So, that solves the woman’s touch on everything. He was married.
“She’s beautiful.”
Emily asks to be excused from the dinner table and asks Damon where the bathroom is. “Down that hallway, second door on the right.”
After she shuts the bathroom door, I apologize.
“She couldn’t have known. No big deal.” A drop of condensation rolls past his finger as he tilts the glass to his lips, taking a drink, before clearing his throat and finishing his food. “Married for eleven years. Right out of high school.”
From the raspy tone of his voice, I can tell it still hurts. “You don’t have to tell me. Honestly, it’s none of our business.”
His demeanor changes after this, and sadness fills the room.
After a couple minutes of silence, I round up the three plates before heading to the kitchen to give him some space.
“I’ll dry,” he says, following behind me.
Emily takes a seat on the couch and turns Animal Planet on in the living room.
“So, what made you want to become a firefighter?” I ask. It kills me knowing that he goes against my rule, but he never came in wearing any type of uniform, so how was I supposed to know? Couldn’t he have chosen any other job? I look into his eyes as we continue doing the dishes, glancing back and forth.
He grazes his chin and looks up at the fridge to a picture of a man in uniform. “Runs in the family for three generations. My brothers are as well. We like to help people.”
Damon is someone I could grow to admire. Better than most, I recognize the risk of being a firefighter, and death becomes the consequence for several of them. Why did I have to crush on a firefighter? Literally, it can be anyone else, but no. Then he saves me and Emily, making me like him even more. What the hell am I going to do?
“Have you ever thought about changing your profession? Doing something less dangerous?” I ask, being selfish and hoping he would say yes.
“Not at all. I’m happy to put my life on the line to save people.”
Emily is giggling away in the living room and enjoying herself. I know staying at the shelter is going to be unusual for her, but we won’t be there forever. Eventually, we will find somewhere we can afford or they will rebuild the complex. Until then, we must go with the options put in front of us.
Damon stops and twirls around. “So... not to be extremely forward... but I have an extra bedroom.”
My eyes open wide, overwhelmed by his offer. “Oh no, we couldn’t impose like that.” It would be a better environment than the shelter, but inappropriate.
“Your choice. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t at least offer a comfy bed. You could stay here as long as you need. No need to pay anything. My wife believed in helping people too and she would invite you in if she were here.”
This could be an excellent opportunity to get to know him better, while also having a place to stay. Damon is a good man to offer his extra room, but would he expect anything in return?
As we return to the dishes, I reflect about it further. What am I getting myself into if we stick around here? Damon’s hot, and I could already tell he has many noble qualities even after only being here an hour. How much else would I learn about him? Do I take the chance and accept his gratitude?
The more I contemplate it, it’s better than staying at a shelter around many individuals we don’t know, and I bet the bed is more comfortable too. I’ll play it by ear, and change course if we need to after tonight.
“Would you like to stay here with Damon for a little while?” I ask Emily. If she feels uneasy about staying in any way, then off to the shelter we will go.
“I wonder what he makes for breakfast... Waffles? Pancakes?”
Damon’s eyes dart over at me. “Continental breakfast for one morning only.”
He makes his way to the back of the house while we sit in the living room watching TV.
“I made the bed up for you.”
“You didn’t have to do that. We could’ve done it,” I say, getting off the couch and instructing Emily to follow. “It’s bedtime, sweetie.”
“Sleep good, kiddo. See you in the morning,” Damon says right before Emily goes in for a hug.
I clutch the suitcase on the way to the room and then get both of us into something more appropriate for bed. Emily changed into a pair of plaid pajamas we bought earlier, and I changed into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt from Goodwill before sliding under the comforter that is as soft as snow.
“I’ll stay here until you fall asleep. Mommy’s not tired just yet.”
Sleeping in a new place might cause some issues, but between my fingers running through her hair and the bed itself, it doesn’t take long before she’s snoring, which shows how secure she feels here. Damon somehow has magic powers. “I love you, baby girl.”
I slither out without being caught and find Damon relaxing on the couch in his pajamas. He stretches, causing his shirt to shift, letting me see a bit of his toned stomach. I bite my lip, wondering how good my hands running down his chest would feel. No, don’t start. You are not getting involved with Damon. You can’t.