Keeping Kenzie - Pepper North Page 0,1

know it’s scary to be caught in a fire.”

She leaned back to look at him one more time. “I was worried about you. You went in there, and then the roof fell.”

“Our captain evacuated everyone out of the back exit when he got worried it would collapse. I’m fine. Thank you for being concerned. Are you hurt anywhere?” Osiris stepped back and knelt in front of her. Gently, he ran assessing hands over her shoulders and arms.

“You got us out of there.” She indicated her stuffie by holding him toward Osiris. Then, feeling her face heat with embarrassment, she quickly tried to cover her mistake up. “I mean, you got me out of there.”

Osiris reached a finger out to stroke over Cupcake’s fur. “I’ve never met a chameleon that was fuzzy,” he marveled. “‘I can see why her name is Cupcake.”

“His name,” she corrected. “He’s all my favorite colors of cupcake frosting.”

“Osiris! The medics are ready for you!” an authoritative voice directed.

“Are you by yourself?” Osiris asked Kenzie.

“Always,” she answered.

“Not anymore,” he corrected, taking her hand. “You’re with me now.” He led her back over to the medic’s station.

“Osiris! We heard falling metal cut you?”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Osiris answered, nodding Kenzie’s way.

“Kenzie, you found him.” The medic smiled at her. When she nodded, he turned back to the large fireman. “Let me see your arm, Osiris.”

He squeezed her hand gently before letting go. Shrugging out of his protective coat, he held his right forearm up for the medic’s attention. Blood had coagulated around the jagged cut.

“You’re going to need a tetanus shot. Let me get it cleaned up, and I’ll see if you need stitches.”

Kenzie must have made a worried, small sound because Osiris wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her close. His shirt was soaked with perspiration. She didn’t care. Kenzie breathed in, trying to memorize everything.

There was something special about this man. He’d saved her, but there was more to it. Kenzie felt different next to him. She’d read enough romance novels to know that sometimes women fell for the man who rescued her. Looking sideways at Osiris, she found him looking at her.

When the medic stepped away to get a suture kit, Osiris asked, “What’s your name?”

“Kenzie. It’s short for Makenzie, but no one calls me that.”

“Kenzie,” he repeated, and the corners of his mouth rose in a gentle smile.

With a couple of stitches in his arm, Osiris was relieved of active fire duty. He’d had to talk fast to keep the captain from benching him totally.

“Let me help the Red Cross organize everyone.”

“Who is she?” Captain West asked, nodding at the pajamaed figure on the edge of the crowd.

“She’s mine.”

“You found her?”

“I knew she was mine the minute she walked into my outstretched arms.”

“What are you going to do about it? I thought you were leaving town tomorrow after your retirement party,” the captain asked, arching one eyebrow.

“I’m taking her with me.” Osiris turned to look at Kenzie. If asked to describe her, officially, he would have noted her average height, weight, with brown, shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. In his mind, he pictured her totally differently: curves that felt good against his body, brown eyes watching him with more trust than he’d ever seen, silky hair, and a love for her stuffie that superseded her purse, keys, wallet, photos, or any of the other things people risked their lives and his to save.

“I’ve got it bad,” he said out loud unintentionally.

“You do, Osiris. You do!” the captain confirmed with a smile.

“Osiris, I gathered these things from your girl’s apartment.” His coworker handed him a bright pink purse slightly dulled with soot and a handful of keys. “She had them all hanging on a rack. I just brought them all,” he added, explaining the keys.

Chapter 2

Kenzie lifted Cupcake to cover her mouth as she giggled. Coming toward her was the immense fireman who’d saved her. He carried something cupped in his hand and her girly purse. It tickled her to see it dwarfed in his hand. When a picture of him standing holding her purse with a group of other men outside the dressing rooms popped into her mind, she sobered. She’d never be that lucky to have someone that cared for her that much.

“I liked it better when you were laughing at me. Don’t you like my handbag?” he asked. She could read his concern etched into his face.

Mustering a smile, Kenzie joked, “It clashes with the outfit.” She reached out