The Firefighter Daddy (16 page)

“Okay. I'm here if you need to talk, but so is your uncle.”

Madison stiffened. “Katie thinks he's her daddy. He isn't. He's only our uncle.” Without waiting for Sarah, Madison entered the house and hurried for the front door.

Sarah followed, pausing briefly in the living room entrance. “Mom, I'm walking Madison home.”

“When you get back, maybe you should tell me what's going on.” Her mother returned her attention to the book she was reading.

Oh, joy.
But, like Madison, she needed to talk to her mom. She'd seen Sarah was upset when she'd charged into the house after going to the park.

Sarah rushed to catch up with Madison. They covered the block and a half in silence. When Madison reached her home, she ignored Liam sitting on the porch swing and went straight inside.

Sarah debated whether to turn around and leave without saying anything to Liam. But she should tell him what she and Madison had talked about. She mounted the steps to the porch, but instead of sitting next to him, she leaned against the railing nearby. Even this close to him, she was torn. She loved him. But was it enough?

“I didn't want her to overhear me telling Katie. I made a mess of this whole situation.”

She couldn't see his face clearly because the outside light didn't reach to the far end of the porch, but the weariness in his voice made it clear what he was feeling. “I'm not sure telling her straight out would have been any better. Hopefully she'll come around in time, but as I'm sure you know, she doesn't want you to move.”

“What would you have done under my circumstances?”

“Five years ago I left Buffalo, but it didn't erase my pain, and in some ways it delayed it. Our situation is different, though.”

He pushed to his feet and closed the space between them. “Could you marry me knowing I could never father a child?”

“Honestly, I don't know. When my daughter died, my dreams of family were snatched away. It left a void in my life.”

“I won't be responsible for taking the possibility away from you. I love you too much to do that.”

When he said those words, Sarah wanted to pull him into her arms and never let him go. But he pivoted and strode to his front door. “Thank you for taking care of Madison.”

His parting words released a dam on her emotions. Tears blurred her vision and streamed down her face. She couldn't wipe them away fast enough.

Quickly she ran for home.
Why, God, did You send me a great man to love who can
'
t have children?

* * *

Pulling weeds in the yard was the perfect task for Sarah on her day off. A light breeze cooled the warm day and in the shade of her oak tree she was comfortable even though the temperature would be in the low nineties by midafternoon. Yesterday at church, Betty had brought the girls with her. Liam hadn't come. According to his aunt, he was working nonstop to put the house on the market by the first week in June.

She only saw him now at the fund-raiser meetings and at swimming class. She missed him more than she realized she would.

Standing on the deck, Gabe barked—again and again.

What was wrong with him? He moved to the back door and continued yelping. She rose. Nana and Mom were inside. Did he want to go in?

As she strolled toward her black Lab, the scent of smoke teased her nostrils. Another grass fire? She glanced around then began to hurry toward the house. Through the large kitchen window she glimpsed a gray haze.

“Stay,” she said to Gabe then felt the door to make sure it wasn't hot.

When she opened it, a rush of heat blasted her in the face. In the kitchen, Nana held a glass of water while flames shot up from a skillet on a burner.

“Don't, Nana,” Sarah shouted at the same time her grandmother tossed the water on the fire.

Instantly the flames multiplied and expanded twofold. The alarm in the hall sounded as Sarah raced across the room and tugged on Nana, who was staring at the stove as though paralyzed.

“Nana, we're getting out of here.”

The smoke filling the kitchen irritated Sarah's throat and stung her eyes. She practically dragged her grandmother from the house. When she jostled Nana out the door, Sarah spied her purse on the counter not far away. Her cell phone was inside.

“Get away from the house with Gabe.” Sarah hastened to her bag and snatched it off the granite top.

As she ran from the house, Sarah dug into her purse, grabbed her phone and punched in 9-1-1.

After reporting the fire, she hurried Nana out of the backyard. “Where's Mom?”

“Living room the last I saw. Sleeping.”

Sarah rounded the front of the house, expecting to see her mother outside because of the alarm going off. She heard the siren in the distance. Help would be here soon, but what if her mother was trapped or smoke had overcome her?

“Stay here, Nana. The fire department is on its way. I need to borrow this dish towel.” She removed it from her grandmother's hand that still clutched it.

Wrapping the towel around her face, Sarah rushed to the porch and peered into the front window. Smoke billowed from the kitchen and poured into the connected dining and living rooms. Through the haze, her mother lay on the floor. Not moving.

Sarah fumbled in her purse for the house key and turned the lock to open the door. As she charged into the burning house, the sound of the sirens drew nearer. She grabbed hold of her mother's arms and tugged her toward the entry hall.

A firefighter dashed inside, followed by two others.

“Get them out of here,” Liam said to the others behind him. “I'll go after Nana.”

Over the noise of the crackling fire, Sarah yelled, “Nana is out front.”

Liam disappeared into the hallway.

Maybe he didn't hear her. She started to go after him. Brandon got in front of her and blocked her. “Get out.”

“But—”

“We saw your grandmother going in the front door when we pulled up.” He moved her toward the front door.

Junior! He was in Nana's bedroom. Sarah hadn't even thought about that. “She's going to her bedroom to get her cat. It's the first one along the back of the house.”

“Leave.” Brandon pivoted and hurried toward the hallway.

Near the paramedics who were working on her mother, Sarah faced her home, flames now shooting up into the sky and consuming the structure. Nana's bedroom was the closest one to the kitchen. Heartbeat thundering in her ears, Sarah waved off one of the EMTs. Her throat burned and her eyes watered, but she wouldn't move from this spot until she saw Nana, Liam and Brandon come outside.

* * *

Smoke snaking through the house, Liam felt his way down the hall, found a door on the left and pushed it open. He searched it before ruling it out. Across from that door was another one. He shoved inside and found Nana holding Junior while she sat on the floor by the window.

“Nana, I'm Liam.” He helped her up and tried to raise the bottom pane. It wouldn't budge.

“I couldn't leave him in here.” Coughs racked her.

Liam shared his oxygen mask with her then took his ax to break the glass. The door crashed open as Brandon came into the room and grabbed Nana to move her out the way. Liam swung the ax and shattered the window.

“The fire is spreading rapidly in the attic.” Brandon, supporting Nana, moved toward Liam.

He poked his head out and quickly assessed their escape route. Eight feet to the sloping ground. “You go out first,” he said to Brandon, “and I'll lower her down until you have a good hold on her.” Liam took Junior and gave the kitten to Brandon.

His friend leaped to the grass, rolling when he landed with Junior. He put the kitten on the ground and then hurried to the window. “Ready. Hurry. The whole right side is in flames.”

“Nana, you have to do as I say. I'm going to pick you up and hand you off to my friend. Understand?”

She nodded.

Thankfully Sarah's grandmother was petite and only weighed about a hundred pounds. Liam wrapped his arms around her middle and guided her legs out the opening first. Nana flailed as she hung on to the side of the house for a few seconds.

Liam poured all his strength into holding on to her. “You're okay, Nana.”

Finally, Brandon grabbed her legs and Liam lowered her farther toward the ground.

“I got her,” Brandon shouted.

Liam let go and prepared to jump as soon as they were out of the way. As Brandon moved Nana back, an explosion rocked the house, knocking Liam to the side, his shoulder ramming into the floor.

Chapter Thirteen

N
umb, Sarah sat with Betty, Madison and Katie in the ER waiting room.

She shouldn't have gone out in the backyard and pulled weeds. She shouldn't have left Nana alone out front. But then her mother might have been caught in the fire. She shouldn't have rescued the litter of kittens, then Nana wouldn't have gone back into the house for Junior.

Now three people she loved were in the hospital. Nana and Mom were heading upstairs. Her mother had a concussion from leaping off the couch when the alarm went off. She'd slipped and hit the coffee table, but the doctor said she should be better in a few days; her overnight stay merely a precaution. Nana had broken her hip from the force of the hot water heater exploding; she'd fallen back into Brandon. Her grandmother would be in the hospital for a while then, probably a rehab facility. Sarah needed to go up to see them, but she couldn't leave until she knew Liam would live. A piece of the bedroom ceiling had trapped him, but Brandon and the firefighters had managed to get the fire under control well enough to get Liam out.

She had her arms around both girls. They leaned against her, not saying a word as the minutes ticked away. Betty sat across from them as though in shock, and Sarah understood that feeling. So much had happened in a brief time, the least being the destruction of her childhood home.

Finally, Brandon came to the doorway and motioned for her to come to him.

“I'll be right back. I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want anything?”

Betty shook her head while Madison and Katie murmured, “No.”

She met Brandon outside in the hallway. “What's going on?”

“The doctor will be here shortly to talk with Betty, but they're taking Liam to a room. Like your mother, he has a concussion but also several cracked ribs and smoke inhalation.”

“I'm staying. I won't leave until I've seen that Liam is all right.”

“I figured that. They're going to let you take the girls into the room so they can see he's alive. Betty, too. On the ambulance ride to the hospital, Liam rallied for a few minutes. He wants you to take care of his nieces. He's afraid it'll be too much for his aunt.”

“I'll do anything I can.” She'd walked away from the car wreck alive while Peter and her daughter had died. And now she'd survived another tragedy. This time she wasn't going to blame herself. The fire was an unfortunate accident. Putting blame on someone wouldn't make the pain go away.

Half an hour later Sarah, Betty and the girls left Nana's room after visiting Sarah's mother. Now they headed for Liam's room.

Brandon was inside and stood when they entered. “He was given something for the pain and is sleeping. Sorry, I thought he'd still be awake.”

“Rest is the best thing for him. Right, Madison, Katie?”

“When will we be able to talk to him?” Madison asked in such a low tone Sarah barely heard her over Katie's sobs.

Betty walked to the bed and kissed Liam on the forehead. His girls did the same thing.

When Sarah approached Liam, the fast beating of her heart drowned out the beeping sounds from the machine. Her attention focused only on one thing: Liam hooked up to monitors, his face pale, his eyes closed, his long lashes sweeping the tops of his cheeks.

She leaned close and whispered, “I love you,” then took his free hand and kissed the palm. When she swung around, she swallowed the tears threatening. His nieces didn't need to see them. “We'll come back tomorrow morning to visit your uncle. You'll see. He'll be much better then.”

“What about school?” Madison asked, her gaze never leaving her uncle's face.

“I think you can miss one day under the circumstances, but you'll need to go on Wednesday. Your uncle wants me to watch you both.” Sarah had already mentioned that to Betty, who had been relieved. “But I don't have a place to stay.”

The girls ran to her and enveloped her in a hug.

Madison looked up and said, “You can stay at our house anytime.”

Later that night Sarah dropped Betty off at her home. Brandon had taken her by the fire station to pick up Liam's vehicle, since Sarah's and her mother's car had been totaled when the ceiling fell in on them in the garage. One of many things that would have to be replaced, but she wasn't going to think about her problems. The one thing she could do for Liam was take good care of his nieces as if they were her daughters.

Sarah entered Katie's bedroom to say good-night to her. Hugging Blackie against her, the little girl fought to keep her eyes open.

She climbed into bed. “I want to pray.”

Sarah sat next to Katie, folded her hands together and bowed her head.

“God, take care of my daddy in Heaven and my daddy in the hospital. Amen.” She wiggled under the covers with Blackie still in her arms. The kitten didn't seem to mind the attention at all.

“Good night, sweetie.” Sarah kissed Katie's forehead and started to leave.

“Sarah, I love you. I'm glad you're here.”

When Sarah left, shutting the door, she leaned against the wall between the girls' rooms. Closing her eyes, she relished the words Katie had said. Her heart seemed close to bursting. She imagined Emma, who would have been near Katie's age, saying those words to her. For a few moments she experienced what it felt like to be a mother and loved by a child.

Straightening, Sarah continued into Madison's room. She had been quiet most of the evening since they'd come home. The girl sat on the edge of the bed while Buffy rubbed herself against Madison's legs. Sarah cleared her throat and the child lifted her head, worry and sadness reflected in her gaze.

“He'll be all right, won't he?” Her blue eyes glistened.

“Of course. The doctor said so, and I know it in here.” Sarah placed her hand over her heart.

“I'm not mad anymore at Katie for calling him Daddy. He's like a father. I don't want anything to happen to him. I've already lost one dad. I don't want to lose another.”

The child's words were exactly what Sarah felt, except it wasn't a dad but a husband. She'd already lost one and she didn't want to lose Liam. She wanted him to stay. Somehow she had to make him see that.

Sarah covered Madison's hand. “Time for bed. Or we'll be so tired when we go to see your uncle tomorrow, we won't be able to keep our eyes open.”

The girl rose and climbed into bed. She stopped, twisted back to Sarah and embraced her. “I'm glad you're here.”

Hours later, staring up at the ceiling in the spare bedroom, Sarah came to a decision, and she intended to let Liam know.

* * *

On Wednesday, after visiting her grandmother in the hospital, Sarah hurried to Liam's room. She should have some alone time with him. The girls had gone to school today, and she'd had Brandon make sure no off-duty firefighter came to visit Liam. If Brandon had to camp out at the elevator, he would to give her what she wanted.

At the door to Liam's room, she waved to Brandon then headed inside.

Liam's gaze shifted to her. “I thought you'd be at work, especially since your mother is taking some time off.”

“I've rearranged a few appointments. Everyone, even Beatrice, has been understanding. Mom intends to go back to work on Friday, but at least she's listening to the doctor and taking a few days off. I'll be heading to work in a while. I just dropped the girls off at school, and I promised I would bring them back this afternoon.”

“I should be leaving the hospital tomorrow, but I won't be able to work for a couple of weeks. The doctor will have to clear me before the captain will let me go back.” He adjusted the bed so he sat up higher. “How are Madison and Katie doing?”

“Great. Since they have been able to visit you, they aren't as worried as they were at first. Have you been getting enough rest?”

“Are you kidding? There has been a steady stream of people through here. I'll rest when I get home. Did your mother take me up on staying at my house?”

“Only until you come home. Later we're going to look for a furnished apartment. I'll take the girls with us. They think we're going on an adventure. They want us to rent an apartment with a pool.”

He chuckled then winced. “Don't make me laugh. It hurts.”

“I won't stay long, but I wanted to talk to you alone before I went into work.”

“Why?” he asked in a wary tone.

“A couple of weeks ago you had your say, and now I'm going to have mine. I love you, Liam McGregory. That isn't going to change, so how in the world would I ever marry anyone else and have that baby you think I want more than you?”

He blinked and looked away. “I'm sure you believe that now. But in five or ten years, you'll regret not having children, and then you'll begin to resent me. I can't go through another marriage like that.”

“How long did it take your ex-wife to feel that way?”

He frowned. “A year after we got a second opinion about my condition.”

“Well, for your information, I'm not her. I don't want you to leave. I want us to be together.”

“No.” He stared out the window. “I think you should go.”

She wanted to argue with him but instead decided to leave for the time being. At the door she glanced back at him watching her. “I need you to know, I love you and I love your nieces as if they were my own children.”

Then she left. She wouldn't beg, but she would make him realize he was wrong about her.

* * *

At the bachelor auction, Sarah sat at the front table nearest the stage between Pastor Collins and Brandon, who had returned to his seat after being bachelor number fifteen. Now it was Liam's turn. She'd been waiting all night for this moment.

Ever since he'd left the hospital, Liam had avoided her. Other than a quick glance at church last Sunday, she hadn't seen him. Colt had brought the girls to the pool for their swimming lessons. She had no intention of letting their last time alone be their conversation in his hospital room.

“Liam McGregory is our last bachelor tonight. Recently injured while saving a woman from a burning house, he is dedicated to his job and his family. Let's end the evening with a bang. We've already brought in more money for the summer day camp than any other fund-raiser in the past. Liam is offering to cook dinner for his date on a day of her choice.”

As Liam walked onto the stage, his cheeks were red. He looked dynamite in his tuxedo, but his blush told Sarah what he thought of his introduction by the mayor's wife. As he strolled slowly across the stage the crowd went wild, clapping and cheering.

The auctioneer stepped up to the podium and opened the bidding with fifty dollars. Woman after woman stood and placed a bid. As it slowed down Sarah finally made her first one.

Britney held up her hand and upped the price by ten dollars.

Sarah felt everyone's gaze on her as she rose. This was for charity. “Six hundred dollars.”

Silence filled the large hall.

“Going once. Twice. Sold to this pretty little lady for six hundred dollars.” The auctioneer pointed his gavel at Sarah.

She headed for the back of the room to pay for her date with the man she loved. It was worth every penny. He had to go out with her whether he wanted to or not.

After she wrote her check, she turned to leave and ran right into Liam. He steadied her then took her hand and tugged her out the door into the church hallway.

He swiveled toward her. “What are you doing?”

“Getting a date with you since you've been avoiding me. I get to pick the day for our date, right?”

Frowning, he nodded.

“I pick tonight. Right now.”

“It's after ten.”

“That's okay. What I have to say won't take that long. Let's go.”

“What? Where?”

“The park. I'm driving.” She pulled her keys to her rental car out of her pocket.

“You had this all planned?”

“Yes. I don't give up easily.”

“What about Madison and Katie?”

“Betty and Mom are taking care of them.”

“I feel a little ridiculous going to the park in a tuxedo.”

“Well, I'm not exactly dressed for the park, either. Most women don't wear cocktail dresses and three-inch high heels there.”

Sarah pulled into the parking lot nearest the bench where he'd first told her about leaving Buffalo. She shifted toward him, the light from the parking lot illuminating the area. “Will you come with me?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Yes. Always.”

He opened the door and slid out carefully, being mindful of his healing ribs.

Sarah sighed.
Lord, I need help convincing him I
'
m the best for him. Please help me to know what to say.

She climbed from the rental car and headed toward the bench silhouetted in the light from the security lamp. Liam had already taken a seat. He gazed at her as she walked toward him in high heels on the soft grass. She sat next to him, and everything she'd planned to say to him fled her mind.

“I've never been kidnapped before,” he finally said, breaking the long silence.

“And you still haven't been. I bought you fair and square.”

Liam grinned. “So what do you want to tell me?”

“That you're a coward.”

“Wow, that was blunt. Wasn't I the one who saved your grandmother?”

“For that I will always be grateful. No, you're a coward when it comes to your emotions. You tell me you love me, but we can't be together because I
might
in the future leave you because of something your ex-wife did. Do you think so little of me? Of yourself?

“You have so much more to offer than your ability to father children. You've forged a family out of a difficult situation. You've run into burning buildings to rescue someone in jeopardy. You moved here to give your nieces a better chance to bond with you. You were thrown into fatherhood suddenly with no preparation. And you're only wanting to leave in August because you're afraid of what we have.”