Firefighter Tanner Hall is used to running into burning buildings and risking his life to save others. It's just another day of work for the father of two. But when he gets a call from the San Diego zoo about an animal attack, he has no idea what he...
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"So, what time do you want to come over?" Clara chirps on the other end of the line. "I've got four bottles of wine, the charcuterie board of your dreams, and Bridgeton starts at nine."
Since I moved to San Diego, this has been my Friday night tradition—getting wine drunk with my sister, eating our favorite snacks, and watching whatever TV show is our latest obsession. Usually, getting to spend time with Clara and her picture-perfect family is the highlight of my week, but tonight, I've got other plans.
Plans with Tanner Hall, the smoking hot firefighter. The insanely charming and irresistible firefighter. The firefighter who has been on my mind nearly every second since he left yesterday. It's like every bit of rationale I have evaporates where he's concerned, and he's all I can think about. The deep baritone of his voice. The daring, come- here-baby look in his eye. His smile nearly brings me to my knees.
Just a week ago, I was happy on my own. I was content keeping everyone at arm's length and never letting anyone close enough to hurt me again. Dating wasn't even on my radar, and then Tanner showed up, and all bets were off. I'd like to think I'm not one to fall so hard and so fast, but with him, I'm spiraling, and somehow, it doesn't worry me. In fact, I love it. It's been a long time since I've felt the fluttering of butterflies in my stomach or the first date excitement like I do tonight as I wait for him to pick me up.
Somehow, in the last week, I've felt more like my old self than I have in months, and I don't think that's just a coincidence. It's small, but even giving myself permission to go with Tanner tonight feels like a huge step forward.
"Actually, Clar—"
She immediately cuts me off. "Oh no. You're not about to cancel on me. Zoe, come on! I even convinced Drew to take Rosie to a movie, so we have the house to ourselves."
"Clara, I'm sorry! I wouldn't cancel unless I had a really good reason, you know that."
"Yeah, well, it better be a damn good one," she grumbles. "What could possibly be more important than this?"
"I have a date."
There's complete silence on the other end of the phone. Did she hear me? Did we get disconnected?
"Clara?"
"I'm sorry. I must have heard you wrong. I thought you just said you had a date."
I press my lips together into a wry smile. I haven't made any effort to hide my stance on dating, and Clara is well aware of it, but it hasn't stopped my overbearing sister and her husband from playing matchmaker—very unsuccessfully. Since my breakup with Zane, she's insisted that the best way to move on is to jump right back into the saddle. And that might have worked if this had just been any normal breakup. It wasn't, though. It was a called-off engagement that happened two weeks before the wedding because I found out my fiancé had an entirely different family back home in Idaho. A wife, who he was still very much married to, and two kids he never once mentioned.
