Taking a Chance on the Fireman
Young widow Megan Rocklin is trying hard to pick up the pieces. A year after her fireman husbandâs death, she has managed to keep the family diner going and tend to her two active children, June and Caleb. Sheâs sure thatâs all she can handleâand then Jared Marshall asks Megan to cater the meals for his hotshot crew. With his rugged good looks, the new fire management officer for Minoa, Nevada, turns many headsâbut his heart lands straight on Megan. Sheâs promised herself sheâll never date another firefighter. But determined Jared refuses to give up on the family meant to be hisâ¦
Maybe now was the time to be honest with him.
âIâve promised never to love someone that fights fires or works in a dangerous profession again. Itâs nothing personal, Jared. But I just canât go through the pain of losing someone again.â
It was better this way. Better for Jared, too.
So, why did she suddenly feel so lost and forlorn?
He went very still. âAnd that includes me?â
She looked down and swallowed hard. She didnât answer. She didnât need to.
âWell, at least youâre being honest with me,â he said.
She looked up. âIâm sorry, Jared. I donât mean to hurt your feelings. Itâs just that Iâve got two kids to worry about. Iâve got to put their needs first.â
His eyes crinkled in a smile of understanding, but she saw the pain in his eyes. âBelieve me, I get it. But Iâm not convinced Iâm bad for you and those kids. Iâm good for you, lady. You just canât see it, yet. And Iâm going to try my hardest to convince you that you need me.â
Chapter One
âOrder up!â Megan Rocklin slid a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns beneath the warming lamp. As she wiped her damp hands on a clean dish towel, she took a quick glance at the tables in the diner. All but two were full, and the place buzzed with the happy chatter of satisfied customers. Not bad, considering she owned the only restaurant in town. If only it were this busy every other day of the week, she could pay off a few bills and breathe a bit easier.
Turning back to the grill, she picked up a spatula and flipped a series of pancakes. The air smelled of breakfast, warm and nice. It was her favorite part of the day. But she still needed to slice vegetables and fruit for the afternoon salad bar.
She slid open the glass pane of the window and welcomed the gush of fresh April air. Blazing sunshine taunted her. Sheâd like nothing more than to close up the diner, load her two kids and a picnic lunch into their rusty old truck and drive the twenty miles to Duck Creek Park. But taking a day off work was a luxury she couldnât afford right now. Sheâd graduated from one of the top culinary schools in the nation, and look where sheâd ended up. Living in the small, remote town of Minoa, Nevada.
Speaking of which. Where was Frank? The cookâs ten-minute break should have ended five minutes ago.
Megan tossed an irritated glance toward the back door. No doubt he was outside in the alleyway, puffing on a cigarette. She wouldnât complain, though. Frank worked long hours without protest. A good, solid employee. She was just tired and grouchy, thatâs all.
She forked a giant ham steak off the grill, slapped some eggs over easy and thick fries on the side, and garnished the plate with a slice of orange. Through the cutout window to the restaurant, she caught a glimpse of Connie racing back and forth to take orders, shuffle food and refill drinks. Megan should be out there helping her.
Blinking her gritty eyes, she gave the pancakes another flip. From all outward appearances, she didnât miss a beat. But inwardly, her arms and legs felt like leaden weights. She hadnât slept well the night before. In fact, she rarely slept through the night these days. Not since Blaineâs death last summer. And boy! Did she ever miss him today.
âSo, what have we got?â Frank lumbered into the kitchen, a burly man of forty-eight years. Pulling his chefâs hat onto his balding head, he gave a deep, hacking cough. At least he covered his mouth. An invisible fog of cigarette smoke seemed to follow him as he stepped over to the double ovens. Megan hid a grimace.