Page 23 of Falling for Red
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah. The best part of my job is when I’m not there, I’m not there.”
“Do you have a predictable schedule or is it all over the place?”
“I have seniority, so I have a predictable schedule.” It looks like a smile is playing at Claire’s lips, but she’s holding it back. “Why does that bring a smile to your face?”
“Scheduling is one of life’s many challenges.”
I squeeze her hand, happy she’s thinking about spending more time with me. I’d like to spend more time with her too. Her hand stays in mine, and I let my thumb glide over the soft skin of her knuckles.
“Are you limping?” I ask, noticing her gate change.
“My heel,” she mutters, pausing to crouch down. She slips off her shoe and peels her sock at the back. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Blister.”
“New shoes?”
“Yeah.” She groans.
She can’t keep walking on it.
“Piggyback time.”
Claire jerks her head up, laughing. “What?”
I crouch down, resting one knee on the dirt path. “Hop on. I’ll carry you back to the truck.”
“You’re not serious.”
I glance over my shoulder, grinning. “Why not?”
“It’s a long way.”
I shrug. “This is basic firefighter training. I’m literally trained to carry people.”
She hums like she’s considering it, but also clearly resisting.
“You’d rather limp the whole way than let me carry you?”
She shakes her head, a smile tugging at her lips. “Stop trying so hard.”
“Why?”
“Because when you stop being cute in three months, it’s going to be really annoying.”
I smirk. “I’ll always be cute.”
“Shut up.”
“Get on my back already, woman.”
She laughs, getting on my back, and for the first time, it feels like we’ve stopped dancing around something—and stepped right into it.
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