bath and just check them again to make sure there is no damage to them from the smoke,” he explains.
As Mylah walks away, I find myself staring. Once again, I am stunned by the care that she is showing for these animals. Since she is busy with the puppies, I remove my gear and change it into my regular clothes. My shift is over for the day. Once I’m changed, I walk back over to the firetruck.
I almost forgot about the boa constrictor. How could I forget about something like that? I walk back to the truck and open the door. He is curled up under the seat. We both eye each other for a few minutes. I must look pretty ridiculous having a stare down with a snake. Carefully I reach in and lift him out.
Quickly as possible, I shuffle to my car. He is starting to unwind himself. I hurry and put the snake in the car on the floor of the back seat for now. I shut the door. I’ll figure out how to deal with him later.
Finally, I look around for Mylah. They have just finished cleaning off the puppies. I watch as she places them back in the box with their mommy, making them more comfortable.
“Ready to go?” I ask as Mylah walks over to me with the box of puppies. She nods her head. I take the box from her and settle it nicely on the backseat. “Um, I hope it’s okay that the snake is right there?” I ask, pointing at the floor of the back seat.
