Chapter
JFK knocked on Powers’ door, then checked the time on his phone. 10:35. But what he needed to talk about couldn’t wait until morning. The newlyweds still lived in Powers’ plain old apartment, even though Poppy was the billionaire heiress of the Mercier fortune or something. It didn’t make any sense. Powers was always talking about fiscal responsibility, but having a father-in-law with a ‘B’ in front of his ‘-illionaire’ should count for something.
The door opened, and there stood Powers in his nerdy superhero pajama pants and a Monty Python and the Holy Grail Black Knight t-shirt. JFK bit his tongue. Everyone at the station was used to being teased by JFK, and JFK was pretty sure Powers secretly enjoyed it more than any of them, but he had a huge favor to ask.
“What’s up, brother?” asked Powers, stepping aside to let JFK in.
Poppy was on the couch, working on a laptop. With her trademark brilliant smile, she said, “Come in, JFK.”
The apartment was decorated, which it hadn’t been before these two hooked up, but he still couldn’t get over the plebian standard of living of these two. JFK plopped himself down in an overstuffed chair that didn’t match the couch. He’d bet dollars to donuts it had come from a thrift store.
“Let me guess,” said Powers. “You’re here about Mercy.”
Instead of saying, No, I just love hanging out with newlyweds, he said, “Yeah. I was pretty stupid. I missed my chance with her, and now she’s moving to f—fffaraway Washington.” He was close to giving up on his no-swearing policy.
“Yeah, that’s a shame,” said Powers. “It sucks to be stupid.”
JFK had walked into that one.
Poppy elbowed her husband and said, “I swear, nothing is sacred with you firefighters. His heart is hurting, Slade. Like that My Little Pony episode when Rarity finds out the truth about the prince and it breaks her tiny little pony heart.” She tried, but she couldn’t keep a straight face.
“Oh, you’re messing with me,” said JFK. “Okay, get it out. I can wait.” Heaven knew he’d given more than his fair share in his lifetime, and karma had chosen a heck of a time for payback.
“We heard about Seattle and Water for the World,” said Poppy, frowning. Well, trying to frown. With her incredible smile, she wasn’t really capable of frowning.
JFK wasn’t in the mood for smiling, or for being around people who couldn’t un-smile.
Powers said, “Need a hug, bro?”
“You’re so funny,” said JFK. He’d given them time to get it all out of their systems. It was time to get to the point of why he was here, and he was not looking forward to it. He hated asking for favors more than he hated anything.
Before he could ask, Poppy said, “I told Mercy when she hired on with us that we understood she was looking for a career and there would be no hard feelings when she bailed on us. We’re sorry to lose her, but so happy that she found such an amazing job.”
“That’s a lucky non-profit,” said Powers. “Mercy is super sharp.”
That wasn’t the pre-amble JFK was hoping for. He said, “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“How about a beer?” asked Powers. “I still have a few bottles of JFK Home Brew.”
“Nah. I came to ask a favor,” he spat before they could rain any further on his parade. “Can your … rescue offer Mercy a job?” He’d almost said ‘little’ rescue. “You guys both know she does a great job, and I know she’d rather stay close to home, and close to … all of her family. I know I already called in that favor for the horses back when you hired Mercy to begin with, but I will owe you a big one if you do this.”
“Slow down, JFK,” said Poppy. “I can’t even keep up with what you’re saying right now.”
“Can you give her a job?” JFK looked down at the Goodwill chair then into the kitchen at the appliances that hadn’t been updated since the Reagan Administration. “I mean, I know money is tight for you, probably because you make nothing at the rescue, and even spend most of Powers’ income and the money Daddy gives you to keep the lights on over at Two Hearts. Why else would you still live in this hole?”
“Hole?” stated Poppy.
“It’s clean and stuff, but you grew up in a mansion with servants to polish your shoes and peel your grapes, right? Obviously money is tight for you guys or you’d do what every young couple does and buy a house you can’t afford.”
They both stared at him as if they couldn’t believe his audacity.
“What?” said JFK. “You want me to compliment you on something?” He motioned toward an antique-looking floor lamp. “That is a really nice lamp. Very classy. There, did you buy my sincerity in the slightest?”
“No,” said Poppy, “but there is such a thing as manners. You should try them sometime.”
JFK felt his eyes squint suspiciously at her. How much had Dom told Emily who told Powers who told Poppy about the whole manners lessons thing? No, she had been there at the awards ceremony to see his impressive failure.
Focus on why you’re here, he told himself. “Money’s tight, I get it. Non-profits are money and time sinks. If you can’t do it just tell me, but if there’s anything I can possibly do, I’ll do it. Powers you know how much I make. I don’t have a fancy side job like you, but I’ll donate ten percent of my salary to the rescue. Twenty percent. How much do you guys need? How much does it take for you to go to the next level and hire a professional like Mercy?”
JFK knew he was rambling, but he was desperate.
Powers and Poppy looked at each other and some communication passed between them, but JFK couldn’t decipher it.
“Seattle Fire pays well,” said Powers.
“Seventy-three grand, I know. And that’s just starting. But it’s at least six months until they hire, and that’s if I’m lucky enough to get picked up in the next hiring process.”
Powers was surprised, and not just the dumb fake emotion he’d been taunting JFK with this whole time. “Are you serious? You’d follow her to Washington?”
“I’d follow her to hell,” said JFK. “Shoot, I’d even follow her to heaven.” That’s what life had felt like since he met her, like he was on an unfamiliar upward track. And while heaven was the last place he ever thought he’d want to end up, she’d made it look so attractive.
“It’s hard to say yes to helping you and her stay here,” said Powers. “If you leave that moves me up a spot on the seniority roster. Before I know it I’ll get Christmas off.” He slid over the couch and rested a hand on Poppy’s leg just above her knee. Great, the newlyweds were about to get all over each other. JFK had to seal this quick.
“First of all, I liked you better when you were a scared little probie. Second, I’ll work for you every Christmas for the rest of your career if you guys can make this happen. Third, quit jacking me around and just tell me if you can do it.”
They looked at each other again, making little facial expressions and twitches like a couple of lovesick puppies. Either there was some serious nonverbal communication going on, or they’d gotten distracted by some soul gaze or something. Just when JFK was about to wave a hand between them to break them up, Powers gave a little nod and said, “Show him the email.”
The regretful tone made JFK nervous. “What? She resigned? Don’t show me her resignation email, I don’t want to read it.”
“Just look,” said Poppy, offering her laptop.
JFK didn’t want to read it. He didn’t want it to become more real, so he didn’t reach out for the computer.
“Dude,” said Powers. “Suck it up.”
With a small growl, JFK leaned forward and grabbed the laptop. On the screen was an open email message. There was no subject line but it was from Poppy to Mercy and not the other way around. Congrats on the job offer, blah, blah, blah. Washington blah, Pacific Northblah. JFK was about to throw the laptop across the room.
You’ve been so invaluable to Two Hearts and I can’t imagine continuing without you. I’d like to meet the offe
r from Water for the World, adjusted for cost of living in the region.
JFK looked up into the smiling faces of his friends. “Is this for real? Or are you two comedians just messing with me still?”
“I’m a vet,” said Poppy. “I’m not a non-profit manager, even though I’ve tried to be for the last eighteen months. Daria is a laboratory animal caretaker. She hates paperwork as much as you hate Slade’s poetry. I didn’t realize how much we didn’t know about running a non-profit until we lucked out and picked up that part-time genius girlfriend of yours.”
Girlfriend was a harsh word. If things didn’t work out, or if Mercy decided to take the job, that word would hurt, but JFK couldn’t think of that now. He found himself standing. “This isn’t a joke?”
Poppy shook her head. “If she keeps up the fundraising at a fraction of what she’s done so far, she’ll more than pay her own salary, not to mention all of the other business-side of the business items she’ll take care of. Without even trying she’s already brought in thousands of dollars Daria and I had no idea how to find.”
“Well what are you waiting for? Send the email!” He shoved the laptop back into Poppy’s hands. “Oh, I owe you one so bad. I’ll … I’ll …”
“Name your first kid after me,” said Slade.
“I’ll do you one better,” said JFK. “I’ll let you name your kid after me.”
“Oh, the honor,” said Poppy.
“Send it, send it,” urged JFK.
“I don’t know.” Poppy put a finger on her chin as she studied the screen. “I thought I’d sleep on it, then proofread it with fresh eyes in the morning.”
“You guys are killing me. Print it out. I’ll take it to her right now, have it to her quicker than an email could reach her.”
Poppy laughed as she punched buttons on her computer, and within seconds a printer in the corner began spinning paper. JFK hovered over it. The key to keeping Mercy close was mere seconds away. Not only that, but the Powers didn’t have anything to hang over his head. Yes, he owed them one, and he’d pay eventually, but he’d taken all the crap he could from them in one night.
“Home office in the living room,” JFK said as if talking to himself. He didn’t even turn around to see their reaction when he added, “Yep. It’s officially a hole.”
Chapter
Mercy pulled her blanket up under her chin and shivered at the wicked old woman on the TV. Part of the winter family get-together tradition was to stay up late watching cheesy movies from their childhood. About twenty of the Jewell girls and in-laws were jammed into the family room of the big cabin watching the original Watcher in the Woods. The movie predated Mercy’s childhood but Aunt Daphne swore it was the scariest movie ever. Mercy had seen it half a dozen times, and it still creeped her out even though it was supposed to be a children’s movie.
It was probably only scary because all of the Jewell girls let themselves get all worked up about it when they watched it. It was the only movie Mercy had seen with Bette Davis, and the mere thought of those creepy eyes was enough to give her nightmares.
A light knock sounded on the door of the cabin. Mercy jumped in her seat and grabbed Verity’s arm. A handful of girls shrieked or squeaked.
It was almost midnight, who would be knocking? If it was any of the Jewell men, they would just come right in.
“Someone wants to borrow a cup of sugar,” said Mercy’s sister Grace, and everyone laughed.
“Sugar’s right,” said Clover. “That was a lover’s knock.”
“Emily,” said half a dozen women and girls in unison and again they all laughed. None of the other women had a serious enough boyfriend, or in Emily’s case, fiancée, to come around this late, and if it was one of the husbands he wouldn’t bother knocking.
Mercy saw the guilty, infatuated smile on Emily’s face as she jumped up and walked toward the front door. The teens in the room all started whispering excitedly to each other. Mercy did her best not to sigh audibly.
Before meeting JFK, Mercy didn’t want a relationship. Anything in her life that had come close to that description had been toxic and she was perfectly fine living her own life.
Everything had changed—she wanted what Emily and Dom had. But how could that happen? Staying in Park City and working part time at Two Hearts wasn’t an option. She could probably survive on the $1000 per month she was making, at least until her student loan payments started in a few months. What then? Plan on getting married to a guy she’d just truly kissed for the first time a few hours ago?
Everything was about to change again. It was that simple. That wasn’t to say she couldn’t have a long-distance relationship with JFK, but a long distance relationship meant very little time feeling like the princess of her own story. Who would have ever thought that Mercy would want that? But when the right prince came along, what girl wouldn’t want to be a princess? Living a thousand miles apart also meant spending very little time with those luscious lips. Lucky Emily was probably making out with her fiancé at that very second.
Mercy was surprised when Emily’s face appeared around the corner, looking right at her and crooking a finger.
Did that mean …? JFK?
The teens in the room apparently thought it did because they oohed and made kissing noises. In no time Mercy was out of her blanket and moving toward the door, wearing an even bigger smile than Emily’s had been.
In the dining room, Emily said, “There’s some guy here to see you. He looks pretty sketchy.”
“Thanks, M. I’ll check him out and let you know.”
“I’m sure you will,” said Emily as she went back into the family room.
There in the light of the porch, breathing out steam in the cold night, stood JFK. He was wearing a thick parka and a beanie, and the little of what she saw looked so good to her. Was he there to rescue her again? Tell her he’d solved all of her problems again?
The only way that could happen was if he got down on one knee and made things really serious. But he wouldn’t. And she couldn’t, not at this point.
Whatever it was, she was sure it was a simple matter, and she put a firm lid on her expectations and hopes.
Mercy grabbed someone’s coat from nearby the door and stepped out. “Hey, you.”
JFK simply said, “Hi.”
There was this way he looked at her the first time they saw each other in a while, like a boy in a movie seeing the crush of his life and just savoring it. Like she was up on a pedestal and he would be happy just looking at her like some museum piece. Like she was perfect, unflawed and hadn’t done all the awful things in her past.
Unfortunately he didn’t come forward for a kiss. Maybe when he left he’d leave her with one. Or two or three.
“Sorry it’s so cold,” he said. “Want my hat?”
He pulled off his beanie and held it out, leaving his sandy blond hair looking all mussed and touchable. Mercy ran it down with her fingers. “No, I’ve been under a blanket. I’m good for a little bit, unless you’ve come to haul me off and murder me in the snow. Then I’ll need it.”
“It’s too cold to eat someone,” he countered. “It would be like chewing ice.”
That made her shiver and crave his arms around her.
“I’ve got something,” said JFK, looking solemn as he reached into his coat.
No, don’t do it. Don’t pull out a ring. To her relief he produced a single piece of folded up paper.
“You keep saying I’m a hero or knight, but I want you to know that you don’t owe me anything and I don’t feel like you have to do this. Look at this and think about it on its own merits and not because it’s something I want. You could move to Middlefart, Denmark and I’d ….” He trailed off and stared down at the paper. Mercy got the feeling they both wanted to move faster than what might be healthy. He held out the paper. “Just take a look at it.”
Mercy took it, but didn’t unfold it. Could the answer really be inside? Was it even possible for him to rescue her so man
y times?
Whatever it was, she wanted to tell him something first. Maybe she was scared to open it, maybe she was just stalling for time with him. Hopefully she didn’t sound like a loser for what she was about to say. “I’ve never had someone concerned with me, JFK. Every guy I was ever with in college and even high school just used me to get what he wanted, then got rid of me.”
“How …?” He scratched his head with the hand that held the cap. “I just can’t comprehend that.”
Mercy shrugged. There was time in the future to tell him all her dark, dirty secrets. “I can’t really believe there is a guy like you in the world. I definitely thought true love wasn’t true …” How much of herself should she put out there? “But, I’m getting an idea that maybe I was wrong.”
“You’re the reason I even believe that love exists,” he said, then he glanced to the side as if embarrassed. “That sounds stupid, like I’m trying to be a poet or something, but you taught me that people can change, even someone like me.” He reached out a hand and pinched the coin that she wore around her neck.
Mercy put her hand around his and held it there against the flat part of her chest above her breasts. So few people understood even a fraction of the significance of her coin. Why did she have to leave? Why was the perfect job so far away when the perfect guy was right here?
“I should say,” added JFK, “that I’ll never ask for directions or start wearing matching outfits or anything extreme like that. There are limits to how much a guy can change.”
Mercy chuckled. “You’re the best, JFK.”
“Honestly, I can’t even compare you to anyone because you’re the only girlfriend I’ve ever had or will ever want. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but that kiss in front of Two Hearts was my first kiss ever.”
“No.” He had to be teasing her again. Right?
“Yeah.”
“No?” Thinking about the kiss again sent warm tingles through her whole body. She loved those full lips so much and she loved that even though it had been rocky, he’d been brave enough to keep fighting for her.
Rescue and Redemption: Park City Firefighter Romance Page 15