Courting Katarina (21 page)

“Get out of here, Mac. A helitack is on the way to make a water drop.”

Katarina squirmed out of the blankets as she crawled into his truck ahead of him. He gunned the engine and drove away. “Didn’t you hear about the evacuation?”

“No one said anything. That must be why the place was deserted last night.” She straightened her wet T-shirt and pulled off her muddy socks.

“Didn’t you hear the fire, or the wind?”

She shook her head. He couldn’t tell if she was crying or if it was simply water dripping from her hair. “I was so tired last night, I took out my hearing aid and tried to sleep. I set the alarm to be at the base in time to help with breakfast.”

“The fire probably knocked out the electricity.”

She looked at her watch, then back at the fire. “Oh my. I did oversleep. What about my van and other things? My hearing aid is on the table next to the bed.”

Alex paused. “We can’t take a chance of getting caught in the cabin. If the helitack works, we’ll go back. Not before.” From a mile down the road they watched the helicopter approach, an orange bucket
dangling beneath it. After the helicopter doused the area with the spray of water, they were able to return to the cabin for Katarina’s things.

Alex led the way back to the fire base, his gaze glued to his rearview mirrors to make sure she stayed close behind. As soon as she stepped from her van, Alex took Katarina into his arms and put his mouth close to her left ear. “I have to go, Kat. Before I do, I want you to know how much I love you.”

“I love you,” she whispered back. Their lips met for the first time, and he felt buffeted by the winds of a savage harmony. She pressed her hands on his chest, and reluctantly they parted. The love he saw in her eyes sent his spirits soaring. “It’s going to be okay, Alex. We can work it all out later. Go. Just know you have someone waiting for you when the fire’s out.”

He looked at her. She was smudged with soot, yet her cheeks were pink, and the smile on her face was as wide as his own.

“Mac, let’s go,” another fireman called to Alex.

“I’ll be back, Katarina.”

“I love you, Alex.”

They contained the fire in two days and Alex stepped off that bus for the last time without another question or regret. He’d faced his fears and closed that book behind him.

As she’d promised, Katarina was waiting for him,
looking as bright and cheery as sunshine. Just the sight of her youthful radiance made him feel ten years younger. Even though he was filthy from four days on the fire, with their first kiss still fresh in his memory, Katarina’s silent pleading invitation for another was too hard to resist.

Katarina melted into his embrace, and he realized immediately that his feelings for her were intensifying way too quickly. They had a lot to talk about; just as soon as he cleaned up.

Later, over supper at a restaurant in town, Alex told her he didn’t plan to finish out the fire season.

“You don’t have to give up fire fighting for me,” Katarina insisted, tears welling in her eyes.

He pulled her closer and touched his forehead to hers. “I’m not giving anything up, Kat. I’m moving on, to the family I ran away from. To the love God planned for us. On to the family I hope we’ll have one day.” He kissed her gently, lingering, savoring every moment. “I don’t want to miss one more day with you.” He felt the heat of her blush on his hand. Or was it simply his imagination?

“Won’t you miss the excitement and adventure?”

“Surely you jest….” He shook his head. “I don’t think we’ll be lacking in either.”

Katarina’s tears were replaced with a warm glow. Alex liked to think it was a result of the love God had helped them find in each other.

He turned, looking back at his buddies behind him. Country-and-western music crooned in the
background. “You aren’t taking the fire out of me, Kat, you’ve given it back.” Despite the lack of privacy and romantic atmosphere, Alex knelt beside Katarina. “I promised I wouldn’t make it easy for you to walk away, Katarina. And I’d love to spend every day of the rest of my life keeping that promise.”

For a moment he’d seen fear in her eyes, but only for an instant. She leaned close and whispered in his ear, “Did you just propose?”

He chuckled, then kissed her. “I sure did. You turned your hearing aid off again, huh?” He didn’t mind the excuse to nuzzle next to her and repeat his proposal. He waited for an answer.

“I thought you’d never ask,” she said, grinning mischievously.

Now he was the puzzled one. “Exactly how long have you been waiting?”

“I’ve been dreaming of this since the day I first met you.”

Alex shook his head. “And to think I wasted all this time worrying about you and the Boy Scout.”

Katarina pressed her lips to his. “He never stood a chance after sparks began to fly between us.”

“And that took all of ten seconds.”

“Ten seconds to light, an eternity to put out.”

He smiled. “Maybe I’m not ready to retire from fire fighting after all.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“Y
ou’re what?” Emily and Kevin echoed. Katarina and Alex had met their sister and brother for lunch the next day when they arrived in town.

Alex laughed. “We’re engaged. Getting married. You know—going to the chapel and we’re…”

Kevin held up his hands, motioning for Alex to stop. “I get it, I get it. Don’t sing.”

Despite Alex’s inability to carry a tune, Katarina leaned closer and smiled. “I kind of liked it. You can serenade me anytime. I can see it now, you in the loft…”

Alex rested his hand on Katarina’s shoulder. “I plan to move out of the house until after the wedding.”

Katarina’s eyebrows arched up and her mouth fell open. “What?”

He’d meant to tell her that last night, but with all
the commotion at the restaurant after he’d proposed, Alex had barely seen his fiancée. The women firefighters had taken it upon themselves to drag Katarina away after dinner.

“It’s totally different now, Katarina.”

She lowered her voice. “Yesterday it was okay that we shared a house, and today it’s suddenly different?”

“When I left,” he countered, “we weren’t dating. It wasn’t easy then, and I don’t expect it’ll be any easier to resist temptation now.”

Emily smiled. “I’m so happy for you two. When I saw Alex pulling you out from under the table at the wedding, I knew this day would come. Have you set a date?”

Alex and Katarina glanced toward each other. “How about February?” Alex offered. “We should be done with the lodge by then. I might be able to talk the boss into a few days off for a honeymoon.”

Kevin cleared his throat.

“I hate to throw a kink into your plans, but February might be cutting it close. We’re expecting…”

Before he could say another word, Katarina let out a squeal, flew to her sister’s side and gave her a hug. “Oh, Emmy. A baby! This is so exciting.”

The room burst into a round of applause. “Well, it should be around the entire medical community by the end of the day,” Emily muttered with a smile.

Alex shook his brother’s hand. “Congratulations,
Kevin. You’ve waited a long time for a family. I couldn’t be happier for you.”

Kevin slapped his brother’s shoulder. “Likewise. I hate to say I told you so, but…”

Katarina slid back into the booth next to Alex and gave him a puzzled look. “What’s this all about?”

Alex wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead. “After I caught the garter, Kevin suggested I just give in right away. Seems to have become a family tradition.”

Emily laughed. “So I guess Adam and Lisa had better watch out, huh?”

There was a pause around the table. “Lisa and Adam.” Katarina smiled. “Now, that’s an idea.”

Kevin and Alex shared a glance and laughed aloud. “You’re talking about Adam. The eternal bachelor. No way are you going to set those two up.”

Kevin nodded in agreement with his brother’s comment. “Lisa’s always on the road. And Adam doesn’t travel. Besides that, two Berthoff-MacIntyre marriages in the family should be sufficient, don’t you think? I mean, if there’s any sort of disagreement…”

Emily had a mischievous grin. “You afraid the sisters might take sides?”

“Or stage some sort of boycott?” Katarina continued.

Alex laughed. “This is a no-win argument, Kevin. If you’re not careful, you and I are going to be finding
an apartment together. If Kat and Emmy think they can mix oil and water, they have my blessing.” He leaned close to Katarina, then paused, as if waiting for permission to kiss her.

Katarina studied him freely. She rather liked looking at Alex without feeling guilty or as if she was being “caught” doing so. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“I’ve never been more content in my life. Why wouldn’t I want Adam to find the same happiness? Just don’t set your hopes too high. I don’t want you to be disappointed.” He looked at his watch. “I hate to leave so soon, but I should get to work.” He leaned over and kissed Katarina. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Katarina spent the afternoon catching up on her inventory and designs, then began preparations for the huge show next weekend. Maybe Alex would like to come with her, she thought. There were so many things to talk about with him when he came home from work. She smiled.
When he came home from work
. That sounded so nice. Disappointment that Alex would be moving out threatened to cast a shadow over the day, yet she reminded herself that it wouldn’t be for long. Then they’d have forever together.

While Alex doubted there were many things they hadn’t covered at some point in their conversations this summer, he wanted to know everything about
the woman with whom he planned to spend the rest of his life.

They hadn’t even had a chance to discuss her decision about Unique Designs, or his desire to become a full partner with Kevin. Would she want him to sign some prenuptial agreement, as she had planned with Ron? Did she want children? If so, how many? Suddenly he felt as if he was walking into some business meeting for negotiations.

He realized the mountain he’d asked God to help him move had been totally blown out of the way all in one overwhelming blast. Had he been too eager? Too quick to propose? Katarina had been skittish about marriage from the day he’d met her. Why in the world hadn’t he waited a month or two before popping the question? If they were so right for each other, the answer would be the same now or later.

He saw no sign of Katarina when he pulled into the driveway. Alex took a deep breath and let it out. “Father, You’ve brought me this far, please don’t let me blow it now.” He walked up the steps, discouraged to find an envelope with his name on it taped to the storm door.

A heart-shaped note inside read, “Meet me in the gazebo.” Katarina signed it with a heart. “Your blissfully happy fiancée.”

The evening sun bathed the room with a warm glow. Alex passed through the house and walked out to the gazebo. His mouth fell open. She’d strung
white twinkle lights along the top of the lattice and set a table inside.

“I thought this was the perfect place to start our relationship together—” she walked up the steps and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind “—since this is where you found me that first night after you moved in.”

“You mean the night you were trying to hide from me?” Alex loosened her hands and turned within her embrace.

She laughed. “It used to work with Mom.”

He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Nice try. I wanted to take you out to dinner tonight, but it looks like you already have plans.”

“I do. I’m meeting my fiancé here.” He felt her smile grow. “I love the way that sounds, by the way.” Soft music filled the air.

He brushed his lips along hers. “I like hearing you say it. I worried that I rushed into the proposal.”

She didn’t respond.

Alex backed away. “If you want more time to decide, I’ll understand.”

“Do you want more time?” A spark of fear flashed in her eyes.

“No.” He hesitated. “I realize there are a lot of things we should discuss….”

Katarina nodded. “And a lot of time to talk about them. The rest of the meal is ready. Why don’t we grill the salmon while we start?”

“How did you know I love salmon?”

“I didn’t. I just hoped you would, since I do. I wanted to fix something nice for our first official date.”

Salmon was just one of the many similarities they discovered in the course of their evening. They both felt it important to take their time moving on to marriage, since they hadn’t really dated yet. While they were sympathetic to Emily’s pregnancy, they hesitated to cut their engagement too much shorter, and definitely didn’t want to wait until after the baby came.

Four children fit their image of the “dream family,” but both agreed that was up for discussion.

Alex supported Katarina’s decision to continue running her business independently, and was happy when she admitted the prenuptial idea belonged to Ron.

The next Sunday morning they went to church together for the first time as a couple and wasted no time making an appointment to start premarriage meetings with the pastor. Alex found a small attic apartment to stay in until they found a house to buy.

The following weekend, Alex joined Katarina at her doll show, which ended up bringing in two more monthly orders, and her first order for children’s dolls.

After the show, Alex took her to a jewelry store.

She looked at the three rings on the velvet display.
“I just can’t decide. I’d like something similar to these. You choose.” She snuggled close.

When they finished shopping, Alex pulled into a nice restaurant. After they ordered, he pulled a box from his pocket and opened it before her. Her crystal-blue eyes opened wide. As he spoke, her gaze locked with his. “Katarina, I want you to wear this ring as a token of my vow to love and cherish you for the rest of my life.”

“Oh, Alex.” She bit her lip to stifle the outcry of delight. “I didn’t see this ring. It’s beautiful.” She touched the pale green and pink tone gold leaves surrounding the diamond.

He took the delicate gold solitaire from the box, kissed the ring, then placed it on her finger and kissed it again.