quickly and she fingered the recently unpacked clothes, wondering what to wear. The feminine side of herself wanted to wear a dress. But who went to buy fire boots in a dress? She reluctantly settled on a lavender blouse edged with small ruffles around the throat, and a pair of white slacks. After slipping into her sandals, she went to the bedroom mirror and released her hair so that it flowed across her shoulders.
Leah tried to assess herself honestly in the mirror. She touched her full mouth, gazing soberly into her large green eyes. What did Gil see in her? She wasn’t pretty by modeling standards. Walnut-colored lashes framed her jade and gold eyes, giving them the appearance of being slightly tilted at the corners. Her oval face was marked by a strong chin. Her nose was straight and clean and she fondly remembered her mother telling her it was the mark of an aristocrat. She had gone through grade school thinking she had the greatest nose in the world until other kids began to make fun of her “Roman” nose. From then on she had hung around with the boys on the softball team because they didn’t care what she looked like, as long as she hit home runs.
The doorbell rang, bringing her out of the reverie, and Leah quickly applied her lipstick. Her heart picked up a beat as she opened the door. Gil nodded genially. He was dressed in a white polo shirt and a pair of tan slacks. He looked devastatingly handsome to her, the width of his broad shoulders swallowing up the space in the doorway.
“Come on in,” she said breathlessly. “I’m almost ready.”
One eyebrow raised as he drank in her form. “Lady, you look absolutely beautiful,” he said appreciatively.
Leah turned, startled by the genuine awe in his husky voice. To cover up her surprise, she grimaced. “That and fifty cents will get you a cup of coffee,” she answered flippantly as she went to the bedroom to pick up her shoulder bag. When she came out, he was frowning.
“I don’t make a habit of complimenting a woman unless I think it’s deserved. So take the compliment and say thank you.”
She was speechless. He had a sensitivity that made her want to know more about Gil Gerard the man, not the fire fighter. “Thank you,” she blurted, embarrassed by her flippant approach.
The weather was warm and breezy, and the gentle wind lifted strands of hair playfully about her shoulders as they walked along the terrace outside her apartment. He gave her a warm smile, following her down the steps. “It’s lucky you can’t wear your hair like that at the fire station. All I’d do is watch you—I’d never get any work done.”
“Where did you pick up that diploma in blarney?” she demanded.
He caught up with her at the bottom, matching her stride as he directed her to the red pickup at the end of the parking lot. “The same place you got your diploma in dodging compliments.”
Leah glanced up at him and caught the merriment lurking in his eyes. “Touché.”
“Want to start over?”
“Sure.” He opened the door for her and she stopped, grinning. “Is this standard procedure or are you just trying to impress me?”
Gil returned the smile. “Both. When I’m off duty there are some things I still like to do for a woman. And opening doors is one of them.” He gave her a wicked look. “Maybe you’ll get a chance to sample some of the others, too.”
Leah ignored the innuendo. She slid in and buckled up the safety belt. After having extricated victims who hadn’t used seat belts, she found it was second nature to take the precaution. Gil went through the same procedure and drove the truck out to the main road, where he made a right turn. She relaxed, feeling better than she had in months. When had she felt so free? So happy?
He turned to glance at her. “No one would ever guess you were a woman fire fighter the way you’re dressed today. If those guys down at the station could see me with you, they’d drool with envy.”
Leah
Leah tried to assess herself honestly in the mirror. She touched her full mouth, gazing soberly into her large green eyes. What did Gil see in her? She wasn’t pretty by modeling standards. Walnut-colored lashes framed her jade and gold eyes, giving them the appearance of being slightly tilted at the corners. Her oval face was marked by a strong chin. Her nose was straight and clean and she fondly remembered her mother telling her it was the mark of an aristocrat. She had gone through grade school thinking she had the greatest nose in the world until other kids began to make fun of her “Roman” nose. From then on she had hung around with the boys on the softball team because they didn’t care what she looked like, as long as she hit home runs.
The doorbell rang, bringing her out of the reverie, and Leah quickly applied her lipstick. Her heart picked up a beat as she opened the door. Gil nodded genially. He was dressed in a white polo shirt and a pair of tan slacks. He looked devastatingly handsome to her, the width of his broad shoulders swallowing up the space in the doorway.
“Come on in,” she said breathlessly. “I’m almost ready.”
One eyebrow raised as he drank in her form. “Lady, you look absolutely beautiful,” he said appreciatively.
Leah turned, startled by the genuine awe in his husky voice. To cover up her surprise, she grimaced. “That and fifty cents will get you a cup of coffee,” she answered flippantly as she went to the bedroom to pick up her shoulder bag. When she came out, he was frowning.
“I don’t make a habit of complimenting a woman unless I think it’s deserved. So take the compliment and say thank you.”
She was speechless. He had a sensitivity that made her want to know more about Gil Gerard the man, not the fire fighter. “Thank you,” she blurted, embarrassed by her flippant approach.
The weather was warm and breezy, and the gentle wind lifted strands of hair playfully about her shoulders as they walked along the terrace outside her apartment. He gave her a warm smile, following her down the steps. “It’s lucky you can’t wear your hair like that at the fire station. All I’d do is watch you—I’d never get any work done.”
“Where did you pick up that diploma in blarney?” she demanded.
He caught up with her at the bottom, matching her stride as he directed her to the red pickup at the end of the parking lot. “The same place you got your diploma in dodging compliments.”
Leah glanced up at him and caught the merriment lurking in his eyes. “Touché.”
“Want to start over?”
“Sure.” He opened the door for her and she stopped, grinning. “Is this standard procedure or are you just trying to impress me?”
Gil returned the smile. “Both. When I’m off duty there are some things I still like to do for a woman. And opening doors is one of them.” He gave her a wicked look. “Maybe you’ll get a chance to sample some of the others, too.”
Leah ignored the innuendo. She slid in and buckled up the safety belt. After having extricated victims who hadn’t used seat belts, she found it was second nature to take the precaution. Gil went through the same procedure and drove the truck out to the main road, where he made a right turn. She relaxed, feeling better than she had in months. When had she felt so free? So happy?
He turned to glance at her. “No one would ever guess you were a woman fire fighter the way you’re dressed today. If those guys down at the station could see me with you, they’d drool with envy.”
Leah
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