12. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Elena

I hear the front door open and am filled with happiness that Hunter made it through his shift without injury. At least, I hope he hasn't been hurt. I suppose I'll find out when I see him. I'm hiding in Evie's bedroom and waiting for him to find me.

Today has been tough. I have a lot on my mind about the brief conversation I had with Hunter, and I've come up with an idea to tackle this fear that grips me whenever Hunter gets called into work.

I hear him rummaging through the kitchen cupboards. Is he hungry? Maybe I should offer to make him some dinner. Before long, I hear footsteps approaching. The door is open, and he leans silently against the doorframe, watching me.

Evie is fast asleep and I don't want to wake her, so I gather my courage and get up and walk towards Hunter. When I get to the door, he's blocking me with his strong, muscled body. I do a quick inspection and he seems to be okay.

After a few seconds, he moves aside so that I can pass, but he doesn't follow me. I guess he wants to check on Evie. He's been away now for five days and must be desperate to see her. I go to the kitchen and make myself some warm milk, being extra careful.

I've developed a habit of keeping anything flammable away from the fire when I turn on the stove. I took detailed notes each time Hunter shared his lessons on fire safety, and I created a checklist that I've memorized. Unless I'm extremely distracted, I won't start any fires in the near future.

My chest swells as I remember how patient Hunter has been with me after all those accidents. He's a good man with solid values. I sit down at the dining room table and sip my milk. After a few minutes, Hunter walks out of his daughter's room and comes to sit across from me.

"Thanks for getting her. Mrs. Brown means well, but she's older, and I worry Evie runs her ragged."

"Yeah. I realized I was being a baby about everything and decided it was time for us to come home."

He looks at me as the words sink in. Then, his face fills with hope.

"Please don't give me hope and then take it away," he whispers.

I exhale loudly and reach for his hands across the table.

"I've thought of something. I asked Claire to give me the contact information for the significant others on your crew, and I'm going to talk to every one of them. I want to know how they deal with their loved ones going into danger every time they go to work."

"You think that will help?"

"I think it will help me understand and maybe come to terms with it."

I squeeze his hands with mine and give him a small smile.

"Are you hungry?" I ask.

"I could eat."

I get up to make him something to eat, but he pulls me down when I pass by and gives me a soft kiss on the lips. I still feel like things are fractured, and I have a lot of healing to do. After he's finished his sandwich and I have my milk, we go into his room.

We snuggle together, and I place my head on his chest, where I can feel his heart beating. It beats for me, just as mine beats for him.

The next day, Claire has a wonderful idea. We gather together at her house so I can hear the ladies speak about their lives with their firefighter loved ones. I expect everyone to start sugarcoating every experience and talking me up, but that's not what happens.

They all open their lives to me, revealing the hardships, sleepless nights, and tragedies. Despite all this, they remain loyal to their men. These women are stronger than I am, and I confess my fears to them. Then, I'm flooded with words of encouragement, and I thank them profusely.

Afterward, I go to Perfect Brews to ponder all the tales I've heard and the strength of the women in this town. Carly is there and takes a moment to sit with me. We've become friends since I frequent the coffee shop to do my work and eat their wonderful pastries.

"I heard Hunter was hurt. Is he okay?"

"Yeah, but I didn't take it very well. I almost skipped town."

"What?!"

"I know, I know, but it was a bit too much for me at the time. I'm better now. Just today, I talked to many of the wives and girlfriends of Hunter's crew, and I have to confess they seem happy with their decision to stay with the men even with the risk they put themselves in every time they go to work."

"Do you love Hunter?"

"It should be as easy as that, shouldn't it?"

"You didn't answer the question."

"I know."

Talking with Carly helped clear my head, so I headed home. When I parked the other truck in the garage, Hunter was just arriving with Evie. I gave her a big kiss and hugged him tightly. We fixed dinner together and did Evie's evening routine.

She's a happy baby, but after just two stories, she was down for the count. We consider ourselves lucky and sit down on the couch, holding one another.

"How was today," he asked.

"Your crew is so lucky to have those women in their lives."

"I can't argue with that."

"They didn't sugarcoat anything, but their stories filled me with hope even though some of them did not have happy endings."

"Does this mean that you're my girlfriend now?"

"That's definitely what it means."

Hunter places a kiss on my forehead and tells me about his day. Every day after that, when he comes home, he tells me everything he did—even the dangerous parts. I prefer it that way. It makes me feel grounded, and I always let him know I appreciate how open he is about his job with me.

He shows his appreciation by loving me deeply whenever we can sneak away. Day after day, I fall more and more in love with him. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

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