month, and Zoey was getting stir crazy. Living with her mother wasn’t horrible, it just wasn’t what she wanted. The insurance adjusters had finally come to a settlement and paid out her fire claim. Unfortunately, there was nothing left of the tiny shop. She was going to have to rebuild from scratch.
Zoey was grateful the fire department had spared the nearby stores. They’d only suffered minimal damage from smoke and water. But in a few weeks, they would be back open for business—while her place remained closed.
Dawson was attentive as ever. They saw each other every day unless he was at the firehouse. Even then, they texted or Face Timed each other.
Zoey smiled, thinking about their call this morning. Dawson was at the station, and he’d called and woken her up with a serenade. Every day she learned something new about him—like how he had a sexy voice to match his rocking body. The crew had been in the background, singing right along with him. Her mind drifted off, recalling the way he sounded as he sang.
“Good morning, baby.”
Dawson’s smile filled her screen as she stretched on her bed. “Hey, you.” Zoey sat up. She noticed the team in the background. “Hey Guys.”
Zoey could hear the soft music playing in the truck bay. “What are you guys doing? It’s only,” she glanced at the clock, “eight-thirty in the morning.”
“We’re washing the rig. Ignore them… they’re messing around.”
“Don’t listen to him, Zoey!” Uri screamed in the background. “This fool has been singing sappy love songs all morning long – he’s making us sick!”
“I didn’t know you could sing.” Zoey smiled.
“Nah… just along with the radio.”
“Sing something for me,” Zoey pouted her lips, “Please…”
Dawson turned around and said something to Uri. Uri gave him a thumbs-up, and Zoey watched as he fiddled with his phone. Zoey gasped when she heard the music start. Glancing at Dawson, she nearly fell off the bed when he broke into Jason Mraz, I’m Yours.
This, oh this, this is our fate, I’m yours…
She lost herself in the hypnotic tone of his voice. It wasn’t until Uri’s soft chuckle in the background had her snapping out of her trance.
“Holy shit, Dawson…” Zoey struggled for words. “I didn’t know you could sing like that—I mean, is there anything you can’t do?”
“Yeah—hold you right now.” The alarm sounded in the background. “Sorry, babe. Gotta run. Stop by later. I love you.”
“Love you, too.” Zoey set the phone down, stunned. He amazed her every day they were together.
Snapping from her memory, she stared at the charred building in front of her. She was meeting the contractor to discuss her options, moving forward. She sucked in a deep breath and waited. Her whole life had gone up in flames, yet, standing there, she felt happier than she had in years.