Into the Fire (First Responders 3)

“Just don’t leave any shoes around for temptation.” She smiled, her hands never leaving Moose’s fur.

“I could put a fence in the backyard too,” he suggested. “Give him a place to run around without worrying about him running away.”

“That’s a great idea. He’s going to be a great pet, Chris. In time. I try to tell all my new owners that there’s a period of adjustment.”

“So I’m an owner now, and not a foster?”

Truth be told, from the moment she’d turned in the yard and seen Moose come galloping, she’d gotten the sense that this was a forever home and not a temporary one. “If you’re ready for that kind of commitment. Just promise me that if he’s too much, you let me know.”

He gave her a strange look, but only said, “You’re very good at this.”

Their eyes locked and Ally shared a fundamental truth with him. “The thing about dogs is that all they need is love, and they return it without conditions. They accept you for who you are. A dog’s heart is always open, and it’s our responsibility to honor that.” She frowned. “This dog wasn’t honored.”

“It’s not the same for cats?”

She grinned. “Dogs have owners. Cats have minions. Cats are special in their own way because they choose to give their affection. You just have to keep them in the manner to which they’ve become accustomed.”

“You have a big heart, Ally.”

She shrugged, trying not to acknowledge the warmth that spread through her at his words.

“They have given me far more than I give them.” She sighed. “After the fire, I was sure that I’d rebuild. But I have to be realistic. It was a lot of work getting this going the first time. My car’s a relic and working twenty-five hours a week retail isn’t enough to get my own place. As much as I’d love to start over, I’m just not sure I can.” She patted Moose’s head, which was now lying on her lap.

“So it’s not just the money for the set up.”

“No. Right now we’re all volunteer-based. It probably wasn’t a sustainable model to begin with.”

He was watching her curiously. “But it would be a shame, when you love it so much.”

She shrugged. “I’ve thought about going back to school. A better job and I could get my own place. Give a few rescues a good home, you know?” She looked away from his face. “Dreams change, I guess.”

Except hers really hadn’t. She hadn’t been ready to settle down at twenty-two. She’d wanted to do other things first. But she’d always known that someday she wanted the white-picket-fence life. A husband, a few kids under her feet, a couple of pets, maybe a job she actually liked. It didn’t have to be fancy or elaborate.

But Chris had wanted all those things right away, no matter how young they were. He’d pushed and she’d resisted. And she’d been terrified of saying yes. Terrified that one day he’d wake up and realize he’d rushed into a huge mistake. Even more terrified that one day she’d wake up and he’d be gone. She’d never wanted him to become a firefighter. He would be putting himself in danger every time he went on a call. She knew what it was like to think everything was fine and then have a policeman show up at your door, ripping your world apart. She didn’t want to lose someone she loved that way again.

“Moose is fine now. Let’s get you up out of there,” Chris said, holding out a hand.

She put her fingers in his warm, sure grip and let him pull her out of the corner. She patted her leg and Moose followed meekly. She had to swallow against the thickness in her throat. Poor Moose looked exactly like she felt. Fenced in by circumstances and unhappy. At least Moose had Chris. Chris never did anything halfway. He’d make sure Moose had a good, loving home.

“You want some coffee?”

She checked her watch. “I probably shouldn’t. The 4-H bake sale is happening and I need to put in an appearance.”

“Even if you’re not going to reopen?”

She nodded. “The bank account that was set up has looked after the vet bills, thank goodness. The bake sale won’t bring in much, but it will help with the care and food for our foster families. I’m still committed to finding good homes for those animals.”

They passed the living room and the couch. Her cheeks heated. Only a few days ago she’d been practically naked, sprawled on its length. She looked up at Chris’s back and felt an all-too-familiar burn. Attraction. Desire. Need. Whenever they’d met in the past she put that butterfly-type feeling down to the fact that they had a past. It had seemed natural given the circumstances. But now she recognized it for what it was. A sexual recognition that had never truly gone away. It didn’t help that he was so nice either. It would be easier to ignore if he was full of himself, or selfish, or something. But he wasn’t.

He was perfect.

And perhaps that was the one thing that kept her walking towards the door. It was hard to go toe-to-toe with perfect. And she already felt inadequate most of the time.

As soon as the door opened, Moose darted out around her legs, knocking her off balance and back against Chris. His hand settled on her arms, steadying her. “Are you sure you have to go?” he asked, his breath warm against her ear.

She nodded, even as she wanted nothing more than to stay. But it wouldn’t solve anything. They weren’t starting up again, were they? So what would be the point of taking things further?

She moved away from his touch and stepped out into the crisp fall air. It really was beautiful up here. The trees were all changing color and the air was ripe with the scent of it. Not far down the road was a winery, and she would almost swear she could smell the musty scent of the crush.