The Fireman's Ready-Made Family

by Jules Bennett

  Sliding her phone back into her smock pocket, Marly started to pass him. “Well, I need to get back to work. Thanks again for being so great with all the kids, and especially Willow.”

  “I meant what I said.” He turned to meet her stare as she started to walk away. “Anytime you see my black truck here, swing in, and if we’re not busy I’d love to give her a ride on the engine. I know she’d enjoy it.”

  Marly studied him for a moment before a corner of her mouth kicked up. “You really do love kids, don’t you?”

  Taken back by her odd question, Drake nodded. “What’s not to love?”

  There it was again, that ghost of an emotion taking over, and Marly’s smile turned sad in an instant. “I agree. See you around, Chief.”

  Drake watched until Marly was in her car and headed down the street. A hand slapped him hard on the shoulder, and Drake turned to see one of his men grinning.

  “She’s a looker, Chief.”

  Drake nodded. No sense in denying the truth.

  “Gonna ask her out?”

  Shaking his head, Drake laughed. “I have no clue what I’m going to do. No clue.”

  And that was the honest truth. Because on one hand he wanted to see Marly on a personal level, but on the other hand she was scared of something—or maybe someone.

  The pull Drake felt toward her, though, was only getting stronger. As much as he wanted to see more of the beautiful pediatric nurse, he also knew he needed to take things slow.

  After all, he was still on shaky ground himself in regards to relationships.

  Chapter Three

  Those piercing blue eyes had penetrated her once again. If Marly thought Drake a big man before, now that she’d seen him in full gear, he was even more impressive. She knew broad shoulders lay beneath that bulky coat, and his towering height was only emphasized by his helmet.

  What drew her to powerful men? Although she had to admit, Kevin’s power was used to blackmail and lie to get what he wanted. From the little she’d seen of Drake, the man genuinely cared for his job, the people he encountered. Drake certainly didn’t seem the type to use others for a publicity stunt.

  Marly steered her car back into the hospital lot and found an open spot. Now that Willow had been given the invitation to go to the fire station, no doubt the rambunctious little girl would ask every two minutes when they were going.

  Which meant Marly would have to go back and witness Drake in all his gorgeous glory. A part of her so wanted to address the tension that settled between them each time they were within breathing space of each other, but at the same time, she wanted to deny any attraction existed. She wanted to ignore the desire that seemed to creep up on her when she didn’t have the mental strength to stop it.

  Killing her engine, Marly sighed and rested her head against the steering wheel. No matter her sudden attraction to Drake, she had a war she was still fighting, and that had to come before anything else.

  When her phone chimed to signal a text, Marly pulled the cell from her purse and cringed at the screen.

  Call me. You can’t avoid me forever.

  That didn’t mean she wouldn’t try like hell.

  Tossing her phone back in her purse, Marly stepped out of her car, welcoming the warmth of the midday sun. When she’d left Nashville, she’d found enough courage to force Kevin into letting her go, taking Willow and not disclosing her whereabouts in exchange for the pictures she had promised would not go to the newspaper or other media outlets.

  Kevin didn’t know she’d gone to the police... Of course, she figured he knew now. No doubt some corrupt cop who was friends of the family had called Kevin moments after Marly had left. Marly knew the power Kevin’s family held, so she also knew that was probably why the Nashville Police Department hadn’t returned her calls and she’d heard no more on her case...if there even was a case.

  Marly figured the only reason Kevin hadn’t hired a PI and traced her phone was because of his powerful status and the fact that he tended to avoid public conflict. For once, his social standing was working in her favor.

  Even with the sun beating down on her, she trembled. There was no way in hell she’d ever return to Kevin. If she had to stay on the run the rest of her life to protect her child, then so be it. She would never be another man’s punching bag or pawn again.

  * * *

  The day after the field trip, Marly was stepping out of Jeremy’s room when Drake came striding through the bright yellow walls of the pediatric unit. The cheery surroundings made him seem less intimidating, but the man’s impressive size still dominated the space.

  When his gaze met hers, his lips spread wide in a smile that hit her hard. Then she spotted the small stuffed Dalmatian in his hand and she couldn’t help but return the grin. Why was she softening toward this man so fast? She’d learned her lesson, right? Just because a man was charming and good-looking didn’t mean he treated women right when no one was looking.

  But there was still that nugget of doubt that kept telling her Drake was nothing like the man she’d married. Nothing.

  “You carry toys everywhere you go?” she asked, once he closed the gap between them.

  Glancing down at the toy in question, Drake shrugged. When his eyes met hers once again, they held as his voice lowered. “My toys are a bit larger than this.”

  She shivered at the veiled flirting and innuendo. The part deep inside her that had thought no man would ever find her attractive again sparked to life. For so long she’d not even been given a second thought, other than being used as a pawn or publicity stunt.

  But Drake had a way of making her feel... Just feel, and that was something she’d have to get used to if she was going to keep seeing him in this small town.

  “I assume that’s for our patient?”

  With a nod, Drake asked, “How’s he doing today?”

  “Good. Amy just stepped out to get a bite to eat and Shawn ran home to shower. I nearly had to bribe them to take care of themselves.”

  Drake swallowed hard, glancing away.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I just... This whole situation kills me. I don’t know what to say to Shawn. Words won’t fix what happened.” He shook his head. “Talking to people after accidents is part of my job, yet this is on a whole new level of difficulty. Shawn and I are friends.”

  “You saved their son’s life,” Marly pointed out. “They’re grateful.”

  “I know they are,” he told her, waiting until another nurse went by before he continued, “I’m thankful I got to him in time, but the entire situation just sucks.”

  “You didn’t tell me you were the one who pulled Jeremy from the fire. Amy was telling me earlier how she doesn’t know what they would’ve done without you.”

  Drake’s eyes held hers, but he didn’t utter a word. A true hero was someone who didn’t boast or brag of his achievements. A true hero did his job, though fear may overpower him. A true hero cared for others, put their needs first, even at the risk of being injured himself.

  And before her stood a true hero.

  “You can go in and see him, but I’ll need to put the toy at the nurse’s station with his other things. We’ve been keeping all of the balloons and flowers out here since his room is set up for his special needs due to the burns.”

  He passed the stuffed dog over, and Marly was careful not to let her hands brush his again. The less contact with this potent man the better. He was already wreaking havoc on her nerves and consuming way too much of her mind and she barely knew him.

  “Go on in,” Marly said, afraid of just how fast she was becoming infatuated with the town fire chief. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

  She quickly rushed off and went straight to the employees’ restroom. Flicking the lock, Marly sank against the back of the door. Drake St. John was becoming a bigger issue than she’d first thought.

  When he’d first come into the pediatric unit she realized he was probably there to check on the boy b
ecause that fell in line with being the chief. But then when he’d been there nearly every day, he was great with Willow and now he’d brought a stuffed animal for Jeremy... He was becoming more and more real.

  Marly sighed. Real? That sounded ridiculous. Of course he was real, but now he was even more genuine and melting away that layer she’d formed around her heart. She needed to be on guard, not to start feeling all schoolgirl over a handsome, charming fire chief.

  No doubt, his physical appeal couldn’t be denied, but how could she allow herself to be so taken with him so fast? She’d learned her lesson—the hard way—on big, powerful men. Right now she had to focus on rebuilding her new life and trying to keep custody of Willow. Kevin wouldn’t stop at sending texts and voice mails. He’d take action by hiring a PI, if he hadn’t already.

  But it was getting harder and harder to focus when Drake came around. Between his easy rapport with Willow and his dedication to Jeremy’s welfare, there was so much more to Drake than power.

  Perhaps that was what scared her most.

  Marly looked at herself in the mirror. In twenty-six years, she’d been through too much. All she wanted was happiness, a settled life in which she felt safe, protected and secure. Not only for herself, but also for her daughter.

  She eased her blond hair back, facing the ugly, jagged scar that ran down her temple. Vanity had never been her thing, so the physical image wasn’t what bothered her. Kevin’s fists had taken so much more than physical beauty. They had taken away her freedom, her sense of self-worth and her courage. But she was getting those back. No way would she give Kevin the satisfaction of stealing everything from her.

  Including her daughter.

  Her eyes roamed down to the small scar on her chin. That one was impossible to hide, but at least it was on the underside, so it wasn’t as noticeable and easier to chalk up to a fall from childhood.

  Adjusting her hair back in place, she took a deep, calming breath and headed back to work. At some point she’d have to face the fact that she was finding herself more and more intrigued by—and dare she say attracted to—Drake.

  She couldn’t act on her unstable emotions. After all, how could she trust anything she felt after her poor judgment regarding her ex? On the other hand, she couldn’t keep lying to herself about this invisible tug whenever Drake was around. She was a woman who had desires and eyes, for pity’s sake. How could any woman not do a double take at Drake? And after that double take, the real problems started. Because the looks didn’t make the man...the big heart and devastating smile did.

  * * *

  Drake eyed the young boy lying in the sterile bed wearing a sheet up to his waist, dressings wrapped around his torso and his left arm. Drake’s heart literally ached for Jeremy, Shawn and Amy. Such a beautiful family living in a small town like so many others around the country, and now fate had turned their world upside down.

  Someone needed to step up and help them. There was no way Shawn and Amy could take on this financial burden alone. Wasn’t that what people in small towns did? Rallied behind each other when one of them was hurting? Besides, they needed mental support, as well. No one should ever go through a trauma like this alone.

  Drake figured he’d get the ball rolling in the direction of a fund-raiser to assist Shawn and Amy. He couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

  Drake wanted to drag the mayor from behind his desk and his cushy leather chair and show him the ramifications of cutting good, hardworking firefighters. Drake had zero tolerance for that man, and this was just another reason Drake couldn’t wait until the next election when hopefully a new mayor was sworn in...a mayor who actually cared about the people of the town.

  When Drake stepped from the room and eased the door shut behind him, Marly was nowhere to be seen. He walked up to the nurses’ station and was greeted by a middle-aged lady wearing character scrubs with her hair in a tight, high bun.

  Balloons, teddy bears and flowers were piled high on the back counter. Drake figured all of those gifts were for Jeremy, since Drake saw the stuffed toy he brought nestled in the mix.

  “Excuse me,” he said, leaning an arm on the top of the high counter. “Is Marly busy?”

  “I haven’t seen her for a couple of minutes. Maybe she’s in the break room.” The lady turned, gesturing behind the desk to a narrow hall. “It’s the first door on the right. Go on in.”

  Drake smiled. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  Drake figured wearing his department logo on his shirt had gotten him the pass to the employee area. He went around the desk and into the break room but didn’t see Marly. As he turned to leave, Marly rounded the corner to enter the room and plowed right into him.

  Instincts had him reaching out, gripping her arms tight in an attempt to steady her. The second he grabbed her, she screamed and jumped back.

  The color had gone from her face, and Drake held his hands out to his side. “Are you okay?”

  A shaky hand came up to her heart as she nodded, her eyes not quite meeting his.

  “Marly.” He eased closer. The disturbing look in her eyes wasn’t just shock at finding him in here, this was pure fear. “Come in and sit down.”

  After a moment of silence, she sought his eyes and shook her head. “No, no. I’m okay.”

  “You’ve gone pale and you’re shaking.” He started to reach for her, but she moved back. Dread settled deep in his stomach. “Are you afraid of me?”

  Marly closed her eyes and sighed. “No,” she whispered.

  Drake had no clue what demons she was battling before his eyes, so he remained silent. God knew he’d never wanted anyone to witness his rough moments after Andrea’s accident.

  It wasn’t long before she raked a hand down her face and opened her eyes. With her shoulders back and head high, Drake knew she’d pushed through whatever hell she’d entered into moments ago.

  “Sorry,” she told him, trying hard for a smile, but failing. “You just caught me off guard.”

  And she didn’t like to be touched, apparently. There was a story there...a story he feared would make him want to protect her at all costs and dig even deeper into her world.

  “It’s okay,” he assured her. “I was just heading out, but I wanted to run something by you.”

  Nodding, she gestured toward the table and chairs. “Let’s have a seat.”

  He moved out of her way, letting her go where she wanted before he pulled out a chair across from her. The last thing he needed was her to worry about being alone with him. He wanted to gain her trust, and after what he’d just witnessed, he feared getting into Marly’s inner circle would take more time and patience than he’d first thought...but something told him she would be worth the effort.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked, lacing her fingers on the tabletop.

  “No, I just wanted to discuss Jeremy with you.”

  He hadn’t realized he was going to bring up the fund-raiser with Marly, but he found that he wanted to include her in the planning.

  “You and I are both worried about his parents financially, especially since the doctor decided he’ll have to have grafts. When he’s transported to the specialist, Shawn and Amy will have added travel expenses.” He eased forward in his seat, resting his forearms on the table. “What if we did a fund-raiser for them?”

  Marly’s eyes widened. “We? Like you and me?”

  Smiling, Drake nodded. “Well, yeah. I’d appreciate your opinion. But if you don’t have the time, I understand.”

  Marly rested her chin on her palm and seemed to process the idea. Drake didn’t know what had come over him, why he wanted to work with her on this project, but he found himself holding his breath until she nodded with a smile.

  “I’ll do it. Willow can help, too. We could all work on this.” A slow smile lit up her face. “What did you have in mind?”

  Yeah, he hadn’t got that far yet, but now that she was all in, he had to come up with something.

  “I’m not sure yet,
” he told her honestly. “Why don’t I come over and we can discuss it more? I’m off until tomorrow.”

  When she remained silent, he knew she was battling that same demon as moments ago. Someone had hurt her, someone had scared her, and he damn well wanted to know who. Another invisible tug pulled him toward her whether he liked it or not...whether he was ready or not.

  He didn’t want to push her, didn’t want to scare her, but at the same time, he needed to let her know he wasn’t going anywhere and he wasn’t treating her with kid gloves. She was the type of woman who needed to find her courage again, and he’d damn well be the man to help her.

  “I can bring pizza so you don’t have to worry about dinner,” he told her. “Willow seems like a kid who would love pizza.”

  “As if she didn’t think you were cool enough already after the invitation back to the station,” she told him with a slight grin. “I get off work at four and I need to pick her up from the sitter, so why don’t you come over about four-thirty?”

  Feeling as if he’d truly accomplished something, Drake came to his feet. “Sounds good. Any special requests for toppings?”

  Marly rose as well and shook her head. “I’ll eat anything, and if Willow doesn’t like it, she’ll just pick it off. But, if you want to gain extra points, she really loves banana peppers.”

  “I’m all about scoring extra points.”

  When Drake stepped closer, Marly’s eyes widened as her head tilted up so she could look him in the face. That underlying vulnerability kept eating at him. He had no clue what she’d been through, it was none of his business, but he had a feeling whatever war she was battling, she wasn’t finished yet.

  Everything in him wanted to get to know her more. He knew he needed to move on, knew Andrea would want him to find happiness. And Marly was the first woman since Andrea who had sparked this much emotion inside him, so he couldn’t ignore it.

  What if he wasn’t ready? What if he tried to get closer to a woman and he couldn’t follow through?

  Damn it, he couldn’t live in fear. He wouldn’t live in fear. Going slow with Marly, working on gaining her trust, was the best step to take.