Can't Help Falling in Love - Samantha Chase Page 0,3
surge of adrenaline he felt as the truck pulled out of the station. Being a firefighter was something Hunter dreamed about since he was a little boy. The first time his kindergarten class had come to the station on a field trip, he was hooked. At the age of fourteen, he entered the Junior Volunteer Firefighter program and stayed with it through his high school graduation. Then he started college and took his courses to become an EMT. And finally, at the age of twenty, he became a full-time firefighter. It was everything he had ever dreamed it would be.
From his spot on the truck, he watched the town go by and smiled.
This was home.
Magnolia Sound was always where he wanted to be, and the fact that his job was to help protect it filled him with a huge sense of pride. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for the townspeople, and he loved knowing his son was going to grow up here. Although it seriously sucked that while his son was going to grow up in Magnolia Sound, he was going to be growing up as a child of divorce.
Okay, it was a little dramatic to think that way, but there it was. In all the years Hunter had fought for their relationship and envisioned them having the idyllic life he never had growing up, he never thought things would be like this. Melissa had never wanted to have kids, and when she got pregnant with Eli, Hunter just assumed she’d change her mind once she held their baby in her arms.
She hadn’t.
And lately, she had been spending less and less time with Eli, which, to him, was worse than spending no time with him. His son was being bounced from house to house–including going to daycare–and Hunter was starting to see how it was having a negative effect on him.
And whatever Melissa’s deal was about for tomorrow, it certainly wasn’t going to help.
The siren roared all around him, and as they approached the property, Hunter adjusted his helmet and coat and immediately cleared his mind of everything except what they were here to do–put out a fire.
It took three hours to get everything under control before they could return to the firehouse. After a shower and a hot meal, Hunter grabbed all of two hours of sleep before the alarm went off again. This time for a fire down on the beach where some teenagers set up a bonfire that got out of control. This was completely unusual to have two fire events in one night, but…this was his job and he was going to give it everything he had.
They were back in the station in two hours, and after that, the crew went about their usual routine: doing a thorough check of all personal protective gear, which included a turnout jacket, pants, boots, air supply, and own PASS device. Hunter had done it so many times, he didn’t even have to think about it. If anything, it was a mindless activity that he found oddly soothing.
Once he was done, he helped check out the fire truck and the equipment to make sure they were ready for the next emergency. When things remained quiet, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to wash the truck. They were all avoiding the chore everyone seemed to dread–cleaning the station. It was basically a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to dole out who was going to handle cleaning which area and Hunter was thankful he caught mopping rather than bathroom duty.
No one wanted that.
When his shift was over, all he wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed, and it seemed as if luck was on his side.
He stripped as he walked across his small house and placed his cell phone on the bedside table before he collapsed on the bed. His head hit the pillow, and he was instantly asleep.
The sound of his phone ringing woke him up.
Sitting straight up, it took a moment for him to get his bearings, and he had to wonder who was calling him so soon after he had fallen asleep. But as he reached for his phone, he realized he’d been asleep for over six hours.
“Damn,” he murmured, reaching for his phone. Without looking at the name on the screen–mainly because his eyes wouldn’t stay open–he hoarsely muttered, “Hello?”
“Hey, Hunter, it’s Katie.” Usually, Katie had a very cheery voice. She didn’t right now.
Clearing his throat, he said, “Hey, Katie. What’s up?”