The Fireman Who Loved Me Read Online Free PDF Page B

dropped the seat belt. Her hand was tingling again, curse it. He looked sincerely apologetic, his gray eyes serious.
    “I realize you wanted to save me from an awkward situation, but you have no obligation to go through with this evening. I can arrange for the donation to be refunded.”
    “Donation?”
    “You know, to the Widows and Orphans Fund.”
    Right. She’d forgotten that part.
    “Your grandmother’s bid was very generous, and I can understand why she’d be upset that Ryan isn’t here. He’s very good-looking.”
    Melissa thought Brody did just fine in the looks department, but that wasn’t the point right now. “What amount did she bid?”
    “I think you should ask your grandmother that.”
    “ What amount? ” She used her best news producer look on him, the one that made editors tremble. But Brody seemed to be immune and returned a mild stare.
    “As I said, we’d be happy to refund the donation.”
    “Right. So the widows and orphans are going to be deprived because I don’t want to go on a date with a not-quite-as-good-looking-as-the-first-choice bachelor,” said Melissa. Oh, that grandmother of hers was clever.
    “I see a couple options here. We refund the donation.”
    “Not an option.”
    “Or we keep the donation, but I drop you off somewhere, and you can tell Nelly we went on a date.”
    She eyed him. Was that what he wanted? He met her eyes with an unreadable look.
    “To be honest,” she answered, “I’m not a big fan of lying to my grandmother. Even though she can tell some doozies herself.”
    “Good.” He seemed to mean it, as a slow smile lit up his rather serious face. “The final option is to enjoy the lovely evening I have planned for . . . well, for your grandmother.”
    Melissa considered. She could leave the car right now, and no harm done. But she realized she didn’t want to. The man was attractive. Extremely so. Even though, of course, he wasn’t her type. Besides, he was a fire captain. Maybe she could look at it as an interview for a future news special. “Fine. Let’s get going, Mr. Bachelor Number Two. You got yourself a date.”
    It was a good thing the Dodge was already cruising down the freeway when another thought occurred to her. “So exactly why couldn’t Ryan make it?”
    At his split-second of hesitation, Melissa’s eyes flashed. “Let me guess. He didn’t want to go out with an old lady.”
    “He wasn’t feeling well,” said Brody, uneasily.
    “You mean he wasn’t feeling well enough to go out with an old lady. Of all the low, cowardly—!”
    “Would it help if I said he would have been very pleasantly surprised?”
    “No, it wouldn’t! That makes it even worse!”
    “Melissa.”
    “My grandmother spent good money on him, and for him to turn around—”
    “Melissa!”
    “—and refuse to go out with her . . . isn’t that just like a man—”
    “Melissa!!”
    “What?”
    Brody spoke in a firm voice. “I’m here. I’m very happy to be here. If your grandmother was here, I’m sure I’d be happy too, in a slightly different way. Can we just leave it at that?”
    Melissa closed her mouth with a snap. How did he manage to sound so . . . right? But she had to admit she had no reason to be angry with Brody. He hadn’t skipped out on his responsibilities. In fact, he had stepped in and saved her grandmother from the complete humiliation of having no one show up.
    “Of course.” She turned a thousand-watt smile at him and had the satisfaction of seeing something flare in his eyes before they turned back to the freeway. “Let’s forget everything that’s happened until now. You just picked me up, like any other date, and we’re headed out for a night—well, an early evening—on the town. So where are we going?”
    A smile played over his lips, and he shot her a wicked sidelong look. “Early bird special at the Orange Tree. I have a reservation. They’re very hard to get, you know. Hot ticket for the over-seventy