Chapter 14

HOLLY

Holly couldn't fight the smile on her face as she pulled up in front of Cade's little brick home. It was an older house that was once red, but someone had refinished the outside of the home with the stylish German schmear look, turning the house white with hints of deep russet peeking out. It almost reminded her of a castle, which only made her chuckle at the irony of seeing the overgrown front flower bed of irises. If they were blue in the spring or summer when they bloomed, it would look like a moat, she thought, getting out of her Mustang.

She heard a bark and saw Knox running up to the chain-link fence surrounding the house – turning to look pointedly at Cade. He just raised an eyebrow and smirked at her as they obviously shared the same thoughts. The dog was outside, but that meant nothing until verified.

"Don't hold your breath," Cade chuckled and hesitated. "Actually, do hold your breath, just in case…"

She laughed and moved around her car to pop the trunk, withdrawing a crockpot full of green beans – only to see Cade take it from her and set it back down.

"What are you doing?" – and began to writhe in distress as he picked her up in his arms like she was some damsel in distress. "Cade? What are you doing? Put me down before you hurt yourself and…"

He leaned forward to kiss her, stopping the string of panicked words immediately. As he pulled back, he looked at her with so much emotion in his eyes that she couldn't speak.

"Firefighters are superstitious – and your first trip into my domain is going to be in my arms…"

"I thought that was a wedding custom," she said breathlessly, not looking away from his heated gaze.

"Maybe this is practice," he replied, not hesitating in the slightest. "Can you get my keys in my pocket?"

"You want me to… whaaaat?"

His pocket?

He wanted her to put her hand in his pocket and feel around for his keys? Ohhh boy, what if she brushed something she shouldn't? What if they were in the other pocket? Her mind exploded with embarrassment that must have been written all over her face at his laugh.

"My keys," he chuckled, grinning, and winked at her. "And I trust you to behave. I just can't unlock the door and carry you over the threshold."

Meekly, Holly reached down between his arms for his pocket and took a deep breath before closing her eyes just to avoid his dancing eyes. She gingerly put her hand inside his pocket and felt carefully… only to hear him squeal happily.

Holly yelped, jerking her hand back – and Cade's laughter was infectious. He was cracking up wildly, his body trembling with exuberance, as she glared at him.

"That was not funny!"

"You didn't touch anything, but I had to tease you."

"No, you didn't."

"C'mon, Holly, be a sport and grab the keys."

"You could put me down."

"I could, but I'm enjoying this a bit much. I love having you in my arms – and in my life," and she looked at him, holding her breath. Was he about to say the words she longed to hear?

"Get the keys, princess…" he whispered intimately. "Let me show you around before the others arrive."

She moved to fish out his keys once more, and this time, she stared him in the eyes the entire time, waiting for him to play a joke on her again. She was practically glaring, and his beautiful eyes were crinkled at the edges, illuminated with a zest for life that made her heart turn over in her chest. Once she held up the keys, he proceeded a few more steps onto the landing at the front door and waited while she unlocked it.

Turning the knob, Cade stepped inside quickly just as Holly heard puppy paws scrambling frantically across the living room floor. Tiny nails were clicking in an effort to explore the rest of the world beyond that mysterious portal. Oh yes, Knox had a deep desire to dart out the front door – and Cade kicked it shut behind him quickly.

"No, Knox…" he muttered grimly, setting Holly down in the entryway. "I am not chasing you three blocks again."

"He got out?"

"Three times yesterday. At one point, I had the mattress for my bed half in the front door and half out – when the little mongrel took off like a bolt of lightning. I swear, he's quick and more clever than I give him credit for," Cade admitted and took Holly's hand in his, tugging her forward. "This is home…"

She saw the empty living room that had a television already mounted to a hanger on the wall, ready for the football game tonight – and smiled. He was obviously a big football fan. There was a lawn chair in the living room and a milk crate with a phone book on top for an end table.

"I apologize about the lack of furniture," he said quietly. "As a single guy who lives between the station and a studio apartment, there just hasn't been a huge need for stuff. I had my bed in the living room because it was comfy to sit on, you know? It's weird to have an actual bedroom now, but I am finding that I really like being able to have some privacy."

"I understand. My little apartment upstairs is basically one big space with a kitchenette and a bathroom. The bathroom has a door giving you privacy, but Daddy had to build a wall with a curtained doorway as I got older. It was supposed to be a storage area and large breakroom – but instead, we made it home because it worked for us. My mother died when I was really young. I can't imagine how hard things were for him."

"I'm sure," he murmured and pulled her forward again. "This is the bathroom, and that's my room," he offered simply, pointing. "The kitchen needs a good coat of paint and some updating, but overall, it's a pretty nice little place."

"It's lovely," she smiled, looking around – and then paused, turning back to look at him as she spotted the Christmas tree tied up and propped in the corner of the living room. "Did you buy a tree?"

"I love the holidays."

"Me too."

"I thought maybe we could decorate it or at least put it up in the stand together before it becomes too dried out."

"We could pop some popcorn and string it while we are watching the game this evening…" she began, trying to improvise on décor and not wanting to intrude – only to see his tender smile as he pulled her into his arms again.

"I would love that," he began and hesitated, hugging her. "But I don't have any popcorn kernels." Both of them laughed together, holding each other, standing there in the middle of the empty living room. Holly had the strangest feeling of belonging in that moment and savored it with every ounce of her being.

An hour later – Rodney, Jude, Mayberry, and even Chief Marcum had all arrived. Each brought a dish and a folding chair, and the laughter was infectious as they teased Cade about his empty house and spoiled dog.

Cade kept feeding Knox tiny pieces of turkey cut up and removed carefully from the bone. At one point, she saw him scoop up the puppy and blow gently in his face, only to cause the puppy to lick him and give him ‘puppy kisses' on the chin. It was adorable to see how tender he could be toward a creature he loved, and that was when it hit her.

He was caring, loving, protective, and tender – with her. Could Cade truly be falling for her? Because she was already head-over-heels in love with the man. If he smiled, her world was brighter. If he laughed, she couldn't help but want to join in and share in his amusement. Every time he gave her ‘the look,' she knew that a kiss hot enough to melt her bones was not far behind – and she was here for it. The man gave the best hugs, was so understanding, and was always trying to make her feel like she was important.

"Holly," Cade began, "Could I have another scoop of yams with the ‘firefighter' marshmallows that I begged for? I love those things, and I can't reach the casserole dish and…"

"Of course," she answered quickly, moving to take his plate and dish up another serving… and gave him a sideways glance, meeting his little smile just as he winked at her. The yams were nearly a dark brown on top, exceedingly crunchy, and everyone had politely taken a spoonful – except Cade. He was on his third big helping and covering for her in case someone said something.

Could this sweet man be any more perfect?

She handed him back the plate – and he leaned forward in front of his friends and kissed her quickly.

"Thanks, princess."

Yeah, she was utterly in love with her fireman.