Chapter 6
BLYTHE
Cracking open an eye,Blythe winced at the sunlight streaming through the blinds nearby and glanced toward the chair in the distance where Lance had slept last night, only to see it was empty. She sat up quickly, looking around for him, noticing the small gift bag beside her bed on the rolling table and his cell phone.
Well, he’s still here,she mused. Maybe he went to the snack bar to get something to eat?
Hesitating, she reached for the bag that was waiting there. The table had been pushed close almost as if silently telling her to ‘go ahead’ and take a peek inside. Gingerly, she picked up the bag.
It felt heavy.
She kept an eye on the doorway almost guiltily as she removed the tissue paper to peer inside and hesitated once more, peering at the doorway again for Lance. Where was he? There was a pair of hot pink fuzzy socks, a small bottle of lotion, a spiral notebook, and a chunky pen that was encrusted with glitter.
This was a feminine gift designed specifically with her in mind… and she smiled as she pulled each item out, looking it over. The lotion was lavender scented, and while she normally like sweet scents like cookies or apple pie, this was almost like a liquid sigh, packaged neatly within the bottle. It was relaxing and soothing to her soul.
Pulling out the socks, she chuckled because the bottom had white dots on there, mimicking toe beans just like a cat would have. It was adorably cute and thoughtful of Lance. She pulled out the notebook and casually opened it, only to draw in her breath quickly… starting a coughing spell.
He wrote her a note?
She stared at the masculine, scrawled handwriting, completely stunned. This was the sweetest, most thoughtful thing he could have done. The flowers were breathtaking, but this touched her deeply. It was a gift selected with care and meaning behind it.
The card on the flowers was sweet, but this?
Hey Betty Boop,
I didn’t want to wake you, but I had to go to work. Try to rest your voice today. You are improving already, and I want it to stay that way. I left you my phone, so if you need something – text Justin (my boss). His number is saved in my ‘Favorites’ and he’ll get me the message. We’ll get you a cell phone on Friday, too.
See ya, girlfriend!
Lance
Reaching beside her, she withdrew the tiny card she had been hanging onto and smiled. It meant a lot to see those words at the time because it was the first time he’d really made an effort or noticed her without being prompted or being pushed.
I’m so glad you are okay - Lance
But this?
It almost made her wonder if he’d got hit on the head. He had once told her he didn’t want a relationship, yet he signed the note affectionately – even calling her his girlfriend. He’d asked her out, they were going on a date, he even offered up the use of his apartment if she got released while he was on call… and these were all things that a person involved did. It certainly wasn’t offered casually on a whim.
Sighing happily, she texted Justin from his cell phone and noticed the battery was halfway gone.
Hello – could you please tell Lance that Blythe said THANK YOU for the gift. He forgot to leave his house key, as well as a charging cord for the cell phone. I appreciate it, sir.
Will do.
It was a simple, terse response, and she really didn’t expect much other than that. Looking up, she saw the hospital door widen as the doctor came in with a nurse to check her over, and then she was taking another nap. She was bored, exhausted, and still sore – even though it was getting better.
Lance was right. She needed to rest while she could. Reality would be hitting her soon enough. She had ‘daily life’ that would need addressing quickly. Clothing, contacting the insurance company, and her boss because she was going to need her job more than ever before but once she was discharged, that would begin. Until now, she was going to close her eyes and allow herself to wish and dream of impossible things.
Blythe hadno idea what time it was, but something wasn’t right. Moving her hand instinctively to scratch her nose, she heard a man’s soft chuckle. Jumping in fright, she scrambled back, only to realize it was Lance.
He was standing there, beside her bed, wearing his protective pants for work and had suspenders over his dark blue T-shirt. His face was streaked with soot, and his hair was all matted down in places, she assumed from sweat. He looked so worn out.
“Lance…” she began hoarsely and winced.
“Shhh…” he smiled wanly. “I’m sorry to wake you, but I didn’t want to miss your smile again. I’m kinda selfish. How are you feeling?”
She gave him a thumbs-up – and he chuckled.
“We’ve got to work on your communication skills. Why is it when we see each other that I either get the thumb or the finger,” he joked – and they shared a smile, remembering the day at the dealership. “I can’t stay, but I wanted to bring you my key and give you my address. Oh, and I brought a charging cord for the phone.”
She was reaching for her notebook, hurriedly scribbling, and then showed it to him.
I get out tomorrow – thank you for everything!
“Of course,” he replied easily – and then reached for the notebook and her pen, writing in it. “That’s my address, and if you call Mrs. Justin, she’ll come pick you up… or Maya can. I don’t know Mrs. Justin’s real name, but she answers to it and is the captain’s wife. Maya is Chad, our engineer’s wife. Both are really sweet…”
Blythe looked at him sharply, and he chuckled.
“Not my type,” he smiled, handing her back the notebook. “They’re married… and simply not you, my little Boop.”
She scribbled on the paper again, turning it so he could see it.
I like that – a lot. You are surprising me more than you know, and I am really liking the new you, even if it’s a little weird.
“I’m glad,” he whispered, touching her cheek. “Get some rest, okay.”
Nodding, she bit her lip and held up her finger, quickly wrote something down again and showed it to him shyly. He looked up from the paper, his expression visibly melting at the simple request.
Could I have a hug?
Silly, I know, but I need one. Maybe I’m in the Twilight Zone?
“Are you sure? I probably smell pretty rank…” he began, hesitating – and she smiled at him, waving him close. Not a moment later, he was hugging her, just like she’d asked him to.
She was so grateful for everything, happy to be alive and healing. She just felt overwhelmed and emotional in that moment. He held her close, standing there, her head tucked under his chin where he was leaning toward her. His hand was gently rubbing her upper arm tenderly, and she felt him kiss her hair.
“I’ve got to go,” he began, his voice full of regret. “I’m sorry, but if the truck gets a call, they’ll leave me, and I’ll get in trouble.”
She nodded silently, withdrawing and meeting his eyes as he touched her cheek again.
“How about we do that again on Friday when I’m not quite so grimy?”
Blythe gave him another thumbs-up and a bright smile, making him laugh.
“Get some sleep,” he ordered – and she moved to hold up the other thumb, hearing him laugh again as he shook his head. “I like this side of you. Text me when you get to the apartment so I don’t worry and don’t judge me too much.”
Grinning, she shook her thumbs at him and waved ‘bye’ silently. Lance began backing away toward the door, and turned to leave before looking over his shoulder.
“Sweet dreams, Boop.”
Watching him leave, Blythe lay back down again, curling slightly on her side, and closed her eyes. She gave into the fantasy, allowing herself to replay those moments in her mind and sincerely hoping that things were actually changing between them.
Since that photo shoot, it had been a long time spent thinking of that day. Blythe knew it was weird, shallow, and vain to be so completely infatuated with someone’s looks because everyone knew that appearances changed, looks faded, and people were more than the sum of their parts, but my goodness, having Lance walk into her office that day, had changed it all. He had been distracted, talking to her boss and one other salesman, and just looking at him had completely bowled her over.
Lance just had this inner light to him, this startling appearance that checked off every box in her heart and soul for no particular reason. He was just beautiful in a very plain yet absurdly normal way. It was like he thrived in just being himself, made no apologies, and welcomed everything life had to offer and while that was a beautiful outlook to have, the differences were glaringly obvious.
He was ‘big picture’ motivated, skipping the consequences.
She was detail-oriented, had plans that had plans, and was always thinking about every next step to come down the road of life. She wanted a relationship, a home, a marriage, and a family and well, he simply didn’t want to get past the whole ‘let’s have sex’ thing.
It was both extremely flattering and soul-crushing at the same time because she had never once pictured him like that in all her daydreams and thoughts about him.
And that is what happens when you fall for a stranger, someone you don’t know and have no business fantasizing about,she thought silently. I paid for that calendar shoot – and got shot down. My heart took a bruising, but I think I needed that reality check, too. I just hope that this isn’t the beginning to a series of reality checks once again.
Late the nextafternoon and finally discharged, Blythe was sitting in the emergency room waiting on her ride. Mrs. Justin, whose name was Faith, was currently at the pediatrician’s office with her son for his checkup, and Maya pulled up and blinked. There was no mistaking the woman’s car – and she chuckled hoarsely.
Maya Bennett’s vehicle had bumper stickers everywhere in various places. One said, ‘ARMY STRONG,’ another touted. ‘Foster a child today!’. There were Maltese crosses adhered on all four windows, along with another bumper sticker that blatantly said, ‘Hot Firefighters play with big hoses.’
“Oh my word,” Blythe croaked, sounding raw like a frog. The doctor said to limit her voice for a few more days and to follow up with him in a week. He expected her to make a full recovery, and she was really relieved. Getting up to head out to the car, she saw the pregnant woman walking into the emergency room doors.
“Hi there – I’m looking for a very nearly fricasseed little chickadee?” she began, smiling easily and moving to hug her like they had known each other for ages. “I’m Maya, Chad’s wife… and you must be Blythe. Nod once for ‘yes’; gimme the finger for ‘no.’ Big hints help me get the picture.”
It was so unexpected, so much like some of the mechanics at work would say or even Lance would utter, that Blythe cracked a smile and chuckled.
“Cigarette?” Maya grinned, looping her arm with hers. “I’m kidding, and it was in poor taste. You poor thing. You sound like you’ve eaten a bullfrog. Do you want a Coke… or a Blizzard from Dairy Queen? I vote for the Blizzard because Baby Bennett definitely is partial to anything with brownie chunks.”
It was just so unexpected, so sweet, and so warm yet open that she hesitated and looked at the woman, expecting this to be a joke only to see her smile just before she rolled her eyes playfully, rubbing her pregnant stomach.
“Finnnne,” she drawled, pretending to sound annoyed but grinning happily. “You talked me into it. Brownie Batter Blizzard, it is – and yes, we’ll take Blizzards to the station. You don’t have to twist my arm,” Maya chuckled and winked at her. “If they aren’t there, then the Blizzards are going in my freezer at the house.”
As they got into the car, Maya was just chatting along happily and starting the vehicle, before pulling onto the road without a moment’s notice. Blythe was just sitting there, taking in everything and thinking about how weird her life had turned upside down in the last few days. Heck, she didn’t even know how long she’d been there.
“What’s today?” Blythe rasped.
“Wednesday. Hey Siri, text Big Daddy and tell him Little Mama is on the way with ice cream,” Maya blurted out, making her realize that this was something the woman did all the time. It felt so weird to be simply heading to bring something to the fire station like it was nothing. Frankly, the thought of seeing Lance unexpectedly and knowing she was going to his house made her tummy clench in a feeling she didn’t want to analyze.
When they pulled into the fire station parking lot twenty minutes later, holding eight cups dripping chocolate ice cream despite the lids, there was a very casual ease in the air as a guy came running out the door casually, jogging slightly to Maya’s side of the car.
“Hey, little mama,” he said tenderly, opening the car door and leaning in, looking at her. “You must be Blythe. C’mon inside. Lance is finishing some online training really quickly.”
Handing Maya four of the dripping containers on a tray, she picked up the other one and followed the couple inside only to be bombarded. Two men practically rushed her as another came out of an office, reaching over them and plucking a Blizzard from the molded paper tray they were sitting in.
“I’m pulling rank, then there’s ice cream,” the man said, turning and hesitating. “Oh hey, Eileen. I was just bringing you half of my Blizzard, hon…”
“Sure you were, Reese.”
Everyone around them laughed easily as they walked off to get spoons, already diving into their treats. It reminded her of someone ordering pizza at a slumber party growing up. There was always a mad rush to get a slice and then nothing. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she saw Maya’s husband standing there with a Blizzard.
“C’mon and let me show you the room Lance is in. The test is timed, and he should be finishing up soon…”
“I’m here!” Lance said, appearing in the hallway, and his eyes immediately met hers. “How are you feeling, hon?”
Hon?she thought, fighting back the rush of happiness.
“Did you pass, Cortes?” Reese asked bluntly from the kitchen, dumping half the ice cream into a bowl and handing it to the woman beside him.
“Of course I did,” Lance bragged, plucking off his plastic lid and chucking it into the trash can as every set of eyes landed on him. “On the third try,” he added under his breath… and everyone burst out laughing again. Blythe smiled, trying not to laugh because it hurt.
Lance smiled at her tenderly, handing her his container that had a spoon sticking out of it and took the other one, including the tray. Handing her a few napkins, he didn’t say anything but put his hand on her lower back, silently encouraging her to take a seat at the large table with everyone else. They were all chatting easily amongst themselves.
“Mark my words, you’ll be getting rid of Pretty Girl soon enough, Colton…”
“I’m not getting rid of my truck,” another guy said grimly, frowning.
“Sure, you will. You can’t put a car seat in that old jalopy – it’s not safe.”
“Zane is in a booster seat – and I wasn’t really planning on it. We can use the car Eris drives for now.”
“Until you get a minivan.”
“Nuh-uh…”
“Hey now,” Maya said, hopping into the conversation. “There’s nothing wrong with a minivan.”
“Except it’s a Mom-Mobile… tell her Chad.”
“I’m not saying squat,” Chad retorted and winked at Maya. “You can have whatever you want, sweetie.”
“Ohhh vomit. Y’all are disgusting.”
“That’s only because Mrs. Justin isn’t here, or you’d be doing the whole ‘I wuvs you pookie-patootie’…”
“My son is less than a year old. Of course, I use baby talk.”
“Dude, don’t you even man-up on me, bro. You say that to your WIFE.”
Everyone roared in laughter, including Blythe only to have several sets of eyes turn to her.
“Cigarette?”
“That’s what I said!”
“Can we nickname her Bullfrog?”
“Not unless you want me to knock your front teeth out,” Lance growled protectively. “You are not giving my girlfriend a pet name, much less one that is making fun of her when she’s recovering – got it, Alec?”
And Blythe turned to look at him in utter shock, ignoring the smiling men’s faces. Lance turned to look at her, his expression softening. He didn’t look away, didn’t explain, nor did he need to. Something that she never imagined happening… was. She swallowed silently, not looking away, and felt him touch her hand under the table.
“Eat your ice cream,” he urged quietly. “It’s already soft.”
“You are too, Romeo…” but instead of Lance arguing or snapping, he simply rolled his eyes in exasperation before smirking slightly toward her, like it was a shared secret they had.
What in the world was going on?
Had she hit her head during the fire?
He leaned toward her, whispering in her ear.
“We’ll talk when we are alone.”
Blythe nodded and marveled when Lance squeezed her hand once more. They sat there at the end of the table, listening to the conversations flying around them. She was taking in everything, listening intently, and halfway lost in her own thoughts regarding the mysterious man she was getting to know, sitting beside her – only to jump physically when a loud announcement came over the intercom.
Motor Vehicle Accident with Injury.
Several men groaned or rolled their eyes, leaving their half-eaten Blizzards on the table within seconds. Maya was waving them off, laughing. “I’ll put them in the freezer for you all – go,” she smiled, kissing Chad lightly on the cheek. “Be safe, Big Daddy.”
“Awww mannnnnn,” Alec muttered under his breath, and Lance rose to his feet beside her.
“Go get some rest, and I’ll see you Friday.”
Blythe nodded nervously, her eyes taking in everything. She’d never seen anything quite like this chaotic moment. Shoes were flying, limbs were being shoved into protective gear, Justin was barking out orders and Chad had his arm up, yelling.
“I’m loading up, boys!”
“Craaaaap…”
“Let’s go! Let’s go!”
“Shake a leg, girls…”
“Your makeup looks fine, let’s move it, ladies!”
“Us?” Blythe asked looking at Maya, who laughed easily, shaking her head.
“Nope. Alec is running his yap again. You’ll learn their habits. Justin is gruff but a sweetie. Chad acts all tough, but only because Justin tells him to keep the guys in line. He’s a softie – through and through. Colton has been a grumpy little thing until recently. Lance has a bit of a smart mouth and is afraid of mice. Alec, however…”
“Wait,” Blythe hesitated, chuckling. “He’s afraid of little bitty mice?”
“Chad said it’s really bad,” Maya grinned. “Apparently, Lance left Colton and ran screaming out of a fire once because several rats ran past him. You know how they say animals flee to save themselves? Lance was fleeing, too! Well, my husband was laughing so hard he was crying when he called me. I guess there were about ten rats that ran out of this building – and Lance was flailing his arms, yelping in horror, and leaped into the fire truck, rolling up the window.”
“HEY!” Lance blurted out, leaning in the door. “They were really big rats – and stop talking about that, Maya.”
“WE’RE GOING….” Someone hollered.
Lance looked at the truck that was already lumbering slowly forward, causing him to exclaim something and begin running. Blythe saw him catch up to the truck and climb inside, as the lights flipped on and they pulled out onto Main Street.
“You know…” she began, looking at Maya.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Maya grinned.
“I think we are going to be great friends.”
“How tired are you? Do you have a little ‘gas’ left in your tank, hon?”
“I’m ready.”
“Shopping?”
“Shopping.”
The two women looked at each other and grinned.
Hours later,Blythe was ready to collapse.
She was so tired, so worn out, and so hoarse it wasn’t funny. Her voice, which had already been gravelly, was now nearly non-existent. She wanted a cup of hot tea, a blanket, and about twenty-four hours of rest. Lance had asked her to text when she got settled at his place. However, when she hadn’t done so...
He called from Justin’s phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, did I wake you?”
“Actually, I was at the store with Maya…”
“Oh?”
“I needed to get a few necessities.”
“Ah, I see. Okay. I just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing,” his voice was hushed, like he was trying to keep the other guys from hearing him, and honestly… it was sweet.
“Thank you for checking on me. I’m about done for the day and beat. We’re in line to check out now and then I’m going straight to your place.”
“If you need anything, help yourself.”
“We’re gonna talk about this…”
“We will,” he chuckled softly. “Text me so I don’t worry.”
“I promise,” Blythe promised, looking up as Maya leaned toward the phone, smiling and rolling her eyes playfully.
“Don’t you need to get to work, Loverboy? Your girlfriend is in good company, so relax. Go do some amazing firefighter stuff,” Maya said loudly.
Blythe heard Lance chuckle, almost able to picture his expression or the way he would roll his eyes or shake his head. He had a playful side to him, but it was mingled in this weirdly intense edge that seemed to simmer between them. Maybe that was why it was so hard to pinpoint what was going on in his head.
She couldn’t tell with him sometimes. When they first met, there was no mistaking his interest in her, but he’d shut down so quickly when she talked about them going out. Then he showed up at her work, acting almost casual about the whole thing. ‘Hospital Lance’ was different. He was caring, concerned, romantic, worried, and protective in a way that just spoke to her very heart and soul.
“Text me later,” he said again and ended the phone call without so much as a ‘bye’ between them. She looked at the phone, hesitated, and then shrugged, putting it back into the shirt pocket of the scrubs the hospital had given her.
“Let’s head out, get you something for dinner, and then unload your goodies so you can rest.”
Looking at Maya, she smiled.
Thirty minutes later– Blythe was not smiling.
Lance had said repeatedly, ‘Don’t judge’ and claimed his apartment wasn’t ‘Perfect’… but nothing had prepared her for this. It was sparse, to say the least. There was a couch, a recliner, and a television – but that was it.
There was no kitchen table, a stack of paper plates instead of actual plates in the cabinet, and a large coffee mug that had plastic utensils sticking out of it like flowers in a vase. A variety of wrappers, paper towels, and tissues were in a box that was obviously serving as a trash can between the recliner and the couch. There was a calendar in the kitchen that had women posed in different scantily clad swimsuits and several magazines in the living room and the bedroom.
“Oh my gosh…” she whispered hoarsely, staring in dismay.
Stray socks, the occasional pair of boxers, a few T-shirts strewn on the floor, combined with a pile of clothes beside the bed – also on the floor. The bathroom was clean-ish, so that was a blessing. She expected to see a filthy ring in the tub, a horrifyingly disgusting toilet, or toothpaste all over the mirror, but that wasn’t the case.
It was like he lived here – but only barely.
Swallowing, she stepped into the apartment, sincerely glad she did not have Maya come up with her. No, she just wanted to set down her bag of things and get some rest. The remainder could wait until tomorrow. Right now, she was so worn out she didn’t even care that a set of what had to be double-d’s was staring at her from the kitchen wall.
Nope.
She just wanted hot tea, a blanket, and decided that the recliner might be safest to sleep on in the meantime. She wasn’t sure if she could bring herself to lie down in the bedroom anyhow.
Setting her bags on the counter, she put fresh water in the kettle and opened the package of herbal tea that she purchased at the store. It was so easy to fall into a judgmental mindset. He’d opened his home to her at a time when she had nothing and no one. That spoke volumes, and right now?
She could forgive anything at all.
As the kettle began to whistle, she turned off the heat and poured it in the single ceramic mug she found in the cupboard.
He’s single, obviously doesn’t spend much time here, and currently has more than I will for quite some time,she thought silently to herself.
Walking back toward the recliner, she didn’t even bother to kick off her sneakers just yet and pulled the throw that was on the couch across her lap. Gulping down her hot tea, she closed her eyes and sighed heavily, already slipping into oblivion.