Read Online A Special Kind of Love by Tamara Hoffa - Free Book Online

fire station anyway, do you want to take a quick tour while
we’re here, Aaron?”
    “Yeah!” Aaron exclaimed. “Awesome.”
    They
walked the short distance to the fire station and Tanner led them inside. To
the left of the entrance was a small office with windows overlooking the bays
that housed the fire trucks. Tanner leaned the chairs against
the wall and dug in his pocket for his keys. He opened the door and ushered
them in.
    “This
is my office.”
    Sharon
looked around. The space was simple, but comfortable looking. A small oak desk
sat facing the windows. Photos, plaques and awards lined the wall behind the
desk and a small sofa sat off to the right. Sharon walked over to the
photographs and zeroed in on the one of Tanner, resplendent in his dress
uniform, shaking hands with some dignitary or another. Man, he is handsome in his uniform.
    Sharon
looked up at Tanner and smiled.
    “It’s
a lovely office.”
    “Thanks,
we’re a small station, but I’m really proud of all we’ve accomplished.” He
clapped a hand unto Aaron’s shoulder. “Are you ready to see the rest of the
place?”
    Aaron
nodded. “Oh yeah. Can we go see the fire trucks?”
    “You betcha .”
    They
entered the large bay and walked over to the big red engine. Tanner opened the
driver’s door.
    “Climb
in big guy, and you can get the view from the cab.”
    “Really? I can go inside?”
    “Sure,
take a look.”
    Aaron
clambered inside and Tanner leaned in the open doorway. He pointed out all the
controls. He showed Aaron how to operate the lights and sirens, though he made
sure not to turn the sirens on. He pointed out the controls for extending the
stabilizers and the ladder extension.
    Sharon
stood off to the side and watched Tanner interact with her son. Aaron’s eyes
were glowing like stars in a night sky. Tanner seemed to be enjoying sharing
his passion with her son. Her heart swelled and she fell just a little bit more
for the man who seemed to be stealing her heart a little piece at a time.
    “Aren’t
you scared of the fires?” Aaron asked.
    “Fire
is very dangerous. But I have special equipment I wear to protect me from the
heat and smoke, and I am always very careful. We have radios and we talk to
each other all the time. We even have sensors on our uniforms that will send
out an alarm if we stop moving for too long. That way, my friends will know if
I’m in trouble.”
    “I
know all that. But that’s not what I asked. Don’t you get scared?”
    Tanner
crossed his arms and stared at Aaron, his face serious.
    “When
I’m fighting a fire, usually I have so much adrenaline running through my
system I don’t have time to be scared. I am thinking about what I need to be
doing and about the people I’m helping. After the fire is over, sometimes I am
scared. I think about all the things that could have happened.”
    Sharon
raised an eyebrow. She was surprised to hear Tanner acknowledge his fears. She
would have expected a macho fireman to bluster with bravado and swagger. Tanner
seemed to surprise her at every turn.
    Sharon
glanced at her watch and was shocked to see how long they had been looking over
the fire station.
    “It’s
getting late. We better head over to the dance or we’re going to miss all the
fun.”
    “Wow,
you’re right. Are you ready to go, Aaron?”
    “Yeah. Thanks for showing me the fire truck.
It’s really neat. Can I come back some other time?”
    “Sure.
Maybe after our next riding lesson we can all go to lunch and then come and
visit again?”
    Sharon
smiled. Tricky bastard. That is one sneaky way to get a second date.
    Tanner
once again swung his arm over her shoulders, and she had to admit, she really
liked the feeling. He made her feel safe and protected. Important. It was a great feeling.
    Aaron
climbed out of the truck cab and ambled toward them.
    “Where
is the dance? Are we going to walk or do we have to drive?”
    “It’s
only a couple of blocks away, over at the community center.