Page 107 of My Favorite Hero

And that started right now.

CASEY

Jesse wasn’t there when I arrived at the station. Martha told me he was responding to a call, but he would be back soon. “It was contained,” she assured me.

“Okay.”

“You look incredible.”

“Oh,” I said. “Thanks. I feel a little, um, odd.”

“You don’t look odd,” she assured me. “You look summery and, frankly, sexy.”

I leaned forward, whispering, “I haven’t worn a dress since I was a kid and my mom made me.”

She laughed. “Well, it suits you.”

“It was Lou’s,” I confessed.

She looked surprised.

“I found it in a tote with some pictures. I thought it was pretty so I tried it on, and it fit. I mean, it’s a bit long, but I’m okay with that.”

“I don’t think I ever saw Lou in anything but pants,” she mused. “The occasional skirt years and years ago. But I would have remembered that dress.” She squeezed my hand. “She would have loved you wearing it.” She waved me off. “Go mingle. Your man will be back soon.”

“He’s not my man. We’re just friends.”

She smiled. “Yes. You wore that dress for your friend.” She was laughing as she walked away.

I skirted the room, my brilliant idea suddenly feeling wrong. When I’d tried on the dress, I was excited that it fit. A little tight in the chest and long, but otherwise perfect. I pulled the back up as high as it went, and I had a white sweater in case the building was chilly. I wore a pair of my fancy sneakers. They looked like lace, and I thought they matched the little trim on my chest. I wore my hair up, letting strands fall down my neck and back. Lip gloss was as far as I went with makeup.

I recognized a few of the crew from the days when I dropped off food. Lori was there, and we talked for a while. She was horrified to hear what happened with Chris, but she assured me he was more of a work friend to Cal and she wasn’t overly fond of him.

“Too full of himself at times,” she confessed. “I tried to like him since he worked with Cal, but…” She trailed off. “He often shows up uninvited. He hasn’t been around since that weekend. I hear he’s seeing someone in the next town over.”

I grimaced. “Good luck to her.”

“Cal will be here soon,” she told me. “And I hope you come back for more karaoke. You were so great!”

“Maybe next week.”

We hugged, and she slipped away to see if Cal had arrived yet. I spoke with the “old biddies,” as Jesse teasingly called them. They were sweet and welcoming, a couple offering their grandsons’ phone numbers, while the others plied me with cookies.

I finally got away, only to run into four of the firefighters. One was the probie I had met whom Jesse was helping. Alan was sweet and earnest, standing a little too close for my comfort.

I felt him before I saw him. The crew returned from their incident, walking in together. I had seen Jesse in his T-shirt and pants before, but never in full gear. In a group, he stood out. He was a walking poster boy for the fire department. Mark was beside him, a good-looking man, but he paled next to Jesse. At least to me. And then Jesse dropped to his knee, greeting some kids and giving them his full attention.

Alan touched my elbow. “So, you work with computers? That’s cool.”

“Um, yes.”

A few more crew, including one of the female firefighters, joined us, and I enjoyed talking to her. She was strong and fit, wearing her gear proudly. We discovered a shared love of outdoor decorations and chatted about that for a few moments until she was called elsewhere. I was just wondering how to slip away, knowing Jesse was back, safe, and busy. He hadn’t even spared me a glance, so I knew he was still upset. And I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

“I have to get going.” I smiled at the small group of men around me. “Thanks for keeping me company and answering all my questions.”

Alan frowned. “Can I walk you to your car?”

“Oh, that wouldn’t be a good idea,” I muttered, remembering the last time someone had walked me to my car.