New Beginnings (The Girl and The Fireman Book 1)

by Amy Allen

  Grinning as he walked past her, he said, “Rob looked but not sure if he decided. He didn’t say anything to me yet.”

  “That’s fine. I checked and have some ideas. I’ll wait ’til he’s done before I see which you both want.” As she finished, there was a knock on the front door. Glancing at Craig as she started that way, he just shrugged, but she noticed he followed her even though he stopped halfway down the hall.

  Opening the door, she smiled at who was standing there. Without realizing it, she said in Chamorro, “Håfa Adai, Joshua.” When she saw a slightly confused look cross his face she gave a bit of a laugh. “Sorry. Hello. Come on in. I thought Rob said you weren’t coming over til tomorrow.”

  Joshua smiled when he saw it was Lana who’d answered, though he could see Craig not too far back. Until she’d said ‘hello’ in English, he wondered at her greeting since the language she used was one of the few he didn’t speak. Stepping in, he said, “I still am, but I thought I’d come by tonight too. If that’s ok.”

  Hearing Joshua’s last comment, Rob laughed as he came into view. “It’s great. We’re glad to have you.” Looking at his sister, he added, “I took a look and decided on Kådun pika. That ok?”

  Turning to her brother, and walking with Joshua down toward him, she replied, “Sounds good. It was one of the choices I was going to give you when I saw what there was. Get whatever you guys are drinking and I’ll get dinner started. Hope you’re staying to eat, Joshua.”

  Opening the fridge and grabbing a Longboard beer for himself and one for Craig, Rob asked Joshua, “Beer?”

  Seeing what they had, Joshua smiled. “Yeah, sounds good.” Turning to Lana, he smiled more. “Sure, if there’s enough.” He was glad to see her nod.

  Pulling one for Joshua, Rob grabbed out a bottle of wine. Handing Joshua his beer, Rob moved to the cabinet and took down a glass. Pouring the wine, he sat the glass and bottle next to Lana and smiled at her. Grabbing the two beer bottles he’d left on the counter, he motioned with his head to Joshua. “Come have a seat. Help Craig and I decide on a movie.” He stopped suddenly, looking down at the wolves who’d just run in front of him. Knowing they’d listen to him he snapped his fingers, after moving both beers to one hand. When they stopped, he only pointed to a corner of the living room, almost laughing when they headed where he pointed and lay down. To Joshua, he said, “Those are her wolves. The bigger and lighter gray is Baal. The smaller and slightly darker gray is Ash.”

  “They’re beautiful. They’re close in looks to the two my sister has.” Glancing over his shoulder, seeing Lana was busy with what she was fixing, he grinned and added, “Just like your sister is beautiful. She seeing anyone?”

  Rob burst out laughing. “Sorry. No, not at the moment. Let’s sit and I’ll explain.”

  Joshua wondered at that comment and Rob’s laughing. Sitting he took a long drink of the beer. “Not at the moment?”

  “Yeah.” Rob looked over toward Lana, making sure she wasn’t listening in. Satisfied she was busy, he said, “This goes back to what I was explaining after I sent her to Craig. Jeremy did a major number on her to where it’s rare if she goes out with anyone but Craig and I because she is wary of and doesn’t trust most men. To my knowledge, she has never been kissed. But that’s an area I don’t go into with her. Don’t really want to know.” Rob chuckled at that last. “And, though she hasn’t said anything since she went through whatever it was that caused this change, it seems there is some part of her missing.” He shrugged and then grinned. “I did notice something today I hadn’t ever noticed before when she meets a guy.”

  Listening, Joshua took in what Rob said. From what Rob had told them earlier, he could understand why Lana was that way. Lana reminded him more and more of his sister, though Brandi at least had John, as well as him and his brothers. He glanced over his shoulder to the kitchen and watched Lana briefly. There was something about her. Something that made him want to spend time with her and really get to know her, though he understood her not wanting to get close to men. Even if he didn’t have trust issues regarding women, he still woke up sweating at times from dreams about the six years he was held with his sister in that damn monastery from 1773 to 1779. He may have only been a year old in that life, but he remembered it, and how his sister was treated, clearly. Shaking off the thoughts, he asked, “What’d you notice?”

  “That she actually was checking you out. That was a first for her.” Although Joshua had called her beautiful, Rob still wondered about something. “This may sound weird, but do you have a problem with her markings?”

  “No, doesn’t sound weird at all. I like them. I’m sure you noticed my sister has markings down her left side too. Like I said, I think Lana’s beautiful, and her markings just add to it.” He didn’t add that he thought she was also hot. He didn’t think her brother wanted to hear that. He knew he wouldn’t want to hear that about his own sister. “I take it that’s part of why, since that happened, she hasn’t dated much. The markings look like tattoos, and people think she just decided to tattoo herself down the left side?”

  “Yeah. Ask her out if you want, I don’t mind. But I just ask that you be patient with her. If she backs away anytime, it isn’t you.”

  Joshua smiled. “Thanks. Helps that you’re okay with it. And I will be. I’ll know it isn’t because of me if she does.” Grabbing a DVD Craig passed him he saw it was the first Avengers Movie. Nodding, he handed it back to Craig.

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  Though Lana knew she could have joined them once dinner was simmering, Rob looked to be having a serious conversation with Joshua so she stayed out of earshot in the kitchen. When the 30 minutes were up, she tasted it. To her, it could have used some more chili peppers and maybe some more soy sauce, but she wasn’t sure how spicy Joshua liked his food, so she decided not to add anything more to the dish. After setting the table and setting the Kådun pika on the table, she placed a big bowl of rice as well as extra peppers and the soy sauce for anyone who wanted it. Satisfied, she walked over and stood behind Rob and Joshua, and said, “Dinner’s ready.”

  Sitting down, Joshua smiled as he said, “I’m not going to try to pronounce what Rob called this, and it isn’t something I’ve heard of before, but it looks like a chicken dish. What it is?”

  “In Chamorro, it is called Kådun pika. In English, it’s Spicy Chicken. It’s served over the rice. The chili peppers and soy sauce are on the table in case anyone wants to add to it. I wasn’t sure how spicy you like your food, so I didn’t add any more after it was done.” As she finished, Lana reached for one of the bowls of chili peppers to add some as well as add a bit more soy sauce.

  After placing some rice, followed by the chicken mixture, onto his plate, Joshua tasted it. He added a couple of the chili peppers as well as some soy sauce before tasting again. Wanting it a little bit spicier, he added a few more chili peppers. Taking another bite, he found it perfect. “This is great. And I don’t mind spicy.”

  Lana smiled her thanks. Grabbing her glass of wine, she took a drink to help hide the blush she felt on her cheeks.

  “You just graduated from UH in December, didn’t you?” When she nodded, Joshua continued with, “Rob mentioned you’re trying to get established as a consultant in Criminal Psychology, so I take it that was your major?”

  Finishing the bite she took, Lana nodded. “One of them. I actually have two. I have my PhD in Psychology that concentrates on the mental make-up of arsonists with a Masters in Criminology. I also have a Masters in Physics. When I was doing my Masters in Psychology I actually did my thesis paper on the Pa’ia Cane fire that was happening then, using what I found from the news. And when they considered the fire was undetermined, I added in a profile of a possible arsonist for the fire.”

  They finished eating in companionable silence. Joshua enjoyed the home-cooked meal. If he and Eric managed to have dinner together, it was usually something Eric just threw
together. Though in the two months John had been stationed on Oahu, if John and Brandi came to Maui to visit for a weekend, Brandi was the one to cook. Those were the times Joshua made sure to have dinner next door. Setting his fork down, he smiled at Lana. “That was delicious. Thanks.”

  Getting up to take the plates, Lana smiled. “You’re welcome.” She wasn’t surprised that Craig and Rob got up to help. She was surprised when Joshua got up and also helped. Smiling more, she said, “Mahalo,” taking the plate from him and loading the dishwasher. With the help of the three men, it didn’t take long to get what was left of dinner into the fridge, the kitchen cleaned up, and the dishwasher loaded and ready to start. Grabbing her glass of wine, as well the bottle from where Rob had left it on the counter, she grinned and said, “Shall we? And what are we watching?”

  Taking three more beers out of the fridge, Craig grinned. “The first Avengers movie. Joshua’s pick.”

  Lana put the movie in then sat on the floor. When she felt a leg brush against hers, she looked over. Smiling, she was surprised that Joshua joined her on the floor. She was a little self-conscious of her markings, but since he hadn’t made any comments about them, she didn’t think about it and enjoyed the movie.

  When the movie finished, Lana took it out. Standing, she walked into the kitchen, put her glass in the dishwasher, starting it, and then put the wine away. Walking back to the guys, she smiled. “I’m going to say goodnight. Have a good rest of the night.” She gave a short whistle and both wolves were immediately at her side.

  Making a quick decision, Joshua said, “Hold up,” as Lana turned to head toward the door. Standing, he saw her stop and look over her shoulder at him. Reaching her in a few strides, he said, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to walk over with you.”

  She was suddenly wary, and it showed on her face, although she nodded. “It’s not far, and I have Baal and Ash, but I guess so.”

  He saw her expression change, and he understood. She wasn’t sure what it was he wanted or why he wanted to walk her to her ‘ohana. Glancing at Rob, he said, “Be right back,” then walked with her to the door and out.

  They walked in silence. When they got to her door, Joshua opened it for her. He noticed a light already on inside. “Did you leave a light on when you left?”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s on a timer. I do that so even if I’m at work, it comes on and no one knows I’m not here. Thanks for walking me over. You didn’t have to.”

  “I know, but I wanted to. And wanted to ask you a couple things. First, would you like me to get here earlier tomorrow to take you to work?”

  She shook her head again. “Mahalo but no. I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want you to have to leave in the middle of ‘guys’ night to get me.”

  “Fair enough. Second. Can I take you out, dinner, movie, whatever, on your next night off?”

  She suddenly felt shy. The wariness was still there but not as bad now. Smiling up at him, she nodded. “I’d like that. I’m off next weekend.”

  “Saturday it is then. How about I pick you up around six pm?”

  “Sounds good. And I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow when I get home and pick up Baal and Ash since Rob’s gonna watch them while I’m working. Have a good rest of the night.”

  “I’m sure I will. Thanks. And thanks again for dinner.” He smiled at her nod. Before she had the chance to turn away from him, he put a hand on each side of her face, leaned down and kissed her.

  The kiss took her by surprise since she’d never been kissed by anyone but family or Craig, and Craig was family to her, so never on the lips. The feeling was new, but she liked the feel of his lips on hers. Not realizing it, she stood on her toes and leaned into him, feeling his tongue move across her lips. Her mouth opened on its own and she felt his tongue slid in and move against hers. She felt her tongue start to move as his was, causing the kiss to deepen. Something stirred in her, but she didn’t know what it was. Before she had a chance to figure it out, he ended the kiss. Looking up at him, she bit her lip. She’d liked the kiss but wasn’t quite sure how to tell him, so she let go of her lip and smiled.

  Returning the smile, he leaned back down to kiss her again, but only lightly brushed his lips across hers this time. “Sleep good and I’ll see you when you get home tomorrow night.”

  She only nodded before turning to go in and closing the door behind her.

  Monday

  The morning had been relatively quiet for Lana. Although she’d woken by eight, she’d laid there thinking about Joshua and that kiss. She still had no idea what it was she’d suddenly felt. Sighing slightly and figuring she could ask her brother or Craig about it later, she looked at the time. Surprised to see it was already 10 a.m. and she’d been lolling about for two hours, she got up. She thought about a shower but decided on a run instead. Getting her running clothes on and pulling her hair into a high ponytail, she walked into the front room and called for Baal and Ash. Giving them each a pet she asked, “Can you wait to eat until after we run?” In reply, they waited at the front door. Leaving her cottage, she didn’t worry about telling either of the guys. As she jogged past the front of the house, she noticed a lifted fire engine red Dodge Ram sitting between Craig’s black Dodge Ram and Rob’s navy blue Dodge Ram, wondering if it was Joshua’s and if he’d stayed the night. She saw a couple surfboards as well as what looked like a paddleboard in the back of the truck.

  Getting out onto the street, Lana turned towards Eric’s place. Starting to pass by, she happened to glance over at his house and property. She didn’t know why, but she hadn’t ever really paid attention to what his house looked like. Stopping and jogging in place, she took it all in. The drive was more open than her parents though, unlike her parents, it was asphalt. Instead of a grassy area outside the sliding door, like her parents had, the side area, as well as around the house, looked more like a small forest. The main house had an open look like her parents did, though it looked somewhat smaller, and the ‘ohana looked bigger than hers though still nice and cozy. Turning her attention to the ‘ohana, ideas started forming in her mind for possible additions to hers. She was surprised when she suddenly heard barking from what she thought were dogs, followed by the sound of children laughing. Since it came from the ‘ohana, she guessed it was his sister’s children, though she had no idea how many kids his sister and brother-in-law had. She continued on up the road another three miles, the wolves running with her and staying at her side before she turned and headed back home.

  Slowing her run to a jog as she went up the drive towards her place, and noticed the red Dodge Ram was still there making her smile, hoping it was Joshua’s. Wondering where that thought came from, she headed into her ‘ohana. She liked the look of the truck. It was a beautiful truck, and, since it was lifted, she wondered if it had a step for getting in. She laughed to herself thinking that she hoped it did in case she was in heels on Saturday. Getting inside she closed the screen door, leaving the front door open, to let fresh air in. She stepped into the kitchen to feed the boys before she headed back to her bathroom and got in the shower. It felt good. Getting out, she barely dried her hair, wanting it to shine but lay straight down her back. Moving into her room, she looked at the clock on her bedside table and saw it was noon already. Shaking her head, she grabbed a pair of jeans and a tank top from the dresser, pulling them on.

  Going back into the kitchen she made herself some lunch before she sat on the couch and took her sketch pad out of her bag. As she ate, she sketched, not paying attention to what she drew. Finally sitting her plate to the side, she looked back at the three drawings she did. Smiling again, she knew where her mind was. Leaving it sitting there, she took her dish to the kitchen. Hearing the screen door open as she put the plate in the dishwasher, she turned and saw Craig.

  Moving to the sofa, Craig noticed she’d left her sketch pad open. Picking it up, he flipped through the various sketches. He was looking at the last few drawings as she joined him. Smiling at he
r, he asked, “Mind wandering a bit there, doll?”

  Lana shrugged. “I guess so. Can I ask you a question?” When he nodded, she took a breath and decided to just say it. “Joshua kissed me last night. I liked it. But, I also started to feel something I haven’t before. What?”

  Craig grinned. It was about time someone got through her walls. “Right now, I’d say attraction and lust. I suggest you let yourself feel both. That doesn’t mean you have to act further on those feelings right now with him. But don’t run away from what you feel. You never know where it will take you.”

  “Then it’s normal?”

  “Yeah, it is.” He looked down at the sketches then back at her. “You’re 25. You’re supposed to date and enjoy it, get kissed and enjoy it, eventually fall in love. Problem is Jeremy screwed that up for you. I think Rob is the only other one, besides me, who has figured out how scared you are that Jeremy will kill you. He and I are doing the best we can to keep you safe. You shouldn’t be scared to have whatever kind of relationship you want to have. You shouldn’t be scared to date and you should want to get kissed. That’s why I said shouldn’t run away from whatever you feel.” Craig didn’t have the gift of sensing things like she did, but he knew when a certain person had stepped up to the screen door. Craig also guessed that what he’d said was overheard. He didn’t think she’d realized it so he didn’t say anything. Tapping the sketch pad, he then said, “This from memory?” When she smiled a bit and nodded, almost looking embarrassed, Craig grinned. “It still amazes me how well you can do that. You should have also majored in design.”