Heaven Sent by Mahalia Levey Read Free Book Online Page B

grimace, since she felt her skin
pinch up and agony radiate through her back. Maybe skipping two doses of the
muscle relaxers weren’t such a good idea.
    “Can you walk? Stretch those muscles out a bit?”
    “I’m not sure. But if you touch me I might scream, so where does that
leave us?”
    “Up shit creek without a paddle, but hey I’m all for improvising. How do
you want me to get you to the truck?”
    “Can you zap us there with magic?” Her attempt at humor failed miserably.
“I knew staying out for a few hours was too much to handle right now.” She bit back
the tears welling up.
    “Breathe. I’ll lift you over my shoulder and carry you to the car. I know
it’ll hurt a bit but not as much as walking. One condition, you have to take
your meds.”
    “Slave driver. You drive a hard bargain.” Mia closed
her eyes as he picked her up and gingerly carried her to the station SUV.
    “I reckon I’ve heard that a time or two before.” He spoke as she nestled
into his body heat. With each step outside, a huff of white escaped her mouth.
In front of her Ashland climbed into the backseat and shut the door.
    “She gonna be okay?”
    “Yeah, she just has some figuring out to do on her own and doesn’t like
that I didn’t give her an easy answer or easy way out of her dilemma.” Dire
cradled her with one arm while opening the passenger door.
    “Good. You know, one of these days we have to go out on a real date,
instead of spending a majority of our alone time in vehicles.”
    “I’m going to stay in bed for the next year, forget I said I was bored
earlier. I’d rather be bored than this.”
    “You stay in bed for the next eight hours and I will be at your disposal
for the next forty-eight hours. Deal?”
    “You shouldn’t make open ended deals without specifics. What if I dole
you out to all the Cheer Moms? Make you a slave for two days or make you wear a
dress and wig?”
    “I’d retaliate at the most opportune moment, sweet face. Buckle up.”
    “It’s interesting that my place is rather close to your station. I guess
your guys would be the ones to show up if I ever went up in a blaze of glory?”
Mia closed her eyes as he navigated them through the streets.
    “Yeah. I’d come for you.”
    Her insides melted into mush at his words. Time to keep
him on subject. “When a call comes in who goes where? I don’t know much
about the different trucks and teams.”
    “A standard emergency would be an ambulance, an engine and pumper. Your
car wreck had a ladder truck, rescue, pumper and ambulance. Responding to a
house fire is two pumpers, truck company , rescue,
ambulance and Battalion Chief.”
    “That is a lot. What about the crazy stuff like people
going over a bridge or a building collapsing?”
    “Everyone I just mentioned. The rescue truck holds all kinds of devices
to pull people out. I’d go in the water to save someone, over a bridge or team
up with recovery in a boat to find bodies. Not every station has a rescue team.
We’re centralized at locations that best provide quick response when needed.”
    “I’m going to need you to not scare me with stories and daring rescues
you’ve made.”
    “Deal. I’m gonna need for you to not watch the
television during a rescue if you can’t handle the situation.”
    “No deal. How can you ask me to not want an update?”
    “So you do care.” Checkmate. He’d honed in on her too deep, too soon
feelings.
    Mia clamped her lips shut and stared out the window as Dire turned on the
radio and hummed to Bing Crosby. She warred with wanting to strangle him for
his insight and kiss him for the sexiness she didn’t want to escape.
    “And we’re here.” The back door opened and Ashland was out in a flash.
Her in-law’s service car waited in the driveway.
    Mia turned to Dire. “You are too cocky for your own good.”
    A van bearing the name Debbie’s Massages pulled up next to the service
car. “I wonder what that is all about.”
    “Why don’t we