Page 109 of Smoke and Fire
Sleep even closer.
Two steps out of the truck, I halted.
A small chorus of clapping filled the air. Locals and visitors that had been evacuated from their homes and camping spots were bunking out in tents all the way down the main street of Pineville.
They stood sleepily nearby, applauding. Other people, up early, sat outside RVs with steaming cups of coffee. Dogs skittered their feet, running around, barking, pacing. Bustle inside the Frolicking Moose spilled into the parking lot like it was the beating heart of the town.
With the applause came more applause. Whistles. Shouts of gratitude. People stepped out of the Frolicking Moose to see us and call out their thanks. I blinked, dazed by the unexpected display.
Awkwardness filled me until I saw a familiar pair of dark eyes step out of the Frolicking Moose. Dahlia wore her usual shorts, tank top, and cream-colored apron over the front of her.
Fatigue and relief lingered in her gaze. Had she been up late? What had they been doing? If all the RVs, tents, and general bustle this early meant anything, she'd had a busy night.
That seemed about right.
The Frolicking Moose had always been the heart of Pineville, fishy smell or not.
James lifted a hand to acknowledge the praise. Nilla waved. Mack tried to act like he didn't hear it, but high color appeared on his cheeks. Slowly, the smatter died away. People turned back to the coffee shop or their tents.
Across the distance, Dahlia caught my gaze. Bodies slipped past her to go inside, murmuring. An old man approached James with a question about the fire and the rest of the crew filtered apart. The truck groaned as bags unloaded and fire fighters shuffled back to the station to crash and sleep until our next go-round. I started across the parking lot with long strides.
Dahlia hurried down the stairs and met me halfway. I wrapped my arms around her waist and lifted her up, relieved to see her safe. She tightened her hold around my neck and whispered, "I'm so glad you're here."
"Everything okay?" I asked.
"Fine now."
She held onto me for several long moments. When I could finally pull away, she stepped back. Her hands stayed on my arms. She had to tilt her head back a little to look up at me from this close. She'd fit perfectly under my arm. My gaze drifted to her lips. All I wanted to do was lock us together and forget everything else existed. I fisted my hand at my side to stop myself from touching her lips with my thumb.
Did fire live in those lips?
The smoky gaze?
Yes, it had to. I'd already been burned.
"There's a lot to update you on," she said, a little breathlessly. She smiled, the edges of her lips twitching, like she couldn't hold it back, even if she wanted to. "But let's just say that it's not what you'd ever imagine, and everything is fine."
My shoulders relaxed. "Good."
Her expression creased a little. I reached up to smooth the wrinkles away.
"I, uh . . . I hope it's okay," she continued, "but I called Inessa's care center to check on her. They said she was worried about the fire growing so big. Smoke in Jackson City was bad, and she heard the news. I spoke with her for a while. Several times, in fact. She's been calling when she's worried."
"Really?"
Dahlia nodded, swallowing. She squeezed my arm where her hand still rested.
"I've loved talking to her, and she calmed down as soon as we got on the phone together. Everything is fine. I just . . . I wanted them to have my number in case you were on a fire and they needed something. I'm sorry if it was presumptuous, maybe, but—"
I silenced her by kissing her. She quieted immediately, limp in my arms. It forced me to wrap an arm around her back to hold her weight, which pulled her even closer. The press of her chest against mine sent my stomach into a giddy whirl.
Breathless, I pulled away. She blinked, dazed.
"Oh," she whispered.
I pressed my forehead to hers. "Thank you," I murmured. "It means so much. It's going to take some practice for me not to feel like I have to do all of this alone, but I'm confident we can figure it out."
She smiled, flushed with relief. "Me too."
