The Single Dad - A Standalone Romance (A Single Dad Firefighter Romance)

by Claire Adams

  “Hey, I have good taste in movies,” I protested, as I loaded my plate with pizza.

  “Yeah, sure, Dad,” Nina said, as she sat down on the far end of the couch and picked at her pizza.

  We watched two movies, and by the end of the second one, Nina yawned as she stretched and said she was going to bed. She gave me a hug and patted my cheek saying, “Don’t worry so much, Dad. I’m fine.”

  I nodded as I watched her disappear down the hallway, then turned to Emily and said, “What in the hell just happened?”

  “I think she’s trying to figure that out,” Emily replied, as she gathered up the plates and carried them to the kitchen. She put the dishes in the sink and said, “I’ve got to get going. I’ve got school tomorrow, and if I don’t get my rest, I’ll have little hope of educating the masses.”

  “Aww, do you have to go?” I whined, as I pulled her to me and kissed her deeply.

  “Yes, Mr. Gaston, I do have to go,” she said when she came up for air. “As tempting as it is to stay here with you, I have my duties to think of.”

  “You’re no fun,” I pouted, as she patted my cheek and went to gather her things.

  “Maybe not tonight, but I’ll definitely be fun on Tuesday!” she said with a sly grin. “You’re still going with me to the game, right?”

  “I guess,” I moped, as she pulled on her coat and grabbed the movies.

  “Buck up, soldier,” she said, as she stood on her toes to kiss me one more time. “We’ll have our time. I promise.”

  “I know, but I don’t like waiting for it,” I muttered.

  “Good things come to those who wait, Mr. Gaston,” Emily grinned. And then she was gone.

  I poked my head in Nina’s room to say goodnight and found her curled up, facing the wall, with the glow of her phone screen creating an eerie light.

  “Nina, it’s time for bed,” I said.

  “I know, Dad,” she replied, without rolling over. I walked in and sat down on the edge of her bed and rested a hand on her back.

  “I know your mom can be tough, but she really does love you, Punkin,” I said. I felt Nina draw a deep breath before she rolled over to face me.

  “Dad,” she choked out, as she wrapped her arms around me and cried like a small child. I patted her head and whispered that it would all be okay waiting for her to calm down. When she could finally talk without crying, she said, “I don’t want to live with Mom anymore. I hate it there.”

  “Oh Nina,” I said, knowing that this admission was going to open up a can of worms that I definitely didn’t want to deal with. Remy would never agree to letting Nina live with me full time, if for no other reason than pure stubbornness. But I heard myself say, “Well, we’ll talk to Mom when she gets back and see what we can do, okay?”

  “Just don’t make me live there anymore, Dad, please?” Nina said, in a voice so small that it made my heart ache.

  “I’ll do what I can, Punkin,” I said, as I kissed her head and hugged her tightly. I just hoped I wasn’t going to disappoint her.

  #

  After school on Tuesday, Nina came home and locked herself in her room until Emily pulled up in front of the house.

  “Nina! Let Emily in!” I shouted from the bathroom. I listened, but all I heard was silence, and I wondered if Nina was telling Emily about her plan to ask her mother if she could live with me full time.

  Remy was due home in a few days, and I’d been trying to map out a plan to talk with her, but every possible way of framing the question seemed to lead to only one outcome — Remy’s rage. I knew that she was going to point out the fact that I was in a dangerous profession that kept me away from home for 24 hours at a time and that it wasn’t safe to leave a 16-year-old alone for that time. I knew that Remy was also going to accuse me of turning Nina against her, and the thought of having to counter that nonsense gave me a headache.

  I tried to put all of that out of my mind as I wiped the last bit of shaving cream off of my face and patted on some aftershave. Satisfied with the end result, I pulled on my shirt and jeans, grabbed a pair of socks out of the drawer, and took them and my boots into the front room.

  “You’re not ready to go?” Nina sighed heavily. “Dad, it’s supposed to be the girl who keeps you waiting, not the other way around.”

  “It’s okay, Nina,” Emily smiled. “We can flip the script for Mr. Slowpoke. He’s worth the wait.”

  “You’re lucky she’s so patient, Dad,” Nina said seriously. “Not many women would be.”

  “I know, I know,” I said grabbing a glass, filling it with water, and drinking the whole thing in a couple of gulps. “I’m almost ready!”

  “Dad,” Nina asked. “Did you talk to Mom yet?”

  “Not yet, Nina,” I sighed heavily. “She doesn’t get home for another couple of days. You know that.”

  “You guys need to get it together,” she said, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t want to go back and live with Mom!”

  “I’m sorry, kiddo, the judge is in charge of the decision,’” I said, hoping that I wasn’t making a promise I couldn’t keep as I said, “I’ll do what I can to try and convince your mom, but you know how she is about you living with me.”

  “Why can’t the two of you ever make a decision about me that I want?” Nina said, pulling away from me. “Why do I always have to do what you want?”

  “Because that’s the law, Nina,” I said, trying to stay calm.

  “I hate the law,” she cried, as she turned away. Halfway down the hallway, she turned back and yelled, “And I hate you, too!”

  “Nina!” I shouted, as Emily grabbed my arm and shook her head. I pulled back my arm back before raising a hand to rub my eyes as I sighed, “Jesus, no one tells you about this shit when you decide to have kids. Maybe this is what sex education in schools should consist of — fights with teenagers that you’ve raised from infancy.”

  “What’s going on with her?” Emily asked, as we watched Nina disappear from view. “She was silent at school today, and she didn’t turn in her homework.”

  “She’s mad about her mother being gone,” I sighed. “And she’s also mad about the fact that if she wants to come live with me full-time, she’s going to have to ask Remy first.”

  “She wants to come live with you?” Emily asked, with a furrowed brow.

  “She hates living with Remy,” I said, feeling uncomfortable airing our family’s dirty laundry this way. “I get it, but I don’t want to get in the middle of this battle since it really doesn’t involve me.”

  “Huh, interesting,” Emily said, looking back down the hall toward Nina’s room. “I know how she feels.”

  “Didn’t get along with your mother either?” I asked.

  “You met my mother, what do you think?” Emily said, as she stared at me.

  “Yeah, right, sorry,” I said, feeling stupid for having asked the question. I quickly shifted the subject, “You ready to go to dinner?”

  “Mmm hmm,” she nodded, obviously lost in thought. I moved close enough to rest my hands on her waist and pull her toward me.

  “Emily, can we leave this behind us and enjoy this evening, please?” I murmured, as I bent down and kissed her.

  “Yeah, sure,” she said, returning my kiss before adding, “You want to check on Nina before we leave?”

  “Nah, she’s just being a teenager,” I shrugged. “If I leave her alone for a bit, she’ll be back to normal when we get home.”

  “You know her best,” Emily said, smiling as she took my hand. “Let’s go cheer the Celtics on, shall we?”

  “Unless you want to skip the whole game and, you know,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.

  “And miss the game?” she said with a shocked look. “What would your dad say about wasting these tickets?”

  “My dad never has to know,” I grinned,as I leaned down and kissed her neck.

  “But I would!” she laughed, as she swatted me away.

&
nbsp; “Totally up to you, Teach,” I said, as we moved into the front hall where I grabbed my coat and keys. “I’m driving?”

  “No, I invited you on the date, so I’m driving,” Emily scolded. “C’mon, be a modern man.”

  “Oh, I’m modern all right,” I said with a wry smile. “I’m just not sure you’re a safe driver.”

  “I only burn things down, not up,” she said with a teasing grin. “You’re safe with me.”

  “So reassuring,” I laughed, as we exited the house and headed for the car.

  Once in the city, Emily parked at the stadium, and we walked a few blocks to Boston Beer Works to grab some dinner. The bar was loud and full of Celtics fans, but we managed to secure a table in the back away from the action where we spent the meal talking about everything but what was really on our minds — Nina.

  After dinner, as we walked back to TD Garden, Emily slipped her hand into mine and squeezed it tightly. I looked over at her and saw a smile spreading across her lips.

  “What are you thinking?” I asked.

  “This feels so high school-ish,” she chuckled. “Dinner in the big city and then a basketball game with my boyfriend.”

  “Is that what I am?” I asked, as I stopped on the sidewalk and pulled Emily back toward me.

  “I don’t know,” she said, looking up at me with a warm smile. “Is that what you want to be?”

  “More than anything else in the whole world,” I said softly, as I took her face between my hands and gently kissed her lips.

  “Then that’s what you shall be, Mr. Gaston,” she whispered into my lips. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against my body as I ran my fingers through her hair and kissed her harder. I could feel Emily’s hands flat against my chest as we kissed more deeply.

  “Jesus, get a room, you two!” a guy dressed in a Celtics jacket yelled as he passed us.

  “Jealous?” I shot back, before Emily punched my shoulder and shushed me. When I looked down at her again, she was giggling.

  “Now you really are my boyfriend,” she laughed. “Defending my honor!”

  “Your honor?” I said with a lopsided grin. “Lady, I was lording it over that jackass!”

  Emily dissolved into a fit of laughter as she took my hand and pulled me toward the stadium. Once inside, we bought beers and headed to our seats. My dad had sprung for some incredibly good seats, and as the teams took the floor to warm up, Emily went through the lineup and explained the odds on the Celtics winning. I listened intently and nodded despite the fact that I had no idea what she was talking about.

  “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” Emily asked.

  “How did you do that?”

  “Do what?” she replied.

  “Never mind,” I said, smiling as I leaned down and kissed her. The arena erupted in cheers, and when I looked up, I saw that Emily and I had been caught by the Kiss Cam. We were up on the arena's screens, encircled by hearts and flowers as the crowd cheered. Emily leaned back and laughed as I went in for a second kiss, and the crowd went wild.

  Emily’s intense interest in basketball was contagious, and by the second quarter, I was cheering as loudly as she was. The Celtics took the lead, and by halftime, they were ahead by a very comfortable margin as they exited to the locker room. While Emily went to the bathroom, I looked around the arena, wishing I could take Emily somewhere more private.

  “You okay?” she said, as she returned to her seat.

  “Yeah, fine. Why?”

  “You looked like you were lost in thought,” she said, as she handed me a beer. “I hope it was a good one.”

  “Definitely,” I said with a grin that she immediately recognized and returned.

  “You know, I was wondering…” Emily said, as she leaned toward me and lowered her voice.

  “What were you wondering?” I said, as the teams began to take the floor.

  “I was wondering if we really need to stay for the second half,” Emily said, as she looked up at me, flashing a suggestive grin. “I mean, they’ve got this in the bag, you know?”

  “Oh, do they?” I said, grinning at her

  “Mmm hmm,” she nodded. “I just think our time could be better spent…elsewhere.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more,” I said, as I kissed her lips then set my beer on the ground and reached for my coat.

  We quickly made it out of the arena and back to the car, where we stopped to make out like a couple of high school kids before Emily put the car into drive and headed back to Waltham. Neither one of us spoke the entire drive. Instead, Emily turned up the radio, and we sang every classic rock song that the DJ played. A half hour later, we pulled up in front of her house.

  “Emily…” I said, with my hand on the door.

  “Inside, now,” she replied, as she quickly pushed open the car door and got out. I wasn’t going to argue with her, so I followed her up the walk and into the house.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Emily

  I gasped when we stepped inside the front door, and I saw the living room lit up by strands of tiny white lights draped across the top of the curtain rods. On the coffee table was an enormous bouquet of long-stemmed red roses, and next to it was a box wrapped in shiny red paper with a big white bow on top.

  “Blake?” I whispered, as I looked around the room. “What on earth is all this?”

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Teach,” he smiled, as he pulled me to him and kissed me softly.

  “How on earth did you do this?” I asked, confused about how he’d managed to get the house decorated without me knowing.

  “I have my ways,” he grinned, before kissing me again.

  “No, I’m serious,” I said, stepping back as I looked around. “How did you do this?”

  “I called KO and asked for help,” he shrugged. “She had some of her friends come in and decorate after you left to come pick me up.”

  “Ah ha, you have helpers,” I smiled, as the mystery was solved.

  “I bought the flowers and wrapped the gift,” he said a little defensively. “They just hung the lights. Notice there is no fire in this setup.”

  “What?” I said, before realizing he was teasing. I lightly slapped his arm as I laughed, “You’re mean.”

  “Well, I figured you, fire, and holidays are never a good mix,” he grinned, as he pulled me to the couch and sat down. I joined him as he handed me the shiny box.

  “This is beautiful,” I said, turning it over and admiring his handiwork. “You did a nice job, but you really didn’t have to.”

  “I know I didn’t,” he leaned over and whispered, before kissing my cheek. “But I wanted to.”

  I carefully unwrapped the package, and inside found a beautiful cashmere scarf and matching gloves in a gorgeous shade of cornflower blue. I wound the scarf around my neck and pulled on the gloves, marveling at the softness.

  “Oh Blake, these are beautiful,” I sighed, as I reached out and stroked his cheek with a cashmere-covered hand.

  “Mmmm, soft. Just like you,” he said, as he leaned in and closed his eyes. “I thought the color matched your eyes perfectly.”

  “You’re so sweet,” I said, replacing my glove with my lips.

  “How sweet?” he asked, as he opened his eyes and turned to face me. He raised one hand and gently trailed the tips of his fingers down my cheek.

  “Very sweet,” I sighed, as I leaned into his caress, and then sighed as he took my face in his hands and bent down to kiss me. A wave of pure desire swept through my body as I felt his lips on mine, and I quickly pulled off the gloves and tossed them on the table.

  “Emily…” Blake whispered into my lips. “I need you.”

  “Yes,” I whispered back, as I opened my eyes and looked into his. “I need you, too.”

  He quickly stood up and scooped me up into his arms in one swift motion. When I opened my mouth to protest, he silenced me with another long kiss as he walked toward the bedroom,
where he gently sat me down on the bed and knelt between my legs as he began to remove my clothes.

  He slowly pulled my sweater over my head, stopping for a moment to lean forward and run his lips across the tops of my breasts, making me shiver. Tossing my sweater aside, he reached around and unhooked my bra with one hand.

  “You’re quite an expert at that, Mr. Gaston,” I smiled.

  “Beginner’s luck,” he grinned. I chuckled softly as I shook my head and reached out to unbutton his shirt. Blake shook his head and said, “Nope, it’s my turn now.”

  He stood up and lifted me so that he could shift me onto the bed and lower me onto the pillows. Again, he kissed me as he slowly ran one hand down the length of my torso and back up to lazily circle one already-hard nipple. The teasing was agonizingly exquisite, and I sighed as I gave in and let him take his time.

  Blake bent forward and kissed his way along my jawline before running his tongue down the side of my neck. I could feel the line of fire he’d created crackling down between my legs as he covered one of my nipples with his mouth and began alternating between flicking it with his tongue and sucking it with his lips. A soft moan escaped my lips as he bathed the hardened nub with his tongue before moving to the other one.

  “Oh God, Blake….” I moaned, as he moved back and forth between them, licking and sucking until the pleasure was almost more than I could bear.

  I felt his hand moving down my stomach until he could unbutton and unzip my jeans. He sat up long enough to peel the denim fabric off my body, and then he sat looking down at me for a long time.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, as he gently stroked my thighs, but made no move to go any higher.

  “I’m drinking you in,” he said, sweeping down my body with a glance. “You’re so beautiful, and I want to fix this moment in my memory.”

  “Blake…” I moaned, as he slipped his hand between my thighs and spread them. With his thumb, he traced a path on the thin fabric of my panties from top to bottom until they were soaked with my wetness. I writhed under his caresses, pushing my hips up against his hand, but he pulled back before I could find any relief in his large, solid hand.