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Hunt approached her then and hugged her tightly. “Good to see you again, how are you feeling?”
Brad came to our side. “Your face looks a lot better now.”
“I’m feeling good. Stitches come out in a few days. Charlotte even told me that Wes would come out and remove them for me so that I didn’t have to worry about finding a doctor yet.” She hugged Bradley too and waved at the kids before Riley threw her arms around her.
“I’m so glad you are here! It’s going to be great to have a new friend around the house. I get tired of all these males sometimes.”
“Hey, what am I?” my mom called out.
Riley rolled her eyes. “You’re Mom, you don’t count.”
My mother looked miffed for a split second before her smile was back. “It will be nice to have Roxanne around. Now come on, everyone, grab your plate and let’s eat.”
We gathered around the table with our food, and as usual, the conversation bounced from one topic to another. Never sticking to anything very long and never heavy. Dinner was for lighthearted discussions, and the heavy stuff was always saved for after the dishes were done and the family could sit down and relax.
I found myself more than once wishing that I didn’t have to leave but knew that I had to. It wasn’t until after dinner that Hunt approached me while I was rinsing dishes. The women, my father, Brad, and the kids were in the living room.
“You think any more about that position?”
“It’s not filled yet?”
“No, they had a few people apply, but none that would fit right. You know how little firehouses are, you gotta fit in with everyone.”
“Yeah, I get it.” I glanced toward the living room as Brad came into the room. “To be honest, I have been thinking about it.”
Hunt followed my gaze. “What does she want you to do?”
“She told me it was my decision. She said she doesn’t want me to do it because of her.”
“Seriously? Are things going well for you two?”
“They are.”
“Then why wouldn’t she want you to be closer to her?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but she specifically said that she did not want to be the reason that I took the job.”
Brad took a seat at the counter. “Did you tell her about Susan?”
“No, she didn’t want to know about that either.”
Hunt and Brad shared a look, and then Hunt asked, “Do you think she’s as serious about your relationship as you are?”
“Yes, I do.” I dried my hands on a towel and turned to lean back against the counter. “She told me that our pasts are our pasts, and we both have one. She didn’t want to know about my past.”
“What is she hiding?” Brad asked.
“I don’t think she is. I think Roxy was saying that our pasts don’t define us, and we have a clean slate in front of us.”
“You should still tell her that you were almost engaged to the woman.”
“I was not.” I nailed Hunt with a hard look. “Just because I mentioned that I might ask her, does not mean that I actually was.”
He shook his head. “Same difference. You felt strongly enough for her that you considered marrying her.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not something she wants to talk about, and if the day comes, and she does, then I’ll explain it to her. I’m crazy about Roxanne, maybe even halfway in love with the woman already.”
Brad laughed. “Only halfway? By the way you watch every move she makes, I’d say you were head over heels.”
