The Fireman's Secret by Jessica Keller Page A

others say kind things about them. Whenever you’re blessed enough to be in the room when someone’s complimenting you, soak it up and be thankful. Too many people’s lives are filled with hearing nothing but the negatives.”
    Joel nodded once while he scuffed his hand back and forth over his jaw. “Shelby, are you ready to get going?”
    “Joel’s taking me for a motorcycle ride.” Shelby offered the information to Wheeler as they headed out the room.
    “Be safe.” The chief’s voice followed them out into the hall.
    “I always am.”
    Joel grabbed the handle to close the door as they left.
    Shelby followed him to the section of the station where the men stayed while on duty. The living area smelled like a mixture of mustard and roast beef. Joel pulled his leather jacket out of his locker.
    He pressed the worn leather into her hands. “It’ll probably make you too warm. I didn’t realize you’d wear long sleeves today. But I’d feel better if you wore my jacket, too. It’s a safety thing.”
    She slipped it on. The fabric inside was soft from wear. Shelby pressed the collar to her nose when Joel wasn’t paying attention. It smelled like the cinnamon gum he always chewed.
    They walked the two blocks back to the town square. Vendors at the farmer’s market were packing up their booths, but many people still milled around visiting. Joel pointed to his bike parked near the white gazebo.
    Shelby didn’t know a lot about motorcycles, but she thought the kind he owned was a racing bike. Or something like that. It was small, with green detailing on the sides, and looked as if it could travel really fast.
    All morning she’d pushed the thought of her motorcycle ride with Joel to the back of her mind. First, because she hadn’t been sure he’d remember or ask her to follow through on her promise from the other day. Second, because she’d wanted to focus her attention on the fund-raiser, which was proving difficult whenever she was around Joel.
    Honestly, she felt a little like her thirteen-year-old self again, trailing after her brother’s friend with puppy dog eyes, hoping he’d notice her. And Joel had—well, not in a romantic sense. But she didn’t want that, did she? Of course she didn’t. She couldn’t entertain the thoughts of a future with a man like Joel. Friendship. That was all she wanted.
    Friendship . She’d have to keep repeating that to herself, especially when he smiled at her the way he was right now. Her heart somersaulted beneath her rib cage, but that was probably because she was nervous about the motorcycle ride.

Chapter Seven
    S helby glanced at the people talking to each other in the square. In less than a minute, they’d see Joel and her take off on his bike. What would they think of little Shelby Beck doing such a thing? Probably that she was out of her mind.
    Stop worrying what others would think .
    Joel said she needed to take some safe risks to liven up her days and he was right. Through the years, circumstances beyond her control had come into her life, and they had been rough to deal with—the fire, Dad leaving, Mom’s quickly lost battle with cancer, and then Caleb’s wife, Sarah, passing away. Because of those events, the rest of her life—every aspect that she could control—had been safe. No waves. No boat rocking. She’d lived with Caleb, had decided to turn down her chance to go to college and stayed tucked away in Goose Harbor.
    Only now she was beginning to see what using the excuse of security to avoid taking chances had cost her.
    What had become of her childhood dreams of traveling? Of seeing the Rockies and visiting Australia someday? She’d made herself believe the risks of going on those long-wished-for adventures outweighed the joy of the journeys. But now she wasn’t so sure.
    Joel handed her a black-and-red helmet. “Go ahead and put this on.”
    “Where’s yours?”
    “That is mine.” He pressed it into her hands.
    “Shouldn’t you wear