out of her apartment without Naomi spotting him. The only exits were through the bakery, and even if he made a break for it down the fire escape, the ladder dropped down right in front of Icing’s main front window.
Naomi sighed as they stepped off the bottom step. “Yeah. I promised Greta I’d bring her chocolate croissants. It totally slipped my mind until I was at the end of Main Street.”
“You should have called me,” Maddie scolded her as she hustled across the tile to flip the sign. “I could have dropped some by your house and they would have been waiting for her tomorrow morning.”
“I know.” Naomi made her way behind the counter, snagging one of the pink, to-go boxes and loading it with croissants. “But I’ve forgotten twice already. She asked me two days ago. I didn’t want to forget them again.”
Maddie nodded as she swept imaginary crumbs from a table near the door, resisting the urge to cast a glance at the stairs, praying Naomi would hit the road before Jamison was forced to come down the stairs. Surely his ten-minutes were nearly up?
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Naomi asked, lingering beside Maddie on her way to the door, the crease reappearing between her brows.
Maddie nodded a little too enthusiastically. “I’m great. Why?”
“Nothing, I guess.” Naomi shrugged and reached for the door. “See you tomorrow. Call me if you decide you want to come by for supper.”
“Will do. Bye.” Maddie hovered near the window, waiting until she was certain Naomi was in her car and pulling out onto Main Street before she turned to call up the stairs. “The coast is clear!”
Seconds later, Jamison pounded down the stairs, a wicked grin on his face.
“It isn’t funny!” Maddie said, slapping his chest as he paused to steal a quick kiss. “That was way too close. We can’t ever meet here, or anywhere else we might be caught, ever again.”
Jamison laughed, earning himself another slap before he pulled away and started for the door.
“I’m serious,” Maddie called after him. “We have to be more careful.”
Jamison turned back to her, eyes sparkling mischievously. “Or more sneaky.”
Maddie bit her lip. “I’m not good at being sneaky. Maybe we should just cool it until after the wedding, or—”
“No way am I doing without you for that long,” Jamison said, sending a thrill through Maddie despite their recent brush with discovery. “I’ll figure something out. Just relax and keep your eyes open for top secret communications.”
Maddie lifted a skeptical brow, but couldn’t help but smile. “Top secret communications? Are you going to send me smoke signals from the roof of the firehouse?”
“Something like that.” Jamison winked as he reached for the door. “Later beautiful.”
“Later,” Maddie echoed, a warm, excited feeling filling her chest. She wasn’t sure sneaking around with Jamison was good for her heart, but it sure as hell wasn’t boring.
CHAPTER TEN
Jamison
Saturday mornings had always been one of Jamison’s favorite times at the firehouse—the scent of waffles and eggs and coffee brewing, the roar of laughter and conversation as husbands and wives and extended family gathered in the break room setting up folding tables, the shouts as kids ran around playing soccer on the grass behind the station, waiting for brunch to be ready.
It was a festive time, a time to be grateful for family in all its forms—the one he was born into, and the one he’d joined when he became a member of the Summerville Fire Department.
Jamison knew his choice to leave his Atlanta Department and return to Summerville had seemed like a step backward to most of his Atlanta friends, but the SFD was home. He’d grown up in this firehouse, and kissed his first girlfriend before a brunch very similar to the one he was helping to cook today. He treasured the chance to grow older in a place that felt so right and, best of all, to watch his brother hold his baby girl
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