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She nods, but I’m not sure she believes me. “I was crying and coughing when I heard a tremendous thud. The closet door was pulled away from the wall and what looked like an alien to me in all that smoke was actually a firefighter. He was all decked out in his bunker gear, oxygen tank, helmet, and facemask. I could hear him taking a breath from the facemask and then saying something to me, but I couldn’t understand him. Anyway, he took his mask off, told me to hang on, picked me up, and then put his facemask over my face. The oxygen tasted so good that I grabbed onto that mask with one hand as I held onto my blanket with the other.”
She takes a deep breath and then exhales. “He then brought me over to the window in my bedroom and handed me to another firefighter. I handed the mask back to him and I heard him say he was going to look for anyone else. I watched him disappear back into the smoke. Then suddenly, I felt ice cold. I had been in the fire for so long that the Florida hot and humid weather at that time of night was almost too cold to me. I was shivering. Next thing I know, I’m in the back of an ambulance with an oxygen mask on full blast, a silver blanket over my shoulders and legs to keep me warm, and my grandmother climbing into the ambulance with me. She crawled up on the gurney and pulled me into her arms. We both cried so much, knowing that there was no way my parents survived. We rode to the hospital like that, but the paramedic made her let go of me in order to wheel me into the emergency room. I spent a week there for smoke inhalation. Grandma stayed with me the entire time.”
She wipes the tears that are now free flowing down her face. “You know, she never told me that my parents died. We both just knew. I guess in her own way she did when she told me I’d be living with her from now on. It took me a few years, but eventually I realized I lost my parents that day, but Grandma lost her only child. Having to take on a child to raise, even though it is your family, while dealing with the loss of a child no matter how old they were, must have been the most difficult thing she ever had to do. But she did it with grace. I don’t know if I’ll ever be that strong.”
“You survived. You’re successful. You are that strong. Your parents would be very proud of you, you know that, right?” I ask her, not sure anyone’s ever told her that before.
Nodding, “I know, but there are a lot of ‘What if’s’ running around this head of mine,” she taps the side of her head, “this time of year. Especially when it’s a holiday.”
“That’s why you bring bagels to the station on Sunday’s, right?”
She nods. “It’s the only thing I could do to give back, for saving my life. After the fire, I had heard later on that the firefighter that had pulled me out of that fire actually got hurt pretty badly looking for my parents. When I got older, I thought I’d look him up, to see if he’s okay, but I never did. I wasn’t sure I could manage, knowing that someone else’s life was changed that night, too. Sometimes I think of looking him up, but it’s been so long, they’ve must have retired and moved on by now. Besides, I’m sure I’m just one of many people in his life he’s saved.”
“I don’t know. I’d love to hear from someone that I’ve pulled out of a fire or helped save their life. It makes all the effort worthwhile.”
She smiles a fake smile at me, but I don’t accept it. “Come here.” I open my arms and am pleased she doesn’t hesitate but lets me pull her into my chest where she cries. Hard. I stroke her hair and rock her. “Shh. It’s okay. Just let it out. I’ve got you, baby.” Baby? First honey and now baby? Where the hell did that come from?
I don’t fret about it. I can freak out about that later. Right now, I’m holding her, comforting her and somehow feel so honored that she’s showing me this side of her, and we barely know each other. Why? I don’t know. But I’m glad she is.
After what seems like an hour of her crying, she’s quiet and I think she’s fallen asleep. “Kate?” I whisper because if she is asleep, I don’t want to wake her. She’s had quite the day. “Kate?” I call again, but she doesn’t budge.
Kate is asleep in my arms. When I was thinking about her, the day after we first met, I never imagined this. Hoped, but not imagined. Now she’s here. What are you going to do about it, Hudson? Nothing. Yet.
I look over and see that Pepper is snoring away and Wilbur is sleeping on top of her. I wish I had my phone with me so I could take a picture of that. No one’s ever going to believe me when I tell them this and I know as soon as I move, they will be awake, too.
Not wanting to wake up Kate, I pick her up and carry her through the kitchen and into her bedroom. Not a long walk as she lives in this tiny, tiny house to a big guy like me. She snuggles into the covers as Wilbur waddles in and climbs up on the bed next to her. Guess I’m not invited.
Pepper is standing at the doorway and sighs. “I know. You want to go home.” I turn to Kate and run my finger down her cheek. I feel honored that she told me the story about the night of the fire. From what Kane told me, no one at the station knows about it which tells me she keeps the story to herself.
Realizing that staring at her sleeping is getting creepy, I quietly, as quietly as a man of my size can in these cramped quarters, step out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. On the counter, I find a pad of paper and a pen. I write a quick note.
Kate,
Thank you for sharing this part of you with me. I’m honored.
You fell asleep, so I put you to bed. I hope you have nothing but sweet dreams.
I’ll call you tomorrow, but if you want to call me, here’s my number.
I’m home all day tomorrow. Maybe we can catch a bite for lunch? Let me know.
H.
I jot down my cell phone number and put the note where she will see it as soon as she gets up. On the bathroom mirror. I thought about the toilet seat, but that’s probably not a good idea.
“Pepper. Let’s go home.” I call the dog and she comes bounding to the front door. I shut off the lights and both of us climb into the cab of my truck. It’s late. Like tomorrow morning late, but I’m glad I came and stayed.
The drive home is peaceful because there’s no traffic at this hour on a Monday morning and so I’m left to contemplate what’s happening between Kate and me. There’s something there. I can feel it and I’m pretty sure she can, too. It’s not something I’ve ever felt before. There’s this need to see her, be near her, to be with her, to touch her. She’s taking up all my waking thoughts, and even some of my non-awake thoughts.
My time with Renee wasn’t anything like this and I thought I was in love with her. To where I was going to propose, until… Anyway, I’ve told myself I was going to wait a long while before I even thought about dating anyone else, but Kate feels different. Why?
I pull into my driveway and Pepper barks her head off through the front windshield. There’s a bunny in the front yard and she wants at it. “Oh, no you don’t, missy. We’re not having a repeat of ‘let’s play with the bunny’ again. I spent an hour chasing you while you chased the bunny around the yard last time. No way, ma’am. You’re going on a leash.” I pull out the leash and can almost see her pout.
Pepper weighs over a hundred and twenty pounds and uses every bit of that to pull away from me, but I am able to drag her into the house. I let her off the leash and go to the bedroom and straight into the bathroom to take a shower.
Once I’m in bed, all thoughts go to Kate and how she felt in my arms and suddenly I want to be with her again.
CHAPTER 15
