Page 16

“Yes. Why?”

I nodded. “That explains it. Your parents don’t have anyone else to dump their wants and ambitions on, so all of that is sitting on your shoulders. That can’t be easy.”

Hunter looked stunned.

“What?” I asked after having another bite of pie. If she didn’t finish hers, I was going to have it. You just didn’t waste pie like that.

“Nothing,” she said. “I’m guessing you aren’t an only child?”

That made me grin. “Nope. Oldest daughter by a few months. Although, I was an only child for a few years. Don’t really remember it though.”

She picked up her fork again. “Are you from a family of firefighters?”

“Well, my dad worked as a dispatcher for a long time, and my mom is a labor and delivery nurse. So they were already in that world. My brother is a paramedic and then my youngest two brothers are twelve and seven, so who knows what they’ll do with their lives.”

Her eyes went wide for a second. “Three brothers. That must be a lot.”

An understatement. “It is. But I love them. Even when they’re impossible.”

Being a sister was one of my favorite things in life.

Hunter was quiet for a while, poking at the rest of her pie with her fork.

“You’re lucky.” Her voice was soft and sad. It made me want to crawl across the table and hug her. This woman needed hugs, immediately.

Hugs would come later. We were doing pie right now.

“I know. Believe me, I know.”

We both lapsed into silence and I could tell that she was lost in the storm of negative thoughts in her head.

“Do you teach yoga full time?”

She glanced up. “No. I do a number of things.”

I waved my hand for her to continue. “Such as?”

“Do you do the firefighting thing full time?” she asked instead. Okay, we could talk about me.

“No. It’s volunteer. Part time. Usually about twenty-five hours a week that I’m on call. The rest of the time I work at an animal shelter.”

Hunter let out a snorting noise. “Of course you do.”

I sat back, forgetting about my pie. “What does that mean?”

“Firefighter, dog rescuer, it just fits.” She gestured at me.

“I’m trying to decide if that’s a compliment or not.” I couldn’t tell how she meant it.

“It’s a neutral statement.”

I’d have to take her at her word.

“Are you going to finish that?” Those last few bites on her plate were taunting me.

“Can I have a bite of yours?” she asked.

I pushed my plate toward her. Hunter didn’t know that I never shared pie. Ever.