Page 51 of Fire and Icing (The Firemen of Waterford TN #1)

Emberleigh - Six Months Later

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences,

penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.

~ Maya Angelou

“Anything I can do to help?” I ask Dustin.

He’s hiding something. He’s been acting suspicious all week.

I’d say it’s because his family is here, but he acted the least weird when we’ve been around them.

It is my birthday, so that could be it. He knows I don’t generally love surprises, but over the past six months, Dustin has shown me that surprises can be sweet, fun, and something to look forward to.

He’s taught me so much. And he’s always trying to tell me how much I’ve drawn out of him.

“You can’t help. You’re the birthday girl,” Mitzi says, coming into the kitchen from Gran’s front room.

“Are you baking?” I ask Dustin, looking around at the canisters of flour and sugar, the eggs and other ingredients on Gran’s counter.

“Are you almost ready?” Dustin’s mom calls in from the front room.

Dustin’s family has been visiting for three days. They’re staying at Gran’s and she’s been over the moon about hosting them.

“I can not confirm or deny whether I’m baking.” Dustin winks at me, walks over and covers my eyes with one of his hands. “But if I were baking, that would mean you would not be helping me … Not today.”

“Dustin,” I say with a playful plea in my voice.

“Emberleigh,” he leans in so his mouth is next to my ear. His hand is still covering my eyes. “It’s your birthday. And there’s not a person on the planet who could be happier than I am that you were born. Now, please. Let me do whatever I’m doing. And don’t offer to help.”

My smile breaks out and I feel it spread as he slowly lowers his hand and his eyes connect with mine, so I place a kiss in his palm. He smiles wider when I do.

“Please. I’ve got this whole thing planned,” he says with this boyish look in his eyes.

I raise my hands in surrender. “The kitchen is yours, chef.”

He grins. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

“I don’t always do well without something to do,” I explain to Mitzi when she walks into the kitchen.

“Oh, I hear that,” she says. “Being a small business owner is a little like being a firefighter.”

“How so?” Dustin asks.

“We’re both always on alert. Our jobs could need us at any hour. And we both spend a lot of time putting out fires.”

“Huh,” he says. “I never thought of it that way.”

“I admire you even more now,” Dustin says to the two of us with such sincerity that I almost tear up. “I didn’t even think it was possible to admire either of you more.”

“You two are relationship goals,” Mitzi says.

“That’s what one of the judges said to us in that contest,” Dustin says to Mitzi. “Or was it a host? I forget.”

Dustin’s mom walks into the kitchen. “Dustin, don’t you have a thing you need to do?”

He looks at the clock. “I have two things. Okay. Okay.”

He steps away from me and says, “Go have some fun. Mom and Mitzi and Alana have a whole afternoon planned for you and your gran. I’ll see you at the party.”

I look down at myself. I’m just wearing a t-shirt and jeans. “Should I change?” I ask Dustin’s mom.

“You look adorable. But one place we’re going might be just a step up from jeans,” Mrs. Reed says as if she knows Waterford like the back of her hand. Maybe she does by now after spending three days here. It doesn’t take long to see everything there is to see.

I quickly run upstairs and change into a skirt and my boots.

I grab a cardigan and dash back downstairs.

Alana Graves, the world-renowned movie star, is standing at the base of my stairs.

Yes. She’s engaged to Dustin’s brother. Dustin waited until we were dating for two months to share that little news flash with me.

I’m getting used to seeing Alana as just another normal person, but when she first walked into Gran's house, my nerves flared and I couldn’t even speak.

“See you at Emberleigh’s at five, Dustin,” Mitzi shouts into the kitchen from the foyer.

He pokes his head into the hallway. “See you at five.”

He’s already got flour on his face and down part of his shirt.

“See you at five, birthday girl,” he says with a wink.

I tell the women of the Reed family, “I’ll meet you out there.”

“Awww,” Dustin’s mom says. Then she shouts into the living room, “You see that, hunny? That’s what we used to be like back in the day.”

Dustin’s dad shouts back to her. “You want me to kiss you goodbye? Come back in here.”

“I’m good,” she shouts in to him.

We all laugh.

Dustin’s sister, Alana, Gran and Dustin’s mom walk out onto the porch and I look Dustin in the eyes while I slowly stroll toward him, a playful grin on my face.

He makes me ridiculously happy. I never want to forget how much we’ve overcome to find our way to the kind of love we easily share now.

I’ve let go of so much fear and hesitation.

He’s teaching me to risk and trust. And I’m even getting better at flirting, something he seems to be able to do in his sleep.

“Thank you,” I say when I’m right in front of him. I put my hand on his chest and gaze up into his eyes.

“For what?” he asks.

“For being you. And for whatever surprises you have up your sleeve today.”

“I’m dying to tell you,” he says. “It’s literally killing me not to tell you.”

I laugh lightly. “I hope our children are just like you.”

“I hope they’re just like you,” he answers.

“Maybe one of each?” I smile up at him.

“Maybe two of each,” he counters.

Then he leans down and kisses me. “Have a fun day with my family.”

“I will. How could I not?” I turn to join them.

“And don’t believe any of the stories my mom tells you.”

I smile. “I want all the stories.’

“Why did I ever think this was a good idea?” He fakes a groan of lament.

“I’ll see you at five,” I say, shutting the door behind me.

“I meant to tell you,” Alana says while we’re all getting into their rental car. “You’re obviously invited to the wedding.”

“Oh, thank you. Dustin had said that, but it means a lot coming from you directly.”

“Of course. Who knows, one day we might be family.”

Mitzi claps her hands together. “Two sisters! I feel like all my childhood wishes on stars were answered. You two have no idea what it was like growing up with two brothers.”

“I can only imagine,” I say, thinking of Dustin as a boy.

We drive through the neighborhood and through the downtown, past a gated community where some of the wealthier families in town live.

Then we head into a section of town where a lot of the older houses have been converted into law offices or accounting offices, one is even the dental office.

The trees are nearly finished losing their fall leaves, and people have fall decor out on their porches.

There’s even a restored Victorian home that’s been split so the bedrooms are a bed and breakfast. The downstairs in the back still has a living room for those guests, but the front parlor and library have been converted into dining areas so they can serve brunches and lunch, and occasionally open to serve a couples romantic dinner by reservation only.

We park in front of The Dogwood House and get out of the car. A cool breeze whips around, lifting my hair. I tug my sweater around myself and follow Gran up the front porch stairs.

“We thought we’d take you to high tea,” Mitzi says.

“And then we’re all getting mani-pedis!” his mom exclaims.

“Even me,” Gran says. “Lord knows how long it’s been since someone painted my toenails. I almost feel bad for the gal who has to do the job.”

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Reed says. “You’re a girl like the rest of us. And all girls need pampering now and then.”

“I don’t know about you,” Mitzi leans in toward me. “But I rarely take time to do things like this.”

“Rarely just about sums it up for me,” I confess. “But I’m getting better at it now that your brother is in my life. He’s always telling me to take time off or to do something special I would normally not indulge in.”

“That’s so wild to me,” Mitzi says. “He’s always been thoughtful in his own way, but I’ve never seen this side of him until you came along. He’s so protective, and you can tell he thinks about you and what you need all the time.”

“He really does.”

“Well, you’re definitely the only woman I’ve ever seen him put out this kind of effort for.”

“Really? I’d think he would have been super affectionate to anyone he was interested in.”

“He’s always been extra. But not in that way. If he likes someone, they know it. But you’re different. That’s how I know you’re the one.”

I smile at her. It might be odd to hear about Dustin’s previous relationships.

But I don’t mind. He knows about Drew. And Drew means nothing to me.

I’ve put all that behind me too. It didn't take me long to agree to spend some time with Evan. He and Sydney are serious about their relationship. He apologized to me and said he never liked how his family treated me, but he didn’t want to go against his mom, so he stayed neutral.

I took his neutrality as a sign of agreement.

Since we talked that first time, he’s been around to see Syd during our workdays.

He pops in and takes her to lunch. Dustin and I have even been on double dates with them.

This town’s too small to hold a grudge. Not that people don’t. There are plenty of generational feuds here and there, but Evan and I aren’t going to be one of those.

Gran and Dustin’s relatives and I enjoy our high tea, laughing and getting to know one another better. Gran shares a few embarrassing stories about me, and Mitzi and Mrs. Reed tell a few choice stories about Dustin. Afterward, we drive to the salon to have our mani-pedis.