Strike a Match (No Match for Love Book 1)

by Lindzee Armstrong

  Taylor glanced around and saw a box of baking soda next to a mixer. He grabbed the pan off and sprinkled the baking soda over the flames, further cooling them.

  “Here.” The boy shoved a fire extinguisher into Taylor’s hands.

  Taylor instantly doused the stove in foamy sodium bicarbonate, not stopping until the extinguisher sputtered and stopped. He handed it over to the kid, feeling his heart rate slow. “There.”

  And that’s when the overhead sprinklers flicked on, dousing them in water. Taylor flinched as the cold drops soaked his clothes. When was the last time they’d had this place inspected? He flicked the water out of his eyes. “Your sprinkler system is faulty. This entire building could’ve been in flames by now.”

  “I don’t know what happened,” the boy said, his voice continuing to rise. “One second everything was fine, and the next the stove was on fire.”

  Taylor heard the wail of sirens in the distance and rolled his eyes. Station forty-one was always so slow to respond.

  “It’s called a grease fire.” Taylor clapped the boy on the back. “Never try to put one out with water. Could’ve happened to anyone. You got lucky this time.”

  A firefighter raced into the building, and Taylor briefed him on the situation.

  “We’ve got it from here,” the firefighter said, brushing past Taylor.

  Taylor stood there for a moment, feeling useless. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, the screen dark and device dripping in water. Amy was going to be pissed.

  Wait. Where was Kate?

  Taylor raced from the restaurant, frantically looking around the parking lot. But Kate was gone.

  Kate stood under the scalding hot water, shivers still wracking her body. That fire alarm had gone off, and suddenly she’d been pulling into her driveway with no memory of how she’d gotten there.

  She couldn’t believe she’d ditched Taylor. How embarrassing.

  Eventually she warmed up and crawled between her crisp sage green sheets. She stared at the white ceiling shadowed by moonlight, willing her muscles to relax and mind to slow so she could sleep. The bed felt blessedly empty and spacious without Beau’s large frame taking his half out of the middle. She’d had to buy a new mattress after the fire, and she’d picked one soft as a cloud—six years of sleeping on a hard-as-a-rock mattress for Beau’s back was long enough.

  Beau. She rested a hand on her forehead, staring at the textured ceiling. That fire alarm had gone off and her instincts had taken over. But Beau hadn’t been able to run away. He’d barely been able to limp. Had he realized what was happening before passing out, or had he simply gone from sleeping to dead? She hoped he hadn’t suffered.

  She couldn’t believe she’d actually gone on a date with someone who wasn’t him. Taylor had been so different—tall and strong, kind and considerate. The date had been beyond awkward—and now she was beyond humiliated—but Taylor had tried to fill the awkward silences with kind conversation. Beau had been that way before the accident, too. Six unimaginably difficult years had dulled his better qualities, but they had been there.

  A tear slipped out of the corner of Kate’s eye, and she wiped it away. She didn’t miss the Beau she’d lived with for most of their marriage. But she desperately missed the Beau from their courtship, the one who had tenderly kissed her forehead and brought flowers to the hospital to brighten her day. She’d been so optimistic on the day they wed. The ceremony had been simple, just ten minutes at the courthouse with a clerk standing nearby as the witness. But it had been the happiest moment of her life.

  Then, scarcely before the ink was dry, Beau had broken his back. After rehab he’d started drinking to dull the pain. It had turned him into someone she didn’t even recognize.

  Kate rolled onto her side, letting tears leak onto her pillow. She didn’t want to date a handsome fireman who made her stomach flip and cheeks heat. She wanted to be a wife in a comfortable, loving marriage. One where she was a partner and not a doormat. Where she could trust her husband to weather life’s difficulties with kindness.

  Taylor had looked at her with such unmasked pity when he realized she hadn’t known who he was. All in all, her first foray back into the dating world couldn’t have been more of a disaster.

  Kate spent the rest of the weekend cleaning her house and running errands. She even managed to fit in a short hike, taking one of the trails Taylor suggested. When she walked into work on Monday morning, she felt groggy and exhausted. She dropped her purse in the bottom drawer of her desk, then booted up the computer to pull patient charts.

  “How’d it go?”

  Kate jumped at Liza’s voice. She swiveled in the chair to look up at her friend’s eager face. “Fine.”

  Liza frowned, sinking into the chair next to Kate’s. “That doesn’t sound very convincing.”

  The humiliating and uncomfortable date washed over Kate once again. She didn’t want to talk about this, especially not to her one and only friend. “I don’t think we’ll go out again,” Kate said simply.

  “Uh-oh. He didn’t treat you badly, did he?”

  “No, Taylor was a perfect gentleman.”

  “Did he have bad breath?”

  “No.”

  “Was he really arrogant and it wasn’t fun to bowl with him?”

  “No.”

  “Was he shorter than you?”

  A smile cracked the corner of Kate’s mouth. “No.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  The problem was he was too handsome, too kind, and too considerate. And had too many connections to the past she was trying to leave behind. “I didn’t feel a connection,” Kate said, deciding vague was the best way to approach this.

  “Give it a little time.” Liza rubbed a comforting hand up and down Kate’s arm. “The first date was bound to be difficult. How are you doing? I imagine it was a really hard night for you.”

  Yes, but not for the reasons Liza assumed. “I’m doing okay.”

  “Well, keep at it. No one expects you to fall in love with the first guy you date. I’m really proud of you for getting back out there, Kate. I don’t know if I’d be as brave as you if the situation was reversed.”

  Brave. Kate inwardly laughed. That was the exact opposite of what she felt. Cowardly was a much better word. If she’d been brave, she would’ve insisted she and Beau go to counseling, that he go to AA meetings, asked for a divorce—anything but stay in an unhealthy relationship and wither into nothing.

  The day was busy, and Kate thankfully didn’t have a moment to spare discussing her date with Liza. She rushed out of the clinic nearly thirty minutes late and sped to Toujour for her appointment with Brooke.

  Kate had barely sat down in one of the Parlours when Brooke breezed into the room, looking put-together and chic in a plum-colored skirt and white blouse. Kate looked down at her wrinkled Mickey Mouse scrubs, biting her lip.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Kate said quickly. “Work was really crazy today.”

  Brooke sank gracefully into a chair, waving away the words with a flick of her wrist. “Don’t worry about it. So, how did your date go with Taylor?”

  Kate shifted in her seat, looking down at her hands. “He was very kind,” she said diplomatically.

  “Kate.”

  Kate looked up, surprised at the use of her nickname.

  Brooke smiled. “Taylor told me you preferred that to Kaitlynn.”

  “Yeah,” Kate said.

  “He also told me what happened.”

  Tears pooled in Kate’s eyes, and she blinked quickly, fighting them back. “I kept thinking he looked familiar, but couldn’t place where I’d seen him. I thought he just had one of those faces.”

  “I am so incredibly sorry. I can’t even begin to imagine how traumatic that must’ve been for you. That is not what I ever wanted for you, much less on your very first date.”

  Kate would not let the tears fall. “It’s okay. It’s my fault, really. I should’ve recognized him. If I’d realiz
ed who he was, I wouldn’t have agreed to a date. I think I placed Taylor in an uncomfortable situation. I feel really bad about that.”

  “He was worried when he couldn’t find you after the restaurant fire.”

  Kate stared at her chipped nails. “I’m so embarrassed about that. I overreacted.”

  “I think Taylor understands.” Brooke flipped open the lid on her laptop. “Now, let’s get into the nitty gritty. How would you rate Taylor’s attractiveness, on a scale of one to ten? I know this is a silly question, but physical attraction is important in a relationship, and if it’s not there, it usually means the relationship won’t work out.”

  Kate felt her face flush red and bit her lip. “I guess a seven or eight.” Liar, her mind shouted. He was a solid ten at least.

  Brooke’s eyebrow raised, but she quickly pulled her face into a blank expression. “That’s not bad for our first try. Can you tell me a little bit about how the date went, in your own words?”

  Kate picked at a loose thread on her scrub top. “Taylor was very kind. It only took a few minutes for me to figure out who he was. He thought I wanted to go on the date to discuss that night. When he realized that wasn’t the case, he was very respectful and didn’t push me.”

  “Taylor is a considerate person,” Brooke said. “It’s something his dates always comment on, and one of the reasons I matched the two of you up. How did the date progress from there?”

  “We bowled. We talked about our likes and dislikes. He invited me to dinner, and I agreed.” She still wasn’t sure why. She should’ve left the second she realized who he was. “It was uncomfortable but okay until the fire alarm.”

  They talked for a few more minutes, and Kate gradually loosened up, becoming a little freer with her answers.

  Brooke finally shut the lid of her laptop and leaned forward. “Taylor felt awful about how the date started off, but he really enjoyed spending time with you. I know that, given the circumstances, you might never want to see Taylor again. I think he’s aware of that as well. But he had a really good time, and he wants a second date.”

  Kate’s stomach swooped, and she pressed her lips together in a tight line. “He said that?”

  “Yes.”

  A pity date. What other explanation could there be? She’d left in the middle of their date without so much as a goodbye, for crying out loud. For a moment, she pictured the way his baby blues had burned into her soul.

  No. She did not need a pity date.

  “He shouldn’t feel obligated to take me out again because of the circumstances,” Kate said.

  “Taylor and I talked about that. I really don’t think that’s his motive. He likes you, Kate. He loved discussing hiking with you. He admired the way you handled the situation and appreciated your sense of humor.”

  Sense of humor? Nothing about that date had been even close to funny.

  “He wants to explore and see where this could go,” Brooke finished.

  The old Kate—the Kate who had put up with Beau’s abuse for six years—would agree to the date out of obligation and a desire to not hurt Taylor’s feelings. She opened her mouth, yes on the tip of her tongue.

  But she’d come to Toujour to change her old ways and find lasting happiness.

  “I don’t know if I want to go out with him again,” Kate said slowly.

  She expected Brooke to argue with her. To insist she and Taylor were a perfect match. But Brooke just nodded and said, “I understand completely.”

  “It’s not that he wasn’t nice. He was.”

  “Kate.” Brooke rested a gentle hand on her knee. “I understand. And so will Taylor.”

  “He seems like a great guy. It’s just too much right now.”

  “Let’s not say no, then. Let’s say not right now.” Brooke flipped her laptop open again. “In case you didn’t want to go out with him again immediately, I found a few more matches you might be interested in, as well as the two I showed you before. How about I set you up on dates with a couple of those men, and we can revisit whether or not you want to go out with Taylor again later?”

  “Okay,” Kate said.

  But she wouldn’t go out with him again. The new Kate was no one’s damsel in distress.

  Taylor spent the rest of the weekend in San Diego, trying to get the situation with Amy under control. The landlord had agreed to give Amy some time to come up with the rest of the cash if Taylor paid half the back rent immediately. In the end he caved. Amy needed him. She needed support and encouragement. If she had someone to look after her, he knew she’d improve.

  And the San Diego Fire Department happened to have an opening.

  On Monday morning he hung up the phone, not at all surprised that Kate didn’t want another date. It wasn’t like it had gone especially well, and his connection to her past had no doubt rattled her. What did surprise him was how much the realization he’d most likely never see Kate again disappointed him.

  Tuesday morning, Taylor rolled out of bed at four-thirty and was to the fire station in time for his five a.m. shift. His best friend, Corey, was already in the kitchen, preparing breakfast casseroles for the guys. His dark hair was messy, the apron barely fitting around his muscled torso.

  “Hey man,” Corey said, giving a head nod. “How was your weekend?”

  “Unexpected and bizarre.” Taylor washed his hands in the sink, then started cracking eggs in a bowl. It wasn’t his turn for mess duty, but he didn’t mind helping Corey out.

  “What do you mean?” Corey asked.

  “I went on a Toujour date.”

  “Oh yeah?” Corey raised an eyebrow. “I went on one, too. She was pretty cool, and we’re going out again. I haven’t had an awful date yet from them. What did you guys do that was so bizarre?”

  “We went bowling. She beat me.”

  “I’m not surprised. You suck.”

  Taylor glared. “Not the point. The bizarre part was that I already knew her.”

  “An ex?” Corey winced sympathetically. “That blows. Didn’t you recognize her from the photo?”

  “Yes. But she isn’t an ex, and she didn’t recognize me.”

  “Okay …” Corey dumped the sausage into the frying pan and it sizzled, steam rising toward the oven hood. “Are you going to make me keep guessing, or are you just going to tell me?”

  “Remember my first fire?”

  Corey squinted. “Vaguely. A house fire, right? Guy died.”

  “Yes. And I told the widow.”

  “I kind of remember that. She was super hot.”

  “Yes.” Taylor raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

  Corey’s eyes widened. “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “No!”

  “When my matchmaker sent her profile over, I assumed Kate knew that I was the firefighter from that night and wanted closure or something. But she had no idea.”

  Corey let out a whistle. “Wow. Talk about a rocky start.”

  Taylor finished cracking eggs into the bowl and grabbed a whisk. “She was pissed at first. But then she relaxed, and she was pretty cool. Until a fire alarm went off.”

  Corey winced. “Ouch.”

  “Yeah. Grease fire in the kitchen. By the time I got it under control, she was gone. My matchmaker says Kate doesn’t want to see me again.”

  “Can you blame her?”

  Taylor grabbed the towel and flicked it at Corey, who jumped away, laughing.

  “I’m just saying I can see where she’s coming from,” Corey said, and his smile faded. “That must’ve been really hard for her.”

  “Yeah.” Taylor poured the eggs over the sausage, and Corey continued scrambling. “I really thought she knew, which I now realize makes me an idiot. But man, I can’t get her out of my head. Then I had to go down to San Diego and help Amy out.”

  “She’s drinking again?”

  Taylor blew out a sigh. “Yeah, a lot. I’m thinking of moving down there to help her more.”

  Corey paused. “Wow, man. Th
at’s a big decision.”

  “I know. But she needs me.”

  Soon the kitchen was filled with laughter as they shared breakfast with the rest of the guys. They were just cleaning up when Glenn, one of the older firefighters, pulled Taylor to the side.

  “What’s up?” Taylor asked.

  “I was hoping you’d do me a favor,” Glenn said. “I’m supposed to go to that pediatric safety fair a week from Saturday with Corey, but my friend’s selling tickets for that day to a play my wife really wants to see. Think you can cover for me?”

  “Sure,” Taylor said. The answer was automatic, and he did a mental flip through his calendar, hoping there wasn’t something else he was supposed to do. “Just text me the information, and I’ll do it.” He’d never done a safety fair before, but it sounded fun.

  “Thank you.” Glenn clapped him on the shoulder. “Me and the missus really appreciate it. I can always count on you.”

  I can always count on you … Taylor almost snorted. His parents would laugh out loud if they heard someone saying that.

  Amy called three more times that week. He spent the weekend in San Diego again, driving her to various job interviews while secretly wondering if his parents were right—he made things too easy for Amy. But when he saw her excitement at finally landing a job, he banished her parents voices from his mind. She needed someone to be in her corner.

  As soon as Taylor got home, he filled out the job application for San Diego. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to send it in. Even almost two weeks later, he couldn’t stop thinking about Kate.

  On Saturday morning, Taylor sat in the passenger’s seat of one of the station’s pumper trucks as Corey negotiated the ever-present Los Angeles traffic on their way to the pediatric safety fair.

  “Thought any more about the San Diego job?” Corey asked, pulling Taylor out of his thoughts.

  “Yeah,” Taylor said. “It’s just a lot, you know? I’d have to sell the condo, and Mom and Dad would be furious.”

  “That’s a tough choice,” Corey said.

  Taylor couldn’t agree more.

  “Come over tonight. We’ll watch the game and hang out.”