Chapter Twenty
Scarlett
Having The Serendipity catch on fire was not on my bingo card today, that’s for sure.
Seeing Wade standing in my doorway in all of his firefighting gear? Now, that’s an image imprinted in my mind forever. The way he burst through my door—is there anything more manly than someone able to break down a door, willing to save you?
I don’t think so.
But then I notice a chunk of door trim lying on the ground from the whole body-slamming thing.
I glance around the apartment. There’s no fire alarm. No fire. Nothing going on. I didn’t even hear any sirens.
“What are you doing? Is this some weird joke?” I ask as I slowly close the book, saving my spot with the book jacket.
Wade strides across the living room toward me. He’s even wearing a helmet. Like, he’s actually prepared for a fire. I wait for him to tell me this is a joke, but there’s a grim set to his face as he scoops me up off the couch—literally lifts me in his arms, book and all .
“Wade! What are you doing?” I ask, wiggling in his grasp but those arms are bands of steel.
He tucks me tighter against his chest and carries me bridal-style out of my apartment and toward the staircase.
“You left my door open! We didn’t lock it! My shoes are back there!”
I always knew Wade was strong, but I didn’t realize he was the carry me at a jog while wearing full firefighting gear type of strong. Good grief, he’s even carrying a five-hundred-page romantasy book.
“I don’t know why you can’t hear the fire alarm down here, but it is ridiculously loud upstairs.”
“The building is on fire?” I gasp. Not my precious building . I would be crushed if anything happened to The Serendipity.
His radio crackles as other firefighters communicate, confirming that each apartment is clear. Wade listens to the words as he heads straight for the staircase and runs upstairs. At the top, another firefighter—someone I don’t know—meets him.
His face is slightly flushed, like he’s just been running all four flights of stairs.
“Anything in the basement?” the guy asks.
“No sign of smoke, but I didn’t check the furnace room yet.”
The man frowns briefly. “I’ll go check it out. You just want to make me run more stairs and play the hero.” He gestures to me with a smirk.
Wade grins back. “I found something better than fire, that’s for sure.”
“So far, it’s looking like we’re all clear. Might be an alarm malfunction. I just talked with the building manager, and he said he was trying to run a test on it to make sure it was working but it sent it into the real mode instead. Get her outside, then the building will be clear, and we can do our final sweeps.”
Wade starts walking down the hallway. “That was my boss, Linus,” he explains, adjusting his hold on me.
“Wade Hendrix, put me down. I can walk just fine,” I grunt as I push at his broad shoulders. They’re rock solid beneath my hands. “You heard him. There’s not actually a fire. You can put me down.”
“I don’t think so. You have bare feet and could step on something sharp. I’m here to serve and protect.” He has the audacity to wink at me.
“You’re going to hurt your back, carrying me like this.”
“Believe it or not, I actually go to the gym.” He grins at me, and I realize just how much trouble I’m in. Because he really is the best-looking man I’ve ever seen.
“Wade, I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“Doing what? My job?” He keeps grinning as he reaches the front door of The Serendipity, which someone has propped open.
“Are you trying to be heroic right now?” I ask, peering at that strong jawline and those gorgeous eyes.
“That depends. Is it working?” he asks as he walks calmly down the stairs. He’s still breathing evenly which is just unfair. I carried a bag of trash up the stairs the other day and had to catch my breath once I reached the top.
I can’t decide if I want to smack him with this book or lean up and kiss him again. I’m torn between laughing at the entire ridiculous situation…or yelling at him.
There’s a chorus of cheers from the residents gathered on the sidewalk.
He looks down at me with a big smile. “I think I like this.”
I can’t admit it right now, but I do, too. “People are watching.”
He glances around. “Lots of people are watching. Some are even taking pictures.”
“Oh gosh. I’m wearing a bikini, Wade!” I say.
“And you look fantastic doing it.” Wade stops next to Gloria and slowly lowers me to my feet. I don’t want him to do it, despite my request. I want to stay in his arms for the rest of the day. And that thought is what gives me enough strength to release him.
If I don’t distance myself from Wade, I’m going to end up with a broken heart. How did I never realize he’s exactly what I want in a partner—or dare I say need? He’s fun and outgoing…but still understanding. He likes to tease me, and he can handle anything I dish back.
He sees me.
And I know, with my track record, that I’m a boring person. I don’t deserve someone like Wade Hendrix. He deserves the world, and all I can offer him is an old basement apartment, a reading obsession, and a variety of cold cereal for every occasion.
I swallow the lump in my throat and carefully step away from him. I give him a wan smile. “Better get back to work.”
“Oh, right. There might be someone else to save.” He winks. “But they won’t be as beautiful as you.”
I blush as I watch him run back up the steps and into The Serendipity.
“Oh, is he a delicious one or what?” Gloria sighs next to me. “If I were thirty years younger…but I’m not. So don’t keep him hanging on the line, honey.”
And that’s just it. I don’t have what it takes to keep Wade on the line. He deserves someone who is…more.
Twenty minutes later, all the firefighters are outside of the building, and Wade and a couple of others are standing there talking with Steve. Jack walks back inside with Steve, and Wade turns back to address the small crowd of residents. “ Hey, folks! Nothing to worry about, just a routine test on the fire alarm. We wanted to see how you all responded to a real fire alarm, and I’m happy to report that you all did great.”
His eyes land on me, and he waggles his eyebrows. “Except you.”
“Hey! That’s not my fault!” I complain as he smirks at me. “Seems like a faulty system!”
“Or maybe The Serendipity was working some of its famous magic so you could get carried outside by that adorable hunk,” Gloria teases quietly next to me.
I shake my head. It’s the second time this week I’ve been having the thought that maybe this place is extra special. But that would just be pushing things too far. Of course, that’s not what it is. There just probably isn’t a fire alarm in the basement—a simple oversight.
When Wade finishes his little announcement, he walks over to where Gloria and I are standing. “Can I go inside now?” I ask without preamble.
“When Linus comes back out, the building will be officially cleared. We don’t want to send you all back inside only to find out there really was something smoking,” Wade explains to the small group of us.
One lady has a towel on her head. Another man is wearing his slippers. But we’re missing the majority of The Serendipity residents since the alarm went off during business hours. They’ll probably come home and not even realize anything happened.
Lucky them. I just got carted outside by a fireman…who belongs in a calendar.
The firefighter who stopped Wade inside comes out onto the top step. “Hey, we inspected everything, and you’re all good to go. Just a routine check to keep you all safe. You’ve got a great building manager here.” He gestures to Steve.
Except Steve isn’t getting any grateful looks. No one seems happy about this “safety check,” and Steve looks the unhappiest of all.
The rest of the firemen who were in the building file out and head toward the trucks. They look disgruntled as well—almost as if they wish the building had been ablaze.
I shake my head as I watch them go. Something brushes my arm, and I turn around to face Wade again.
“We need to talk,” he says quietly.
“I don’t think we do,” I manage to squeak out.
“Very funny. We are talking.” He even looks at me sternly. I feel like I just got in trouble with the principal.
“I think I need more time,” I manage to say. Because I need to come up with an iron-clad reason for why we shouldn’t be together. Like, hey, you’ve taken me completely by surprise, and I didn’t know I could fall in love with you .
Because I could. And that’s the scary part.
“I want you to have the time you need,” he assures me. “But ignoring this isn’t going to make it go away.”
“It might!” I say hopefully.
Someone from the firetruck calls his name, and he shakes his head. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll be calling you.”
And I’ll be screening those calls. “Bye, Wade!” I say just a little too cheerfully.
I stand on the sidewalk and watch the fire trucks pull into the street and drive away. It isn’t until a cold breeze hits me that I realize I’m still standing barefoot on the sidewalk in a bikini, clutching a fantasy romance book to my chest.
Two days later and I’m at the office. I sit at my desk, trying to focus on formatting the document in front of me.
“I have to leave for an appointment,” Claire says abruptly.
Her voice makes me jump and I look up from the computer screen. Claire’s already grabbed her purse and is standing by the door.
“Okay.” I turn back to the screen.
“Aren’t you going to ask where I’m going?” she asks in a brusque tone.
“I’ve never really cared to hear about the inside of a lair,” I reply as I close out of the document.
“Very funny,” Claire says. “I sent the document over to Higgin’s shared law office. But there’s a printed copy on my desk.”
I nod. “If he shows up and wants it, I’ll give it to him. Don’t worry.”
Claire nods and turns to go. “I’m getting a new tattoo.”
Wow. I didn’t know she was into tattoos. She always wears the most straight-laced business attire. Long sleeves and pencil skirts. Now I can’t help but wonder what tattoos she has. Probably the names of her enemies with lines stricken through them.
Perry Higgins shows up not twenty minutes after Claire leaves.
He’s not my favorite lawyer to deal with. He annoys me and I can’t even figure out why. There’s just something there. Maybe I don’t like the way he breathes so loudly. Whatever it is, I always dread him coming in the office.
“Oh I see Claire is gone. What a shame.” He does not sound disappointed. His suit is beige and his tie is a neon green that makes you wonder if you’re starting to get a migraine. “I’m here for the printed transcript.”
“Great,” I answer him as I pull out the tablet to get his signature. “Here, sign this and leave your email there.”
He does so and hands it back to me. I set the tablet on my desk and walk over to Claire’s utilitarian desk and pick up the stack of papers with a Post-it note on the front with ‘Perry Higgins’ written in neat type .
“Here you go.”
Higgins takes it. “Thanks, you’ve helped me a lot by being here.”
With that, he leaves the room.
Odd.
My phone chimes and since it’s close enough to lunch I pull out my Snickers candy stash and sit down for a lunch break at my desk.
It’s a group text from Ashlyn to both Lilly and me.
ASHLYN
Help. I’ve forgotten how to talk to adults.
SCARLETT
How about a girls night next week?
LILLY
Count me in.
ASHLYN
YES.
SCARLETT
Did you guys want to come hang out at my place and eat take out?
ASHLYN
Please. Tell me the time and I’ll arrange for someone to watch the kids.
SCARLETT
Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.
I rip open a second candy bar and text Carson.
SCARLETT
We’re having a girls’ night tomorrow night, so make sure you’re home at a decent time to watch the kids.
CARSON
Sounds good.
Has anyone told you that you’re a Wade-clone?
The candy bar gets lodged in my throat as I read Carson’s second text. Wade and I aren’t alike—not really. Are we?