by Amie Denman
Kevin continued knocking dust off the top of the ductwork, letting some sift down on the chief who stood directly below.
“So?” the older man prompted.
“I might have a date,” Kevin said.
His uncle snorted. “You can’t bring Arnold.”
“I can do better than Arnold.”
“That’s not what I hear.”
Kevin knocked down a big chunk of built-up dust and cobwebs, but the chief dodged it and it hit the floor.
“How about the parade?” his uncle asked.
“I’ve driven a truck in that parade for the last six years. I’ll walk alongside and hand out smoke detectors this year. Maybe I’ll meet someone and ask her to the party.”
“Good luck.”
Kevin wondered how much Tyler and Tony had told the chief about his stalled romance with Nicole. He still had a few days. Maybe he could figure out a way to win her over before it was too late. What would it take...and how far was he willing to go?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
NICOLE AND JANE stood outside the gallery watching the parade. Cape Pursuit had struck gold with the weather for the Homecoming festivities. August heat, sunshine and blue skies were forecasted for the entire weekend. The parade at eleven o’clock on Saturday morning was the official kickoff, and droves of people filled the sidewalks. White tents and food trucks filled the downtown park, waiting for the crowds who would make their way down there after the parade. Nicole would take up her place in their art tent after the parade.
A yearly tradition, the Cape Pursuit Homecoming weekend induced graduates from the local high school and former residents to come back to town. They’d hit the bars, have high school reunion dances, enjoy the parade and bring their families home to the place where they grew up. When Nicole had taken a walk along the beach the night before, she saw a group of people about her age mugging for a photo in front of the mermaid statue. She’d taken their camera and snapped the shot so everyone could be in the picture. And then fifteen cell phones stacked up for her to take a picture with each one when the group appeared to realize she was a reliable photographer. She’d gladly done it, happy to be part of the fun. High school classmates, she guessed.
Growing up in urban Indianapolis, Nicole hadn’t experienced any small-town traditions. Cape Pursuit had started to feel like home to her, but she was still convinced she had to leave.
Didn’t she?
She focused on the parade. Instead of blocking off the busy road that ran right along the ocean, the parade route snaked along the street of businesses where Jane’s gallery resided. The sidewalks were wider here, the shops and restaurants inviting.
A high school band trooped by with baton twirlers flashing their skills. One wildly thrown baton might have taken out a glass storefront, but it bounced off a streetlight instead. The crowd shrank back for a second, cautioned by the shiny missile. A few politicians were working the crowd and handing out campaign buttons and flyers in preparation for the fall election. The local equestrian club went by on horseback. A glittery float was home to the Cape Pursuit Queen and her court.
Police cars. Antique cars. Muscle cars. A classic parade. The largest fire truck in the fleet—a ladder truck—opened the parade, but other vehicles from the Cape Pursuit Fire Department were interspersed throughout the mile-long route. It was probably wiser to spread them out in case of emergency. Or maybe it was a way to keep the excitement alive with the flashing lights, wailing sirens and pulse-rattling air horns.
Jane waved at every single emergency vehicle and called the occupants by name. Nicole glanced uneasily at each cab as it approached, waiting for a sign of the man she most wanted to see but had avoided for a week. Where was Kevin?
The big red ambulance that had taken off her car door months ago crept slowly toward them. The driver wasn’t Kevin.
A tall firefighter was walking alongside the ambulance wearing full turnout gear. It had to be eighty degrees. He carried a big box, and he was handing out small white boxes to people in lawn chairs or standing on the side of the street.
As he got closer, she knew for certain now that it was Kevin.
“Look who’s coming,” Jane whispered. “If you try to run inside, you’ll find out the hard way I locked the door behind us.”
“Not funny. And I’m not going to run.”
“Have you returned a single one of his phone calls or messages?” Jane asked.
Guilt and a stab of pain washed over Nicole. Because Kevin had stopped calling. There had been only silence for the past two days.
What was he handing out, and why was he walking along in such heavy gear? He’d have a heatstroke in the August sunshine.
“Maybe I should go inside and get him a cold drink,” she suggested to Jane.
“Now you care about his well-being?”
“I always cared,” Nicole muttered. “That’s the problem.”
He was almost to their spot in the shade of the gallery awning. Nicole held her breath. Ignoring him in theory was much easier than ignoring him in person.
And he was right there. Tall and handsome, he had the attention of every woman along the parade route. He stopped walking and let the ambulance creep ahead of him. He dug in the big square pocket of his turnout pants and stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the gallery.
Removed his helmet.
Dropped to one knee.
And handed Nicole a smoke detector in a white box.
“There’s a note inside,” he said.
The crowd applauded at the display and Nicole thought for a moment she had just been proposed to. Oh. My. God. Was that what this was?
Kevin didn’t stick around. He stood, put on his helmet and jogged off to catch up with the ambulance.
“I wouldn’t mind knowing what that note says,” an old lady in a lawn chair told her. “If you’re interested in making my day.”
“I was kidding about the door being locked,” Jane said. “You better go inside and cool off. Read your note.”
Nicole thought she would combust if she didn’t get away from the crowd and into the air-conditioned gallery. The foghorn door alarm nearly gave her a heart attack in her emotionally fragile state. She retreated into the back room and pried open the cardboard box. Had Kevin prepared this one before the parade and stuffed it in his pocket, hoping to find her along the way?
The note was folded inside the box. She opened it with shaking fingers.
Nicole,
Nothing in the world is more important to me than fighting fires and saving lives. Except you. I would risk everything to do my job. Except risk losing you.
Kevin
What did it mean? Was he saying he would quit his job for her? Ridiculous. The man lived and breathed firefighting. It was his family tradition, and he poured his heart into it. She was reading something into the note that wasn’t there. She was sure of it.
Kevin had told her himself that day at the beach he would never give up firefighting. And she would never ask him to.
The foghorn signaled someone’s entrance and rattled Nicole’s train of thought.
“It’s just me,” Jane called.
“Back here.”
Jane swept the curtain aside. “Well? Is it a marriage proposal?”
Nicole laughed. “I’ve only known Kevin four months. And we haven’t even talked in over a week.”
“So?”
Nicole handed her friend the note. “What do you think this means?”
Jane looked at the note for a long time, then returned her attention to Nicole.
“Do you love Kevin?”
Nicole sat at Jane’s desk and put her head in her hands. “I thought I did. But then I thought I couldn’t. And then I thought I could forget him if I just didn’t see him or talk to him.”
“And how did that
work out?”
“Honestly, not very well. And then when I saw him today, I wanted to snatch him up and keep him all to myself.”
“Every woman on the parade route was thinking that.”
“But they can’t have him,” Nicole said. “He’s mine.”
Jane laughed. “Really? When did that happen?” She flipped the note over and looked at the back. “Nope. Nothing here.”
“You know what I mean.”
Jane shook her head. “I’m not sure I do. Are you saying you’re willing to fall in love with a firefighter after all?”
“I have no choice,” Nicole said. “I already have.”
“Ah, geez. This is lousy timing. I got suckered into going to that stupid fire department party tonight with Charlie. And now I have to keep my mouth shut all night about you and Kevin being in love.”
“Sorry. Maybe it won’t come up.”
“You should come along, too,” Jane said.
“I wasn’t invited,” Nicole said.
“Kevin never asked?”
“He didn’t ask.”
“I just assumed you turned him down. Maybe he’s not going,” Jane suggested.
“Are you kidding? He probably sleeps in fireman pajamas. Of course he’s going.”
“Not necessarily. Some of the guys are on duty tonight, which means they may technically be at the station for part of the party, but they’re more likely to be on squad calls. Have you seen all the extra people in town looking for trouble tonight? If Kevin’s on call, he’ll be running his adorable ass off.”
“That’s probably it. Right? You don’t think he asked someone else as his date?” Nicole asked.
Jane held up the note. “No man writes a woman a note like this when he’s got a date with someone else.”
“So what should I do now?”
“Follow today’s game plan and head to our tent in the park while I man the gallery. I have no doubt you’ll have more fun there than I will here.”
Nicole and Jane loaded Nicole’s car with the paintings and framed photographs they planned to sell at the festival in the park. They had set up the tent and table in advance but left the merchandise in the gallery for safekeeping. With the artwork and the business supplies stowed in her car, Nicole got in the driver’s seat and headed for the park.
There wasn’t a single parking space anywhere near Nicole and Jane’s spot. The back seat and trunk of her little red car were filled with heavy framed prints and paintings, and it was Nicole’s job to lug them all across the grass to the row of white tents flapping cheerfully in the ocean breeze.
It was not a happy thought. She cruised past the parallel parking spots twice, hoping someone else was just unloading merchandise and would pull away.
No luck.
It was almost noon, the official opening time for the booths and food vendors. Crowds of people were already walking around. Kids played on the swings and monkey bars, while adults took pictures and chatted in small groups.
She had to get the car unloaded and the tent open for business. They could be missing out on sales right now with the crowds of nostalgic locals and tourists. There was only one choice. Nicole activated her four-way flashers and double-parked in the street as close to the back of her tent as she could. Feeling guilty, she stole a glance both ways and hopped out of the car.
She’d hurry. No one would mind. It was a carnival atmosphere anyway, right? She could run back and forth across the grass and carry all the pictures, stow them in the back of the tent and then move her car. It was the only way, and it would only be a few minutes.
Nicole put two framed paintings under each arm and lumbered across the lawn as fast as she could. Why had she chosen this linen dress today? The sky blue color was perfect, but she would be a wrinkled mess by the time she opened the tent flaps. And her delicate sandals with narrow heels and slender ankle straps were no match for the grassy park grounds.
She ran back to her car, got four more framed pictures, and hauled them across the lawn to the back of the tent. Her trunk empty now, she opened the car’s back door and leaned in. A car whizzed past her, ruffling her skirt. She was flirting with danger and a parking ticket.
She had two paintings under one arm and was reaching into the back seat when an air horn right behind her startled her and she jumped, hitting her head on the ceiling of the car. She dropped two paintings onto the floor of her car and straightened up, rubbing her head.
A giant red ambulance blocked the street entirely as it idled next to her, lights flashing. Kevin got out of the passenger door and towered over her. He grabbed her hand and held it while he examined the place on her head she’d been rubbing.
“Are you okay? I told Tony not to blow the horn and scare you.”
She glanced up at the cab of the truck. Tony leaned across the seat and grinned. “Double-parking sons of guns,” he said.
Nicole smiled. “Hello, Tony. I’m glad you were driving this time.” She poked Kevin in the chest. “This guy might have taken my car door off.”
“I thought you might have learned your lesson last time,” Tony called.
Nicole shook her head. “I’m a glutton for punishment.”
Kevin still held her hand. He kissed it, never taking his eyes off hers. Nicole felt all the nerves in her body sigh at the same time. Kevin wore his uniform, the fire department symbol emblazoned over the left side of his chest.
And it didn’t bother her. Finally. She reached up with her free hand and traced the Maltese cross with one finger. It had taken months, but that symbol now meant something other than her brother’s death. It meant something new, thanks to Kevin. Rescue. Safety. Giving someone a second chance.
“I got your note,” she said, her face tipped up to his. She didn’t care that there were hundreds of people around. All she cared about was another chance with Kevin.
“I meant every word,” he said.
He stepped closer and slid an arm around her waist. Traffic began to back up in both directions because the street was completely blocked. Someone honked a car horn. Repeatedly.
“What exactly did you mean?” Nicole asked.
“I meant I would give up anything but you.”
She shook her head. “You can’t.”
“Sure I can. Why not?”
“Because,” she said. She moved closer to him and put her head on his chest, reveling in the way it felt to be held by him with the sunshine on her back. “Because I love you. And I want you to be happy.”
His arms tightened and she heard his heart thudding.
“You love me,” he whispered.
“You had to know that.”
“I hoped.”
More car horns honked and Tony leaned across the seat again. “Think you can speed this up, partner?”
“No,” Kevin said.
“I’ll drive around the block and come back,” Tony said. “You’ve got a radio.”
The ambulance pulled away, leaving diesel fumes in its wake. A car flew past them, nearly taking off Nicole’s door. Kevin shut it and pulled Nicole onto the sidewalk.
He held her at arm’s length, assessing her. She was glad she was wearing that impractical dress and dainty shoes now. He ran a hand through her chin-length blond hair. “I can’t get you out of my mind,” he said.
“I have the same problem.”
“We could help each other with that problem,” Kevin said. “I have a solution.”
Nicole’s heart filled with liquid heat that radiated all the way to her fingers. “What is it?”
“I visited the travel agency downtown yesterday.”
“Really? I thought you said you never went anywhere on vacation. That everything you wanted was right here.”
“Right. I haven’t taken a vacation in six years.”
Her curiosity was
killing her.
“Turns out if you cash in six years’ worth of vacation time, you have enough money for a trip for two to Italy.”
Tingling started at the top of her head and raised goose bumps along her neck. Her eyes suddenly stung.
“Do you know anyone who’d like to go on a ten-day trip to Italy with me?” Kevin asked.
Nicole flung herself into his arms and held on tight. Could this really be happening?
“But wait,” she said, her words muffled against his shirt. “If you cashed in all your vacation time for the money, how can you go on a ten-day vacation?”
She pulled back so she could see his face.
His eyebrows drew together and his smile flattened into a serious expression. “I put my resignation on my uncle’s desk right before the parade.”
All the breath rushed from Nicole’s lungs. “No,” she said.
Kevin nodded. “I did. I told you I’d give up anything except you. And if my career choice was keeping us apart, I have other options. I happen to be quite a decent house painter.”
Nicole shook her head.
“Really,” Kevin said. “I’m always turning down painting jobs because I don’t have the time. And Arnold will be so happy when he hears the good news.” Kevin smiled, the lines in his forehead disappearing. “He likes riding along on painting jobs.”
“You can’t quit,” she said.
“I did.”
“You have to take your resignation back,” she said.
“Think about what you’re saying, Nicole.” He ran a finger down her face. “I don’t want you to live in misery, always wondering if I’m going to come home from work. You deserve better than that.”
She grabbed his hand and turned it over, touching the calluses, running her finger over a small scar on his palm. She took a deep breath and looked up. “I used to think I couldn’t live with the fear of losing you, but I know now loving you is worth it. Even if that means I’ll worry like crazy about you.”
Kevin bit his lip. “You mean you’d be willing to take me as I am, dangerous job and all?”
“I’d be lucky to have you as you are.”