Warnings and Wildfires

by Autumn Jones Lake

  That nervous flutter starts up in my belly again. Yes, I’ve already met Madison, but this is different.

  Jake turns, fully facing me now. “You need to understand something. Sully’s a strong guy. Inside and out, but his heart’s not bulletproof. If you can’t handle this, tell him sooner rather than later.”

  “I don’t have a problem with it.”

  He stares at me for a few seconds before nodding and backing away.

  The back door opens and my heart kicks up. I didn’t expect Sully to return to work after picking Madison up at the airport this afternoon.

  “Hey, Aubrey!” she calls out. I swear the kid’s grown another inch since I saw her. So unfair.

  “Hey, Madison. How was your trip?”

  She shrugs off the question. “Same old. Where’s Uncle Jake?”

  “He’s working with a client.” More like trying to beat the crap out of his buddy, but that seems like an inappropriate thing to say to Maddy.

  “Hi.” Sully’s warm voice slides over me like caramel. He approaches slowly as if he’s assessing how to handle this situation.

  Did he tell Madison we’re dating?

  “Dad says you’re coming with us to the Big E tomorrow,” Madison says sort of answering my question.

  “Is that okay with you?”

  She cocks her head as if she never considered having a choice in the matter. “Sure. Have you ever been?”

  “A long time ago.”

  “Me too. The timing never usually works out.” A little more enthusiasm creeps into her voice. “But this time it does.”

  “Yes, it does.” Sully musses her hair and she leans against him. “Who’s Jake working with?”

  “Griff. Jake talked him into letting me take a few short videos for our Insta.”

  Sully chuckles. “I thought I was supposed to be the star of the show?”

  He’s teasing because we both know he’d be perfectly happy if I never filmed him again. There’s nothing vain or arrogant about Sully.

  “There’s a bill for some of that netting on your desk,” I remind him.

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  Madison glances at her dad and back at me as if she’s trying to decide which one of us is the least boring option.

  “Can I stay with Aubrey, Dad?”

  He gives me a quick look before answering, “Sure.”

  Shoot, what am I supposed to do with her? She’s too old for me to toss some coloring books at, right?

  My mouth twitches into an uncomfortable smile. “Are you thirsty?” God, I hope not. All I have to offer are water or protein shakes.

  “There’s my princess!” Jake yells across the gym. He jogs over and scoops Maddy up. “Why didn’t you come see me?”

  “Aubrey said you were busy.”

  “I’m never too busy for you.”

  Thanks, Jake.

  “Holy sh…shoot,” Griff stutters. “Madison, right? I haven’t seen you since you were little.”

  Jake hooks his arm around her. “She’s still little. Get lost.”

  Maddy’s cheeks turn pink and she pushes away from her uncle. “Are you a friend of Uncle Jake’s?”

  “I think so,” Griff jokes, rocking back on his heels. “I’m not so sure at the moment. I was about to kick his—”

  “Dream on,” Jake says, cutting him off.

  The phone at the front desk rings and I hurry to answer, hoping Jake and Griff don’t kill each other. Why am I surprised Jake’s so overprotective of his niece?

  After answering some questions from someone who found us through Instagram—yay!—I hang up. Griff strolls over with his hands in his pockets. “I’m gonna take off. Can you send me one or two of those clips? I’ll help promote Strike Back through my account too.”

  “That’d be great. Thank you.”

  He half-smiles at me. “Thank you for taking them. Sully’s lucky to have you.”

  My cheeks heat up and I mumble, “Thank you.”

  “Here, let me see your phone.” He leans over the counter to grab it and tries to flick it on.

  “Um, a person’s phone is private.” I place my hands on my hips. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  I’m only teasing, but he sets it down on the counter and holds up his hands.

  While I’m flicking through some of the photos to send him, Maddy joins us. At first, I think she’s here to talk to me, but she brushes her hair over her shoulder and peeks up at Griff, batting her lashes.

  “So, what do you do?” she asks.

  Oh God.

  Oh no.

  Watching two people flirt is awkward under most circumstances. Watching a twelve-year-old flirt with a guy who’s friends with her dad, is downright painful.

  It’ll be painful for Griff too if Sully catches this scene.

  “Uh,” Griff says, inching away. “I have to get going.” His frantic gaze finds mine as if to say, “Help me out here.”

  “Aubrey,” Sully calls. “Can you come here for a sec?”

  Griff’s eyes are practically screaming, “Don’t leave me alone with Sully’s daughter!”

  “Actually, I need you out here for a minute, if you can,” I answer.

  Sully approaching our little trio finally derails the train wreck. Maddy sighs in disappointment and wanders into the gym while Griff sighs in relief. “Thank you,” he whispers. “Jesus. I don’t want to be mean to her, but—”

  “What’s up, Aubrey?” Sully asks, stopping Griff from elaborating. Not that he needed to.

  “Uh.” Crap, I should’ve had a better plan. “Griff needed to talk to you about something.”

  I leave them to clean up the locker room and Maddy follows me inside. “He’s so hot,” she whispers. “Does he come here a lot?”

  “Not really.” I glance back at Griff and Sully. “He’s a little old for you, Maddy. Plus, he’s a friend of your dad’s.”

  She purses her lips into a pout. “So?”

  That explanation should’ve been sufficient. Apparently, I need a better one.

  Here I’d been hoping to befriend Maddy this weekend, not lecture her so she ends up hating me.

  “Are you excited about the fair tomorrow?” I ask, hoping to distract her.

  “Yes! Can’t wait.”

  That’s better. I can’t help smiling at her enthusiasm.

  Sully pops his head in the locker room. “Hey, Maddy, ready to head home?”

  “Sure.”

  He lifts his chin at me. “You leaving for the coffee shop soon?”

  “Oh, shoot.” I glance at the clock. “Thanks for reminding me.”

  On my way out, he hooks me around the waist, drawing me closer. “You work too hard.” He leans down. “Your man should take better care of you,” he says against my hair. The words combined with the emotion in his voice turn my knees to jelly.

  “I can take care of myself,” I whisper.

  “I know you can.” The corners of his mouth kick up. “I’m being selfish. I want you all to myself.”

  “You’ll see me tomorrow.” My gaze strays to the front where Maddy’s talking to Griff as he tries to back out the door. “Besides, I have a feeling your hands are already full this weekend.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Did I really agree to spend the day with Sully and Madison?

  I keep staring in the mirror. Playing with my hair. Up or down? What makes me look older?

  “You look so cute,” Celia says.

  “I don’t want to look cute. I want to look capable.”

  “Capable of what?”

  “Spending the day with my boyfriend and his almost-teenage daughter.”

  Her lips twitch and she brushes my hair off my shoulder. “Want me to put your hair up in a bun or something? Give you a stepmother makeover?”

  “I’m not her—” Wait a second. If Sully and I keep dating… If we eventually… “Oh, shit.”

  “Just occurred to you, huh?” She nods in sympathy as she starts gathe
ring my hair. “How about a simple braid?”

  “Sure.” I reach into my pocket for an elastic and hold it out to her.

  “You look good in orange.”

  I glance down at the burnt-orange romper and fiddle with the double spaghetti straps holding it up. “You swear it doesn’t make me look like a human pumpkin?”

  She snort-giggles. “No. It’s adorable. The ruffled edge is so cute. Gives you the appearance of legs for days. Guys love that.”

  “Even with the flat sandals?”

  Somehow she keeps the exasperation out of her voice. “Yes. You’re going to be walking all day. Those will be comfortable, plus you look cute but sassy.”

  “Sassy,” I grumble.

  Right as she’s tying off the braid, someone knocks on our front door.

  “I’ll get it. Finish up in here,” Celia says.

  “Deep breath. You look fine. This will be fun,” I tell my reflection. I smear on more sunscreen and a few more dabs of lip gloss, then realize I’m stalling.

  Sully’s smooth and easy voice draws me into the living room. His eyes widen and his gaze roams over me in an appreciative way. Maybe I don’t look like a pumpkin after all.

  “Where’s Madison?” I ask.

  Please tell me she didn’t get mad I was joining them and decide to stay home.

  “In the car. Last chance to monopolize the radio,” he answers like it’s no big deal.

  “Have fun, guys,” Celia says, shoving my purse and a bright yellow sweater-cardigan in my arms.

  “Bye, Celia.” Sully fires off a quick wave before taking my hand. “You all right?”

  A pent-up breath whooshes out of me. “I’m nervous,” I confess.

  He stops at the top of the stairs and places his hands on my shoulders. “Why?”

  I lift my gaze, meeting his concerned brown eyes. “I’ve never done this before.”

  One corner of his mouth lifts. “Neither have I.”

  Unsure of how to respond, I stand there staring at him. My gaze lingers on his forest-green button-up shirt. The color brings out golden flecks in his already vibrant brown eyes. Inside the apartment, I hadn’t taken the time to fully appreciate how good he looks. How did he even find a shirt to accommodate his broad shoulders and thick biceps? With the way he has the sleeves rolled up to show off his forearms, I won’t be able to concentrate all day.

  “Aubrey?” His deep, raspy voice pulls me away from drooling over his arms.

  He squeezes my shoulders. “Maddy already likes you. She was happy you were coming with us, honest. I wouldn’t do anything to make either of you unhappy or uncomfortable.”

  His sincere words and expression melt some of my anxiety. “Let’s go.”

  Maddy scoots into the backseat when she sees us coming and waves at me.

  “It’s so nice, I thought you’d have the top off.”

  He rolls his eyes as he opens the door for me. “Someone doesn’t like to get her hair all windblown and messy anymore. She even complains about having the windows down.” He teases.

  In response, Maddy fluffs her hair and sticks her tongue out at him.

  “I totally understand,” I say as I climb into the Jeep. “I have extra pony-holders if you need one.”

  Am I a suck-up or what?

  She takes the elastics I hand her and ties her hair back. “Thanks.”

  Once we’re on the road, windows down and radio cranked to eleven, I’m able to relax a little more. Madison and I have eerily similar taste in pop-rock music. I’m not sure what that says about me, but we have fun serenading Sully all the way to Massachusetts.

  Several times, I catch him glancing over with a smile on his face.

  Once or twice, his hand grazes the side of my bare leg.

  The closer we inch toward the fair, the heavier the traffic. Madison leans on my seat, practically bouncing out of the vehicle with excitement.

  “Pleeeeease can we park near the Clydesdales? I want to see them first.”

  “Starting with the biggest horses, huh?” I ask.

  “They’re so beautiful.”

  While she rattles off details about Clydesdales, I lean over to Sully. “They’re only here every other year, right?”

  “They’re here. I checked.” He flicks his gaze to the rearview mirror. “Believe me, I checked first.”

  I chuckle and sit back to look up a map of the fair. “Keep going on Route 147. It looks like we want the Gate Nine lot.”

  “Thank you.”

  We slow to a crawl and Maddy recites a list of fair food she plans to indulge in.

  “Where are you planning to put all that?” Sully asks.

  “I’ll burn it off with all the walking,” she shoots back.

  He chuckles and shakes his head. “I don’t want you to get sick and be miserable the whole way home.”

  “I’ll pace myself,” she assures him.

  I cover my mouth to hold back my laughter.

  “The key, Aubrey,” Maddy announces. “Is to skip the really junky fair food in the front and go for the good stuff back in the Avenue of States exhibit.”

  “Ahh, okay. So, you have a plan?”

  “Yes.”

  “Fried dough isn’t junky?” Sully asks.

  “No, Dad.” I don’t have to turn around to visualize her eye-roll.

  I tap his arm. “Sacrilege. Fried dough is the best part of going to the fair.”

  He flashes a quick grin. “Maddy, don’t forget we’re supposed to bring home a cream puff and eclair for grandma.”

  “Okay.”

  “She’ll kill me if we go to the fair and don’t bring them back for her,” he explains to me. He glances at Madison. “What do you think we should bring Uncle Jake?”

  In my peripheral vision, I catch her tapping her chin as if she’s giving it a lot of thought. “Apple cider, maybe? Or maple pepper. I’ll think of something good. And I want to get real maple syrup for Mom.”

  “Sounds like a plan. You write it all down?” Sully asks.

  “Duh. No. It’s all in my head.”

  He chuckles and nudges me. “Can you grab my wallet? It’s in the middle console.”

  “Sure.” We roll to a stop at the entrance to the parking lot just as I find his wallet. “I brought money. I can—”

  “Give me that.” He plucks his wallet from my hands and passes a twenty to the man in the booth. A few seconds later, we’re waved into the parking lot and directed to a wide grassy parking area near the gate. “See, pays to be early,” he says to Madison.

  “Yeah, yeah,” she grumbles. My seat tips back as she loops her arms around the headrest. “He had me up at the butt-crack of dawn, Aubrey.”

  I chuckle but don’t comment. Somehow it feels inappropriate to say I’ve learned her dad’s an early riser.

  Sully glances over at me, his eyes simmering with heat. Maybe he was thinking the same thing.

  When he’s satisfied he’s found a spot where we won’t get boxed in as the fair gets more crowded, he leans over. “Give me a second to talk to Maddy.”

  I grab a comb out of my purse and mumble, “Sure.”

  The drive went better than I expected. Can’t deny how awkward I felt about this whole thing this morning. Feeling more reassured now.

  Maddy jumps down from the Jeep, pawing through the small purse at her side. “I can’t find my sunglasses,” she mutters.

  “Check the—”

  “Got ’em!” She slips them on and grins at me.

  “They look good.” I crook my finger at her. “Come here for a second.”

  “What?” she asks, stepping closer.

  I lean down and lower my voice. “Listen, I know you’re a big girl and don’t do the hand-holding thing anymore—”

  “Daaaad, really?”

  “Let me finish, Madison.”

  She crosses her arms over her chest and taps her foot. “I’m listening.”

  “This is a big fair and it’s going to be insanely crowded today.
I need you to stick near me or Aubrey. No running off.”

  Her body tenses as if she’s trying to come up with a smart retort. I pin her with what I hope is my stern-dad stare and wait.

  Finally, she drops her arms. “I won’t. Promise.”

  “Thank you.”

  She tugs at the front of the blindingly neon-yellow shirt she chose this morning. “Just in case, you should be able to see me from like a million feet away.”

  “Clever,” I mutter with an eye roll.

  “Ready?” Aubrey asks, coming around the front of the Jeep.

  “See,” Maddy says, pointing at Aubrey. “She’s wearing a bright color too. That way you can’t lose either of us.”

  Aubrey blinks and stares down at her outfit—the one I wanted to strip her out of the second I saw her this morning. Something about so much bare leg on display makes me want to run my hands all over her smooth skin.

  “Oh. I guess this was a good pick, then,” she says.

  A breeze picks up, rustling through the heavy canopy of trees I parked under. It’s a perfect fall day in New England.

  “Ready?”

  “Yup!” Madison chirps. She grabs Aubrey’s hand and drags her toward the entrance gate.

  Sure, she won’t hold my hand in public. I chuckle and follow them.

  Once we’ve bought our tickets and maps, we stop to formulate a plan for the day.

  Aubrey listens while Madison rattles off all the things she wants to see and eat. Listens and looks at my daughter as if each one of the words rushing out of her mouth matters and she’s not just humoring her.

  My chest squeezes. This morning, I’d been intent on reassuring Aubrey, so I held back my own fears about today. So far our fears were unnecessary.

  “All right.” I take out my wallet and hand Madison spending money for the day. “Spend it wisely.”

  She grins and stuffs the bills in her purse. “Thanks!”

  This Midway at the Big E is your typical fair. With the same vendors and games set up you see at most fairs. While Madison claimed she was too old for this and wanted to head to the animal barns and craft shops first, now she swears she has to ride the Vertigo Swing Tower. It’s fine, it gives me time to check-in with Aubrey.

  “Still okay?” I ask.

  She beams up at me, a whole lot more confident than she seemed when I picked her up. “Great. I haven’t been here since I was a kid.”