The Right Moment

by Heatherly Bell

  Hunter shrugged. “Every day is a new day, or something like that. That’s what you always tell me. Pick yourself up and try again. See? I listen.”

  Oh right. Busted. “You’re right. It’s a new day. I’ll eat this for dessert tonight.”

  “Promise you’ll break your diet?”

  “Yeah.” She’d dug into that wedding cake pretty fiercely but that was uncommon for her.

  To Hunter, she was the boring parent. If it sometimes felt she’d been on a health food kick her entire life, it had actually only been the past decade. She’d banned junk food from her home because of her son. All the fun had gone out of her life, too. Then Matt had wanted to spend more time with Hunter. Now suddenly Joanne didn’t have control over everything Hunter did or ate anymore, but that was simply expected since he was a teenager. Sixteen, and on his way to a driver’s license. She shuddered when she thought of how a young person’s life could change with one decision made in a weak moment. It was the reason she’d started talking safe sex with her son early on.

  Every once in a while, though she loved her son with all her heart, she allowed herself to imagine what her life might have been like had she not been a teenage mother. Maybe she and Hudson would have gotten back together eventually and been one of those “I married my high school sweetheart” stories she loved reading about. But once she’d found out about her pregnancy, she’d had to accept that she and Hud were done forever. Her focus had to be on her son and their life together.

  Being a single mom was the hardest thing she’d ever done, and though she wanted more kids, the next time she’d need a partner to rely on daily. Because she’d never want to raise a child on her own again.

  * * *

  “Are you absolutely sure?” Hudson stared at their probie, whose forehead had broken out in a sweat. “Be sure.”

  “I mean...pretty sure.”

  “Pretty sure is not good enough,” Hudson said. “This is important. Life or death.”

  One more moment of intense pressure, and J.P., the probie, folded. “I’m out.”

  He laid his cards down on the poker table.

  “Wise decision, son,” Alex, the engine driver said, as he revealed his full house.

  “Damn you, Alex.” Hudson threw his cards. “Guess I’m dead.”

  Morbidly, their firehouse called their poker game life or death. But this was nothing to some of the jokes they shared to deal with the high-pressure stakes of actual life or death.

  “Let me see your cards.” Alex frowned, turning them over.

  He saw clearly the big fat nothing that Hud had. Then Alex turned J.P.’s cards over, revealing a better hand than Hud’s. He crossed his arms, feeling a smirk coming on.

  “Never play poker with LT again, J.P. You’re not ready,” Alex said. “Guy has the best poker face I’ve ever seen.”

  Hudson supposed that was true enough. He’d carefully calibrated his life to reveal nothing. Zero. Zip. He’d also pared life down to the bare essentials, simplifying everything: women, sex, food, sleep. In that order. Never love. Hell no. He’d tried that once, and almost wound up giving her away on her wedding day. That had been a close call. It probably didn’t help that he’d never updated Jo on how he felt. How he’d apparently always feel, given that he couldn’t seem to shake her no matter how hard he tried.

  And he did try.

  The great irony was that Hudson Decker, lady-killer and serial dater, was still hung up on his first love. Should any of his men ever find out how long he’d had it bad for her, the ribbing would never end. But damn, seeing her body so exposed shook him. He hadn’t expected to feel so turned on. The way she’d looked in that two-piece swimsuit was an image he couldn’t un-see. Nor did he want to. Ever. Jo always dressed conservatively in dresses and rarely even in jeans and shorts. Seeing her that close to naked had him pulling every resource he had to stay away. In her drunken state, he wondered how much she’d remember about their conversation.

  Because like an idiot, he’d presented himself as an option. Shocked, she’d gazed at him through her tipsy haze. Brought up all the women he’d dated over the years. Apparently not noticed that he’d never been serious about one of them. Or maybe she had noticed, and figured he was still the same sixteen-year-old that broke up with her when she’d helped him discover the wonders of sex. Jackass move on his part, sure. Hud had been solidly in the friend zone for years. When Chuck had shown up in her life, Hud had tried to dissuade her from getting serious with him. But Jo claimed she was ready for something permanent, and Chuck was that safety and security she’d looked for. Hud believed that Chuck was the kind of guy who rode under the radar with women, a player who wasn’t obvious about it. In other words, an expert.

  The station alarm went off, announcing a house fire. Everyone moved lightning fast, Hud nearly kicking the poker table out of his way. It was wildfire season and a simple house fire could mean disaster depending on the location. Using the laptop he used as the LT, Hudson scoped out the address, relieved to see the home was located in town and not near any open fields. Fortune being a town with strict growth guidelines set by the city council years ago, there were still dry, open parcels of land in the strangest of places. Next to a liquor store. Abutted to a block of single-family homes. It made wildfire season particularly dicey around Wildfire Ridge.

  Speaking through their headsets, they exchanged information on the closest fire hydrant and prepared the process. Hud would access point of entry. The rest of the crew would fall back and set up hoses and the engine ladder if needed. But when they pulled up to the address, a senior citizen stood on the front lawn appearing in zero distress. She waved at them happily.

  Hudson had a bad feeling about this.

  “It’s Widow Diaz,” Alex said.

  “Crap.” Hudson exited first and met her on the lawn. “Where’s the fire?”

  “It’s Puggy. Poor baby is stuck under the house again. I knew you wouldn’t come unless I said I had a fire.”

  “Mrs. Diaz, you can’t keep doing this,” Hudson chastised while he waved to the others the all clear. “We’ve talked about this.”

  “I know, but I can’t stand his pitiful wailing.”

  “Told you to call me next time, and not the entire fire department.”

  But his warnings wouldn’t work when she knew that Hudson wasn’t going to report her as wasting the town’s valuable resources. Growing up, she’d been like a grandmother to him.

  “I would have called you, but I knew you were at work.”

  Hud pulled off his gear. “This is the last time.”

  With that, Hudson crawled under the house, calling the ridiculous name. “Puggy.” It was worse than Coco. The stupid senseless dog hadn’t yet figured out that he could get stuck down here while chasing whatever critter he was after. A terror mix, oh excuse him, terrier mix, he had anxiety issues and liked to bite the hand that rescued him. Swearing and cursing, Hud met all of the spiders, using his flashlight to shine the light on their little homes. Thank God he wasn’t an arachnophobe. Or claustrophobic.

  “C’mere, you SOB.” Hud reached the dog and tugged on his collar, hauling him out. “I’ve told you this before, but I’ll say it again. If you get in, you can get out.”

  Hud emerged with Puggy and handed him over to Mrs. Diaz. “Last time, right?”

  She accepted her dog happily. “Oh thank you, Hudson. You’re the sweetest boy. I knew that from the time you were six years old. I don’t care how big or tall you are, you’re still my sweet boy. And if you come over tomorrow, I’ll have brownies for you.”

  Now that he would welcome. No one ever baked for him. His parents had retired to Florida. Jo was a complete health nut and the women he dated weren’t interested in domesticity.

  A large part of the reason he dated them.

  “Look into that chicken wire fence we talked about before,
” Hudson said as he waved goodbye and joined the guys, who were all checking their phones.

  “Back to the station,” Hudson said, gathering up the gear he’d taken off and carrying it back to the truck.

  “Oh no. Here comes trouble. It’s our favorite badge bunny, but she only has eyes for Hud.” Alex snorted.

  “Wow,” J.P. the probie breathed, staring over Hudson’s shoulder.

  Hudson turned to watch Grace Smoker walking toward them. “Wow” was right. She was gorgeous, long dark straight hair down to her back. Long legs that she had no compunction in displaying often, in short shorts that left little to the imagination. Today she wore a pair of those shorts with a tight tie-dyed tank top. It was the kind she made and regularly sold at the Mushroom Mardi Gras in town every year.

  “Hey, guys,” she said. “Everything okay here?”

  “We’re good,” Hudson said. “Packing it up now.”

  “Thanks, whatever you did.” She reached up to touch his shoulder.

  Funny, he felt... Nothing.

  That’s because I want Jo. I can’t think of anyone but her.

  Except he didn’t want to be the rebound guy, did he? Did it count when he was also the first guy? Maybe all the others had been the rebound guys. Well, he could tell himself that. Wouldn’t necessarily make it true. All this time, Jo had been looking for stability in her life and he’d been waiting, he supposed.

  “Do me a favor?” Hud asked Grace now as he heard the engine ladder start up.

  “Anything,” she breathed.

  “Check in on her every once in a while.” He nudged his chin in the direction of Mrs. Diaz’s home. “She’s alone too much.”

  “Did she call you about Puggy?” Grace went hand on hip and tossed her hair back. “I told her not to bother you. You have real fires to attend to. It’s wildfire season.”

  “Wait. She asked you for help first?”

  She had the decency to look chastised and stuck out her lower lip. “There are spiders under there.”

  Hud had a little shiver of the unwelcome kind. She looked ridiculous and sounded even meaner. Not that he’d expect her to crawl under there herself, but how about calling on one of the many men who would love nothing more than to please her? Hudson had heard she was dating the new deputy in town. She could have called him, but then again, maybe she’d wanted Mrs. Diaz to call the fire department out. There were so many problems with that, Hud didn’t know where to begin. First, Grace knew better. She wasn’t helpless. Far from it.

  And she was still standing in front of him, waiting.

  He scratched at his chin. “Something I can do for you, Grace?”

  “Now that you mention it, how about that date you keep promising me?”

  “Yeah, how about it, LT?” Alex yelled. “Let’s get going. Ask her out and get it over with.”

  J.P. was suddenly at Hudson’s elbow. “Or if you’re not interested...” He cleared his throat. “Sir.”

  “Aw, aren’t you cute?” Grace winked. “But Hudson and I have a little thing going on.”

  “We do not.”

  Hudson clapped J.P. on the back and pushed him back to the rig. “We’re on the city’s dime. Make your dates on your own time, probie.”

  And with that, Hud hopped on the rig and they drove away.

  Chapter Six

  A week past the wedding that never was, the phone calls checking to see whether the boutique was still open had dwindled to one per day. Some thought she’d never recover from the shock and might seek a different profession. Otherwise, how could she get through each day surrounded by all the reminders? She assured everyone that no, she wasn’t selling the shop, she was fine, working hard on new designs and ready to sew her butt off.

  Today she wore her cool navy blue sweater dress with the short fleurette-covered sleeves and ties. It had a figure flattering defined waist. Joanne required all of her fashion mojo today because she’d moved up her appointment with the Taylors. She wanted to talk about fittings. They’d have to select from the designs she’d prepared for them soon and Joanne wanted to get to work right away. She had a feeling the wedding gown would take her months to get perfect for Brenda.

  Hud still checked in with her every day via text, but he hadn’t dropped by since the night he’d re-created the beach scene. Since the night she’d made a fool out of herself drinking too much and wearing too little.

  She planned on calling him soon and suggesting a night bingeing on whatever current action-adventure series he was hooked on.

  “Good morning,” Nora said, when Joanne waltzed in carrying two cups of coffee from The Drip. “Is that coffee?”

  “Just how you like it. Plenty of foam.” Joanne handed Nora’s over. “Tired?”

  “Taking my work home with me,” Nora said with a yawn. “I sewed every single pearl on Tilly’s sleeves last night.”

  “I bet it looks wonderful.”

  They got to work, talking over the Taylor wedding and whether or not they’d also be entrusted with the bridesmaid’s dresses, too. Two hours later, the Taylors didn’t show for their appointment.

  “This doesn’t make any sense. They’d wanted to get in earlier, so I rescheduled.”

  “Maybe there was a mix-up,” Nora said with a shrug. “You should call them.”

  “I will.” But neither Brenda nor Patricia answered their phone, so Joanne left them each a message. Maybe they planned on keeping their first appointment after all, but it was rude not to call or show-up.

  The rest of the morning progressed easily, with a visit from Eve, who came by to work on their website and back up their system. Just the thought that Joanne could lose any of her designs kept her awake some nights. Eve was a wiz with anything software related. After Eve left, Jill Davis showed up. Joanne had designed and sewed a sweetheart collar satin dress for the bride-to-be, but the alterations weren’t quite done. They had it on the schedule, but Jill wasn’t in any rush because the wedding had been postponed to after wildfire season. Since she owned the outdoor adventures camp on Wildfire Ridge and wanted to be married there, it made sense to wait a couple more months.

  “Don’t worry. I don’t expect it to be done yet.” Jill smiled. “I just...want to see it again.”

  “I understand.” Joanne led her to the back of the boutique and carefully took her dress down. “Still in love with it?”

  “I dream about it,” Jill said, beaming.

  “The day will be here soon.”

  “Three months. Three long months.” She glanced at Joanne. “I was so sorry to hear about...what happened. Are you okay?”

  Joanne dismissed it with a wave. “I’m fine. These things happen.”

  Although that wasn’t exactly true. She racked her brain to come up with the name of a bride, any bride, that she’d ever known to be jilted.

  She came up with no one, but this was a small town.

  “Oh good. I’m glad you’re okay. Because I was going to ask about colors for cummerbunds. The tux is black and Sam will wear anything I tell him to wear.”

  “Good man.” Joanne led her to the color swatches. “Oh my. This green would really bring out Hud’s eyes.”

  “Sam’s eyes are blue,” Jill said, disregarding the fact Joanne had called her fiancé by another man’s name. “The most beautiful dark blue.”

  Quickly, Joanne paged to the blue colors. What was wrong with her lately? “I forgot Hud has blue eyes.”

  “Sam,” Jill said kindly and a bit dreamily.

  Oh. My. God. This had to stop. She had to get Hudson out of her head! Like now.

  Jill, caught in her own little world, thank God, went on. “I’m going to be Jill Davis-Hawker. Or maybe just Jill Hawker. I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

  “I say go with Jill Hawker,” Nora said, glaring at Joanne. “Sam and Jill Hawker. I love it.”r />
  Jill sighed.

  “Sam,” Joanne repeated. SamSamSamSam.

  Hudson.

  After Jill left, Nora turned to Joanne, hands on hips. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

  Joanne didn’t know where to begin. “I wish I knew. It’s just...something happened.”

  “I’m guessing it has to do with Hud.”

  “The other night, and the Bahamas re-creation.”

  “That sounded very sweet but Hud has always done nice things like that for you. Right?”

  Yes, he had. But again, this had seemed different. Physical and intense. At least on her part. “I kind of...lingered on his back when I put suntan lotion over it. And he has a pretty amazing back.”

  Nora wrinkled her nose. “I’m sorry? You put suntan lotion on? Inside?”

  “Yes! We really got into our re-creation.”

  “That’s for sure.”

  “And I wore my red bikini.”

  The significance of that statement would not be lost on Nora. Joanne had specifically chosen that bikini to seduce her husband. Nora had helped her pick it out. Joanne had others, too, to be worn in public. She tended to be conservative and the red suit was not.

  “Why would you wear that one unless you...” Nora quirked a brow.

  “I know! Why did I? And why do I keep thinking about him? This is ridiculous. I was just jilted and the last thing I need is another rocky relationship. And Hud and I... Well, we didn’t work before.”

  “When you were sixteen, you mean?” Nora crossed her arms and smirked. “Shock.”

  “The thing is, I obviously wanted him to see me in the swimsuit.” Joanne closed her eyes. “Maybe I wanted to feel attractive again. Desirable.”

  “Or maybe you have the hots for your best friend. Because seriously, he’s the total package. Looks, personality, rockin’ body, charm, everything. And, in case you haven’t noticed, Joanne, he’s crazy about you.”