by Lane Martin
"And what?" Cathy prodded. I knew she'd eventually get it out of me, so I decided to be honest with her.
"I don't know how to bake," I admitted as I turned to face my friend, chewing on my bottom lip nervously.
"At all?" Her mouth hung open in shock. I shook my head no.
"Finally, something you aren't good at! Come on, let's go." Arguing was pointless. Plus being with Cathy was better than sitting at home alone on a holiday all about a four-letter word that terrified me.
"Why are we here?" I followed Cathy in my own car, and she had led us to the bed and breakfast, where we parked. Not that I minded our current location. I wasn't completely sure what it had to do with my baking predicament.
"You'll see. Come on." Cathy strolled into The Cottages like she owned the place as I followed reluctantly behind her.
"Is that you, Pumpkin?" Esther called from the kitchen at the back of the historic bed and breakfast.
"Yes, Gram, it's me, and I brought a friend." Wait. What? Grandma Esther was Cathy's grandma? How did I not know this before?
"A man?" The hope in her voice made Esther sound younger. We entered the kitchen.
"No, Gram."
Esther looked disappointed until she saw me standing behind her granddaughter. Cathy clearly got her fashion sensibilities from the woman. She was also clad in red from head to toe.
"You're the music teacher. I knew you'd be back. They always come back for the cookies." Esther offered us a plateful before welcoming Cathy with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"That's why we're here, Gram. Penny snatched up Carson over at the firehouse. She needs a baking lesson." I wanted to argue that he wasn't mine, but it was hard to do since I had no idea how to explain what he was to me. I wasn't about to tell Esther that he and I were friends with benefits. Plus, that didn't seem like the right definition. I honestly had no idea what we were or what the future looked like for us. Already I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it.
"Are you prepared for the outcome? Once this Carson gets ahold of your cookies, he won't be going anywhere for a very long time." Esther was entirely serious. Was it wrong to hope she was right? I wanted him by my side.
Cathy snorted a laugh. "I think he's already had her special cookie, Gram."
"Catherine Marie Clementine!" Esther scolded. "This is serious. Get the eggs. We have cookies to bake."
I screamed when a rap on my window scared the crap out of me. After my impromptu baking class with Esther and Cathy, I had driven to the fire station and had been sitting outside in my parked car for at least ten minutes trying to convince myself I was only dropping off a treat for everyone on duty to enjoy. The notion that Esther's cookies had magical abilities was utter nonsense. If that were true, why wouldn't Cathy just bake a few dozen and hand them out to all the single men in town? But Esther, the woman who was as colorful in personality as she was in attire, had explained that wasn't how they worked. As I packaged them up, I decided to attach a simple note. With my pen poised at the paper tag, I tried to think of the perfect thing to say. Perfect. I hated the notion. I had written what was on my heart. That would never be wrong. I had so many things I wanted to say, but I was petrified. I knew it was a cop-out to tell him what I was feeling on a simple note, but I wanted him to know what I was hoping we could have.
A B C, Carson.
Forever & Always,
Penny
I covered my racing heart with my hand. "You frightened the heck out of me." Carson fought to stifle a laugh as he opened my car door and reached inside for me. He practically pulled me out of the car. The second his arms were around me, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. My heart still raced, and I was still terrified for his reaction to what I had written. I breathed Carson in. He always smelled so good and, in his embrace, I felt safe, but more importantly, I felt something I had never felt before. Loved. I played it off as casual to Esther, but my true feelings for Carson were anything but.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you.” He let me go and took a step back to look at me. Honestly, I was a little relieved when I found out he was working today. I was hoping we could avoid any Valentine’s awkwardness, and yet, there I was. Not only that, but I had a gift.
“Is it okay that I stopped by? I wanted to bring something over for you to share with everyone on shift.” God, I sounded like a complete idiot.
“Hey.” Carson tipped my chin up so I was forced to look at him. “It’s fine. Everyone loves you. They’ll be glad to see you.” Did everyone include him? Carson rubbed his palms together, his eyes gleaming. “What did you bring me?”
“I baked cookies.” I reached back into the car to grab the bag. I swear it weighed a ton. Esther would probably insist it was because we baked so much extra love into them. I began to wobble as I awkwardly lifted the heavy bag. Carson’s strong arms wrapped around me, saving both me and the treats. Once I was steady, he released his hold on me. I instantly missed his arms being around me.
“You baked?” Carson tipped his head from side to the side, reminding me of Rascal.
“I did.” I grinned proudly. He didn’t need to know I had a lot of help and that the recipe was said to have mystical powers if given to the right person.
Carson lifted the back of his hand to the side of my face and caressed my cheek. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” I loved the tender way he touched me and how he was so affectionate with his words. “I want to kiss you so badly right now, but we have an audience.” Carson motioned with his head over his right shoulder. I turned my eyes in the direction he indicated. Sure enough, half of the crew was watching us.
“If you don’t kiss her, I will,” Hitch hollered before a chorus of demands for Carson to kiss me began.
“These guys have my back, Penny. I can’t let them down.” He grinned brightly before he brushed his lips against mine.
I arrived home with a huge grin still plastered on my face. Carson had taken his duty to his crew seriously. He hadn't simply brushed a sweet kiss against my lips. No, the man had kissed me as if our lives depended on it, and honestly, I didn't care who was watching. After I delivered the cookies and visited for a little while, Carson walked me back to my car. He buckled me in and kissed me one last time before telling me that he had left a present for me at home. Home. I would never get tired of hearing him refer to the construction site we shared as his home.
"Hey boy," I greeted Rascal. I never knew I could love a dog so much, especially after our first two encounters. I never had a pet growing up. My mother said animals were too much trouble. Someone should have told her that about kids before she had them. I hadn't heard from any of my family since my father's unannounced visit. It hurt. They were supposed to be the people I could always count on. I felt like I had a stronger connection to Carson and some of the people I had met since coming to Sunnyville than I did with my own family. I felt sorry for my parents and my sister.
"Let's go find the present your daddy left." Jeez. Daddy? Who's your daddy? The thought made me smirk. "Great, now I'm talking to a dog and referring to Carson as daddy." Rascal tipped his head to one side like Carson had earlier, and I couldn't help but laugh again as I searched for my gift.
I didn't find anything in the house. I removed my make-up, brushed my teeth, and changed into my pajamas—okay, it was a shirt that belonged to Carson I had stolen, but he didn't seem to mind me wearing his shirts at all. He especially liked taking them off me.
Opening the door to the trailer, I smelled the beautiful bouquet before I saw it. I sat on the edge of the bed while I took in the beauty of the flowers. Unlike the red and white rose bouquets I had seen throughout the day, the arrangement Carson had chosen was vibrant with cool blue bellflower, bursts of orange roses, and little yellow buttercups. My hands trembled as I picked up the card with my name written in his bold script.
Penny –
The name of this bouquet is The Firecracker. I knew I had to get it for you the moment I sa
w it. Not because I think you don't deserve dozens of long stem red roses, because I do. But the firecracker seemed appropriate for you. You came into my world and you lit up the darkness. Nothing else shines as brightly as you. You make me want to close my eyes and make a wish upon your star. Happy Valentine's Day, my pretty Penny.
Yours,
Carson
P.S. A number fourteen shake from McCain's is in the freezer for you.
I wiped away the tears that fell from my eyes and hoped Esther was right about the cookies. More than anything, I wanted Carson to be my reason.
Chapter Sixteen
CARSON
T he whole crew started whooping like maniacs when I came back inside after walking Penny out to her car.
"A B C, Carson," Collins teased above the rest of them. Shit, I should have taken the tag off the bag of cookies before I’d left it with those heathens. I wasn't even sure what she’d meant by it. I sure as hell wasn't about to google it in front of her or the team.
"What does that even mean?" Hitch asked before he shoved another one of my cookies into his mouth. I was glad I wasn’t the idiot who asked.
"Always be careful," Collins answered like we should have known what it meant, before helping himself to another cookie. I snapped the bag of cookies away and went out the door to the garage. I lowered myself onto the step of the engine and examined the card as I bit into one of the best cookies I had ever had in my life.
Forever & Always – Penny
Kara and I used to say “always and forever” to each other all the time. It was kind of our thing. When I thought of Kara, it no longer stung like it had before. She would always be important to me, but I couldn't help but wonder if things had worked out the way they were supposed to. Not that I believed a deadly fire was a good thing, but I did try to find the good in it. Did it save me from marrying the wrong woman? Maybe. Did it lead me to Sunnyville? Without a doubt. Was I there so that I could meet Penny? I wasn't sure. What I did know was that I was falling for her hard and fast. My feelings for Penny burned deep within me. The fire she lit was uncontrollable, but we were both on borrowed time. I had to decide what I was going to do once my contract was up, and Penny had a life that was so much bigger than being a small-town music teacher.
"You seem like you have a lot on your mind." Bowie grinned before snatching up another one of my treats.
“Something like that.” I placed my hands on the top of my head before looking up at my buddy. “I wasn’t expecting this thing with Penny. I’m terrified.” God, it felt good to admit it.
"Look, Carson, we've all been burned at some point." I knew Bowman wasn't only talking about the job. "Only you can decide how you’ll react to the fear you face."
"What did you do?" Bowie had been a firefighter longer than any of us. He had seen things we hoped we never would.
"I told the stupid emotion to get the hell out of my way. I still had things to do." His answer didn't surprise me. The man was one of the bravest guys I had the pleasure of knowing.
"I'll bet." What else could I say?
"You'll figure it out, Carson. Just don't be afraid to start over again. All you need to do is ask yourself one question." Bowie turned to walk away.
"What's the question?" I asked tentatively. Bowie stopped and turned back to look at me.
“Is the risk worth the reward?" He popped the last piece of his cookie in his mouth and left me to figure it out. The answer to that question was worth as much as Penny’s violin.
"What are you doing?" I crossed my arms over my chest to keep myself from reaching out to stop Penny.
"I'm cleaning up. Remember, I have company coming." How could I forget? Her best friend, Henry, was coming to visit. It was all she could talk about. I loved the way her eyes lit up whenever she spoke about him, but I also loved messing with her.
"Oh, was that this weekend?" I feigned ignorance and she continued to sweep up our construction site. The absurdity of it wasn't lost on me. Collins and Dempsey were on their way over so that we could get some work done. Within minutes of their arrival, all her work would be for nothing. Besides, her company was staying over at The Cottages. From what I’d heard, Henry wasn't an air-mattress-on-the-floor type of guy.
"You darn well know it's this weekend, St. James." Oh, she had pulled out my last name, which only served to make me hard. I looked at my watch. If we were quick, we had time.
“Well, you might want to come and take a look at the mess Rascal made in the trailer then." Sorry, boy. I'll reward you for taking one for the team later. I patted the top of his head.
"You've got to be kidding me," Penny grumbled as she leaned the broom against the wall and trudged out the back door with me hot on her heels.
I followed her up the steps and quickly closed the door before Rascal could follow us inside. "Not this time, boy," I whispered to him. I wasn’t into having my dog watch while I fucked Penny from behind.
Penny studied the interior of the trailer and then turned to me; confusion written all over her face. "What are you talking about, Carson? The trailer is cleaner than I’ve ever seen it.” I pulled her against me.
“You need to relax, babe. Henry is here for you, not the house." I put my arms around her and pulled her against me before I began kissing the sensitive spot on her neck. She sank into me. God, she was sexy. She was wearing jeans and a simple green sweater that hung off her shoulder baring her delicate skin to me. Penelope Anderson defined casual elegance. I ran my arms down her back and gripped her delectable ass. She tilted her hips against me when I pressed my hard-on against her.
"Carson," she moaned as she lifted her legs around me and I pinned her to the wall.
"Penny." I practically cursed her name, tearing my lips from hers as she raked her fingers through my hair. "This is going to be quick. Put your legs down." It wasn't going to take much. We both needed this.
I turned her so she was facing the bed with me behind her. "Pull down the cups of your bra and touch those pretty nipples of yours while I take off your pants." She only hesitated for a second before doing as instructed.
My hands went to her waistband. I popped the button on her jeans before slowly lowering the fly.
"Carson." My name fell from her lips on a breath as I dropped her pants and slipped my hand into the front panel of her damp panties.
I nipped at the skin on the side of her neck before asking. "Are you wet for me, Penny?" I already knew the answer. She was drenched for me.
“Yes,” she hissed. “Please, I need you, Carson." She wasn't the only one. I couldn't wait to get inside of her.
"As you wish," I promised as I sunk a finger inside her with one hand while I freed my aching cock from my basketball shorts with the other. One of the many things I had learned about Penny was her love of The Princess Bride. I wasn't above using one of the classic lines when it garnered results like this. She was so God damned ready for me.
"Hurry." She murmured.
I pressed her forward against the bed and pulled her underwear to the side as I sunk into her from behind.
"Touch your clit." Not that my prim and proper Penny would ever admit it, but I knew she was a fan of dirty talk. It always made her so wet. She immediately did as I had asked.
“That's it, baby." I slid one of my hands under her shirt and pinched at her tightened nipple as I pulled almost completely out of her. She whimpered at the loss of my cock. "Do you want me to fill up your pretty little pussy?” She attempted to push back against me, but my free hand held her firmly in place. "Answer me," I demanded as I leaned forward against her back and thrust hard back inside her.
"Yes," she moaned. I released her nipple and backed almost all the way out again.
"Yes, what?" It wasn't like I was expecting her to call me sir or anything. I just wanted her to tell me what she wanted. It wasn't something Penny was used to doing. She had all the power in the situation. I was a slave for her. I would do anything she asked of me.
Penny
looked back at me. Her mouth gaped briefly before she shocked us both by saying, "Fuck me hard, Carson. Fill my greedy pussy with your hot cum." Well, fuck.
"As you wish." I returned my hand to her breast and rolled her nipple between my fingers as I pistoned my hips forward several times. Her muscles tightened against me. Damn, she felt good. I was close, but I wasn't about to come without her.
"That's it, baby. Milk my cock," I encouraged her. "You feel so good." I lowered my hand from her breast to her clit, pinching the bundle of nerves and she came with a scream.
"Fuck yeah," I groaned with a yell of my own as I filled her with my release. "So beautiful."
"Hello?" A man's voice I didn't recognize called from outside.
"Oh shit." I didn’t think I'd ever seen Penny move so fast, which wasn't an easy task since I covered her with my body.
"I think they need another minute." I knew that voice belonged to Collins.
"Great," I groaned as Penny pulled up her pants and glared at me. "Well, at least you look relaxed." I grinned knowing Henry, Collins and Dempsey were outside and had just heard me screwing Penny's brains out.
Penny turned to look at her reflection in the mirror as she pulled up the cups of her bra under her sweater. "Oh my God! How am I supposed to face them?" she whisper-shouted at me as I lay on my back on the bed, my hands locked behind my head. "Look at me. I look like I got screwed six ways from Sunday."
"It sounded like it too," Henry added from outside. Penny's mouth dropped open.
I decided I needed to do something. I got off the bed, pulled up my shorts I hadn’t bothered to take all the way off and kissed her chastely on the lips before telling her. "I'll take them inside the house. Stay in here for long as you need. When you're ready, come inside. If you need some liquid courage, I have a bottle of Fireball above the stove."
As my hand settled on the door handle, she asked, "Only one?"