He’d heard the term—a beautiful woman who strutted on the arm of her well-to-do husband, hosted his parties and did the right things to better his position with a company, and from it she gained money but little else. He nodded, feeling a pang of sadness for her. Elise had hit the pit of awareness. Even her self-esteem had reached bottom when she realized what she’d become. He observed it in her actions. She’d never been a groveler.
“It wasn’t the life I wanted, Clint. The wife of a firefighter didn’t hold much glamour, but the women knew their husbands would be home after their forty-eight-hour shifts, and while they’d been gone, they’d saved lives and property. Those women would never be rich, never wear glamorous attire and never live in a high-priced home, but they would have a different kind of security.” Her eyes had misted.
His chest caved in, feeling a pang of regret, yet he knew better. Elise turned her emotions on and off like a light switch. “That’s about it for the wife of a firefighter, except you missed something. His wife would have love and a best friend.”
She looked away as if trying to hide the truth from his eyes. “And that’s why I came back.” Her head did a slow turn. “I messed up. I let a fairy-tale dream pull me from reality. I realized after a miserable two years I’d had the world in my hands...and I let you go.”
His lungs emptied, and he swallowed air. He studied her face, trying to read the truth in her eyes, but he was as blinded as he’d been before she walked away.
Her fingers squeezed his. “Is there any hope, Clint? Even a speck will let me breathe.”
Longing filled her face and smothered him, but as quickly as his heart melted, a warning signal screamed in his mind, and Paula’s image covered the vision in front of him. He took a final gulp of coffee and rose. “Here’s how it is, Elise, if I ever loved you, it’s over, dead, gone. I want you to back off and let me live my life.”
Though tears rolled down her cheeks, perseverance still sparked in her eyes. “But remember the beautiful times—”
“Elise, I don’t make rash decisions. I’m thoughtful and take time to weigh what is right and good. I have new hopes that moved into the empty space you left. I don’t have room for anyone else.” He rose and grasped the chair back.
“I made a mistake, Clint. It was a—”
“You made two mistakes, Elise. Coming here was the other one. You’re wasting your time in Ferndale.” He slid the chair beneath the table. “I’m glad we had this talk. We both know where we stand.”
He turned toward the door and didn’t look back.
* * *
Clint pulled into Paula’s driveway, his surprise for Paula loaded in the back of his neighbor’s van. He would have been in a mess, trying to jam it in his trunk. He opened the van door and a northern wind, along with a few flakes of snow, sent an icy chill down his back. One thing Michigan always had was weather adventures. One day the temperature was sixty and the next it was twenty. He tucked his hands in his pockets before recalling the work gloves he’d slipped into the back.
Grateful that Devon had agreed to help him unload the cabinet, he opened the rear door and found the gloves. Today they would serve two purposes, and he appreciated the warmth.
He stood a moment and peered down the street. With no cars in sight, he slipped back inside the van to wait for him to arrive with the door key he’d gotten from Ashley. Not only had she volunteered the spare key Paula had given her in case of an emergency, she’d planned a girl’s afternoon of shopping. They’d left early and he couldn’t use the neighbor’s van until he came back from a couple of errands so he suspected they would be back soon.
When he first met her, Paula hadn’t been much of a shopper that he’d noticed, but she’d come into her own the past months, and he loved the changes he’d seen. She’d become far more outgoing and confident. Though still persistent about taking it slow in their relationship until confident in her faith, she’d been more open with her affection. He’d even seen her playing with Ashley’s kids, a smile blooming on her face bigger than theirs. That was what she needed—to prove to herself she could be a loving, nurturing mother.
Through the rearview mirror, he spotted Devon pulling up to the curb and he left the warmth of the van and closed the door.
Devon hurried from the car, his head wagging as if muddled. “Sorry, my dentist was running late, and it’s icy out there, and I got held up by an accident.”
“Anyone hurt?” Images slipped into his mind of so many times the department was called to accidents. Some tragic.
“Nothing serious, but it took them a while to clear traffic.” Devon clapped his hands together. “Let’s get this baby inside.” He pulled work gloves from his jacket pocket, and they lowered the cabinet to the ground.
While Devon unlocked the door, Clint admired his handiwork, certain Paula would be overjoyed. The sheen shone in the daylight, and the intricate door panels gave him a sense of pride.
Devon darted back and lifted an end while Clint grasped the other, and they lugged it toward the front door. They maneuvered the stairs and then manipulated it through the doorway. Inside they lowered the cabinet and both blew out a stream of air.
Clint used his glove to wipe off the spots left by the melting snow. The clouds had looked gray and heavy, and he wished he’d had the brains to cover the wood with a tarp or painter’s cloth in case of snow. The white flakes increasing by the second validated he was looking at the first heavy snowfall of the season.
“This is a beauty, Clint.” Devon stood back and surveyed his creation, sliding his hand across the sheen and investigating the carved wood panels he’d designed. “Where does it go?”
Clint pointed to the space between the door and foyer, now empty except for a footstool that had become a catchall for coats, purses and mail. Devon hoisted his end, and together they shifted the cabinet close to the wall.
Clint stood back, eyeing the piece, and was satisfied. “That works, don’t you think?”
Devon nodded. “Good spot. You couldn’t find—”
His head shot up as did Clint’s, hearing the back door open, and footsteps sounding in the kitchen.
“Devon? Is something wrong?” Paula came through the doorway and stumbled to a stop, snow leaving a trail on the carpet. She searched their faces while Clint’s grin was about to burst open his cheeks. Then her eyes lowered. The packages slipped from her hands as she darted across the carpet and flung her arms around Clint’s neck, her lips meeting his with such power he nearly lost his balance.
“I’d better leave and let you two enjoy the moment.” Devon’s chuckle faded as he passed through the dining room into the kitchen and out the door.
Though Clint wanted to thank Devon again for his help, he savored the moment, her kiss sweeter than the cotton candy he’d enjoyed as a kid. He could reiterate his thanks to Devon later.
She eased back, her cheeks warmed to pink, her eyes misted with pleasure. “You made this for me.”
He could only nod, his lungs depleted from the kiss and the joy that tightened his throat.
“Clint, I can’t believe you made this gorgeous cabinet for me.” She leaned against his chest, her head, spotted with snowflakes, resting on his shoulder. Her heart beat in tune to his. “No one has ever—” Her head lifted and her eyes met his. “Enough of the past. I’m thrilled to the core.”
Her hands slid down his arms as she turned and drew closer to the cabinet. “I love the wood. It’s like dark honey and as shiny.” She turned to face him. “And I can’t believe these panels.” She slipped off her coat and let it fall to the floor as she knelt and traced the lines of the curved design. She rose, shaking her head and pulling her coat from the floor. “This is more than I would have believed.”
“That’s because you’re more than I can believe.” He slipped his hand in hers. “I’ve been working
on it since you said you admired mine, but then everything happened.” He grinned, remembering what he’d gone through. “I wanted to work on it, but I wanted to see you so I was torn, and I had to squeeze it into free moments, and then the fire and hospital.”
Her eyes met his again, and she tilted her lips to his. “But here it is.” A glint sparked in her eyes. “And here we are.”
The meaning enveloped him, and he drew her closer, sensing everything would be all right.
She drew in a deep breath, but her smile remained. “I’ve been thinking, and...” She looked toward the seating arrangement. “Let’s sit.”
He wove his fingers through hers and followed her to the sofa. She pressed her back into the corner facing him while he sat on the edge of the cushion convincing himself she had good news. Eager to feel at ease, he opened his mouth to ask, but he cautioned himself. Letting her begin at her own speed was something he had to learn. Firefighters got down to business, needing facts and resolution. He’d learned Paula didn’t work that way.
She gave him a tender look. “Relax.”
Her soft voice accompanied her fingers squeezing his. He scooted back and rested his body against the sofa.
“I’ve given you a rough time, Clint. I never meant to, but as you know trusting someone fell in line with locking myself in a cage with a tiger.”
Her eyes shifted away from him, and his chest contracted against his lungs.
“The tiger is gone. So is the cage. I trust you more than anyone.” Her gaze met his. “I know that leaves a question, but I’m not worried about it. I see changes every day. I’m open to learning to live a life I’ve never lived, and I have you to thank. You and my uncle and cousins, but most of all you.”
He searched her face for the direction she was headed. “Why are you thanking me?” Tension struck his spine, forcing him to shift his body and his mind to pleasant thoughts.
“Because you eased me out of hiding. You made me comfortable enough to tell about things I’d hidden for years, even hid them from myself. The words spilled out little by little, Clint, and instead of making judgment, you accepted me for who I am today.”
He’d done that although he’d worked at it in those moments when he questioned her ability to stay in the new life she’d found. Old habits creep out with no warning like garbage in a drain. But no plumber could solve the problem. Only trust and faith.
A frown hinted at the corner of her mouth. “You’re still worried.”
“Not anymore.”
“I’m not, either. You know I grappled with Elise’s appearance in town although I tried to convince myself it meant nothing. I’m still bad at that but I’m getting better.”
“I see the change.”
A grin replaced her frown. “You see things before they’re evident to me, Clint. I wish I could do that.”
“One day you will when—”
“When we’ve known each other for years.”
His heart pitched. “Are you telling me you want to—”
“Yes. I want to move forward with us. We have a solid friendship, but I’ve never allowed our relationship to go beyond that, never believed it could lead to commitment even though part of me wanted it.” Her eyes searched his. “But I’m ready. More than ready.”
Tension fell away as relief and happiness took its place. He rose and drew her up, his mouth touching hers, tender at first until he could no longer hold back the feelings bursting inside him.
Paula softened in his arms, her fingers exploring his hair, her lips eager and warm on his, and they clung together until their bound emotions released into pure joy. She drew back, her eyes glowing, and her face filled with a profound meaning he understood.
Recognizing the danger of their zeal, he rocked back and viewed her at arm’s length, admiring her whole being, a beautiful creation he wanted to hold forever.
In their calm, they settled again on the sofa. Paula thanked him again for his handiwork and for his part in helping her find herself. He had her to thank, too, and he expressed his own gratefulness. “When you reminded me that the problems between Elise and me might not have anything to do with my faults or weaknesses, I began to think for the first time. I reviewed the issues that seemed small at the time and understood how those could grow and be a wedge between us. I suppose that’s why finding someone who shared my values and faith was important.”
“I understood that, Clint. But what about Elise’s beliefs? Her behavior seems to go against that in some ways.”
He nodded, having been startled by Elise crawling to him and begging. He’d never witnessed that weakness in her, but then he’d put her on a pedestal. She’d been the first beautiful woman who’d shown him so much attention. “We all have twisted perceptions at times. I sure had mine. I recognized her manipulation in certain situation, but she laid on the flattery that I fell for, never having experienced it, and I thought it was exciting.”
“Many women know how to beguile. Some of us don’t.”
“What?” He couldn’t help but chuckle. “You beguiled me, but then I’m easy.”
“No. Not anymore. You know what you want, and you speak your mind. I loved that in you.”
“And what about Elise? Are you comfortable with how it’s been resolved?”
She only looked at him, and he knew she wasn’t.
“What do you think? I’ve told you everything.”
“You did, and I felt good because it meant you trusted me.” She paused a moment before she continued. “I know this will sound silly, but I’d like to talk with her.”
His head flew back, startled by her idea. “Why? What good would it do?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but I feel something telling me that I should. In some ways, I see similarities between us. A kind of desperation and hunger for being loved. I guess I’d like to give her hope.”
She’d knocked the wind out of him. “Are you telling me you feel sorry for her?”
Her eyes became thoughtful. “I suppose you could call it that.” She shook her head. “I realize it’s not going to happen, but it’s a strong feeling I have. It’s sort of...a sign of forgiveness.”
The weight of her desire pinned him to the spot. The idea of forgiveness made good sense, but he wasn’t sure. He closed his eyes, massaging the center of his forehead, seeking the answer to what was right or wrong. What did she hope to accomplish if Elise balked? Paula could be hurt by Elise’s sharp tongue, or... He ran out of steam but knew he had to do what was right. “I have her cell phone number.” He captured her gaze. “Do you want it?”
She studied him a moment as if surprised that he’d offered. Finally she nodded. “If you don’t mind. I’ll give it more thought before I act on this feeling, but I sense it’s the right thing to do.”
Trust meant standing by her decision, and he would. He hit the call log in his cell phone and jotted down her number. When he handed it to her, she didn’t look at it. She clutched it in her hand and looked at him. “Thank you for having faith in me.”
“I’ve had that for a long time.”
She rose and crossed the room, brushing her hand along the cabinet. “I know you have.” Her head turned to look at him over her shoulder. “Did you notice how much it’s snowed?”
He gazed through the window, watching white flakes drift past on the wind, streaks of white mounding on the window ledge, and he rose to stand beside her.
She slid her arm around his waist. “Let’s do something fun.”
Surprised, he shifted to face her. “Okay. What did you have in mind?”
“Let’s see if Neely would let us take all the kids to the park. She’s in no condition to slip around outside and play with them, and look.” She pointed to the pristine landscape. “They’ll love it.”
Amazed, his eyes shot
heavenward, and he drew her into his embrace and spun her around. “Now that is fun. Let’s call Neely.”
Chapter Thirteen
Before Clint could open his car door, Joey and Kaylee barreled out of the backseat. He pressed the handle and darted out into the slippery snow. “Wait up, you urchins.”
Kaylee slid to a stop. “We’re not urchins.”
Paula swung open her door and stepped outside, not waiting for him to be the gentleman he liked to be. He grinned, realizing he’d probably have to get used to it.
But she appeared to have a mission. “Ready for the slides?” She plowed through the snow and reached them.
Clint gazed at the white mound and scooped a handful into his gloves. The flakes formed into a soft ball, and he chuckled as he gave it a toss, and it hit Paula in the back.
Laughing, she swung around. “No, you don’t.” She beckoned to the children, and in moments, they were forming their own weapons, and he ducked as the missiles sailed past him except for the one that hit him in the chest. Surprised, he chuckled, seeing the snowball hitting the mark belonged to Joey.
In playful retribution, he grabbed another glob, packed it and tossed it the boy’s way. It hit his arm, and in his eagerness to dodge it, he slipped and landed in a fluffy blanket of snow.
When Paula saw him on the ground, her enthusiasm grew. She skittered around and found a nearby pristine patch of snow and fell over backward, flailing her arms and legs, creating a snow angel.
Joey tugged his jacket and dragged him forward. “Make a boy one, Uncle Clint.”
The uncle reference swelled in his heart. Though he wasn’t the boy’s uncle, the title caused images to grow in his mind of Paula and him playing in the white landscape with their own son or daughter. He gave Joey a thumbs-up and selected a spot near Paula’s and followed her method, flinging himself into the icy snow, some slipping beneath his collar, and waved his arms and legs to create another angel.
Rescued by the Firefighter Page 16
