The Firefighter's Perfect Plan_Fire and Sparks

by Sonya Weiss

  Lincoln took the chip from her hand and tossed it into his mouth. “I hate frilly crap, seeing a woman cry, and loaning my truck.”

  “It’s too bad that you hate frilly crap. I have a lot of frilly lingerie.” She grinned. “You’ve seen my lingerie thanks to the neighbor’s cat.”

  “Trust me, I did my best not to look.” He leaned across the table and lowered his voice. “If this was a real date, I’d tell you that it was all I could think about when I went to bed that night.”

  Josie leaned toward him, too. “I can buy you some to wear if you want.”

  “Funny, but I’d rather see you wear yours.”

  Surprised, Josie sat up straighter. “Um…”

  “I didn’t mean to say that,” Lincoln said in a rush of breath. “You’re a beautiful woman, but just because I’ve thought…it doesn’t mean…I can’t…”

  Josie crumpled her napkin at the expression on his face. “Relax, Lincoln. I don’t take you seriously.” She knew better. It was hard to sit across from him, look into his eyes and not want more than friendship.

  “Favorite spot?” Lincoln asked, his voice cutting through Josie’s silent musings.

  “I have too many to pick just one, I think.”

  “Morning person or night owl?” he asked.

  Josie didn’t have to think about that one. “Night owl. I love the night and when the sky is filled with millions of stars, I just can’t look at it long enough. I used to crawl out of my bedroom window when I was a kid and get up on the roof. I’d lay back and look at the stars.” She smiled.

  “Did you do that often?”

  “Every night when the weather was clear. I’d lie there, watching the sky and thinking that when my handsome prince showed up, it would be at night. There would be millions of stars filling the sky and he’d tell me he loved me.” She blushed at Lincoln’s intense stare.

  “If anyone deserves a fairy tale ending, it’s you,” he said.

  They finished eating and walked outside. The night air was colder than it had been when they’d walked into the restaurant and Josie shivered, but she didn’t know if it was a reaction to the temperature or the knowledge that soon this deal with Lincoln would be finished.

  …

  Lincoln silently called himself all kinds of a fool. Suggesting a fake date with Josie had been to keep up the pretense but tonight, underneath the light-hearted banter, he’d caught a glimpse of vulnerability in her eyes. Josie was a strong woman. He knew she was capable of anything, especially once she put her mind to it.

  But that look, the one that said I trust you had smacked him upside the head. She trusted him to be a man of his word, which he was. She trusted him to be her friend, which he was. She trusted him not to hurt her…which left him with the determination not to but the fear that he would. And that would be a kick below the belt.

  He glanced beside him to where Josie sat, bouncing lightly in the seat as she rocked out to the song on the radio. She caught his look and smiled. A brilliant, beautiful smile that made his heart stutter.

  He forced his attention back to the road ahead and didn’t speak until he’d reached the destination.

  Josie stopped moving and frowned as she looked through the windshield. “The old theater? There hasn’t been a play performed here in ages.”

  “I know.” Lincoln nodded. “The former owners just sold it and left all the props and the equipment behind. I was in the right place at the right time and the new owner told me if I’d clean it out, I could have whatever I wanted. I thought you could look through the stuff and maybe use some of it for your video business.”

  “Did you offer to clean it out just for my sake?”

  Lincoln nodded, alarmed when her lower lip began to tremble. “If you don’t want anything…”

  “No…I do…this is amazing.”

  “Come on, then.” He got out and waited on the sidewalk for her to join him. Then he took the key the new owner had given him and unlocked the door. A whoosh of stale air greeted them and didn’t surprise Lincoln. The place had been closed for several months.

  Josie followed him in and went straight to the stage after he turned on the lights. She stopped in the middle, cleared her throat, and began to sing as she pretended to waltz around.

  Lincoln lowered himself into one of the front row seats.

  She danced until she laughed and then stood breathless with her hands on her hips while he clapped. “Truly, I’ve missed my calling in life.”

  “Nah. That’s just you, Josie. You’re good at everything you do.”

  She beamed at him, then her attention was caught by a rack of vintage dresses on the left side stage. “Look at this.” She took one of them and held it against herself. “Amazing.”

  “Why don’t you point out the stuff that you want, and I’ll start loading it into the back of my truck?”

  Josie picked out some things and then gasped. “Muslin backdrops…I can use those.”

  “Just add it to the pile.”

  An hour later, with the truck loaded, Lincoln drove Josie home.

  When they got out and began unloading, Josie pressed an impromptu kiss to his cheek. “Thank you. Do you know how much money you’ve saved me?”

  His face tingling from the touch of her lips, Lincoln said, “Glad I could help.” They went back and forth and as soon as everything was stored in Josie’s spare bedroom, she walked with him to the door.

  “Best date ever,” she said when she pushed open the screen and stepped outside with him.

  Without thinking, he smoothed away a strand of hair that blew across her face. Her eyes were luminous, her lips parted, the corners pulled into a slight smile as she spoke. He imagined her closing her eyes and whispering, Kiss me, please.

  He blinked. “Sorry, what?”

  “I said you could stay for a cup of coffee and cake if you wanted. I made a fresh red velvet cake this morning.”

  “No, I’ve got to go.” Before I do something so stupid, I’d have to level up just to reach moron status.

  “You’re not going to the station, are you?”

  He couldn’t tell her that he couldn’t be in close proximity with her for his own peace of mind. “Yeah, I need to check on some stuff, so I’ll just sleep there. But I’ll see you tomorrow for scouting wedding locations?”

  “Sounds good.” She stood at the door watching until he got in the truck and backed out of the driveway.

  It made Lincoln nervous that driving away from her was the last thing he wanted to do.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Josie was amazed at how quickly the next day flew by until it was time for her and Lincoln to look at wedding locations. Last night at the theater, and then again at her house, she’d come so close to telling him that the feelings she had for him branched out beyond friendship. She’d managed to fight back the urge, but just barely.

  Even though she was tired of sitting on the bench and playing it safe, she knew Lincoln wouldn’t leap for joy if he thought his fake fiancée wanted more than what they’d agreed on.

  Fear of rejection had tied her tongue last night and looking back, it was probably a good thing that it had. There would be no turning their pretend love story into a real one. The only thing that Lincoln would allow to happen between them was goodbye.

  Heeding the temperature, she’d dressed warmly in casual clothes. She’d changed her long-sleeved shirt three times before settling on a paisley print one with a shark bite hem. She inspected her appearance in the oval mirror in the foyer. The nervousness was easy to read in her eyes, but she would get that under control and be her usual everything’s-great self when she saw him.

  By the time she heard Lincoln pull up, she’d calmed most of her runaway thoughts. It was better that she let go of a man who didn’t want her sooner rather than later. Only a few more days to go and then they’d part ways. She was ready for that. Eager for it. Lie forty-one that she’d told herself since last night.

  Her stomach churn
ed at the thought that everything was going to end soon. But it was better this way. Better than living with all the faking and the up-and-down rollercoaster emotions that sprang to life every time Lincoln was in the same room with her.

  The evening of Casey’s wedding, she would give Lincoln back the ring, but she planned to do it quietly and privately. She didn’t want him to be the object of scrutiny the way he’d been after Savannah had ended their relationship. If everyone, including her mom, thought that she was the problem, Josie didn’t care. She wished she’d thought all this through from the start, but how could she have known there’d be a fake proposal in her future when she’d first told the lie to her mother?

  The doorbell rang and she made herself walk slowly and calmly to answer it like she hadn’t wanted to run. Her gaze locked with his. She could seriously drown in those dark depths.

  He smiled. “I have something to show you.”

  She grabbed a jacket, then stepped out and locked the door. When she turned around, she gaped at the driveway. The car that Lincoln and his brothers had bought her for her high school graduation was parked there, looking ten times worse for wear. “What? Where on earth did you find it?”

  “Mr. Mahon had it in his garage. I found it a couple of weeks ago when Grayson and I went over to do some house repairs for him. He gave it to us in return. I thought it might be fun to fix it up, give it new life. Strangely enough, Grayson wasn’t interested in it.”

  “He wasn’t?” Josie laughed and went over to touch the rusted front bumper. “I can’t imagine why.”

  “I put a new battery in and it started right up.” Lincoln tugged on the passenger door handle but the door wouldn’t open. “One second.” He kicked the bottom of the door and it swung out. He gave a half bow. “Nothing but the best for you, sweetheart.”

  Josie got in and wrinkled her nose at the musty smell. “What is that?”

  Lincoln tapped the handful of air fresheners hanging on the rearview mirror. “You don’t want to know.”

  She pried the lap belt from between the seats and fastened it around herself. “My first car. This thing brings back so many memories.” She’d driven it as proudly as if it was brand new. Lincoln and his brothers had done more than simply give her a vehicle. They’d given her freedom.

  He scowled as he ground the gears trying to find reverse. “It sticks. Might be a problem with the transmission. I’ll have to look at that.” He wrestled with it for a second, then the gear engaged and he backed from the driveway with a triumphant grin.

  As he drove them away from the town, Josie asked, “Where are we going first?”

  He took a list from his pocket and handed it to her. “Moon Acres. What’s the look for?”

  “It’s in bad shape if I remember correctly. Casey’s not going to want her wedding held there.” That was an understatement. The place had a Bates Motel feel to it and Josie had always hated it.

  “I promised her I’d check all the sites.” The drive only took a few minutes and as soon as Lincoln pulled up outside the house that looked as if a rough wind would make it collapse, he said, “I think you’re right, but we’ll take a quick look and see what shape the barn is in.”

  They walked around the barn and exchanged a look at the obvious signs of decay on the building.

  “The grass here is almost as high as my waist.” Josie opened the barn door and immediately backed away from the smell. “That’s foul.”

  Lincoln waved his hand in front of his face. “Let’s go. I’m done.”

  They got back into the car and drove to the second place on the list. Another farmhouse, but this one was blue with a wide wraparound porch. A hound dog lifted his head and looked at them but didn’t bother to get up.

  “At least it looks better,” Josie said once they got out.

  “Yeah, but there’s not much room for parking and no easy turnaround area. Plus the driveway is so full of potholes, someone is bound to get a car stuck.” He surveyed the land. “There’s a nice view but I don’t think this one is right, either.”

  “I agree.” Feeling a little stressed and worried that they might not find what Casey was looking for, Josie got back in the car. As Lincoln carefully navigated the car back and forth, trying not to hit any of the holes, she asked, “What’s the next place on the list?”

  “There’s a farm a few miles past the water tower. It has a huge barn that was in pretty good shape the last time I saw it.”

  “The Duncan farm.”

  “We went stargazing there once,” Lincoln said as he drove them back through the center of town toward the opposite side of Morganville.

  “I remember.” She’d hoped that night would last forever. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized she was too far in over her head. The urge to tell him how she felt seemed to be never-ending.

  Several minutes after leaving the business district, Lincoln drove down a winding dirt and gravel driveway leading up to a white farmhouse.

  “This one looks a little more promising,” she said, looking out the window.

  After he parked and they got out, Lincoln said, “I’m already starting to get hungry. What about you?”

  “A little.”

  “Mom insisted that I bring supper, so we’ll eat after we finish looking around here. I called the owners earlier and they said it was okay for us to have a picnic anywhere.”

  Josie was certain she wouldn’t be able to eat with the thoughts she was wrestling with—telling Lincoln how she felt versus not, because she’d only end up disappointed.

  Lincoln patted his shirt pocket. “I have a list of things Casey wanted us to check for in the barn.” He handed it to her.

  Josie took it but before she read it, the land on the right side of the barn caught her attention. Just beyond the wooden fence was the field where she and Lincoln had watched the stars. Back before Savannah and his allergy to relationships.

  Lincoln pulled open one of the barn’s double doors and took a second to examine the floor. “Nice oak. Looks smooth. Whoever built this was a professional.”

  Josie thought it was beautiful and imagined her and Lincoln dancing here at Casey’s wedding. She glanced at him and found that he was looking at her. I should tell him how I feel right now.

  He took the list from her and Josie lost her nerve.

  Lincoln scanned the paper. “Casey wants thin branches wired with white Christmas lights in the entry to form an arch. She wants to know if the distance between the walls is close enough to make that happen.” He looked up.

  Josie quit thinking about what she should have said and took a second to visually measure. “I think…yes.”

  Lincoln nodded. “She wants to know if there’s room at the end of the barn to put a platform for her, Kent, and the minister.”

  Josie walked across the floor and examined it. “There is.” In her mind’s eye, she could clearly see the look Casey was going for. “It’s going to be a beautiful wedding.”

  Lincoln knocked on one of the wooden supports. “Everything looks pretty solid.” He turned his attention to the rafters. “She wants lights hung.” He blew out a breath. “Not a lot of time left to get this all done.”

  He was right, but Josie didn’t doubt that everything would work out for her friend. “She has enough family and friends that we’ll make it happen.” Compared to the other places they’d looked, this one filled Josie with possibility. “The chairs will go there.” She pointed to either side of the barn. “We can have the food set up on the far side of the barn along with the wedding cake.”

  They walked around, and Lincoln made some notes. Half an hour later when they finished, he asked, “Ready to eat now?”

  Not really, but it would give her hands something to do and her brain something to think about besides Lincoln. “Yes, I am. I’ll help you get the food.”

  “I’ll do it.”

  He walked outside, and Josie turned her back to the doors. When he returned he shook out a blanket and sp
read it over the floor, then set the picnic basket in the middle of it. “How’s the video business going?”

  The sudden question puzzled her. “It’s slowly taking off. I’m filming another wedding proposal at sunrise tomorrow morning. I’m just glad it’s not at the lake.”

  “That swim didn’t make your list of top ten favorite experiences?”

  Josie laughed. “No.”

  “I’ve been thinking.” Lincoln poured coffee from the thermos into two mugs he’d taken from the basket and passed one of them to her. “I’m going to let the dogs stay with a guy I work with. Grayson and I will move in with our parents until the house is fixed.”

  “You’re welcome to keep staying with me.” Josie hid her disappointment by unpacking the thick ham sandwiches on homemade bread.

  “I can’t. I could hardly sleep, thinking any second you were going to burst into the bedroom and tackle me.”

  Josie arched her eyebrows. “Because?”

  He smirked at her. “I’m just too sexy.”

  Josie wadded up a napkin and tossed it at him. “If anyone was in danger of getting pounced on, it’s me. You know you want me.”

  “What guy wouldn’t want you?”

  Josie took a bite of the sandwich and her heart skipped a beat as his words sank in. She swallowed. “Does that include you?” Shouldn’t have asked that. Shouldn’t have—

  “I’m probably at the top of the list.” He let out a rueful laugh.

  Lincoln had just admitted that he wanted her. She’d hoped he was attracted to her, but now that he’d admitted it, she wasn’t sure what to do with the information. The urge to share her heart was there, but her sixth sense warned her to keep quiet. “But?”

  “But nothing. We’re friends and that’s where the story ends.”

  “I think I want an alternative ending,” Josie grumbled.

  “If I knew without a shadow of a doubt that everything would work out, that I’d never fail you, then I’d say hell yeah, let’s go for it.”

  Josie was so astonished that she dropped her sandwich back onto the paper plate. “You’re talking about a perfect man and there’s no such guy.” She reached across the space between them to take his hand. “A perfect man would be insanely boring and probably drive me up a wall. I need a guy who’s as upside down as I am. One who’ll walk with me through the mistakes we’re both certain to make.”