was washing the last of the pots when his phone rang. He shook off his wet hands and pulled the phone out of his pocket. He moved away from the sink and Sally stepped into his spot. She was tired and still had paperwork to take care of. Hopefully they wouldn’t be called out anytime soon.
As she rinsed off the pan, Ross said with a disappointed note in his voice, “I’ll work something out.” He paused. “No, you can’t help it,” he said, before saying his goodbyes and hanging up the phone.
Sally hesitated to say anything, afraid it might be wrong, but didn’t want to appear unsympathetic. “Everything all right?”
“No, not really. The lady I have watching Olivia and Jared while I work? Her mother has had an accident and Marcy has to go help her. That leaves me having to find someone to help me out.”
“Would swapping shifts help?”
He was scrolling through the numbers on his phone. “Naw, I’ve got a meeting with the Chief. One I can’t afford to miss.” Ross spoke more to himself than to her.
“What day are you talking about?” Sally dried her hands on a dishrag.
“This Friday.” He still wasn’t giving her his attention.
“I’m not on the rest of the week. I have too much overtime. I’ll watch them. If you don’t mind Lucy joining us.”
“Hey, if you’d do that it would be great. Jared and Olivia would love to have someone to play with.”
“There’s only one problem.” She paused until she had his attention. “I don’t think three kids are going to be happy overnight at my place. It’s too small. I guess I could ask Kody if we could go there.”
“Y’all can come to my place. There’s plenty of room there. A lot of space outside to play. Plus, Jared’s and Olivia’s stuff is already there.”
“Are you sure?”
He took the pot from her and put it under the cabinet. “Of course I am. You’re doing me a favor.”
Sally wasn’t sure that going to Ross’s house was a good idea. It seemed as if they were getting too friendly. Yet her place was so small and Kody’s would be a little tight for three active kids as well. She didn’t see another good choice. “That would probably be best.”
He studied her a moment. “I’ll owe you big-time for this.”
“Don’t worry about it. It sounds fun. The kids and I’ll have a good time together.”
“If you could come out around eleven, that should give me time to show you around then get to town in time to start my shift. I’ll text you my address.” He headed out the door.
“Hey, don’t you need my number?”
He looked bashful. Cute, in fact. “I guess that would be helpful.”
“You don’t arrange childcare often, do you?”
“Nope.” Ross grinned. “It’s a fine art I’m just now learning.”
She gave him her number. He punched it into his phone, then he was gone.
SALLY HAD MADE a serious mistake by agreeing to watch Ross’s niece and nephew. Doing so was another step into further involvement in Ross’s life. Being together at the picnic had revealed she was far too attracted to him. An attraction she neither wanted nor needed. She must stay focused. Still, she liked the guy. The last time she’d been this enamored with a man, she’d been devastated. That mustn’t happen again. She wouldn’t allow it. The upside to the day’s arrangement was that Ross would be at work the entire time.
And she would be with the kids…
In his home. His personal space. She hadn’t thought that through either. She would be where he lived. Touching, sitting and sleeping among his personal belongs. No, she hadn’t considered that part of this agreement at all. She should have done so before she’d blurted out her willingness to help. Yet helping out a fellow firefighter went with being a member of that family. It was just what a team player did in an emergency situation.
Ross had texted her his address as promised. Sally had picked up Lucy from Kody’s house on her way to Ross’s. Lucy had been so excited about seeing Jared and Olivia again she couldn’t get in the car fast enough. The idea of an overnight stay had heightened her anticipation. She’d chatted most of the way about all the fun they would have. Sally certainly hoped so. The closer she came to Ross’s house, the tighter Sally’s nerves knotted. She hadn’t acted this way over seeing a man in a long time. Control—she needed to get some over her wild emotions.
The drive was ten miles out of town to where the land rolled gently, the trees were tall and the fields green. When she had moved to this part of the country, it hadn’t taken long for her to fall in love with Texas. Even though she liked her apartment, she wished she could find a place with more outdoor space.
The day was beautiful with the sun shining in a blue sky as she turned the car off the two-lane highway onto a dirt lane. On either side were fenced pastures with a few trees here and there. The lane ended at a white clapboard house with a porch along the front. Large oaks shaded one side and the lawn surrounding the house was neatly mown. Behind it there was a small red barn with a couple of horses in the corral.
She sighed. When she got her medical degree, this was just the type of place she would look for. There was something restful, comforting about it. A place someone could find contentment. She loved everything about it, immediately.
When she’d taken Kody up on his suggestion to move to Texas, she’d realized how right he’d been. She’d had no trouble getting a job and there had been something cathartic, cleansing, about leaving all the ugliness of her marriage behind and starting over again. It had taken some time, but she’d finally settled in, had decided on a plan and was now focused on seeing it through.
Soon after arriving in Austin, she’d enrolled in college and finished her degree. Sally smiled. To think she was studying to take her MCAT now. If she did well enough, she hoped to enter medical school in the fall, while continuing to work part-time at the firehouse when she could. She wasn’t going to let anyone or anything divert her this time.
As she climbed from the car, Ross stepped out of the beveled glass front door.
A warmth washed over her. Especially not a man with striking blue eyes and a hunky chest.
He came to stand beside a wooden post of the porch. He wore his usual fire station uniform of navy pants and T-shirt with the department logo on one breast. Practical work boots completed his attire. He appeared healthy and fit. His welcoming smile made him even more handsome than she remembered. Her stomach quivered. She had to get beyond this fascination with Ross. Still, couldn’t a girl enjoy a moment of admiration for a man?
He drawled, “I see you found us.”
Returning his smile, she gathered her purse. She’d bring in her MCAT study books after he’d left. Lucy had already hopped
