Hope Falls: Hearts Afire (Kindle Worlds Novella) (2 page)

“Real smooth, Case,” Eli tells his friend as they find a booth near the pool table.

“Skills are a little rusty, huh.” It shouldn’t surprise Casey that Chris would take a jab, too. Thankfully, the rest of the department wasn’t there to witness his downfall.

What the hell just happened back there?
He took a long pull of his beer. “I was just having fun.” The hell he was. Shelby was dead-on with her observation, like usual. The sight of Katherine…Kate…Katie…whatever her name is, had him stunned. Speechless. Beyond words.

Well, that wasn’t true, now was it? He wasn’t completely devoid of speech. He had no problem vomiting idiocy from his mouth.

Casey stole another glance in her direction. He couldn’t help himself. It was like his eyes had a mind of their own and kept wandering her way. She still sat at the bar, a complete head-turner even with the mess of hair piled high on the top of her head. Just thinking about how casual she could be and still look so beautiful made him smile. He was surprised he wasn’t witnessing guy after guy taking their shot at her.

She was a natural beauty that made you stop, stare, and appreciate what you saw. It had him gawking, that’s for sure.

Eli backhanded Casey in the shoulder. “Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer.”

“Why don’t you shut the hell up and you’ll live longer. Get me another beer, will ya?” He drained the rest of his brew and set the empty bottle in front of him.

“Too afraid to get it yourself?” Chris chuckled, and Casey wondered how long he was going to be able to take their shit tonight. He was going to need something stronger if they were going to keep it up. “If you go talk to her again, maybe she’ll let you call her Katie. But let me give you some advice…this time don’t act like such a dick.”

He was definitely going to need a stiffer drink.

“Ha ha,” Casey said, dryly. “You guys are full of jokes tonight.”

“You’re making it easy for us.” Eli took the empty bottles and headed back to the bar.

“Are we gonna play or what?” Casey rose to his feet and headed to the table to rack the balls. He didn’t need to hear their shit anymore. Like he didn’t know he acted like a certifiable douchebag. He had no idea what had gotten into him. He usually didn’t talk to women that way. None of them did. They were the town charmers. All the ladies loved them, if he was being honest. He didn’t want to seem conceited, but he and his friends were good people. Some women might expect them to be arrogant, alpha-male firefighters, but it wasn’t like that. Not in a small town like Hope Falls. Someone was bound to call them on their shit if any of them acted like an ass.

Tonight was proof of that.

In between turns, Casey stole glances at Katherine. She’d been chatting with Shelby the whole night. When she laughed, she’d smack her thigh like whatever they were talking about was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. Each time, like clockwork, her head would tip back and her hand would slap her thigh. It had to be the cutest thing he’d ever laid his eyes on.

It wasn’t until she left that he felt like he could breathe again. Only he missed watching her and hearing her laugh. He also regretted that he didn’t have the chance to go apologize for acting like such a jerk. Actually, he had plenty of chances to do that, he just didn’t take them. He felt like a fool. What could he possibly say? That her beauty turned him stupid? It would’ve been the truth, but that would’ve sounded like another ridiculous line.

Hope Falls was small enough. He’d get the opportunity again and this time he wouldn’t waste it. Casey wasn’t going to let Katherine leave until he had made things right. For no reason other than he didn’t want to be why she left a bad Yelp review for their tourist town.

A Yelp review? Sure, Casey, you keep telling yourself that.

When Casey awoke the next morning, images of a woman with long brown hair and brown eyes filled his mind. No, it hadn’t been a dream. He could picture her like she was still sitting right in front of him. He couldn’t believe how much she affected him, how with just one look, she had him tongue-tied like a teenaged fool.

He was so caught off guard by her sweet smile and the way she put him in his place.

He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

He was a firefighter, dammit. A nozzleman. He was paid well to
not
be caught by surprise. He spent the last ten years training and learning how to be prepared for any and all situations he encountered.

That’s what he loved about his job. It was regimented. There was structure. While he knew the shit could hit the fan without warning, he was confident he had the skills to tackle anything that came his way.

If that wasn’t possible in his personal life, it sure as shit was going to be at work.

He hated that at times like these, when a woman caught his attention, he thought of Nicole. How she could still haunt him after all these years was nothing short of annoying. He knew it was stupid to harbor such hard feelings after all this time, but he couldn’t shake her.

He had known Nicole since kindergarten, had been best friends with her since they shared lunches on the first day of school. And yet, she could do that to him so easily like their friendship didn’t matter. If she could use him like that, after all they’d been through together then he was sure that all other women would betray him too. It was just a matter of time before they did.

That warped mentality was exactly why he was still single. He needed to get the fuck over it.

Casey covered his face with a pillow and grunted into it loudly. When was he going to let it go? He had to hold the record for men who still agonized over the girl who had done him wrong in high school. If the guys at the station knew, he’d never hear the end of it.

They didn’t know, thank God. He’d never told anyone what happened. He was too humiliated by the whole situation—by what she did and by how much it affected him. How much it still did.

Saved by the bell, Casey uncovered his face at the sound of his alarm and decided to push the painful memories from his mind and get on his way. He was on shift for the next forty-eight hours, and he gladly welcomed the distraction.

After showering and packing his bag—and double-checking that he had everything—Casey left to work early. He was in dire need of a trip to the grocery store and his stomach was growling. That only meant one thing: he had to stop at Sue Ann’s if he planned on eating before his shift.

He hit the cafe before the morning rush for his favorite chicken fried steak. No sooner had he sat down than Sue Ann placed his routine meal in front of him.

“Thank you, Sue Ann.” He offered her his usual smile, the one that turned her cheeks a little pink. There was no hiding the fact that Sue Ann and her friends liked to eyeball the younger men in town. It was harmless though—the eyeballing. To say Sue Ann or any of the other town mother hens were harmless was like saying everyone should own a pet mountain lion. The more experienced generation of Hope Falls was relentless. Somehow, they knew everything about what was happening in town.

“I heard you put your big fat boot in your mouth yesterday,” Sue Ann told him.

A simple “you’re welcome” would have worked just fine
, he thought.

“Did you now.” Casey had no idea why he was entertaining the conversation. Maybe it was the fact that she already knew about what happened and he wondered what else she was aware of. He was feeling a bit curious. “What else did you hear?”

He took a bite of his steak before he said anything he might regret. The taste of the gravy had to be illegal. He had asked Sue Ann for her recipe many times, but she acted like if she told him she’d have to kill him.

She smiled widely which had the wheels spinning in his head even more. Was she smiling so wickedly because she knew something or was it because she was satisfied by his love of her cooking?

“Well, since you’re a good tipper, I’ll bite. I heard Miss Katherine thinks you’re hot and cocky, but too bad for you she has a thing against firemen.”

The horror must have registered on Casey’s face, because Sue Ann immediately said to him, “I know. Weird, huh? Everyone loves firefighters. She must be an odd duck.” With that, Sue Ann moved on to another table after leaving his check behind. Like all the times before, this was his typical visit to the cafe. He always ordered the same thing for breakfast. She left the check knowing he wouldn’t need anything else. And when he finished his coffee, he’d be on his way, leaving behind a hefty tip for the town gossip. Today, he had left her a bit more for the information she divulged.

As Casey finished his breakfast, he thought about Katherine and what she thought of him. He’d have to admit, he liked that she thought he was hot. That went a long way for a man’s ego. She also thought he was cocky, which didn’t surprise him considering the way he acted. Not to mention, he was a firefighter. Of course he was cocky. It’s like it was part of their uniform, a badge of honor they wore on their chest. They had to be for crying out loud. They had to run into burning buildings. Being cocky was like genetic mutation that was part of their DNA.

But that’s not all he was. There was more to Casey than cockiness or arrogance because of the job.

So, Katherine didn’t like firemen. Well, that was about to change.

Unknowingly, she threw down a challenge Casey was willing to accept. It should worry him that he was so interested in this woman, but he thought better of it. Katherine wasn’t a threat. Her stay in Hope Falls was temporary. She was just passing through like all the others. She wouldn’t be around long enough to betray or hurt him. While he never thought twice about the dangers of his workplace, with matters of the heart, it was different. Casey refused to go off the deep end. He always stayed in shallow waters, with his feet placed firmly on the ground. Spending time with female tourists was a safe bet for Casey. Both parties knew what they were getting into and parted ways after having a week or two of fun.

Maybe he could have some fun with Katherine.

Katie had fallen asleep sometime after four in the morning. When she returned from JT’s, her fingers sought out her keyboard and she rattled away for hours. She’d been writing by the seat of her pants for long enough. Her story was finally starting to take shape as she outlined the rest of the book. It wasn’t lost on her that what she had been putting off for months had finally smacked her upside her head. The hero was finally appearing in her imagination. Up until last night, he had been a blur of a character, going through the motions of the story without any personal traits or nuances. Now he had emerged from the shadows with dirty blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and sun-kissed bronze skin. He looked as if he belonged on a beach with his messy hair, sandy feet, and glistening chest. That’s how she conjured him up—a tall gorgeous man coming out of the ocean, beads of water dripping down his hard body.

Before she opened her eyes, she focused on her character again. She could picture him as if he were a real live man standing right before her. It was then that it dawned on her. Her hero was real, all right. She had just met him the night before. Her hero was Casey. Well, not
her
hero. He was the hero in the book. Apparently, he was the inspiration.

She screamed into her pillow and kicked her heels into the mattress as if she were a four year-old throwing a tantrum. Casey, the cocky-ass firefighter, was not going to be her hero in real life or in fiction. Katie was in need of a cup of coffee and a red pen. She was about to do some serious revising.

When Katie rounded the corner into the kitchen, she caught sight of Shelby through the window. The owner was outside talking on her cell phone, so she went about her business gathering the coffee grounds and filter from the cupboard and filling the pot with water from the tap. The B&B had one of those one-cup deals with the little pods, but there was nothing she loved more than a freshly brewed pot of coffee that she could use to refill her cup throughout the morning. Sometimes she brewed two so she could get through the night.

By the time Shelby came back inside, Katie was sitting at the table with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and freshly printed pages. And yes, she had a red pen too.

“How’s the writing coming along?” Shelby asked as she went straight for the cupboard to fish out her own mug.

Katie stared at the thick stack of pages in front of her. The writing was coming along just fine. The words were flowing; the images were so vivid in her mind. She had a few changes to tend to though and then things would be just dandy.

“It’s going well,” she answered her new friend.

“Levi and I left the bar late last night, or should I say morning, and your lights were still on. You were burning the midnight oil. We could see you typing away at your desk.”

Katie was surprised that they could see her all the way from the bar. It’s not like she was naked or anything, but it was a bit unnerving that she could be seen so easily.

“Just a head’s up in case you have anyone over, close your blinds.” Shelby winked. “Let’s just say I used to have a lot of fun messing with Levi before we got together. I stayed in that very room and gave him quite the eyeful if you know what I mean.”

“You’re bad,” Katie said with a chuckle. “I like you.”

“Sometimes the men in your life need a little push. I was happy to give Levi a good shove.”

“You guys seem really happy.”

Shelby sat across from her and leaned back in her chair. “We
are
happy. More than I could have imagined. He was a friend when I needed one, someone who listened and cared. And he became my heart when I was ready. He’s unbelievably sexy, incredibly kind, and he’s all mine.”

Envious, Katie was speechless. She wanted what Shelby had, but she knew better than to believe it could happen. The men in her life never listened or cared like Levi had with Shelby. They never stuck around. Even her own father hadn’t loved her enough to stay. The only one who had was Ryan, and that’s because he was a kid. He didn’t have anywhere to go. Though, she supposed that wasn’t entirely true. As soon as her brother was old enough and had started a career of his own, he did leave. He joined a hotshot crew and took off to Utah. Eventually, he came back, but it wasn’t for her. He came back to be closer to their mom and, now, because of Lizzy.

“So did Surfer Boy feed your creative hunger?” Shelby asked with that wicked grin.

Surfer boy?
Katie looked at her with a confused expression.

“Casey Palmer? I call him ‘surfer boy,’ not to his face though. He looks like he should be carrying a surf board, don’t you think?”

Immediately, Katie leaned forward and covered her pages with her forearms. How did Shelby know? Was the place bugged? Did Shelby hijack her computer through the wireless connection and read her manuscript? She knew better than to use an unprotected connection, but she figured she’d be okay at the B&B. She was the only guest there. She didn’t think she’d have to worry about the Dorsey’s stealing her work.

“The guys call him C-Dog. They all have nicknames. It’s a guy thing, I guess. I like my names better.”

She wondered if her friend was trying to cover her tracks with this story. It seemed concocted.

“TDH is Eli,” Shelby added. When Katie raised a brow, she shrugged. “Tall, dark, and handsome.”

This made Katie laugh aloud. The story was real. She was serious about giving the guys secret nicknames. People didn’t just make that stuff up. “That could be said for all of them. That was my first impression, though I guess now that I really think about it, Casey might be tall and handsome, but that hair and those eyes…” She had to suck in a deep breath of air just thinking about it.

“You came to the wrong place for swearing off men, my friend.” Shelby stood, walked over to the sink, and rinsed out her mug. “I gotta run. Maybe I’ll see you at the bar later.”

Shelby headed out the back door as Katie called out, “See ya.” She was thankful that Shelby didn’t press her about her sudden need for air. She and Casey had only shared a few words last night. She didn’t need people playing matchmaker. It wasn’t going to happen.

Katie spent the rest of the morning in her room writing. She headed down to the kitchen for a change of scenery around lunchtime. She continued tapping away while she chowed down on a grilled cheese sandwich. When her bum hurt from the hard wooden chairs, she made her way upstairs again to her bedroom. She stood at the window wondering if she should lower the blinds, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. The view of the mountains was extraordinary. There was forest for days, with lone patches of snow that were lingering behind. It was the end of winter and most of the snow had already melted. She would have loved to be there when the snow actually fell. She had dreamed of standing outdoors with her mouth wide open during a snowfall and allowing snowflakes to hit her tongue. She was a grownup now, not the little girl who imagined a moment like that, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit the idea still fascinated her.

When her shoulders and back started to get sore from sitting at her desk, she carried her laptop, notebook, and headphones downstairs to the living room. She got cozy in an oversized recliner, kicking up her feet and resting into the plush material. She felt like the queen of the world. All she needed was a few shirtless book boyfriends to rub her feet and feed her Bon Bons and she’d be set.

As the sun went down, Katie’s stomach came to life with a roar. She wasn’t nearly as satisfied with her word count as she was the day before, but a woman had to eat. She wasn’t one to shy away from a good meal. Since her first time at the cafe, Katie had come to crave Sue Ann’s cooking. And today wasn’t any different. “Hey there, Katie.” Sue Ann always welcomed her with a bright smile and a big hello. “What’s it going to be today besides a fresh batch of French fries?”

“Am I that predictable?” She tried to hide her face with her menu. Sue Ann took it from her hands and bonked her on the head with it.

“You sure are. French fries and a sandwich for dinner at the same table every time.” Sue Ann handed her the menu back, and then seemed to get lost in thought, pinching her chin between her thumb and index finger. “Come to think of it,” she said, “this is exactly where a certain firefighter sits every time he comes in. He, too, is pretty darn predictable. Has been eating the same chicken fried steak for years.”

With a roll of her eyes, Katie tried to remain polite, but she couldn’t believe her ears as she listened. Sue Ann was good. News had obviously traveled about her confrontation last night. But Katie wasn’t going to bite. She was not going to ask about this
certain
firefighter. She was going to eat her sandwich and get the hell out of there.

“I think you know him,” Sue Ann continued. No such luck. Katie wasn’t going to escape unscathed. “Casey.” Katie shook her head at the older woman. “Oh, come on. You know Casey Palmer. You met him at JT’s, remember?”

“I did? Must not have been that memorable,” she mumbled and, again, found herself trying to hide behind her menu.

“Playing hard to get, huh? I like it.” Sue Ann gave her a nod of approval. “Don’t hold out too long, though. It’s like walking a tightrope. You gotta have the perfect strategy for that kind of thing.”

“Sue Ann, I’m starved. I’ll have the beef dip.” She handed the menu back hoping she’d get the hint. Thankfully, the owner of the café wrote down her order and headed back to the kitchen, stopping to talk to other customers along the way. Katie was curious what she knew about the rest of the patrons. She wouldn’t mind getting in on that gossip. She just wasn’t interested in being today’s cover story.

While she waited for her food to arrive, Katie studied the people at the cafe. She thought about all of those posts that filled her Facebook feed. You know, the ones that listed the top ten or top one hundred things or people or whatever. She was surprised there wasn’t a list titled “Top 10 Cities to Find Hot Guys.” Hope Falls would have sat comfortably at the number one. How was it that so many fine specimens could all reside within these small city limits? She wondered if they listed it on the city’s homepage as one of the tourist attractions.
Come to Hope Falls where you can see the sexiest men alive, and you might just be lucky enough to touch one
.

If they weren’t using that as a marketing ploy, they should rethink their strategy. All she had to do was send a few pictures back home to the ladies and she was sure they would be in the car and on the road in five minutes flat.

Not much later, Sue Ann came back with a plate of steaming hot fries and a deliciously juicy sandwich. Katie enjoyed her meal in peace, savoring every bite. She dipped her sandwich in the au jus, chuckling to herself as the juice dribbled down her chin. That didn’t stop her though. She kept at it until her plate was clean, even smothering her last French fry with what was left of the ketchup on her plate.

She sat back and rubbed her belly, something that she and her brother often did when they were growing up. Katie’s mom said that she inherited her hearty appetite from being around Ryan and his friends. Being four years younger, she was like his shadow, always wanting to do everything he did. Even when that meant belching at the table and rubbing her full belly after an exceptionally large meal.

Thankfully, Katie remembered not to belch in public.

When Sue Ann came back with Katie’s receipt and her credit card, she asked, “You going to JT’s tonight?”

Katie pointed to her plate. “After that I couldn’t drink a beer if my life depended on it. There’s no room in here.” She stuck her thumb in the waistband of her jeans. She wasn’t exaggerating either. For every thousand words she got down on paper, she added a pound to her ever-growing ass. And she had written a lot of words since she arrived in town. “Not tonight.”

Sue Ann waved her off and said, “He’s on shift anyway, honey. He won’t be there.”

Katie’s jaw dropped. That seemed to be happening quite often lately. Sue Ann turned tail, not giving her any chance to respond.

Maybe the Hope Falls’ public relation’s department should add “Town Meddlers” to the website. She had no idea she was going to be stepping into a season of the Bachelorette when she decided to visit. She was a huge fan of matchmaking, just not when she was the one being set up.

She wanted to be able to eat her fries without hearing about Casey Palmer’s work schedule, dammit.

Things were sure to die down in a few days, right? Sue Ann and Shelby would find someone else to play games with. She was going to have to lie low. She didn’t want to chance any future meetings with the annoying firefighter, and she didn’t want to give her new friends any more ammunition. All she had to do was stay away from JT’s for a while and stay away from Casey.

Easy peasy, as her mother would say.