“Give me a break,” Loretta says.
“Hey,” Gus defends. “I know how to treat a woman. I’m not saying you’re fragile. Just precious.”
The women at the table beam. I can almost imagine them at my age.
“Gus has got that much right,” Loretta says. “Relationships are a partnership, Cody. You’re a firefighter. You’re used to the heat of something that’s out of control. But you can’t live with a house fire. Life is meant to be spent around a fireplace where you both tend the flames.”
“I don’t know,” Gus says, wagging his brows. “I kind of miss the inferno sometimes.”
“Don’t we all,” Frank agrees.
“You’d be lucky if you could strike a match at this point,” Wilma teases.
My laughter bubbles up within theirs—warmth spreads, my shoulders drop and a soft smile takes over my face.
A few hours pass like minutes as we play round after round. The nurse comes in to announce lunch and med pass, so I take that as my cue to leave.
Loretta walks me to the front door after we wind up our game.
“Don’t rush it, Cody,” she says softly. “You’ll never experience this glow again. Not quite.”
“What on earth are you talking about Loretta?” I ask.
“I think you know. I have no idea who she is, but I’m happy for her—and you.”
I smile at her and lean down to give her a hug.
“Thanks for stopping by,” she tells me.
“Thanks for having me.”
I don’t even turn the key when I get into my truck. I pull out my cell and shoot Carli a text.
Cody: We didn’t really get to talk this morning.
Carli: No?
I smile. This girl. I’ve known her my whole life, but I’ve never been on this side of her flirtation.
Cody: No. We didn’t.
Carli: Maybe that was because you were kissing me.
Cody: No regrets. You?
I sit still, waiting for her response. The way she kissed me back told me everything, but I still want to hear it from her.
Carli: None. At all.
Cody: We probably could have talked if McKenna hadn’t come in.
Carli: Yeah. And now I’m lugging around a pen divider and a salt lick.
I laugh, a fullness spreading through me, warm and steady.
Cody: I’ll help you sneak that back into our storage somehow.
Carli: Thanks.
