Page 36 of My Favorite Hero

Casey smiled brightly and shook her head. “No. I was just catching up with Martha. I hadn’t seen her in a long time.” She laughed lightly. “And Mr. Thorne is my landlord. He saw me and was worried something might be amiss. He is so conscientious.”

Chief Fleming nodded. “Not surprised. Thorne is one of the most highly respected firefighters on staff.”

“Is that so?” Casey asked.

He indicated the wall to his right, closest to the fire station part of the building. “Lots of commendations. He’s saved many people. Animals. Voted most hardworking volunteer at the food kitchen and the local Habitat for Humanity. Twice.”

Chief Arnold grunted in approval. “Good man. Always proud to work with the fire department and their great men and women. And happy to meet you, Miss…ah?”

“Oh, Casey Lawson.”

“Lawson,” Arnold muttered. “I knew a Lawson years ago. Lived here for a short time with her daughter.” He looked between us. “Related to Lou somehow?”

“Yes,” Casey acknowledged, a catch in her voice.

“Casey is living in Lou’s place now,” I explained.

Chief Arnold extended his hand. “Any relation of Lou is a friend. Welcome.”

Casey shook his hand, then my chief did the same. “You’re the one who sent in the cookies and the lasagna?” Fleming asked.

Casey met my eyes, grinning. “That’s me.”

Fleming clapped my shoulder. “Keep this one happy, Jesse. Those were the best cookies I ever tasted.” He chuckled as he walked away. “Not that you’d know.”

I groaned. Even my chief got a cookie. I looked at Casey out of the corner of my eye.

“No problem, Chief. Casey here tells me she saved me some for when I got home,” I called, turning to her. “Right?”

She hummed in agreement. “Once we recover my wind chimes.”

She turned to Martha. “It was great to see you.” She glanced my way. “See you around, Thorne.”

“You know it.”

She walked away, and I met Martha’s gaze. She was watching me knowingly.

“What?”

“I don’t know what is up with you, but give those wind chimes back to the girl or I’ll file a report myself.”

“What makes you think I have the wind chimes?”

She laughed. “The food she sent, for one thing. The pile of sparkly things on the front floor of your truck for the other.” She shook her head. “You don’t pull a fast one on Pixie. She was trained by the best.”

Pixie. The little girl Lou talked about so much.

I stared at her. “That’s Pixie?”

Martha nodded. “Lou used to bring her around all the time. Cute little thing, so tiny and sweet. She got the name Pixie right here in this station. Always laughing and happy with Lou. It’s a shame her mother left. Lou missed that little girl something fierce.” She eyeballed me. “And whatever is going on between the two of you needs to be resolved.”

“What are you talking about?”

She laughed, shaking her head. “You saw her here, and you about broke the speed of light to get to her. Worried she was hurt or something. She watched you like you were her next meal. The sexual tension between you is so thick, you could cut it with a knife.”

I didn’t know what to say to her.

“Were you aware how often you started to reach for her hand as she stood there?”