A Promise Worth Honoring (Promises Collection) Read Free Page B

job.”
    “Firefighting is not your job. At least, it doesn’t have to be. Not if you don’t really want it. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
    His muscles knotted at his shoulder, then rippled all the way to his fingertips until he clutched dirt. “Firefighting is what I’ve been groomed for, like your beauty pageants. We both do what’s expected. You work the pageant circuit for your mom’s sake and I uphold family tradition. Nothing will stop family custom.”
    “But the pageants are fun. They’re a means to my long-term goal to travel Europe. You’re practically in agony just contemplating going under an open porch when you could do something else for a living.”
    The only other thing he excelled at was refurbishing old fire trucks. More of a hobby than a job. With a hearty exhale, he flopped onto his belly and used his elbow to pull forward. He wanted so badly to be the man she deserved, to be a town hero like Dane, but all he did was shake his head and contemplate how his stocky shoulders could squeeze through the crisscrossed supports.
    Maggie crawled forward, the length of her body and legs brushing up against his until her back pockets were at his eye level. In about thirty seconds, she grabbed the ring, then scooted backward between two piers. “Ouch.”
    His stomach wrenched and he jolted, his head smacking a crossbeam. Their bodies pressed together, her thighs were at his shoulder, and her ass straight below his chin. “What’s wrong?”
    “I—I can’t move. Something is holding me near my pants zipper, so I can’t back out. You’ll have to slip your hand under and unhook me.”
    He shuddered and purposefully knocked his forehead on the closest beam to regain composure. There was at least a two-inch clearance between the concrete piers. Whatever held her wasn’t part of the deck, but below ground. “Just relax. I’ll get you free.” With his torso propped on his left elbow, he ran his right hand up the outside of her thigh and let his fingertips feel for wire or rebar.
    She jerked and giggled.
    Her movement caused a web of dust to stick to the perspiration on his forehead, though the temperature under the shaded porch neared sixty degrees. “What’s wrong? Why are you laughing?”
    “That tickles. Hurry up before Mrs. Deter thinks we’re messing around down here.”
    His face heated. Other places heated too, but he told himself she was his friend and hadn’t meant to imply she wanted more from him. Took him several seconds, however, to swallow the pulse lodged in his throat. He slid his hand under her waist. God, help him. “Yep. Rebar hung up on your belt loop.”
    Freed, she squirmed out until she rolled onto her back beside him and opened her hand to reveal the platinum band encircled with rectangular inset diamonds. “See, we make a good team.”
    On her back, snuggled against his side, like they’d done as kids in his backyard waiting for shooting stars, she gazed at him like he was her world. His heart punched at his chest.
    Maggie placed the ring in his hand. “Given enough time, I have faith that together we can conquer anything.”
    He lowered his gaze to where her teeth embedded into her lip, thought about kissing the woman he’d known his entire life. Mr. Deter’s advice resonated true. Garrett needed to visualize his future with Maggie as more than just his friend. Beginning with him becoming her dance partner. “I’ll do it. Dance with you at your pageant.”
    She leaned in and her lips brushed his, tempting him to shimmy closer. “Don’t be afraid to get close.”
    His breath eased out and he twined his legs with hers, thought about how the pigtailed ten-year-old had transformed into a beauty queen, now safely tucked into his arms. “I thought we had a dance class?”
    She murmured into his mouth, “Class doesn’t begin for half an hour.”
    He tasted her smile, tasted sunshine on a stormy night. The way his body tingled from her chest and tummy