Into the Fire (First Responders 3)

He started the engine but

waited until she’d come back outside and started her car without incident. Only then did he put the truck in gear and head home.

Ally pulled a pair of gloves off her hands and shoved them into her jacket pockets. There’d been a frost this morning and the chill had stayed in the air long after the October sun had burned away the delicate crystals. The valley was an area rich in agriculture, and right now was the height of the harvest. Pumpkins were piled everywhere, the apple U-Picks were going full swing and there was never any parking near the corn maze, which brought families from far and wide.

It was Ally’s favourite time of year. She loved the fall colors, loved the fresh fruit and late-harvest vegetables. She loved the sunshine and the particular blue of the sky and how she got to wear cozy soft sweaters and gloves.

But she wasn’t quite enjoying it as much today. Her mother and father had insisted she join them for the annual tea and sale at the Greenwich Fire Department.

Normally she loved these sorts of community events. The food was always top-notch, the conversation predictably local and gossipy, and the good-will contagious. But not today. Today she had too much on her mind. The career counsellor had been helpful, but it had been Chris’s suggestions that had set off a chain reaction of possibilities in her head. He was right. She should work with animals and she didn’t truly know why she hadn’t thought of it before. Perhaps it had been the constant references to a real job that had held her back. A real job didn’t sound like fun. Work wasn’t supposed to be fun.

Except there was no reason why it couldn’t be. The question was figuring out exactly what she wanted to do. And how to make it happen. Tea, pumpkin pie and apple crisp were all well and good, but she’d rather be home on the computer doing research.

And then there was the fact that being ordered to go by her parents when she was twenty-five years old—well, that just chafed.

The place was hopping when they arrived just before one in the afternoon. One area was roped off and art displays by local artisans were showcased. Another area was set up for the tea, and there were no empty seats. The hall smelled of urns of strong coffee and the spicy tang of cinnamon and nutmeg. Before Ally could say anything, her mother grabbed her arm and led her through the throng.

“You didn’t eat lunch. Have some tea and pie,” Judy ordered.

Setting her teeth, Ally smiled at the woman behind the table and asked for coffee…and apple crisp. It was probably childish, but she was growing more and more restless lately. She could pick her own snack, for heaven’s sake. It was hardly all her mom’s fault. Ally was the one who’d put herself in the rut to begin with. Ally had been the one to stay at home because it was easy.

She was balancing the cup in one hand and the plate and fork on another when the back of her neck started tingling. She turned around and saw Chris in the line-up, smiling down at a woman who was old enough to be his grandmother. Ally noticed that he got a piece of crisp and a generous slice of pie. Not that she blamed the old girl. When Chris turned on his smile, it was hard to say no.

His gaze caught hers and his eyes warmed, sending a flush from her head straight down to her toes. He wore his uniform today, the blue shirt bringing out his eyes and the tie knotted precisely at his throat. His long legs were emphasized by the trim cut of the dark pants. Legs that were, right now, making their way over to her, weaving around chairs while he held his cup up high so as not to spill.

“Fancy meeting you here,” he said, sliding up beside her.

Suddenly the afternoon out didn’t feel like such a burden. “Indeed.” Her lips curved up and she lifted her chin. “Look at you, sweet talking the ladies into giving you double.”

“No sweet talking at all. Just my natural charm. Most ladies can’t resist it.”

“Really.”

“There is one. I keep trying and trying, but she’s a tough cookie.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“Not really.” His eyes twinkled at her. “I find I’m enjoying the challenge.”

Their gazes held for several seconds until he grinned, showing his stupidly white teeth for just a second before lifting his cup for a drink of coffee.

“I wish there was a place to sit. We should have come later, after things slow down.”

“You came with your parents?”

She raised her eyebrows, then nodded.

“Here, put your cup down here so you can eat.” He slid over to a wall and put his cup down on the ledge. She put hers beside it and let out a breath. There was slightly more room to breathe just here, and she dipped her fork into the baked apples and oatmeal topping.

“How’d the career counsellor go?” He popped a gigantic piece of pumpkin pie into his mouth.

She shrugged. “Okay. I answered a bunch of questions, only for her to tell me after an hour what it took you all of two minutes to say.”

He smiled. “I’ve known you longer. So, any decisions?”

She shook her head and reached for her coffee to wash down the crisp. “Not yet. Vet school is out. I’d have to take my science degree and then hopefully get into vet school and spend another four years in Charlottetown. And we know how well I did in university the first time…”

“Okay, so what else?”