Free Too Near the Fire by Lindsay McKenna Page A

yourself. You let me worry about rating your abilities. If I say you did a good job, just say thanks.” He tapped her arm gently. “I’m finding out you have one hell of a time taking a compliment. You take an insult much easier.”
    She eyed him suspiciously. “I always look a gift horse in the mouth. Particularly when it’s a man giving me the compliment.”
    “Not every male has an ulterior motive, Leah.”
    Her mouth stretched into a grin. “Oh?”
    His eyes danced with silent laughter. “Well, maybe some have positive ulterior motives instead of negative ones.”
    “I can buy that.”
    He resumed his paperwork and she got up to pull down two mugs from the pegboard behind the sink. “Want coffee?” she asked.
    “Please.”
    Leah returned to her chair, sipping the hot black liquid. It startled her how comfortable she felt around Gil. His easygoing nature had made all the difference in the world for her at the fire station. What would she have done if she hadn’t found someone like him here? Could she have endured the loneliness?
    “Here, this just came off the mimeograph,” he said, handing her a flier.
    Leah read it. “A department picnic next Sunday?”
    “Yup. The chief throws it once a year. All the fire fighters and their families get together over at the local park. It ought to be a lot of fun. There’s swimming in the lake, softball, sack races for the kids, and good food.”
    She glanced at him. “I haven’t met a male fire fighter yet who didn’t think of his stomach first.”
    Gil smiled. “Listen, lady, being a bachelor now is hell on my digestive system. I get lucky when you cook here or when one of the wives takes pity on us and brings a home-cooked meal to the station. This picnic is a chance to get some more of that good food.”
    Leah rolled her eyes. “You are so typically male!”
    He joined her laughter. “If there are any leftovers from tonight’s meal, can I take them home in a doggy bag? It’s better than pulling out another frozen dinner on my day off.”
    She stared at him in disbelief. “You can’t be serious!”
    He shrugged. “Well, it’s either that or just flat out ask you to invite me over for dinner some night.”
    “And here I was feeling sorry for you. Just an elaborate trick to get an invitation.”
    Gil rose, shuffling the finished paperwork together. “I could be cruel and invite you over to my house for beans and wieners. Then you’d make sure to invite me for dinner next time.”
    A new joyous feeling enveloped her as she sat looking up at him. He had such a mobile, expressive face when he allowed that official mask to drop away. Leah held his gaze.
    “Well?” he prodded.
    “What?”
    “Do I get the invitation?”
    “Why don’t you reserve your options until after this meal,” she teased. “Like Duke says, I could poison you all.”
    “Apache does a good job of that,” he countered with feeling. “I for one am glad to see a woman in the kitchen here. At least we eat decently when you draw the low card in the deck.”
    She stood and pushed her chair back up to the table. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re going to try and rig the deck to make sure I cook most of the time?”
    He tossed a smile over his shoulder as he walked out. “I wouldn’t do anything like that.”
    “Bet me,” she said under her breath, smiling.
    * * *
    Near six p.m. the men ambled into the kitchen, as if some silent cue for dinner had been given. The pot roast smelled delicious as she took it out of the oven. Apache came near, looking over her shoulder as she spooned the tender potatoes, carrots, celery and onions into another bowl.
    “Damn, that smells good!”
    She felt her hopes rise. Gil sauntered in and drew out a chair for her. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed, but no one was saying anything. Tonight the fire fighters were interested in getting their fair share of the food.
    Afterward she served chocolate cake and freshly brewed coffee. Apache’s eyes