Free Fanning the Flames (Romance Firemen Series) by Amanda Perry Page A

Brendan follow, gasping for breath. He landed a few moments later, with a sickening crack.
    “Aah!” he yelled, followed by a stream of profanities as he gingerly touched his right ankle. Cassie staggered forward to support him, pulling his arm around her shoulders. Together they limped from 75 Louisburg Drive, heading across the street to safety.
    Minutes later, the street was full of fire trucks dousing the building with powerful jets of water. Brendan joked with the paramedics as they strapped ice packs to his ankle but his eyes never left Cassie.
    They were both checked for other injuries, the paramedics cleaning their bruises and telling them to stop chattering and keep their oxygen masks on.
    “What were you doing there?” Cassie asked as they sat in the back of the ambulance. “I thought you’d gone to work.”
    “That was the plan,” he said. “I drove away, but then I had a bad feeling about leaving you alone. I came back, and thought I’d just wait at the corner until I saw you come out safely.
    But then I saw Anderson drive off. I thought that was strange that he’d leave you there alone.  Then I saw Nick drive out and I got really suspicious.”
    He smiled ruefully, “And I really wanted to have a chat with him about his manners. I tried to flag him down and he nearly ran me over. Then I saw the smoke, and the rest, including my broken ankle, is history."
    Cassie looked down, “I’m sorry to be so much trouble.”
    “It’s all worth it” Brendan smiled and gently titled her head to look at him, “I’ll do anything for good chicken parmesan.”
    Cassie smiled and looked down at his ankle.
    “How do you know it’s broken?” she asked, teasing. “Isn’t it traditional to have an x-ray to figure that out?”
    “You’re quite right,” Brendan said, grinning. “But it must be broken. I would never perform a heroic rescue and come out of it with just a sprain for my trouble. Sprains are for wimps.”
    Cassie and Brendan were released from the hospital later that day, with a dozen stitches between them and a plaster cast on Brendan’s ankle. The break was a simple fracture, and he was expected to heal cleanly and completely within six weeks.
    “I haven’t said thank you yet,” he said that evening, supervising Cassie’s first attempt at making strong, sweet, rum-laced tea.
    “What for?” she asked, dropping a teabag into the pot.
    “For getting me out of work for six weeks," he said, smiling at her.
    “You’re welcome,” she replied, adding another teabag and pouring hot water over them. “But shouldn’t I be thanking you for, you know, getting me out of a burning building? Saving my life?”
    He appeared to give the matter some thought, then shook his head. “Nah,” he said. “That's way less important than six weeks of not having to deal with people who can’t work  toasters without burning down kitchens.”
    He hopped over to stand behind her and leaned one of his crutches against the counter, freeing his arm to wind it around her waist.
    “I’m glad you’re safe,” he whispered, serious. “When I saw that fire, I was worried I was too late.”
    “I’m just glad he’s been caught,” Cassie said with a shudder. It hadn’t taken the police long to catch up with Nick. One phone call to his father had stopped his access to any of the Mandeville assets, and his distinctive Town Car had been easy for the patrol cars to spot. 
    Cassie splashed a liberal dose of rum into each mug, stirred in two heaping spoonfuls of sugar, and carried them to the living room. She and Brendan curled up together on the couch.
    “Do you have enough pillows under your ankle?” she asked. “Is there anything else you need?”
    “I’m great,” he said, putting his arm around her. “And lucky to have such a capable nurse. Especially at such a reasonable cost. There aren’t many nurses these days who will work for just room and board.”
    “You’re honestly okay with me staying here