ChapterNine
KRYSTAL
Bryce suggested we meet somewhere other than the firehouse this time, so we wouldn’t get distracted by the on-duty crew taking calls. I parked my mom’s Corolla in the lot at Minden Town Park, scanning the open space for Bryce. His truck wasn’t here, but he lived close, and I saw him on a bench near the walking path.
I tugged my bag over my shoulder and walked that direction. “Hey.”
He looked up from his phone and a smile crossed his face. It really wasn’t fair how his smile made me feel. How many people in my life actually brightened just because they saw me?
“Good morning! Bagel?” He held up a brown paper bag.
“We have bagels in Minden?”
He nodded. “Have you met Danielle? She took over the Rolling Pin from Margaret. Tons of options now.”
I grabbed the bagel he offered and smelled the sugary cinnamon and raisin. “Yum.”
“How was the rest of your dinner with Kenny?”
I pressed my lips together and made a face at him. “It was fine. Mom thinks she’s sneaky, but I don’t know if I can take another setup while I’m here. We need to be busier with this fundraiser, I think.”
The slow, warm chuckle chased away any chill that remained in the cool morning. The sun had appeared yesterday, melting away most of the snow. It was starting to feel like spring. I knew by this afternoon, I’d be able to ditch the lightweight coat I wore now.
“Well, I can handle adding some busyness for you. Let’s walk and talk about the event.”
We took the path, avoiding the grassy areas left muddy by the melting snow. I took bites of the bagel as Bryce explained the layout of the event and made a note on his phone with action items.
More than once, his phone chimed with a text message, and I watched him dismiss the notifications with a sigh.
“What’s that about?” I asked. I couldn’t help my curiosity.
He shook his head. “Just Monica being a pain. You think your mom is bad with the setups? At least you know it’ll stop in a couple months. I’ve been dealing with this for years. It’s only gotten worse since I became captain.”
I laughed, then covered my mouthful of bagel until I finished chewing. “She just loves you.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know. I just…it’s kind of exhausting. She shoots down any excuses I have for not going on dates. I’m pretty sure the only excuse that would be acceptable in her eyes is that I am seeing someone.”
I nodded in agreement. That was probably true for my mom too. “Why don’t you, then? What’s wrong with all these girls that you haven’t dated any of them?”
“Oh come on… Obviously, it’s something wrong with me.” His tone was joking, but there was an undercurrent of something I couldn’t quite place.
“I doubt that,” I said honestly. “Hate to break it to you, Captain Storm. But you’re a catch. If you were interested, I’m not sure there is a woman in Rogers County that wouldn’t want you on her arm.”
His voice was quiet when he replied, “I can think of one.” He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
My eyes widened and I stumbled over my feet. I took a breath to reply, but he interrupted.
“Gah, I’m sorry, Krys. I shouldn’t have said that. The truth is, I don’t have a real desire to date anyone. And none of the women I’ve been set up with have changed that. What I really want is a break from it.”
I nodded, grateful he hadn’t belabored the point. “I understand. I’ve only been here for five days, and I’m pretty sure my mom has seen fit to invite four different guys to the house.” I counted them off on my fingers. “There was Kenny, of course, who came to”—I added finger quotes—“fix the stairs. Before that was Dylan, sent on an errand by his grandma and wearing the tightest shirt I’ve ever seen. Even Eli Wells came to check the smoke detectors!” There was one I was missing… “Oh! And Mom tried to set me up with her physical therapist while we were there.” I shook my head. “She’s incorrigible.”
He laughed. “Sounds like your mom has a thing for firefighters.” He counted them off. “Dylan… Eli… Me…You need a little black book to keep track of us all.”
“What I need is…”
An idea popped in my head.
No. That was crazy.