Now he really looked surprised. “What?”
“I’m in love with Skylar. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. She’s smart, and talented, and beautiful, and sweet, and I could keep going, but you already know her. I’ve never been in love before, and maybe you’re wondering how I know I’m in love with her if it’s my first time, but trust me, I know. I’m crazy about her, Chief. I’m done, I surrender.”
He gazed at me for a long moment, like he didn’t know what to say. “Does she know all this?”
I winced. “Kind of? Not really. I tried to tell her the other day, but I was still freaked out by the accident and I did a supremely shitty job of it.”
He nodded slowly. “I see.”
“Look, I haven’t done things right when it comes to her, and I know that. And there’s a good chance she’s going to shoot me down anyway and none of this will matter. But before I go any further, I need to clear the air with you. You’ve been the closest thing I’ve ever had to a father and I meant no disrespect. And I’m probably not the kind of guy you’d want her to be with, but if I can fix things with her, I swear to you, I’ll be good to her. I’ll be good for her. You have my word.”
His brow creased. “What makes you think I wouldn’t want you to be with her?”
I glanced away. Damn, what was it with me and hard conversations lately? “You probably want her to be with someone more stable and mature. It’s okay, I understand.”
“Gav, I want her to be with someone who makes her happy. Someone who challenges her, cares for her, and protects her like she’s the most important thing in his world.”
I met his eyes. “I can do that, Chief.”
The corners of his mouth turned up. “I know you can.”
A rush of emotion hit me so hard it almost knocked the breath from my lungs. I rubbed the back of my neck, waiting for it to pass. “So you’re saying you’d be cool with me dating your daughter? Assuming she wants to date me, and I know that’s debatable right now.”
“If it’s what you both want, of course I’m okay with it.”
“Since we’re having this conversation, what if I want to do more than date her? Because I’m just going to be up front with you, Chief, I plan on marrying her. If I can convince her to marry me. But I think I can do it, I can be really convincing.”
His eyebrows lifted, and he stared at me for a few seconds. “You want to marry my daughter?”
“Oh yeah. I’d marry her tomorrow if she’d let me.”
He stood, and for a split second, I thought he might hit me. In that same split second, I knew I’d take it if he did.
But he didn’t. Instead, he walked around his desk and hugged me.
He clapped me on the back, then stepped away and gave me a short nod.
I had no idea what to say.
Apparently he didn’t either because he went back to his seat without saying anything.
“Thanks, Chief,” I said, knowing it wasn’t nearly enough. But I also knew that Chief understood. I turned to leave, but paused and glanced back at him. “My parents would have thought this was pretty cool, wouldn’t they? Their kid falling for your kid.”
“They would have been ecstatic.” He scratched his chin. “Actually, I’m realizing that I just lost a twenty-some-odd year-old bet.”
I grinned at him. “You should have known not to bet against me.”
“Isn’t that the truth. Your dad would be proud of you, son. You’re every bit the man he would have wanted you to be.”
I had to glance away again, but not because I didn’t want to hear it. For the first time, the mention of my parents wasn’t too painful to take. It was bittersweet—the familiar hurt still there—but it wasn’t all bad. There was a little bit of happiness too. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”
He opened his mouth to say something else—probably to tell me to get back to work—when tones rang out. We had a call.
I sprang into action, heading straight downstairs to gear up. Before I had everything on, the engine bay door was already open. I glanced outside as I stepped onto the engine and my heart squeezed. Skylar was out there, standing next to her car, like she’d just parked and gotten out.
Our eyes met as the engine exited the station, and the weirdest thought ran through my head. What if that’s the last time I ever see her?
That was fucking morbid.
She watched me go and my chest felt like it might cave in. Why was she here? Looking for her dad? Was it too much to hope for that she’d come to see me?
Fuck.
I took my seat as the engine rumbled out onto the street, lights flashing. Hard as it was, I had to put Sky out of my mind for now. I had a job to do.
We got the rundown on the situation as we drove through town. Structure fire at the Haven House. First call-in was a neighbor reporting smoke coming from the building. Second call came in a few minutes later. It was closed today, but there was a volunteer from the historical society trapped inside.
The Haven House. That was so weird. Sky and I had just been there.
Adrenaline hit me, making my senses sharp, my body ready. I felt every bounce of the tires as we rushed across town. By the time we got on the scene, smoke was pouring from vents near the roof. Dispatch had the volunteer on the line—a woman named Sally Oliver. She was trapped in an upstairs bathroom.
We poured out of the engine and the hose crew got to work. Chief flew out of his truck and started giving orders.
“Get the pipe over on the alpha side,” Chief said, pointing. “We’ve got an electrical box arcing on bravo, don’t get fucking zapped. Interior attack, I want two in, two out. Christian and Jacob, you’re in first. Steve and Mason out. Gavin and Matt, primary search. Get her out of there for me.”
“Got it, Chief,” I said. Matt and I gave each other a quick nod and headed for the building while Chief kept barking orders.
A quick visual sweep of the outside made it hard to determine where the fire was burning. There was a lot of smoke everywhere. A voice in my radio reported that Sally was still in the upstairs bathroom and she had smoke leaking in the top of the door. We didn’t have a lot of time.
Christian and Jacob went in ahead of us, stretching the line inside so they could start attacking the fire head-on with water. Matt and I masked up and followed.
The smoke and heat were intense inside. I didn’t know where the fire had started, but it had obviously burned unchecked for a while before anyone had seen it. We should have been here ten minutes ago.
Visibility was low, but I could see wallpaper curling at the seams and waves of smoke rolling across the ceiling. The heat beat at me even through my gear.
The stairs were near the center of the house, so I waved Matt on. I had a bad feeling about this. We needed to get up there. Now.
I took another step and something felt off. The floor was too soft. My hand shot out to stop Matt from going forward.
“There’s a basement down there. If it’s burning, the floor’s gonna go.”
Matt pressed on the floor in front of him with his boot. “Shit.”
I could see the stairs from here. It was the most direct route to the second floor, and to Sally Oliver.
Any other day, I wouldn’t have hesitated. I would have made a run for it. I could make it.
But if I didn’t make it, I’d probably die. And I’d never see Skylar again.
“Chief, we need to get to Sally from the outside. Floor in here’s gonna go.”
“Copy that. Get out of there, Gav.”
A beam cracked nearby and a shower of sparks and debris flew toward us.
“Working on it.”
I whipped around and pushed Matt ahead of me. I couldn’t see a damn thing and the heat hitting my face shield was getting bad. Another ear-splitting crack filled the air and I glanced back as the floor in front of the stairs started to collapse.
Holy shit.
Over the roar, I could just make out voices through my radio. �
�Conditions worse… ladder access to upper window… report in…”
The floor beneath my feet felt wrong. Like stepping on foam, not wood. Heat beat at me from every direction, and something crashed behind me, but I didn’t look back.
I didn’t see any light from outside, and as we got closer to the front of the house, I realized why. Something had collapsed, blocking the front door.
Fuck.
The heat was starting to hurt, even through my turnouts. I had air, but the temperature was getting too high. I hoped someone had gotten Sally out, but there wasn’t anything I could do about that right now. I switched focus. Matt. He had a wife and kids. I wasn’t going to let him die in here.
We veered toward the windows in one of the front rooms. Matt quickly broke the glass with his ax. He gestured to me to go first, but I shoved him toward the window.
“Get the fuck out of here.”
He climbed through and turned around, reaching to help me get out.
Another loud crash rang out and the whole building shook. I looked back and it was like a gaping hole to hell opened up behind me. The floor collapsed inward, exposing a raging inferno underneath the building. The walls tilted and a sickening feeling hit me.
I was never going to see Sky again.
42
Skylar
With a racing heart, I pulled up across the street from the Haven House and got out of my car. Smoke filled the air and emergency vehicles lined the street. There was a flurry of activity, the controlled chaos of firefighters running hoses and cops directing traffic and keeping bystanders away from the blaze.
I knew I couldn’t get close, and there wasn’t anything I could do. I’d waited at the station after watching the engine pull away with Gavin on it. But the sense of urgency had only grown. I couldn’t just sit there and wait. When I’d noticed the plume of smoke rising from the middle of town, I’d gotten in my car and driven straight here.
Dad was in front, issuing orders, talking on his radio. It occurred to me that I’d never seen him on a call before. His reserved demeanor was gone. The man I saw out there was completely in charge, shouting over the noise. He was in control, but there was worry in his face.
Something was wrong.
I ran across the street to see if I could get a better view without getting in the way. A firefighter carried a woman in his arms. She looked scared, but definitely alive and breathing. He took her to one of the waiting ambulances and the paramedics took over.
The house rumbled, a low groaning sound. Fallen debris blocked the front door and smoke billowed out of the windows and rose from what was probably a hole in the roof. It groaned again and the sound reached right inside my chest and wrapped around my heart.
Where was Gavin?
Several firefighters aimed streams of water at the building, but none of them were Gavin. Dad paced around, talking on his radio, gesturing with his arms.
Glass flew out a front window, as if it had been broken from the inside. A second later, a firefighter climbed out.
Was it him? I couldn’t tell from here.
He turned back to the window and reached inside.
Gavin was in there. I didn’t know how I knew, but I was certain of it.
A crash reverberated through the ground, the vibration traveling through my feet and up my legs. My stomach clenched as the whole house shook. It looked like it was about to collapse.
Oh my god, Gavin, get out. Get out. Please, get out.
“Get him out of there,” Dad bellowed.
Two more firefighters rushed to the window. Smoke poured out, pooling against the porch roof above it. The building shuddered and something crashed inside.
I held my breath, wondering if my heart would explode.
The smoke obscured everything. I couldn’t see what was happening. The building shook again, the noise of old beams failing more horrifying than the collapsing bridge.
Two firefighters backed away from the window. Then a third, the one who’d been inside.
He had another one, his arm around his shoulders.
They rushed him onto the lawn and pulled off his helmet and mask.
It was Gavin.
He took heaving breaths and the other three worked to pull his gear off. A paramedic raced toward him, but Dad reached him first.
I couldn’t see anything with all the people surrounding him. Tears ran down my cheeks and my shoulders clenched tight. He was alive. I’d seen him breathing. He was alive.
With another ear-splitting groan, the building caved in. Beams split and cracked, the walls fell inward, and the roof seemed to disappear. I turned and shielded my face with my arms from the blast of smoke and debris. When I looked back, the Haven House was a pile of burning rubble.
I waited for what seemed like an eternity while they loaded Gavin on a gurney. Dad got up and went back to work. His eyes caught mine and with a quick nod, he pointed to the ambulance.
That was all the invitation I needed.
I rushed to the ambulance, still parked in front of the engine. The back doors were open and Gavin was sitting up, talking to the paramedic.
He smiled at me, a big grin that puckered his dimples. “Hey, Sky.”
“I believe some thirty percent of firefighter deaths are due to internal trauma from being crushed by falling debris,” I blurted out. “Did anything hit you?”
The paramedic got up and smiled at me. “He’s okay, Miss Stanley. Go ahead.” He climbed down and gestured for me to get in.
I took the hand he offered and got inside the back of the ambulance. Gavin watched me with an amused twitch of his lips. I sat on a seat next to the gurney, wishing I could throw myself on top of him instead.
But only if they’d already checked him for internal injuries.
“Nothing fell on me.” He held up a lightly bandaged arm. “Just some minor burns. It got too hot in there, even for my PPE. What are you doing here?”
“I saw the smoke.”
“Are you okay?”
“Of course I’m okay. I wasn’t almost trapped in a burning building. Are you okay?”
His eyes held mine and he nodded. “Mostly.”
“Do the burns hurt?”
“No.”
“Then why mostly? What’s wrong?”
“I’m really sorry about the other day.”
“We don’t have to talk about that now.”
“I know, this totally isn’t the time. But I don’t care. Sky, I’m in love with you.”
I sucked in a quick breath and touched my fingers to my lips.
“I realize we were supposed to just be friends. I broke the rules, but I’ve never been much of a rule follower. And I’m so sorry for acting like a lunatic. You were right, the bridge scared the shit out of me. But that’s because I’m crazy fucking in love with you.”
Staring at him, a sense of elation poured through me. Gavin loved me. It was crazy love, but how else would Gavin Bailey love someone? That was who he was.
“Gavin, I’m so in love with you.”
His mouth turned up in a wide smile. “You are?”
“Crazy in love.”
He reached out to touch my face. “Wow, you made that so easy. I thought I was going to have to work a lot harder to convince you.”
I laughed. “Hardly. I’ve been in love with you for a while. I was just afraid to admit it.”
“Me too.”
Careful of his arms, I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. He slid his hand in my hair and his mouth was soft but insistent.
Someone cleared their throat.
Oops. It was my dad.
He stood at the back of the ambulance. “You okay, Gav?”
“Yeah, Chief. Nothing serious. Did you get Sally out?”
“We did. She’ll be fine.”
Gavin let out a breath. “Good.”
Dad’s eyes flicked to me, then back to Gavin. “Don’t leave until they release you. And unless the entire town catches fire, you’re off for t
he rest of the night. You hear me?”
“Loud and clear, Chief.”
He hesitated, like there might be more he wanted to say, but he just nodded and walked away. My dad had always been a man of few words.
“I talked to him about you earlier,” Gavin said.
“You did?”
He nodded. “Not because either of us need his permission to be together. I just wanted to be up front. Tell him how I feel about his daughter.”
“What did you say?”
“That I’m in love with you.” He paused, his dimples puckering. “And I’m going to marry you someday.”
Little flutters of happiness pulsed through my body. I stared into his soft brown eyes and I knew. He was right. He was going to marry me someday.
“Ask me again.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Now?”
I nodded. We were sitting in the back of an ambulance at the scene of a fire that could have killed him, and none of this was textbook. None of it was normal. We hadn’t really dated, we hadn’t even known each other that long, and it didn’t matter at all. This was right. Every single bit of it.
I felt it, deep in my soul.
His face grew serious, his brow furrowing, and he reached over to take my hands in his. “Skylar Stanley, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice more confident than it had ever been. No shy Skylar here. “Yes, I will marry you.”
“Holy shit, this is the best day of my life.” He grabbed my face and kissed me hard. “I love you so much.”
I laughed through his kisses. “I love you too.”
“You need a ring,” he said, glancing around. He grabbed a roll of medical tape and ripped off a small piece, then took my hand and wrapped the little strip around my ring finger. “That’ll do for now. I’ll get you a real one when I can.”
I held up my hand and admired the white tape circling my finger. “I love it. It’s perfect.”
He took my hand and brought it to his lips. “It is perfect, isn’t it?”
“It’s all perfect. Crazy, but completely perfect.”
One corner of his mouth hooked in a grin, puckering his dimples. “Crazy is kinda my thing.”
Rushing In: A Small Town Family Romance Page 33