by Carrie Elks
“Yes.” Carter tightened his hold on his teacher. “Can Miss Kennedy stay, too?”
Lucas caught her eyes. “Yeah, of course she can stay. I might need her to climb down for a while though, but she’ll still be nearby.”
“We need to do what the firefighter says. Okay, Carter?” She kept her voice soft. Lucas couldn’t help but like the way she talked to the boy.
“Okay.” Carter gave a brief nod.
His eyes caught Ember’s again. He rolled his shoulders back, centering himself. Time to do what he was trained to do. He’d been waiting weeks for this.
After a minute, Shaw came out of the house and walked around the back to talk to Lucas. “His legs are fine,” he said quietly. “No sign of damage, and blood flow is good. I’ll come up and check the rest of him before we get him out.”
“Carter, my friend is going to climb up to the roof now,” Lucas advised. “Miss Kennedy, you think you can come down for a minute?” He didn’t know how much weight the roof could stand, and he wasn’t prepared to risk the teacher’s safety right then. “Carter, Miss Kennedy is going to climb down the ladder with me, okay? But she’ll still be right here for you.”
He watched as the teacher leaned forward to whisper in Carter’s ear, then ruffled his hair. She scrambled backward along the roofline, her skirt hiking up a little more. Any minute now and it would be more of a belt than anything else.
“Let me help you,” Lucas murmured. He reached out to aid her descent, his hands skimming the back of her thighs. They were shockingly smooth. Immediately, he pulled away.
“You think you can climb down alone, or do you want me to spot you?” His voice was thick.
She still had her back toward him. Turning her head, she looked at him over her shoulder, then at the top of the ladder. She hesitated, it reminded him of the way she’d paused when he’d offered to help with that propane tank.
In his years working for the fire department, he’d learned there were two types of people when it came to an emergency. Those who fell apart and let you take over, and the ones who rose to the challenge, and wanted to take care of themselves.
By the looks of Ember Kennedy, she was definitely one of the latter. In a fire, or a life-or-death situation, the strong ones made his job harder. They’d argue, take too long, and sometimes put his whole crew’s life in danger.
The ones who fell apart were easier to carry.
“Miss Kennedy?” he prompted again. “Ember?” Her face had turned pale. She closed her eyes, and shimmied herself around until her feet were dangling from the roof. He could hear her breaths coming thick and fast.
Her adrenaline was kicking in. He’d seen that enough times before.
“You need to let yourself slide down,” he said, keeping his voice as soft as he had with Carter. Maybe she wasn’t as in charge as he’d thought. There was every chance she was going to freeze up there if he didn’t get her on the ladder. “I’ll be here to catch you, I promise.”
He gave her five more seconds. That’s as long as he was willing to wait. There was a child up there, a child who needed to get out of there.
It only took her four seconds to take a deep breath and turn her body so she was pressed against the roof. He couldn’t see her face, but he was willing to bet she had her eyes squeezed shut as she loosened her hold on the roof peak, and let her body slide toward the ladder.
By instinct, Lucas leaned forward and caught her, his hands curling around her hips. To stop her sliding any further, he pulled her against him, tightening his hold on her, while keeping himself steady on the ladder. Her body was shaking, and he could hear her softly speaking to herself. He had to lean forward to hear what she was saying.
“It’s all right. It’s all right. It’s all right.”
“Take a deep breath in through your nose,” he told her, his arms still firmly around her waist. “Then blow it slowly through your lips.” She was light and slender in his grip. And that damn skirt was still clinging to her hips. He ignored the urge to pull it down. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to the fact her legs were bare right to her upper thighs. She had enough to deal with right now.
She did as she was told, inhaling through her nose, then slowly exhaling through pursed lips. She began to tremble harder.
That weird sensation hit him again, making his chest feel achy. “Ember, I’ve got you. You’re safe. We just need to get you down the ladder, then we can help Carter.”
She nodded rapidly. “Yes, of course. I’ll get down now.” Her voice wobbled, betraying the fear he knew she was feeling.
He was still holding her. Could still feel the warmth of her skin through the fabric of her skirt. “I’m going to help you get your feet on the ladder, okay? I’ll lift you down, and when I say, you put the soles of your feet on the metal rung.”
She nodded again.
Leaning forward to steady himself, he pulled her down, keeping his body close to hers as he maneuvered her onto the ladder. He walked down a couple of steps, his arms reaching up to keep her steady where she stood. Then he encouraged her to do the same.
“I need you to step down a couple of rungs,” he told her. “Then you’ll be able to hold on with your hands, okay? Once you’re there, it’s only a couple of yards to the ground. You can do this.” Come on, Propane Girl. Let’s save the world. “You ready, Ember?”
Her voice was little more than a whisper. “I’m ready.”
She could feel the firefighter’s hands pressed against her hips, could feel the warmth of his palms through the thin barrier of her skirt. Ember’s heart was pounding against her chest, a mixture of fear and embarrassment suffusing her body.
Her breath was short when he finally let her go. She couldn’t even look at him, she was so embarrassed by her reaction. What must he think of her?
“Thank you,” she whispered, taking a step back from him. Lucas Russell. It wasn’t just the parking lot at Megassey’s she remembered him from. Now that she knew his name, she knew they’d gone to the same high school, though he’d been a couple of years above her. She’d been kind-of-friends with his sister, Caitie. The two of them had played in the school band together.
He clearly didn’t remember her, though. Why should he? Older kids never paid attention to the younger ones. He’d been on the football team, an all-round good looking hero, and she’d been a nerd, keeping her head down as she made her way from class to band practice.
“I need to help get Carter out,” Lucas said to her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. Go help Carter.”
She didn’t feel fine, though. She felt anything but. She didn’t like the way her body was shaking. And it was so weird, but there was a part of her that just wanted him to hold her again. As though it would make her feel safe for the first time in forever.
Ugh, what the heck was wrong with her?
Whatever it was, when Lucas turned and climbed back up the ladder she let out a lungful of air. And when Rachel walked over to join her, fussing over her and telling her how amazing she was, Ember felt herself calm down.
She wasn’t looking for a guy to save her, She could take care of herself. The sooner Carter was out of that chimney and the firefighters left school the better. Maybe then she could breathe easy again.
7
“Is Carter okay now?” Ember’s friend, Brooke asked, leaning back on her chair and lifting her coffee cup to her lips. “And more importantly, are you okay?” She took a sip of her drink then shook her head. “I can’t believe he climbed all the way up there.”
Ember was sitting at a table on the Beach Café’s veranda with her two best friends, overlooking the shimmering blanket of sand that led to the Pacific Ocean. This was their favorite spot – hers, Brooke’s and Ally’s – and the one they always chose for their Sunday morning brunch date.
It was also the most popular table at the café, since it was only a breath away from the beach, but luckily they knew the owner, and it was
always reserved for them. Well, they didn’t just know the owner. Ally, was the owner – or her dad was, at least. It paid to know people in important places.
The beach was slowly starting to fill up. The early morning surfers were still out in the bay, in the roped-off part of the water between the boardwalk and the pier, but now families and teenagers were laying their blankets and towels down on the sand, putting up their umbrellas and slicking on their sun screens. Ember took another sip of her cappuccino and felt a warmth trickle through her that had nothing to do with the sun, and everything to do with loving her hometown.
“He’s fine now,” Ember said, smiling at the way both Brooke and Ally were leaning forward, desperate to hear how Carter’s skirmish had turned out. “His mom turned up right after the firefighters cut him out, and of course, as soon as he was free he was telling everybody that he wants to be a fireman when he grows up.” Her lips curled up at the memory. One of the firefighters – the medic who’d checked Carter’s legs – had let him borrow his helmet for a while. Carter had run around the playground with it on, hamming it up for all the children as they were let out of the cafeteria.
And of course he denied being scared at all. He knew all along that he was going to get out of there before Christmas.
“I can’t believe he climbed up there and got stuck. Aren’t those things meant to be child proof?” Ally asked. “Not that I have any idea about play equipment. I leave that to you two.” She gestured at Ember and Brooke. “I’ll be too old to have kids by the time I find Mr. Right.”
“You and me both,” Ember said. “Brooke’s the expert on kids.”
“I might have a kid,” Brooke said, her eyes automatically checking on her son, Nicholas, who was sitting in the sand a few feet away, building an intricate castle. “But I know nothing about play equipment.”
“Apparently, it wasn’t constructed properly. There’s supposed to be a cap for the chimney. The company who built the playhouse hadn’t put it in.” Ember sighed. “They’re replacing it free of charge, and putting non-climb paint on the outside.”
“Making it Carter-proof.” Brooke grinned.
“I’m not sure you can make anything Carter-proof,” Ember said with a wry chuckle. And wasn’t that the truth? It was only a matter of time before he got into another predicament. Hopefully the next one wouldn’t involve calling the emergency services.
“Anyway, enough about Carter,” Ally said, leaning forward to rest her chin on her palm. “I want to hear about the firefighters. Were they as hot as they look on TV?” Her eyes sparkled. “And more importantly, can you get me their numbers?”
Brooke groaned. “Every disaster’s an opportunity with you.”
“Hey, if life gives you lemons—”
“Add a little tequila,” Ember and Brooke chimed in, and the three of them started to laugh. Ember loved how attuned they all still were to each other, even after all this time.
The three of them met on their first day of kindergarten, at the same elementary school where Ember taught now. Ally had pulled the hairband from one of Ember’s pigtails, and Brooke had chased her around the playground until she’d grudgingly given it back. In spite of their differences, from that day on the three of them had been a team. Ally the fearless, Ember the serious, and Brooke the caring one. They were a puzzle that fitted together perfectly.
And now, after all these years, they still met up every Sunday morning for brunch. Of course it wasn’t just the three of them any more. There was Nick now, too. They weren’t schoolgirls any more, that was for certain. Ember had her career, and Brooke was kicking it at being a single mom, as well as finishing her studies. And Ally was managing the Beach Café, while her father traveled around the world. It was as though they’d blinked and become adults.
“I heard you were carried down the ladder by one of the firefighters,” Brooke said, trying to bite down a smile.
“What?” Ally leaned even further forward, until the table was pushed into her abdomen. “You were carried by a fireman? Oh my god, how come you always get the good stuff?”
“How did you know about that?” Ember asked. She felt embarrassment suffuse her again, the same way it had when Lucas Russell had held her tight. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel the hard warmth of his chest pressing into her back.
Come on now, she needed to stop that. She opened her eyes and kept her fingers crossed that her friends hadn’t noticed her expression.
“I have my sources,” Brooke said, tapping her nose. She didn’t seem to have noticed Ember’s reaction at all. Instead she glanced over at Nick, who was digging a moat in the golden sand.
He looked up and caught her eye, grinning widely as he pointed at his handiwork. “Do you like my castle, Mom?”
Brooke smiled back. “It looks fabulous, honey.” She couldn’t hide the pride in her voice if she tried. When she turned back to Ember, the smile was still on her face. “So come on then. Is it true? Did he get you in a fireman’s lift?”
“No, thank God.” His holding her was bad enough. Even if she put her reaction down to the way she froze up there on the roof, not to mention a long, long period of abstinence, she still couldn’t get the memory of his touch out of her mind. She thought about it way too much for her own good. The feeling of his strong hands as they held her waist, his soft breaths that she felt whispering against her neck. When she closed her eyes at night it played like a movie reel – making her whole body tingle.
Did they all have a good laugh at her when they got back to the station? She really hoped not.
“Why thank God?” Ally asked, frowning. “That would have been a good thing. Imagine how strong those guys must be. If I’m ever stuck up a playhouse, I’m definitely getting a lift down.” She bit her lip, and glanced over at the kitchen. “Do you think they’d carry me out if I happened to have a little incident with the coffee machine?”
“Knowing you, they probably would.” Ember raised her eyebrows at Ally. Her friend was beautiful, with long, blonde hair and a lithe body – thanks to her love of running. She had no problem attracting men.
Keeping them? Well that was another matter. Not that Ember could talk. She wasn’t exactly a spokesperson for long-term relationships, was she? Not after everything that had happened with Will.
“It’s just a shame.” Ally shrugged. “All those hot guys in one place; it feels like a missed opportunity.”
“I was at work,” Ember pointed out. “I can’t start flirting with guys in front of my principal and sixty children.”
“Probably not. But most people meet their partners at work, and with all those female teachers you don’t get a whole lot of opportunity. Unless you count Mr. Morris, and let’s face it, nobody counts Mr. Morris.” Ally widened her eyes as Brooke and Ember laughed.
Ron Morris had been a teacher at Angel Sands Elementary ever since she could remember. Even when the three of them had been in Kindergarten he’d seemed like an old man.
“I’m glad I can’t date anybody at work. I don’t like mixing up my personal and professional lives.” Ember couldn’t think of anything worse. It had been bad enough trying to keep herself together after Will had left her. Imagine if she had to see him every day at school, that would have been horrific.
“It’s tough being single,” Ally said, wrinkling her nose. “We’re not getting any younger, and single guys are getting fewer. And I should know.” She rested her chin on her palm, sighing loudly. “I think I’ve dated every single guy in Angel Sands.”
“Every single guy?” Brooke questioned. “Or every single guy?” Ember’s eyes met Brooke’s and they collapsed into another fit of giggles.
“Doesn’t every girl want to find the right guy?” Ally’s face was flushed, and Ember couldn’t tell if it was from emotion or the sun. “It’s okay for you two. Brooke has Nicholas, and we all know he’s the love of her life. And you’ve had a long-term relationship, Ember.”
Leaning forward, Ember covered Ally’s h
and with her own. Any remnants of their giggling fit had disappeared into the sea air. Sliding her fingers between Ally’s, she squeezed her hand tight. “I’m sorry, honey.”
She really was; Ally had always been a romantic at heart, even if she hid it with an armor of thick skin. How many times over the years had Ally told her she wanted what Will and Ember had? How many times had they sat up late at night and talked about her hopes and dreams over an almost-empty bottle of white wine?
“I just want to know what it feels like,” Ally said, her fingers still gripping Ember’s. “To have somebody who is totally there for you. Someone who’s your biggest fan, someone to hold you whenever you’re down.”
Ember felt a deep pang in her stomach. She tried not to think about what she’d lost, because even if the hurt of splitting up with Will had lessened, it still hadn’t disappeared altogether. It was more of a dull ache than a sharp pain, but it throbbed nonetheless.
“You have us,” Brooke said, leaning forward to put her hand on top of Ember and Ally’s. “We’ll always be here for each other. When we’re happy, when we’re sad. No matter what.”
Ally nodded, then gave them both a watery smile. “I know. Thick and thin, right?”
“That’s right,” Ember agreed. “We’ll never let each other down. When you need me, I’ll be there. And you’ll find the right guy one day. I know you will.”
Ally’s smile grew, her expression brighter. “You know what we need to do?”
“What?” Ember asked.
“Download a dating app. If I can’t find the right guy in real life, and you’re refusing to look, it might be the only way to stop us becoming old maids.”
Ember shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m really not great with technology.”
“It’s simple, even you could do it.”
“But what if I’m not looking for another relationship?” Ember asked. “What if I’m happy being on my own?”
Ally tilted her head, staring at her. “If you were happy on your own how come you were with Will for so long? And anyway it’s the Sizzle App, not a marriage certificate. You don’t have to commit to anybody, but you can still see what’s out there.