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

down, would want to revisit the stable. “We can go see him first thing in the morning and you can help us feed the horses and watch Dark nurse. He’s still just a newborn and needs lots of sleep.” I kissed the side of her head. Her soft hair smelled like flowers.

“Okay, Auntie Marin.”

Ben was closer now so I could see his face in planes of varying shadow. He caught my eye and winked. “Good idea, Auntie Marin,” he said, reaching over and squeezed my shoulder. “You’re kind of good at this.”

My heart sped up at his touch. I wanted to feel his arms around me, his mouth on mine, if only for a goodnight kiss. I was lying on my side facing him, but my arms were around Remi who was lying beside me in my bag, so she and Gemmy were between us.

She solved my problem. “Aren’t ya gonna kiss her goodnight, Uncle Ben?”

He chuckled and my face split into an embarrassed smile.

“Um…” he hesitated.

“She’s your damsel, isn’t she?” she asked innocently.

“Uhhh,” Ben was as still as stone.

“Ugh!” Dylan lamented. “All dudes don’t kiss girls. You keep saying you’re my damsel and you don’t see me slobbering all over you, do ya?”

Remi wasn’t put out. “That’s cuz you’re just a kid, but someday you will.”

“Gross! Will not!”

“You’ll see,” Remi insisted.

“Ugh!” Dylan said again and buried his head under his pillow.

Ben laughed out loud. “Not all guys slobber, Dylan.”

A groan emitted from underneath Dylan’s pillow. I laughed softly. This was too much fun.

“We aren’t gonna sleep until you kiss her.” Remi stood her ground.

“Oh, okay. If I must,” Ben finally acquiesced. He leaned forward and placed a very soft, kiss on my mouth. It was still delicious the way his lips and the tip of his tongue teased mine in the brief contact. Ben cupped Remi’s cheek and kissed the top of her head. “Satisfied?” he asked.

“Yes,” Remi nodded. Her silky head moved beneath my chin as I held her close.

“Makes one of us,” Ben muttered. “Goodnight.”

I laughed softly. “Goodnight.”

After everyone settled down, the zipper to my sleeping bag inched down and Ben’s big hand wrapped around mine as the soft sounds of the night surrounded us.

BEN

I awoke to the sound of Marin crying.

I lifted my head. The soft light of dawn was peeking through the material of the tent to softly illuminate the inside. She was sitting up holding her face; Remi and Dylan were still fast asleep.

“Marin? What’s the matter?” I kept my voice soft.

She shook her head and started to slide out of the sleeping bag, careful not to disturb the sleeping little girl. “Nothing,” she whispered. “I just have to get up and get breakfast going.”

I sat up, pushed out of my sleeping bag while Marin shoved her feet into her old Vans. Then she was unzipping the double layer of doors to the tent and rushing through. Gemmy got up and scampered after her owner. In a split second I was on my feet and following regardless of my lack of shoes.

The gravel, rocks and dried grass poked into my feet painfully. “Marin, wait!” I hissed the words in an urgent whisper. I didn’t want to wake the kids before I got to the bottom of this. She must have had another bad dream. “Tell me what’s going on!”

I caught up to her as she hit the lawn of the house and reached out to grab her arm. “Wait.” When I turned her around, I could see the tears were still rolling down her face. “What happened, did you have a bad dream? I told you. I won’t let Apollo—”

“That’s not it,” she interrupted. Marin hastily brushed the tears from her face with both hands, backing away from me. “This isn’t going to work, Ben.”

That was the last thing I expected her to say. “What?” was all I could get out. I was stunned.

“It’s just too soon. You deserve someone who isn’t screwed up like this.”

I took two steps forward as a need to hold her engulfed me, but she backed up, just out of my grasp. “Well, I want you,” I said. My heart was starting to ache inside my chest. “I’m willing to wait–”

“I don’t want you to wait! It’s just… nothing good will come from it.” She was nervous, running her hands through her hair, pacing back in forth in front of me like she was possessed.

I felt the air leave my body; I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. “I don’t get this, Marin. You’re doing this now when my family is here?” I was gutted.

“Carter died, Ben!”

“This again?” I sighed heavily as I stood there in front of this crazy person that used to be Marin. I reached for her again and she retreated. I ran a hand through my hair and then put my hand on my hip. This was too much. I wasn’t sure if I was trying to reason with her or I was fighting for my life.

Her hands disappeared into her hair and she bent over in silent sobs. “I can’t. Carter—”

I moved quickly. Too quickly for her to move away and scooped her up into my arms, pressing her head into my chest, my arms holding her so close, her sobs rocked through my own flesh. All I wanted to do was ease her pain. “You’ll be alright, Marin. You have to let go of the past. I can’t compete with a ghost, but I’m here and I want to take care of you. How can you still be in love with someone who beat you?” My voice was urgent and angry, though I kept the volume low so Remi and Dylan wouldn’t hear.

“You don’t understand,” she cried into my chest, her tears wetting the front of my T-shirt.

Part of me was jealous of a dead man. How could she still love that bastard who abused her?

“You don’t understand,” she said again, but her arms suddenly wrapped around my waist to return