Stacey Ferrel was so anxious to see John Gage again that she had set her alarm to go off a whole two hours early. She had big plans.

Before leaving to spend the evening with her date, Gerry had come up with the brainy notion that her love-sick roomy should invite her fireman out to breakfast so the two of them could spend some time together before she had to go to work.

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Stacey put the finishing touches on her appearance and then phoned John’s fire station, to invite him to breakfast.

Nobody picked up.

She quickly surmised that 51’s crew must be out on a call, and decided to drive over there and wait for their return.

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When Miss Ferrell pulled into 51’s back parking lot she discovered that the firetrucks were not the only vehicles that were missing from the station.

John’s Land Rover was also gone.

Had he come back to work too soon? Had his Captain sent him home?

She decided she would drive over to his place and find out.

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John Gage pulled up to 118 South La Brea Canyon Drive and sighed in frustration.

Stacey’s little white car was nowhere in sight.

He decided to try the door, anyway.

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Stacey pulled up and parked across the street from John’s place.

There was still no sign of his Rover.

‘Where could he possibly be—?’ Her face suddenly filled with alarm. ‘What if he hadn’t been sent home? What if he had been sent to the hospital?’ She was just about to drive off in search of a phone booth when a cab pulled up and parked right in front of John’s apartment.

A drop dead gorgeous woman wearing a stewardess’ uniform exited the cab, paid the driver off and then began tugging her airline bag up the walkway.

When no one responded to the doorbell, the woman pulled a key from her purse and used it to gain access to John’s apartment.

Stacey was, at first, completely perplexed. But then she recalled the conversation she and Bonnie had overheard in the break room a couple of weeks back.

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So…the ‘cat’ was back.

Miss Ferrel scrapped her breakfast plans and headed in to work early.

The ‘cat’s’ arrival had pretty much caused her to lose her appetite, anyway.

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John had pressed Stacey’s dang doorbell so many times his right index finger actually felt sore.

The fireman finally gave up on breakfast and decided he’d invite the young lady to a picnic lunch at headquarters, instead.

With that ulterior plan in place, the off-duty paramedic climbed back into his car and headed for home.

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Following a flurry of frantic phone calls, the woman with the key to John’s apartment had changed into her civvies and brewed some coffee. With coffee mug in hand, she then settled in to await the apartment owner’s return.

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At long last, a familiar vehicle appeared out front.

The woman set her mug down and waited until she heard the jingle of keys. Then she pulled the unlocked portal open and yelled, “SURPRISE!”

John’s dark eyes instantly doubled in size and the startled look on his face was promptly replaced with one of profound joy. “JULIE!” He swept his surprise visitor off her feet and swung her around a few times.

“Put me down!” Julie pleaded. “You’re making me dizzy!”

John obligingly set his big sister down but declined to release his bear hug. “Gosh! It’s so great to see you!”

“You cannot possibly imagine how good it is to see you,” Julie assured him and bear-hugged him right back. “A friend and I went on a European Holiday for a few weeks. When I got home, there was a message waiting for me on my answering machine—from the Los Angeles County Fire Department!”

Gage grimaced and promptly broke their embrace. “Ahhh…man! Julie, I am soooooo sorry! I forgot all about…that.”

He had an ‘arrangement’ with the powers that be down at headquarters. He had made it perfectly clear that his ‘next of kin’ was only to be notified if it looked like his medical condition could go ‘either way’.

“The message said that my baby brother was in ICU—fighting for his life!” Julie continued, her voice cracking with emotion. “Of course I freaked out. I called the hospital and was told you’d been discharged over two weeks ago. I called the fire department and was told you were out on medical leave. I called here—no answer. I called the station and got some guy on C-shift. He had no idea where, or how, you were. Since I couldn’t seem to get any answers, and, since my suitcase was still packed, I called a cab and hopped on the next flight to New York. Then, I hitched a ride here. How are you? Are you all right?”

John gave his deeply concerned sibling a comforting hug. “I’m fine,” he assured her. “As you can see,” he motioned to his duty uniform, “I’m already back to work.”

“What happened to your medical leave of absence?”

“Turns out, I get healthy the same way I get sick—overnight.”

Julie studied her brother carefully. She had to admit, he did look pretty damn good. “What’s with the eh…the eh…?”

“It’s a mustache.”

“Did Chet talk you into that?”

“Not…exactly.”

“I knew it.”

Her baby brother stepped back a bit and grinned. “So? What d’yah think?”

“You look a little like George Harrison.”

“Is that good…or bad?”

“Depends on how well you can sing and play the guitar,” she teased. “Seriously, I love it! It makes you look very distinguished. And George is my favorite Beatle. You think you could take us out to eat?”

“Sure.”

“Great! Because there is absolutely nothing edible in this apartment of yours.”

“Sorry ‘bout that. I just got back from Michigan yesterday and I haven’t had a chance to go shopping yet.”

“What on earth were you doing in Michigan? Never mind. You can tell me all about your exotic travels while we’re eating.”

“Just give me a minute to get changed.” John disappeared into his bedroom. “How long can you stay?”

“I had to work my way here. So, I’m on stand-by. A few days…maybe.”

John stepped back into the entry hall wearing a tight pair of faded jeans and a neon-yellow T-shirt. “What are you in the mood for?”

“Waffles!” his famished family member exclaimed, latching onto his left arm and dragging him out the apartment’s still open front door.

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Julie settled into the Rover’s passenger seat and then sat there, sniffing. “Have you been smoking weed in here?”

John glanced behind his seat.

Sure enough! THE black garbage bag had been removed from the station and placed in his car.

“We might have to hit a laundry-mat on the way back,” he cautioned as he climbed in behind the wheel. ‘So much for my picnic idea,’ he matter-of-factly mused and realized his already aching arms now hurt like bloody hell. The paramedic started his odorous automobile up and headed off in search of ‘waffles’, praying to God that they wouldn’t get pulled over.