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known Ken long enough for that,” she pointed out. “He strikes me as a guy used to taking care of himself. I doubt he’s in the habit of calling to tell someone he is okay, either.”
    Well, when put that way, I kind of felt like an ass. Amy was right. I didn’t know Kennedy, not intimately, and certainly not enough to stand here and twist myself into knots over something so innocuous.
    “Besides, you’re missing one important fact here.”
    Shutting off the water, I accepted the towel she offered me and dried my hands. “And what’s that?”
    Her smile was full of big sister know-it-all attitude. “Firefighters do a whole hell of a lot more than fight fires, that’s what.”
    Setting the now damp towel aside, I frowned. “What do you mean, that’s not all they do?” Even as the question crossed my lips, I recalled the way Kennedy had taken care of me. He knew exactly what he was doing. A tiny shiver traced down my spine remembering the feel of his hands on my body, how expertly he handled me, turning what had been an embarrassing and painful moment into a fantasy that followed me home and into my dreams later that night.
    “Of course, that’s not all they do. Firefighters are at every call. Haven’t you seen the ambulances and the fire trucks together before? Or the fire trucks and the police cars? I’m not claiming to be an expert here, but I’m pretty sure they are what you call first responders. They know and do a heck of a lot more than just putting out fires, Abs.”
    Throwing the towel on the counter, I leaned back and sighed. “Yeah, I guess. It’s just that…” I trailed off, unsure of what to say. I wasn’t normally the wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve type of girl.
    “Just that you were hoping he would be here,” Amy finished for me. I nodded and she smiled warmly. “I’m sure he would have been here if he could have. He really likes you.”
    My heart gave a little flutter. “Oh yeah? And how would you know that?”
    “Doug,” Amy said simply. “He had an appointment with Ken last week and apparently you’re all he could talk about. Doug’s words, not mine.”
    I perked up at this news, feeling a thrill of excitement to hear that Kennedy had been thinking of me, had been interested enough to ask anything about me. “What did he say?”
    Amy’s shoulders lifted and fell. “I’m not sure. Doug was pretty tight-lipped. All he said was Ken asked a lot of questions and he had to keep redirecting him back to business.”
    My mind scrambled for topics he may have touched on. What could he want to know about me? If I had kids? Ever been married? I also began to wonder what I might have overlooked asking him .
    “How did your date go?” Amy asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
    “Good,” I said vaguely. “We went to a hockey game and I ate my weight in carbs.” She gave me one of her brilliant smiles. I chewed my lip, preparing to tell her the biggest news. “And we kinda got together for a second date yesterday.”
    “Shut. Up!” Amy yelled, punctuating her words with a swift punch in my upper arm.
    “Damn, Amy!” I grimaced, rubbing the sort spot. That was going to bruise.
    “Sorry. This is so exciting, though! Does this mean you like him?”
    “Yeah,” I said looking away. “I like him.”
    The next thing I knew, Amy’s arms were wrapped tight around me. “Oh, Abby, I’m so happy for you!”
    The thing about me, I’ve never been much of a hugger. Not that I shun human contact or anything, but hugging was a little more intimate than I preferred in general, everyday situations. I reserved the act for meaningful moments, like saying goodbye, or life and death moments. Patting Amy briefly on the back, I pulled away and cleared my throat. “Thanks, but let’s not get carried away. It was just a date. He didn’t ask me to marry him.”
    “But he could,” Amy pointed out, her eyes gleaming. “This is how it all starts, Abs. First, the date, followed by another date, and