Page 30 of When It Burns

As I watch the boys alternate through to the second string, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull it out and try to keep from smiling when I see Caroline’s name on my screen.

Caroline: Well what do you know? I didn’t know the grumpy firefighter could smile like that.

Me: Oh I don't know about that. I was smiling pretty good in that hay barn.

Caroline: Chief Johnson, you're making me blush.

Me: I can think of some other ways to make you do that…

Caroline: Can you really? Interested in sharing any of them?

Me: I think I would rather show you.

Caroline: Hmmm I think I would like that too.

I look over to where the cheerleaders are running through cheers on the sideline and see Caroline smiling at me. I smirk at her and she grins broadly before turning back to Hannah. She and Hannah laugh loudly at something Caroline says and I watch as she pulls her phone back out and typing something quickly before I feel my phone buzz again.

Caroline: I guess not everything in Springside is as bad as you thought huh?

Shaking my head and fighting a smile I type back.

Me: Yeah, Sunshine. I think I might have found a few things I like a lot more than I planned.

And damn if that wasn’t the truth.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CAROLINE

Iknow that I should be focused on the cheerleading practice happening in front of me, but all my brain can think about is the gorgeous man standing across the field smirking at me every time I look over. I call out for the girls to run through a few more chants before I make eye contact with Hannah.

“Girl, you look like you just got done reading something dirty,” she whispers to me quietly.

I let out a small laugh before I respond. “Well girlfriend, I’ve read a whole lot of smut but the fire chief still has me blushing.”

Hannah lets out a small squeal that has the girls stopping their cheer and looking up at us. “Sorry girls. Go ahead. Defense, Defense!”

I try to contain my smile while she turns back to me and gives me a knowing look. “You like him, don’t you? Has anything happened yet?”

I stare at her for a minute before she pokes me in the side. “Oh my GOD!” she yells loudly. This time she attracts not only the attention of the squad but the football players and coaches who are all huddled up on the field, making them turn to look at us expectantly.

My face breaks into a bit of a blush but Hannah just looks around and yells, “Let’s go Springside! Whooooo!” I break into a fit of giggles at her antics before making sure the teams are both going back to their practices before I answer her. I can feel Theo’s eyes from across the field as they blaze into my skin and I wonder if he knows that we’re talking about him.

“Okay, you can’t tell anyone. The old ladies would have a field day buuuttttt,” I start and let the word draw out to tease my best friend.

“Caroline if you don’t tell me right now I am going to tell Mrs. Sally you have a crush on her husband, I swear to God!” Hannah loudly whispers, impatiently.

Laughing again, I say, “Okay, okay! There’s no need for all of that! Well if you must know we miiiigggghhttt have kissed Tuesday when we went to grab the stuff for the fence.”

“WHAT,” Hannah screeches, once again attracting the attention of everyone inside the stadium.

I elbow her sharply in the side before I whisper, “One more outburst and I swear I am not telling you another thing until tonight!”

She shrugs her shoulders before saying, “Okay sorry! You can’t just give me information like that and expect me to NOT react. I need you to tell me everything! You’ve been holding out on me!”

“I haven’t meant to. We have just had a lot going on between your escape artist little piggy and all the school drama. But Hannah, I swear to God I’ve never felt anything like it. We were up in the hay barn and he pushed me against the hay bale. I thought our romance books were full of it when they described a kiss as beingdevoured, but he damn sure did it. I have never been so turned on in my life,” I tell my best friend as I feel a blush spread across my cheeks.

“Hell yeah, girlfriend!” Hannah says somewhat quietly compared to her other outbursts. “You should ride that man like a horse! You are totally going to get to live out your cowboy fantasies with the fire chief!”

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