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made her happy. But the fact that he d gone back to work but not come back to her really must
mean that whatever sliver of hope she d been holding out for them was completely pointless.
If he was going to come back, he d have done it.
At least, now she knew.
Anyway, that s not what telling him about the baby was about. More than that, she didn t want
Caden back if the baby was the only reason he wanted to be in her life. So. Fine.
As she parked her car along the curb, the clock on the dash said that it was nearly 5:30. His shift
probably ended at seven tonight or seven tomorrow morning, depending on the schedule the
firehouse had an overlapping shift system to ensure they were always staffed and could give the guys
adequate days off after working twenty-four hours at a time. Which meant she could either go in there
and talk to him. Or she could wait.
After waiting two months, she would ve thought the idea of a few more hours would ve been
nothing. But knowing Caden was just across the street in that building so close after all this time
apart nearly had Makenna crawling out of her skin.
She d given him time and space. Just like he d asked. Now she was done with that. This baby was
coming whether either of them was ready or not.
Without letting herself overthink it any further, Makenna shut off the car and got out. Flurries
whirled around her, and she ducked her head against the freezing wind and zipped her thick coat up to
her neck.
On a nice day, the guys often had the doors to the bays open, their trucks on display. But those
doors were closed up tight against this weather, so Makenna headed to the office door on the side.
Belly going for a loop-the-loop, she let herself into the reception area, setting off a buzzer. No one
stood behind the counter.
After a few seconds, a young guy she didn t know came in from the back.  Can I help you?
 Hi, she said.  Is Caden Grayson here?
 Grayson? Yeah. He gave her an appraising look that rushed heat into her cheeks.  I ll get him.
The guy disappeared into the hallway beyond.  Grayson! he yelled, making Makenna s cheeks
burn a little hotter.  Visitor.
Makenna stuffed her hands in her pockets and blew out a shaky breath.
An exchange of words down the hall caught her ear because she heard Caden s voice. Hearing it
was a relief and a heartache. She braced in anticipation of seeing him walk through the door.
And then he did.
Be strong, Makenna.
 Hi, she said, drinking him in with her eyes. He looked& so fucking good. Gorgeous, as always,
with that strong jaw and that masculine face and those broad shoulders. He was a little thinner, but the
dark circles were nearly gone from beneath his eyes and everything about him seemed& lighter
somehow. Like he stood taller, moved easier.
 Makenna, what are you doing here? Are you okay? he asked, coming around the counter to her.
He stopped an arm s length away.
 I m sorry to bother you at work, but I 
 No, I m sorry. He rubbed his hand over the scar on his head.  I didn t mean it that way. Just
surprised, is all.
 I know. I was hoping we could talk for a minute. It shouldn t take long, she said. Well, actually,
it was going to take the next eighteen years, at least. But what needed to happen just then shouldn t
take long.
 Uh, yeah. Yeah, of course, he said.  Come inside with me?
Her heart squeezed as a little voice inside her said, I d follow you anywhere, Caden. Don t you
know that? But all she said was,  Sure.
She followed him around the counter, a ridiculous little thrill fluttering through her when their
arms brushed as they walked down the white cinder-block hall.
For some reason, that sensation made her think of the first time she ever touched him. That night
they were trapped in the elevator. After maybe two hours, they d both gotten hungry and shared two
snacks and a bottle of water that Makenna had in her bag. Because they couldn t see one another to
hand off the water, they d slid it back and forth across the floor until they encountered the other
person s hand. By then, she d already learned just how much they had in common and become
intrigued by Caden, and those little touches from a man she d talked to but never seen had been
thrilling.
Walking beside Caden after so long apart, that night seemed like it d happened a million years
before.
Laughter and trash talk spilled out of a room off to the left. Having been to the station before,
Makenna knew it was the kitchen and dining room. A quick peek in as they passed it revealed that the
table was full, and all the guys had plates of food in front of them. She caught Bear s eye as she and
Caden walked by.
 I m sorry I interrupted your dinner, she said, peering up at Caden.
 Don t be, he said in a quiet voice.
At the end of the hall, they turned to the right.  Let s, uh, let s go in here, he said, pushing a door
open for her. He flicked on the light, revealing two rows of bunk beds along the walls, all neatly
made.
The door shut, closing them in together.
Makenna s heart tripped into a sprint.
Caden s gaze raked over her and finally settled on her face, his eyes filled with an intensity she
didn t understand.  You look really great, Makenna.
 Uh, thanks, she said, the compliment catching her off guard.  You look good, too. Better. Better
than before, she thought, but she didn t want to get caught up in talking about the past when what she
needed to discuss with him was the future.  So 
 Did you have a good Christmas? he asked, stepping a little closer. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]