Hard to Resist - By Kara Lennox Page 0,66
it was real love or something else masquerading as love because I needed you?”
“So when did you figure it out?”
“At the barbecue. I realized that for the first time in years, I was safe and secure, and I didn’t need anyone to take care of me or feed me or shelter me. Yet I still felt exactly the same way toward you. I saw you with that little girl, Tina’s daughter…”
“I was with Tina’s daughter?”
“She had a tummy ache. You were carrying her around, trying to make her feel better, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. And I went straight for you. I was playing bridge with Pris and Tony and Otis—”
“Otis was playing bridge?”
“I dropped everything and made a beeline for you,” she continued, ignoring the interruption, “because I was going to tell you I loved you. And then there was Tina, and the alarm went off… And I swore that the next time I saw you, I’d tell you straight away.”
She was adorable. “If I could get out of this bed and put my arms around you right now, I would, and I’d never let you go. Ever.”
“Even if I’m a flake who doesn’t know her own mind?”
“You’re not a flake, and I love you. There’s just one problem.”
“What?”
“No, never mind, I’ll take care of it. I’ll move out.”
“What?” she said again, only more emphatically. “Why?”
“Because you have this thing about living in your boyfriend’s house. Bad example for the StrongGirls. I don’t want to break up again. So I’ll move out.”
“No! That’s ridiculous—it’s your house. Samantha and I can rent that cute bungalow across the street.”
He thought about that for a moment, thought about his house without Kat, without the whisper of her scent in every room, the sound of her humming while she cooked, without Samantha’s laughter. It wasn’t a pleasant picture.
But how could he stop her? The answer came to him immediately, and it made perfect sense. “I have a better idea. Why don’t we just get married?”
Silence. Ominous silence. He’d blown it. Wasn’t that just like him? He finally got Kat to admit she loved him, but that wasn’t good enough. He had to push.
“Kat, forget I said anything.”
“Forget it?” Her voice came out a squeak. “You’re taking it back?”
“You didn’t respond.”
“Because I was so overcome. Because Samantha will be delirious. I’m not a StrongGirl, after all. Look at me—I’m a mess.”
“I can’t look at you. I can’t turn my head.”
“Good. My nose is probably all red, and my eyes are puffing up.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
EPILOGUE
A FIRE STATION WAS hardly the most romantic venue for a wedding. But there was no way to pick a date when at least some of Ethan’s newfound friends weren’t going to be on duty, and they all wanted to witness history in the making—one of their own marrying a woman he’d dragged out of a burning building.
So Kat, with the help of Priscilla, Deb and Virginia, and plenty of legwork by StrongGirls from three high schools, had turned the backyard of Fire Station 59 into an oasis of flowers, with an arbor and ribbons—and citronella torches to keep the mosquitoes at bay.
Kat was upstairs in the station’s dormitory area getting dressed, and every so often she peeked out a window as the yard filled up. Every chair was taken, and people were standing in the back.
“Where did all these people come from?” Kat asked Priscilla, who was doing up the buttons on the back of Kat’s candlelight chiffon dress. “I only sent out a few invitations.”
“I’m afraid your wedding has turned into a bona fide media event,” Priscilla replied.
“Really. Hey, I bet I can use this to publicize the StrongGirls program.”
“Get your mind off your work, girl,” Virginia scolded as she fussed with Kat’s veil. “You’re about to marry Prince Charming.”
Kat sighed. “You’re right. I can’t help it, though. I love the StrongGirls. You know, the Sunset girls pitched in and gave me a wedding gift. A toaster. Isn’t that sweet?”
“Mom,” said Samantha, who’d been dressed for hours in her ruffled princess dress, claiming she felt just like Barbie. She was looking out a different window, where valets were parking the guests’ cars. The valets had been a gift from the three shift captains, who could not risk a traffic jam around the station. “A big black car just pulled up. It has, like, eight windows.”
Kat clapped her hands together. “Mr. Breckenridge. I was hoping he would come.”
“I wonder what sort of wedding gift you’ll