Chapter 22
22
“ W hat’s that skip in your step about?” my fire chief, Bill, asks from the new aluminum fireboat—courtesy of donations and the successful calendar fundraiser.
“I met a girl!” I yell, walking down the creaky wood pier, smiling at the old man as I approach in my department T-shirt, khakis, and steel-toed boots.
“Oh yeah?” he asks skeptically as I hop into the boat, nodding as I do.
“Sup, March?” I ask, fist bumping our newest and youngest firefighter, Olivia, who is also on firework duty.
She gives me a nod as Bill taps his fingers on his lips, looking deep in thought.
“This girl is special?” he asks after a few moments.
“Very.”
“Tell her she can watch the fireworks from the boat as long as she can get here in the next fifteen minutes.”
My heart pounds with excitement.
“Yeah?”
“Get calling.”
I pull out my phone and immediately dial Claire.
Please pick up.
“You miss me already?” she teases, answering.
“Yes, and if you are not sick of me yet … want to watch the fireworks from the lake?” I ask, speaking fast because we are on a time crunch.
“I thought you were working,” she says, her pitch rising.
“I am, but my chief offered … you have to be here in less than fifteen minutes.”
“Um.”
There’s a beat of silence.
“I know,” I exhale, thinking she’s going to reject this idea.
“You can say no.”
“That sounds really fun.” I hear the excitement in her voice, and it makes me grin from ear to ear.
“Bring a blanket and snacks, and know that if you have to pee, you’ll have to put your butt in the water.”
“Got it. Will pee now.” She giggles.
“I’ll be right over.”
She hangs up, and I look at Bill, giving him a fist bump.
“Thank you for being my wingman here.”
“This job is for insurance … I’m not concerned, so you two sit on the front of the boat, and Olivia and I will stay out of your way back here.” He pauses.
“Olivia, do you have anyone special you want to bring out?”
“Special?” She laughs.
“No.”
“Are you playing the field?” he asks in a laugh.
“I’m allowing men to buy me food since I’m so fucking underpaid.”
We both laugh.
“Are you saying if I gave you a promotion, you wouldn’t be dating?”
“I would take the promotion over this never-ending line of losers I’m meeting online.”
Bill’s head turns, looking at me now.
“Jake, do you know anyone?”
I cock a brow.
“Why are you playing matchmaker?”
“I was at my grandson’s baptism this morning, and I want everyone to settle down and start a family. It’s the best part of life.”
Olivia and I glance at each other, finding this soft side of Bill odd.
“How old is too old for you, Olivia?” I ask, thinking she’s maybe twenty-four.
“I’m not an ageist unless he’s, like, fetishizing my youth.”
Bill and I chuckle.
“Well … I’ll keep that in mind, but all of my friends are either married or in serious relationships.”
“Now back to business,” Bill says, clapping his hands for emphasis.
“Olivia, run through the checklist to make sure we have everything onboard. Jake, test out each of the fire hoses and lights to confirm they are working properly.”
I waste no time getting to work.
“Claire,” I yell, seeing her on the pier.
She waves, a blanket draped over one arm and a large tote slung over the other shoulder.
Red hair, white shorts, and a blue sweatshirt.
Patriotic , I think with a smirk.
I extend a hand to help her into the boat.
We exchange a smile, and once she’s on board, I kiss the top of her head.
“This is Bill and Olivia.”
They nod, Bill shooting me an approving glance.
I lead her to the front of the boat, and we sit on the bow.
With my arm around her shoulder, I whisper, “I’m so happy you were able to make it.” I’m completely relaxed, wrapped in this picturesque moment—us cuddled on the bow as the sun dips low on the horizon.
Claire nuzzles into me, and the boat’s engines come to life.
Bill and Olivia untie us from the pier, and Bill steers us toward the middle of the lake where the barge will launch the fireworks.
It’s one of the busiest days of the year out here.
Boats glide past, each with its own soundtrack blaring.
The water is choppy, sending the occasional spray of mist our way.
Claire smirks up at me.
“What?” I whisper.
“Earlier was fun.”
“Very.” I kiss the top of her head as the boat rocks, hitting another wave.
“I could kiss you forever.”
She rests her head on my shoulder, and I squeeze her closer.
A boat zooms past us, too close, and I groan.
“Little shits.”
Olivia is already on the megaphone.
“One hundred feet, frat stars!”
The other boat goes in neutral, the guy behind the wheel asking, “What’s that, princess?”
I huff, unwrapping my arm from Claire and stand.
My eyes inventory the group.
Each guy is holding a beer.
“What did she tell you?” I call out.
The boat is silent until the guy says, “One hundred feet.”
“Right. Stay one hundred feet from other moving boats.”
Then I look back at Olivia and nod at Bill.
He grabs the radio and calls the police boat, sharing this boat’s registration number.
“Drunks are the worst,” I softly say, sitting back down with Claire.
“What’s it like getting people to shape up just by putting your attention on them?”
“You tell me.” I wink, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her in tight.
“Any minute now,” I say, glancing at my phone for a brief moment—8:30 p.
m.
With the sun setting and Claire in my arms, this is perfect.
Today has been the perfect day with the perfect woman.
The lake is still, the waves have calmed, and every boat sits in silence, engines off, waiting for the show.
As the first firework explodes above us, I glance at Claire.
The white light flickers across her face, her lips slightly parted as she watches the sky in awe.
She looks completely at peace, even with the loud echo from the blast reverberating across the lake.
I get lost in her beauty and aura until my mind says, I’ve fallen .
I’ve more than fallen.
The past couple of days have been a fever dream, but the kind I never want to wake up from.
I want more of this—more nights, more memories, more of her.
“I can come by every evening to give you a kiss goodnight,” I whisper, the words slipping out before I can stop them.
Claire tilts her head, looking at me like she didn’t hear me right.
“What?”
“You said you don’t have a lot of time. But I can see you every night. Even if it’s just for a few minutes. I don’t care if we can only go out once a week—I still want to see you. I want this.”
She blinks, stress emerging on her face as another loud boom and crackle fill the silence.
I press on, my heart pounding.
“I want to give this a go.”
She’s quiet, and we hold unwavering eye contact as the red and blue fireworks reflect in her eyes.
“You’re asking me to be your girlfriend?” she finally asks, a mixture of surprise and something else—something unreadable—crossing her face.
I grab her hand.
“If you want to be in a relationship, I’d love for you to be my girlfriend.”
Claire lets out a small laugh, shaking her head.
“Jake … we just met.”
“I know,” I say with a small smile.
“I can be a softie. But I know what I want.”
She bites her lip, clearly thinking.
Then she leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.
“Let’s see how the barbecue goes on Sunday.”