by Cora Seton
“Thank you.” Lacey headed down the hall, but made a quick trip into the bathroom to redo her braid. When she entered the lobby, she gave John a smile. “All set.”
“Great.” He held out his bulky arm and she took it. She wasn’t used to this side of him. When she’d been the one to go to the construction site to bring iced tea and Selma’s latest snack, he was dressed in a grungy t-shirt, usually soaked through with perspiration and stubble lining his chin, but he was always quick to smile. His blond hair was a little long and by mid-afternoon pasted to his brow with sweat. His nose was a bit large for his face, but his blue eyes reminded her of Santa Claus. That and he did have a little bit of a belly.
As they walked into the dining room, she felt a certain pride that he cleaned up so well. Selma stopped mid-stride, her brown eyes widening, before she continued through the batwing doors to the kitchen, the bun in her black hair bouncing with her step. Rachel, a young woman who had been caught stealing from her last employer, showed them to a table. Since all expenses were paid upon checkout, there was little to tempt Rachel at Poker Flat. The pretty redheaded waitress wiggled her brows at Lacey behind John’s back.
They took their seats across from each other and ordered drinks. Her instinct told her John would have liked a beer, but he kept it to iced tea.
“I’m sorry we didn’t have a chance to call Mr. Price before he and the crew came out this morning. There was just so much going on.”
John shook his head. “He’ll get over it, especially once we start working on the building again. Truth be told, it’s a godsend. It means a whole new contract and new money. I know he’s been struggling financially. Last month, he even took a small job out in Cave Creek.”
She raised her glass. “Here’s to the silver lining on unfortunate events. Mr. Price will have another job and I get to have lunch with you.”
As they clinked their glasses, he grinned. He really did have a great smile.
Someone walked by her then stopped next to John. “Hi, Lacey.”
She looked up and her breath caught in her throat even as her heart started to patter like a Gila woodpecker on a saguaro cactus. Cole Hatcher, in snug blue jeans, a t-shirt that looked like it’d been melted against him and his cowboy hat in hand, stood facing her. Staring up into his eyes, she couldn’t help but compare him to her lunch date. Both men were muscular but Cole was less bulky and more defined. He was definitely taller, and there was no denying his straight nose and strong chin caused her throat to go dry. She took a quick sip of tea. “Cole, what are you still doing here?”
“I haven’t been here all morning. I just hitched a ride back with Detective Anderson.”
She frowned. “Why? You want to make sure the right person is accused of setting the fire?”
He held his hands up in front of him. “Whoa. I’m just here to talk to Wade about buying a few horses.”
“Horses? I thought you were a firefighter now.”
“I am, but since I don’t breed horses, I need to support them somehow.”
What was he talking about? “Can’t your parents support them?”
“No.” He frowned and anger crept into his voice. “They don’t have a use for my horses. That’s why mine are at my grandparents’ ranch outside of Wickenburg.”
Oh sugar, she’d forgotten his grandparents owned a spread out there.
John stood and offered his hand. “Hi, I’m John Lockhart.”
“Cole Hatcher.” He shook hands with John but returned his gaze to her. “I don’t want to disturb your lunch.” He gave a quick nod. “Lacey.” He strode away, taking a seat at a table behind her. Good. That way she wouldn’t have to look at him while having lunch with John.
John watched Cole move off before returning his attention to her. “I take it he was one of the firefighters from last night. Guess you’ve known him a while.”
She tried to focus on what John was saying but her stupid heart wouldn’t slow down. “He’s my ex.”
“Ex-husband?” John stiffened.
“No, an ex-boyfriend from a long time ago.”
“Hmmm.” John took a sip of his iced tea and studied the menu.
Lacey couldn’t let the comment go. “Hmmm, what?”
He looked up at her. “I’d say, by the way he’s staring over here, he isn’t happy about being an ex.”
Really? “He dumped me back in high school and you can imagine how long ago that was, so I think if he’s staring over here he’s probably just wondering about what you could possibly see in me.” She forced a laugh.
Cole was staring at them? Maybe he was trying to figure out if they had started the fire together.
“I can’t believe anyone would dump you.” John reached across the table and put his hand on hers.
His touch was strange, but comforting. At least John liked her, though he really didn’t know her. “Thank you. Let’s forget about him. What are you going to have? You do know everything Selma makes is excellent, right?”
He grinned. “I can definitely vouch for her snacks. I can’t wait to try her lunch.”
As they ordered and waited for their meals, Lacey did well to focus on John, but when her meal arrived and she bit into the fish taco she’d ordered, it reminded her of the first time she and Cole tried fish tacos at a little cantina in the middle of nowhere when they were delivering one of his dad’s horses. She hadn’t thought about that in years.
They had actually dared each other to try one. A lot of betting ensued with her losing, though she’d won in the end as the loser had to be on the bottom. She flushed at the memory and quickly gulped down more iced tea.
“Lacey, are you okay?” John’s concern caused guilt to rise. She needed to focus on him.
She touched her chest with her free hand. “Don’t worry about me. Sometimes the spices Selma uses can be a little hot for me.”
He looked at his taco then straightened a little. “This tastes pretty mild to me. Guess you’re a lightweight.”
She nodded and took another bite, ashamed she’d been thinking of Cole while having lunch with John. “Do you do any cooking?”
John grimaced. “Not if I can help it. Sure I can make a pretty mean sandwich and I can grill burgers with the best of them, but I tend to eat out. There’s this great pizza place that has a happy hour with two-for-one beers and spicy wings. I’d like to take you there sometime. Of course, we can get you the mild wings.” He winked and she smiled at his consideration.
It could be fun. She didn’t leave the resort nearly enough. She opened her mouth to ask him how long he’d worked for Price Construction when his phone vibrated.
He pulled it from the clip on his belt. “I’m sorry. I have to take this, but I’ll be right back.”
She watched as he walked out of the dining room. From behind, he looked pretty good, until Cole stepped into her line of vision. She hated how her heart remembered him so fondly. Her body was no better, reacting to the new and improved physique, but her mind had the control. She scowled as he came to the table.
“You’re hanging out with bikers now?” The disapproval in his voice got her back up. It was just like the one date she had with the man who looked down on her working at a nudist resort, like she must be desperate or something.
“Not every biker is the same, you know. I thought all cowboys were polite gentleman who stood by their woman, but then you proved me wrong.”
To give him credit, he did lose the scowl and look away.
Yes, she was harsh, but he’d hurt her like no one else ever had. She hoped he felt like a loser.
His gaze returned to hers. “Point taken. So is he your latest boyfriend?” The way he said it made it sound like she was a dating fiend. The fact was, she hadn’t had a serious long-term relationship with anyone since him, but he didn’t need to know that.
“He could be, but we are still getting to know each other a little, so I can’t honestly say yet.”
His body relaxed at her statement. What di
d he care if she was seeing John? It was none of his business.
“You look great, Lacey.” His gaze swept over her face and her body heated.
Sugar, she hated that he could do that to her. “Thanks. You’ve changed a lot. Sorry I didn’t recognize you last night.”
He shrugged. “It’s been a long time, but I’d recognize you anywhere, even with the orange glow of the fire the only thing lighting your features.”
Her body preened at his words, but her brain took offense. “Have you figured out how the fire started?”
He stiffened at her abrupt tone. “I just put them out. Detective Anderson will make that determination.”
She tried to keep her curiosity at bay, but she couldn’t resist asking. “Why did you choose to be a firefighter?”
He stared hard at her for a moment. “Because of you.” He didn’t explain. In fact after that cryptic response, he turned on his heel and left the dining room.
She couldn’t help watching him as he left. Darn, the man looked as good from behind as from the front. She sighed. If only things had been different. If only that stupid fire in Orson had never occurred, he could still be hers.
John entered the dining room and she watched him approach. As usual his smile was wide. He pulled out his chair and sat. “Miss me?” He winked.
“Of course. No fun eating alone.”
“I’m sorry. It was the office. Mr. Price got a clean-up job for this afternoon and they asked if I could do it. I said yes. If I can help Mr. Price stay afloat, I will. It’s job security and I make extra money besides.” He looked apologetic, but he didn’t need to be.
“That’s great. If I meet any local guests who are in need of Mr. Price’s services, I would be happy to pass his name along. Does he have a brochure or something?”
John frowned. “I don’t know, but I can ask. Unfortunately, for me to get this job done by nightfall, I’m going to have to leave now.”
“That’s okay. I have a million things to do anyway.”
His smile was back as he stood. “I’ll make it up to you. How about dinner sometime?”
“Sounds lovely.” She smiled as he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I look forward to it.”
“Then it’s a date.” He pointed to their plates. “I pay for this at the front desk, right?”
She nodded.
“Perfect. See you soon.” He left the dining area with a serious jaunt in his step.
She sighed. Too bad that despite his looks and build, she felt no jitters or butterflies like she did with Cole. Was she destined to never have those feelings again?
Finishing her last bite of taco, she took another sip of tea and headed for the kitchen with her empty glass. She refilled her iced tea, narrowly avoiding Rachel. The last thing she wanted was the staff gossiping about her and Cole. No, her and John. Sugar, she needed to push Cole Hatcher out of her head.
She strolled through the main room with the huge fireplace, pondering whether to do the state taxes or the bills next. As she turned the corner to the back hall, she walked straight into a clothed man. She grabbed her glass with both hands as strong hands on her shoulders kept her from falling. She didn’t need to look up to know it was Cole. His cedar scent and his bulk told her.
“Are you all right?” The concern in his voice mirrored that in his gaze as it roved over her face.
No, she wasn’t all right. She was a complete mess. “Yes, I’m fine.” Her breath came out as a whisper and she cleared her throat. Darn, but he had the most beautiful eyes. The bright green was streaked with tiny flecks of blue, making them hypnotizing.
“Lacey?” He lowered his head, bringing those breathtaking eyes even closer.
She could lose herself in his gaze, especially as it turned dark and his face tensed. She remembered that look. He was going to kiss her.
She tried to make her mouth form the word her heart craved, but her mind triggered a warning bell as loud as a fire alarm. As he lowered his strong chin with his firm lips toward her own, her throat finally opened.
“No.” The word came out more like a caress than a command, but he stilled, his lips only inches away from hers. She swallowed. “Please don’t.”
He pulled back as if she’d slapped him. “Am I so odious?”
She shook her head. “I can’t go there with you again, unless you can honestly tell me you believe I didn’t start the fire in Orson.” A glimmer of hope flamed to life in her heart as he hesitated.
Turning his hat in his hand, he met her gaze and sighed. “I can’t, Lacey.”
That stubborn flame of hope extinguished quickly in the pool of hurt in her chest. “Then please leave me alone.”
Indecision flashed in his eyes before he nodded. Without saying another word, he donned his hat and strode out of the building.
She watched him, her teary gaze blurring the fine lines of his body and the swagger of his step. Determinedly, she straightened her shoulders and continued down the hall to relieve Kendra from the front desk.
Cole Hatcher was gone. There was no reason to worry about running into him, literally, again. She should be relieved, but the fact he still thought she’d set the fire in Orson ripped her heart’s old wound wide open. At this rate, she’d be in her fifties before she was ready to trust that scarred mess to anyone again.
Chapter Four
‡
Cole woke, his cock as hard as a newly hewed fence post. “Shit!” Another dream about Lacey. He glanced at the clock on his dresser. 1:38 a.m. He needed to stop fantasizing about her.
He threw his legs over the bed and grabbed his shorts. He didn’t want to scare anyone with his nakedness since he didn’t live on a nudist resort. It would be just his luck he’d run into his grandmother. He had plans to build a big ranch house on another part of the two thousand acre property and slowly move his operations that way so his grandparents could enjoy their retirement, but his hard-earned savings was always being raided for unexpected vet bills. Maybe if he could budget worth a damn, he could stay in the black without hitting his house fund.
He quietly crept downstairs to the kitchen, avoiding the spots on the stairs that creaked. Working strange hours at the fire station had taught him how not to wake up his grandparents.
When he entered the kitchen, he stopped and took a deep breath. The scent of peach pie still permeated the air from his grandmother’s baking earlier in the day. Finally, he moved to the refrigerator and opened it. He scanned the contents, nothing really interested him since the pie was gone. Closing the door slowly, he opened the freezer.
Ah, orange popsicles. His favorite. Taking two out, he quickly stripped them of their paper and bit the tops off both. The cold, sharp taste satisfied his mouth. If he’d kept one wrapped, he could have stuck it between his legs against the damn dreams.
He should never have tried to kiss Lacey, but everything in him wanted to. At least she had stopped him. He took another bite of each popsicle, holding the cold citrus flavor in his mouth. What if Sean determined Lacey set the fire and Cole had been seen kissing her? That wouldn’t look good for his career. He could see the headline of the Wickenburg Sun, “Up and Coming Firefighter in Love with Arsonist.” Yeah sure, that certainly wouldn’t help his career. If he lost his job, he’d lose his horses. He couldn’t let that happen.
He grabbed a napkin and took two more bites of the icy treat before navigating the stairs again. That’s what he should concentrate on—selling his horses. If he could do that, he could take more in without bringing his checkbook down to the edge every month.
Dropping his shorts on the recliner in his room, he sat on the edge of the bed, sliding off the last bite from one of the popsicle sticks while holding the napkin under the other, which began to drip. He would need a new truckload of hay by month’s end. Maybe he could invite Wade up to visit later in the week. He’d finish his twenty-four-hour shift at eight Wednesday morning then his four days off would start, but he didn’t want to wait. He could sc
hedule Wade for Wednesday afternoon.
Cole pulled the rest of the last orange popsicle into his mouth and threw away the sticks. He lay down, sucking hard on the ice. When would Sean know what caused the fire? What if it hadn’t been Lacey? If someone else set it, could he pursue her?
His cock jerked to attention. “Fuck.” There was no way she would let him near her even if that were the case. Unless he believed she had nothing to do with the fire in her parents’ carriage house, she would keep him at bay, but he knew it was her. His parents had been friends of the fire chief at the time and he put the blame squarely on Lacey’s shoulders. Unfortunately, now that she was so close, Cole wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about her.
He had to stop. Closing his eyes, he thought about his horses, but even as he envisioned his barn and a new load of hay, his thoughts drifted to the past and making love to Lacey in his parents’ barn. Her petite body flushed with desire as the hay beneath the blanket cupped her. She’d smiled up at him, her pale-pink lace bra hiding little as he gazed at her deep-rose-colored areolas and nipples dying to be freed. He skimmed his hands down her waist past her small belly button to her pink lace thong that revealed the patch of golden-blonde curls beneath it.
He loved that she enjoyed sexy underthings. He never knew what she would wear. She often teased him by telling him what she had on when they were in places where he couldn’t do anything about it, like his parents’ dinner table or at her parents’ Christmas party.
He didn’t even try to unhook the pink lace bra. Instead, he leaned over her on his elbows and with his teeth, pulled the top of the bra down until it caught under one breast. He could hear her heartbeats increase even as he let go then switched to pull the other bra cup down. Resting his chin against her ribs, he glanced at her and found her eyes turning chocolate brown with desire.
Raising his head, he stared at each nipple straining toward him. He lapped quickly across both before watching them pucker, then blew across one at time, thrilled to see the hard nubs get harder.
