by Force, Marie
Back inside, Landon built up the fire that would keep them warm throughout the night and made sure both doors were locked. He didn’t usually worry about locking his doors when it was just him, but the first night she’d stayed with him, Amanda had asked if he’d locked the doors. Since it made her feel safe, he’d done it every night since.
The bathroom door was open and the light on in the bedroom. “Knock, knock. Is it safe to come in?”
“All good. Come on in.”
He stepped into his bedroom and found her in his bed, propped up on pillows, her hair down around her shoulders. Landon leaned against the doorframe and feasted his eyes on the sight of her in his bed.
“What?”
“I like how you look in my bed.”
“You’ve seen me in your bed before.”
“I liked how you looked then, too.”
“Are you going to stand there and stare all night, or are you going to join me?”
“Definitely going to join you, but not until I stare for a little bit longer.”
“Landon,” she said on a nervous laugh. “Stop.”
“You don’t like when I stare at you?”
“You’re flustering me.”
“You’re pretty when you’re flustered—and when you’re not.” Landon laughed when she lifted the covers up and over her head. “You can run, but you cannot hide.”
“Good to know.”
He grabbed pajama bottoms and went into the bathroom to change and brush his teeth. When he returned to the bedroom, she was still in hiding deep under the covers. He got into bed and went looking for her.
She jolted when his cold hand found her warm shoulder.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he said in a singsong voice that had her giggling.
“I didn’t realize I was inviting the Big Bad Wolf to join me in bed.”
“Sure, you did. You knew exactly who you were getting.” He tunneled through the covers until he was nose to nose with her. “Hi there.”
Smiling, she said, “Hi.”
“Thanks for inviting me to your sleepover.”
“It is your bed, after all.”
He nuzzled her neck, making her shiver as her hands curved tentatively around his shoulders. “My bed is much nicer with you in it.”
“I’m not sure if I can handle being in bed with shirtless Landon.”
“I’ll bet you can handle it just fine.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“How about we give it a try?” He shifted so he was hovering above her, propped up on his arms and fighting to maintain control as she ran her hands all over him.
“So many muscles,” she said softly as her touch electrified him. “How do you have so many muscles?”
She expected him to actually talk when he was hardly breathing? “Ah, rock-climbing, skiing, fire department training, among other things.”
“Whatever it is, it’s working for you.”
“Is it working for you, too?”
“Oh yeah…”
Landon lowered his hips and pressed his hard cock against her. He wanted her so fiercely that he had to keep telling himself it wasn’t time for that. Not yet, anyway. But then her hands moved down his back and coasted over his ass, digging into his flesh to bring him in even closer, making his eyes roll back in his head. “Ah, Amanda…”
She wiggled under him, seemingly unaware of what she was doing to him. “Hmm?”
He was on the verge of suggesting they move things along to the next stop on their journey when the house phone rang, startling him out of the lust-filled stupor he’d fallen into. “Shit. I have to get that. I’m always on call.”
Amanda released him, and he dove for the phone. “Abbott.”
“Got a house fire on Sugar Mill Road, Lieutenant. Are you able to respond?”
“On my way.” He put down the phone and drew in a deep breath as he tried to switch gears from turned on to turned out. “I have to go to work.”
“So I gathered.”
He glanced at her. “I’m sorry.”
“I understand. This is your life.”
“It is.”
She gave him a wary look. “Will you be okay?”
He took one second to kiss her. “I’ll be fine.” Landon got out of bed and moved quickly to change into thermals, jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. “Get some sleep.”
“Be careful.”
“Don’t worry. I’m always careful.”
He was out the door two seconds later and on his way into town with lights flashing. The address of the fire wasn’t far from his brother Will’s home. With the streets deserted, he could drive faster than usual, but as always, he kept an eye out for moose and other obstacles. On the way, he tried to decompress from the episode in his bed so he could focus on work, but with his blood still running hot through his veins, it was damned hard to shift gears.
When he arrived at the scene, Landon found a house fully engulfed in flames and trucks from the Butler Volunteer Fire Department already there. Off to the side, a group of people huddled together, wrapped in blankets.
“Everyone out?” he asked Richard Smith, the department’s chief.
“Everyone except the family dog.”
“I’ll go after him.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I’d like to try.”
“Get suited up, then. You got five minutes. In and out.”
Landon moved quickly to don the gear he carried in his truck at all times so he’d be ready for calls such as this one. He was on his way inside within a minute, following directions from the family about where the dog might be hiding. With the fire raging in the front half of the house, he entered through the kitchen in the back. He’d been told the golden retriever might be under the dining room table, which was located to the left of the kitchen. Thick smoke filled the entire downstairs as he made his way to the dining room, a flashlight helping to lead the way.
Sure enough, the dog was huddled under the table.
When Landon dropped down to go after him, the dog retreated farther under the table, snapping at him when he extended a hand.
“Come on, buddy. I’m here to help.”
The dog wasn’t having it.
Landon grabbed his collar and pulled as the dog fought back, biting his wrist hard. Ugh, that hurt, but at least he couldn’t break the skin through the thick gloves. “Listen, dude. You don’t want to crush the hearts of your family members, now do you?” He had no idea if the dog could hear him through the oxygen mask he wore. One more time, he grabbed the dog’s collar and pulled hard, and when he got the dog close enough, he quickly wrapped his arms tight around the dog’s solid body.
Landon’s radio crackled to life. “Hurry up, Abbott.” The chief’s order and the tense sound of his voice put Landon on notice that he was running out of time to get the dog out of there.
Keeping his tight hold on the heavy animal, he stood and rushed back toward the door, tripping over something and nearly falling at one point. He had no idea how he managed to hang on to the dog and remain standing, but they reached the doorway in the seconds before a loud crash sounded behind them as the second floor collapsed.
Well, that’d been rather close.
When they were outside, he put down the dog, who ran off, hopefully toward the family that loved him.
Landon removed the mask that covered his face, bent at the waist and took some deep breaths of cold air.
“Good job,” the chief said. “You crazy bastard.”
Landon laughed. “I like dogs better than most people. I’ll always save the dog.”
Over the next several hours, he helped the rest of their team fight the fire until it was under control. Neighbors had taken in the family that had lost its home, and there’d be plenty to do at the site in the coming days as they confirmed their suspicions that a faulty woodstove had started the fire.
Landon drove toward town exhausted and chilled to the bone as
the sun rose over Butler Mountain, casting a warm glow over the picturesque town. As he was scheduled to work that night, he had the day to get some sleep ahead of his regular shift. In his early twenties, he might’ve stayed at work rather than going home to sleep. But as he got older, he’d learned to take care of himself so he could take care of other people.
He never knew when he’d be needed for search and rescue or fires, so he tried to keep his battery charged rather than running on empty most of the time the way he used to. Besides, with Amanda sleeping in his bed, he had good reason to go home rather than work around the clock. He couldn’t wait to see her and hold her and be with her. The rush of emotions tied to her left him feeling a bit lightheaded and off-balance as he drove home, thinking about the convergence of the past and the present.
After he’d lost Naomi, he’d shut down to any feeling that could cause him pain when it came to women. He’d kept things light and fun and muddled through without taking chances on anything below the surface.
That strategy had prevented him from experiencing more of the heartbreak he’d endured after Naomi died. But it had also kept him walled off from anything meaningful. Until he’d met Amanda, he’d never wanted to change the status quo that had worked so well to protect him since his tragic loss.
And now he was on the verge of risking everything for a woman and doing so with his eyes wide open to the potential for disaster. He couldn’t deny the possibility of being hurt like he’d been before, and it scared him. For a time after Naomi’s shocking death, he’d had reason to wonder if he’d ever be the same again. The family had rallied around him and Lucas in the loss of their friend, but no one other than Lucas had known how much greater the loss had been for Landon.
He’d refused to discuss it with anyone other than his twin, who was the only one who knew that he’d finally worked up the nerve to ask her out days before the illness struck. Landon would never know what might’ve been with Naomi, but he’d always had the feeling their relationship would’ve been significant.
Hannah had met her first husband, Caleb, when they were in middle school, and their love had gone the distance until he died in Iraq.
Would it have lasted forever with Naomi? He had no way to know, but it was certainly possible. He hadn’t thought about her and what might’ve been for them in a long time, even if the dull ache of her loss had remained with him over the years. Only since Amanda had come into his life and opened the door to new possibilities had he started thinking again about what might’ve been with Naomi.
He’d already had more with Amanda than he’d ever had with Naomi. Thinking of what it had been like to hold Amanda made him almost desperate to be with her again, even knowing the risk he was taking with every passing minute he spent with her.
On the way through town, he made a quick stop at the diner, where he knew he’d find his brother Hunter at that hour, helping Megan prepare for the morning rush. “Knock, knock,” he said, sticking his head into the diner, which wouldn’t be officially open for another fifteen minutes. “Young, impressionable brother coming in, so don’t do anything that can’t be unseen.”
“Shut up and come in.” Hunter was seated at the counter with Megan, helping her roll silverware into paper napkins. His eldest brother had dark, wavy hair and brown eyes.
“There’s coffee if you want some, Landon.” Megan had her blond hair up in a ponytail with a pen pushed through it.
“Thanks.” He helped himself to a cup of coffee and stood behind the counter to drink it.
“You get called out last night?” Hunter asked without looking up from his task.
“Yup.” Landon held out his arm for them to see. “And bit by a dog for my troubles.”
Hunter looked up and winced at the huge bruise on Landon’s wrist. “Ouch. That’s not very nice.”
“The poor guy was scared.”
“How’s Amanda?” Megan asked.
“She’s doing better. The ankle is still giving her some grief, though. Actually, she’s the reason I came by. You still have your piano, right?”
“Uh-huh,” Hunter said as he rolled another set of silverware and added it to the growing pile on the counter.
“Amanda wants to learn how to play. Do you think you could show her the basics sometime?”
“I could try. I’ve never actually taught anyone, so I have no idea if I can.”
“You could,” Megan said. “He plays for me all the time. He’s really good.”
“I know, which is why I thought of him when she said she wanted to learn. She’s on a quest, I guess you could call it, to do things she’s put off now that she’s got this second chance at life.”
“That’s cool,” Megan said. “And it’s sweet of you to want to help her.”
Landon shrugged. “I get where she’s coming from. Nothing like getting caught in a fire to remind you that there’s no time like the present to go after what you want.”
“Is that what you’re doing, too?” Hunter asked. “Going after what you want with her?”
“Maybe so.”
“Told you.” Megan nudged Hunter with her shoulder. “When are you going to realize I’m right about most things?”
“Thanks a lot,” Hunter said to Landon.
Landon grinned at their good-natured bickering. “Want to catch me up?”
“After your birthday, I told Hunter there was something brewing with you and Amanda, and he said, nah, Landon doesn’t do serious. In fact, he said, Lucas doesn’t either. He was also wrong about that.”
“We love when Hunter is wrong about something,” Landon said. “It happens so infrequently that you have to really enjoy the moment.”
“I know!” Megan said. “It’s maddening how he’s almost always right. I have to get mine where I can.”
“Um, hello,” Hunter said. “I’m right here, and I can hear you.”
“Was I or was I not right about Landon and Amanda?” Megan leaned in, cupping her ear as if to hear him better.
“Yes, dear, you were right.”
“You’re my witness that it does happen once in a while, Landon.”
“I’m writing this down for you.”
“Thank you. Now, tell me more about what’s going on with Amanda.”
“We’re in the negotiation stage, I guess you might say.”
“You’re serious about her, then?” Hunter asked.
“I think I could be.”
“You don’t know for sure?”
“She’s in kind of an odd place right now after the fire. She’s determined to shake things up. I told her I’d help her, but I’m not really sure how that’s going to play out for her long-term or how I fit into her plans.”
“That sounds kind of risky for you,” Hunter said, frowning.
Hunter’s aversion to risk was well known within their family. As the chief financial officer for their many businesses, he avoided risk like the plague.
“I’ll be careful. Don’t worry.” Landon glanced at the clock on the far wall and saw it was almost seven. He needed to get home so he could get some sleep and have time with Amanda before he had to work later.
“I will worry,” Hunter said. “I don’t want you crushed if she moves on without you.”
The thought of that pained Landon. “I don’t want that either. Don’t worry. It’s all good, for now, anyway. I’ll tell Amanda to hit you up about the piano?”
“Sure.”
Landon put three one-dollar bills on the desk next to the cash register to pay for the coffee. “Thanks again. You guys have a nice day.”
“You, too,” Megan called after him.
As he drove home, Landon thought about what Hunter had said about looking out for himself in the midst of Amanda’s second chance at life. It was a valid point, but he was determined to make a real effort with her. Perhaps if he took advantage of this opportunity to show her what was possible with him, her journey would lead her to him in the end.
He pulled into his drivew
ay and glanced at the unassuming cabin. It’d been a wreck when he bought it. He’d made it into a home with a lot of time and effort, the same kind of time and effort he’d have to expend to make a go of it with Amanda. Knowing she was in his house made him almost giddy with anticipation as he gathered a fresh bundle of wood and then used his key in the door.
When he stepped inside, he was surprised to find Amanda standing at the stove, wearing one of his flannels over the tank and pajama pants she’d worn to bed.
“Hey,” he said. “You’re up early.”
“I never really went back to sleep after you left.”
He kicked off his boots and hung up his coat before crouching to tend to the woodstove. “How come?”
“You were going to fight a fire—my new biggest fear. Triggered some anxiety.”
With the fire stoked, Landon stood, crossed the room and hugged her from behind, kissing her neck as he peeked around her to see that she was cooking eggs. “I’m okay.”
“You smell like smoke.”
“I know. Sorry. I’ll go shower.”
She covered the hand he’d flattened against her abdomen. “Stay.”
He tightened his hold on her. “I’m here, and I’m fine.”
“Did you go into the house while it was on fire?”
For a second, he thought about lying to calm her fears, but he didn’t want to be dishonest with her. “I went in for the family’s dog.”
She shuddered. “I can’t bear to think of you willingly walking into a fire.”
“I do it all the time, sweetheart. I’m very well protected.”
“So was Lucas, and he was nearly killed saving me.”
“Nothing like that had ever happened to either of us in all the years we’ve been working for the department.”
“Still, don’t pretend it can’t happen.”
“I’d never deny that, but I can’t have you losing sleep every time I get called out.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make it about me when you’re the one who was in danger.”
“You’re still recovering from a very frightening experience. It’s only natural that any thought of fire would trigger your fears. But I’m highly trained and very experienced. You really don’t need to worry about me.”
