Read Online Hope Falls: Hearts Afire (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Julie Prestsater - Free Book Online
Authors: Julie Prestsater
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continued, “but my dad didn’t stick around. He left when I was little and never came back. My brother left to Utah, and Brendan was so in awe of my brother that he left too.”
“Your dad was a firefighter?”
“Yes. And small town life was too boring for him.”
“And your brother is still in Utah?”
“Oh no. He came back to be closer to my mom, but that dumbass did go back to Utah when things got tough with his girlfriend.”
“So that’s where he is? Utah?”
“No. He came back for Lizzy. They’re married now.”
“And your boyfriend left?”
“He’s not my boyfriend anymore. He broke up with me before he joined a hotshot team.”
God, she sounded so lame. Saying it aloud made her feel even more stupid than she felt when it all happened. More stupid than she felt when her dad, her brother, and Brendan had all left. She felt like she wasn’t worth anyone’s time. She wasn’t worth staying for.
Without warning, Casey put his arm around her and pulled her to his side as they kept walking. “I’m sorry, Katie. Despite what you might think, not all firefighters are action chasers. Some of us love our small town fires, and our small town friends and family. Don’t swear off firefighters; don’t swear off anyone. Eventually you’re going to find the right guy.” He squeezed her shoulder and held her even closer to him. “And he’s going to stick around. The thought of him leaving you would make him sick to his stomach and being with you would be what he desired more than anything.” He released her and ruffled her hair. “You’ll find him someday, Katie.”
If it weren’t for the cold, Katie would have cried right then, but she was sure her tear ducts were frozen. She tried to swallow the emotions that were stuck in her throat. Casey would never know what those words had meant to her. He didn’t make her worries, her fears, or her feelings seem insignificant. He validated them and made her feel like it was okay to feel what she did.
With both arms, she reached around his waist and gave Casey a hug. “Thank you,” she said. “Now it’s your turn.”
CASEY
He was losing his goddamn mind. Casey had no idea what the hell possessed him to pull Katie into a hug and tell her she’d find her Mr. Right someday. For the first time, he completely understood where she was coming from with her children’s books. She was writing from her own experience, hoping to help kids get through what she hadn’t been able to. But dammit, he hated that she felt like she wasn’t worth sticking around for. He knew better than anyone how it felt to be abandoned by a parent. Her dad had no idea how it would haunt her for the rest of her life. Every time some asshole like Brendan broke up with her, she would just chock it up as one more time she wasn’t worth someone’s time. Hell, she was worth it. She was completely lovable. She needed to know that.
When she hugged him back, he could feel that the weight of his words meant something to her. He hoped like hell she believed them.
“Now it’s your turn,” she said as she dropped her arm from his side.
He did the same, letting her go. Instantly, he felt a chill come over him. He wondered if it was the weather or something else. He’d just stick that idea to the back of his mind. Casey didn’t need to remind himself that she was his friend and nothing more.
Wanting to distract himself from his very active imagination, Casey spoke up. “Lay it on me, Kay. What’s your question?”
“Why are you afraid of being in a committed relationship?”
That was not the question he had anticipated. In all honesty, he had no idea what to expect, but that wasn’t it. He looked over at Katie and she was smiling widely again. Rolling his eyes at her, he shook his head.
“Who has been filling your head with stories?” he asked her.
She chuckled before answering. “Sue Ann.”
They both laughed. That woman was going to be the death of him. If not
“Your dad was a firefighter?”
“Yes. And small town life was too boring for him.”
“And your brother is still in Utah?”
“Oh no. He came back to be closer to my mom, but that dumbass did go back to Utah when things got tough with his girlfriend.”
“So that’s where he is? Utah?”
“No. He came back for Lizzy. They’re married now.”
“And your boyfriend left?”
“He’s not my boyfriend anymore. He broke up with me before he joined a hotshot team.”
God, she sounded so lame. Saying it aloud made her feel even more stupid than she felt when it all happened. More stupid than she felt when her dad, her brother, and Brendan had all left. She felt like she wasn’t worth anyone’s time. She wasn’t worth staying for.
Without warning, Casey put his arm around her and pulled her to his side as they kept walking. “I’m sorry, Katie. Despite what you might think, not all firefighters are action chasers. Some of us love our small town fires, and our small town friends and family. Don’t swear off firefighters; don’t swear off anyone. Eventually you’re going to find the right guy.” He squeezed her shoulder and held her even closer to him. “And he’s going to stick around. The thought of him leaving you would make him sick to his stomach and being with you would be what he desired more than anything.” He released her and ruffled her hair. “You’ll find him someday, Katie.”
If it weren’t for the cold, Katie would have cried right then, but she was sure her tear ducts were frozen. She tried to swallow the emotions that were stuck in her throat. Casey would never know what those words had meant to her. He didn’t make her worries, her fears, or her feelings seem insignificant. He validated them and made her feel like it was okay to feel what she did.
With both arms, she reached around his waist and gave Casey a hug. “Thank you,” she said. “Now it’s your turn.”
CASEY
He was losing his goddamn mind. Casey had no idea what the hell possessed him to pull Katie into a hug and tell her she’d find her Mr. Right someday. For the first time, he completely understood where she was coming from with her children’s books. She was writing from her own experience, hoping to help kids get through what she hadn’t been able to. But dammit, he hated that she felt like she wasn’t worth sticking around for. He knew better than anyone how it felt to be abandoned by a parent. Her dad had no idea how it would haunt her for the rest of her life. Every time some asshole like Brendan broke up with her, she would just chock it up as one more time she wasn’t worth someone’s time. Hell, she was worth it. She was completely lovable. She needed to know that.
When she hugged him back, he could feel that the weight of his words meant something to her. He hoped like hell she believed them.
“Now it’s your turn,” she said as she dropped her arm from his side.
He did the same, letting her go. Instantly, he felt a chill come over him. He wondered if it was the weather or something else. He’d just stick that idea to the back of his mind. Casey didn’t need to remind himself that she was his friend and nothing more.
Wanting to distract himself from his very active imagination, Casey spoke up. “Lay it on me, Kay. What’s your question?”
“Why are you afraid of being in a committed relationship?”
That was not the question he had anticipated. In all honesty, he had no idea what to expect, but that wasn’t it. He looked over at Katie and she was smiling widely again. Rolling his eyes at her, he shook his head.
“Who has been filling your head with stories?” he asked her.
She chuckled before answering. “Sue Ann.”
They both laughed. That woman was going to be the death of him. If not
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