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Chance stops and looks at me. “Really? You got a date with the Bagel Lady?”
“Had. Yesterday. And dinner tomorrow.”
Chance packs the trauma bag again and stacking empty boxes. “How’d you manage that? No one’s been able to get a date with her. I mean no one.” He emphasizes by waving his hands like an umpire calling someone safe on base.
“I asked.”
“You asked?”
“Yeah. I asked. Why are you looking at me like that?” His face is all contorted.
“Everyone has asked. She always says no.”
I shrug, but internally, I’m doing fist bumps in the air. “Well, she didn’t like any of you. Suck it up.”
“Suck it up, he says.” He murmurs to himself. “Well, congratulations. Just don’t muck it up for the rest of us, okay?”
“What do you mean? How are you all involved?” Instantly, my jealousy simmers to the top. I have no intention of letting any of the guys have a shot at Kate. She’s my Kate.
Chance looks at me like I’m an idiot. “You date her. You two break up. We get no bagels. Got it? Mucking it up. Don’t do it. I need my bagel fix on Sundays.”
We climb out of the rescue unit and shut the back doors. “Ah, I see. It’s all about you.”
“No, you’re not listening.” He taps his ears. “It’s all about the bagels.”
He laughs and I punch his arm. “Keep it up and I’ll tell her not to give you any bagels.”
Chance lifts his arms up as if I’m holding a gun. “I give up. Please don’t.” He laughs. “No, but seriously, Hudson. I’m happy for you. I hope it all works out. Especially after that whole Renee debacle.”
“I appreciate it, man. Thanks.” Just the mention of Renee makes my skin crawl.
Three buzzers go off. “Rescue 11, Engine 11. Respond to the corner of Osceola Street and Federal Highway for a motor vehicle accident.” A voice from the dispatch center comes over the loudspeaker.
Chance and I both drop the empty boxes we were carrying into the dumpster and head towards the units. As everyone else files out of the dayroom, he jumps into the rescue truck, and I climb into the passenger side of the fire engine. “Engine 11 and Rescue 11 en route.” I say over the radio.
Dispatch acknowledges me and the driver turns on the sirens and aims the truck towards the accident. It takes us right past the front of the Bean and Bagel, but that damn sun is still in the way. I never got to see her.
Although I never got to see or stop by Kate’s shop to see her, we did text all day. I sent her stupid jokes and pictures of me and my shift guys working out in our makeshift gym at the station and goofing off. She sent me pictures of her plants she repotted and Wilbur pooping in his pool.
That last one I could have done without, but for some reason, she found it hilarious and kept sending me shots from all different angles. That she found it so funny made me laugh.
This morning, Kane and I took his boat out to go fishing out of Hibiscus Harbor Marina. It was a beautiful morning, and the ocean was really calm. Neither one of us caught a thing. Nothing. It didn’t matter what kind of bait we used; nothing was biting.
The trip wasn’t a total loss, though. First, we went fishing. Any day fishing is a good day. Second, although we caught nothing, we saw a school of dolphins jumping and playing in the water. I took some videos and sent them to Kate, and she sent back a bunch of heart and dolphin emojis.
“Hi Mom.” I call over to my mother, who’s talking to her next-door neighbor when I pull into her driveway.
She waves at her neighbor and comes over to me. “Hi son, how was fishing?”
I kiss her on the cheek. “It was fishing.”
“So, a good day.” She laughs.
“You got it. Where’s Pepper?”
“On the bed sleeping, as usual.”
I follow her inside the house and am met with a big bark and a wagging tail. “Hi Pepperoni. We’re you a good doggo for Grandma?” I scratch her back and she wiggles her whole body in excitement.
