The Two-Date Rule by Tawna Fenske

Author:Tawna Fenske
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Entangled, Amara, contemporary, contemporary romance, romcom, rom-com, romantic comedy, fireman, firemen, firefighter, opposites attract, overcoming odds
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Published: 2020-12-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Grady’s trip out to Northern California was uneventful, or as uneventful as jumping out of a plane into a fiery forest could be. He and the rest of the crew spent four days digging fire lines and sawing limbs in a thick, woodsy area sixty-five miles from the closest town.

There was no phone service, so no texting with Willa. He tried not to feel bummed about that. She was busy with her work, and he was busy with his. That’s how it was supposed to be.

But still, he missed her. Missed the passionate glint in those mossy-oak eyes, the way her hair fell across her face when she bent to pet Stevie. He missed her teasing over mini golf and the dimples he saw so rarely that they felt like a hard-earned victory when he managed to coax them out.

By the time his crew finished mopping up the California fire, there was another blaze in Utah. Then Idaho, or was it Montana? They were all blurring together, a normal way of life for him and the rest of the crew as the summer grew hotter and forests got drier.

On day twelve, he finally got a chance to text her.

Grady: Taking a dinner break. I stink like you wouldn’t believe. Miss you.

He expected a sassy response, some joke about him smelling awful all the time. Alarm arced through him when he saw her response in all caps.

Willa: OHMYGOD YOU’RE OKAY????

He frowned at his phone, stirring Spam mac and cheese over the propane camp stove while Bobby collected water nearby.

Grady: Of course. What’s up?

The little bubbles on the screen told him she was typing out a response before his had even gone through.

Willa: It’s been on the news. Two smokejumpers badly injured in NE Oregon. I wasn’t sure where you were.

Oh. Right.

He’d heard about it, yeah. It had been all over the channels, and the crews were pretty upset. He hadn’t known either guy, both loaners from a crew in New Zealand. Even so, it gave him a sick feeling in his gut anytime something like that happened.

It hadn’t even occurred to him that Willa would hear about it.

Grady: I’m okay. Haven’t had phone service, so I couldn’t check in. Sorry you were worried.

That wasn’t totally true. A tiny, selfish little part of him liked that she was worried about him. That she thought of him at all when he was gone.

Willa: Totally understand. Just glad you’re okay. Stay safe.

He typed back “you too,” which was dumb. She worked at home, where the biggest danger might be tripping over Stevie. Smiling to himself at the thought of her big, doofy dog, he finished stirring the Spam and switched off the gas.

How nice would it be to curl up on Willa’s couch to eat dinner together? Or fall asleep in her warm bed with Stevie on the floor in the corner and Barrow nestled between his legs.

But no, he couldn’t think that way. If Willa was determined to avoid anything serious between them, then he needed to do better at keeping walls built up.

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