The Firefighter's Vow. Amie Denman
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Название: The Firefighter's Vow
Автор: Amie Denman
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Cape Pursuit Firefighters
isbn: 9780008906122
isbn:
“I don’t think you’re out of your mind.”
“Good,” she said. “How can I join the department?”
“We...have an application process. And there’s training, of course. Volunteers don’t need nearly as much as full-time staff, but there’s still a lot you would need to know.”
“I know CPR and have first aid training because I was a coach, and I helped save someone just this morning from drowning,” she said. “That’s a start, isn’t it?”
“CPR and first aid training are very relevant,” Tony agreed. It was true that teachers and coaches had to be cool under pressure and often put the needs of others first. He respected that, but he hadn’t known before today that Laura had any experience or desire that would qualify her to do what he did. His image of her was as Nicole’s sister who didn’t always make the best choices.
Tony sat back in his chair and tried to reimagine Laura as a person capable of wearing thirty pounds of gear, fighting her way through smoke and dousing a fire.
“I’m physically fit,” she said as if she could read his thoughts. He was instantly ashamed. The size of a person had little to do with the ability to fight fires. Brains, attitude and training were far greater determiners. “I run.”
“That’s great,” Tony said. “I can see you’re very...” He needed to change the subject before he said something stupid. “Have you talked to your sister about this?”
Laura’s determined and even slightly defiant expression fell, and Tony knew he’d hit a sore spot. He didn’t want to discourage her, but...
He wanted to protect her. That was it. And that was the problem.
“I haven’t,” she said. “Do you ask every volunteer who comes in here if he’s talked to his sister?”
“You’re not every volunteer,” Tony said, his tone soft.
Laura stood. “Can I have an application, please?”
Tony got up quickly. “It’s online. You just fill it out and submit it.”
“And when does training start?”
Laura was dead serious. “Next week. We’re running a six-week intensive summer training.”
“Here at the station?” she asked.
Tony nodded. “And I’m the instructor.”
THE SUNNY MONDAY afternoon was peaceful as Laura and her sister, Nicole, cruised an ocean inlet on their paddleboards. Laura loved the challenge of keeping her balance and getting a good workout, and also spending time with her sister. The steady rhythm of their paddles moving in unison lulled her into believing that finding an even keel was a possibility for her that summer. She’d also decided that balancing over thirty feet of water was a great time to share her firefighting plan with Nicole.
The look her sister gave her did not bode well. Nicole dipped her paddle deep and splashed Laura with ocean water. “That’s not funny,” Nicole said, resting the edge of her paddle between her feet and balancing on the calm water.
“I didn’t mean it as a joke,” Laura protested, mirroring her sister’s movements. “I’m not kidding.”
Nicole held up a finger. “You were supposed to spend the summer with me, have fun, help me with my wedding and take care of Kevin’s dog while we go on our honeymoon. That kind of stuff. You weren’t supposed to show up in town and give me a heart attack.”
“Sorry,” Laura said. “I thought you might understand.”
“Understand?” Nicole asked, raising her voice. “You thought I would understand that my only sister, my only remaining sibling...” her voice softened and trailed off, and Laura instantly felt like a jerk for not realizing just how much of an impact her decision would have on Nicole.
“This is different,” Laura said. “I’m not planning on trying to outrun a forest fire. It’s a nice small fire department. I’ll get plenty of training—probably more than Adam had before he—”
“No,” Nicole said. “I’m learning to live with the fact that Kevin is a firefighter, but I can’t deal with potentially losing you, too.”
Laura began paddling silently alongside her sister, watching for marine life under the calm blue water. She’d paddled back home in rivers, but this was one hundred times more beautiful and interesting.
“How did you learn to accept Kevin’s job?” Laura asked.
“I had to because I love him. I couldn’t make him give up something he loves as the price for being with me.”
It was Laura’s turn to use her paddle to douse her sister with ocean water.
“Hey,” Nicole protested.
“You love me and this is important to me, so what’s the difference?”
“You’re my sister,” Nicole said.
“And?”
Nicole blew out a breath and sat down on her paddleboard. She crossed her legs and laid her paddle across her lap. Laura sat, too, and they let the easy current push them gently around while still staying close to each other.
“Why do you want to do this?” Nicole asked.
Laura trailed a hand in the water. “Because I want to live. And live with myself. I used to believe I could do anything and that anything was possible, but when Adam died, it wrecked my world. You know I was...self-destructive for a while.”
“Are you kidding?” Nicole asked with a sympathetic smile. “I thought the third guy in a row you dated who had a seedy past and a sketchy future was an indication of your excellent judgment.”
“There were only two. And they weren’t all that bad. At least I didn’t think so at the time.”
Nicole nodded. “Of course, I’m getting some of this bias from Mom and Dad who thought you’d quit your teaching job and take off on a motorcycle at any moment. They were worried about you.”
Laura forced a laugh, but her sister’s words hit home. Her parents, hardworking Midwesterners, considered quitting a nice steady job one of the worst things a person could do. She remembered how scandalized they’d been when Nicole quit her job at the furniture factory a year ago and moved to Cape Pursuit to work in a fledgling art gallery. They’d accepted her decision when the move turned out to be a good one, but Laura wasn’t sure they’d see it the same way with her. She was their youngest child now, and she knew they considered her fragile. She would need to prove her strength to them.
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