back. “Call me later and let me know you’re okay.”
It pleased him to know she worried about him. “Will do.” Clasping her nape, he gave her a quick kiss. “Bye.”
He ran out of the house and took off in his Mustang. He could see the black smoke rising in the distance, showing him the exact location of the fire. He made a quick call to his fire chief to let him know he’d be at the fire hall in five minutes. The fire truck was about to pull out of the hall, so Clay gave Stephen the address and told him to meet the crew there.
Great idea, since getting to the house would be quicker than driving into town. Stephen hit his gas pedal and inched up the speedometer.
Dolly took Sundays off from Boot Scootin’, so it surprised Julia when Dolly invited her to go to the bar with her. “Aren’t you off today?”
“Supposedly, but I have some paperwork I want to finish. It’ll be quiet there since it’s Mother’s Day. The nicer restaurants in town fill up, so my business dips. That’s okay. It makes today a good day to work in my office.” She sipped from her glass of tea. “Did you talk to Cathy?”
Julia nodded. “First thing this morning. We talked for almost an hour.” Her throat still felt tight from that conversation. It had been really hard not to cry while on the phone with her mother.
“I’ll be leaving in about half an hour,” Dolly said. “Why don’t you come with me? I still haven’t fixed you one of my famous cheeseburgers.”
Julia laughed. “You’re determined to put weight on me.”
“No, I just want to make sure you’re eating enough.”
She placed one hand over her stomach. “I feel as if all I’ve done the last few days is eat.”
“Don’t worry. Sex burns a lot of calories.”
The impish grin on Dolly’s lips made Julia laugh again. She shook one finger at the older woman. “You are bad.”
“It’s more fun to be bad than good.” Dolly took the last sip of her tea. “So everything is okay with you and Stephen?”
The knowing look in Dolly’s eyes made Julia hesitate before she answered. “Sure. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. You seem . . .” She tilted her head to the side. “Down this morning.”
Not ready to talk about her conflicted feelings for Stephen until she sorted them out, Julia forced a smile. “I’m fine. Just a little tired. I’m sure one of your cheeseburgers will perk me up.”
Her cell phone rang. She looked at the display to see Stephen’s face. Her heart skittered in her chest, both from pleasure and anxiety. “Hello?”
“Hey,” he said, an obvious smile in his voice. “Fire’s out, everyone is safe. There’s quite a bit of damage to the house, so I don’t know if it can be saved or not.”
“But everyone is safe, so that’s what counts.”
“You bet.” She heard something bang in the background, like a locker or cabinet door closing. “Some of the guys are going over to Boot Scootin’ to shoot pool. Want to go with me?”
“Actually, I’m on my way there. Dolly invited me to try one of her cheeseburgers.”
“My mouth is already watering for one. I’ll see you there in . . . oh, probably an hour.”
“Okay. See you then. Bye.”
She pressed a button to end the call. “Stephen and some of the other firefighters are going to Boot Scootin’.”
“Good. Then we can get the firsthand scoop on the fire.” She stood and picked up their empty tea glasses. “Do you want to ride with me or take your own car? I probably won’t stay much past three.”
“I’ll ride with you.”
Julia felt a little guilty ordering her cheeseburger before Stephen arrived, but her growling stomach overrode her guilt. She’d taken two bites of the delicious sandwich when the door opened. Five men entered, Stephen in the rear. He zeroed in on her right away. With a sexy smile on his face, he strode toward her while the rest of the men walked to the pool room.
“Hi.” He slid onto the stool next to her and looked at
It pleased him to know she worried about him. “Will do.” Clasping her nape, he gave her a quick kiss. “Bye.”
He ran out of the house and took off in his Mustang. He could see the black smoke rising in the distance, showing him the exact location of the fire. He made a quick call to his fire chief to let him know he’d be at the fire hall in five minutes. The fire truck was about to pull out of the hall, so Clay gave Stephen the address and told him to meet the crew there.
Great idea, since getting to the house would be quicker than driving into town. Stephen hit his gas pedal and inched up the speedometer.
Dolly took Sundays off from Boot Scootin’, so it surprised Julia when Dolly invited her to go to the bar with her. “Aren’t you off today?”
“Supposedly, but I have some paperwork I want to finish. It’ll be quiet there since it’s Mother’s Day. The nicer restaurants in town fill up, so my business dips. That’s okay. It makes today a good day to work in my office.” She sipped from her glass of tea. “Did you talk to Cathy?”
Julia nodded. “First thing this morning. We talked for almost an hour.” Her throat still felt tight from that conversation. It had been really hard not to cry while on the phone with her mother.
“I’ll be leaving in about half an hour,” Dolly said. “Why don’t you come with me? I still haven’t fixed you one of my famous cheeseburgers.”
Julia laughed. “You’re determined to put weight on me.”
“No, I just want to make sure you’re eating enough.”
She placed one hand over her stomach. “I feel as if all I’ve done the last few days is eat.”
“Don’t worry. Sex burns a lot of calories.”
The impish grin on Dolly’s lips made Julia laugh again. She shook one finger at the older woman. “You are bad.”
“It’s more fun to be bad than good.” Dolly took the last sip of her tea. “So everything is okay with you and Stephen?”
The knowing look in Dolly’s eyes made Julia hesitate before she answered. “Sure. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. You seem . . .” She tilted her head to the side. “Down this morning.”
Not ready to talk about her conflicted feelings for Stephen until she sorted them out, Julia forced a smile. “I’m fine. Just a little tired. I’m sure one of your cheeseburgers will perk me up.”
Her cell phone rang. She looked at the display to see Stephen’s face. Her heart skittered in her chest, both from pleasure and anxiety. “Hello?”
“Hey,” he said, an obvious smile in his voice. “Fire’s out, everyone is safe. There’s quite a bit of damage to the house, so I don’t know if it can be saved or not.”
“But everyone is safe, so that’s what counts.”
“You bet.” She heard something bang in the background, like a locker or cabinet door closing. “Some of the guys are going over to Boot Scootin’ to shoot pool. Want to go with me?”
“Actually, I’m on my way there. Dolly invited me to try one of her cheeseburgers.”
“My mouth is already watering for one. I’ll see you there in . . . oh, probably an hour.”
“Okay. See you then. Bye.”
She pressed a button to end the call. “Stephen and some of the other firefighters are going to Boot Scootin’.”
“Good. Then we can get the firsthand scoop on the fire.” She stood and picked up their empty tea glasses. “Do you want to ride with me or take your own car? I probably won’t stay much past three.”
“I’ll ride with you.”
Julia felt a little guilty ordering her cheeseburger before Stephen arrived, but her growling stomach overrode her guilt. She’d taken two bites of the delicious sandwich when the door opened. Five men entered, Stephen in the rear. He zeroed in on her right away. With a sexy smile on his face, he strode toward her while the rest of the men walked to the pool room.
“Hi.” He slid onto the stool next to her and looked at
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