Nursing the Flame, page 15
His brows furrowed. “Your time is just as valuable as someone’s with a family. And right now, you’re basically a part of ours.” He touched her cheek. “And I don’t see you as single, angel. You’re mine. At least for the moment. I want you there.”
You’re mine.
Her heart did all kinds of acrobats at the warmth in his eyes and his claim-staking words—just like they had before when he’d said something similar.
“Okay, then, I’d love to come to Thanksgiving at your parents’ house. I love your family, Reg. They’re so welcoming and sweet to me.”
No harm in it at this point. She was already in over her head. Might as well risk drowning to get as much out of this time with Reggie as she could.
And no matter how long that would be, she was pretty sure it wouldn’t be enough.
*
“We should get out of the house today.”
At Amber’s suggestion, Reggie glanced away from the show they had on.
They were cuddling on the couch. This was her second day off before returning to work tomorrow, and they’d spent most of their time in bed or just hanging out around the house. So her suggestion threw him a bit.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Well, we actually have a nice day where it’s not raining. I thought maybe we could go down to the Ballard Locks and walk around. Watch the boats go in and out and get you some fresh air. Not to mention the seasonal perk of checking out the changing leaves.”
It’d been a while since he’d just spent time outside for the sake of being outside. The weather this time of year tended to be cooler and rainy, and with his crutches, he’d limited his outdoor time to mostly to and from the car when he was going somewhere.
“You know, that sounds kind of amazing. I’m in.”
She lifted a brow. “Yeah?”
“Absolutely.”
“Awesome. We can get lunch after too. Maybe Ray’s Boathouse for some seafood? I’ll pay.”
“No, you won’t. You’ve already done so much for me.” He leaned over and caught her chin, brushing a soft kiss against her lips. “And even if we weren’t together, there’s no way I’d let you pay for lunch.”
She sighed softly and leaned in closer, brushing another kiss against his lips.
“You’re almost making me want to skip it and go for round two.”
“Later,” he promised. “Right now you’ve got me excited for fall foliage and fish-and-chips.”
She gave a slow smile. “Two pretty amazing things, if you think about it.”
“Exactly.”
An hour later, they’d parked the car and were walking along the paved path of the Ballard locks.
Reggie was such a pro and used to crutches by now, they barely bugged him as he easily matched her pace.
He sucked in a breath, appreciating the cool and crisp air. The grass was green again, and the leaves were a visual buffet of yellow, red, and orange.
“Thank you.” He glanced at her. “I didn’t realize how much the season had changed, and how nice the cool air feels.”
“You do run hot, so I bet this is perfect for you.” She shivered. “This is when it starts to get a little cold for me. But sweater weather is the best.”
He slid a glance over her and had to agree it suited her. She looked like a fall model in her knit sweater, jeans, and boots.
“I feel like we should be carrying pumpkin spice lattes,” he murmured.
Her nose wrinkled. “You like those things?”
“Not even a little bit. I hate sweet coffee.”
“Same.”
But then he knew that from having worked with her these past few years. They both took their coffee black, which had half the guys groaning in disgust.
“How is your leg?” She glanced over at him.
“Getting better.”
“I can’t believe you’re at 75 percent weight-bearing already.” She smiled. “You’ve got a kick-ass physical therapist.”
Reggie grimaced. “He absolutely kicks my ass.”
“Well, that’s a good thing. The sooner you’re better, the sooner you return . . .” She drifted off, as if realizing what she was saying.
What that all meant.
The sooner he returned to work, the sooner things between them went back to friendship, as usual.
It wasn’t something they talked about, but it was there. The elephant in the room.
Every time they’d made love recently, there was an urgency to it. A feeling that the stakes were higher and the clock was ticking.
Already they’d been close to getting caught.
Just thinking about the captain pulling Amber’s bra out of the couch had his stomach churning again.
He’d thought that would’ve been the moment they figured it out.
But no one had put it together. Only Blake, who’d already known.
They had to be more careful. He’d even encouraged Amber to go out to breakfast with the guys on Wednesday to keep the suspicions low.
“Looks like there’s a big boat about to go through the locks.” Amber gestured, clearly changing the topic. “We should go watch.”
“Yeah, love this part.”
They made their way over to the railing, finding a spot between the other people watching.
Fortunately, it wasn’t as crowded, being a cool fall day instead of peak tourist season with the salmon running.
It really was fascinating to watch boats of various sizes make their way from the freshwater in Lake Washington to the saltwater in Puget Sound.
They watched the large fishing boat enter the lock chamber from the upper gates. And soon the water began to drain and the boat sank lower and lower in the chamber.
When the water pressure was equal on both sides of the gate, the lower gate opened and the boat continued on its way through.
“That never gets old,” she murmured. “So amazing how they can do this. Where do you think that boat’s going?”
They watched as the boat cut through the water under the raised railroad bridge.
“Probably Alaska.”
“Yeah, that was my guess too.” She sighed. “You ever been there?”
“Alaska? Nah. Not yet. Someday it’d be cool, though.”
“Me neither. It’s a bucket list trip for me. Maybe even take one of those cruise ships I always see at the waterfront that head up there.”
“I’ve never been on a cruise.”
“Really? Reggie, you need to go on some vacations. I swear you never even take vacation time.”
“I take it. I just end up helping out at the bakery or lazing around the house.”
She nudged him in the side. “Oh my gosh. That’s not a fun vacation. Do you enjoy traveling?”
“I like it just fine. I guess I’ve just never had anyone to travel with.”
Her gaze slid to his and her lips parted. He could almost hear the invite she wanted to say but couldn’t.
We should travel together.
There was no we in the future, and they both knew it. How soon that point would be was less certain.
Her mouth closed and she looked away, gripping the railing as she stared out at the boat disappearing in the distance.
Reggie bit back a sigh.
Enjoy every day until it’s over.
It was a reminder he gave himself each morning.
“Are you up for checking out the fish ladder?”
Grateful for the change of subject and a chance to walk again, he gave a quick nod and followed her over the bridge.
*
Well, that got awkward fast.
Amber walked silently beside Reggie, watching the water flowing from the dam as they wandered on the spillway to the fish ladder.
It had almost been instinctual to invite him to travel with her, but then realization had hit.
Reggie was healing, which meant once he returned to work, things would go back to normal. Whatever normal would be once they ended . . . whatever this was.
A fling? A hidden two-month-relationship?
Unfortunately, it’d become emotionally and physically consuming, and abandoning it once Reggie returned to work was going to be brutal.
She snuck a glance up at him. His lips were pressed thin and his brows were drawn.
Maybe he was thinking the same thing?
“I’m not sure we’ll see any salmon this time of year,” he pondered. “Peak salmon run in the summer.”
Or maybe he was just thinking about fish.
She glanced away, ignoring the twisting in her stomach.
They made their way down the steps into the salmon viewing area and watched the murky water for a while before giving up on spotting any.
“Lunch?” Reggie shot her a look.
“Yeah, I’m getting hungry.”
They made their way back up the steps and into the open air.
The sound of a child laughing was quickly followed by a woman’s sharp scream, “Stop, Peter!”
Amber nearly missed the blur of a little blond toddler running straight for the stairs. She reached out to stop him, but he dodged her.
At the speed he was going, she braced for the inevitable fall down the stairs and the screams that would follow.
But a silver crutch swung out, stopping the boy in his tracks, before Reggie scooped him up.
“Careful there, little buddy.” Reggie grinned down at the kid, who looked torn between throwing a tantrum and utter fascination.
Finally, the boy reached up and grabbed Reggie’s glasses.
Amber watched in silence, her heart doing funny little things as she watched Reggie holding the small child.
“You’ve got to be careful.” Reggie let him keep the glasses while he turned and pointed to the stairs. “If you fell down those, you’d get a pretty big ouchie. Okay?”
“Okay.” The toddler nodded, still playing with the glasses.
Reggie was so gentle and patient, and the kid clearly trusted him immediately.
“Oh my goodness, thank you.” The mom arrived, a preschool-aged girl in tow. “You’re a true hero. I was stopping his sister from climbing the railing when he made a run for it.”
“No problem.” Reggie took back his glasses and handed off the boy.
“Thanks again.” The mom shot him another grateful look before she made her way down the stairs with the two kids in tow.
Amber watched them disappear into the viewing area of the fish ladder. “You’re really good with kids.”
He shrugged, but a big smile played on his face. “I guess? It’s easy to be when kids are so awesome.”
Something about his tone and the light in his eyes as he watched the three disappear finally clicked.
Reggie wanted kids. And maybe not just a someday thing, but probably soon. He was thirty-five. He was probably ready for a serious relationship that would end in marriage and lots of babies.
And for the first time, she saw another roadblock between them working out appear.
Yes, she wanted to be a mom, but she wasn’t even twenty-five. So not anytime soon.
Maybe this being a short-term thing really was for the best.
Her heart twisted a bit at the thought, but she shoved aside any thoughts of the future. It was so much easier—happier—just to exist in the present.
“How about that seafood lunch now?”
His question snapped her from her thoughts and she smiled. “I’m so down for lunch with a view.”
“Awesome. Let’s make our way back to the car, because it will obviously take me a while to get there.”
She glanced over at him. “I don’t know. I’m pretty impressed with how well you move on those things.”
“Thanks, I feel like I am getting pretty badass at it too. Kind of weird to think that soon I won’t even need them.”
That’s right. Pretty soon, he wouldn’t need them. And what would that mean for them? For him going back to work? All questions she wanted to know the answer to, but also dreaded to learn.
By the time they made it to the restaurant, the lunch rush had just begun. Fortunately, they had a table with a view within ten minutes or so.
They had just placed their order when she spotted a familiar face.
“I don’t wanna freak you out or anything, but I’m pretty sure I see the captain and his wife on the other side of the restaurant.”
Reggie stilled, and she couldn’t help but notice the flash of unease across his face. Clearly, the idea of running into people from work was distressing.
Which of course it was. She hadn’t forgotten how much trouble they could get into. What a big conflict of interest their relationship was.
“If he notices and comes over, I’ll just tell him I’m taking you out to celebrate your latest achievement at physical therapy,” she reassured him. “It doesn’t have to be weird. We’re friends. Everyone knows that.”
But the captain never came over. He probably didn’t even see them. Still, what should’ve been a fun and easygoing lunch had an underlying thread of tension on the chance that he would.
By the time they got back to his house, she could tell Reggie was pretty worn out. She suspected this was the most active he’d probably been in a long time.
“You should go rest.” She closed the door of the house and gestured to the bedroom. “I’ll clean up the dishes from breakfast.”
“I already did the dishes this morning.”
Amber gave him a quick glance. “When did you do those?”
“When you were in the shower.”
“Damn, you’re good.”
He reached for her hand. “Besides, the only thing I wanna do in my bedroom right now involves you.”
No matter how often he touched her or initiated sex, it still gave her a thrill. Butterflies came to life in her stomach and heat spread through her veins.
“Are you sure?” She pulled away, frowning. “You’ve had a pretty busy day.”
“I have.” He gave a lazy smile and grabbed the hem of her T-shirt. “And I’d like to finish it off by having you ride me like a pony.”
Amber burst into laughter and shook her head. “My thighs are going to be so amazing after all this.”
“Angel, they’re already amazing.” He pulled the shirt over her head, exposing the floral cotton bra underneath. “I have to say every time I take off your clothes, it’s like unwrapping a present. You have the most extensive collection of bras and panties that I ever could’ve imagined.”
“What can I say?” She bit her bottom lip and shrugged. “I like to have fun and buy girly underwear when my day job clothes are pretty androgynous.”
“And I think that’s just about the sexiest thing ever.”
He reached out to cup a breast and stroke over her nipple. It tightened in the bra.
“Come on. Let’s go to bed,” he whispered in her ear.
This time, when he caught her hand to take her to the bedroom, she didn’t protest.
Chapter Seventeen
Reggie moved through his mom’s kitchen with his crutches, pausing to stir the gravy.
“Keep your hands off my gravy, Reginald.”
He grimaced and glanced over his shoulder. His mom descended into the kitchen with a scowl as she took the whisk from him.
“You’ve got a broken leg, not a broken memory,” she chided. “No one touches the gravy but me.”
That was true, whether it was Thanksgiving or not.
His dad walked past, laughing and shaking his head. “I’d say Reg is a bit preoccupied.”
Reggie pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Just trying to help out.”
And keep his thoughts distracted.
“You should go sit down and visit with your girl.” His dad’s words were quiet and gentle. “We’ve got dinner handled.”
“We’re just friends.”
Both his parents gave him a look, their brows nearly to the ceiling, before exchanging a glance and shaking their heads.
“Okay.” The one word from his mom was laced with amusement.
“So, how are things?” His dad pulled the homemade rolls out of the oven. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
And he was, really. He’d gotten the news that by next week, he’d be 100 percent weight-bearing.
The crutches would be gone.
Hallelujah.
And while he couldn’t wait to be rid of them, he knew he wasn’t totally free. He’d be using a cane for a while.
But things were finally getting back to normal.
He stepped into the living room and his gaze landed on Amber, who was laughing as she sat on the couch with his cousin and sister.
Her gaze drifted to him and her smile widened, and she did a little chin nod of acknowledgement.
His gut clenched, even as he gave a small smile in return.
Getting back to normal would be a good thing . . . until it wasn’t.
By the time the family and Amber were seated at the dining room table and enjoying the massive spread of food, he’d pushed thoughts of the future out of his head.
There was laughter and there was conversation, and more delicious food than anyone here would be able to eat. It wasn’t just his immediate family, but a few cousins and an aunt and uncle, too, who’d joined.
And everyone seemed super curious about Amber.
When it was time for dessert, he helped bring out the pumpkin and pecan pies, followed by a plate of turkey-shaped sugar cookies decorated in royal icing.
“I’m almost too full for dessert.” Amber groaned, even as she snagged a cookie. She glanced at his parents. “But, oh my god, these are adorable, though. Which one of you did these guys?”
His mom’s lips curved into a smug smile. “Actually, Reggie did those.”
Amber’s mouth gaped slightly, and she blinked before turning in her seat to face him.
Her voice lowered. “Seriously? You made these?”
“I did.” He gave a small nod, even as a little wave of self-consciousness slid through him.
“They’re amazing. I had no idea your family’s baking talent extended to their firefighter son.”
“I worked in the bakery all through high school,” he admitted. “It never really left me. And my mom’s been putting me to use decorating cookies these last few weeks to give me something to do.”
