I grin. “We’ll let you turn on the siren.”
Elijah’s eyes light up at that, and Bowen takes him around to the front door, letting him climb in along with all his little friends, who are asking him about his dad and the firetruck.
Will and Bowen are big kids themselves, who have a blast showing the kids all our equipment, and I hang back a little bit, making sure every kid gets a turn. But I can sense him before I even see Spencer when he comes up next to me.
“Mr. Bell,” I say in greeting.
“Mr. Mitchell. Elijah was pretty excited about today. It was what he shared in our morning meeting.”
I’m stunned and turn to face Spencer to make sure he isn’t messing with me. “Really?”
He looks slightly taken aback, probably not sure why I had such a profound reaction, but I didn’t know he was excited at all. I told him Bowen and I would be at his school today beforeI dropped him off, but he didn’t show any hint of joy. “Yes,” he says carefully. “Why wouldn’t he be?”
It’s hard to face how my accident changed our lives, and suddenly, a wave of vulnerability takes over, making me look away from Spencer. The guy hates me. I’m not sure why he’s even talking to me in the first place. “He just...” I see Elijah holding his little plastic helmet on his head with one hand and showing his friends all the buttons on the dash of the truck, making me smile. “He doesn’t like to talk about my job very much these days.”
“Maybe not to you, but I hear him talking to his friends about it a lot.” He’s quiet for a moment and then adds, “All positive.”
I turn to look at him, that vulnerable feeling not going away. “Really?”
He looks conflicted, like he wants to be anywhere but here, but he nods his head. “Yes, really. I know your accident scared him, but he’s proud of you, Kade.”
I swallow hard, the lump in my throat prominent as I look back toward my son. “I wish I could change that day.”
“You made it,” he says kindly, and I nod my head, the lump in my throat growing.
“He shouldn’t have seen me like that. He shouldn’t have been afraid for my life all day. It’s the one thing I’d change if I could.”
And why I’m being so open and honest, I’m not sure, but I’ll never stop being angry at myself for hurting my kid in that way.
“It takes time to heal,” Spencer says softly. “He will.”
“Aw, does this mean you two are friends now?” Bowen comes out of nowhere, wrapping his arms around both our shoulders.
I could kill him, but one look over at Spencer tells me I won’t have to because he’s definitely contemplating ways to do just that. “Go away,” I say, and Bowen just laughs, releasing us.
“Come on, little brother. Your kid is requesting you.”
Damn, if that doesn’t make me light up and start in that direction. Before I get too far away though, I turn and look at Spencer, giving him a quick nod to thank him.
I get a small, tight smile in return.
And I take it as a win because maybe we really can be friends someday. I don’t know why it matters to me, but it does. I realize I want that.
Badly.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Phew, those men are just insanely beautiful,” Janelle says, waving a hand in front of her face—again with absolutely no shame.
“We’re at school,” I remind her as she drools over the firemen, who are currently still entertaining the kids with a tour of the truck.
“Don’t worry, Spencer. We still think you’re hot,” Shannon—or Ms. Spangler, a kindergarten teacher—says, bumping my arm playfully.
“Yeah, but we can’t ogle you too openly,” Janelle says. “That would be inappropriate.”
Shannon cackles, and I roll my eyes but can’t not smile. “You two are shameless.”
“Hey, I’m just looking for a husband. I’m getting close to thirty.”
