Chapter 13

13

Kara

It’s the second time I’ve woken up in his arms, yet it feels like I’ve been here forever. The way his body holds me at night while he’s fast asleep is something I’ve never experienced. I feel so safe in his arms making it easy to sleep through the night.

Ever since I moved to Tennessee, I’ve had some rough nights. When you’re trying to chase your dreams, especially big dreams in the music industry, a lot of doubts enter your mind. Doubts cause anxiety, and anxiety causes my chest to tighten, which, in turn, either makes it to where I can’t fall asleep or wakes me up way too early.

Somehow though, when I’m with him, it all goes away.

Last night was mind-blowing, and now that I feel his body pressed against me, it’s all I can think about. I’m seconds from initiating another round when his alarm goes off. It doesn’t jolt him awake though. No, he instead holds me tighter as the song “The Fireman” by George Strait plays in his room.

I giggle to myself at his song choice to wake up to.

“Are you laughing at me?” he asks in a sleepy voice.

“Yes, I am. How did you get this to be your alarm?”

He doesn’t move one bit, just holds me tighter as he says, “You can set it through GarageBand on your phone.”

I laugh a little more as I listen to the old country song from the ’80s, talking about cooling off women all over town and putting out old flames. The song has nothing to do with being an actual fireman; it keeps repeating that he’s the fireman and that’s his name.

He jumps up to flip me over onto my back and crawls on top of me, only to eye me playfully. “I am the fireman, but I’m going to let this one burn. Ain’t no way I’m putting out this flame.” He uses the words from the song, but changes them to apply to us.

He leans down, gives me a quick kiss, then crawls to a sitting position with his feet on the ground while he reaches to turn it off. “It’s only my alarm when I have to work. With my schedule being twenty-four on and forty-eight off, my days get all mixed up, so this way, I know what’s going on for what day just by my alarm.”

I move to wrap my legs around him and lay my head on his back. “It’s cute.”

He turns to kiss me. “You’re cute.” He kisses me one more time before standing up and heading to the bathroom. “Make yourself at home. I’m going to hop in the shower real quick.”

I lie back down on his very comfortable bed and take in the last few days. Everything feels like such a whirlwind of emotions and life-changing events.

After lying there for a few minutes, I decide to get up and make us both a cup of coffee. His is just finishing up when he enters the kitchen.

“Is that one for me?” He points to the machine.

“Sure is,” I respond with a grin over my own cup, which displays the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

He leans in to kiss my forehead. “Thank you.”

I show him my mug. “Have you been?”

“Yep. I went last year. It was not the city everyone talks about. I guess not anymore, I mean. Homeless and drug use everywhere. I’ll never go back. The Golden Gate Bridge was the only cool thing—that’s why I bought that mug.”

“So, that’s your thing when you travel? You buy mugs?”

He shrugs. “Yeah. I like collecting mementos, I guess, but most of the stuff would just sit around, being useless, and I’m not going to wear clothes that have the Golden Gate Bridge on them,” he says with a laugh.

“Really? I could totally see you in an I Heart NYC shirt,” I tease.

“Um, that’s a big fat no. That’s why I like the mugs. It’s something useful, and it reminds me of the trips I’ve taken.”

“Do you like to travel?”

He nods while he takes a sip. “I do. I want to travel someday. See all this world has to offer.” He pauses and looks at me. “Do you not like to travel?”

Now, it’s my turn to shrug. “I’ve never really been anywhere besides Ohio and here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. My family only took vacations to local lakes or places we could drive to.”

“Hmm … I might have to change that. What would you say if I planned a trip for us?”

I laugh out loud. “Where?”

“I don’t know. I’d have to think about it. Could you get some days off?”

“Could you plan it around a weekend so I have to ask for less days off?”

He pulls out a card from his wallet, which is a color-coded calendar. “Yeah, I have two days off that spread over a weekend coming up. I’m sure I can get someone to cover the Monday shift.” He looks me in my eye. “I’m serious. Will you go away with me if I plan something?”

Nerves of excitement race through me at the idea of getting to spend that much time with Silas. “Text me which days, and I’ll ask Heather, the mom I work for, today.”

A grin covers his face. “This is going to be fun.” He checks his watch, then sets his coffee down and pulls me close to him. “Though I love seeing you in my shirt, I’ve got to get on the road.” He kisses me softly.

“Okay, I’ll go get dressed.” I kiss him again, then head off to change my clothes. Once I’m dressed, I meet him back in the kitchen, where he has his eyes locked on his phone. “What are you looking at?”

He closes it quickly. “I’m planning that trip. It’s a surprise though. I already got someone to cover my Monday shift, and I’ll text you the dates. As soon as you let me know you can get that Monday off, I’m booking it.”

I can’t hold in my glee as I wrap my arms around him. “Can’t wait!”

We walk out the door together, and he walks me to my car.

“I work twenty-four hours, and then I’m off. I never know what my night is like, so if I don’t text right away, I probably crashed, but I’ll call you as soon as I’m awake.”

“Sounds good.” I rise onto my tiptoes and kiss him goodbye. “Go be a hero.”

He laughs at my comment. “Go make some amazing music,” he volleys back.

I climb into my car and start the engine, pulling away before I allow myself to jump back into his arms. Thank God he has to work today, or I don’t know if I ever would have willingly left his house.

Silas

I pull up to work and walk in with a smile on my face. “Good morning!” I say as I enter.

“Someone’s in a good mood,” Hayes says.

Hollywood eyes me. “She woke up in your bed again, didn’t she?”

“Yep,” I say with pride. “And we’re going away next weekend when we’re off.”

“Didn’t you just meet this chick?” Atta asks.

“Sure did. What’s it to you?”

Atta laughs out loud, shaking his head. “Oh boy … here we go again.”

I smack his arm, knowing he’s talking about Cooper, who is so whipped over his new girl that it’s not even funny. He fell fast and hard for Haley, and there was no looking back once they got together.

Cooper just raises his hand and gives me knucks, which I give right back, not ashamed of how I feel about Kara, no matter how many days I’ve known her.

I pour myself another cup of coffee and sit down at the counter, pulling my phone back up to research our trip more.

“Are you really looking up Disneyland?” Hollywood asks with a chuckle.

“She said she’s never been anywhere but Ohio and here.”

“And you’re thinking Disneyland?” he deadpans.

“What? It’s the happiest place on earth. Why wouldn’t we go there?”

“It’s not very romantic.”

My lips tilt up to one side. “I don’t need to romance this girl like that. We’ve already got that in strides. I want to take her somewhere to see the world, not just the inside of our hotel room.”

“So, I ask again … Disneyland?” He laughs.

I push him away. “Stop talking shit about my idea. You don’t know her. I think she’ll love it.”

He stands to pour his own cup of coffee. “Whatever you say.”

I flip him off without looking up from my phone when a text message comes from Kara.

Heather said I can have Monday off, so I’m free to go!

Hell yeah! I’m booking it now.

She texts back a heart emoji, and I send her a kissy-face one back.

“Oh God. He’s sending kissy-face emojis now. We’re doomed,” Atta says, looking over my shoulder.

I turn to smack him just as our tones sound above us for the first call of the day. Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I jump off my chair and get to work.