“You mean the day I nearly burned down my bakery?” She laughed at the memory.
“Eh.” Mitch just shrugged nonchalantly. “It was only a little smoke.”
“And a batch of the worst cookies I’ve ever consumed.”
His flirty lips hooked up in a slow grin. “I thought you said they were supposed to turn out that way.”
“You and I both know that wasn’t the case. Saving face was my only goal.”
“And why would you need to save face?”
“Because I just had the most handsome man I’d ever laid eyes on waltz through my bakery shop’s doors, and there I was in the middle of a culinary meltdown. How would I have come across if I hadn’t played it cool?”
“That was you playing it cool?” Reaching out, Mitch circled his arms around Faith’s waist and pulled her close.
“Hey, I can be calm and collected when the timing calls for it.”
“I know you can.” He tipped her chin up with his thumb and finger, directing her gaze toward his insistent eyes. “Liketoday. Faith, I’ve never been more impressed by you than I am right now. How you’ve handled everything this evening. How you pivoted and rolled with the punches and took everything in stride.”
“I really didn’t have any other option,” she admitted.
“Of course, you did. You could have curled up like a possum and played dead. It’s what most people would have done. Given up on creating magic. Surrendered all of the efforts over to the fire department. Thrown in the towel on the soiree altogether. But you made it work. You created a safe, welcoming, and beautiful space for every evacuee in attendance all while you kept the party going. That’s a gift most people only dream of having.”
“It does feel like a bit of a dream, doesn’t it?” She looked around, inventorying the unexpectedly charming scene.
“It could have been a nightmare,” Mitch answered. “Seriously. So many without power. All the road closures. Tonight had all the makings of a catastrophe, and somehow, you’ve made it a night to remember.”
“I’m doing my best.” She looked at Mitch for a long moment, studying the features of this incredible man that she’d only known a few weeks, but had given her heart over to without hesitation.
Okay, maybe there wassomehesitation. Actually, quite a lot in the beginning but only because he’d exasperated her so. But tonight, she understood the need for some of those rules and rigidity. They had needed a strategy once the evacuees began arriving, a plan of action to keep things controlled in an otherwise overwhelming situation. Working side by side with Mitch to assist each person that stepped through the community center’s doors had been anything but frustrating. She’d appreciated his structured leadership, his guidance. For once, she actually found his adherence to rules attractive, especiallyconsidering it involved the safety of so many people she called near and dear.
As she replayed their evening in her mind, she let out a big breath.
“You okay?” Mitch drew her all the way to him, his hands going to the back of her head to cradle it against his strong chest. He kissed the top of her strawberry blonde crown of curls. “Everything alright?”
“I’m just really happy, Mitch. Happy to have met you. Happy to be here with you right now.”
“I’m happy, too.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek this time. “You know, when I left my last firehouse, I’d lost a lot of my confidence. Confidence I never thought I’d be able to get back. But having a woman like you believing in me means something, Faith. Having you in my corner makes me want to be a better man.”
She wasn’t sure how it was possible for Mitch to improve upon the person he’d already become. He was every quality she admired, plus some she didn’t even know she craved.
“What do you say?” He tipped his head. “Should we get out there and join them?”
She’d been so busy making certain every person was accounted for and every item checked off that she hadn’t even thought of taking time to celebrate. But as the song rolled from a lively track to a slower beat, she stepped out of Mitch’s arms and guided him to the crowded dance floor, hand in hand.
Sarah and Lance were already out there, swaying side to side with Laney sandwiched between them like a happy little family. Rachel and Holden danced beside them, looking very much like newlyweds even though their wedding was still several months off. Faith had no problem picturing the two in a white gown and tux, celebrating their first dance among friends and family. It was an event she couldn’t wait to attend.
Stepping into the crowd, Mitch and Faith joined them, partnering up to dance. With her hands on his shoulders and her head resting over his heart, she let him lead. It occurred to Faith then that she’d never really done that, not even in previous relationships. She always took care of herself—looked out for her own wellbeing—knowing that she was the only person she could ever truly rely on. Men would let her down, friends would unintentionally flake, and even family would be busy with their own troubles. But Mitch consistently put Faith first. She didn’t know how to fully surrender to that. It would take some getting used to, but it was something she was willing to work on if it meant having this incredible man in her life.
As the song and the energy carried them across the floor, Faith glimpsed her mother and the twins at a table enjoying a pile of sweets and what looked to be full mugs of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows. And there was an empty seat next to them, even though every other chair in the building had been occupied. For a fleeting but precious moment, Faith felt the presence of her father there, his protective and guiding spirit as real as the abounding love in the room.
Her feet planted beneath her.
“Hey. You good?” Mitch immediately noticed her slight falter.
“I am.” She shook her head and blinked, looking up at Mitch’s concerned face. “I just felt something. Or someone, actually.”
“Your dad?”
