One Hot Night

by Jennifer Bernard

  “And rescue paramedic.” He laughed a little. “That might sound irrelevant, but I mention it so you won’t be afraid. Also, it explains why I’m here.”

  “Um, not to me, it doesn’t.”

  “Right. I’m getting to that. Do you have a minute? Please?”

  She studied him, still trying to make sense of this. He had a compelling face, with a nose that had probably been broken and an air of wry intelligence. And he was phenomenally fit. She could imagine him scaling mountains and climbing cliffs with his bare hands. Why would a man like this be looking for her? “Are you sure you’ve got the right person? I don’t even live in Jupiter Point.”

  “I know. You live in Fresno. The person who sent me gave me your address. But your landlady said you were coming here.”

  Her jaw dropped open. Could you fire your own landlady?

  “Don’t be mad at her,” he said quickly. “She made me jump through ten thousand hoops before she gave the go-ahead. She agrees my mission is worthy.”

  “Your mission? Who are you? And don’t just repeat your name, I got it. Kai Rockwell. What do you want from me?”

  He took an envelope from an inside pocket of his shirt. “A couple months ago I took a man on a trip into the Colorado Rockies. It was kind of a spiritual mid-life reckoning for him. We spent a lot of time talking. He shared a lot of secrets during that trip. About his relationships. His family. He was married and had two grown sons. And another child, a girl who he’d never met. A young woman, by now. Twenty-five years old.”

  A swarm of bees seemed to have appeared in the café, because all she could hear was a high-pitched buzzing in her ears.

  “Yes. You, Mia Grant. He said he was your father. He’d promised your mother that he’d stay out of your life unless you needed him. But he knew all about you. He’d obviously paid attention as you grew up. Anyway, at the end of the trip he asked me for a huge favor He gave me this letter and asked if I would deliver it to you. But only if he called on me. Only if he felt it was necessary. I’ve been hanging onto it since then. A few days ago he called me because he’d learned that your mother had died.”

  Something in his look—sympathetic but not intrusive—told her that he knew what it felt like to lose someone.

  “So here I am. And here’s the letter.” He slid it across the table to her. “I know this sounds wild. I’m a complete stranger dropping a bombshell on you. Probably not very tactfully either.” He smiled ruefully. “I rehearsed it a few times in my head, but I ended up just blurting it out. Sorry about that.”

  She blinked at this very attractive stranger who was saying such impossible things—with a straight face.

  A concerned face, at the moment. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I…” She couldn’t come up with a real answer, so she shrugged helplessly.

  “Do you need some time? Want to talk later?”

  When she shook her head, he continued. “Did your mother ever tell you anything about your father?”

  She swallowed and finally managed a response. “Just that it wasn’t really a relationship. More of a fling. She made it sound like he didn’t even know I existed. She said he wasn’t a suitable parent. I got the impression he was kind of shady, though she didn’t say that.”

  Kai cocked his head. “The shady part was probably that he was married. But he’s not shady at all. He’s a pretty famous and respected movie director. Have you seen the Ferocious 5 movies? Those are his.”

  It rang a vague bell in the back of her mind, but she’d been so occupied with her mother’s passing that she hadn’t seen a movie in ages. “Are those the comic book movies?”

  “Yup. It seems you have something in common with him. He told me about your art work.”

  She drew in a shocked breath. Had her artistic talent come from this mysterious absent father she’d never met? She didn’t like that thought one bit!

  Kai smiled wryly and pressed a glass of water into her hand. “Take a sip. You’re looking a little faint.”

  She pushed it away, along with the letter. “Look. I’ve existed for twenty-five years without a father and I don’t need one now.”

  “Hey, I get it. I haven’t seen my father in fifteen years.” His steady gaze held hers. “But what about a couple of half-brothers? There’s a whole family you might want to get to know. From what Van Ness told me, they want to meet you.”

  “Van Ness. That’s his name?”

  “That’s his name. Timothy Van Ness. Look him up, I’m sure you’ll be impressed. I was. I spent nearly a week with him on the trail. He’s a solid guy.”

  Kai pushed the letter back toward her, then rose to his feet and slid on his sunglasses. His sheer magnetism drew glances from the other women in the café, including the girl with the stroller. “I put my number on the envelope. Call me,” he said softly. “I don’t want to overwhelm you all at once. I’m going to stick around for a few days in case you have any questions.”

  “I do have a question,” she blurted, before he could disappear. “Why haven’t you seen your father in fifteen years?”

  He smiled slightly. “You go right for the jugular, don’t you? Let’s just say he’s a handful, and so am I. But I have two brothers and two sisters, and I see them plenty. So take it from me--I recommend the brothers.”

  With a little salute, he turned and headed toward the exit, nearly colliding with the stroller girl. “Sorry about that,” he told her, stepping back to let her pass.

  “No problem at all.” She gave him a friendly smile edged with curiosity. “These strollers are about as hard to steer as a bucking bronco sometimes.”

  The barista waved a to-go cup in the air and called after her. “Hey, Daisy, forgot your decaf.”

  The rest of the interaction passed in a blur—Daisy rolling her eyes and going back for her cup, the barista grinning at her, Kai exiting the café.

  Daisy. Aiden’s on-and-off girlfriend. With a new baby.

  So much information all at once—it was too much to handle. She had to get out of here.

  When Kai was safely out of sight, Mia left the café and walked blindly down Constellation Way. She nearly bumped into a sandwich board sign advertising fruit smoothies at the Aquarius Juicery. She put the envelope from her “father” in her bag and tried not to think about it yet. Instead, she thought about Daisy at the café, with her new baby.

  Was that Aiden’s baby? Had they gotten back together in the intervening five years? Why wouldn’t they? Any girl would be crazy to walk away from someone like Aiden.

  She should know. She’d walked away from him. He’d wanted to make a plan to meet in five years and she’d turned it down. As far as he knew, they’d made a final break there on the trail, with his brother hovering overhead in a helicopter. How was he to know that she’d thought about him so much over the past five years? How was he to know that she’d decided to unilaterally keep to the agreement they’d never officially made?

  Aiden had obviously gotten back together with Daisy and had a baby with her. What was she even doing here?

  Time to get in her car and drive back to Fresno, her tail between her legs. It was ridiculous to think that Aiden would even remember her. She’d taken a huge chance coming here to Jupiter Point to chase a memory. Now she felt like a total fool.

  Not even the spill of a jasmine vine over a wrought iron fence or the espresso fragrance wafting from the Sky View Gallery lifted her spirits. Sure, this little town would probably be great for honeymooners. For a single woman who’d just learned that she’d spent five years holding on to a fantasy—not so much.

  “Miss!” She realized that someone was calling after her.

  She turned to see Daisy hurrying after her, pushing the stroller at a half-jog over the brickwork of the sidewalks.

  “You dropped something!” As Daisy came close, Mia saw that she was holding out the envelope Kai had left for her. “It fell out of your bag just now.”

  Mia accepted it from her, somehow ma
naging to smile. Actually, it wasn’t hard, with a bright-eyed Daisy beaming at her. “Thank you. I didn’t even notice it was missing.”

  “Well, then it’s a good thing this baby of mine only sleeps when I’m pushing him in the stroller. And believe me, that’s the only time I’m ever going to say that.”

  Mia smiled at her exasperated tone. “At least you have a pretty neighborhood to walk in.”

  “Do I? I really only notice the places that serve coffee. And I can only drink decaf, so go figure. There’s all this small print with having a baby, I had no idea.” With her little denim jumpsuit and the rhinestone-studded sunglasses perched on her head, she was the most adorable new mother Mia had ever seen. “And this is going to sound weird, but…are you Mia Grant?”

  Mia gaped at her. “How did you know that?”

  “It says Mia on the envelope, and you match the description, so I took a chance.”

  “Description?” Was she on a “Wanted” poster around here?

  “Yes. Aiden’s description. Aiden Knight. You know, the one you saved from that terrible kidnapper.”

  Aaaaand things just kept getting worse. Aiden had told his wife—hopefully they were married—all about her. Not in the romantic way that Mia thought of him, obviously. It was probably more of a “this crazy thing happened with this girl” kind of thing.

  “Of course I remember Aiden. How…how is he?” Discussing Aiden with his wife—oh joy.

  “I hardly see him, but he’s good.”

  Mia blinked at her.

  “It’s been a busy season so far.” When Mia still looked confused, she added, “Oh sorry, I guess you probably don’t know. He joined the Jupiter Point Hotshots. He’s a wildfire fighter.”

  “Wow.” That actually made Mia smile. It seemed like the perfect career path for Aiden. Working outdoors, helping people, it fit all his criteria. “That’s great, but you must worry about him when he’s gone.”

  Daisy shrugged blithely. “Good old Aiden. He always comes out okay. I used to tell him he was born under a lucky star.”

  Good old Aiden? That seemed like a strange way to refer to the father of your child. But then again, he and Daisy had known each other forever.

  “Does Aiden know you’re in town?” Daisy asked her curiously, rocking the stroller back and forth with a steady hand.

  Oh God. If Daisy thought she was here to steal her man, she’d be mortified. “No, I…uh, didn’t have his contact information. I would have just sent an email, but—”

  “Oh no, email is so impersonal. This is much better.” Daisy gave a little hop. “If only I could see his face when he sees you!” The beginning of a wail rose from the stroller. “Ooops, I’ve been stalled for too long. Better kick it up a gear. Please, this may sound inappropriate, but I hope you arrange your reunion somewhere where I can see it. That would just be the best!”

  When Mia just stared at her in confusion, Daisy pulled an apologetic face. “I’m a busybody, I know. My husband yells at me about that. Well, tally-ho, I’m off. Nice to meet you, Mia. Oh, I’m Daisy, by the way. And this—”

  She lifted the canvas canopy of the stroller to reveal her baby. “Is Victor.”

  Mia stared at the baby in shock. Victor was a squirming little bundle of gorgeous, mahogany-skinned, black-curled adorableness.

  He was black. Daisy was a freckle-faced blond. Which meant that chances were pretty much a hundred percent that Aiden wasn’t Victor’s father.

  Before Mia could collect herself and confirm this revelation, Daisy was already gone, pushing the stroller at a manic pace, as if the sidewalk was a racetrack.

  Hope rushed back into Mia’s heart.

  Aiden hadn’t married Daisy and made a baby with her. Everything that Daisy had said now made sense. Good old Aiden… If only I could see his face when he sees you.

  Was Daisy implying that Aiden still thought about her? Talked about her? Wanted to see her?

  That maybe there was still a chance for them?

  Then again, just because Aiden wasn’t with Daisy didn’t mean he was single. He was a firefighter now, and everyone knew that was like catnip for women. And besides, he was out of town now. Fighting fires. Being sexy and heroic.

  What now? She’d only booked her room for one night. She could go home, and with all this new information, she’d be able to find Aiden online and contact him that way. Coming here was such a long shot anyway. Why not go back to Fresno and conduct the search in her pajamas? With a buffer zone to defend against more surprises?

  But first… She looked up at the rolling pine-covered hills surrounding Jupiter Point. She didn’t want this entire trip to be a waste of time.

  Why not take a quick trip to the cabin where her path had collided with Aiden’s? The cabin where she’d discovered a different side of herself? When she’d stumbled across that cabin, her life had taken a huge turn for the better. That rescue had changed the way she saw herself. For the first time, thanks to Aiden, she’d seen herself as someone with courage. Someone who didn’t run from challenges. If she hadn’t freed Aiden from captivity, would she have had the guts to stand her ground against Darren when he showed up full of apologies?

  Probably not. That little wilderness cabin held a lot of meaning for her.

  If she hiked out there, maybe she could even find the cave where they’d spent that one unforgettable night.

  If nothing else, it would give her a chance to say goodbye to a silly fantasy.

  9

  “Aiden, where are you? I’ve left you like, three messages, and I’m a busy woman, dude. I’m a new mom, I shouldn’t have to be chasing you down.”

  “I was out of range.” In the back of the Jupiter Point Hotshots crew buggy, surrounded by sweaty firefighters trying to sleep, Aiden kept his voice low. “What’s so urgent?”

  “What’s so urgent is, I ran into an old friend of yours. Someone you weren’t sure you’d ever see again. Someone who came to Jupiter Point looking for you.”

  “Just get to the point, Daiz.” Exhaustion made him edgy. The crew had just spent five eighteen-hour days fighting a wildfire in Sonoma County, and Aiden was ready to sleep for two solid days. After a three-hour hot shower. “What are you talking about?”

  “Mia Grant is here. I ran into her outside the Venus and Mars Café. You didn’t tell me how gorgeous she is! She’s really nice, too. I completely approve.”

  Aiden’s heart did a weird stop-start-flutter-race kind of maneuver. The kind of thing his brother-in-law Kevin did with a stunt plane. “She’s in Jupiter Point?”

  “Yeah. She really is. It’s just luck that I ran into her. Well, luck and Victor’s need for speed. The only thing is, she’s with an absolute hottie of a guy. I saw them having an intimate convo at the Venus and Mars, and then he gave her a letter—which she then dropped. I snagged it, being the good Samaritan that I am. She didn’t seem all that excited to get it back. So I don’t know how to interpret all that. I wanted to ask her, but my busybody-ness only goes so far. Even for you, kid.”

  Aiden rubbed his eyes, which felt like someone had spread gravel on them. “She’s probably on her honeymoon. That’s why people come to Jupiter Point. Has nothing to do with me.”

  “Jesus, haven’t you been pining over her all this time?”

  “No. I’ve been seeing other people and living my life.”

  Next to him, Sean Marcus, crew leader, opened one eye. “Bullshit. You’ve been pining.”

  Aiden switched the phone to his other ear and lowered his voice. “Can you talk softer? Geez.”

  “Too late.” Josh Marshall, who was sitting in the row of seats behind him, leaned forward. “Hi Daisy,” he said into Aiden’s phone. “How’s the little guy?”

  “Excuse me, this is a private conversation.” Aiden shot a glare over his shoulder at his shaggy blond-haired crewmate. Josh liked to make a joke out of everything, and since Aiden was the crew rookie, he got the brunt of the teasing.

  “Ain’t no such thing in the
crew buggy, dude. Who’s this Mia chick? Is she the reason you dumped that lady cop who was hot for you?”

  “Daisy, I’ll call you later,” Aiden growled into the phone.

  “You’d better. I’m going to find out where she’s staying. I’ll report back with the 411.”

  “Don’t! Just leave her alone.” Aiden wished he could reach through the phone and grab Daisy’s phone and toss it in a lake. “Promise me, Daisy. Or I’ll never babysit again.”

  “You already never babysit.”

  “Yeah, because when I’m home I need my damn sleep. But I might someday.”

  Daisy laughed. “We’re coming over tonight. Me and Cassius and Victor. We’re going to come up with a plan. And before you make any more threats, may I remind you that my father-in-law is the mayor and former police chief.”

  Aiden ended the call, grinding his teeth in frustration. He hadn’t been pining over Mia. Fuck that. Mia had made it perfectly clear there was no future for them. So he’d done the logical thing and moved on. And on. And on. So what if none of the “ons” had lasted longer than a few months? He was trying. And someday he’d meet the right woman, the one who would wipe away the memory of Mia. The short time he’d spent with her was seared into his brain. He was sick of it. For five years, he’d—

  He froze. Finn Abrams, who was listening to his earbuds, glanced up.

  “What date is it?” he asked Finn.

  “April 27th,” Finn said, after pondering the question for a moment.

  April 27th—the day after he’d been rescued by Mia Grant. The day they’d woken up in the cave. The day they’d decided not to meet in five years.

  April 27, five years later.

  Mia had come to Jupiter Point at the not-agreed-upon day…with another man.

  That felt like a frickin’ spear right through the heart.

  He was such an idiot. Why would he think for a second that she was here for him? If she’d wanted to reach him, she could have called Will. Or found his number. He wasn’t that hard to find. Aiden kept a low profile online—all the Knight family did—because of the publicity around the murder and Dearborn’s trial. But she could have found a way.