The Firefighter's Christmas Reunion

“Unlike some people, I don’t live in the past, Isaac. I’m all about forgiveness and moving on.”

He gave an awkward half snort. “Yeah, ten years ago you certainly moved on from me quickly enough—with Carter Mahoney, as I recall.”

In his line of work, Isaac knew that the hottest fires came from a combination of oxygen and gas to create pinpoint blue flames. Hannah’s eyes had just flared into that exact shade as she replied, “And now I’m suddenly remembering why that was such a smart decision.”

She pivoted, marching haughtily around the car and got in. Sammy waved at him from the backseat as Hannah gunned the engine and drove off, not having the decency to look back herself and see how deeply her words had cut him.

The end of October couldn’t come soon enough for Hannah. Nor could the end of the trick-or-treat jog-a-thon she’d been way too eager to organize only a few days after her return. Hannah was still learning how to balance a full-time job with being a full-time single parent. Several months ago, when she’d told her parents that she was going through the steps to adopt Sammy, they’d shrieked with joy. They’d even devised a schedule to spend more time in Sugar Falls to help with childcare and get to know their new grandson.

But that had all been before her mom’s breast cancer recurrence.

Hannah should’ve known better than to add more activities to her already growing responsibilities. However, keeping her mind occupied left less opportunity to think about all the things she was trying to push to the back of her brain.

Unfortunately, no matter how busy Hannah had kept this week, she remained unsuccessful in her attempts to avoid Isaac around town. It probably didn’t help that she wasn’t much of a cook and tended to buy prepared meals on the run, making it easier for her son—who had an uncanny knack for spotting the firefighter in any crowd—to pepper Isaac with dozens of questions.

She’d already run into him at Duncan’s Market—literally. Cringing, she remembered everyone staring as she crashed her cart into his near the ready-made rotisserie chicken display before mumbling an apology and hiding out in the cereal aisle, not coming near the checkstand until she heard his walkie-talkie crackle to life and saw him jog out of the store. Two nights later, when she and Sammy were sick of eating corn flakes for dinner because she’d forgotten to go back and get the chicken, Isaac held the door open for her at Domino’s Deli and then proceeded to stand there for ten minutes listening to her son tell him all about his favorite sandwich toppings.

No matter where she went, she constantly ran the risk of seeing him. Or seeing someone who wanted to talk about him. Like Elaine Marconi, the president of the PTA who had gone behind Hannah’s back and invited the Sugar Falls police and fire departments to participate in today’s fund-raiser. The woman had claimed having the local heroes would help motivate and inspire the students who were grumbling about having to run.

Now Hannah was the only one grumbling. She tried not to watch Isaac and one of his crews, along with Carmen and several off-duty officers, as they raced along the elementary-school track, giving kids high fives and leading them in singing military-themed cadences. It was like she couldn’t get away from the man.

A few days ago, when Luke had pointed out that Isaac might have been crying during the video ten years ago, or at least been intoxicated, Hannah had experienced a brief softening in her heart. Extremely brief. The following morning, Sammy had run over to him at the Cowgirl Up Café as though he was a long lost family friend and Hannah had reacted the only way she knew how—by trying to shield her son from the inevitable hurt the man was sure to bring.

Then, after he’d insisted on helping her carry the cinnamon rolls to her brother’s car, he’d made that snide remark about the only person who’d supported her that awful summer. Carter Mahoney had been the one to take her aboard his father’s boat and shuttle her back to the marina after Elaine had told her what Isaac really thought of her. Carter’d been the one to sit in the cab of his truck with her when she’d cried those heavy tears of shame and betrayal, too hurt and shocked to talk about it and too embarrassed to go home and face her parents. And Carter had been the one who’d driven over to her cabin, his laptop under one arm as he gently broke the news to her about the break-up video.

“Sammy sure does love to run,” Nurse Dunn said from under the canopy where they’d set up the first-aid station. Needing a distraction from all these unwelcome memories, Hannah could either stand here and make small talk with the middle-aged school nurse or she could hide in the huddle of other parents who were passing out drinks at the refreshment table.

Hannah had inadvertently taken the reins on this event and it was her responsibility to see it through. Besides, if the kids could stand the sun and the unseasonable heat while wearing their Halloween costumes, then so could she. At least on this side of the field, Nurse Dunn seemed more interested in talking about Hannah’s son than about her ex-boyfriend. Elaine Marconi and several other moms gathered near the bleachers on the opposite side of the field wouldn’t give her the same consideration.

“He does,” Hannah agreed, pride blossoming in her chest at her child’s steady pace and happy smile as he dashed past some fourth graders. “No matter where we go, he’d rather run than walk. I can hardly keep up with him sometimes.”

“I’ve always thought about doing foster care or adopting,” the nurse commented with a hint of speculation in her voice. Hannah held her breath, waiting for all the personal questions that would surely come next. But the woman simply said, “Now that my own kids are out of the house, I might look into it.”

Hannah released the air in her lungs, relieved that Nurse Dunn seemed to understand the need for due diligence and research when starting the adoption process, instead of leaping without looking. She’d be glad to talk to anyone who had a sincere interest and wasn’t just digging for details about Sammy’s background. In fact, she was about to offer more information on the subject, but a first grader with Princess Leia buns limped toward the first-aid station and the school nurse sprang into action. Hannah was so distracted by the little girl’s arrival that she didn’t notice Isaac’s approach.

“Everything okay over here?” His voice came from behind her and Hannah fumbled the clipboard in her hand. That was the second time he’d startled her to the point of making her drop something. She clenched her teeth together as she bent down to retrieve it.

“Just a little blister,” Nurse Dunn replied. “After twenty-eight years on the job, I could bandage these things in my sleep.”

Rising, Hannah’s gaze traveled up the defined lines of Isaac’s toned, bare legs, past his blue running shorts and stopped when it got to his snug fire department tee. Her face heated at the memory of him jogging most summer mornings without a shirt, and Hannah was both thankful and slightly disappointed that they were at a school-sponsored function today and he was properly clothed. While he’d been lean and muscular back then, she could tell through the damp cotton covering his torso that he’d bulked up since high school and his body was even more impressive now.

Her mouth went dry and she tried to remind herself that good looks were just one more thing that came easy to Isaac. He’d always excelled at everything. Except getting her.

He’d actually had to put some effort into that, spending the entire summer after eleventh grade showing up wherever Hannah was, offering her rides and friendship and a connection that she hadn’t been able to form with anyone else in Sugar Falls. They’d emailed each other during their senior year of school, and the next June, when they both returned to Sugar Falls, they’d been inseparable. Right up to that night in the boatshed when she’d freely given him her virginity.

Then, the very next day, he’d gone back to being the rich guy with the ski boat, not even picking her up for the Labor Day bonfire because he was too busy teaching several girls how to wakeboard.

“I think I’m going to see if they need more water at the refreshment station,” Hannah mumbled as she commanded her feet to move, trying to get far away from Isaac. Far away from his sexy, deep voice that still sent blasts of heat all the way down to her toes.

Whoa. She really could use a cold drink right about now to cool her down. Unfortunately, as she approached the other pop-up tent near the bleachers, she overheard someone else talking about adoption, and this time it wasn’t as well-meaning as Nurse Dunn’s comment.

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