Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

Two Months Later

" E cho twelve is on scene."

"Echo twelve is on scene at 16:22," Joe said, shooting a glance at her monitor's clock as she put the crew on scene.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Derek said as he hurried to her side.

"Don't worry about it," Joe said, waving it off as she got to her feet and stepped away from the desk so that Derek could take over.

"I meant to pick up a coffee for you on the way here to celebrate your first official day here, but Lindsey and the baby were sick. I really appreciate you covering for me," Derek said, pulling on the headset.

"There's always tomorrow," Joe said with a wink as she headed for the door. She'd been working full-time in dispatch for a little over a month now, but today was her first official day as a full-time dispatcher, something that made her happy and miserable at the same time.

After Greg's accident, she needed a break from the truck. She felt guilty abandoning Eric before he started school, but she needed a break. He said that he was fine with her leaving even though he got stuck working with Teddy for two weeks, but that didn't make her feel any better.

She just…she'd burned out and couldn't do it anymore.

She'd considered living off the money that she'd saved for paramedic school, but she needed something to do. So, she started picking up more shifts in dispatching so that she had something to focus on during the day and at night…

She fell asleep wrapped in the arms of the man that she loved.

"Have a good night, Derek," Joe said as she opened the door.

"Good luck!" Derek said, sounding amused as she stepped out of the dimly lit room and-

"Hey, Joe," Jeff said with a smile that didn't bode well for her as he lazily waved around a folded strap. "We thought we'd give you an official goodbye from the station," he said, gesturing to the dozen or so firefighters and EMTs that blocked both sides of the hallway.

Oh, God, no...

Why hadn't she considered this? Joe wondered, forcing a smile as she reached back to open the call room door only to find it locked. She swore she heard Derek laughing his ass off as she frantically tried opening the door.

"That's, um, real nice of you guys, but I really have to go. Perhaps another time?" Joe asked, sounding hopeful as she discreetly shifted towards the left, but the men simply closed in on her.

"I think now is a great time. What do you think, guys?" Jeff asked.

"Sounds good to me," Rick, a large firefighter that she may have helped shave from head to toe when he joined their station five years ago, agreed.

"I guess that leaves me with no choice but to run," Joe said, nodding solemnly seconds before she made her move.

Unfortunately for her, she wasn't fast enough and found herself strapped tightly to a backboard and hoisted up in the air. She had to bite her lip to stop herself from begging them not to shave her head, dye her skin, or strap her down on top of an ambulance only because she didn't want to give them any ideas.

"Maybe we can talk about this?" Joe asked, hoping they'd let her go, but of course, there was no chance in hell of that happening. She decided to ignore them while they taunted her as she struggled to break free from her restraints, but unfortunately for her, they knew how to do their damn jobs.

When they brought her outside, she prayed that they just threw her in an ambulance and took her back to the station, but of course, they decided to stand her up and lean her back against the black iron fence that cut across the front of town hall. She couldn't see past the thick wall of men that suddenly surrounded her, but she was pretty damn sure that a crowd was forming and that some of them were taking pictures.

"I'm begging you not to do this," Joe whispered hoarsely.

"Sorry, but it's for your own good, Joe," Jeff said with a wink before they all stepped back as one and Joe felt her heart skip a beat when her eyes landed on Eric. She felt herself melt against her restraints as she took in how incredibly handsome he looked in a suit.

"Joe," he said as he made his way towards her.

"What's going on, Eric?" she asked, shooting nervous glances at the men grinning hugely at her side before taking in the large crowd gathering around them.

"The guys wanted to give you a proper sendoff," Eric explained.

"And you?" Joe asked, hating the way her voice trembled. With that bad boy smile that she loved, Eric dropped down to one knee in front of her as he pulled out a small velvet box. "Wanted to know if you would marry me?"

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She swallowed and tried again, but the only sound that came out was a little sob. Mortified, she tried to hold the next one back, but it broke free the second that she realized that hot liquid was running down her face.

Not hot liquid, Joe realized with horror, but tears. She was crying , she realized with disgust. She never cried. It was a useless waste of energy and something she never allowed, but now, in front of all the guys she'd worked with for the past twelve years and half the town by the looks of it, she couldn't seem to stop crying. She hadn't cried in years, not since she was a little girl and now, it seemed that all those tears she'd saved up wanted out.

"Oh, shit," one of the men breathed, "he broke Joe."

"Shhh, Joe, shhhh. It's okay, baby," Eric said softly as he stood up and cupped her face, gently wiping her tears away with his thumbs, but that only cleared the way for more tears.

"Don't cry, Joe," Eric said, sounding like his heart was breaking.

"I'm not crying!" Joe snapped, but of course, she was.

Oh, god, she was crying and people were taking pictures!

She would never live this down.

"Then, what would you call the tears running down your beautiful face?" Eric asked, cracking a smile as he brushed his lips against hers.

"Rain?" Joe suggested with a sniffle.

That earned a chuckle as he kissed her again. "Are you planning on putting me out of my misery anytime soon?"

"What?" Joe asked, wishing that she could shut off the damn tears, but there didn't seem to be a shut-off valve.

"I asked you to marry me, Joe," Eric reminded her.

"Untie me and I'll give you an answer," Joe promised him.

"That's just not going to work for me, Joe. I'm afraid I'm going to need an answer," Eric said with a sad shake of his head and a heartfelt sigh that had her lips twitching.

"What if I give you the wrong answer?" she asked, unable to help but smile as she watched him.

"Then, I guess I'll just have to keep you strapped to that board until you give me the right one," Eric said, cupping her face in his hands.

"Oh? And what's the right answer?"

"That you'll marry me and make me whole, Joe," Eric said on a reverent whisper.

"And if I don't?" she asked, her voice breaking as joy like nothing she'd ever known before surged through her body.

"Then, I'll just have to stuff worms down your shirt until you say yes."

"I'll just make you eat them," she pointed out.

He chuckled softly against her mouth. "Marry me or I'll have my big brother beat you up."

"He's a pushover," Joe felt obligated to point out.

"Fine," Eric said, smiling. "Marry me and I'll finally get you that steak dinner I promised you."

She pretended to think it over for a minute before asking, "Can I have an appetizer with it?"

"Will you give me children?"

"Maybe," Joe said, trying not to grin hugely at the thought of having his babies.

"Then, maybe," he conceded slowly.

"And dessert?"

"Will you put out at least five times a week if I do?" Eric asked as his eyes narrowed on her.

She nodded. "I'll put out twenty times a week if I can have ice cream with it."

"Then, you can have ice cream, you little gold digger," he said with a put out sigh.

"Then, my answer is yes," Joe said, not even caring that she was crying anymore as he leaned in and kissed her. She was happy, but more importantly, she was his.