Page 38 of Kissing the Beach Town Fire Chief
Suddenly, Barry’s hand clamps around my arm. “Ami, you can’t stay here—you’ll get hurt.”
He pulls me toward the exit, and I stumble after him, choking on the smoke until we burst out into the cold night air. The main lawn is swarming with people, all craning for a view of the building.
Sirens wail closer, the flashing red lights slicing through the dark. Ethan’s truck screeches to a stop right behind the fire engines.
I run to him the second he’s out of the cab.
“Are you okay?” he demands, his hands gripping my shoulders.
“I’m fine—but Aunt Maggie’s still inside. She’s in the kitchen, and the fire’s blocking the door.” My voice breaks. “Please, Ethan—get her out.”
“You’ve got my word.” He pulls me into a quick, fierce hug before turning to his crew.
The firefighters uncoil the hoses, powerful streams of water hissing into the flames. Ethan and two of his men vanish into the building.
Every second stretches like an eternity. Smoke pours from the windows, curling black against the night. I strain to see through it, my nails digging into my palms.
Please.
Please let them be okay.
Then—movement. Two figures emerge through the haze.
Ethan, half-carrying Aunt Maggie, both of them coughing but upright. The crowd erupts in cheers.
“He saved her!” someone shouts.
I’m already running. “Aunt Maggie!”
I wrap my arms around her, feeling her sway unsteadily. “You’re safe,” I whisper, blinking back tears.
“Take her to the ambulance,” Ethan orders one of his crew.
I watch her go, my chest loosening for the first time in minutes—then I turn to Ethan and fold into his arms.
“Thank you,” I choke out. “I thought I was going to lose you both.”
“It’s okay. She’s safe, you’re safe. That’s all that matters.” His voice is warm and steady, a rope I can cling to in the chaos.
By the time the fire is contained, the building is mostly intact—just smoke damage and a ruined stove. Aunt Maggie is treated for smoke inhalation and cleared to go home. I insist on staying with her that night, even when she tries to wave me off.
In the morning, she surprises me.
“Ethan, I am truly thankful you saved my life,” she tells him when he stops by to check on her. “We haven’t been on the best terms, but you didn’t let that cloud your judgment. Now I understand why Ami stood by you.”
I don’t say a word. I just let relief wash over me.
We still don’t know who won the election. The announcement had been moments away when the fire broke out, and the night ended without a single word about the results.
Somehow, right now, that feels secondary.
But when I head over to Ethan’s later with a tin of cookies—Aunt Maggie’s idea—the sight that greets me on his front lawn is… unexpected. Half the town is there, thanking him, praising him for his bravery.
“They’ve been coming all morning,” Ethan says with a grin when he pulls me inside. “‘Thank you for rescuing Maggie eventhough she’s your rival,’ ‘this town needs more people like you’…”
“Well,” I say, smiling, “they’re not wrong.”
“I didn’t do it for them. I did it because it was the right thing.”
