I follow her gaze to the firetruck as it pulls up in front of the restaurant, blocking half the entrance as if it’s his personal parking space. Red lights flash lazily, as if mocking me. Or a warning.
And there he is.
Chief Flint Sparks.
Stepping down from the truck as if he owns the whole damn coastline, jaw set in that stern way that says, I’m your chief and you’d better behave.
I slump back in my seat. “You gotta be kidding me.”
Jo’s practically vibrating with glee. “Looks like Chiefy’s hungry for clam chowder.” She nudges me with her elbow. “Better get that fire extinguisher ready, babe.” She smiles behind her coffee cup. “Things are about to get hot in the Dockside Grill.”
“Tell me he’s not walking this way.”
“He’s not walking this way.”
I peek out the window.
He’s absolutely walking this way. Towering presence, broad-shouldered, navy uniform. A menace to my sanity. He’s got that no-nonsense firefighter swagger, like he’s about to give someone a lecture on proper extinguisher placement. Probably me.
I bend myself in half like a pretzel and find the lever to push the seat back as far as it will go, then slide into the footwell, squished between the glove box and the seat, but hopefully out of view.
“What are you doing?”
“I can’t let him see me.”
“But you have like five minutes to clock in for your shift.”
“I can’t go in there.” I peer out the window, bobbing my head up for a second like a meerkat. “I’ll quit. I’ll move. I’ll fake my own death and start over in Magnolia Point. I always wanted to live somewhere warmer.”
Jo laughs, unbuckling her seatbelt. “Or you could just walk in there and face him like the hot, fearless woman you are.”
“Hot and fearless woman? Do you know me at all?”
“Come on, vampire princess. Time to clock in before he sets off the sprinklers looking for you.” She climbs out of the car, grabbing her latte.
I groan, push open the car door, and crawl out of the footwell, trying to pull myself together. The December wind whips my hair across my face, and I shove it behind my ear, praying I don’t look as flustered as I feel.
The bell over the door jingles as I walk into the Dockside Grill. The smell of fried shrimp and coffee hits me like a wave. A few staff members are prepping behind the counter before the lunch rush.
“Morning, you two,” Tammany says as she clears a nearby table, grinning way too wide, her silver and purple hair shining under the spotlights. “You feeling okay after your… dramatic exit last night?”
“You heard about that, huh?”
“I think the whole town heard, hon.” She follows me into the back as I unhook an apron with shaky hands. “Are you all right?”
“Perfectly fine. Totally not reliving my public humiliation on a loop.”
Tammany smirks. “You sure? ‘Cause the way the chief’s looking at you from table four says otherwise.”
I freeze mid-knot, tying my apron. “He’s not ordering food, is he?”
“Just a coffee.” She taps her long nails against her name badge, engraved withTammany Kathleen. The sound is usually soothing, but nothing can steady my nerves. “He said something about an inspection.”
Our manager, Logan, walks into the room. “The chief can’t be here for an inspection, we’re not due another until next year.”
“Why do I feel that I’m the one he’s here to inspect?”
“Sera?” Arlene shouts from the counter. “Table four’s asking for you.”
