Burning Up: Firefighter Contemporary Romance Series Box Set

by K. C. Crowne

  I nodded, trying to imagine what Elizabeth was up to. It was a gorgeous piece, and it would look amazing in a photograph, sure, but there had to be something more to the story. Not that I really wanted to hear it at the time. I needed to get a move on if I expected to make it back in time to change.

  “I just need you to fill out some of these forms,” the man said, pulling out a clipboard with a bunch of papers on them. He slid it over to me with a pen. “For insurance purposes, of course.”

  I checked the time and looked at the stack of papers. No way would I be able to fill all of these out, run the piece to Elizabeth, and get to the wedding in time to change. I texted Elizabeth that I was at the shop, I had the piece, but I’d have to drop it off the next day. After the wedding.

  She agreed, just told me to be careful as the piece was very expensive. As if I needed a reminder. It probably cost more than I made in several years. I couldn’t imagine spending that kind of money on a fake gun, but it wasn’t my money she was spending. So I filled out the paperwork, rushing through it as quickly as possible.

  Justin

  I kept replaying the voicemail in my head. It was all I could think about. They knew my last name. The child had Dee’s last name. It was all too coincidental to not be true unless Dee had lied to them. But why would she lie and tell them I was the father?

  I closed my eyes and remembered the last conversation we’d had. The one where she’d told me she was pregnant. I’d acted shocked and scared, but those were normal emotions, right? I wasn’t sure I’d wanted to be a father, not five years ago. Hell, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be one now, though the idea didn’t scare me nearly as much as it had back then.

  She quickly followed her announcement up with, “But don’t worry, I’ve taken care of it already.”

  “Taken care of it?” I’d asked. “What do you mean?”

  “I got an abortion,” she said, not able to look me in the eyes. “I knew you’d react that way, so I did what I had to do.”

  I’d tried to reason with her, to tell her that I was surprised, but she shrugged it all off and. She told me it didn’t matter. Her parents saw her as a failure and would have pressured her to abort it anyway, so she went ahead and did it without telling them. Figured it would be easier for all of us.

  Then she’d told me she was leaving town and not coming back.

  She’d mentioned going south because she had family down that way, and I hadn’t tried to stop her. She seemed sure of herself. We broke up for the last time that day, and I hadn’t ever seen her again.

  “Justin, thank God,” Hannah’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “Everything looks amazing.”

  “Oh yeah? Thanks,” I said, faking a smile.

  I looked up at her and felt dizzy from the sight. She was wearing her maid of honor gown, which fit her like a glove. It was fitted and fell around her gentle curves, highlighting her perfect figure. The purple color made her look like royalty. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled to the side, in a chignon, with tendrils falling around her face. Her blue eyes looked wider than before, with thick eyelashes and soft, shimmery eyelids.

  She just seemed to glow from within. There was nothing about her that wasn’t angelic and perfect. My voice caught in my throat.

  “Are you okay, Justin?” she asked, frowning in contemplation. “I know I’ve been a little hard on you, and I’m sorry.”

  She licked her pink lips and looked away from me. I knew she was genuinely sorry for yelling at me earlier, and honestly, I wasn’t even upset by it. That was just Hannah being stressed out. She had a lot on her plate, as did I.

  “I’m okay,” I lied. “And don’t worry, you had every right to yell at me earlier. I was late, and you shouldn’t have had to worry about me getting here on time. That was my fault.”

  Hannah looked surprised, her eyes wider than usual and a soft smile on her face. She studied my face for a second before her smile fell. “You’re not okay. I can see it in your eyes. What’s going on?”

  I needed to tell someone, to get someone else’s perspective. My best friend would have been my first choice normally, but he was getting ready for the wedding preparing to get married. He had enough on his plate. The other guys were busy too, and to be fair, I didn’t see myself opening up to them about this. Not yet. I needed to find out if it was true or not before I talked about it with too many people.

  Hannah was one of the smartest people I knew. She always handled life’s challenges like a pro, working through some difficult situations. After all, she and Logan raised their siblings for the most part. Who better to talk to?

  “It’s a long story,” I warned said. I couldn’t find the words, so instead, I pulled up the voicemail and handed it to her. She looked confused at first, and her face went as white as Melody’s wedding dress.

  “Justin, I don’t understand,” she stammered. “I never knew you had a kid.”

  “Me neither,” I said, putting the phone back in my pocket. “I’m not sure if this is a mistake or not. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Have you called them back?” she asked. “Surely they could clear everything up.”

  “Just heard noticed the voicemail late last night,” I said. “Haven’t had a chance.”

  Hannah was wringing her hands and began pacing the hallway. She nodded after a while and said. “Well, first thing you need to do is call them back as soon as possible.”

  “After the wedding,” I procrastinated said. “We don’t have much time.”

  She looked at the clock and again nodded. “Okay, fine. After the wedding. Probably tomorrow morning, then?”

  There was a tightness in my chest, and it was hard to breathe.

  “Sure,” I said, my voice low.

  Hannah began asking me questions. ‘ “Is there any chance this is true? That you have a daughter?”

  “Maybe,” I said. “I mean, Dee got pregnant about five years ago, but said she’d aborted it. I always assumed she had, but now, I’m not so sure.”

  Hannah seemed to think this over for a bit. “Why would she lie to you?”

  “I don’t know,” I said. Hannah cocked her head and gave me a serious look. I added, “I guess because I freaked out a bit when she told me.”

  “Freaked out a little or a lot?” she asked. “Because freaking out a little would be normal, I’d assume.”

  I thought about my reaction and closed my eyes. Sighing, I said, “I freaked out a lot, okay? I didn’t want to be a father back then. The idea terrified the shit out of me. We were on and off, constantly fighting. We drank too much, partied a bit too hard, and I was selfish as hell. I wasn’t ready didn’t want to grow up, and I told her that there was no way we could be parents.”

  Hannah stopped pacing. I expected her to tell me what an asshole I was, because let’s face it - I had been. Back then, I was a totally different man.

  “Well, that might explain it,” she murmured said softly. Her eyes didn’t hold any judgment, however. Instead, they held only pity. I wasn’t sure I liked that much better. She walked over to me and stroked my cheek gently. “Don’t beat yourself up about it, Justin. You were young and stupid back then, but you’ve grown a lot. I’ve seen it just in the last few weeks.”

  “That means a lot coming from you,” I said, chuckling a bit in surprise. “But be honest let’s face it, I’m still not ready to be a father.”

  “I don’t know if anyone is truly ever ready,” she commented. said. “Do you think Logan was ready?”

  “Well, they were planning on having kids, so...”

  “Yeah, but not this soon, remember?” she said. “And you’ve seen how he’s been lately. He’s freaking out. It’s normal for a person to be nervous when they find out they’re going to be responsible for another life.”

  “But I live in a crappy one bedroom apartment. I have no place for a child to live,” I argued.

  Hannah bit her lip as if she were afraid to say what she was about to say. Finally
, she just went for it. “I’m sure your father could help you out there.”

  “Fuck him,” I growled. I pulled away from Hannah, my fists balled at my sides. Hannah had no idea how much I hated my dad. No one really did, except for Logan, who’d been sworn to secrecy. Everyone always assumed I’d had the perfect childhood, but no one really saw what it was like inside our home.

  Hannah looked surprised but didn’t argue with me. Instead, she spoke calmly and assuredly. “Whatever happens, Justin, I know we can figure it out. We’re not even sure if this is really your child or not, and if she is if she will come live with you or not. We may be worrying about all this for nothing.”

  “If she is my daughter, I will have a relationship with her,” I stated, surprising even myself.

  “Of course,” Hannah said, taking my hands in hers. “I wouldn’t have thought otherwise.”

  Just being there, with her calmed me down a lot. She just had that way about her. Even though she was constantly stressed herself, when it came time for her to help someone, she always knew exactly what to do and what to say. Was it any wonder I was falling for her?

  She licked her lips, taunting me. I wanted nothing more than to taste those sweet lips again once more, but things were complicated. Much more complicated than we had previously thought now.

  “Hey, guys, it’s almost time,” Jax called out. “We need to get lined up.”

  “Jesus,” Hannah swore said, her cheeks flushing pink as she pulled away. “I can’t believe it’s almost time.”

  “I know, right?”

  In that moment, an image passed through my brain. An image of Hannah wearing a white dress, with a veil falling over her pale, freckled shoulders. Her blue eyes stared ing back at me, and her lips waiting for the moment when the minister tells me to kiss her.

  My heart skipped a beat. She was so beautiful in her maid of honor dress, but a wedding dress would look even more stunning on her.

  I pushed those thoughts out of my head, feeling foolish for even having them. I’d never considered getting married, not even when I was with Dee for several years. It had never even occurred to me until that moment.

  And, of course, it was the worst possible time to be thinking such things.

  There was the possibility that I had a kid out there in the world.

  A kid that needed me, according to the call.

  If that was the case, well, my life was too fucking messy to be thinking about a relationship and marriage.

  Besides, Hannah’s life was complicated enough without me and my problems.

  I followed her Hannah down the hallway, staring at the floor instead of at her. Anytime I looked at her, I thought about her in ways I hadn’t before.

  And God knows, we couldn’t have that. Not now, at least.

  Ooo000ooo

  I took my place at the altar with Logan. We hadn’t had much time to talk before heading out in front of everyone, but he seemed to be doing better. He was smiling, at least. There was still fear in his eyes, of course, but nothing unusual for a man on his wedding day.

  One- by -one, the wedding party walked down the aisle. I stood tall, my hands clasped in front of me, by my best friend’s side. As Izzy walked down the aisle with Mason, my eyes fell past her them to and on Hannah instead.

  The light from behind her illuminated her, made her look like a goddess or an angel. She was walking alone, as the maid of honor, and slowly made her way down the aisle. Her eyes locked on mine, and we shared a smile. My heart pounded heavily in my chest. It was even harder to not to imagine her as a bride now, seeing her walk down the aisle with a beautiful bouquet of lilies in her hands.

  I missed the ring bearer and flower girl entirely. My eyes were on Hannah, even as she took her spot on the other side of the minister. She averted her gaze, staring at the ground with color in her cheeks, before turning them back upward when the familiar Canon in D began to play. Everyone in the church rose to their feet.

  Melody and her father walked down the aisle arm-in-arm. Her Melody’s face was lit up, and the moment Logan saw her, tears welled in his eyes. That was true love right there. I might not have much experience with it myself, but I knew it when I saw it. Logan looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. And I had no doubt that to him, she was.

  Even though Melody looked beautiful, my gaze kept returning moving back to Hannah. She was absolutely ravishing in every way. She caught me staring and giggled to herself softly, like a schoolgirl with a crush. I couldn’t help but chuckle myself. She was just too damn cute for words.

  She glanced down at the ring bearer beside me, and her eyes widened. She was trying to tell me something with her eyes, but I couldn’t make it out, not for the life of me. Finally, she mouthed the words, “The rings” and I realized I’d forgotten an essential part of my job.

  The ring bearer, a four -year -old named Joey, had carried them down, as was his job. But I was supposed to take them from him. Easy enough, I thought to myself, kneeling down beside the little guy and realized. That’s when I saw what Hannah saw.

  Joey had one of the rings out of the box and on his thumb. He was swirling it around with a big grin on his face. The other ring was on top of his head, like a miniature crown. I quickly grabbed the one from his head and whispered, “Hey, Joey, I need the other ring now.”

  The little boy’s lower lip began to tremble, and I feared we might be in for a tantrum. I had no idea how to avert a temper tantrum; I’d never had to deal with one before. But I knew I had to act fast before the little boy dissolved into tears.

  “Hey, you like firemen, right?” It was a lucky guess. Most little boys like firefighters, I assumed.

  Joey nodded his head, his lip no longer trembling. His eyes were still wet with tears ready to fall at a moment’s notice, though.

  I whispered to the boy, “Well, let’s make a deal then. If you give me both of these rings, without crying, I’ll get you a real fireman's helmet you can keep. Would you like that?”

  Joey seemed to ponder it for a second, - weighing the value of the gold rings against that of a plastic helmet. I was just about to up the ante when the little guy nodded his head, handing me the ring without so much as one tear.

  The ring that had been on Joey’s finger was wet with God knows what, so I dried it off as quickly as possible on my pants.

  A few people were chuckling at the little boy’s antics, but otherwise, the wedding was things were going as planned. Not even a second later, the minister asked for the rings, and I handed them over. He stared at them in his hand for a second, and I realized the one was probably still slightly wet. He dried continued drying it off with his sleeve, hopefully leaving the bride and groom none the wiser.

  Once the rings were exchanged, I breathed a sigh of relief. I caught Hannah smiling at me, and she gave me a thumbs up.

  Crisis averted. Somehow I managed to get a kid to work with me. Proof that miracles can happen, I guess.

  Little did I know, that was just the beginning. It was one of many figurative fires I’d be putting out that night, and likely, one of the easiest ones too.

  Hannah

  “We did it,” Justin announced, handing me a glass of champagne. We’d both given our speeches, which went over well. Justin made the crowd laugh, while I told sweet stories about my brother and Melody. Officially, our jobs as best man and maid of honor were over. Unofficially, however, I knew we couldn’t let our guard down yet.

  “The party isn’t over yet,” I chuckled, looking out at the dance floor. Some pop song I didn’t recognize blasted from the speakers and practically everyone was getting down on the dance floor. Everyone but us.

  I was too tired to think about dancing. It had been a long day. Scratch that; it had been a long couple of weeks. I would be relieved when it was all over with, but also kind of sad that there’d be no more wedding planning. It was nice to have something other than work to occupy my time, even if doing both at the same time almost drove me c
ompletely bonkers.

  “You’re right. Our watch hasn’t ended yet,” he said, giving me a playful wink. “But I think it’s safe to say we can relax and have a little fun while making sure the walls don’t come crashing down around us.”

  “Justin, you’re talking to me, remember? I don’t know how to relax and have fun, at least according to you,” I joked, chuckling as I sipped my champagne.

  “Nah, I’ve learned that’s not true at all. You just need a nudge sometimes,” he said.

  At that moment, the music switched. ‘Unchained Melody’ came on, and people began pairing off on the dance floor. Before I knew what was happening, Justin took my hand and led me to the middle of all of them.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “We’re going to dance,” he said. “And by dancing, I mean I’ll try not to step on your feet.”

  I was swept into his arms and gently moving to the music a second later. I didn’t even try to resist. It had been ages since I’d danced with a man. Probably high school prom, if I really thought about it.

  Justin was a better dancer than he gave himself credit for. Not only did he not step on my toes, but he also moved to the rhythm. With my body pressed against his, it was hard to think about anything other than how good he was with his body, but I tried. Lord knows, I tried.

  Over Justin’s shoulder, I saw Melody. She was smiling at me. Logan also noticed that I was dancing with his best friend and didn’t look surprised at all. He even smiled too, as if giving me his approval. Did everyone suspect the two of us were into each other?

  “I think I have some apologizing to do,” I said, speaking softly. I looked directly into Justin’s eyes. “I shouldn’t have tried to hide what was going on between us.”

  “I understand why you did, in a way,” Justin acknowledged, his eyes sparkling as the light hit them just right. “Besides, that’s in the past. Don’t worry about it so much.”