Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3), Kahlen Aymes [essential reading txt] 📗

night before, but people didn’t move like that from scuffed up knees, or a bruised hip. Her ribs were hurting her, and I knew from experience what it felt like, and what it looked like.

“Oh, sure. Nothing that won’t heal in a week or so.”

“I think it might take longer. It looks like you hurt your ribs. Did they check them at the hospital?”

I placed the bags of food on worn wooden table that looked like it was half a century old, at least; varnish was missing from the table’s edge and from the seats of the chairs, especially one of them, where Leonard Landry had no doubt spent most of his time when he wasn’t working. It was definitely a bachelor pad, and one that was in need of repair. My heart felt sad for the little girl who grew up here, even though now she was a young woman.

“Yes. Two of them are cracked,” she admitted. I knew every step, every time she sat down, raised her arms, and especially when she laid down and got up had to hurt like a bitch.

The hair on the back of my neck bristled. “Did you get thrown from the explosion? I thought you made it out before it blew.”

“Oh, I did. It only knocked me down.” Her response didn’t explain her cracked ribs.

I picked up Gem and petted her as Marin walked carefully to the cupboard to get plates and glasses. She winced as she raised her hand to barely shoulder level.

“Oh, hey, I got that.” I stepped behind her and took two plates out with one hand bringing my body into close proximity to hers. I felt an instant reaction of a quickened heartbeat. Quickly turning away to place them on the table, I cleared my throat, and bent to let the puppy down. “Sorry, little one. I’ll play with you later, I promise.”

Gem looked up at me with expectant brown eyes, her tail wagging furiously.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m worse off than I thought.” She touched her hair, her eyes widening when she realized it was matted and messy on one side of her head. “Oh,” she murmured.

“You probably just need to eat and then get a bath and some rest. I can leave you to it. How did you break your ribs? From the fall?”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, um… I don’t think so. I fell against the work bench in the shop just before, Carter…”

Her voice broke and her tears flooded her eyes and she dabbed at them self-consciously.

“Listen, I just wanted to make sure you were alright, and feed the horses as promised. I know it’s been a rough twenty-four hours and you probably just want to be alone.”

Marin pulled out one of the chairs and sat down carefully. “Not really,” Marin said. Shaking her head. “My brain won’t shut off. All I do is replay it over and over in my head and the silence only amplifies everything. I’d love it if you’d stay and share the meal with me. Gem seems to want you to stay, too.”

Marin smiled tremulously. She seemed so fragile; I’d seen that look in Missy’s eyes many times and knew that the best thing to do was to get Marin’s mind off of what happened.

“How about it, Gem, do you want me to hang out for a bit?” I said in my best baby talk voice. Marin smiled and the puppy got up, wagged her tail furiously and began to jump up, placing her two front paws onto my lower leg. “I’ll hold you in a bit.” I bent to give her a good petting down her little back.

“I have Moo Shu pork and Kung Pao chicken. I wasn’t sure if you like spicy or not. I figured if you live on a ranch, you must like meat.” I felt myself rambling, so I looked up from my task of removing the individual boxes of food from the large bag to get Marin’s answer. “Is that right?”

“Yes.” Marin nodded as she tried to straighten her hair with her fingers, seemingly embarrassed, finally realizing how dirty it was. “Sorry, I must look a mess.”

“You look like you slept hard and needed it.” I winked. “Spicy or mild?”

“Spicy. I love Kung Pao. Uncle Leonard used to take me to Chinatown at least twice a month. It was one of our favorite places to eat.”

I smiled, pleased I’d chosen something she liked from somewhere with good memories. Everything inside me screamed to take care of her and I didn’t really understand why. She seemed so helpless, but I knew it was probably just because the explosion was less than a day behind her, and she was suffering a traumatic loss. Who wouldn’t look a little frail after such an ordeal? I found myself wishing it was a few weeks later when her suffering would be easing a bit.

“I love spicy food, but there is way too much for me. You’re going to join me, right?” she asked.

“Well,” I began, as my stomach rumbled. “I can always just take some with me, if you’d rather not have me hanging around.” I felt so stupid, as if I was mumbling like some adolescent kid with a sudden crush. Heat rising beneath my skin made my brow break out in perspiration and I wiped at my forehead with the sleeve of my T-shirt. I wanted to stay, but I also wanted to respect her space.

Gross, I thought. Smooth move.Sweat all over the food, why don’t cha?

As Marin watched, I dished up the food onto the plates and microwaved them one-by-one, setting hers in front of her first.

“The silverware is in that drawer, there,” she said pointing to one near the sink where I was standing. I turned to retrieve a couple of forks. “Unless you want to use the chopsticks?”

“I never got the hang of it, I guess. You?”

“Yes. I can. Uncle Leonard and I would challenge each other. I always won, but I