We eat breakfast together like it’s any other day—the crew, Captain Leyton, who drove out from Carson City, and Oreo, who definitely gets more bacon than he should. The conversation flows easily with the kind of ribbing that comes from years of running into fires together.
“You nervous?” James asks, likely recalling his wedding day.
“Nope.”
They all stare at me.
“I’m serious. Why would I be nervous?”
“Because you’re getting married,” Hayes says. “That’s literally the most nerve-wracking thing a person can do.”
I squint in his direction. “More nerve-wracking than the warehouse fire last month?”
“Way more. In a fire, you know what to do. In marriage—?” He shakes his head. “Uncharted territory.”
“You’re twenty-four and single,” James points out. “What do you know about marriage?”
“I watch a lot of movies.”
Scotty grunts, which I’ve learned to interpret as,Hayes is an idiot, but we tolerate him.
Several hours later, we’re all in suits, and I have to admit—we clean up pretty well.
Austin straightens his tie in the mirror. “You have the rings, right, James?”
James pats his pocket. “Got them.”
“Third time you’ve asked,” I mutter.
“Fourth, actually. You asked twice at breakfast.”
“Did I?”
“You’re more nervous than you’re letting on,” Austin observes.
Maybe I am. Not about marrying Winnie—that’s the easiest decision I’ve ever made. But about everything else. The vows. Making sure today is perfect for her. Not crying in front of the entire town when she walks down the aisle.
“Speech ready?” Hayes asks.
“I’m winging it.”
They all look horrified.
I grin. “Kidding. I have notes.”
“You wrote notes for your wedding vows?” Austin’s eyebrows shoot up.
“Winnie makes lists. I make notes. We’re perfect for each other.”
“That’s actually kind of romantic,” Hayes admits.
“Don’t get used to it.”
I put on my suit jacket—navy blue, perfectly tailored, the same color as my dress uniform but civilian. Winnie helped me pick it out two months ago, insisting I needed something that made me look less like I was about to attack a fire and more like I was about to get married.
I think it’s the same thing, honestly. Both require courage,commitment, and the willingness to jump into something bigger than myself.
My mother gave me my father’s watch and it hugs my wrist. I stand there for a moment, feeling the weight of it. I’ve grown accustomed to life without him, but I could use his steady presence today, of all days, even more so than when I graduated from the fire academy.
