“That’s lame,” William, the oldest boy in the class, said, folding his arms over his chest.
“That’s called being a good guy,” Adam said, not an ounce of waver in his voice. “And it’s up to the big guys like you, who are older and have more experience, to make sure the littler ones don’t get lost in the shuffle. Help them figure things out.”
William’s chest puffed, then he took to guiding the kids into the line, making sure the little ones were up front. Then Harper watched as, one by one, Tommy showed each kid what he’d learned, pointing out the different parts and talking about the fire safety points he’d learned along the way.
Harper was touched at how invested Adam was in the kids’ feelings. He quickly assessed their strengths and weaknesses, giving them all a job that would challenge them while allowing them to succeed. And when they all finished with their turns, he let Sam take them to the outer bay to see the big ladder engine.
“Really? Clay has an average garden-variety hose?” she asked, rising to her feet as he walked toward her. She dusted off the back of her dress and pretended that her hands weren’t shaking.
“Facts are facts,” he said, not stopping until he was so close she had to take a step back—right into a wall. “Is that a new dress?”
“No, I just never wear it.” Its slim-cut and belted waist had always felt like too much, but when she’d put it on this morning it had felt just right. “And the last time you said facts are facts, it was to convince me I wouldn’t be seeing you today.”
“I didn’t think you’d be wearing this dress when I agreed to fill in.” He planted his palms flat on the wall above her head. His eyes? Those were firmly on her mouth. “And you should wear it more often. It goes well with Honeysuckle.” His lashes lifted. “You wearing Honeysuckle, sunshine?”
“Are you still just interested in being friends, Smoky?” she asked. “Because I have a lot of friends, and they aren’t privy to what I have on underneath.”
“They’re not your boyfriend,” he said playfully, but she wasn’t feeling playful at all. She was suddenly feeling confused and a little scared over how his words sent butterflies racing in her stomach.
“And you walked out of my place last night, so you can see why I want to clarify things.”
“I said a lot last night,” Adam said.
“You did.” There was also a lot that went unsaid, and that was what had the butterflies flapping their wings against her ribcage. “Like you weren’t going to kiss me today.”
He hesitated. “I thought I needed space, to clear my head.”
“And now?”
“The only time my head seems to be clear is when I’m with you. Like this.”
Still holding her caged between the wall and his mighty fine body, he stared down at her for what felt like an eternity, as if unsure about what he wanted to do. And while he was thinking about how he wanted to play this moment, Harper wondered just how long she could go without oxygen before passing out.
“Stay for dinner, Harper.”
She blinked. Twice in fact because a Let’s get naked later invitation or There’s a party in my pants, wanna come would have been less shocking. An invite to dinner was not what she was expecting. At all. And it confused her as much as it thrilled her. “Are you asking me on a date?”
“A date would be the two of us alone and, unfortunately, I’m still on the clock until Daugherty gets here, which means I come with seven other guys.” A little of the thrill faded. “But I’m cooking tonight and I would love for you to stay and have dinner. With me.”
Harper swallowed the hurt rising in her throat. “And seven other guys?”
“Who will all love you and give me a hard time for bringing a girl to dinner, which has never happened before. The girl thing, not them giving me a hard time,” he stumbled, and if Harper didn’t know any better, she’d think Adam “Five-Alarm” Baudouin was nervous too.
“Is this because you want to see my Honeysuckle or because you want to be my friend?”
He studied her for a long moment and Harper felt her heart race. Not just from the fact that she could smell the summer heat on his skin, but from nerves. She had to know why he was asking. Otherwise her mind wandered down a path that always led to disappointment and heartache.
And her heart was tired of aching.
“Can’t it be both?” he asked, his voice a low rumble, his blue eyes locked on hers. Open, genuine, uncertain—and filled with heat. He wanted her, it was right there—and Harper couldn’t seem to look away. “Can’t it be as simple as I want to spend time with you?”