Coffee With You: Small Town Romance

Chapter One

**Not edited or proofread!**

Drew

"Got one for you!" Alan shouted down to me. Alan was our fire chief, and since we lived in a tiny town, he fielded all of our calls, assigning them as needed. He peeked around the corner of his office. "You'll probably need the ladder. Lady called about a cat in a tree." He rattled off the address to Grayson's place, which surprised me. Farrah didn't seem like the type to call the fire department if a cat got stuck in the tree. She'd be hounding her husband.

But I couldn't deny my amusement. Of course, a cat got stuck in a tree. Since the barn fires had died down over a year ago, things for the fire department had been pretty silent. We rarely ever received calls anymore, and if we did, it was usually just because a control burn had gotten a little bit out of hand, and that was mostly just in February and March.

"On it," I told him, heading over to the fire truck. After hefting myself inside, I headed out, counting down the hours until my forty-eight-hour shift was over. I loved my job, don't get me wrong, but these long shifts were killer.

"Ready to rescue a cat?" Vinnie asked me.

I snorted, letting that be my answer.

~*~*~

When I pulled up to the farm, it wasn't Farrah standing there like I'd sort of been expecting. Instead, it was a bombshell of a woman that I hadn't seen before. She was beautiful—freaking stunning. Long, blonde hair cascaded down her back. She was slender, yet curvy in all the perfect places. And those legs were long, making her a bit taller than most other women.

And when she turned those stunning, gray eyes on me when I hopped out of the truck, I was a goner. "Oh, thank God," she exclaimed. "Bax ran up that tree. He's never been outside before, and I'm sure he got spooked by the horses inside the stables—"

"Easy now," I told her as Hale began to getting things prepped. "We'll get him down, alright?" Poor woman was panicking, and that was the last thing I needed and wanted. I held my hand out to her, hopng to distract her. "My name is Drew Lee. Grew up here and have lived here all my life. What about you?"

She nervously licked her lips, distracting me for a moment. She had to be ten years younger than me at least. Heck, if she went to college, she looked fresh out of it. But I wouldn't deny that I was insanely attracted to her.

"Kaecee Jefferson," she told me. Her eyes glanced at Bax. The cat hadn't moved. He was still weakly meowing and clinging to the limb he had gotten himself on. "Farrah just hired me as a part-time veterinarian, and she and her husband are renting out the loft above their barn to me. I think I must have left the door open . . ."

So, distraction wasn't going to work. I gently squeezed her hand that I realized I still hadn't released. "Just breathe," I told her. "Give me a few minutes," I said, glancing over at Vinnie who had everything ready, "and I'll have your baby down to you."

She nodded. When I reluctantly released her hand, she wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes moving back towards Bax. Blowing out a soft breath, I headed towards the truck, nodding once at Vinnie to let him know I was ready.

A few minutes later, just as promised, I had Bax safely tucked in Kaecee's arms. She breathed a sigh of relief, holding him close to her. The cat snuggled in as if he hadn't just been trapped in a tree moments before.

Animals were strange beings, I tell you.

"So, I rescued your cat," I said, taking a shot in the dark. I couldn't let an opportunity or a woman like this pass me by. Something about her called to me, and I wanted to explore it. "What do you say to dinner?"

Her wide, gray eyes snapped up to mine. Shock resided there. I grinned at her and shoved my hands in my pockets, rocking back on my heels, waiting for her answer. Most men in this town knew what they wanted and went for it. I was no exception.

I could hear the sound of Grayson's ATV rushing up the hill towards us, but I kept my eyes on hers, wanting to know her answer.

"I, um, y-yes," she managed to get out before she turned on her heel, scurrying towards the barn.

My grin widened. She was so freaking adorable.

"I'll pick you up Friday at seven!" I called after her.

She disappeared up the stairs just as Grayson came to a stop in front of me. He rested his forearms on the handle bars. "You harassing my tenant?"

I snorted, looking down at him. "She needed help rescuing her cat from the tree." I jerked my thumb over my shoulder to the tree that was set a few yards off from the barn.

He laughed and shook his head. "She's got a lot of adjusting to do to this place, and unfortunately, so does that cat."

I grinned. "'I'll help get her adjusted, Grayson. No need to worry about that."

He barked out a laugh. "Just know if you hurt her, you've got my wife to deal with. Those two have already bonded."

I grimaced. Farrah was definitely something to be feared. The woman was fierce and more terrifying than most men I knew.

Grayson was laughing again. "Judging by the look on your face, you'll tread carefully."

With that, he started up his ATV and headed back down to the field he'd come out of.

I glanced up at the window, and I caught Kaecee peeking out at me through her curtain. I waved at her, and I got the enjoyment of her cheeks flushing red before she ducked out of the way.

Beautiful.