Page 16 of Save Me (The Midnight Cove #2)

AMY

T he next month Gunner, Rosa, and I spend a ton of time together. Sometimes Cora and Trish join us, sometimes Eve joins, but more often than not it's the three of us. He helps me take my pieces downtown to sell, we have dinner together, and I start building a life that I never thought possible.

Which is why today, we're pulling up to the fire station. "You have the plate of Gunner's dinner?" I ask as I look back at my daughter. She's still in her booster seat.

She holds it up, a smile on her face. "Do I get to tell him that I made it especially for him?"

"Yeah, you get to tell him that you made it especially for him."

I get out and then walk around to the backseat to get her out. Together, we walk toward the open engine bay. The first person I see is Ash, who raises his eyebrow and waves at us. "What are you ladies doing here?"

I give him a small smile. "We made dinner and Rosa wanted to bring Gunner a plate. It's his favorite."

Ash grins. "Gunner's gonna love you both forever for bringing him meatloaf and mac and cheese."

My heart squeezes. I was worried we had it wrong, that this wasn't his favorite. But we got it right. Maybe I do know Gunner better than I assumed I did. "Yeah, too bad we didn't bring any for you."

Ash grabs his chest. "That's definitely true, but let me get him for y'all."

"Gunner! You have company."

He comes out of a side room and my mouth drops open as I see him wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and his shoes. He must've been working out because his chest and stomach are wet with sweat. Those tattoos of his are standing out in stark relief against his red flesh.

"What are you two doing here?" he asks, as he reaches over and grabs a towel, drying off as he slowly walks over to us.

"Rosa helped me make your favorite dinner, and she wanted to bring you a plate."

I have to give it to him, he doesn't immediately come over to me. He goes right to her, bending down so that he's level with her. "You made this for me, Rosa?"

"I did," she grins, lifting the plate to him. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I'm going to love it."

It's only then that he turns his attention to me. He grips the plate and then stands up before giving me a kiss on the cheek.

The simple gesture sends heat racing through my veins, and I have to remind myself we're standing in front of my daughter and his coworkers. His lips linger just a fraction longer than they should, his breath warm against my skin.

"Thank you," he murmurs, his voice low enough that only I can hear. "Both of you."

Rosa beams up at him, clearly pleased with herself. "Mama said you like meatloaf best, and I helped mix the meat with my hands. It was squishy."

Gunner laughs, a rich sound that makes my stomach flutter. "That's the best way to make it. Gets all the flavors mixed up just right."

"Gunner, you gonna share that feast or what?" Mark's voice booms from across the bay as he emerges from another room, wiping his hands on a rag. "Some of us are eating whatever mystery casserole Ash brought from home. Emma's on a girls' trip, so it's awful, rest assured."

"Hey now," Ash protests, "my tuna casserole isn't that bad."

"If you say so," Mark replies with a grin, walking over to us. He gives me a nod. "Hey there, Amy. Rosa."

"Hi Mr. Mark," Rosa says shyly, suddenly seeming to remember there are other people around.

"You know what?" Gunner says, looking between all of us. "Why don't we all sit down together? I'm sure there's enough here to share, and Amy, you and Rosa haven't eaten yet, have you?"

I shake my head. "We ate earlier, but?—"

"But nothing. Come on." He gestures toward the kitchen area. "The guys can heat up their mystery casserole and we can all eat together."

Mark and Ash exchange a look that I can't quite decipher, but they both follow us toward the long table that dominates the station's kitchen area. The space is clearly designed for a crew to eat together.

"So," Mark says as he settles across from us with his reheated casserole, "Gunner's got his own personal chef service now?"

Ash snorts. "More like his own personal everything service. When's the last time any of us got a home-cooked meal delivered?"

"Never," Mark replies immediately. "In fact, I think my lady girlfriend would laugh herself silly if I suggested she bring me dinner at work."

I feel my cheeks heat up, but Gunner just shrugs as he takes a large bite of the meatloaf. "Maybe you guys just aren't as charming as I am."

"Charming," Ash repeats with a laugh. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

Rosa looks between all of them, clearly trying to follow the adult conversation. "Are they being mean to you, Gunner?"

"Nah, sweetheart. This is just how guys talk to each other. They're jealous because you made me the best dinner ever and they're stuck with whatever Ash cooked up."

"It's tuna casserole," she says matter-of-factly. "Mama makes that sometimes, but she uses different noodles."

"See?" Gunner says to the other men. "Even Rosa knows better cooking when she sees it."

Mark clutches his chest dramatically. "Shot down by a five-year-old. My ego may never recover."

"I'm seven," Rosa corrects seriously.

"Seven," Mark amends with an apologetic bow of his head. "My mistake, miss."

I watch the easy banter flow around the table, my heart doing somersaults in my chest. Rosa is giggling at something Ash said, completely at ease with these men who've become such an important part of our lives. Well, Gunner has anyway. The other two are growing on us.

But it's Gunner I can't stop watching. The way he includes Rosa in the conversation without talking down to her. The way he makes sure she feels heard and valued. The way he catches my eye across the table and smiles like we share some wonderful secret.

"So Amy," Mark says, pulling me from my thoughts, "how long did it take you to figure out meatloaf was this guy's weakness?"

"Rosa actually guessed," I admit. "She said he looked like a meatloaf kind of guy. I asked him recently, and he confirmed."

"Smart kid," Ash observes. "What gave it away, Rosa?"

Rosa considers this seriously. "He's big like my daddy was, and Daddy always liked meatloaf best. And Gunner has kind eyes like Daddy did too."

The table goes quiet for a moment, and I see Gunner's jaw tighten slightly. He reaches over and gently squeezes Rosa's hand.

"Your daddy sounds like he was a really good man," Gunner says softly.

"He was," Rosa agrees. "But he's gone now, so Mama says it's okay to have new friends who take care of us."

My throat tightens. Sometimes Rosa's directness about her father's death catches me off guard, even though we've talked about it plenty.

"Well," Mark says, his voice a little rougher than usual, "you've definitely got friends here who care about you both."

"The best kind of friends," Ash adds, raising his water glass in a small toast. "The kind who bring homemade meatloaf."

We all laugh, the moment of heaviness passing, and the conversation flows back into easier territory. Rosa tells them about her school project on community helpers, which leads to a discussion about the different jobs firefighters do beyond just fighting fires.

"We help people," Rosa announces importantly. "Like when Mrs. Peterson's cat got stuck in the tree last month, and when Mr. Riley fell down and couldn't get up."

"That's right," Gunner confirms. "Sometimes we fight fires, sometimes we help with medical emergencies, and sometimes we rescue cats."

"Do you like rescuing cats?" Rosa asks.

"I like helping anyone who needs it," Gunner replies. "Cats, people, doesn't matter."

I watch him finish the last bite of his meal, making appreciative noises that have Rosa practically glowing with pride. "This was incredible," he tells her seriously. "Thank you for thinking of me."

"Mama helped too," Rosa says generously.

"She did," Gunner agrees, his eyes finding mine again. "Thank you both. This was exactly what I needed after a long day."

"What made it long?" I ask, genuinely curious about his work.

"Training mostly. We had a scenario drill this morning that involved a mock apartment fire with multiple victims. Gets the heart pumping even when you know it's not real."

"Is it scary?" Rosa asks. "Going into fires?"

Gunner considers this. "Sometimes. But we train so much that we know what to do, and we always work as a team. Mark and Ash and the rest of our crew, we all look out for each other."

"Like friends do," Rosa says with a nod.

"Exactly like friends do."

Mark and Ash have been unusually quiet during this exchange, and when I glance at them, they're both watching Gunner with expressions I can't quite read. Not teasing anymore, but something more thoughtful.

"So," Ash says eventually, "when do we get to meet the rest of Amy's cooking skills? Because if this meatloaf is any indication..."

"Don't get any ideas," I warn with a laugh. "This was a special occasion."

"What made it special?" Mark asks with a grin that suggests he already knows the answer.

Before I can figure out how to respond to that without embarrassing myself, Rosa pipes up. "Because Mama likes Gunner. She smiles different when she talks about him."

Heat floods my cheeks as both Mark and Ash burst into laughter. "Rosa?—"

"Out of the mouths of babes," Mark says, shaking his head.

Gunner reaches across the table and takes my hand, his thumb brushing across my knuckles. "I like your mama too, Rosa. She makes me smile different as well."

The admission sends warmth spiraling through me, and I squeeze his fingers. "You two are going to give me gray hair," I mutter, but I'm smiling.

"Worth it," Gunner says simply.

We're interrupted by the sudden, sharp blare of an alarm. All three men are on their feet before the sound even finishes echoing through the station.

"Structure fire at the Grandview Inn," the dispatcher's voice crackles through the speakers. "Multiple units responding. ETA four minutes."

The transformation is instantaneous and impressive. The relaxed men I was just sharing dinner with become focused professionals, moving with practiced efficiency toward their gear.

"Sorry, ladies," Gunner calls over his shoulder as he jogs toward the equipment bay. "Duty calls."

Rosa and I stand as well, watching as they pull on their heavy coats and pants with remarkable speed. The easy atmosphere of dinner is completely gone, replaced by urgent purpose.

Gunner reappears in full gear, looking every inch the hero he is. He comes over to us quickly. "Thank you again for dinner. Both of you."

He gives Rosa a quick hug, then turns to me. This time his kiss isn't on my cheek—it's brief but firm on my lips, a promise and a goodbye wrapped up together.

"Be careful," I whisper against his mouth.

"Always am," he promises, then he's jogging toward the engine where Mark and Ash are already waiting.

Rosa and I stand in the doorway of the station, watching as they pull out with lights flashing and sirens wailing, disappearing into the evening to help whoever needs them.

"Will he be okay, Mama?" Rosa asks, slipping her small hand into mine.

I squeeze her fingers, my heart in my throat as I watch the last flash of red lights disappear around the corner. "He will be, baby. He's very good at his job."

I just hope I'm right.