Why? You want to come? Her cheeks burned pink, and then I realized what I’d said and quickly added: Me: Watch me chop wood? Off-limits: What’s the going rate? I don’t have much money. My boss is a cheapskate. Me: I hear he’s a real hero. Took you in. Offered you a job. A place to stay. Even played firefighter. She batted her eyelashes and took a step closer, then glanced down at the phone. Off-limits: A shirtless firefighter who moonlights as a lumberjack. My teenage self would never believe her fantasy has mostly come to life.
