by Leigh Bale
She felt as if she needed to repay him somehow. The monthly stipend they’d agreed upon for her use of his truck seemed insufficient. Maybe she could let the kids take him a plate of homemade cookies later that night. Or have a standing order that he ate at the restaurant for free. And yet, she wanted so much more. A loving husband to come home to each night. Someone to share her fears and joys with.
No! She must harness those kinds of thoughts. There could be no more. Not with this man. Not ever.
“It’s my pleasure.” He glanced at his wristwatch. “And now I better get into the office.”
He turned and headed down the sidewalk.
“Wait!” she called after him.
He paused, pivoting on his boot heels. “Yes?”
“How will you get to the Forest Service office? After all, you drove your truck here and are leaving it behind for me to use.”
“I’ll walk, of course. It isn’t far.”
No, in a community this size, walking wasn’t so difficult. Unless you were driving to one of the ranches outside of town, everything was pretty close together. But she didn’t feel right about leaving him afoot.
“If you’ll give me a moment to round up the kids, I can drive you there,” she offered.
“Thanks anyway, but that’s not necessary. I’ve got my other truck over at the office. It’s only five blocks. I’ll be fine.”
He waved and she couldn’t help returning his smile. He’d disappeared from view when she remembered that she’d wanted to tell him not to come around anymore. But she figured it was for the best. She owed him big-time. But that didn’t mean they were going to be more than friends. No sirree. She wasn’t about to let her mind dwell on romantic thoughts with this or any other firefighter.
* * *
Jared ate dinner at the restaurant later that night. It wasn’t overly busy when he walked in. And he’d already scanned the room before he realized he was looking for Megan.
“Hi, Jared.” Sean Nash sat with Tessa in a side booth and waved at him.
Another man sat across the table from them, with the same golden-brown hair and green eyes as Tessa. Ah, this must be her brother, Zach. Tim had mentioned the guy once. Apparently Zach was Sean’s best friend.
Jared walked over to greet them all. “Hi, there.”
“This is my brother, Zach,” Tessa confirmed. “He’s a member of the hotshot crew, too.”
“Ah, I’m glad to meet you.” Jared clasped the hand that Zach extended, and they shook. Jared looked forward to meeting all the other hotshots. They were all seasonal employees, except for the superintendent and the crew boss, who were permanent hires employed twelve months out of the year. With the fire season just starting up, the crew members weren’t all here yet.
Zach showed a genuine smile. “Likewise. I understand you’re our new boss.”
Jared nodded, then glanced at Sean. “Are you all ready for the rest of your team to return to work next week?”
“Yeah, it’s been a long winter, but I’ll get them back in shape real quick,” Sean said. “We’ve got a couple of new hires. Some real good guys. They’ve worked on a few regular hand crews and passed our rigorous physical tests.”
“Good. Has Brian approved them, too?”
“Yeah, he did. I’ll get their hiring paperwork over to your office in the next couple of days.”
“That’ll be fine. It sounds like you’ve got everything under control,” Jared said.
“Would you like to join us?” Tessa asked.
She was also a member of the hotshot crew. The only woman on the team. That was quite rare, but Jared had been told she could work most men under the table and she always carried her own weight.
He glanced around and noticed Caleb and June sitting in a far corner, chowing down on fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy. Jared had no doubt that Megan would be somewhere close by, and he had a strong urge to see her again. He tried to reason it away by telling himself that she was just one of his contractors and a friend. Nothing more.
“I don’t want to intrude,” he said.
“It’s no intrusion.” Zach scooted over to make room.
Jared felt a tap on his shoulder and turned.
Connie Wixler showed a wide smile. “Sorry, folks, but I’m afraid Jared is already spoken for tonight. Caleb is waiting for you over here. Come on.”
Without waiting for his reply, the waitress headed toward the children’s table. Jared smiled his apologies to Zach. “Sorry. I guess I’m having dinner with the kids tonight.”
Zach’s smile widened and he winked. “That’s okay. Their mom’s pretty special, too. Enjoy yourself.”
Tessa and Sean flashed knowing grins. Jared ducked his head. He felt a moment of uncertainty but decided to ignore it. He wanted to explain that he and Megan were just friends, but he could see how some people might misconstrue their relationship. After all, they were both single and involved with each other—at least when it came to firefighting, to a certain degree.
Connie led him over to the booth. Caleb looked surprised to see him, but scrambled over to make a space for him. Jared couldn’t help wondering if putting him at this table was all Connie’s idea, and he figured the woman was still up to her old matchmaking tricks.
“Hi, Jared. Look what I got.” The boy pulled a squiggly toy spider out of his pocket and dangled it in front of Jared’s nose.
Jared laughed. “Yeah, that looks fun.”
“I don’t like it.” June gave a shudder of disgust.
Caleb promptly thrust the spider at her, and she let out a little squeal. Several customers glanced their way.
“Now, stop that,” Connie said.
“Yeah, you shouldn’t tease your sister,” Jared said.
That won a smile of approval from June. The boy showed a mischievous grin as Jared helped him stuff the spider back inside his pocket.
“What’ll you have?” Connie asked, handing Jared a menu.
He handed it back and indicated the children’s plates. “The same as the kids, with a tall glass of milk.”
“Fried chicken and apple pie. It’s the special tonight. Coming right up.” Connie scurried away to put in his order.
“Are you gonna go out with our mom again?” Caleb asked as he took a drink of milk. When he pulled his glass away, he had a white mustache on his upper lip.
Jared smiled, helping the boy wipe his face with a napkin. “Actually, we weren’t on a date before. We just happened to be at the same party over at Connie’s house when your mom’s truck broke down.”
“But Sandy said it was a date.”
“Sandy?” Jared said.
“Yeah, our babysitter. She said you were on a date with our mom. And June didn’t like that,” Caleb said.
Jared glanced at the little girl. She smacked her brother’s shoulder with the palm of her hand. “I didn’t say that, dummy.”
“Yes, you did.”
The girl ignored her brother and peered at Jared with suspicion. “Why do you want to go out with our mom?”
Wow! He never expected to get the second degree from these two children. Maybe he should have sat with the other hotshots, after all. But he kind of liked that these kids were looking out for their mother’s best interests. It meant they were genuine. He also liked their open way of talking to him. It meant they trusted him enough to speak the truth. June seemed a bit withdrawn, but he’d won Caleb over hook, line and sinker. And he wondered why their approval mattered so much to him.
“I suppose it was sort of a blind date. But we didn’t agree to it. We didn’t know about it at the time. We were kind of set up by Connie and Tim,” he hedged.
Caleb tilted his head to one side. “What do you mean a blind date? Can’t you see our mom? She’s right over there.�
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The boy pointed a finger to where Megan stood running the cash register. She looked up, saw her son pointing at her and flushed red as a new fire engine.
Jared glanced her way. She visibly flinched, then looked down as she counted out change for a customer. If Jared didn’t know better, he’d think she was purposefully avoiding him tonight. And that was probably wise.
“That’s not what he means.” June bumped her brother’s shoulder again. “He means he didn’t ask Mom out and he didn’t know they were gonna be on a date. Connie and Tim set it up without their permission.”
“It wasn’t a real date and I didn’t...”
Jared trailed off. The kids were looking at him with open curiosity.
“I don’t understand this blind-date stuff,” Caleb said.
“It’s when other people set you up with someone you don’t know,” June said.
“But you know our mommy,” Caleb said.
Jared nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”
“So, how could your date with Mom be a blind date?”
“It’s because we didn’t agree to it,” Jared said. “We didn’t even know about it until after we arrived.”
“Oh,” Caleb said.
“But don’t you like our mom?” June said, her voice vibrating with animosity.
Jared almost groaned. No matter what he said, there was no way to make them understand. He didn’t want to cause a bigger problem by trying to explain.
“Of course I like her. I like her a lot,” he said.
Caleb smiled and showed his sister a victorious grin. “See? I told you so.”
June glared harder than ever.
A fissure of unease filtered through Jared’s mind. Obviously the kids had discussed this issue among themselves in great detail. And he couldn’t help wondering what else they’d said.
“You could ask Mom out again. We like you. Huh, June?” Caleb spoke with his mouth full of potatoes.
June stared at her plate, her forehead curved in a deep scowl. “You’re not our dad.”
“Of course I’m not,” Jared agreed. “No one can ever take your father’s place. I’d just like to be your mom’s friend, if that’s okay. I want to be your friend, too.”
Friends was good. It was simple and uncomplicated. Jared held his breath, hoping that made the girl feel a tad better.
June’s face softened and she looked up, her eyes meeting his. “Yes, I guess that’s okay. But don’t make mommy feel bad, okay? She’s been real sad since our daddy died, and I don’t want to see her cry anymore.”
Jared’s heart gave a powerful squeeze. Wow. He hadn’t expected this but realized June was completely sincere. The thought of putting Megan into tears really tore at him. The little girl had driven home how serious this situation was. It was safer to let the subject drop.
He reached out and patted June’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’d never do anything on purpose to hurt your mother. Or you kids, either.”
June nodded and went back to eating. And that was that.
“So, how’s the swing working out?” Jared asked, breathing a bit easier now that he’d passed the third degree.
“Great! I love it,” Caleb gushed. Then his forehead crinkled in a troubled frown. “You should come over and try it out some time. But Mom would be there too, so you’d have to see her again. Is that okay?”
“Of course it’s okay. I don’t mind seeing your mother.” Jared rubbed the boy’s head.
Caleb smiled with delight. Jared realized the boy didn’t understand the intricacies of dating, but he sure didn’t want to explain it to him. No doubt it would get back to Megan, who might misunderstand and take it the wrong way.
“That might be nice.” June smiled before scooping string beans into her mouth.
Jared almost groaned. His plan to remain neutral had officially backfired on him. Maybe he shouldn’t have come here for supper tonight. Maybe he should have stayed home where it was lonely and safe and eaten a frozen dinner. Maybe...
He released a heavy sigh. His feelings had become so convoluted, even he was confused.
The situation only worsened when Connie delivered his meal. She set the plate of food in front of him with a grand flourish and a wide smile.
“Here you are. And can I just say, it’s sure nice to see you and Megan getting so cozy?” the woman said.
Jared blinked, feeling as dazed and confused as Caleb had been earlier. “But I... We’re not... We haven’t...”
He couldn’t finish. Anything he said might be misconstrued and taken out of context. After all, Megan was avoiding him like a plague of warts. She’d stayed far away from him since he’d walked into the restaurant. It could simply be that she was very busy tonight, yet he thought it was something more. Right now, he didn’t know what to think. He tried to tell himself that he didn’t want to get close to her, either, yet he’d come here for dinner and was now eating with her kids. How could he figure out what Megan wanted when he didn’t know his own mind?
Just then he glanced up and saw her chatting with the group of hotshots. She worked as she talked, clearing a table next to them before wiping it down with a damp cloth. Though he couldn’t hear their words, he caught their laughter. Why did she seem to have such a negative attitude toward him when she was obviously friends with his crew members?
He bit into a juicy drumstick and noticed her surreptitious looks thrown his way. Or maybe he was just feeling self-conscious. He might be reading more into this situation than he should, and she was just keeping an eye on her children, to ensure they were doing okay. Her looks probably had nothing to do with him at all.
He finished his meal in record time. He said goodbye to the kids and stepped over to the cash register and pulled out his wallet. Not surprisingly, Megan was nowhere to be seen. She’d disappeared again.
“How was your dinner?” Connie asked as she stood before the cash register.
“Delicious. What do I owe you?” He looked up and waited.
“It’s on the house.” Connie leaned her hip against the counter and folded her arms.
He shook his head and pulled out some bills. “Nah, let me pay for my meal.”
“No can do. The boss said it was part of your truck-rental agreement. Home-cooked meals for life.”
“Not for life. No way.” He shoved the bills at her, but she wouldn’t take them.
Connie jerked her thumb toward the back office. “Besides, I’d get fired if I took your money.”
Yeah, right. He wished Megan would forget about their truck agreement. But seeing the stubborn glint in Connie’s eyes, he realized she would never relent.
He thrust his wallet back into his pocket. “Okay, tell Megan I said thank-you. The food was great tonight. I appreciate everything.”
Connie gave him a knowing smile. “I’ll tell her. And you stop by anytime.” She leaned closer and whispered, “And do yourself a favor. Ask her out on a real date.”
He stared. Surprised that she’d come right out and said what he knew she’d been thinking.
“Um, thanks,” was his only response.
He turned and walked through the door to the parking lot. When he glanced over his shoulder, he saw through the wide windows that Megan had returned to the front of the restaurant. A low laugh escaped his throat. Yep, she had definitely been avoiding him. A good mother, who was probably thinking only about her kids. After all, he imagined a woman had to be careful what men she brought into the lives of her children.
Out of his peripheral vision, he saw that her gaze followed him as Connie stood chatting beside her. No doubt the waitress was telling Megan everything he’d said.
He got into his truck. And he drove home, feeling lonelier than ever before.
Chapter Six
As she opened the front door, she caught the scent of rain. A lightning storm in the night had washed her green lawn, making it glimmer in the morning sunlight. Stepping back, she admitted Jared to her living room.
“Hi, there. I brought your truck over from the repair shop. They finally have it ready.” Jared showed that endearing smile.
“You picked up my truck from the garage?”
“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind. I thought it’d save you some bother if you didn’t have to drag the kids all the way there and back.”
She glanced past his shoulder, looking outside. Sure enough, her rusty old truck sat parked in her driveway. Grant must have finally gotten the parts in and finished his work.
“It’s running great,” Jared said, “but I’d still rather you use the one I lent you when you drive up on the mountain. It’s newer and I think it’s more reliable.”
She shook her head. “You didn’t need to bring my truck over. I’d already settled the bill with Grant yesterday, but I didn’t plan to pick it up until later this afternoon.”
“It’s no bother.”
“Well, thanks for saving me the trouble. Grant has had it over two weeks and I was beginning to give up hope of ever seeing it again. It ended up needing a complete engine rebuild.”
“Yeah, car failures are the pits. And expensive, too. I’m sorry it broke down.” Jared handed her the key while she closed the front door.
His gaze clouded over, and he looked away and she realized the guards were up between them. An invisible wall she didn’t know how to breach even if she wanted to try. Which she didn’t.
“I appreciate you coming over. My equipment is in the garage.” She led the way through the kitchen, conscious of him trailing behind her.