She had a story to tell and he hoped that she might be willing to tell him someday.
She nodded and lifted her gaze back to the camera box beside his door. "Okay, Sam." Her lips curved up in a hint of a smile. "And I'm Seaton." She nodded. "Seaton Buchanan."
Seaton.
He didn't think he'd heard that name before, but he had heard the name-
"It's not Sutton," she clarified and they both laughed a moment later.
"I like it." He nodded. "It's a good name. Unique," he clarified.
She tipped her head to the side and sighed. "Yeah, I guess."
The sadness in her voice touched him.
He wanted to fix it, but-
The alarm went off in the firehouse and he bit back a curse.
"Uh... Sorry, Seaton. I have to go."
She sounded as flustered as he was. "Oh... Okay."
He was up and running. "Could you pull my door closed, please? I have to go out on a call."
"Uh... sure! Okay. Yeah. Uh... Be safe, okay?"
"Thanks, Seaton. You be safe, too."
He turned his phone off and stepped into his turnout gear, smiling the whole the time.
SEATON
She stood on the porch, stunned.
When she'd come over to bring her neighbor cookies, she hadn't expected to talk to him via a doorbell camera.
Her hopes had been to hand him the plate of cookies, introduce herself, and walk away.
Instead he'd shocked her by unlocking his door for her and then running off to... to what?
To fight a fire? To save someone from a car accident? Attend an emergency medical call?
She had no idea, but he'd left the call asking her to close his door and secure his house?
She shook her head feeling like she was a little crazy.
Seaton looked down at the plate in her hands and sighed. "He did say I could put this inside."
A breeze stirred the edge of the cloth that she'd covered the plate with, reminding her that it would be a beacon to anything in the house that was hungry and had a nose.
Her lips pursed together and she took a half step back, looking over at her house. It was close.
"Hmmm."
Close enough.
Seaton was glad she was wearing her comfortable shoes. She dashed back home, well as fast as she could dash with cookies on a plate.
