Saved by Love (Willow Valley Book 3)(37)

You better believe it. Get your sexy self down here in the next ten minutes.

He jumped up and took a quick shower, barely having time to throw his jeans on before the doorbell rang. He answered the door without his shirt, still toweling off his damp hair. The look on her face was totally worth it.

“Come here, you.” He grabbed her and pulled her into the apartment, pressing her back against the door once he shut it and kissing her like he was starved. It felt like it. After five days and nights together, the last three had seemed extra lonely.

When he finally let her catch her breath, she smiled up at him and said, “Nice to see you, too.”

“I would apologize for ravishing you, but I’m not gonna lie. I liked it.”

She laughed, but it didn’t seem quite as genuine as normal. He looked at her strangely, but she just gave him a smile. It seemed a little too forced.

“Everything okay?”

“Just a long day. How was your weekend?”

He walked to his bedroom to get a shirt, and she trailed behind him. “Long. We had a lot of calls.” He pulled the shirt on over his head and turned around just in time to see her face. She looked tense. “You sure you’re okay?”

She just nodded, looking like she was debating with herself. Then she said, “What do you want to do for dinner?”

He loved that she just assumed they’d have dinner together. He could settle into a cozy domestic routine with her without even trying.

“Let’s stay in?” he suggested. “I’m still a little tired. But we could have Chinese delivered or a pizza. Or I could cook something?”

She arched an eyebrow at him.

“What, don’t you trust that I can cook a decent meal? Frozen food does get pretty old.” He smiled at her, then pulled her in for another kiss. “Though I have to say, I’d much rather spend the time doing this than cooking.”

Just as he was about to convince her how much better staying in could be, his phone rang. He groaned. It was the ring tone for the fire department.

Abby frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s work. I guarantee they want me to come back in, even though I’ve just worked more than a double. I’m sorry, I’ve got to get this.” He kissed the top of her head as he reached past her for the phone on his nightstand.

Yep, it was the chief asking if he minded helping out. They were getting more calls than usual again and didn’t have enough guys on duty to cover the increase.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He hung up the phone and shoved it in his pocket. “I’m so sorry, babe, but I’ve got to go.” He clenched his jaw in frustration. “I was really looking forward to our night, too.”

Abby didn’t say anything, didn’t even meet his eyes.

“Hey, are you mad? I don’t have to go…” He ducked down to try to catch her gaze.

“No! You have to go. It’s your job, Ethan. They need you.”

“Yeah, but I need you.” He smiled suggestively at her, but she didn’t smile back.

When she finally lifted her eyes to his, what he saw there made his chest tighten. He saw doubt. Fear. But what he saw most of all was heartache and regret.

“Abby?” he said softly.

She forced a smile. “Go. It’s fine. They need you,” she repeated.

He was ready to call the chief back and tell him he’d have to find someone else tonight. He told her as much, but she shook her head.

“Please don’t do that on my account, Ethan. I don’t want to be that girl.” The way she said it sent a chill down his spine. That girl? Or his girl? But he didn’t have time to ask her because she gave him a quick hug and turned for the door. “Goodbye, Ethan.”

He knew she didn’t mean it that way, but why did those words have such a ring of finality to them?

***

Ethan came back to his apartment the next morning much as he had the day before. He was even more tired now, not having gotten enough rest in the past seventy-two hours for all the work he’d put in. Abby’s car was already gone. Part of him had hoped he could catch her before work.

Part of him was relieved, though. He’d spent every minute that he wasn’t helping the crew thinking about Abby. He didn’t like the look on her face when he’d had to leave her. Everything he’d been feeling that day on the beach when she told him about her past had come right back to him.

He was causing her pain, whether he meant to or not. The question was what was he going to do about it?

He couldn’t sleep, and the hours until Abby came home from worked seemed to drag on. He had to talk to her. They had to figure this out. He had finally found someone worth committing to, and he was already hurting her. It was just what he’d been afraid of.

He knew exactly when she got home because he was pacing back and forth by the front door still trying to figure it all out. He threw the door open and rushed out, stopping her before she could go up the stairs.

“We need to talk.”

She sighed, and when she met his eyes he saw defeat. “Yes, we do.”

That look wasn’t promising. At all. Well, he’d just have to let her know that she was too important and he wouldn’t let her give up on them.

“Come for a ride with me?”

She nodded. “Just let me change clothes and I’ll be back down in a minute.”