Page 55 of Smokin' Situation

He stopped at a light, squeezing my knee and flashing me with a grin. “Or she’s got her hands fullofBaker.”

“Or maybe both, he’s at the hospital a lot since he works the rig with Rhodes. Technically, Elias is an EMT, right?”

“Yeah, he’s wildly overqualified. I think he was a trauma doc at a hospital before he moved back here with Emi, but he needed something he could have predictable hours with. The hospitaldidn’t have any openings, so he got some additional certifications and took over the vacant EMT position at the station.”

Nodding, I realized it seemed to be a theme with the fire department. “Seems like he might not be the only one overqualified for his job.”

Tripp nodded, squeezing the hand on the steering wheel before he spoke again. “The Chief offered me a field training officer position.”

While I’d only seen him in action briefly, I could see that being a good fit for him. “So, does that mean you’re going to be leaving the ranch?”

Managing a ranch may not have been what he’d been doing with his career before he moved back to Sage Springs, but it suited him. He seemed at ease working with Marty.

“The Chief said it can be a permanent part-time position that could transition into a full-time assignment when there are new officers to train. He’s fine if I need to drop back to volunteer status, too. I still need to talk to Marty, but I think it might be a good fit. I’d get to train new officers, which I enjoyed doing while I was stationed at the national park but not have to be on full-time duty.”

“Sounds like the best of both worlds.” The selfish part of me felt a little relieved knowing that he wouldn’t be going back to the fire department full time. I knew he loved his job, and it’d been his life for a really long time, but knowing he’d be in a position that didn’t put him in danger quite as often was a relief.

“And now that I’ve settled in, I don’t want to leave the ranch. I still have a lot to learn to take over for Marty when he wants to retire, and I’m ready for the responsibility. I’ve been in crisis mode for so long that a change of pace sounds nice.”

He’d worked hard for a long time and deserved to choose his own path from now on. I just hoped I could walk by his side on that path.

“What about you?” he asked, glancing over at me. “Is the bar your long-term goal?”

It was hard to answer that question, helping Hudson find his footing at the bar had been all I knew for the last seven years. We both had a background in restaurant management, but I’d gravitated toward bar service where Hudson had taken over all the administrative duties. He still occasionally worked the bar, but he’d settled into the background, relying on me to pick up the slack.

“I think I need to sit down and talk to Hudson about my role once I go back. I’ll admit I’ve been a bit of a workaholic since my responsibilities outside the bar didn’t take up much of my time.” Reese was really the only person I prioritized until now, and her hours were crazier than mine. “My sister isn’t much better, and since she’s the only family I have left, I threw myself into my job.”

“Would you want to stay there full time?” My mind briefly flitted to Jayden’s offer to help him design the drink menu for the restaurant, but even I knew that’d never happen now, even if I had been interested. If Charley thought jealousy was going to be an issue once I told him our situationship was done, then I doubted he’d want me involved in the expansion of his business.

“Yeah, I think there’s a possibility of bringing on some new bartenders and teaching them what I know. Maybe scale my late-night hours into a more reasonable schedule now that I may actually have a social life outside of that place.”

He chuckled, smiling at me while he shifted the truck into park outside the general store downtown. I couldn’t keep surviving on borrowed clothes, and the dress he’d bought me to go dancing was now in a heap in the bottom of his trash can, so I needed to find something to wear.

“Speaking of social life,” he murmured, turning to face me and pulling my hand across the center console. “Would you go somewhere with me tomorrow?”

“Why do you sound so nervous?” I asked, squeezing his fingers until he made eye contact with me. “We’ve spent the last several days together. Afraid I’m gonna get sick of you?”

“You don’t have to spend all your time with me if you don’t want to.” He suddenly looked nervous, and I wasn’t sure where else he thought I’d go.

“I never said that. And where else am I going to go? Homeless, remember?” I teased trying to lighten the mood, but his jaw still looked tense.

“I wouldn’t stop you if you wanted to go hang out with your friends. I’ve kind of been monopolizing your time. And I’ve been pushy about asking you to stay with me.”

“And I have enjoyed every fucking minute of it, Tripp. While I could move into the apartment above the bar like Hudson offered, I kinda like staying with you on the ranch. It’s quiet. And I feel like I’m on vacation sharing that big king sized bed with you instead of freaking out that everything I own, including my truck, is gone.”

A hint of a smile replaced his serious demeanor, and I was glad we could talk like this. We could both let our insecurities show and not be judged by the other for them.

“Your insurance will—”

“My insurance will take care of it,” I interrupted, unbothered by the logistics at this point. “And I know you’ll hold my hand when I have to go see what happened to my home. I may literally only own the clothes on my back right now, but I’m not going anywhere if I have a say in it. I’m happy to stay right where I am—with you.”

“Technically, you’re not wearing your own clothes right now,” he teased, tugging at the wrist on the shirt I’d stolen from his closet this morning.

“Okay, Mr. Literal. You know what I mean.”

“So, is that a yes?” he asked, circling back to where this conversation started.

Arching an eyebrow, I tilted my head to make eye contact. “You haven’t told me what we’re doing.”

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