Page 10 of He Falls First

He beams at me with white teeth, the front one slightly crooked. Oh, he’s adorable and so sweet. But not enough for me to get lost in that smile. I have to keep my eyes on Esme. She’s a loose cannon, and I’m getting the sense that it wasn’t her who requested an intern, but Frye. She needs a babysitter.

I briefly assess the handsome mouth in that clean-shaven face. Someone taught this man to floss along the way, but there was no money for orthodontia.

Weird how I notice these things.

“Nah, I think someone needs to take a family photo.”

He slides his arm around my waist and pulls me close.

“Excuse me?”

“Smile for the camera!”

I’m too busy reeling at the sensation of this stranger’s solid arm holding me against his tree-trunk body. I’m too busy noticing how my nipples harden as my side is pressed against his.

Someone snaps a photo.

“I’m sorry, what is happening?” I ask, looking around for Esme.

I see her plaid blazer near the craft tent and breathe a sigh of relief.

“It’s for charity. If you want to print and package the photo as a memento of the fair, we ask for donations to the animal rescue fund,” he says.

I laugh and pet Wesley, who’s rooting around like a human baby. “I don’t even know your name and you’re asking me for money?”

The firefighter blanches, then holds out his arms to take the wriggling Wesley away from me. “I’m Rowan. Sorry.”

“Like the tree,” I say.

“I guess.”

“You guess?”

He shrugs. “It’s just what I’m called. No one ever explained it.”

A zap of empathy runs through me. Is he like me?

“I’m Briar,” I say.

“Like the anime character?”

I shrug. “I don’t know who that is but actually it’s a Sleeping Beauty thing.”

He nods. “Your mom into Disney princesses?”

And here is where I start to share a little too much about my past, and I know this because a shadow crosses over his face when I say, “My mom was into a lot of things, but Disney was not one of them.”

He leans in closer. “Then I should probably tell you that your friend reminds me of my niece’s favorite Disney princess right now. You might want to watch her.”

I turn around, and I see her. Esme is standing in the craft tent, holding a shopping bag while someone is ringing up a mountain of yarn.

“Rapunzel?” I ask.

“That’s the one,” he answers.

Esme sees me looking and waves jubilantly. “Look at all these colors! I have to have them all!”

“Is she a knitter?” Rowan asks behind me.