“Everything looks okay. I think you’ll be fine, but we can take you to the hospital as a precaution if you’d like,” a paramedic said.
Pepper shook her head. She didn’t need to go to the hospital. The only question was where she would go instead. To her brother’s house? They had established a tentative peace, but close proximity could shatter that pretty quickly. That left her parents’ house, where she would sleep in the old twin bed she’d had since she was ten. That didn’t excite her, either. She’d rather blow up an inflatable bed in the back room of the salon, although Sarah would have a fit and insist she stay at her house instead. She supposed that left her the option of staying at Miss Twila’s bed-and-breakfast, although she’d have to drag the poor woman out of her bed in the middle of the night.
“You dumb bastard,” Mack shouted, interrupting her thoughts as he charged toward them. She’d known Mack a long time and she’d never seen him look so angry before. His face was bright red and he was scowling. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed. Again. You’ve still got your arm bandaged up from the last time.”
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Pepper frowned at Mack and then turned to Grant. “What is he talking about?”
Grant smiled sheepishly. “I kinda ran into your house without any gear on and pulled you out of the fire.”
“Kinda?” Mack snorted with a reluctant smirk. “He did, straight up.”
“And what if I hadn’t?” Grant asked.
Pepper couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened if he hadn’t. She’d been sleeping on the couch just as she had been since the breakup. Two glasses of wine and emotional exhaustion had knocked her right out. She’d never heard a smoke alarm, although it wouldn’t surprise her if hers didn’t work, like so many other things in the house. She’d slept through the whole thing and would’ve likely died of smoke inhalation before the flames reached her. It made the loss of her house and belongings seem silly and insignificant. “You’re not even supposed to be back on duty yet.”
Grant shrugged. “Am I only supposed to save your life when I’m being paid to do it?”
There was no good answer to that, she supposed.
“From what we can tell, it started in the back bedroom,” Mack said. “My guess is that old wiring went bad. I got it working before, but we probably should’ve left it until we could rewire. Damn it.” Mack looked back at the smoldering remains of her house. “I’m sorry, Pepper.”
“It’s not your fault, Mack. You did what I asked you to do.”
He nodded and shook his head. “The good news is that it isn’t a total loss. The bedrooms and the bathroom are gone, but I’d say you can salvage the rest and rebuild it with the insurance money. It will take some time, but you can do it.”
That was something. She’d cling to that hope. “Thanks, Mack.”
“I’m going to get the guys packed up and out of here. You can’t go back into the house until the structural engineers from your insurance company clear the site as stable. Not even for your car keys or your cell phone,” he clarified. “Will you be okay? Do I need to call someone to come get you?”
Pepper opened her mouth to respond, but Grant beat her to it. “I’ll take care of it. She’s going back to my place.”
Mack nodded and walked away, leaving Pepper at a bit of a loss. “Why would I go to your place?”
Grant looked at her with a serious expression. “Because that’s where you live now.”
A twitter of nervous laughter rose up in her throat. “Don’t be silly, Grant. We’re not even dating anymore. You don’t have to take me in like some refugee. If you can take me to Miss Twila’s, I’ll be fine.”
“I’m not taking you in like a refugee and I’m certainly not dumping you at the bed-and-breakfast. I’m asking you to marry me and move into my place until our renovated house is ready.” Pepper sputtered at his sudden declaration. “W-what a-are you talking about?”
Grant sat down beside her on the bumper of the ambulance. “I’m sorry about before. I shouldn’t have pushed you about what was going on. I respect your decision to keep quiet about it. But,” he added, “I’m not going to let you use it as an excuse to push me away.”
“I didn’t—” she started but he held up his hand.
“I know everything, Pepper. I had a nice, long chat with your father and he explained the whole situation to me. All of it,” he said with emphasis. “I understand why your brother wouldn’t be my biggest fan, but I’m going to work on that. I’m not going to tell my family—like you, it’s not my place, but I’m going to extend an olive branch. If he chooses to accept it, we’ll start over and try to build our own relationship. But that’s got nothing to do with you and me.”
Pepper wasn’t sure if it was the lack of oxygen due to the smoke inhalation or if she was just having trouble following everything Grant had to say. She’d heard the words “marry” and “move into my place” mixed in among a lot of words about Logan and their families.
“Are you okay?” Grant asked with concern lining his sooty face.
“I think I might be in shock.”
Grant pulled a flashlight out of the nearby case and flashed it in her eyes. “Your pupils look okay. Are you cold?”
“No. I’m just having a really hard time trying to follow what you’re saying.”
Grant smiled and took her hand in his. “I’ll make it really easy. I’ve asked your father for permission to propose to you. I hadn’t intended to do it tonight, so I don’t have a ring or a fancy proposal scripted out, but I’m going to say this anyway. I love you, Pepper. You’re the first woman in my whole life who gave me focus and meaning. You challenge me, irritate me, and motivate me to be a better man. I want to spend every day of the rest of our lives together.