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

“My dear, he’s a keeper.”

Coyly, my eyes drifted up to Ben’s, hoping to get an unobserved look at him and maybe figure out what he was thinking. He was still smiling, listening to something the old man was telling him.

The woman’s hand wrapped around my forearm, leaning in to speak more softly. “I haven’t seen that kind of chivalry in years. He looks so strong and virile, too… I bet he keeps you busy in the bedroom.”

My mouth dropped open. “Um…” My eyebrows arched and my eyes widened in shock “He’s… uh, certainly… red-blooded.”

It wasn’t as if the thought hadn’t occurred to me. At least a hundred times. I couldn’t even think about him without feeling an attraction, but any woman would want him. Ben was perfect. I’d have to be missing my ovaries to not notice how masculine he was, and it wasn’t as if I didn’t have the fantasy of more happening between us, but I was still reeling from the events of the past week and I felt guilty that I wasn’t more of a sobbing mess. Instead, I blamed myself, and now, I was worried about the retaliation of Carter’s family and maybe they’d try to hurt Ben if he was around me.

Thankfully, the shuttle arrived and stopped further contemplation. The elderly couple preceded us onto the bus and Ben helped the driver load all of the luggage and popped his head back in. The lights on the interior of the bus showed the tired lines on his face. “Can you wait just a second?” he asked the driver, then directed his blue gaze straight at me. “My car is in short term parking, here. Do you want me to go with you to get your truck and then you can drop me off at the main terminal again?” He seemed a little anxious and I wanted to soothe him.

“Oh, you’re so tired. I’m not scared here. I’ll be fine.”

He paused, looking at me. “Yeah, I know, but it’s late and I’d feel better if I knew you were safe. If you don’t want to, I understand.”

Once again, he caused fireworks to explode inside me. I smiled gently. “Okay.”

“Great,” he smiled then raced up the stairs. “Sorry, mister,” he said to the bus driver.

“No worries. We don’t get many passengers at this time of night.”

Ben took a seat across from me and the woman next to me leaned in. “I predict lots of babies.”

“Oh,” my hand came up to rest on my chest. “We… well, we’re… uh…”

I met Ben’s gaze and he was grinning from ear to ear. He shrugged slightly, with a wry cock of his head and an arch to one eyebrow.

“No need to get flustered, dear. I just wish you the best!”

Her brown eyes were so kind that I wanted to wrap my arms around her and hug her tight. I could see years of life and experience reflected there; they were satisfied and wise.

“Bev, leave the girl alone,” her husband admonished. “You’re embarrassing her.”

I remembered Ben’s look at the airport and how he thought it was easier to let the couple believe we were together, and so I played along.

“I’m not embarrassed. We’re… trying.”

The woman’s hands clasped together as a bright smile graced her weathered face. “How wonderful!”

Thankfully, we were pulling into the parking lot, and said our goodbyes to the sweet elderly couple as the driver searched for their car. I watched as they disembarked from the shuttle and walked a few steps away, waiting for the driver to help with their luggage. True to form, Ben followed the couple, stopping to address the driver, who was slowly getting up out of his seat to assist them. He looked like he was in pain with maybe a back problem.

“No, that’s okay, sir, I’ll help them. That large one is easily seventy pounds. Take a rest.”

The driver seemed surprised by his offer. “Really?” he asked, hopefully sitting back into his seat.

“Sure thing. Be right back”

The man and his wife settled into their new burgundy SUV thanking Ben profusely after he stowed their mountain of luggage into the back. He hopped back onto the shuttle through the open door, which the driver quickly closed behind him, then sat down across from me as we continued his slow journey through the large lot.

“Thank you. I hurt my back last weekend when I slipped on the dang stairs. They are steep and my wife’s little dog was in the way. I didn’t hurt the pooch, but I’m still very stiff.”

Ben smiled and nodded. “No problem. I could see that you were suffering some sort of injury back at the terminal.”

“Well, I appreciate your help. Believe me, if I didn’t need to have this extra job, I wouldn’t, but we’re on a fixed income and my wife has a bunch of medical bills.”

“That was nice,” I mouthed without sound, and was rewarded with one of Ben’s crooked grins and half shrugs. He was so humble, and this action was just part of him; shrugging off his kindness as if everyone possessed it in equal measures when that was far from true.

A pothole in the pavement caused the bus to jolt and drew me out of my thoughts, abruptly.

“Oh! There’s my truck,” I told the driver, pointing to it. “In the back row. That old blue one,” I told the driver. He was a kind-looking older gentleman, and I felt sorry for his plight. Unfortunately, the only cash I had was stolen by Carter’s family, so I was unable to follow my heart and give him a hefty tip.

As we neared my truck, the driver stopped and opened the door and Ben and I rose to exit the vehicle. “Here you go kids.”

“Thank you for the ride,” I murmured. “I hope you feel better soon and that your wife does, too. You’ve been so nice.”

The man’s face lit up with genuine pleasure and he nodded. “My pleasure.” He stopped the