Chapter 3

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Kelly gushed the minute I walked through the door of her coffee shop. It was Friday, and plenty of customers had bustled in to get their morning fix. A triple espresso with cream was calling my name. I couldn’t remember a shittier week. Well, I probably could, but I planned to take my internal pity party to the extreme.

Kelly and Pat’s coffee shop was one of the few independents left in Minneapolis. Everything else was either Starbucks, Caribou or swill, and they’d made a name for themselves with their aromatic flavor combinations. Sensations like Pecan Nut Pie Latte were all the rage. I preferred caffeine only. Shot down the back of my throat just like a needle straight to the vein.

Pamela, their favorite barista, was behind the counter orchestrating the various orders pouring in. I hoped I could find another Pamela with her hands flying through the air and a beautiful smile that never left her eyes. Customer service reigned supreme in any specialty café.

Kelly wiped her hands on a dishtowel and crooked her pointer finger at me so I’d follow her into the office. We entered and found Pat sitting behind the desk, feeding Codsworth soft kitty treats from the palm of his hand.

“Glad you’re okay there, Ally. You had us worried.”

“I had myself worried. God, that was all I needed the night before my grand opening. I’ve obviously had to delay it until everything’s fixed. I’m so sick to my stomach I feel like a walking puke factory.”

“You must be frustrated,” Kelly soothed as she stroked my arm.

I offered up a tight smile, then strode around the desk to stand beside Pat. I petted Codsworth on the head, and he rubbed up against my hand. Poor baby probably had no idea what the hell had happened to our home.

“Thanks for looking after him. One less thing I have to worry about is really good right about now.”

“No problem,” Kelly replied. “He’s been a little kitty angel.” She paused and studied me, then Codsworth. “So what’s the verdict?”

“It’s not a total loss. Just half of the kitchen. It’s fixable. It will take a while but I can’t afford to put off the opening for long, which is a total pain in the butt,” I said, walking to a chair in the corner and sinking down in it. “And you know the attention span of people these days. I’ll lose my buzz and probably not get another chance.”

My cat evacuated the desk and took up residence on my lap instead. I stroked his silky fur to sooth my frazzled nerves.

“Any idea what started the fire?” Pat grumbled the question in his usual dulcet tones.

I lifted a shoulder, answering the question I’d asked myself a million times. “My guess is a short or something, but I really don’t know.” I was so exhausted that I rested my head against the wall.

The honest answer was … I might never know.

The initial investigation didn’t reveal outdated electrical systems or arson and the fire wasn’t bad enough to warrant more digging. If I wanted to know the true cause, I’d have to hire my own investigator and that cost wasn’t in the budget. A fire in the kitchen and plenty of paper work to file with the cops and the insurance companies was plenty enough to deal with.

And yet … I couldn’t get the mystery firefighter out of my mind. I kept having flashes of the sound of his voice and the feel of his strong arms wrapped around me so tightly. The smell of smoke and his cologne were permanently lodged in my nostrils.

“We could help you fix it up,” Kelly said.

I smiled at her, loving her for her offer. “No, that’s okay, I’ve got to file a report with the insurance dude and if they think anyone’s tampered with the scene, they won’t pay out.”

Pat nodded as his brow furrowed. Then he rose from the chair and lumbered to the door. “I’d better keep an eye on things out there. Fridays are always hectic.” He wrapped his arms around Kelly’s waist, pulled her close and proceeded to PDA until my cheeks turned red.

He left her weak-kneed and shut the office door behind himself.

“Well,” Kelly said, patting her long brown hair back into place as she blew a kiss to his retreating back.

“You guys have the perfect relationship,” I said. From anyone else, it would’ve been a swoon. Of envy. But I’d seen the ass-end of a dysfunctional relationship and I didn’t need another one anytime soon.

Gucci Black and smoke. I pressed my lips together and tried to force thoughts of him from my mind.

“You’re acting strange, Ally. What’s going on?” Kelly walked to the desk and sat down, swiveling from side-to-side in the chair, her hair floating around her shoulders.

“I —” I checked the door, then looked at her again. “I didn’t tell you everything.”

“Oh my God, gossip? Spill, girl, you’ve got me intrigued already.” She leaned forward and planted her hands on the desk. She kept her nails long and they were a different color each week. This week was red with Santa Claus faces.

“There was a firefighter.”

“A firefighter?” she whispered, her eyes going round as dinner plates.

“A firefighter,” I repeated. “I was passed out and he saved me. But here’s the best part … I didn’t get a glimpse of his face.” I kept the whole cologne and smoke thing to myself since I was embarrassed by my inability to whisk it from my mind.

“Why?” Kelly asked, licking her lips and squishing forward in the chair.

“Because my eyes were all teared up and I couldn’t open them through the smoke without a cascade of tears,” I said, stroking Codsworth again. “He was so strong.”

Jesus, had I just blushed? Kelly knew me so well, she’d see right through any façade. I really hadn’t been interested in men in a long time and I wouldn’t make an exception for some hero firefighter. He just fascinated me because I hadn’t seen the face attached to the voice. Probably looked like Jared the sandwich creep instead of Jared Leto.

But, he’d saved my life. And Codsworth’s. And he smelled and felt amazing. Sounded utterly scrumptious.

“Allegra, you naughty girl, you’ve got a crush,” Kelly purred.

I rolled my eyes at her. “I have not. I just — I don’t know. Who did you say gave you Codsworth?” I bit the side of my bottom lip.

“A firefighter. But I didn’t get a good look at his face. He just kinda shoved Codsworth at me and ran back into the bakery.” Kelly pursed her full lips and shared in my disappointment.

“Ah well,” I replied, “that’s as far as any mental fantasy I might have been harboring is going to go.”

It was a good thing. I didn’t need any distractions. I had work to do.

Kelly gave me a knowing look, but I ignored it.

“Come on, let’s get you your daily shot of caffeine,” she said.

I followed her out into the shop. As I stopped and inhaled the scent of coffee grounds, I couldn’t help searching for the scent of his cologne at the same time.