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

Ben seemed to know what he was talking about; as if he’d suffered a loss in his past. He reached a hand across the table and held it there waiting for my response. I placed my smaller one into it without thinking and his fingers closed around mine. I could feel the callouses of a hard-working man, but his heart was so soft that it made me cry even harder.

Ben’s fingers squeezed mine. “I’m so very sorry. I don’t know, because I’ve never lost anyone close to me, but I’ve seen some horrific things in my line of work. It has to be awful to lose the man you loved like that. I’m an idiot for bringing it up.”

I couldn’t even remember if Ben was the one to begin talking about the fire or if it were me, but I knew for sure that no love was lost on Carter. Ben’s expression looked pained, and I could see how sincerely he empathized. After all, he was the one to pull Carter’s charred body out of the rubble of the shop.

I guiltily pulled my hand back, picked up the paper napkin on my lap and dabbed at my eyes and nose. I longed to tell him the entire story about Carter, but now wasn’t the right time.

“No, it’s okay, but speaking of Carter, I have to fly to Minneapolis for the funeral tomorrow morning. I’ll be gone for two days.” I could hear the tremble in my own voice. “I hate to ask, but can you watch Gem for me?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Of course, I’d love to! I’ll take her with me to the station when I’m on shift and if we have a call, I’m sure Shannon or Dave would be happy to take care of her. Shannon is our administrative assistant and Dave’s the fleet mechanic, so even if I’m away on a call she wouldn’t be alone.”

“Okay.” I wasn’t sure if I’d be ready to face the Stanton family if I was worried about my puppy. “I really appreciate it, Ben. Gina works long shifts so I couldn’t ask her. I barely know either one of you, so I feel like crap asking, but since Gem is so taken with you…”

Ben stopped me. “I’m glad to do it. But…. can I ask, what part of the city you’re staying in? I’ve heard there is a pretty high crime rate there. Will you be staying with Carter’s family?”

It was an uncomfortable conversation. How would it look to a man like Ben Brady that I’d never met my boyfriend’s family, and only spoken to his mother for about a minute on the phone?

“Um, Gina made reservations for me at a hotel near the mortuary. I’m not sure the name of the suburb. I’ve never actually met any of his family.”

“What?” He looked uneasy. “I know it’s not my place, but I don’t feel good about you going to a strange city alone, especially since you’re not staying with them.”

His concern was sweet, but I absolutely had to go to the funeral, and I had no one to make the trip with me.

“I have no choice. I have to go. I want to.” I hoped I sounded convincing.

“Okay, but will you at least text me to let me know where you are?”

I shook my head. “You’re already doing so much. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“But I will, anyway. As your friend.”

I blinked, surprised how that word, friend, hurt. “Okay, I’ll text.”

My answer seemed to satisfy him. “Good. What time is your flight? Do you have a ride to the airport?”

The Jackson airport was located in Grand Teton National Park and was a good thirty-five, or forty-minute drive from the ranch. “It’s very early. Just after 6 AM. I have a long layover in Denver, so the total travel time is about eight hours. I was just going to drive Uncle Leonard’s truck and park it at the long-term parking.”

“Is there anyone who could go with you?” My heart beat a little faster at the concern that laced his tone. His spoon was hovering over his bowl, and he set it down.

“No. I was always a home-body, and most of my high school friends went off to college and didn’t come back. The lure of city life, you know. I wouldn’t feel right about asking any of Uncle Leonard’s friends.”

“I guess,” he agreed. “Though, I’ve tasted the big city and I prefer the slower pace and closer-knit community here. Didn’t you want to go to college?”

“I did. I attended Denver University. I have a degree in Business Administration. I’d always planned to come back and help Uncle Leonard run the business and the ranch. He has boarded horses since I came to live here, and I’ve done the books and payroll since I was sixteen. It almost feels like college was a waste of money and time. Lately, anyway.”

“Wow. That’s impressive.” He smiled again, and it eased the awkward tension of talking over the turn of the conversation. “I bet your uncle was really proud of you.”

I nodded, as a melancholy emotion flooded through me. “He was my best friend. I never imagined I’d lose him this soon. After he died, I’ve been planning on getting some sort of job because the shop wasn’t doing as well in the past months.”

“Is that what you want to do? Have a new start with something different?”

I hadn’t really thought about it, I’d been so overwhelmed. The insurance from my uncle’s life insurance was still sitting in the bank, and I’d have property insurance on the shop which should let me rebuild.

“Not really. I kind of want to get the shop up and running again, because it’s Uncle Leonard’s legacy, but I can do something in addition after it’s up and going. I can’t work on cars, and the books only take me one day a week. I just