First

My fear of firefighters appears to be unfounded. There’s a guy in uniform two people ahead of me. He’s not as tall as Jake, his shoulders not as broad, and his dark brown hair nearly covered with a ball cap. My shoulders relax and I dig around in my purse for my wallet. The line moves ahead quickly, one of the many reasons I like coming here, and I barely have time to pull out my wallet before the barista calls a welcome to me. She already knows my regular drink, but I add a drink for Doctor Blathe. I’ve got a two-thirty appointment with her and I’m hoping a little bribery will keep her from focusing on the reason why I won’t be mentioning Jake as much in today’s session.

I pay and step to the side so the line can keep moving, only to bump int

o someone’s back. ‘Sorry,’ I mumble, still focused on slipping my card back in my wallet at the same moment the other person mutters, ‘Excuse me.’

Oh, shit. Can I scuttle out of here before he realises it’s me?

‘Maya?’

I paste a smile on and turn. ‘Hi, Jake.’

God, it hurts to see him. My mind keeps undressing him, recalling the lines of his body. He’s sex wrapped in a uniform and I am painfully aware of the fact thanks to the covetous glances women in the shop keep throwing our way. Against all reason, I want to bare my teeth at them and snarl. I don’t though.

‘I didn’t see you.’

He tilts his head toward the back. ‘Bathroom.’

‘Ah. What are you doing here?’ It’s an attempt to be polite.

He reads through that like a pro. ‘Regretting my decision to order coffee.’ He huffs a little when I glare. ‘Working at a different station today for overtime. Why are you here?’

‘Just got out of class.’

We stand awkwardly while people’s names are called for completed drinks. After my third inspection of a flyer advertising the shop’s newest gluten-free products, Jake finally breaks the silence.

‘Have you talked to Cat lately?’

‘She called the other night. It sounds like a good conference.’

‘Yeah.’

I shouldn’t ask. I no longer have any right to be nosy. Hell, I never had any right to be nosy. ‘She said you were looking into some kind of class?’

‘I was recommended to a captain’s academy.’

Now that he mentions it, his taking a more active role in his job makes sense. Jake’s good at detail work. He’s respected around town.

I don’t say any of those nice things though. My brain’s been taken over by a petty creature who throws back, ‘Couldn’t handle the flames, huh?’

His only reaction is to raise an eyebrow. He doesn’t retort, he doesn’t insult me back. He just stands there, arms crossed over his chest, and watches me. I didn’t know it was possible to feel worse than when I watched him stalk out of my apartment that god-awful morning. Turns out it’s very possible.

‘Sorry.’ I genuinely mean it. The loosening of his shoulders is the only sign he accepts or acknowledges my apology. ‘I didn’t know you were interested in that kind of thing.’

‘I needed to start thinking of what I want in my life. In my future.’

Those words hurt more than I expect. Maybe because the last time I heard them, he was referring to me, not his job.

He must notice because his eyes soften and his voice goes husky. ‘You taught me that.’

I did say he needed a life, didn’t I?

An unfamiliar name is called and the other firefighter retrieves his coffee. Jake turns toward the counter, waiting for his order to come up.

‘Is the academy here?’

He’s surprised I continue our conversation. I am too.

‘No. Texas again.’