Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 74730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
My ploy worked long enough for the three of us to order. After Tammy collected our menus, though, Rosalynn returned the conversation to the fire department. Asking my dad about fire department news inevitably led to him bragging about my return. I stifled a groan.
“Your folks seem awfully pleased to have you back in town. Are you planning to make the move permanent?” Rosalynn asked as I desperately looked around to see where our food was. Ordering off the menu had felt weird. Wrong. I’d come to love not having to pick, enjoying whatever Denver dreamed up for me. I’d ordered loaded hash browns, but I’d rather have one of his surprises. My gaze landed on Denver’s broad back. I loved holding on to his shoulders and… Nope. Can’t go there.
“I…I’m not sure. A lot depends on what happens with the firefighter on maternity leave I’m covering for and where my folks end up after Dad retires.” Staying certainly had a lot more appeal these days, with Eric and the kids keeping me busy and my secret fling with Denver giving me life. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else at the moment. Each day I worked on the carriage house was another step closer to staying as well. I couldn’t help but picture myself there, but that image included Denver, which was dangerous thinking, indeed.
“If we let your dad go. He’s the best fire chief Mount Hope has ever had.” Rosalynn laughed lightly, but this was an unanticipated wrinkle. The longer my dad was in town, the more likely he was to guess about my private life. Perhaps it was naive of me, but until this morning, I honestly hadn’t given much thought to my parents finding out about what I’d been up to with Denver.
“Oh, I’m retiring. The wife will have a fit if I put it off again.” My exhale of relief was short-lived as my dad turned his shrewd gaze in my direction. “Of course I’ll need an amazing replacement.”
“Dad.”
“What? You were a decorated captain. You’d be perfect—”
“On my crew.” Huh. At some point in the last month, I’d gone from feeling like an outsider to feeling like part of the crew. And I liked it. No matter what happened in the future, I’d miss this time. “With all due respect, I’m not ready for a desk.”
“Fair enough.” Dad nodded, voice pleasant, but his level gaze said the subject wasn’t closed. I glanced over at the mayor. The first lesbian mayor in town history. Could the town handle a gay fire chief? Not that I was at all interested in the job, but the consequences of coming out kept seeming more and more real. This casual fling with Denver had led to several uncomfortable truths.
“I’ll be right back.” Rosalynn excused herself to the restroom, which gave my dad ample chance to return to his favorite topic: me.
“You know we only want you happy. Fire chief, captain, part of the crew, whatever you want. Just be happy.”
He said those words, but how would he react if I told him I was happier with Denver than I’d been in a long, long time. This might be the right moment to test the waters…
“You being happy is why your mother wants you to come to dinner sometime soon. She’s met the most lovely single mother at church. Mom will tell you all about her, but if you make it to church tomorrow—”
“On duty.” My voice was clipped right along with my hopes. Nope. No water testing, not right now, at least. “And I can find my own dates.”
Like Denver. My earlier thoughts in Eric’s kitchen about dating Denver returned in full force. Why couldn’t this all be easy? We were already sleeping together. We got along great. Why not date? Why did things have to be so complicated?
“Then find one. Bring your date around for dinner and make your mother happy. Or bring someone to the pancake breakfast. Be happy, Sean.”
I had a brief flash of Denver eating my mom’s mac-n-cheese with ham and green beans on the side, her Sunday special. He’d make her laugh. My sisters and their kids would be there, running around. Maybe Bridget or Declan would be in town. And Denver…
Would likely hate it. Image gone. He was a nomad at heart, allergic to domesticity, and the big Murphy clan might give him hives. But now that I’d had the thought… Oh, how I wanted. I glanced at the grill area, watching Denver flip an omelet onto a plate.
Complicated indeed. And the wise thing would be to follow my dad to my parents’ home, get some good-son points by helping with yard work, but the second Denver subtly glanced toward the parking lot, I nodded. I wasn’t giving this up, not yet.
Chapter Sixteen
Denver
“Fancy seeing you here.” I opened my apartment door to let Sean in. I didn’t bother faking surprise. I’d known he’d show up eventually. All it had taken was a momentary meeting of our eyes, and I’d known. Exactly how I’d known when he’d first walked into the diner that he’d come to see me, not his old man.