with a tentative finger, then jumped, laughing, when the siren started to wail. When her finger moved away, the siren wound down, then started up again at her command. After a moment, Danny said something to her and she slid back onto the seat.
He handed her the seatbelt and walked around the front of the truck to climb in while Samantha buckled up. He slid his own seat belt on, then called back to the kids to hold on tight and with a wave to Tia, the truck pulled onto the road.
As she watched him go, Tia thought about him watching her cooking show—that larger than life, over-confident, totally gorgeous man. It seemed so odd considering her first impression.
“He’s a hunk, isn’t he? Those fire trousers, suspenders, and a tight T-shirt.” Nichole sighed. “It ought to be against the law to be so good looking.”
Though she agreed whole-heartedly, Tia turned to see Nichole at her shoulder and shrugged. “He is good looking, I suppose.” She glanced at the infants in Nichole’s double stroller. “Manage both diapers already?” After five years of trying to conceive following her first daughter’s birth, Nichole had come across a pregnant teenager who wanted to give up her baby for adoption. The week before the baby was born, she realized she was three months along with her own miracle baby.
“Nice and easy. Kim’s a jewel, always lays still. Kael is another issue, but he did well this time.” She pushed the chin-length fall of hair behind her ear. “So, back to the hunk—did you get a name? I saw the way he looked at you.”
“You couldn’t possibly have seen his expression from the parking lot.” The line of kids was growing behind them, so Tia gestured to a spot farther away and led Nichole there.
“Who said I was in the parking lot the whole time?” Nichole wiggled her eyebrows.
Tia reminded herself Nichole was her best friend and deserved to have her pushiness overlooked. “He’s one of the guys who gave me the ambulance ride. He’s just being friendly. Don’t read too much into it.” But the thought of him actually being interested in her made her heart speed up a little.
“Lee’s been gone almost two years.” Nichole reminded her. “You’re still young—live a little, will you?”
Tia held back her eye roll. It was far from the first time Nichole had said something similar. “Move on to a new subject?” Tristi started crying, so Tia fished out a cracker for her daughter. “Do you dare risk the hotdogs?”
“I don’t see them using extinguishers to keep the flames under control,” Nichole said dryly as she looked at the large slow cooker the dogs were floating in at the Coca-cola truck. “I’m guessing they’re nonpoisonous, anyway, since no one appears to be sick. Besides, Casey will throw a tantrum if I don’t let her have her hotdog.”
Tia held back a laugh at her friend’s put-upon expression. Nichole wasn’t much of a meat eater, and really, really not into processed meats. Still, she allowed her kids some here and there, and hoped they’d follow her own philosophy someday. “Dream on,” she muttered.
They could hear the fire truck returning from more than a block away. The siren blared and Tia wondered if her daughter had managed to sweet talk her way out of her seatbelt to run it, or if her baby blues had mesmerized the handsome driver into ruining his own ear drums. It wouldn’t surprise her if they were all deaf when they returned.
After coming to a stop, Danny hopped from the truck and headed around to the other side to help Samantha out. After noticing her daughter removing her seat belt—which meant Samantha’s eye-fluttering powers were still in good working order—Tia thought again about the firefighter. His suave self-confidence bothered her and his flirting unnerved her. She wondered if it ever got him into trouble on the job.
Samantha ran back over and wrapped her arms around her mom’s legs. “I pushed the siren, and Danny ran it for
He handed her the seatbelt and walked around the front of the truck to climb in while Samantha buckled up. He slid his own seat belt on, then called back to the kids to hold on tight and with a wave to Tia, the truck pulled onto the road.
As she watched him go, Tia thought about him watching her cooking show—that larger than life, over-confident, totally gorgeous man. It seemed so odd considering her first impression.
“He’s a hunk, isn’t he? Those fire trousers, suspenders, and a tight T-shirt.” Nichole sighed. “It ought to be against the law to be so good looking.”
Though she agreed whole-heartedly, Tia turned to see Nichole at her shoulder and shrugged. “He is good looking, I suppose.” She glanced at the infants in Nichole’s double stroller. “Manage both diapers already?” After five years of trying to conceive following her first daughter’s birth, Nichole had come across a pregnant teenager who wanted to give up her baby for adoption. The week before the baby was born, she realized she was three months along with her own miracle baby.
“Nice and easy. Kim’s a jewel, always lays still. Kael is another issue, but he did well this time.” She pushed the chin-length fall of hair behind her ear. “So, back to the hunk—did you get a name? I saw the way he looked at you.”
“You couldn’t possibly have seen his expression from the parking lot.” The line of kids was growing behind them, so Tia gestured to a spot farther away and led Nichole there.
“Who said I was in the parking lot the whole time?” Nichole wiggled her eyebrows.
Tia reminded herself Nichole was her best friend and deserved to have her pushiness overlooked. “He’s one of the guys who gave me the ambulance ride. He’s just being friendly. Don’t read too much into it.” But the thought of him actually being interested in her made her heart speed up a little.
“Lee’s been gone almost two years.” Nichole reminded her. “You’re still young—live a little, will you?”
Tia held back her eye roll. It was far from the first time Nichole had said something similar. “Move on to a new subject?” Tristi started crying, so Tia fished out a cracker for her daughter. “Do you dare risk the hotdogs?”
“I don’t see them using extinguishers to keep the flames under control,” Nichole said dryly as she looked at the large slow cooker the dogs were floating in at the Coca-cola truck. “I’m guessing they’re nonpoisonous, anyway, since no one appears to be sick. Besides, Casey will throw a tantrum if I don’t let her have her hotdog.”
Tia held back a laugh at her friend’s put-upon expression. Nichole wasn’t much of a meat eater, and really, really not into processed meats. Still, she allowed her kids some here and there, and hoped they’d follow her own philosophy someday. “Dream on,” she muttered.
They could hear the fire truck returning from more than a block away. The siren blared and Tia wondered if her daughter had managed to sweet talk her way out of her seatbelt to run it, or if her baby blues had mesmerized the handsome driver into ruining his own ear drums. It wouldn’t surprise her if they were all deaf when they returned.
After coming to a stop, Danny hopped from the truck and headed around to the other side to help Samantha out. After noticing her daughter removing her seat belt—which meant Samantha’s eye-fluttering powers were still in good working order—Tia thought again about the firefighter. His suave self-confidence bothered her and his flirting unnerved her. She wondered if it ever got him into trouble on the job.
Samantha ran back over and wrapped her arms around her mom’s legs. “I pushed the siren, and Danny ran it for
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