"I've never met her before."
"No?" Seaton's eyes widened and she leaned in toward him. "So you're meeting her for the first time?"
He thought he could hear her unspoken words.'Like me?'
"Yeah, I'm really curious. Wait until the guys on shift hear about this."
Seaton reached out and touched his arm. "Maybe he doesn't want everyone to know?"
Sam acted on impulse.
He wrapped his arms around her in a hug and laughed out loud, full throated enough that the crickets went silent.
"Firefighters," he half whispered in her ear, "are big gossipers. The only ones who gossip more are the police."
He stepped back, his shoulders still shaking with laughter.
Then he realized that he'd just pulled her into a hug without thinking.
Panic almost set in, but he gave her a look out of the corner of his eyes and saw that she looked a little stunned, but she didn't look fearful.
When her lips curved up in a bemused smile, he let out a breath.
He held out his hand toward her. "Come on. Let's go meet Lincoln's friend."
Seaton nodded and took a step forward.
For a moment he thought she'd walk right past him, avoiding his hand, and he would have been fine with that.
Right before she was shoulder to shoulder with him, she lifted her hand and her fingers glanced across his palm.
He caught at her fingers and managed to grasp them, but not her hand.
As they moved up the walkway toward his porch, their hands relaxed and their fingers folded together.
Sam looked up at the porch where Lincoln and his friend were trying not to look like they were watching.
Trying and failing.
"You know," he called out, "the door is unlocked."
Lincoln stood up straighter and gave him a look that was part indignation and part confusion.
Lincoln’s friend bumped his arm with her own. "I told you to try the knob."
"I'm not going to hear the end of this, am I?"
"Nope!" She readjusted the tray in her arms while Lincoln opened the door and held it open for her to walk in.
They were both the same height, but Lincoln’s body was thicker because of his muscles, so she had to duck a little under his arm while he leaned out of the way.
Sam turned his head for a second as they walked up the steps and he saw her looking ahead into the house, smiling ear to ear.
This, he knew, was going to be a good night.
SEATON
"So you've known Lincoln since High School?"
