Page 28 of Burning Love (Looking For Love #7)

THE TRUTH

“ D id you get the application I emailed you?” Chief Rogers asked Jace two days later.

“I haven’t had a chance to check yet. What are you doing here?”

The chief didn’t always come in on the weekends. One perk of that position was they worked Monday through Friday. Another was no longer fighting fires. They’d be on scene calling shots or talking to other emergency personnel, but never running into the throes of danger.

Once he was promoted to Assistant Chief, he’d stop fighting fires too, but would still work weekends, holidays and nights.

“I wanted to finish the application and get it sent to the Carlisle Foundation. They’ve got deep pockets and there is no reason we can’t tap into it for the station. Got to keep his mother’s house safe.”

Chief Rogers was smirking.

“We’ll do that to anyone’s house in this district.”

“You know what I mean. Look it over and change anything you think it needs, then send it to the daughter.”

“Talia,” he said.

It’s like they were objects and not people.

“Talia. Nice girl. Pretty on the eyes. Maybe sweet-talk her some while you’re at it. Seems you did something right to get the last donation.”

“I’ll get to it soon,” he said and went back to look at the log from the past day of what needed to be done in the firehouse.

The last thing he needed was anyone knowing he was dating Talia. At least until this donation application was taken care of.

“You’re in a mood today,” Chief said. “Out late last night with someone?”

“No. Just have a lot on my mind.”

Like what the fuck went wrong with Talia two days ago and that he hadn’t heard from her since.

She hadn’t reached out and neither had he.

He didn’t know if he was supposed to or not.

She walked out on him and he still wasn’t sure why she got so pissed off over him speaking the truth.

He didn’t think he self-sabotaged himself.

“I’ll let you get to work then. Let me know any updates you get on the application and if you don’t hear anything in a few weeks, follow up.”

“I’ll mark my calendar.”

Which sucked he’d have to still have communication with her not knowing what was going on or if things ended.

How many women had he walked away from in his life before and had no problem talking to them if he ran into them again?

Too many for him to count.

Which only validated what her brothers thought of him.

See. The truth.

She was too good for him and he should have realized that all along.

Before he started to feel more for her.

She’d told him she’d let him know if her feelings changed and he could make a decision.

He never expected he’d be the one to feel it and have to say it first.

He couldn’t get the words out of his mouth.

Didn’t his actions say enough?

He met her mother and brother.

He let his sister Kelsey meet Talia.

How could anyone call that sabotage?

He finished what he was doing and then went to his office to read over the application.

When he was done an hour later, he’d made some changes, and then sent it off, keeping it as professional as he could.

It was a work email and there was no reason to draw eyes to what they had outside.

If it was anything now.

He got up to check on his guys and returned to his desk two hours later.

He hadn’t expected a response from Talia since it was the weekend, but should have known she was on top of things in her job.

She was out to prove she had what it took as well.

He never talked to her when he was working, but didn’t like the distance either.

Jace picked his phone up and sent a text. Just to see how she was doing. Keeping it light.

Before he could put it back down, an emoji came back with a sad face and tears.

He panicked and hit the button to call.

Had something happened in the past two days to someone or her?

“What’s wrong?” he asked when she answered.

“Are you working?”

“Yes. But you’re crying. What happened?”

She laughed on the other end. “I’m not crying. That was just how I was feeling right now. I’m sad.”

His heart slowed down. “Oh. Everything okay?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t talked to you in a few days.”

“Yeah, you left.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry about that. My temper got the best of me. I was so mad that you said that about yourself and me. About us.”

“I was speaking the truth.”

“I’m going to get mad again when I don’t want to. I came home and vented to my mother. She put me in my place.”

He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. That she went to her mother with a bad day.

Yeah, he knew how he felt.

Jealous.

He’d never had anyone he could go to when he had a bad day.

Not after his mother died.

He wouldn’t burden his father with it. He didn’t want to worry early on that it’d be too much for his father and he’d end up alone.

Talia was right there. He had it better than he could have.

“What did she say?”

“I told her I appreciated you opened up to me and then you slammed a wall in place. She told me I dumped the concrete in front of it for you to make it stronger by walking out.”

“No,” he argued. “You didn’t. It’s not going to make me do that. Your mother is wrong.”

“Woohoo. She rarely is and I’m going to tell her that.

But she made me think about what I said and it was wrong of me.

It’s hard to swallow crow. The feathers get stuck in my throat.

You haven’t reached out and I thought you were angry.

Then I wondered if I should give you space. You seem the type to need it.”

“I am. Or thought I was. Not this time.”

“Then I’m even more sorry.”

He shrugged but knew she couldn’t see it. “It happens.”

“Don’t do that,” she said. “Tell me you accept it if you do. If you don’t, I’d like to talk more about it when you’ve got time. If you want.”

“I do accept it. We are still navigating things. This is one of those things. That is all I meant.”

“Phew. I didn’t mess up too badly.”

“No. Hope I didn’t either.”

“You didn’t. This was on me, Jace. I know you’re working and this isn’t a conversation for now, but we should talk.”

“About what?”

“I don’t want to put this out there while you need to have your mind on other things.”

“Maybe it’d be better if I know rather than wondering while I’m working. It could be we are both thinking the same thing. I won’t know until you say it.”

There was a pause on the other end. “I told you I’d let you know if things changed.”

“You did. Are you saying they have?”

“They are starting to,” she said firmly. “I wanted to give you a fair warning. Not changing in a bad way. I mean, if that was the case, I wouldn’t have gotten so mad the other night.”

“I knew what you were saying. Would it bother you to know that I’m feeling the same?”

“Things are changing for you too?” she asked. There was some excitement in her voice.

“Yeah.”

“I’m kind of irresistible that way.”

He laughed. “You are.”

“I’m not feeling so sad anymore.”

“Neither am I.”

“Awww, I’m sorry I made you sad,” she said. “Or added to what you were feeling that day. Unless it only had to do with your mother’s birthday. And if it did, then I’m thinking more of myself and will stop now.”

“It had to do with both things. You’re not thinking more of yourself. Do you want me to bring up self-sabotage?”

“God no,” she said, laughing. “I’m so used to giving shit to my brothers like that. I should have realized not everyone is used to that.”

“I’ve got two sisters.”

Lauren might have tread carefully around him for years. Even his father after that first year.

Kelsey and Janey were kids and didn’t know any better. They were honest and he appreciated that more.

Which meant sibling disagreements.

“So you get it. We can be emotional creatures. And before we go down another path, text me tomorrow when you’re up and we’ll figure out a time to see each other. To talk...amongst other things.”

“I’ll talk to you later.”

He hung up the phone and put it on his desk.

“Are you dating someone? Like a girlfriend?”

He looked up to see Stephen, one of his men, standing in the open doorway.

“Does it matter?”

“We’ve worked together for years. I’m not sure I’ve ever known you to have a girlfriend. Or not someone that you’ve talked to at work.”

“I don’t share my private life here. You know that.”

“True,” Stephen said. “But are you seeing someone? You know the brotherhood. We stick together. We have to know who we are fighting for when the times are tough.”

He smiled.

It was another reason he wanted to be a fireman.

That brotherhood right there.

Something he’d never gotten as an only child.

Maybe he’d always wanted to be part of a big family. To be accepted for who he was and not be forced on someone.

“It’s new yet,” he said.

“Damn,” Stephen said. “I never thought I’d see the day. We just figured you had more fun playing the field.”

“I didn’t play it as much as you thought.”

Stephen lifted his eyebrow. “Really? Again, I’ve been out with you before when I was single.”

“The days of picking women up in bars for the night are long gone.”

He stopped that years ago.

“Well, hope whoever she is, it works out.”

“Yeah, me too.”