Heat & Desire: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 4) Read online

  Just my luck. Seriously!?

  The fire was getting bigger, and had spread to some of the boxes of baking ingredients next to the stove, which sent a few sparks flying. That was causing the smoke to get thicker. My best bet was to find the fire extinguisher or get the sprinkler to work. I suddenly realized that I had no idea where the fire extinguisher was, and I was in full panic mode as the fire spread. I grabbed the stool Jillian used to get stuff off the top shelf, and a wooden spoon. It was a long shot, but I didn’t know what else to do. I set the stool up, climbed it, and started hammering the sprinkler with the spoon. After a few stiff shots, the sprinkler opened up and started spraying. Most of the initial sprays went in my face, which caused me to stumble and start gagging because it was absolutely rancid. I balanced myself, took a step down, and wasn’t prepared for the rung to be wet. My foot slipped, the spoon went flying, and I started falling towards the floor. Before I felt the floor rise up to meet me, my head hit something, and darkness engulfed my vision.

  My eyes parted and my vision was foggy. I was staring up at a fire—no, it wasn’t a fire. It was the sun. I wasn’t in the kitchen anymore, I was outside. I could hear sirens blaring. I turned my head, but I couldn’t move it much because there was some sort of collar around my neck. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a fire truck with the lights flashing. I tried to sit up, but my head was throbbing, and I had straps across my chest. It appeared that I was on a stretcher. My vision continued to come into focus and I tried to turn my head in the other direction, seeing an ambulance out of the corner of my other eye. A paramedic was inside it, and another one was doing something to the doors. My thoughts cleared a little more and I remembered the fire—I remembered falling. Jillian was going to kill me. The paramedic walked up and grabbed the edge of the stretcher, pulling it towards the ambulance.

  “I think I’m okay.” I tried to reach out and touch his arm.

  “You’re awake—good.” A paramedic looked down at me and nodded.

  “Wait, hold on. Wendy?” A familiar voice echoed, like a memory trying to jump from the past to the present.

  “Huh? Mr. Shaw?” My eyes blinked a couple of times and I saw Beth’s father leaning over the stretcher.

  “How many times have I told you to call me Brody?” He pulled off his helmet and dropped it on the ground. “Do you feel okay? You hit your head pretty hard.”

  “I think I’m okay.” I nodded against the neck brace, which didn’t allow much movement.

  “They’re going to take you to the hospital just to be sure you don’t have a concussion.” He took my hand and squeezed it. “I’ll get in touch with your father and follow you to the hospital.”

  “No—don’t call him.” I grimaced and felt the pounding in my head getting stronger. “He’s not home.”

  “Okay.” Brody nodded and squeezed my hand again. “You seem to be alert, so that’s a good sign, but it’s better to take precautions.”

  “How’s she doing?” Another voice echoed—one that was like a growl when he spoke, and I knew who it belonged to before I saw his face.

  Micah—oh my god. That’s the other guy I saw that day. He’s a firefighter too…

  “She’s good.” Brody slapped Micah on the back. “You saved another one.”

  “All I did was make sure the fire was out.” Micah smile and nodded. “The sprinklers did most of the work for us.”

  “Good thing they were working.” Brody nodded and turned his head back towards me. “Okay, they’re going to load you in the ambulance now, but don’t worry—I’ll be right behind you.”

  I felt a mixture of embarrassment and agony as the stretcher was loaded into the ambulance. My head definitely hurt, but I didn’t seem to have any real injuries. The paramedics got me in position and then the doors slammed. As I stared at the ceiling, my mind flashed back to the moment from five years ago, when I saw Brody and Micah with the girl they were sharing. I had no idea who Micah was then, but it appeared that he was one of the firefighters who worked with Beth’s father.

  So many times over the years I had thought back to what I witnessed. Sometimes I even dreamed about it—except I was the girl on the bed instead of a secret observer. What I saw had been a shock to my system at eighteen, but after spending four years at college, it wasn’t the most bizarre thing I had seen in my life. I was no longer an inexperienced virgin like I was that day, but none of the guys that had wandered into life professing true love had compared to Brody. Even after all those years, with my head pounding and my thoughts jumbled, he still made my heart flutter when I looked at him.

  I’m not some lovesick eighteen year old girl anymore. I can’t get tangled up in those desires again.

  Brody

  “We can wrap up here if you want to head to the hospital.” Micah looked over at me as the ambulance pulled away.

  “Thanks, man.” I nodded and sighed. “My daughter would never forgive me if something happened to her best friend.”

  “You sure that’s all it is?” Micah smirked and lifted an eyebrow.

  “What do you mean?” My face twisted into a perplexed stare.

  “Come on, man. She’s hot as fuck.” His smirk spread into a grin.

  “No.” I shook my head quickly. “I’ve known her since she was a kid.”

  “She’s definitely not a kid anymore.” Micah pulled off his helmet and wiped his brow. “Maybe I should stop by the hospital and play the hero card.”

  “Don’t be a jerk.” I scoffed and slapped his shoulder with the back of my hand. “Surely your bed isn’t so cold that you need to hit on girls you pull out of burning buildings.”

  “Hey, it wouldn’t be the first time—you know that as well as I do.” He chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t remember you giving me a speech about morality that day.”

  “That was different and you know it.” I shook my head and sighed. “Plus, she wasn’t one of my daughter’s friends.”

  “Yeah, this girl seems like she might be a little more of a challenge than a stripper.” Micah turned back towards the truck. “All right, get out of here, man. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Micah and I had been close friends since he was a rookie at the fire department. I was getting over my divorce and he was a bachelor that liked to party. A lot of those parties ended up at his apartment, and sometimes, we only had one woman to share. A couple of times we brought the party to my house when Beth wasn’t home, but it was rare. We definitely had a lot of fun. I just couldn’t keep up with him. My work kept me away from home enough as it was and my ex-wife didn’t do much unless it was her weekend with our daughter. Beth had turned out all right, even if I wasn’t entirely happy she decided to get married before she finished college. I just hoped they waited a few years to have kids, because I wasn’t ready to be called grandpa. I wanted to at least see forty before that happened.

  The price of having a kid when you’re fifteen and stupid, but I wouldn’t trade her for the world.

  I had to grow up quick when Beth’s mother told me she was pregnant. The first few years were rough, and it was clear that my ex-wife wasn’t ready for that challenge. We did our best to make the best of our situation, but our teenage lust didn’t last. Once the reality of raising a daughter became our life, we drifted apart. We stayed together for a few years, mostly for Beth’s sake, but that wasn’t strong enough to keep our family together forever. And now, dating was far too complicated and I didn’t think I would be able to trust another woman after my divorce. I was way too protective to trust them around Beth. Picking up random girls, even if it meant sharing them with Micah, was the easiest route to satisfying those carnal desires.

  I got a ride back to the station, told my chief that I needed to check on a friend, and changed into street clothes. By the time I got to the hospital, Wendy had already been checked out by the emergency room staff. They did a CT scan and confirmed that she didn’t have anything more than a contusion on her head, some bruises from the fall, and a sli
ght burn on her hand. A few days of rest and relaxation was recommended, just to be safe. She was lucky. The sprinklers at the restaurant handled the fire before it could spread out of control, and she didn’t inhale very much smoke. I had certainly seen worse, and I was thankful that my second call to Beth was one letting her know that Wendy was going to be okay. Beth was already packing a bag to come home, and there was no way I could talk her out of it, even if there was no real emergency that required her presence. After making the call to Beth, I signed in at the desk and headed to Wendy’s room.

  “Seriously, I’m okay. I just want to go home.” I heard Wendy’s voice as I got to the door.

  “The doctor just wants you to stay for a few hours and make sure the swelling on your head doesn’t get any worse.” The nurse sounded impatient. “We’re not keeping you overnight. Just lay back and relax.”

  “You should listen to what she says.” I smiled as I walked into her room.

  “Hey, Mr.—Brody.” Wendy looked over at me and forced a slight smile.

  “Hopefully you can talk some sense into her.” The nurse turned towards me and shook her head as she walked out of the room.

  “I feel fine.” Wendy tried to sit up. “They pumped me full of Tylenol, so I’m good to go.”

  “They’re just being careful. It’s protocol with a head injury. There could be something that wasn’t picked up on the initial CT scan, and if you’re still fine in a few hours, then you’re out of the woods.” I walked over and pulled a chair close to the bed. “Beth’s on her way. Do you really want to tell her you ignored the doctor’s orders?”

  “Oh no.” Wendy laughed and grimaced. “Looks like I’m staying put.”

  “How are things with you these days, anyway? I didn’t even realize you were back in town. The last time I saw you was at Beth’s wedding, and things were too crazy for us to talk much.” I tilted my head to the side and folded my arms across my chest.

  “Yeah—crazy weekend.” She forced another smile, but I could see that it hurt with her head injury. “Things haven’t been bad. I graduated from college and moved back home to help my dad.”

  “Your dad? Really?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “I seem to remember you wanting to stay as far away from him as possible in high school—and for good reason.”

  “I did.” She nodded in confirmation. “It got worse before it got better, but he’s in a rehabilitation center now. Sobriety looks good on him. It’s almost like looking in the face of the man I used to know.”

  “Wow, that’s really good.” I smiled and nodded slowly. “We all handle that kind of pain in different ways.”

  “I wish he would have handled it like you did. Beth’s mom left, and you didn’t lose your shit.” She took a deep breath and exhaled sharply.

  “It was hard. Don’t think I never picked up a bottle and drowned my sorrows—I just didn’t let it get out of control. I could have, though. There were times when I thought about it.” I shrugged and sighed. “Nobody’s perfect.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Her words trailed off.

  “You should get some rest.” I leaned forward and patted her hand. “I’m sure Beth will be here by the time they’re ready to release you.”

  “Thank you for coming to check on me.” She lifted her arm and squeezed my hand before I could pull it away. “It really means a lot.”

  “No problem at all. You said you’re staying at your dad’s place?” I tilted my head when my hand fell to my side.

  “Yep, I’m trying to clean it up and repair what I can before he gets home.” She nodded and grimaced when her head moved against the pillow.

  “I’ll swing by tomorrow and check on you.” I lifted my hand to wave before turning around.

  “Thanks…” She let out a long sigh.

  Wendy had grown up a lot since high school. I was glad that she had managed to find peace with her father and that he was getting the help he needed. The relationship seemed permanently damaged back then. I tried to talk to him a couple of times when Wendy showed up at my house in tears, but it was clear that his addiction ruled his life. I couldn’t imagine hurting Beth like that. I could have easily drowned my troubles in alcohol, but I loved my daughter too much to let her see the pain I carried. I bottled the anger and rage in order to be the best father I could be. I wasn’t perfect—not by a long shot. I still had vices, but I kept them under control and made sure my daughter was far away when I indulged them. She needed at least one role model in her life, and my ex-wife had no interest in being one.

  The next day

  “How is she?” Micah walked up to me in the locker room as I was getting changed at the end of my twenty-four hour shift.

  “Who? Wendy? She’s fine. Beth picked her up from the hospital and stayed with her last night.” I turned to him and nodded. “I was going to fill you in when I got back, but you were already sleeping.”

  “Yeah, I passed out as soon as I got out of the shower. I was fucking tired.” Micah opened his locker and peeled off his shirt. “Glad to hear she’s okay. We don’t always find out what happens when the ambulance takes them to the hospital.”

  “Sometimes it’s better that way.” I slammed my locker and sat down to put on my tennis shoes.

  “Yeah, I found that out the hard way early on.” Micah slipped on a clean t-shirt and sat down beside me. “So, Wendy—is she single?”

  “Come the fuck on, man.” I glared at him and shook my head in disbelief. “We talked about this shit yesterday.”

  “I know, she’s one of your daughter’s friends.” He leaned over to tie his shoe. “That doesn’t mean I can’t ask her out.”

  “I can’t stop you from asking her out if that’s what you want to do.” I sighed and leaned close so only he could hear me. “But if you hurt her—I swear to god, Micah…”

  “Hurt her? What kind of guy do you think I am?” He turned to me with an offended look on his face.

  “I know exactly what kind of guy you are.” I stood up and looked down at him. “That’s the fucking problem.”

  I couldn’t help but be a little protective of Wendy. There was a time when she seemed to spend more time at my house than her own. We even threw her a birthday party when she turned eighteen. Micah wasn’t a bad guy; I just didn’t think he was looking for any sort of relationship with Wendy. He rarely thought about anything other than his dick when he was with someone. I might have followed him down that path a few times, but it didn’t define my life. I was open to a real relationship with someone if I met the right woman. I just didn’t think that was ever going to happen. My daughter was married, and once she had a baby calling me grandpa, I would be looking for dates at the nursing home. It wasn’t how I imagined my late thirties, but I was content. I barely even remembered how to date someone, anyway. Solitude was certainly better than drama.

  Wendy

  “Are you absolutely sure you’re going to be okay? I really don’t want to leave you.” Beth leaned over the back of the couch and looked at me.

  “I’ll be fine, I promise. I’m going to stay on the couch, order a pizza for lunch, and enjoy having a couple of days off work. Doctor’s orders, you know.” I looked up at her smiled.

  “Okay. My dad said he was going to stop by and check on you this afternoon.” She reached down and took my hand. “Please call me if you need anything. I’ll turn my car around, no matter how far I get.”

  “I know. I really appreciate it.” I nodded and reached for the remote as she walked towards the door.

  I felt like such an idiot as I replayed what happened in my head. The situation had gotten out of control so fast that I didn’t know what to do. I was operating on pure panic. The fire was bad enough, but the sprinklers had done damage as well. I sent several text messages to Jillian and apologized profusely. I was glad she wasn’t angry with me, but I felt like she should have been. She had insurance to cover the damage and she urged me to file a claim with her insurance company so my hospital bills would be
covered. I wasn’t sure I deserved to have them covered, but I made a mental note of it just in case. They were definitely going to be expensive, and I wasn’t going to be able to handle them myself with the money I made from working at the bakery.

  I lounged on the couch and relaxed until around noon when my pizza arrived. It wasn’t my favorite thing to eat, but it was quick and easy. My head still hurt when I tried to sit up, but I wasn’t dizzy once I was on my feet. Things could have certainly turned out worse, and I considered myself lucky. I found a movie that I had seen a few times and put it on, mostly for background noise. I had to keep the volume low because the music hurt when it beat in my ears, but after the pizza settled in my stomach, I was ready for a nap. I dozed off and I wasn’t sure how long I slept, but I woke up to the sound of a knock on my front door. I sat up and blinked until my vision was clear as I remembered that Beth’s father was supposed to be stopping by to check on me.

  “Hey.” I opened the door and smiled. “Come on in.”

  “You’re up and walking around. That’s a good sign.” Brody removed his jacket when he stepped into my house.

  “Yeah, I’m okay except for the headache.” I put my hand to my head and grimaced. “Would you like some pizza? I have some leftover from lunch.”

  “I might have a slice.” He nodded and tossed his jacket on the back of the chair.

  “Let me get you something to drink.” I turned towards the kitchen, but Brody held up his hand.

  “I’ll get it. Want anything?” He pointed towards the couch and walked into the kitchen.