Chapter Six

Jenny was excited from the moment she woke up the next morning. Sure, it meant she had to rise and shine early. No sleeping in like she did so often on the weekend. She’d almost forgotten that Manny had sent those weird texts. Since she hadn’t received another one, maybe he’d regretted sending the others.

She wore a sundress and slathered on sunscreen and tucked it into her tote bag. A big hat to shade her pale skin would also do the trick to keep her from getting a sunburn. She was ready too early, but that happened often when nerves overwhelmed her.

Greg arrived right on time. Damn, did this guy have any faults?

She opened the door before he got out of the car, and when he came to the front door she let him in while she went to get her hat and tote bag. He looked around, scanning her living room.

“This is a great place. I like it,” he said.

“Really? A lot of people think the furniture and decoration is old fashioned. But I like dark wood and antique-looking pieces.”

“I love it.”

She almost said really again. Hard to believe a big, tough former Marine liked Victorian style furniture. “I’m impressed. You’ll have to show me your place one day. Is it already decorated like this?”

“Hell, no.” He grinned. “It’s a rental and I haven’t taken the time to buy good furniture for a more permanent home. My stuff is utilitarian and functional. I’ve been trying to decide if and when to buy my own house.”

“That’s okay. You’ll get to it someday.”

He looked pensive, a sort of longing in his eyes that intrigued her.

“I need to do it sooner rather than later. I’ve been thinking more about not waiting for someday to do important things. You know what I mean?”

“Absolutely. I need to take that philosophy more often.”

As he drove his SUV to the freeway, her phone rang. She checked it.

“It’s Donna. Wonderful.” She answered anyway. “Hi Donna.”

“Jenny, I need you to come into the office today.”

Not hi how are you or anything pleasant. No sorry I’m calling you on the weekend.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Someone trashed the office last night. Well, it wasn’t someone…we know who did it. It was caught on security cameras.” Shock kept Jenny silent, but it didn’t matter because Donna rambled onward. “My freaking ex-husband! Can you believe that?”

“James trashed our office? Is he in custody?”

“No. The police can’t find him. Anyway, it’s a long story and I need your help cleaning up and seeing if any files have been stolen.”

Jenny almost said a flat out no. “I can come this afternoon. I’m helping a friend right now and I won’t be back until maybe after lunch.”

Donna made a huffing noise. “By that time I could’ve cleaned it up myself.”

Irritation rose inside Jenny. “I can’t change this. He needs me.”

“He needs you?”

“Yes. Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll stop by the office this afternoon.”

She hung up before Donna could argue. She took a deep breath. “Hope I don’t lose my job over that one.”

She explained the full conversation. Afterward he said, “If you’re worried, we can go back now.”

She sighed. “No. It’s fine. Donna is getting on my last nerve.”

“I can see why. She’s demanding as hell. The cops will get her ex. Unless he’s decided to go on the run.”

“It’s so strange. I mean, he’s a vindictive guy, so I could see him doing this. But he had to know the security cameras would catch him. He’ll lose his nursing job over this.”

“Some people just don’t think and they don’t care. I ran into Marines like that. Pissed me off and I tore into them over it.”

She smiled, feeling more at ease. “In a way, I have a hard time seeing you doing that. But on the other hand…”

He threw a returning grin at her. “On the other hand?”

“The first time I saw you, I knew you were either in a dangerous occupation or you had one in the past. Badass is written all over you.”

He laughed and the rich sound sent a sweet ripple of arousal through her.

“Badass? No one’s ever called me that before.”

“You’re kidding? I half expected to see tattoos all over you.”

“Because that’s a badass requirement?”

She threw her hands up. “I know, I know. I shouldn’t make assumptions. Do you have any tattoos?”

“Hmm. I’m keeping that a secret for now. Maybe I’ll show you some time.”

The huskiness in his voice had an unmistakable seductive tone, a thread of sensuality that ramped up her curiosity. Oh, man. Despite his gentleman-like manners, she couldn’t ignore the undercurrent of raw sexuality she felt within him. Of course he probably had sexual needs like any other man. Why wouldn’t he? She wanted to know, wanted to discover how he kissed, what he’d do in bed. She craved it.

Flower Mound was only around twenty miles from Dallas, but with traffic it took a while to get there. As they drove into town, she marveled at the size of it.

“I can’t believe I’ve never been here before,” she said.

“It’s a pretty great town. Dad always lamented how big it’s gotten.” Greg shrugged. “As a kid I didn’t pay much attention, but after I left for the Marines and came back for visits I realized he was right.”

“You had that ‘can’t go back home again’ experience.”

“Exactly. In the nineties the population exploded from around four thousand to forty thousand. It’s sixty thousand something now.”

They skirted the main part of town and went to a little diner that served breakfast. Greg said he’d had meals there with his father many times. In many ways the restaurant mimicked diners from the fifties and sixties with the juke box and soda fountain. The place was packed with older couples, groups of ladies, business men and families, but a small table in the back with room for two was available. After they sat down, Greg stretched and she watched as his delicious muscles stretched the plain blue t-shirt he’d worn with jeans and athletic shoes. When his arms were over his head, she enjoyed the view of his biceps and forearms in action. Her stomach growled, but maybe it was him she wanted to eat. A wave of desire hit her, and she tore her gaze away from him before she went up in flames. Get a grip, Jenny.

A waiter filled their coffee cups and took their orders. As they sipped coffee, he leaned forward and pinned her with those incredible eyes that made her feel like he could see into her soul.

“Okay. Fess up. You’ve been good at getting me to talk about myself. Tell me more about you.”

Oh, oh. Show time or time to fess up.

She drew a deep breath because butterflies danced a ballet in her stomach.

“Where to start?” she asked. “Maybe the beginning.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

For some reason she felt safe looking into Greg’s eyes in a way she never had before with anyone else, but right now the vulnerability made her look away.

She fiddled with the unopened straw for her water. “Twenty years ago my father, older brother and younger sister were killed in a forty car pileup in a dust storm near El Paso where we lived.”

His face fell, eyes sad and concerned. “That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”

She nodded as her eyes moistened a little at the memory of her mother taking the call. “I was only ten at the time. My dad was in the army, and he’d taken my siblings to a party out of town for a friend. I had a really bad flu and my mother stayed home with me. My mom took the call that day…it was about three in the afternoon.” Jenny took a shuddering, deep breath. “I still remember my mother screaming and screaming. I came running out of my bedroom…”

Tears welled in her eyes, and she quickly wiped away two that escaped down her cheeks. He reached across the small table and clasped her right hand. The gentle squeeze gave comfort, and for that she was grateful.

“Mom had a nervous breakdown within a couple weeks of the funeral.” She released his hands to wipe away more tears. She took a slow breath to gain control, then the words came out fast, as if she said them quickly the pain would prove less sharp. “She never recovered. Finally my Aunt Jan, her sister, came to El Paso to try and help us. After a little while, she took my mother to a psychologist and after a lot of tests they decided Mom had a complete psychotic break. My Aunt Jane and Uncle Ronald took me in and raised me while my mom was in and out of mental hospitals. Luckily for me, my aunt and uncle are amazing people. They raised me from age ten along with my cousin Bill and cousin Diana.”

“Did they live in El Paso, too?”

She fumbled for tissues in her handbag. “Dallas. That’s how I ended up here. I went away to college…University of Colorado, Boulder.” She dabbed at her eyes. “I needed to get away from Texas for a while. I got my business and public relations degree and returned to Dallas. I worked at a public relations firm for several years before the owner retired. That’s when I got the job at the hospital.”

Part of her wanted to reach out for his hands again, wanted him on her side of the table with his arms around her. Instead she took the warm attention in his eyes and enjoyed the feeling.

“God, Jenny. I’m so sorry about what happened to your family, but I’m glad you had your aunt and uncle.”

“Me, too. They’re good people. They moved to Seattle awhile back to be closer to some family up there.”

“What happened to your mother?”

“She was living in a group home with other people with challenges and started to make some progress. She had an allergic reaction to the medication she was taking ten years ago and died.”

Their breakfast came, and she talked a little more about her mother and their difficult relationship.

“Thanks, Greg. I hadn’t talked about what happened with mother for a long time. I think I needed that.”

Greg smiled over his omelete. “Anytime. Anywhere.”

She could feel that he meant it. It wasn’t an empty promise from someone trying to be polite. After they finished their breakfast they drove out to his father’s old home site. She could see in his eyes the change—part of him didn’t want to explore old pain. Jenny hoped, if he needed her, that she could give him as much comfort as he’d just given her.

* *

Having Jenny next to him gave Greg a sense of relief and stability. Although he would’ve understood if she hadn’t come with him, he couldn’t deny the comfort it gave him with her right beside him. The series of roads out of Flower Mound turned from paved to dirt, and getting to his father’s old homestead seemed to take far longer than it should. Greg knew it was only in is head. He dreaded going here, but he knew he needed to after all this time. They reached the metal remains of the gate that once held a wooden sign with Falk at the top. The sign was gone—it had burned in the fire. The metal gate, which had fallen to the side, lay twisted and partially burned.

A year of weather and sun hadn’t removed all evidence of the fire. Although green grass spread over the flat and rolling hills area, burned trees and brush remained as a twisted reminder of the powerful force that had destroyed all in its path. The landscape, scoured by fire, looked so damned different. He turned in the long driveway and headed up the hill.

He gestured to the top of the hill where the two story farm house had once stood and the outbuildings beyond. Blackened rubble littered the hillside. His throat almost closed, the tears coming to his eyes so suddenly he stopped the SUV part of the way down the drive.

He put on the parking break and drew in a deep, shuddering breath. “Son-of-a-bitch.”

A couple of tears snaked their way down his face, and he brushed them away. Jenny stayed silent. She pressed his shoulder, and the warmth of her touch soothed the growing grief. The last time he’d cried had been at Dad’s memorial service, but he’d stayed strong and stoic for Dad’s friends, of which there had been many. He felt off-kilter and raw to the bone. Hurting in a way he hadn’t before.

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” he said, voice hoarse.

“I’m glad I’m here, too.”

The softness in her voice acted as a balm and made this whole damn thing easier.

He looked at her. “But I’m sorry if this is freaking you out.”

Her eyes widened a little. “No. It isn’t freaking me out. Don’t worry.”

He nodded and returned his gaze to what remained of his old home. “Guess what they say about never going home again is really true.” As he stared at the crumbled ruins, he knew what he had to do. “I want to sell this land. I won’t rebuild here.”

She pressed his shoulder and released it, and when he looked over at her, he reached for her hand.

“Are you sure?” she asked softly.

“Yeah. This is what I need to do. My life is in Dallas at Station 58.”

And with you.

Oh, yeah. He wanted to say that out loud. The deepest part of him, the instinct that told him which way to zig and zag in a fire, screamed that this woman was right for him. He didn’t care if it had been a few days. He didn’t care that it made no damned sense to be so certain of something so important this quickly. Maybe the drama of the last week had fried his brain. No, he’d keep that to himself until they knew more, had more time together. He couldn’t be certain she felt the same, though his gut told him she cared for him and he thought he saw undeniable sexual interest in her eyes and attitude.

Her phone went off, this time with a text message. She frowned.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She sighed and shook her head. “No. I’m getting bizarre texts from Manny.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s better if I just show them to you. The texts don’t make any sense.”

She handed the phone to him and he scanned the short messages which had started the other day. As he read the texts, his protective instincts engaged hard and fast. The most recent text pissed him off.

Yeah, you’re a whore.

“What the fuck is this guy’s problem?” Greg said, hearing the anger in his own voice.

She threw him a worried look. “I don’t know. I mean the first set of texts sound like a regular conversation. But we never texted or talked outside of work until after the tornado. Then he switches up and starts saying all this weird stuff. It doesn’t make sense.”

He had to ask, even though he believed he already knew the answer. “You haven’t dated him?”

She shook her head vehemently. “No. I mean even if I did, these are totally off the wall messages.”

He returned the phone to her. “You’re right, it’s weird as hell. Do you have a plan for how to handle it?”

She nodded. “I thought while I was at the hospital today, I’d see if he’s in and talk to him face to face.”

“I can take you there directly from here, if you like.”

“That sounds like a good idea. But not until you’re finished doing what you need to do here.”

“I’m done for today.”

Fierce protectiveness rose inside him. The text messages from the doctor didn’t feel right. Something was off.

“If you want moral support when you talk to him, I’ll stay with you,” he said.

“I should be able to handle him myself.”

Just tell her, idiot. Explain yourself.

Greg put both hands up in surrender. “Of course you can. I’m worried about you, okay?”

She smiled. “I was going to ask you if you would be there for moral support.”

Silence fell between them for a moment, but he felt that inevitable pull, a desire to kiss her and so much more. Instead he kept the leash tight. Here, sitting in front of his old house, felt like the wrong place and the wrong time.

The satisfaction that she wanted his help edged out the grief over his dad, and when they left Flower Mound, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

* *

Jenny and Greg hunted for Manny at the hospital, and it didn’t take long as they thought it might have. They tracked him down in the hallway near the nurses’ station, and as they approached him, Jenny’s stomach did a nervous rumble and roll. She was very glad Greg had offered to come with her. They greeted him cordially, but he looked nervous. Before Jenny could ask him about the texts, he jumped right into it.

“I’ll bet you’re here about the texts messages, right?” Manny kept his voice low.

“Yes. I don’t understand why you sent them to me.”

Manny looked behind them and around them, as if searching for an escape route. Finally he looked at Greg. “Is there somewhere we can talk Jenny? Alone?”

Jenny adjusted her handbag on her shoulder. “Right here is fine.”

Manny looked uncertain, and she wondered if he’d refuse to talk with her.

Instead he said, “I thought I’d lost my cell phone the other night. Couldn’t find the damn thing anywhere. When my girlfriend came to visit it accidentally fell out of her purse. She saw you and I at the booth at the July fourth exhibit. She got jealous and stole my cell and sent those texts.”

“Wait a minute,” she said. “Does she drive an old red car?”

Manny nodded. “Yeah, a Nissan.”

“I saw her parked across the street outside of my house the other night. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I saw her texting. Does she have brown hair?”

Manny made a face and rubbed the back of his neck. “Long brown hair. Longer than your hair.”

Greg didn’t look too pleased. “It sounds like stalking to me.”

Jenny closed her eyes and groaned. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Could this week get any more weird?”

Manny made a pleading gesture with both hands. “Look, I’ve already talked to her. I was trying to think how to approach you about it.”

“Took you a damned long time to do it,” Greg said, his eyes hard and mouth tight with disapproval.

Jenny touched Greg’s bicep. “Take it easy. Where did she get the idea I was with you or whatever it is she thought we were doing?”

Manny looked embarrassed and ashamed all at once. “She’s crazy. I haven’t known her all that long and she started acting possessive and all weird. I’ve broken things off with her.”

“Good. I wonder how she knew where I lived?” Jenny asked.

Manny shrugged. “She just got hired on in the personnel office here. That’s how.”

Greg smiled and shook his head. “Okay, things did just get weirder.”

“I’ll talk to the personnel office and they’ll probably want to talk to you, Jenny. They’ll probably fire her.”

“Let’s do it now,” Jenny said. “I’m here to help Donna, so I need to go to my office.”

Manny said, “I’ll go there now.”

Jenny nodded. “I’ll be there shortly.” She turned to Greg. “Down there, big guy. For a moment I thought you were going to punch his lights out.”

Greg cupped her shoulders. “He was probably hoping you just wouldn’t say anything about the texts and his problem would just go away. He wasn’t dealing with the problem head on.” He drew in a deep breath and pressed her shoulders gently. “But I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go Neanderthal. I wouldn’t have punched his lights out.”

“Excellent. Because then you’d be arrested and this thing gets a lot more complicated than it has to be.”

One corner of his mouth turned up. “Yeah, and then you’d tell me to get out of your life for being a jerk.”

“I like having you in my life. A lot.”

Was he closer? The heat seemed to rise in the hallway. “And I like the sound of that.” Tension grew, and she felt it move between them, hot and alive. He gently cupped her face in both hands, and her entire body tingled. “For the record, I’m feeling protective right now. Protective as hell.”

Spoken in his husky, deep voice, those last words made her whole body light up. She gripped his wrists gently so he couldn’t escape. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. You don’t need to stay. I’ll see if Donna can take me home.”

His eyebrows lifted. “You’re sure?”

“Absolutely. Go enjoy the rest of your weekend. What’s left of it.”

“I am enjoying it being with you.”

He leaned in, the heat of his big body melting her. Her eyelids closed and suddenly his mouth touched hers. As kisses went it was honest, slow, and not as presumptuous as it could’ve been. But oh my God, what it did to her. Thick, hot-as-sin need rolled through her body as his mouth glided gently over hers. His kiss asked but at the same time it promised there could be so much, much more later. She responded, eager as everything sexual in her ignited. He pulled back, still cupping her face, then he smiled and released her.

“Call me later if you want. I’d love to hear how everything went,” he said.

“I’ll definitely call you as soon as I get home.”

As he grinned at her and walked away, Jenny thought she’d melt into a puddle in hallway. She didn’t know if anyone had seen her kissing the gorgeous firefighter, and she didn’t care. One simple, tender kiss from Greg had set her more on fire than any kiss she’d experienced before. Smiling to herself, she headed for the personnel office.

“That’s awful,” Donna said as they worked on the office a short time later after Jenny explained what had happened with Manny and his girlfriend. “I tell you, Jenny, the dating world is a landmine. If I knew before what I know now about James, I never would’ve dated him. Hell, I never would’ve married him.”

“Well you know what they say about hindsight.”

Manny and Jenny had told the personnel office what Manny’s girlfriend had done. Paperwork followed and the woman they’d talked with there explained there would be more questions to come at a later date. Manny and Jenny didn’t want the woman fired, but the personnel office would make that decision based on the hospital rules and regulations. Jenny walked away from the situation not feeling confident. By the time Jenny reached her office, Donna looked ready to bite her head off. Until Jenny explained why she was so late coming in to help. Donna had even agreed to drive her home after they’d cleaned up the office. They were close to finishing up when the door opened and James walked in looking disheveled and angry.

“James? What the hell—” Donna started.

“Shut up, Donna. You’re always running your mouth. Now it’s time to pay.”

Jenny’s blood ran cold in that moment. Her stomach sank, and her heartbeat sped up. Jenny considered leaving the office and go for help, because the wildness in James eyes scared her to death. But she knew it was a horrible idea. If she made a sudden move, who knew how he’d react.

A few seconds later he pulled a weapon out from under his suit jacket and pointed it directly at Donna.