Was that hope rational? No.
Was it stupid? Yes.
Did either of those truths change my wish? Nope.
Waiting to be rescued made me antsy, but asking him about my cat every two seconds wouldn’t help get me out any faster, so I kept my worry to myself. I couldn’t take much more of the branches in my face, so I worked my hand up through the smaller limbs and tried to push them away.
The bigger branch shifted, and the little bit of pain in my leg exploded into a lot of pain. I yelped.
“You okay, Eve? Where does it hurt?” His voice stayed even. He could’ve given lessons in calm, not that I was in any frame of mind to learn anything right then.
“My leg.” I slid my hand to where it hurt. “I have a gash, it feels like. And one of the smaller branches is jabbing in that spot.”
“I’m going to reach in and break off that part that’s poking you. I need you to stay still and guide my hand.”
“Yeah, well, every time I move, more bubbles pop, which is concerning. And I can’t see your hand.”
Fingers brushed mine. “Tell me about Pookie. Where did you get him?” My rescuer was just an outline on the other side of the leaves, one with a deep, smooth voice. And he had a massive, calloused hand.
Why was I thinking about his hand, the one that just brushed against my thigh? And why hadn’t I shaved my legs? Of course this would happen at the beginning of my bath.
The voice didn’t sound like it belonged to an old guy, one with a herd of grandchildren. I didn’t know why I cared. But the idea of a young, good-looking fireman standing on the other side of those leaves tied my stomach in knots.
Curiosity ate at me. I really wanted to know what he looked like. “Pookie is a girl. She was a rescue. Someone left her in a box at a pet store. I’ve had her since she was about eight weeks old.”
“It sounds like she’s a lucky girl.”
The offending twig snapped, and the pain in my leg eased.
“You got it. Thanks.”
“Now I just have to get rid of these big ones. Or at least one of them.”
My nerves got the better of me, and I started to ramble. “This is my parents’ house. I don’t live here. I’m only staying here while my house gets repaired. It was hit by lightning in that big storm. While I’m living here, my kitty has to stay in the bedroom unless my parents aren’t home. And they are gone for the weekend, so that’s why she wasn’t locked up in my room. But she’s so far from home. If she gets out and I lose her, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“Why don’t you try calling her?” His outline moved away for a minute.
“Good idea. I can do that.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Pookie. Here, kitty kitty.” My voice shook a bit. Crying would make me seem weak and fragile. I didn’t want that.
The outline reappeared, and leaves rustled. Fingers poked through the branches. “Can you reach my hand? If you can, squeeze it for me, Eve.”
I slipped my hand out of the water and grabbed his fingers.
His hand was warm.
I needed to stop thinking about his hands. “Please hurry. The bubbles are popping, and that’s all that’s keeping me covered. Well, that and the leaves, but you’re about to cut those away. If I grab a few and position them correctly, maybe I’ll look like Eve in the Sunday school pictures.”
His chuckle only spurred me on.
“But really, my hair isn’t long enough for that. And it’s up. If I’d known I would need it as a covering, I would’ve left it down. But in the pictures in Sunday school, Eve was always standing behind really big leaves. These leaves are little. Isn’t it funny to have such a big tree with so many tiny leaves?” Why did my mouth keep moving?
“I can’t say I’ve ever really thought about it.”
“When I get nervous, I ramble. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize.”
“Walking out of here will be interesting. And by interesting, I mean horribly embarrassing. Was Mr. Raymond hurt?” My thoughts jumped around like bingo balls in a spinner. And every one of those thoughts flew right out of my mouth. Surprisingly, I hadn’t asked him how old he was.
“If by Mr. Raymond you mean the older gentleman who managed to accidentally down half of a two-hundred-year-old tree. I saw him outside as I walked in. He looked unharmed. His wife seemed to be pretty angry though. Hang on a sec.” The radio made a noise. “Harper, balled up in my seat is one of the charity t-shirts. Will you bring it to me?”
“Be there in two shakes, Cardona.”
Cardona? Hearing the last name had my brain conjuring images. “Do you have to rescue people from downed trees often?”
“We had quite a few trees go down during that big storm. I’m guessing it was the same one that damaged your house. We do some rescues, but not all people are quite as lucky as you.” The branches moved a little as the chainsaw ground against the bark.
Keeping quiet while he worked was hard. But as soon as the noise died down, I was at it again. “I thought about that. If I’d been standing up, it would have been bad.”
“But you weren’t, so we’ll focus on that. What do you do for a living?”
“I work in IT.” I didn’t bother to get into the specifics of what I did because most people didn’t understand it anyway.
“Do you like it?” The saw continued to idle, making conversation possible.
“Well enough.” I shivered, making everything shake.
“If you’re cold and if you can reach the drain, let the water out. I have a guy bringing in a shirt. And it might be good for your leg not to be in the water.”
“A shirt? That’s great, but you realize that I was completely without clothes in the bath. Not just without a shirt.”
He stifled a snicker. “I understand. But I’m working with what I’ve got. If I can save you from the tree, I’ll also do my best to save you from embarrassment.”
“What do you mean if you can save me from the tree?”
“I didn’t mean if. When. When I save you.”
Maybe I could channel my rambling into something a bit more conversational and less random. “How long have you been a fireman?”
“Seven years.” He wasn’t an old guy. Dang it.
The engine revved again, and the big branch vibrated as he worked. Since there wasn’t much else to do, when he paused the motor, I took that opportunity to see if Pookie was within earshot. “Pookie!”
Leaves rustled. A branch snapped.
“Ow!” Adam no longer sounded calm.
“Did you hurt yourself? Are you okay?” I had visions of his arm dangling by a tendon. I tried shifting the branches.
“I found Pookie.” His voice sounded tense. “Stay still, please.”
“Are you talking to me or Pookie?”
“You need to stay still.” He muttered a word that would’ve gotten my mouth washed out with soap as a kid.
“Is she alive?”
“And scratching. She’d climbed up into the tree apparently, and then jumped down onto my back when you called her.”
“Sorry.” I kicked at the drain. “Do you need me to hold her?” Holding a kitten in a bathtub when I had no layers of protection ranked as my worst idea ever.
“No. I’ll have one of the guys keep her wrangled for now.” He moved back toward the door. “Here, Harper, keep Pookie safe. She has all her claws.”
“Will do. Hey there, fuzzball. Aren’t you a cutie? Did the big tree scare you?” Harper’s soothing conversation with the cat faded.
Harper seemed to like cats. Maybe he was young and unattached. Why did I care? Seeing any of these guys again would send me running. I’d never want to see them again, let alone date any of them.
“Let me know when the water has drained, and I’ll hand in the shirt.” Adam shifted the largest tree limb, but only a little. “I’m going to move the big one away from your head. Then if you can stand, we’ll get you out of here.”
I moved the leaves aside far e
nough to get a better look and finally caught sight of Adam. Of course, he was looking down, and my gaze connected with the most amazing brown eyes. Gold flecks were sprinkled in the soft brown surrounding the dark brown center. After more than a second—it felt more like ten minutes—I noticed the rest of his face.
Why did they have to send this guy to rescue me? He was calendar material. My embarrassment multiplied exponentially.
I stuck out my hand. “I’m ready for the shirt.”
He handed in a navy-blue t-shirt, still wadded. “Once I move this and you get up, I’ll need to check for injuries. But if you get that on, I’ll find you something else to cover . . . other parts.”
Other parts. How charming. Haley was never going to believe any of this. Did I even want to tell her?
“What are the other guys doing? It seems to me like you’re the one doing all the work.”
“They are making sure the house doesn’t fall down on top of us.” Inch by inch, the downed limb moved away from my head.
There had to be significant muscle in those arms to move that tree. But that probably wasn’t what I needed to focus on.
All the shifting knocked a towel off the shelf on the wall. Either that or God dropped it straight down from heaven. Giving me his back, Adam held out the bright yellow towel. It matched the walls perfectly.
“Can you stand? How’s your leg?” He turned as if he were going to look over his shoulder.
“Don’t look. Give me a sec.” Grabbing onto the sides of the tub, I wriggled myself into a standing position. I didn’t have the ability—or the agility—to spring up without effort. Finally upright, I pulled the navy shirt over my head and wrapped the towel around the parts the shirt didn’t cover.
My mom hadn’t pitched for big, luxurious towels. This one was slightly larger than a hand towel. The corners connected at my hip, but the big gap showed off my leg . . . all the way up.
I didn’t bother answering the unimportant questions. “I’ve got the shirt on, and the towel is strategically placed. What do you need to check?”
He turned, and his gaze swept over me. Checking me out now held a whole new meaning. “Only thing that hurts is your leg?” He shoved branches aside and stepped closer.
I managed a quick nod.
He lifted the edge of the towel, but only a little. Why hadn’t I positioned the gap on the side that was injured?
“The medic will need to take a look at that.” His gaze shifted to my face, and he brushed his thumb along my cheek.
I might’ve gasped without meaning to.
He yanked his hand away. “Sorry. Do the scratches sting?”
“There are scratches on my face?” Smooth, that was me.
He pretended like I hadn’t just embarrassed myself. “A few. They don’t look deep. But you need to have that leg looked at.” His gaze dropped to the gap, and he shrugged off his fireman coat. “Put this on. Then we’ll head outside.”
The coat was significantly longer than his shirt. Thankfully.
He’d officially hit superhero status.
Chapter 2
Standing near the ambulance, I tried not to be obvious as I scanned for one more glimpse of Adam. I knew full well my attraction—that was too strong a word, my interest—was driven by adrenaline and the fact that he’d just saved me and my kitten.
Pookie? Where did they have her stashed?
Several firemen walked out of the house and gathered in the yard. Which one was Harper? I could ask him about where he’d put Pookie.
“Hold still, miss.” The nice paramedic lady cleaned the gash on my leg and covered it with gauze. “You probably need a few stitches. Would you like us to transport you to the hospital?”
No part of me wanted to go to a hospital. “No, I’ll have my friend come get me, and we’ll find an urgent care.”
“All right. Will you please sign this then?” She held out a clipboard.
Calling my friend would be complicated by the fact that my phone was buried under insulation and tree branches in the bathroom, but I’d figure something out.
When Haley and I joked about guys, there was never anything above superhero. That was the top tier. We’d never needed to think of anything above that. But when Adam showed up next to me, holding my suitcase in one hand and a kitty carrier in the other, I knew then that dinner would be centered on identifying a new tier.
He glanced back at the house. “They don’t want anyone going inside right now.”
Anyone meant me.
“But I figured you’d need clothes. I guessed that the bedroom closest to the bathroom was yours and gathered up as much as I could off the bed and the floor.” He lifted the carrier. “This sitting next to the bed was another hint I had the right room. And here’s Pookie.”
Crap! Now he was cleaning up after me. How much more embarrassing could this day get?
I smiled and prayed that I wouldn’t tear up. “Thank you so much. Let me run next door and put clothes on, then I’ll give you the coat back.” With suitcase in hand, I turned toward the Raymond’s house. “You can put Pookie next to my car. I just need . . .” Every time one problem was solved, another was discovered.
“Where are your keys?”
“Next to my purse on the table just inside the front door. Do you think they’d let me just reach in and grab it?” I tugged at the bottom hem of the coat. It grew shorter as my nerves ramped up.
“You go change. I’ll get the keys.” He stopped and turned, reaching into his pocket. “Here’s your phone.”
That explained why I could hear Johnny Cash singing “Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart.” My phone was mocking me. The whole world was mocking me.
“Thanks.” I wanted to tuck the phone in a pocket, but that coat had so many, I was afraid I’d lose it.
Adam headed back toward the house like he was on a mission.
Mrs. Raymond ushered me into her house as soon as I stepped onto her porch. “I am so sorry. Please apologize to your parents for me.”
My parents. I needed to tell them. If I timed it all just right, I could be at dinner with Haley when they made it back to town. Having Mom fuss over me was not the way I wanted to spend the evening.
With the gash on my leg, leggings caused me pain, so I pulled on a pair of shorts. And I put on a bra, but I kept his t-shirt on. It smelled like cologne, not one of those strong, offensive ones either. I stopped sniffing the shirt long enough to close my suitcase.
I seriously needed to stop thinking about the good-looking firefighter with the great-smelling shirt and the warm, massive hands.
Easier said than done.
Adam was waiting near my car. “Your keys and purse.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Embarrassed and grateful, I wasn’t sure whether to throw my arms around his neck or back away slowly.
His gaze dropped to my leg, which set off a riot of butterflies inside me. “You should really get that looked at.”
He was starting to slip off that top tier. Telling me what I should do was the quickest way to irritate me.
“I will. I need to call a friend and let my parents know that their house has a hole in the roof and wall. How bad is the damage? Is the whole back of the house just gone?”
From the front, the only clue that something bad had happened was the leaning tree that disappeared into the house. The back of the house probably looked horrible.
He crinkled his nose and nodded. “The bathroom was the worst of it, but the damage is significant.”
“Thanks for saving me.”
He nodded but didn’t leave. Was he waiting for something? Working up the nerve to say something? Or ask something? My brain latched onto that thought like a new golden trinket.
I swallowed and looked at the ground.
After a few uncomfortable seconds, he cleared his throat.
My gaze snapped up to meet his.
He pointed at the coat in my arms. “I need that back.”
“Oh! Of
course.” I handed it over, feeling like a special kind of stupid. “And I’ll run back and change out of this shirt.”
“You can keep my shirt.”
“Thanks.” Tempted to hug him but determined not to embarrass myself further, I marched away—well it probably looked more like a limp or a hobble because my leg was starting to throb in the worst way. I called Haley. “Hi. I cannot explain it all right now, but I need you to come get me. And I’ll need to borrow your couch tonight.”
“That changed quickly. What happened?”
“A tree fell on the house. Please hurry.” I kept my back to the commotion behind me. If the handsome firefighter was looking this way, I didn’t want to know.
“A what what? Oh my gosh. I’m grabbing my keys right now. Be there soon.” She ended the call then called right back. “Are you okay?”
“I just have a gash on my leg. I probably need stitches.” But no, I really wasn’t okay. I needed to get far away from this place and these people.
“On my way.”
I set Pookie’s carrier in the backseat and tossed the suitcase beside it. After multiple deep breaths, I made the second call. “Mom, hi. I have some bad news.”
“You cannot change your mind about tomorrow night. If you cancel, you will be hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas at your house, and you’ll be the one to cook.” Mom could be quite convincing.
“I’m not canceling. Y’all should come home. Mr. Raymond was trimming his trees, and—”
“Ay that man. Did he hurt himself?”
“He accidently cut down part of his big tree, and it fell on the house—your house.”
The longest stretch of silence I’d ever heard from my mom—excluding the times when she was furious with me—played out over the phone.
“Mom?”
“The whole house?”
My mind raced to remember how Adam had worded it. “The back bathroom got the worst of it, but the damage is significant.”
Mom hollered at dad, not bothering to cover the mouthpiece or even pull the phone away.
When she finished explaining, I jumped back into the conversation. “Haley is picking me up, so I won’t be here when you get back. But I’m okay.” I waffled on whether or not to mention my minor injury or the whole bathtub part.
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