Forbidden Firefighter

by R. S. Elliot

  A moment drifted between us. One of me staring back at her with what was clearly a tragic gaze, if her own expression of pity was anything to go off of. She sighed and added, “I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t missed your father these past few months. But life is unexpected and we must be able to adapt. What I would have really regretted was loving your father and never making the sacrifices for him that I did. I would have wasted all that time together.”

  “I just thought…” That what? This was how all relationships began and ended? Boy meets girl, marries girl, and then settles down. Was there no time in between for adventure and excitement? We could still spend years finding ourselves.

  “Actually, that brings up why I asked you to come here,” she said. “I’ve joined the local women’s club, and they actively participate in charity work across the globe. You know, like building houses, planting crops, and teaching children. They also do things within the state, which are pretty perfect for someone with a little extra time on her hands.”

  Of all the things I expected to come out of my mother’s mouth, this would not have even made it among the top ten. “How can you afford all that?”

  She waved an airy gesture in front of her, as if it was no problem at all to shell out a ton of cash on elaborate trips and charity work. “Oh, we do fundraisers and have a couple wealthy donors. My point is, I like this. It makes me happy, and I want you to do what makes you happy. If that means jet-setting around the world with your little blonde heiress, then I will be fine.”

  I only mentioned Lyndsey a handful of times. Never once did I mention her beyond that of my matchmaker. Had I been that transparent in my feelings?

  “I already have my own plans, and they don’t revolve around tending to grandbabies,” my mother added. “Though I’m not opposed to grandchildren… eventually.”

  There was nothing left for me to say. Perhaps, she was right. Perhaps, it was time I practiced what I preached and fought for the one woman I wanted in the world, even if she wasn’t returning my phone calls—even if she was too busy making the biggest decision of her life.

  “I’m here, Mother.” Vanessa entered the room, tossing down her purse in one chair and flopping down into another. “What’s this big announcement you need to make?”

  I exchanged a tense look with my sister, secretly wondering about her role in all of this. Was she as eager to turn in Lyndsey as her husband was? Did she know about the supposed arsonist being the former groundskeeper they fired?

  My mother filled her in on all the information, though my mind was already on solving Lyndsey’s problems. Her parents wanted her to take things more seriously. Holding a job for an extended period of time had been a part of that plan. Though maybe, they would accept another display of responsibility in order to sway them back to her side.

  After all, we’d proven the fire was not caused by Lyndsey. Even if I still wasn’t convinced Yehven was responsible for it either.

  “I’m going to go get the brochures for our next trip,” my mother said, and stood up from the table. “Wait here.”

  I waited for my mom to leave before speaking. “They let Yehven free today.”

  “Odd they would let an arsonist go free so soon,” Vanessa said, completely nonplussed.

  “Turns out his explanation held up.” I was lying through my teeth, but doing it so well it didn’t matter. Vanessa inhaled sharply. Her eyes darted to the side, and she gently picked at her sleeve.

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, Flynn said they ran his phone records and came across the number that supposedly called him,” I said. “Want to take a guess as to who’s number came up?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway.”

  “Yours.”

  “Impossible.”

  “Well, it was on there.”

  “Well, I used a burner phone, so—” She stopped, instantly recognizing her mistake. I only smiled, a paragon of innocence and sweetness. “He never pulled the records, did he?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “But you’re going to go down there and tell him it was you.”

  Vanessa scoffed. “Why would I do that?”

  “Because it’s the right thing to do. A man’s in jail because of you and Kyle,” I said. “How long is this going to go on for? How many more people are you going to drag into your petty fighting?”

  “I don’t owe him or you any explanation,” Vanessa hissed. “I did what I had to, to get the job done. We both did. And there’s nothing you can say to persuade me into doing something so stupid as turning myself in for a crime. Especially when there’s little evidence to support it.”

  “I’ll turn you in myself.”

  Vanessa laughed. One of those throaty cackles cartoon villains always use. “You can try.”

  “When I turn you in to Flynn, I’ll also make a stop at the press...” I explained. “...which will publish a tame headline somewhere along the lines of ‘Proud Business Owners Suspected in Arson Scandal’, which is entirely true. That will not only put a hell of a lot of attention on the two of you, but it will also be bad for business.”

  Vanessa swallowed tightly before speaking. “If I turn myself in, it’ll still be bad for business.”

  “We might be able to come to some sort of arrangement,” I said. “You might be able to chalk it up to an accident. Lyndsey might even let you off the hook.”

  Vanessa’s chest heaved up and down.

  She was close to hyperventilating when she said, “Fine. Let’s talk terms.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Lyndsey

  “Irma, where is this picture from?” I asked, pointing to a photograph of my grandmother with an elephant.

  The image was all too surreal. It certainly wasn’t what I had expected to see when cleaning out the desk in my grandmother’s old office.

  “That was taken in India or Thailand.” Irma leaned across the desk to peer down at the photo. She held a small box in her arms, placing whatever she could inside, in order to clear the room as quickly as possible.

  My grandmother insisted her office be left untouched, in case she ever wanted to step out of retirement. Kyle and Vanessa hadn’t gotten around to emptying it out yet, so the task fell to me before it was time to clear out my own things.

  “I didn’t know she’d even left Mississippi, let alone the country,” I said, flipping through the remaining photos in the stack.

  One of the Eiffel Tower crossed my view, another of some jungle paradise, now yellowing with age. There were beaches and castles and even photos of my parents when they were younger. We rarely ever traveled—certainly not overseas. That would require my parents putting aside too much time away from work.

  “Oh, yes.” Irma flashed her brightest smile. “Leigh loved seeing new places. Probably where you get it from.”

  Something in my face must have given away my confusion, for she quickly added, “I can see it in your eyes. You have that adventurous spirit like she did. Oh, she was quite tame by the time you came around. She had seen most everything she needed to see. Then, when you were born, you were the only thing she wanted to see anymore.”

  I smiled.

  A small corner of my heart warmed at the thought. “These are amazing. How did I never know about this?”

  “Your grandmother has artifacts, if you will, of her travels all over the house. Didn’t you notice?” Irma asked, to which I only shook my head. “The china tea set in her hutch is a souvenir from her stay in England. She has a hand-woven table runner she picked up in Puno, Peru. Even the music box she used to play for you was from Salzburg.”

  I stared in silence for a moment, wrapping my head around the idea that my grandmother was some closet world-traveler all these years. All the while, I was too clueless to notice it. I thought about all the experiences I missed out on hearing and all the memories she never got to share. My stomach pitched, roiling like a tumultuous wave in a storm.

  All those s
tories, lost forever.

  “Don’t be too upset, darling.” Irma patted my shoulder. “Leigh did keep a few journals. They’re probably up in the attic somewhere. That’s how she met your grandfather.”

  “Writing in her journal?”

  “No, traveling. They met on a ski trip to Colorado.” She laughed softly to herself. “Doesn’t really get cold enough here to freeze over the water for ice skating.”

  All this time, I’d imagined some fantasy for my grandmother’s happily ever after. Something that didn’t even make much sense, but I accepted all the same. The truth was, my grandmother had to make her own magic, find her own adventures. It couldn’t have been easy to fall in love with someone she met while traveling. How had they even been able to make it work?

  A knock on the door signaled my time was up. I called for whoever was on the other side to enter, surprised to find my parents with their lawyer, Mr. Philips.

  That didn’t take long.

  I hadn’t even officially given Kyle an answer, and my parents were ready to claim their prize.

  I couldn’t let Kyle keep the house.

  Even before Irma convinced me with her talk of memories and nostalgia, every fiber within me told me it was wrong. The house was mine. It would always be mine. And I was ready to fight for it, blood, tooth, and nail.

  “Irma, could you give us a moment?” I asked.

  She nodded and quickly retreated from the room.

  “Now, Miss Lyndsey, this shouldn’t take too long,” Mr. Philips began, taking a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs and pulling out some papers from his briefcase. “Just a few crossings of the t’s and dotting of i’s to finish.”

  “Whatever you need.” I nodded.

  My parents sat down beside Mr. Philips, while I claimed the seat across from them at the desk. I steeled myself for the agreement, for the fleeting rush of agony that would come with relinquishing my livelihood.

  Mr. Philips placed the paper in front of me and my body froze.

  “What’s this?” I looked up from the pages, which were clearly not the denial of my inheritance.

  My parents exchanged a knowing glance. Their smiles glittered brightly in their gazes. Mama was the first to finally speak. “It’s the paperwork for the business. We’re turning it over to you.”

  The air around me cooled. All blood fled my cheeks. I couldn’t tell if I was terrified or excited. I wanted this, didn’t I? I wanted to make this business my own, wanted to restore all the values my grandmother ascribed to. And now, they were simply handing it over to me? Even when I’d failed their little test.

  “I don’t understand.” My words tasted foreign in my mouth. I was in such a state of shock, I barely recognized the sound of my own voice.

  “Your grandmother wanted you to have the business,” Daddy explained. “She just didn’t want to overwhelm you by giving you everything at once. She saw what Kyle and Vanessa were doing to the company, and she knew your free-spirited and loving nature would be just what the company needed to restore its humanity. The idea was, it would go to us. Then, after some time passed and you proved yourself adept to handle things on your own, you would take it over from there.”

  “But, I didn’t do what you asked,” I said. “I screwed everything up.”

  Again came that knowing exchange of looks between my parents. Like they knew a secret I did not.

  “Well, you did it for the right reasons, maybe,” Mama explained. “Hunter talked to us this afternoon about a few things that bear noting. We didn’t realize how serious you were about...certain things, but it takes a big step in itself to sacrifice so much for what you love.”

  Oh, my gosh. I was going to die. Were they talking about Hunter?

  “He told us about how Kyle was extorting you in order to get the house,” Daddy said. “You didn’t give in, even though you knew it would cost you everything, and that shows real courage and responsibility.”

  I breathed a silent sigh of relief. So, they weren’t talking about Hunter. Though, it didn’t quell the ache that there was something else going on they hadn’t told me about.

  “We’re both very proud of how you’ve grown in the past few weeks,” Mama said. “Though, I have a feeling that has very little to do with us and our strategies of tough love. Either way, the business is yours. Your inheritance and the house are all yours, sweetheart.”

  Tears pricked the surface of my lids. This was happening. It was really happening. How in hell had Hunter convinced them to do this? How in the world was I going to repay him?

  “You still have to sign the paperwork, first,” Mr. Philips said.

  “Oh, right!” I wiped the tears now breaking past the edges and quickly signed every marked space. Once the papers were signed, I leaped from my seat and into my parent's arms. “Thank you.”

  “Well, we didn’t come empty-handed,” Mama said. “There is someone else outside who wants to see you.”

  They moved toward the door, all three disappearing behind it before revealing the man I knew was behind it all along.

  “Hunter.” I sighed, his name the closest thing to home on my lips. I threw my arms around his neck. “I don’t know how you did it but thank you.”

  “Well, just repay the favor by maybe going easy on my sister at her sentencing hearing,” Hunter said. I pulled back, staring up at him in confusion. “I dropped her off with Flynn before going to see your parents. Her and Kyle are going to plead guilty to setting the fire.”

  “They are?” A huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I kept feeling lighter and lighter, like I was about to float away. The only thing tethering me to the ground at this moment was Hunter. “What about Yehven?”

  “They released him shortly after,” Hunter explained. “I’m not saying they should get off scot-free. Maybe like some community service type thing until they’re in their eighties.”

  I laughed, peppering his chin with kisses. “Whatever you want. It’s yours.”

  “In that case,” he said. “I have one more question to ask you.”

  He guided me toward one of the chairs, taking the seat next to me and shifting it until we were face to face. My heart pounded at the possibilities. I wasn’t sure how many more surprises my body could take.

  “It’s taken me a while to realize that what I thought I wanted was not what I wanted at all,” he said, taking my hand in his. “It was something I thought I needed to do in order to keep my family’s legacy alive. But now, I know there is no greater way to do that than by following my heart.”

  His hand dove into his coat pocket, retrieving a small shiny object. It was my grandmother’s ring, the one my grandfather had given her. It went to Mama when she passed, and I never would have imagined she’d part with it in a million years.

  But my heart jumped at the sight of it. I withheld the urge to gasp, stifling all outbursts by clamping my lower lip between my teeth.

  Oh my God. Was this happening? Was he really doing what I thought he was? With my grandmother’s ring, no less. The very symbol of perfect love in my eyes.

  “I love you, Lyndsey Saunders,” Hunter said. “I want you in my life always—however that has to be. Whether it’s here or halfway across the globe, I will follow you to the ends of the earth. Where you are, that is home to me.”

  “I love you, too.” The words burst forth before I had the chance to stop them. It didn’t make them any less true. I had been so unwilling to admit it until now, but I loved Hunter Carson more than words could even express.

  “Then make mistakes with me,” he said, referring back to our conversation in the cafe. “Let’s go on adventures, even if they’re in our own backyard sometimes.”

  “Only if I get to come back home to you at the end of the day.”

  “Always.” He slid the ring over my finger in one swift motion before kissing me. I melted against him. This was it. All that time I’d spent searching for the missing part of myself, and he’d found me. Hunter made me whole.

&
nbsp; All this time and I was wrong.

  I was meant to live a great love story, and I would continue to do so for the rest of my life— wherever that might take us.

  Epilogue

  Two Years Later

  Elephants.

  It was all about the elephants this year. Though, my baby shower could have been decorated in burlap sacks and I still would have been happy. I was just happy to be here, celebrating with our friends and family. Even the ones who hated me.

  Today was not about family feuds. It was not about how many years Vanessa and Kyle had been put on probation or how many months they spent in a Mississippi jail after setting my house on fire.

  Maybe it was a little bit about that.

  Without them, I would have never met Hunter. And without Hunter, I never would have known how wonderful my life could really be. Now, we were ready to welcome another member of the family.

  Nova Leigh.

  Poor child doesn’t even know it, but she’s entering a war zone.

  Now there would be a new heir to Hummingbird Hollow. Someone else for Kyle and Vanessa to try and overthrow before the house could ever belong to them or their family. Not that they would. I would like to think they learned their lesson the first time, but old habits die hard.

  “Why are you hiding in here?” Aly walked into the room, looking as ready to pop as I was. “Everyone’s waiting for us.”

  We hadn’t planned on being pregnant at the same time. That had just been a happy accident. Our children would grow up about a month apart in age—two girls and just as sweet and beautiful as their mamas. Both would be raised to be kickass queens who loved themselves unconditionally and would want for nothing, ever.

  Of course, that also meant Aly and I swapped baby shower ideas and supplies. I attended hers out in California, and she was now here with me in Mississippi. She already knew the ropes, where to hang things, and what to set out. I’d helped her set up, but I was way more nervous about the guests than she was.