Fanning Flames by Cindy Caldwell

Author:Cindy Caldwell [Caldwell, Cindy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-09-09T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Fall was definitely in the air, and Alex felt the spring in his step as they walked toward the restaurant. The evening was crisp, and the leaves that were beginning to turn rustled as they walked by. It was his favorite time of year—not least because it signaled the end of fire season. Things should be much cooler soon, and summer tourists doing silly things that they needed to be rescued from would end also.

He’d spent the day with good friends, and he had a beautiful, interesting young lady on his arm. He snuck a glance at her from the corner of his eye and smiled as her long, sandy brown hair blew around her face. Her jeans and cowboy boots fit perfectly here at the ranch, and he found himself wondering if she wore them in foreign countries, too. Maybe he would ask her later.

He swung the door open wide, ushering Lindsey in before him. His stomach growled at the smell of pizza, and she turned and laughed when she heard it. Her eyes twinkled, and he thought that if he was ever in a real disaster, it would be good if he was with her.

He patted the radio on his hip, satisfied that it was secure and he could hear it if needed. He scouted the bar area for a table and his stomach dropped when he saw a bunch of arms waving in his direction.

“What’s the matter?” Lindsey asked when he groaned.

He quickly took out his cell phone. Sure enough, he’d missed a text from his mother that his whole family would be a trivia tonight and asking him to join them. If he’d seen it, he’d have taken Lindsey to any other restaurant on the planet than this one.

But he was stuck now. He forced a smile and whispered in Lindsey’s ear.

“My family’s here. I’m sorry. I think we have to join them.”

“Oh,” she said, and he noticed a flicker of uncertainty pass over her face. “Your whole family?”

“Yes, all six of them,” he said as he ushered her over to the table. His father hopped up and grabbed another bar stool, scooting it over to the table when he saw Lindsey.

“Mom, dad, everybody, this is Lindsey Montgomery.” He hadn’t told them too much the night before, and he crossed his fingers that they’d be on their best behavior.

Pamela’s eyebrows rose as she looked from Alex to Lindsey and he tried to catch her eye, hoping she at least would remember that Lindsey hadn’t wanted to talk about anything and help him steer the conversation.

She seemed to take the cue and introduced the rest of his sisters. They ordered pizza, and he thanked his lucky stars that his sisters didn’t pick tonight to tease him about much. They kept the conversation to work, Idaho, and questions about Lindsey’s job.

“You really have traveled all over the world? You’re so young,” Alex’s mom asked, sparking a conversation about Lindsey’s travels. Her eyes lit up as she described Thailand, India, the Dominican Republic, Brazil.

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