But even though she understood that kids learned by example, those things were exactly what Megan had done. Until Gabe came along and forced her to face the truth of who she really was.
His love gave her the courage to take risks again.
Now, even though she wasn’t close enough to the buildings to see if any of the firefighters coming in and out could be the man she loved, sitting in his truck, she felt better just being this close to him.
* * *
It wasn’t an easy fire to take down, but several hot, dirty hours later, Gabe was satisfied with his work, with what all of the crews had accomplished in Chinatown. The gas leak hadn’t turned into something worse, and while the store owners were going to need to deal with their insurance companies to replace their inventory, the fire had been beaten down before it could demolish everything. A few new front walls and windows would take care of most of the structural work.
He had removed his mask and turnout coat by the time he was halfway down the block. Already, his mind was back to Megan. To what she’d been about to tell him when the call had come in.
And the fear in her eyes when he’d promised to come back safely from the fire and she hadn’t let herself believe him.
His truck was right where he’d left it, and he was just about to pull off his turnout pants and throw them, along with the rest of his gear, into the bed, when he got the best surprise of his life.
Within seconds, Megan was out of the driver’s seat and jumping straight into his arms, her legs wrapped around his hips, her arms around his neck.
“Thank God, you’re okay.” She kissed him, fast and hard, once, then twice, then three times as if she could hardly believe he was there.
“I’m just fine, sweetheart,” he told her when she let him up for air, but he didn’t let her go, loving the way she felt in his arms.
She was kissing him on his mouth, on his cheeks, on his nose, his eyelids, everywhere her lips could reach.
He knew how scared she must have been, enough that she’d come to the site of the fire to keep watch over him.
“I’m so sorry I acted like that when you got the fire call.” Her words were falling so fast, he couldn’t interrupt. “I’m sorry for the way I acted that first time we made love in the hotel, the way I begged you to love me, then threw you out because I was so torn. For so many years I’ve been putting up walls, big thick bars, around my heart. But even then I knew that trying to control the wild in you would be like trapping you inside that prison with me. So I told myself I needed to let you go for both of us.” Tears slid down her cheek, one after the other. “But I can’t let you go.”
“You don’t have to, sweetheart.”
“You told me over and over again how much you love me. How much you love Summer. So many times, I had the chance to say those words back to you, but I didn’t take them. And I thought that not saying the words meant I was still safe. But I wasn’t, Gabe. Whether or not I was ever brave enough to say it out loud, I still loved you. With all of my heart...and every last piece of my soul.” She rested her hands on either side of his face and looked at him with wonder in her eyes. “You shouldn’t have to choose between your job and me. I know you love being a firefighter. And I will support you. Always.” She kissed him, and then said again, “I love you, Gabe. I love you so much.”
“I love hearing you say it,” he said, and it was so true that he was nearly overcome with emotion. “But do you think I didn’t already know how you felt?”
Her eyes widened at the realization that he’d known her true feelings for him all along. “I didn’t say it. I should have said that I’m in love with you. I should have told you I fell in love with you that day in the hospital when Summer ran to hug you and you hugged her back just as tight. I should have been honest about falling more in love with you every second since then.” She barely paused for breath. “If anything had happened to you today, if you’d been slightly distracted because of me, because of what I wasn’t brave enough to say—”
Gabe pressed one sooty finger over her lips. “I’ll never get tired of hearing you say you love me, but whether you’re saying it or not, I feel it every time you look at me, sweetheart. Every time you kiss me. You say it every time you come apart in my arms and you give your heart to me.” He smiled down at her. “Do you want to know how I felt today when I was fighting this fire?”
Her eyes were sparkling with tears as she nodded.
“I felt stronger than I ever have before. I felt confident. Steady.” He tipped his finger beneath her chin, made sure their gazes held. “I felt loved.”
He pressed his mouth to hers and the kiss they shared was soft and sweet and passionate all wrapped into one.
“I knew you and Summer were waiting for me to come back to you, safe and sound. I’m not going to let you down, Megan. You both deserve forever this time. Let me be that forever.”
Tears ran down her cheeks.
“Forever,” she whispered, and then Gabe was claiming her mouth again as people watched and smiled at the heroic fireman and the beautiful young woman embracing on a sidewalk in the middle of downtown San Francisco.
Epilogue
Sophie Sullivan sat at her mother’s kitchen table, brochures spread out all around her for the various surprises she was planning for Chase and Chloe’s upcoming wedding.
Gabe, Megan, and Summer had joined her and her mother for lunch and now Summer was riding her bike out in the front yard, a bike similar to the one Sophie had when she was seven, with a banana seat and pink streamers flying from the handlebars. Back in December, the last time they were all together at her mother’s house, she’d felt a little bad about playing matchmaker by mentioning Gabe’s plans to go skiing in Lake Tahoe to Summer.
But look how well it had turned out.
Sophie was beyond happy for her brother and her friend. They clearly belonged together, even though they’d both obviously tried to—foolishly—fight their connection at first.
The door flew open and Gabe ran inside and into the kitchen. Megan and Summer walked inside holding hands a moment later, the little girl sniffling and limping on a leg with a bloody knee.
Sophie immediately went to them and had just given Summer a hug when Gabe returned with their mother’s first-aid kit. He looked strangely pale, despite his tanned skin, as he lifted Summer onto his lap. Speaking softly to Megan’s daughter, he gently cleaned, then bandaged, her knee.