Saving His Heart

by Jennifer Youngblood

  Colton watched her hips move back and forth and her feet make a few small jumps here and there. A grin settled on his face as he decided to keep quiet and see how this scene would evolve.

  Soon Amy was humming with the song, then tried to accompany the singer with obviously made-up Hindi. Her voice was in perfect sync with the music. No wonder. She used to sing in the school choir.

  Suddenly, the song came to an end and Amy made a pirouette, landing to face the corridor. Her gaze locked with Colton’s, and her face turned the deepest shade of crimson. “You …”

  Her voice was menacing yet flustered, a combination that made Colton laugh. “Pay attention. Your spoon is dripping.” He knew he should keep a straight face, but it was just too funny seeing Amy flourish her wooden spoon at him as if it was a sword.

  She quickly put her weapon on the kitchen counter and strolled to him with her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed. “How long have you been spying on me?”

  Colton chuckled. “Spying? We live together now, remember? I got home from work, you were sleeping, and I went to take a shower. I had no idea that when I came out, you would be turning my place into a Bollywood theatre.”

  Amy stopped and rubbed her neck. “Um, sorry. You’re right. It’s just that I don’t dance in front of anyone. I started an Indian dance course back in Portland. I enjoy it a lot, but it’s more for my own pleasure.”

  Colton stepped closer to her and brushed her hair out of her face; she had messed it up during her performance. “I think you’re good, Amy-cakes. If you ever decide to quit nursing, I see a great career for you as a famous Hindi actress.”

  She whacked him in the chest, but a gurgling laugh bubbled up from her throat. “You’re terrible, Colt.”

  As her fingers touched Colton’s naked chest, he flinched. It was as if something extremely cold or hot hit him, because his skin broke out in goose bumps.

  Amy was looking at her own hand, her brows furrowed. “What was that?”

  Had she also noticed the electric load that passed between them? Colton shrugged. “No clue. Maybe it was my towel. It has synthetic fibers.” He should buy pure cotton ones like his grandmother used to have.

  She peeked up at him, taking a small step back. “Why are you even wandering around shirtless? You’ll catch a cold.” Her voice was an octave higher than normal.

  Colton flexed his chest muscles and biceps. “Why? Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed by seeing my bare-chested awesomeness.”

  Amy rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Colt, I might be the only woman on this planet your manly charms leave untouched. I’ve seen my fair share of cool firefighters, you know. Not my thing.”

  Colton knew. He was well aware of Amy’s commitment to keep her promise to her father. “Well,” he said, grinning at her, “I can go and get dressed, then. But it was worth a try, right?”

  Amy huffed and turned back to the kitchen. She went to the bowl she had been mixing. “Your tortilla will be ready in five, so go and put on some decent clothes. Maybe something in navy for a change?” She glanced back at him with an evil smirk.

  “I don’t have a lot of navy shades, but I’ll try my best,” Colton replied, knowing that Amy was teasing him for his love of the firemen’s color. He couldn’t help it. At work or at home, he felt comfortable in the navy hue.

  A half an hour later, they had eaten up Amy’s delicious tortillas, and with blissfully full tummies, they sipped their coffee and chatted about the past and the present.

  “The only pity is that you don’t keep any good treats at home,” Amy complained. “Nothing to snack on with my coffee.”

  Colton pointed at his cupboard. “What are you saying? My treasury is full of high-protein chocolate bars and gummy bears.”

  Amy wrinkled her nose. “Not my thing.”

  “Wait here, I have something for you,” Colton said, jumping up. He bolted to his room and returned, waving the pack of Crazy Nuts & More and a wrapped box in his hands. “These are for you.”

  Amy’s eyes widened. “For me? Thanks, Colt. But you shouldn’t have. I didn’t bring you anything. The move was so sudden, and I …”

  “Ah, forget it. You’re the one who needs to be welcomed. This is my way of saying I’m happy you’re here. Besides, you just made me tortillas.” He sat down and put his gifts on the table.

  Amy tore open the bag of nuts and popped a few cashews into her mouth. She chewed on them, and a delighted smile spread across on her face. “Mm, so yummy. You got the roasted kind.” After swallowing, she turned her attention to the box. “What’s this?”

  “Open it and you’ll see.” Colton held his breath. Would Amy like it?

  She did so, undoing the ribbon that the vendor had skillfully placed on the box. She gasped as her eyes darted to the red-and-black tool. “Oh, Colt. A real LifeHammer? Wow!”

  “With the florescent button so you can easily retrieve it in the dark.”

  She lifted the hammer, turning it in her hands carefully. “Thank you. I don’t have one in my car.”

  “I know. I checked.” Colton grinned at her proudly. “I’m so happy you like it.”

  “Kidding? I love it. I had a simple emergency hammer, but it went missing at some point, and it didn’t have the integrated seat belt cutter.”

  A sense of relief ran through Colton. He probably shouldn’t have doubted himself. After all, this was Amy. But after giving a similar tool to Theresa, his girlfriend had pouted for days. She would have preferred jewels instead of a tool she could use to rescue herself from her car in the event of an emergency.

  Colton took the hammer from Amy and laid it on the table in front of them. “Well, all the better. Now you have one tool that does all the tricks. I’ll mount it in your car for you.”

  Amy smiled at him. “Thanks, Colt. It’s so sweet of you to think of my safety. It’s totally a present that my dad would have gotten me if he were still alive.”

  Colton’s chest warmed at Amy’s words. There was no a higher compliment than being compared to Henry Powell. “How’s your mom doing in Florida?”

  Amy played with the rim of her cup, sliding her index finger around it in small circles. “She’s okay. Worried about us, as always.”

  “That’s what mothers do,” Colton said. That was what his mother would be doing if she were still alive.

  “Well, she’s also asking about you all the time.” Amy smiled. “I think her most frequent question is, 'When is Colt going to finally settle down?'“

  Settle down? Marriage was the last thing on Colton’s mind. His life was perfect the way it was. He had his dream job, his own place, his buddies, and now Amy. Oh yeah, and there was always the occasional good female company like Theresa. What else could he wish for? “I don’t plan on tying the knot any time soon, so your mom should place her bets on you or Zach.”

  Amy waved his words away. “Oh, Zach is another desperate case. A workaholic like you.” She paused, dipping her head. “And me?” Her chin moved into a grimace of profound sadness. “I think I’ve quit the dating game for the foreseeable future.”

  Colton’s stomach tightened. Her voice was heavy with darkness and hurt. Why would she speak about her future like that? He leaned forward and brushed his thumb on her hand. “Amy … what happened? Is it connected in any way to your decision to return to Jackson? You didn’t tell me much on the phone, so I figured I shouldn’t ask.”

  Amy smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re the best, Colt. Thanks for not prying. Yes, it has everything to do with my move to Jackson. I was dating a man—a doctor, actually. I thought we were serious. But then he started to pull away …”

  Colton tried to keep his face composed. This was news to him. Zach used to keep him up to date on Amy’s love life, given that Amy didn’t talk about it much on their phone calls. But Colton wasn’t aware that she’d been getting serious with someone. Why hadn't Zach told him? “So, are you two on a break now or something?”

  Amy’s lips pres
sed into hard lines. “No, it’s all finished. When I told Mark that I had an opportunity to come and work for Jackson Central, I kind of intended it to be a wake-up call for him. Things were stalling between us, and I hoped the idea of me potentially moving would make him realize … so I meant it as a test … I thought it would make him …” Amy shook her head. “But it didn’t. He told me I should accept the job. That it was the right occasion for us to end things, since he had stopped feeling that special something between us. He wasn’t sure he was in love with me anymore.” She inhaled slowly, and the next words came out as a whisper while a spasm ran through her neck. “I’m not even sure he ever was …”

  Colton’s hand rolled into a fist. “What. A. Jerk.” He didn’t know the man, but he was ready to punch him for hurting Amy this badly.

  Amy shrugged. “Yes … I mean, no. It’s my fault, actually. I was a fool for believing that a handsome and popular man like Mark would fall for a girl like me.”

  “What do you mean? You’re a total catch.”

  “Colt, you’re cute for saying that. But I … well, I never won any popularity contests in high school. I’ve never had a bunch of suitors lining up at my door. That was your and Zach’s privilege. And my attractiveness didn’t change with time. I’m still just Amy. Nothing fancy, and definitely not a femme fatale.”

  “A femme fatale?” Colton grimaced in bewilderment. He had never realized that Amy thought of herself in such unflattering terms. Why was she devaluing herself? She was smart, easygoing, fun to be around, and also beautiful. An all-in-one complete package.

  Amy swallowed and nodded. “Yes. And that’s obviously what Mark wanted. He often criticized the way I stick to my ‘plain nurse’ style even outside work.”

  “Did Mark tell you this?” Colton’s nostrils flared. He would need to get Mark’s phone number and give him a piece of his mind.

  His glance moved to Amy. She chewed silently on her lower lip, and her eyes were slowly glazing over as if the appearance of tears was imminent. Okay, this probably wasn’t the right moment to press her for her dumb ex’s contact details.

  Colton needed to focus on cheering Amy up. He pulled his chair closer to her. “Nurse style? Is it even a thing? Anyways, if it is, I’m a fan of it. It suits you, Amy-cakes.”

  Amy blushed and dropped her chin to her chest. “Geez, thanks. But it’s obvious that you would say that. You’re like my brother. You don’t look at me like a man. Just as a friend.”

  Well, not always. Colton remembered that moment from earlier when he'd covered Amy’s legs, and a guilty sensation spread in his chest. He cleared his throat. “I don’t need any particular point of view to know that you’re great. It’s Mark’s loss that he couldn’t see that.”

  Amy played with her fingers. “You know, he told me that I should take advantage of my move and start over with a clean slate, because that’s what he was planning to do for himself. He might even already have someone on his radar. I could feel it in the way he spoke to me.” A fat tear rolled down her cheek, followed by a quiet sob.

  Colton bent forward and hauled her into an embrace. “Chin up, sweetie. Maybe your ex was right. A clean slate is the best option for you. You’re such a gorgeous person. Mark clearly doesn’t deserve you if he didn’t appreciate his luck. Guys will be lining up to date you.”

  Amy nestled her head into the crook of his neck and picked at her nails. “I don’t really feel like getting back into the dating scene anytime soon.”

  Colton planted a kiss on the top of her head. “You don’t have to right away. You have me for now to keep you company. I can be fun to be around, in case you don’t remember.”

  Amy peeked up at him, and at the sight of her large, shining eyes, his breath caught. Heavens, were her eyes always this amazing mocha shade?

  Amy gave him a weak smile, and the spell broke. “I know you’re fun, Colt. That’s why I’m so happy you agreed to take me in for a while. There couldn’t be a safer place for me to be. Zach and you are my two pillars in life. Do you promise you’ll show me a good time?” She held out her little pinky like when they'd been kids making a vow about something.

  Colton’s heart was still catching up after the short pause. Yes, he was her safe place. He would protect her from any future heartache if it depended on him.

  He wrapped his pinky around hers. “Of course. The best of times, you’ll see.”

  He would just have to avoid gazing this closely into her eyes, because somehow, it did strange things to him. Things he wasn’t sure he was allowed to feel.

  4

  Amy took the comb from her purse and ran it through her hair. The Old Giant might have been Colton’s favorite place to grab a burger for lunch, but its ladies’ room was as dimly lit as Amy remembered. It would have been great to have at least one window to let in the natural light of the midday sun. Amy could hardly see the contours of her face as she blinked at her image in the mirror.

  She put the comb back and pinched her cheeks a couple of times. This would have to do. She should be presentable enough. She sighed. Why am I so nervous about meeting Colton’s girlfriend?

  Perhaps because, from his neighbor’s gossip and Colton’s few comments, she imagined Theresa to be a tall, long-legged supermodel. Or maybe because she feared that if Theresa didn’t like her, she might make Colton kick Amy out. After all, it must not be a nice feeling to know that another woman was staying with her boyfriend. Even if Amy had only learned about Theresa’s existence a day ago, she needed to befriend Theresa today and show her that she wasn’t a threat. And how could Amy ever be a threat? Colton didn’t see Amy as a woman. He never had, and he never would.

  This thought should have comforted Amy, but instead it caused a cold twitch in the pit of her stomach. She thought back to that odd moment when she’d touched Colton’s bare chest—something she’d seen a million times growing up. Why did it make her feel as if she’d just grabbed a live wire?

  Could it be the remainder of her childhood crush?

  Amy could still recall the first night when her brother had asked if he could have a new boy from his class over for dinner. Their parents agreed, and Colton had arrived that afternoon with a bunch of flowers for her mother and two little knives that he claimed looked like the axes that firemen used. Of course, the tiny blades couldn’t cut through an apple, but his gesture earned major points with their father. And with Amy too, because Colt gave one of the knives to her at the end of the evening, telling her she deserved it, as she was different from any other girl he knew.

  Maybe Amy’s body instinctively remembered the time when she had believed Colton could be something more than just a surrogate brother or a best pal? She rubbed her palm on her jeans and exhaled. Oh boy. I’m not making much sense. Why am I thinking such nonsense?

  She closed her purse and went back out to the pub. The giant wall-mounted flat-screen over the bar was showing the latest Lakers vs. Bucks game, and most of the patrons were glued to the TV as if seeing one of their favorite players score would change the outcome of their lives.

  The smell of hamburger meat and yeasty beer made Amy’s stomach growl. She knew she would have a hard time sticking to her healthy diet now that she was back in Jackson. Colton and his colleagues used the Old Giant as their second home base after the station, and the food choices here were not in line with the latest nutritional discoveries. Sarah, the owner and wife of a retired firefighter, believed that for men to be strong, they needed greasy, protein-loaded meals. Colton was very much on the same page.

  Amy watched Colton finish off his giant burger over in the distant corner of the bar. He looked like a true predator when he ate, avid and focused—traits that made the similarities between him and Zach even more pronounced. When they'd been kids, her mother had a hard time cooking enough food when Colton came over. The two boys would devour everything in a matter of seconds.

  Amy was about to walk back to Colton when a lean, fashionably dressed brunette sashayed up to him
and flung her arms around his neck.

  So this is Theresa.

  Wow, she was a looker. How many hours did she spend ironing her locks to look that frizz-free? And how in the heck was her hair so voluminous? Each time Amy tried to tame her blond mane with the help of styling tools, the result was disastrous.

  A small sigh escaped Amy’s throat. Well, that type of skill with hair must be a talent you were born with. Just like the art of applying makeup. Theresa had obviously been blessed with both skills, because even from a distance, Amy could see that her face was spotless and glowing, while her eyes looked large and inviting like Cleopatra’s—or at least like Elizabeth Taylor’s had when she’d played the Egyptian empress.

  Theresa shifted her pointy soft leather boots so that her body pressed closer to Colton. Amy couldn’t help but notice that Theresa’s hip bone was almost at the level of Colton’s. Amy swallowed, forcing down the lump that formed in the back of her throat. These two would make a fine couple to model for some cool designer brand.

  Amy automatically straightened her back and raised herself to her tiptoes. Grrr, who am I kidding? I’m short, and standing like a ballet dancer can’t change that.

  Colton gave Theresa a kiss on her mouth—nothing extremely passionate, just a quick peck, but somehow his gesture tightened Amy’s chest.

  She shrugged, scolding herself for this inappropriate reaction. It had to be her protective instinct about Colton. She used to feel similarly about the girls Zach dated. Maybe she’d inherited a considerable amount of her mother’s genes after all. It was her mother who used to say that no woman was good enough for her boy—well, boys, because Amy’s mom was just as concerned about Colton’s future as she was about Zach’s.

  Amy hurried back to Colton’s table, making sure to keep her shoulders relaxed. She didn’t want Colton and Theresa to know she’d been spying on them from the other end of the bar.