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KIM BALDWIN. Erin followed her inside and looked around while Gable zapped the food in the microwave and got out plates
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Erin followed her inside and looked around while Gable zapped the food in the microwave and got out plates, silverware, and napkins.
“Nice place, Gable. Really nice. Feels really comfortable and cozy in here.”
Gable’s single-story home was decorated in earth tones: dark brown furniture and a tan Berber carpet, hunter green curtains, and the accents around the living room—rugs and pillows—followed the spectrum of autumnal color. The room was a seamless extension of the forest outside the door.
An overstuffed sofa and matching easy chair and ottoman provided comfortable seating in a space where the predominant feature was books. Built-in f oor-to-ceiling bookcases covered most of three of the four walls of the expansive living room, and the shelves were crowded with books, framed photographs, and items found on a walk in the woods. Wild turkey feathers. Porcupine quills. Enormous pinecones.
Unusual rocks.
The handsome coffee table and end tables, and the matching entertainment center that held the TV and stereo, all were made of maple, and all by the same careful hand. A cast-iron woodstove sat in one corner, on a hearth made of brick and slate. Illumination was provided by wall sconces and indirect lighting, which lent a subtle warmth to every surface.
Gable had furnished the room with the sole purpose of her own enjoyment, as she seldom had any visitors except family. But she was thrilled that Erin was here, and very pleased she seemed to like what she saw. She wanted her to feel welcome so she’d visit long and often.
But she had to know what had happened. “So how was
shopping?”
“Good. Got a lot done. Tim put both the fans in. One in the main room, and one in my bedroom. We had lunch at the Chinese place, and I got takeout for us. They have a great menu. I hope cashew chicken and Mongolian beef are okay.”
“Two of my favorites.”
“So tell me about Tim,” Erin said, taking a seat at the opposite side of the table.
Gable froze, but just for a second. Oh great. Make me extol hisvirtues. “Did he ask you out?”
“Yeah. I told him I’d think about it.”
• 80 •
FORCE OF NATURE
Gable took a deep breath and let it out. “Tim’s a good man. He’s been a F reF ghter for…fourteen years, I think.” She dished food from the containers onto her plate, but she didn’t have much of an appetite.
“He was married for ten years, but his wife passed away a couple of months before I moved here. She had breast cancer. He took it very hard, the other guys say. Beth used to play poker with them, even though she wasn’t on the squad. Tim hasn’t played much since she died.”
“That’s so sad. He seems like a really nice guy,” Erin said, digging into the chicken.
“He is. The genuine article. Tim’s seen a lot of F re and been in some bad situations—he’s lost count of his saves and had some close calls himself. Most of that was in Chicago, where he was a paid F reF ghter.
He’s been a volunteer here about F ve years, I guess. You know he’s an EMT, right?”
“Yeah, he did tell me that. But he really didn’t talk much about himself today. He kept asking about me.”
“It’s obvious he likes you,” Gable said. But I’m falling in lovewith you.
“I haven’t been on a date since I can’t remember when. And F rst dates, especially, can be pretty awful.”
“I don’t think Tim has seen anyone since Beth died,” Gable told her. “So he’s probably as out of practice as you are. I don’t think you need to worry about that. He’s an easy guy to talk to. I know from all the driving around we did during my SAR training.”
“You sound like you’re trying to convince me to go out with him.”
Erin had stopped eating and she was watching Gable intently.
“No. That’s your decision. I’m just saying that if you’re interested…
you could sure do a lot worse.”
“You have no idea how right you are,” Erin said without elaboration.
She put her fork down. “I guess I had a bigger lunch than I thought. I can’t eat any more.”
Gable had hardly touched hers, either. She was too preoccupied with wondering what Erin’s hair would feel like, sliding through her F ngers. It was lustrous and shiny—a blend of coppery red and golden blond.
“Well, I better run.” Erin rose and slid her chair in. “I have a full day of training tomorrow. As I recall, you’re in the F rst aid sessions with me that begin tomorrow night, right?”
• 81 •
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