Epilogue
TARA
Three months later (One year after Ken Bailey’s car accident)
“It’s been a week since I met with the loan officer. How long will it take?” Tara complained as she slumped into her seat at Café Mocha as Celeste joined her with a pair of chai lattes.
“For me, it took about a week and a half.”
“Ugh. I can’t wait that long. I’m as jittery as someone who’s drunk sixteen gallons of macchiatos.”
Celeste giggled. “I felt exactly as you did when I was waiting to hear back. I even stayed up all night once to make candies for Uncle Nate’s shop, I was so nervous!”
“I remember you telling me about that. Maybe I should offer him my services!” Tara and Celeste both laughed at the memory. Tara took a sip and rechecked her phone.
“Not to make a watched pot never boils comment, but watching your phone won’t make it ring.”
Tara pursed her lips and shot her friend a dry look. She set the phone back on the table and scanned the room, noting the college kids at their laptops. She smiled at a pair of older men pretending to read their newspapers while sneaking looks at the older ladies, who were giggling over their cups of coffee and clicking knitting needles.
“I wonder what they’re making over there.”
Celeste glanced up. “The Tres Widows?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know. I think they’ve been knitting socks lately.” She took another sip of her macchiato. “They come in a few times a week to knit and flirt with the two men reading newspapers.”
“I still can’t believe they flirt so much.”
“Mmhmm.” Celeste bobbed her head up and down. “They have skills.”
Tara scoffed. “Skills?”
“Oh yeah,” Celeste confirmed with a giggle. “One of them got a dance out of Steve, remember? You should probably be careful around them.”
Tara shared in her giggle. “That’s right.” She leaned back in her seat to gaze around the column that blocked her view. “I didn’t even see Miss Abigail over there.” She exchanged a quick wave with a smiling Miss Abigail, who had caught her looking.
Tara’s gaze snapped to the table when her phone buzzed. Her eyes shot wide open. “The loan officer.”
“Answer it, gurl.”
Butterflies started dancing in Tara’s stomach as she slid her thumb across the screen. “Hello?” She stared at Celeste and shot up straight in her seat. Her smile widened more and more the longer she listened. “That’s great news. Thank you!”
“So?” Celeste asked as soon as the call ended.
Tara squealed. “I’m approved!”
Celeste squealed as they both shot up and hugged each other, bouncing up and down like they’d done since they were in grade school. Neither one cared about the stares they drew from Celeste’s customers.
“You’ve gotta tell Steve.”
“Okay, but… don’t text Kiro yet. Please?”
“I promise.”
Tara made a beeline to the fire station, only to discover Steve wasn’t there.
“Hey, Tara,” Tank greeted her while hanging up his turnout coat on the ladder truck. “Looking for Steve?”
“Yes.” Tara practically bounced. She was ready to burst with excitement.
Tank couldn’t hide his amused smile. “Derek needed an extra set of hands for a critically wounded patient, so Steve is with him and Kiro in the rig. They should be back soon. You’re welcome to wait in the lounge if you’d like.”
“Thanks.” Tara sat patiently at the fire station, waiting for the ambulance to return. Her knee bounced with nervous energy while she waited, so maybe not so patiently. She was so excited, she’d already called her parents, but the butterflies were pulling double duty in her stomach. She didn’t understand why, but she was almost more nervous about telling Steve.
“Here they are.” Tank’s voice pulled her from her reverie.
Tara looked up, still feeling nervous.
“Hey, are you okay?” Tank asked.
“What?” She smiled back at Tank. “Yeah. Fine. Totally fine. Very fine. I’m fine. Why?”
“I was shooting for okay.” Tank laughed. “But fine works, too.”
Tara was still bouncing.
He laughed. “Tara, go out there.”
She jogged to the door to the garage area. Steve and Derek stepped out of the back of the ambulance as soon as Kiro parked it. Their conversation stopped the moment Steve rounded the corner. Tara felt as nervous as an introvert about to address a stadium full of people.
Only she wasn’t an introvert, and they weren’t in a stadium.
Damn, he was hot, like sex on a stick hot.
Tara licked her lips and took her time taking in his fresh from a fire, sexy firefighter look.
Derek snickered with a shake of his head while Steve stopped and let her look as long as she wanted.
He was wearing his turnout pants with the suspenders hanging down his legs. His hair was ruffled like it did when she’d run her hands through it before they took a shower earlier that morning. There was still soot on his face from the fire itself. He stood there holding his turnout coat in one hand and his helmet in the other.
Breaking into a huge grin that stretched a mile wide, Tara ran right up and jumped into Steve’s arms. He let his coat and helmet hit the concrete floor in favor of catching her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and planted a big kiss on his lips.
Kiro closed the driver’s side door with a laugh as the other men of Grant’s Crossing Fire gave them an enthusiastic round of applause.
With a sigh, Derek leaned down to grab Steve’s jacket and helmet and headed toward the door to the lounge. “Don’t expect this kind of welcome every time you come back, Cook.”
Steve pulled back to catch his breath, clearly happy to see her. “Hey, Sugar.”
Tara dropped her feet to the ground, her cheeks flushing at the applause. She glanced back to see his fellow firefighters standing around, enjoying their show. Her palms flew to her face, which felt even hotter. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. You can do that anytime.” Steve gave her a cocky grin. “What’s the occasion?”
She turned back to him and shot her arms out wide. “I GOT THE LOAN.”
“You got it?” Cockiness morphed into genuine excitement. Steve lifted Tara by the waist and swung her around in a circle. He stopped long enough to cup her face with his hands and crush his lips against hers. “Does this mean…,” he let his question trail off.
When Tara came up for air, she bit her lower lip and grinned. “Yes. I’m here for good.”
“You’re staying.” He matched her grin. “For real this time?”
“For real.”
“It’s about damned time,” he laughed, then leaned in for another kiss. “I love you, Sugar.”
“I love you, too!”