Epilogue
BETHANY
Five months had passed since I started working at Gavin’s office. I re-enrolled in college to finish my last hours so I could graduate and start my career as a teacher. Principal Jones called me out of the blue last week and asked me about my progress. Once I told him that I was close to finishing, he said that there was another district he could refer me to. Things were too hard for him to keep me hired at Morris Elementary, but there were other districts that weren’t as strict. I was grateful for the opportunity, and I let him know that as soon as I became available, I would reach back out to him. Things between Gavin and I were moving along as well. As time passed, though, I completely put the question out of my head of whether or not he was going to propose to me. It had been months since I saw the website in his office, and I figured that if he didn’t ask by now, maybe he wasn’t going to.
I arrived at April’s home. She’d had a baby boy a month ago, but I was so busy that I didn’t have the chance to come by and see my new nephew. When I got to her house, I pulled my gifts out of the trunk, then headed inside. When I opened the door, April sat on the couch nursing Mark Jr. “Close the door, girl. I don’t want the whole neighborhood to see my tit.” I laughed then closed the door behind me.
“Aww, look at him,” I said, placing his gift next to the couch. “He is so little and cute.”
“He is sucking the hell out of my nipple. This stuff hurts so bad, but I am going to just deal with it for now. I hear that natural milk is better than Similac, so I don’t have a choice.”
“Yeah, it is better. It is healthier, you know? Gives the baby more nutrients.”
I sat down on the couch and watched him feed. He looked so small and innocent. I couldn’t wait to have one of my own, but at the rate things were going, it didn’t look like I was going to have one. “So, how’s life?” she asked.
“It’s okay. I am close to finishing school, and the principal at Morris called me earlier this week. He said he could possibly have a job for me in another district once I completed my degree. So, maybe I will have an easy road to the teaching career. But we will see.”
“That’s good. I am glad you finally buckled down and got serious about school. I knew it would open up doors for you.” Mark Jr. finished eating, so she propped him over her leg and tapped his back until he burped. “Oops, that was a good one,” April said, laughing. She picked him up and extended him towards me. “Now, this is your Aunt Bethany. She has been too busy for you in your first month of life to come visit you at home, so I think you need to spit up on her once or twice to welcome her.”
I laughed. “It’s okay, little one; you can spit up on me if you feel like it, I don’t mind. I will still love you the same.” I took him out of her hands and held him close. He opened his eyes and looked at me as if he was trying to figure out who I was. “He is beautiful. He has Mark’s wide nose and your eyes.”
“Yeah. I was hoping he would get my nose because Mark’s nose is like a curse.”
I laughed, “You are so mean. I thought you would get a little nicer after your pregnancy.”
“Well, you knew I was sort of an a-hole before I got pregnant, so I think I am rounding back into form.” A few moments of silence passed. Mark Jr. made gargle noises for a moment before he drifted off to sleep. “So, how are things with you and Gavin?”
I sighed. “Things are okay. I mean, I will say that they are moving kind of slow. I figured that he would at least have proposed by now, you know? Remember when I told you about seeing that website on his computer?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know what that was about, but apparently it wasn’t about moving forward with me. I guess I need to be patient, but it is hard because I know what I want. Now, I am questioning if he wants the same thing.”
“Yeah, I hear you. But you’re right; you just need to be patient, that’s all. Don’t start doubting yourself or his love for you. I know he loves you. I only met him the one time you two visited the hospital after junior was born, but he seemed like a good guy. I could tell by the way he treated you that he loves you, so don’t give up. I think you two are a good fit.”
I looked at her with curious eyebrows lifted to the middle of my forehead. “Um, okay, that is weird. You’re not usually like this when it comes to me with other guys.”
“What? If you forgot, I am the one who set you up on that website to meet Gavin. I just didn’t like your ex-boyfriend. That bastard. Is he still in jail?”
“I believe so. I hope so. Last I heard, he was doing years for drug charges.” Mark Jr. fidgeted, so I got up to lay him in his bed. “So, I’m sure I won’t hear from him anytime soon.”
“Good. So, what do you have going on later?”
“I don’t know, but Gavin wanted me to come to his house. Apparently, he has something that he wants me to see, so I’m going to go over there and check it out.”
“Right. What time? I forgot about that.”
“About what?”
She paused. “Oh, um, never mind. I was thinking about something else.”
“Okay, weirdo.”
I stayed there with her for another hour until I got up to head for Gavin’s home. I didn’t know what he wanted me to come over for, but I was excited to see him. I had been so busy with school for the last two months that we barely had time to see each other. A part of me felt like we were drifting away, but I was just panicking. I knew that he loved me; I only hoped that he loved me enough to want to spend the rest of his life with me. “Hey babe,” he said as I walked through the door.
“Hey, sweetheart. How are you?”
“I am good.” He kissed me on the lips.
Just behind him, Mike and Stacy sat on the couch right next to each other. I thought it was cute how Mike said that he wasn’t going to settle down at all, but now, he was starting to get serious with another woman. It gave me hope that love would find anybody when the time was right. “Hey, Bethany,” Mike said from his seat, “good to see you.”
“Hi, Mike. Hi, Stacy. What are you two doing here?”
“Just hanging out,” she said, “shooting the shit until you got here. We were in the neighborhood, so we just swung by.”
“Oh. Okay, that sounds cool.”
Just then, Vinny ran out of his room and met me in the front. He wrapped his arms around me, “Hi, Bethany. I’ve missed you.”
I kissed him on the top of his head, “I missed you too, Vinny. I’ve just been so busy with school work. I’ve barely had time to do anything else.”
“Yeah, that’s what Dad said. It’s okay, though. I understand.”
“Your dad tells me that you signed up for a pee-wee football league?”
“Yeah. I figured I’d try it out. I like football, so I just wanted to see how good I could be at it.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” I smiled as Gavin put his arm around me and led me to the couch. Things seemed different. It felt like something was going on, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Mike and Stacy smiled at me awkwardly. My eyebrows wrinkled as I glared at them. “Um, what are you guys smiling at?”
“You and Gavin,” Stacy responded. “You guys make a great couple. Don’t you think?”
“Um,” I looked at Gavin as he shook his head. “I guess so. I mean, I don’t know. Why are you guys acting weird?”
Mike stood up, “Well, I don’t know about you all, but I need a brew. Anybody else want one? Stacy? Gavin? Bethany? Vinny?”
“Vinny?” Gavin said.
Mike laughed, “Come on, man, you know I am just fucking with you. Get your fucking panties out of a bunch.”
Everyone laughed as he walked to the kitchen. “Wait, what the hell is going on, guys?” I looked at Gavin. “And why did you call me over here? What did you have to show me? Everyone is acting weird, and I don’t know what is going on. Are you guys about to play a prank on me or something?”
Stacy laughed, “Girl, calm your ass down. You are losing it. Nobody is going to play a prank on you at all; we are just here hanging out. That’s what friends do, you know?”
I looked at Gavin. Just then, his phone rang. He picked it up, “Hello? Yeah, we are all here. Sure, not a problem, come on by. Okay.” I kept my eyes on him, waiting for an explanation. “What? It was just one of my friends that you haven’t met yet. They are on their way over here to meet you.”
“Meet me?”
“Yeah. They are in town for a little while, and I told them all about you. No biggie.”
“But–”
“Alright, brewskis for everyone.” Mike tossed them to everyone in the room. “Oh, shit Gavin, what were you telling me earlier? I forgot.”
Gavin smiled. “Yeah, I was telling you how much I loved Bethany.”
He laughed, “Yeah, right. That’s what it was.”
The doorbell rang again. Gavin got up to answer it, but at the moment, I was desperately trying to figure out what was going on. Everyone was acting strange, and I didn’t understand it one bit. I looked towards the door. Gavin stood to the side and let Mark Sr. and April into our home with the baby. I rubbed my eyes as if I had to be clear of what I was seeing. “April? Mark? Okay, guys, what is going on? Somebody better tell me something!”
April kissed me on the cheek as Mark shook Gavin’s hand, then took a seat next to me. “Bethany,” Mike said, grabbing my attention.
I faced him with a curious glance. “Yes?”
He smiled and took another swig of his drink while I waited for him to open his mouth. Suddenly, I heard Gavin’s voice to my side. When I turned towards him, he was on one knee with a small box in his hand. My heart fluttered inside of my chest as everyone took out their phones and started recording. Vinny stood to his feet with a bright smile on his face. I put my hand over my chest as Gavin spoke, “Babe, I’ve had this ring for months. I was waiting for the right time to ask you this question and, in the middle of searching for the right way to do it, I realized that I couldn’t come up with it. I realized that the best way to do it was to face you like a man, in a room full of people who love you. People who care for you. I wanted you to feel the love in the room before I said one word.”
My eyes filled with tears of joy as he continued. “I’ve known from the very first day that I sent you the message on the internet–”
“I can’t believe you two met on the internet!” Mike blurted out.
“Mike, you shut your ass up right now!” I snapped.
Stacy snickered as Gavin continued, “Ever since that day, I knew you were beautiful. But, what I didn’t know is that you were beautiful inside and out. It only took a few dates for me to realize that you were the perfect woman for me. Bethany, I can’t see my life without you in it, and I don’t want to imagine what it would be like if you weren’t around. You complete me. You are my better half, and it would do me a great honor to be able to call you Mrs. Gavin Wallace. Baby, will you marry me?”
I didn’t say a word. An uncomfortable silence filled the room as he kneeled in front of me. “No,” I said, shaking my head. “No, I can’t. I’m sorry.” The smile on his face dropped to the ground like a bag of bricks. April was confused, and Mark searched for the words to fill the awkwardness. Vinny was on the verge of tears while Stacy and Mike sat with their mouths halfway open. “And that’s what you all get for creating all of this suspense when I got here!” I smiled, then extended my hand to Gavin for him to put the ring on my finger. “I would love to be your wife, Gavin.”
There was a brief pause. “So, is that a yes?”
I wiped the blurry tears from my eyes, “Yes, Gavin! Yes, I will marry you! I will marry the hell out you!”
I lunged forwards and threw my arms around him, knocking him down to the floor. I guess dreams did come true, and as far as those books went? I tossed them all in the trash. There was no longer a reason for me to read any more of those books because now, it was officially my reality.
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BURNING FOR LOVE
By Naomi Niles
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 Naomi Niles
Chapter One
Sam
I rolled over at the shrill sound of my alarm coming from the bathroom. My instinct was to reach out and stifle the annoying sound, but that was exactly the reason it was out of my reach in another room. If it were on my bedside table, I’d probably never be on time for anything.
I groaned heavily, pushing away the sleep from my consciousness, and forced myself out of the comforting warmth of my sheets to head into the bathroom.
I almost tripped over the towel I had left there the previous night. I picked it up and shut off my alarm as I gave the towel a sniff. It had the rancid smell of material that had been overused. I glanced at it a moment longer, contemplating whether or not I should just go ahead and use it.
There was a hand towel by the sink, and I decided to just use that one. I dropped it back onto the floor, brushed my teeth, had a quick shower, and then wiped myself off with the hand towel.
I walked through my tiny living room to the kitchen, where I ransacked the fridge for something decent to eat. I liked to munch on something on the way to the station, just in case we were pulled in for duty and I didn’t have the chance to eat breakfast. There was a bag of peas in the freezer that had been there for over a year, two empty ice trays, and a stray Popsicle that I had never got around to eating.
The fridge didn’t have any better options. There was a loaf of bread that had gone stale, a carton of milk past its expiration date, a couple of wilted lettuce leaves, a tub of butter, and a large piece of heavily-frosted chocolate cake that Martha from next door had brought over three days ago.
“Damn it,” I said to myself. “I should have brought leftovers over from Peter’s.”
I reached for the cake, but changed my mind at the last minute. I’d just have to grab something at the station. I grabbed the bread, lettuce leaves, and milk and chucked them all out at the same time.
Then I grabbed my keys and headed to my pick-up. I had traded in my old vehicle for the pick up a few weeks ago and found it suited me well. It was bigger and more impressive, and the backseat was spacious enough for a good comfortable fuck with the right hot stranger.
I pulled up outside the fire station to see Jackson walking in with a young guy in uniform. The young guy’s face and stance suggested he was a rookie. I parked quickly and walked into the station, tailing Jackson and eavesdropping on the conversation.
“How old are you, Hamish?” Jackson asked, with brotherly concern.
I smirked at the name, already thinking up a hundred different jokes to throw at the kid.
“I’m twenty,” he replied, as though he wasn’t really sure himself. “Just about.”
“Just about?” Jackson asked, with one raised eyebrow.
“I will be,” he replied quickly. “Next week.”
“Well, then…this is your birthday week,” Jackson said, in complete seriousness.
Hamish looked as though he wasn’t sure if Jackson were joking or not. I suppressed the laugh in my gut, knowing Jackson was building up to something. This was protocol, at least for Jackson and I. This was how we welcomed in the new recruits. Hazing was just part and parcel of joining the academy. And in my opinion, you weren’t really a fire fighter until you’d been initiated.
“I… Yes… I suppose so,” Hamish nodded.
Jackson clapped him on the back. “Well in that case, let me give you some advice.”
“Sure,” Hamish nodded emphatically. “I’d really appreciate any advice you’re willing to give me.”
I smiled at his enthusiasm, but hung back a little, waiting to see what Jackson had thought up.
“What’s that scent I smell on you?” he asked.
Hamish’s eyebrows wrinkled together in confusion. “Umm…what?”
“I can smell something on you… Is that scented soap?” Jackson asked seriously.
“I… Well…”
“I’m going to be straight with you,” he said, and his expression was Oscar-worthy. “The chief has a real problem with scented soap. It’s kind of a pet peeve of his. I don’t know if he’s allergic or just fussy, but he hates when any of us guys use any kind of scented soap. He can smell it on us a mile away.”
“Uh…really?” Hamish asked, sounding surprised but terrified.
“Oh yeah,” he nodded. “Now you look really snazzy in your uniform, but I’m afraid that you’re not going to impress the chief, smelling like you do.”
“I… Maybe I can walk off the smell?” Hamish suggested. “I don’t think it’s that prominent a smell, in any case.”
I popped around the corner and waved to Jackson as though I’d just walked in. “Hi, man,” I greeted. “Any news?”
“Nothing yet,” he replied, his eyes twinkling. “Just giving the new kid a little pep talk.”
I turned to Hamish and stretched my hand out to him. “Welcome to the force… Oh…”
“What’s wrong?” Hamish asked immediately.
“Is that scented soap I smell?” I asked.
Jackson kept his face straight. “That was just what I was trying to tell our new friend here… The chief hates the smell of scented soap. And if you can smell it on him-”
“The chief definitely will,” I nodded. “That’s for sure.”
“What do I do?” Hamish asked, finally convinced. “I really want to make a good first impression.”
“Don’t worry, kid,” I said, clapping him on the back. “We’ll sort you out.”
“You will? How?”
“The showers are just around back,” Jackson stepped in. “The soap on hand is completely unscented. Just take another shower, wash that scent off of you, and you’ll be good to go.”
“Oh,” Hamish said, sounding relieved. “Okay, let’s do that, then.”
“Great,” Jackson nodded. “Follow me.”
We led him to the locker rooms where the showers were located and gestured for him to strip down and get “clean.” The moment he stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain across, Jackson and I grabbed his clothes and headed back into the locker rooms. Mitch and Sean were there, and they shook their heads as we walked in.
“Don’t tell me…we have a new fire fighter?” Sean asked.
Jackson and I burst out laughing. “You should have seen his face when we told him…him…about the…scented…soap.”
“That excuse was fucking insane,” I laughed.
“He bought it, though,” Jackson crowed.
“I’m the one who sold it,” I said.
“I’m all for hazing,” Sean laughed. “But this one’s unoriginal. Stealing his clothes? Come on, boys, you can do better than that.”
“Say what you want,” Jackson said, “There are some pranks that are too classic to retire. And in this case, it’s downright genius.”
“Why?” Sean asked.
“Because the chief is coming in today,” Jackson laughed. “By my count, he should be heading over here as we speak. Which means-”
“Hamish is going to make one hell of a first impression,” I finished for Jackson.
“Exactly,” he choked on his own laugh. “He’s going balls in.”
“You little shitters are evil – but effective,” Sean said.
We were still laughing as the rest of the team filtered in slowly. We had barely got our explanation out when the chief walked in and everyone descended into a respectful silence.
Chief Shelby wasn’t a particularly large man, but he had an intimidating presence. Perhaps it was the strange intensity of his blue eyes or the impressive width of his shoulders, but he just exuded power.
He had just finished his briefing when a voice from the shower rooms interrupted him.
“Hello?” Hamish’s voice was uncertain and nervous. “Anyone?”
Jackson suppressed a laugh, but didn’t reply. A moment later, Hamish stepped into the locker room. He was butt naked, dripping wet and completely pale. His hands cupped his balls to hide them from view, and he looked positively petrified as he took in the full locker room he was faced with.
His eyes went to Jackson first and then, as if by instinct, they landed on the chief. “I… I…”
“You are Hamish Anderson?” Chief Shelby asked.
“Yes,” Hamish nodded.
Chief narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. “What the hell are you doing, boy?” he asked, in his usual gruff voice.
Hamish looked as though he wanted to throw up, but never once mentioned my name or Jackson’s. “I… I just…took a shower, sir,” he stammered.
“I can see that,” the chief replied. “I want to know why.”
“I…needed to…get rid of the soap smell.”
Chief Shelby’s eyebrows hit the roof of his head, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. “You needed to get rid of the soap smell?” he repeated.
“I mean, the scented soap smell,” Hamish said quickly, as though that explained everything.
I glanced over at Jackson and I could tell from his face that he was doing his best to keep a straight face.
“What the hell are you on about, boy?” Chief barked.
“I… I was told that you hated the smell of scented soap, and that I would benefit from…a shower,” Hamish stuttered through his explanation. It was clear, that as he was saying the words he was starting to realize how ridiculous it all sounded.
The chief’s expression seemed to smooth out with understanding, but his face remained stern and forceful. “I see… Well, in the future, it would serve you well to remember not to believe everything you’re told. Now I have a briefing to continue, and I’m going to get on with it.”
“I… Sir?” Hamish’s voice was small.
“Yes?”
“May I put on some clothes first?”
“No, you may not,” Chief Shelby replied sharply. “You will stand there naked until I have finished with my briefing. Consider this your official initiation into the force.”
To his credit, Hamish stood there for the remaining ten minutes of the chief’s briefing and suffered through the suppressed smiles and pointed looks from every fire fighter on the team. When it was done, Jackson and I were about ready to gloat when Chief doubled back and looked directly at the two of us.
“Neilson,” he said. “Burbank. My office – now.”
We exchanged a glance and followed him to his office on the opposite end of the station. We walked inside and shut the door behind us. Chief Shelby walked to his desk, sat down behind it and then stared at us for a full five seconds before he spoke.
“I wanted to let you two know that you’ve done a good job lately,” he said, much to my surprise. “I don’t know how, but someone you’ve managed to become one of the best search and rescue teams on staff.”
“Thank you so much, sir-”
“Cut the choir boy act, Neilson,” Chief interrupted. “You two may be my best fire fighters, but you’re also my biggest jokers. And that can lead to trouble. So stop the high school crap and get serious. You understand me?”
“We just thought we’d…welcome him properly to the academy, sir,” I said sheepishly.
I could see the chief suppress his smile right on time. “Save that for your personal time,” he replied. “When you’re at the station, you are always on duty. Got it?”
“Got it, sir,” I nodded immediately.
“Excellent,” Chief Shelby nodded. “Now get the hell out of my office, both of you. Oh, and boys?”
“Yes, sir?” Jackson turned back to ask.
“Give the kid his clothes back.”
“Yes, sir,” he nodded with a smile.
We headed back to the locker room in fits of laughter. Hamish was darting around trying to find his clothes. Someone had lent him a towel, but he didn’t seem overly comforted by that.
“Hamish, my boy,” Jackson said. “What a great start to your birthday week!”
He turned to us and shook his head. “I was an idiot to have believed that nonsense.”
“You were,” I nodded. “But in your defence, it’s easy to manipulate someone who’s so nervous. But you know the good news, right?”
HE looked at me suspiciously. “What?”
“You are officially initiated,” I said. “Welcome to the team.”
Jackson got out Hamish’s clothes and handed them over. “You are now a true fire fighter,” he said.
Hamish hesitated a moment and then smiled. “The hazing is over?”
Jackson and I exchanged a glance and laughed. “The hazing’s over,” I confirmed.
Hamish’s face smoothed out into relief and a moment later, the alarm sounded through the building, alerting us to a new emergency in some part of town.
“That’s us,” I said immediately, springing into action. I turned to Hamish and clapped him on the back. “Suit up, rookie, this is going to be the true initiation. We’re going in.”