The coroner had ruled the cause of death as smoke inhalation. What a painful way to go, Rory thought. He didn’t think about death often because he’d known guys who had. In almost all cases, it had forced them to quit firefighting.
“You didn’t mention in your report the fact that I almost fell through the hole,” Tim said as he fell onto the couch next to him.
“It didn’t seem relevant to the situation,” Rory said.
“Thanks,” Tim said. “I felt so stupid that I wasn’t paying attention. I think it was just the excitement of the fire. I sound crazy, don’t I?”
“Nah, we all know how you felt, the surge of adrenaline a fire call inspires. That’s the reason most of us got into this line of work,” Rory said.
“Not me. I only wanted to save a few cats,” J.J. said as he walked into the room. “Fields is ready to talk to you, O’Roarke.”
As Rory got to his feet, J.J. added, “He asked about the Starling girl. I told him I thought she was there because of you.”
“Why’d you do that?”
“We all saw you leave Riley’s with her.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Rory said. “She knew the victim.”
“We all did. But I know Meg. She wouldn’t have stopped at the scene if she hadn’t been worried about someone. I know it wasn’t me and she doesn’t know Tim.”
“How do you know?” Rory asked.
“My wife and I only moved to town last year. I haven’t had time to meet everyone yet,” Tim said with a big grin on his face.
This was getting ridiculous. Gossip ran rampant in the firehouse. And he’d let his hormones write him a one-way ticket to being the topic of every conversation. “Well, there’s nothing between us.”
“Whatever you say. But it sure didn’t look that way last night,” J.J. said.
“We both were interested in buying some property. That’s what she was talking to me about at Riley’s.”
“Were you also deciding where to put the master bedroom in your new house?” J.J. asked. “Or the ‘his and hers’ bathrooms?”
Rory walked away without a response but the truth was, he wished it had been more. But he knew better now. He walked into the captain’s office to find his brother-in-law sitting with his laptop opened on the desk.
“You’re my last report, Rory. Let’s make this quick so we can get out of here and get some dinner.”
“Sure enough,” Rory said. He’d been writing reports and talking to arson investigators for longer than he cared to remember. He told Tuck everything he remembered from the day, but what stuck with him was that feeling of rightness that had come from being in the house and putting out the fire. Saving Tim had cemented what he’d already known—that he was back where he belonged.
Meg was the only part of his life that wasn’t falling into place. Then again, she’d pretty well told him that there was no room in her life for him. And today, she’d confirmed it. So maybe he needed to just back off.
IT WAS THE FIRST of July, and Meg spent most of her time running between the Clapham place and the workshop/shed at her house. But she wouldn’t have to do it for long. Anne had told her mom and dad about Meg’s running back and forth, and they’d decided to move the shed for her. Her dad and his fishing buddies were in the process of towing the mobile Smithbilt to the new property.
While she was waiting, she went to check on Pat. He was very different than Rory. He spent most of his time in the corner of the barn where he’d set up his tools, working efficiently, but without rush. And the work he’d done for her so far had exceeded her expectations. But she missed his charming brother.
Meg left them to set the shed up and ran to Kebbler’s to pick up pulled pork sandwiches and the best baked beans in Central Florida. She pulled in to the restaurant and noticed a familiar Harley in the parking lot. When she went in, there was a line at the takeout counter, so she pushed her sunglasses up on her head and glanced around at the diners. She saw Rory sitting with his back toward her.
There was no mistaking the wide set of his shoulders or his hair which was just a little too long. She remembered how soft it was and what it felt like tangled in her fingers. She didn’t recognize the man who was sitting with him, but he noticed her staring, and a moment later, Rory turned around.
She smiled at him but he didn’t return it. Given the way she’d been avoiding him, his reaction was to be expected, she guessed. Still, it hurt. She turned back toward the counter and waited for the line to move.
Taking her phone out of her pocket, she flipped through her messages and saw that she had a voicemail from the arson investigator. He wanted to talk to her about the Delany house fire and the reason she was parked next to the house. Ah, yeah, about that. She’d have to find a way to say she’d been there for something that no longer existed.
She’d call him back once she got out to her car. In the meantime, she posted a picture to Instagram of her Smithbilt shed’s new location. The line for takeout moved forward and finally she was at the counter. After she paid and picked up her food, she started to leave . . . but found herself walking over to Rory instead.
It wasn’t like she didn’t know it was a bad idea. She just didn’t like the way he was ignoring her.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” he said, glancing up at her.
“How have you been?” she asked. He wasn’t acting as if he wanted her to sit down. What was the deal? Maybe he didn’t want her to go to Daytona with him after all.
“Okay,” he said.
“Me, too. I’m making some real progress on the Clapham place. Pat is really good. I couldn’t have found anyone better without your help,” she said, feeling a little stupid just standing there. “I’m sorry about Daytona.”
“That’s fine. This is my brother-in-law, Tucker Fields. He’s an arson investigator. Tuck, this is Meg Starling, the woman you need to speak with,” Rory said.
“I just got your voicemail. Sorry for not getting back to you,” Meg said.
“No problem. Can you sit down for a minute? I just need to ask you a few questions,” Tuck said. He had been doing his best to look as if he wasn’t interested in her conversation with Rory but she saw curiosity in his eyes.
“Sure,” she said.
“I’ll go get us something to drink and leave you two alone,” Rory said. He got up, careful not to touch her as he walked away. She watched him for a moment longer than was wise and then sat down across from Tucker.
“My wife is going to want to know what is going on between you two,” he said.
“Nothing,” Meg said. “I stopped at the Delany house because I saw the flames. The fire truck was already there when I drove up.”
He nodded. “All business, eh?”
“Seems the smartest avenue,” she said. Especially since it was clear that Rory wouldn’t want her to mention anything else . . .
She didn’t blame him. She had said she wanted to keep things casual, then doubled the insult by turning down his invitation to meet his family. She’d burned that bridge, even though she hadn’t really meant to.
But then, she’d spent most of her life wishing she could undo some of the things she’d done. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so honest with Rory. Had it been that important that she let him know she was leaving, that she wouldn’t have slept with him if she wasn’t?
Tucker pulled a notepad from his pocket and put it on the table next to him and then took out his phone. “Do you mind if I record this? It makes it easier for me to reference my notes later.”
She shrugged. “I don’t mind. Is it too noisy in here?”
“Nah, it should be fine.” He fiddled with his phone and the settings. Then he recorded himself saying the date and time and then asked her for her full name.
She spoke into the ph
one each time she answered one of his questions and in about five minutes, he was done with the interview. “I’ll call you if I need to follow up. But I’m satisfied you had nothing to do with the fire.”
“Good,” she said. “It was nice to meet you.”
She stood up, then picked up her bag and walked out of the restaurant without a backwards glance. Just the way she’d soon walk away from Twin Palms for good.
If she could do it.
Chapter Seventeen
RORY WAS OFF on the Fourth of July. He hadn’t planned it that way, but because he’d asked for the weekend off to go to Daytona, that’s what happened. Since he was home, the Captain had invited him to help out at the big barbecue in the park next to the train station.
He’d heard from Pat that Meg was going and would likely be there with her family. Since she’d been busy working on her house, they hadn’t seen much of each other. Pat had mentioned that Meg was very good at what she did and that the producer who was working with her seemed to have a lot of respect for her.
It had made him proud to hear she was good at her job. And it made it a little easier for him to give her the space she needed to go after her dreams. But still, he was looking forward to seeing her.
A large American flag hung from a flagpole in the center of the park, flanked by the State of Florida flag. The road around the park was lined with red, white and blue pinwheels stuck in the ground. They were anticipating a large crowd today.
Rory pulled his bike to a stop in the parking lot next to the diner. He stowed his helmet and walked over to the area where all the grills had been set up.
“Over here,” J.J. yelled, carrying an armful of wood. “I could use a hand.”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m here early.”
Rory took up a position in front of one of the large barrel grills and started getting the kindling ready. There was a gazebo in the middle of the park that was draped with red, white and blue banners and music blared from built-in speakers that looked like rocks.
“I really like the way Twin Palms celebrates,” Rory said.
“Me, too. I grew up here, so I thought it was like this everywhere. But when I moved away, I soon realized the perks of living in a small town,” J.J. said.
Rory almost wished that he could get a list of those perks to share with Meg. But he knew that wouldn’t convince her to give up her dreams. Odd that he’d even consider trying after making a big deal of not giving up firefighting for a woman again.
But Meg got to him.
“I guess it’s nice knowing who your neighbors are,” Rory said.
Looking around, he realized there was a landscaped path that led to a section where the town had set up a big water slide. He’d heard that the town council had considered putting in a pool . . . until they realized that the nearby train traffic would shake the foundation and cause leaks.
“What can I do?” Tim asked when he arrived a few minutes later.
Rory and J.J. both greeted their buddy. It was good that they were so comfortable together that they’d spend their leisure time with each other as well as their work hours. Rory looked at the woman standing by Tim’s side. His wife was cute. Tim kissed her before walking over to them.
J.J. made smooching noises, which caused Tim to blush.
“Put charcoal in that grill and this one,” Rory told Tim, quickly changing the subject. “And J.J., go across the street to the diner and pick up the pots for the corn on the cob.”
J.J. walked away, and Rory suddenly realized what he’d been missing, what he’d unconsciously been hoping to find in Twin Palms. A family. Even when he’d left his “dangerous” profession, Natalie hadn’t wanted kids. And for the first time, he understood that a part of him was mourning the loss. At his age, his dad had been a father three times over. But Rory had a long way to go before he could even think about being a parent.
Maybe it was time to start looking for a wife, once things ended with Meg. Only right now, he couldn’t see himself with anyone else but Meg.
He still dreamed of having her in his arms every night. Even when he was at the damned firehouse. To make matters worse, this summer had been quiet, with only a few calls over the last few days and no fires. Not that he wanted to see any property destroyed, but he was itchy for some action.
He needed something to take his mind off of Meg and those big eyes that made him want things he’d never have. He wondered if he should leave Florida altogether. Go out west and fight wild fires instead. That kind of work was dirty and backbreaking, but it might be just what he needed. Only he didn’t want to leave.
Not really.
And he didn’t want to find another woman either. He wanted Meg to suddenly be okay with his job and he knew she never would. He knew he’d never be able to talk her out of her opinion, and he wondered why he even wanted to try.
Letting out a resigned breath, Rory decided to check out the food. Bone-in chicken pieces, along with some ribs and a big old pork butt, filled the coolers.
“You good to grill the chicken wings?” Rory asked Tim.
“Yeah. I do a dry rub that’s sort of spicy. Unless you have some sort of sauce you want to use,” Tim said. “I brought it with me.”
“Nah, go for it. Meg’s dad used to bring some spice mixture he’d brought back from Louisiana when the police department used to do this. But he gave that up when he retired,” J.J. said as he rejoined them.
Rory couldn’t escape Meg no matter how hard he tried. She was everywhere in Twin Palms and he suspected that wouldn’t change . . . even after she left to go after her big city dreams.
MEG WAS GLAD she didn’t have to go to the Twin Palm’s Fourth of July barbecue by herself. She and Anne arrived with their parents at about noon. She’d heard from Pat that Rory would be working the grill with the fire department and she was looking forward to seeing him.
They’d seen each other just twice since they’d made love. Still, it was impossible not to see him now and pretend that she was unaffected. She hadn’t had a single good night’s sleep since he’d been in her bed. No matter how hard she worked during the day to make sure she fell into an exhausted sleep, she was still haunted by him. And no amount of pretending was going to change that.
Her sister and parents were talking to a group from the Friends of the Library but Meg hung back and stood in the shadow of a big tree, watching Rory. He turned and looked at her. Her heart raced. She was not doing a very good job of keeping this casual.
She walked over to him and leaned over his shoulder. He had chicken wings on one side and something under foil on the other side of the large built-in grill.
“Smells good,” she said, suddenly very aware of how much she liked him even though she really didn’t want to fall for him.
“It’s Tim’s family recipe,” he said.
“Chicken?”
“The rub and the sauce, smarty,” he said, with a half-grin.
“I have an award-winning sauce myself,” she said.
“Do you? Is it spicy, Red?” he asked.
“You know it,” she replied with a grin. “How’s it been at work?”
“Good,” he said. “Quiet. Everyone is sort of antsy waiting for something to happen. Although with all the barbecues going on, there will probably be a few call-outs today.”
“Yeah, that’s a pretty good guess. Listen, I’m sorry I confronted you when you were sitting with your brother-in-law. I should have just let it go. I could tell you didn’t want to talk.”
He put the tongs down. “J.J., can you handle my grill?”
“Sure thing.”
Rory took her hand, leading her to the pond and the cluster of willow trees that were nestled along the bank. He drew her under the canopy of long branches, then dropped her hand.
He pulled he
r into his arms and kissed her hard and deep, giving in to all the pent-up passion that had been simmering between them since he’d been in her bed.
“I’ve missed you,” he said.
“Me, too. I don’t want to fall for you, but I can’t stop thinking about you all the time. I’m working like mad on the house.”
“But you still can’t sleep?”
“How’d you guess?”
“I’m having the same problem. I’m haunted by you. I wonder if it’s just the first flush of lust riding both of us.”
She blushed. “I don’t usually have such an overactive sex drive.”
“I think it’s safe to say that things between you and me are very different. It’s not like it was in any of my previous relationships. And I’m guessing it’s the same with you.”
She shrugged, not wanting to admit it out loud. Not because she didn’t feel it, but because she was so afraid he’d say something that would make her want to deviate from the path she’d already chosen.
“You scare me. I’m not sure what to do with you.” She hadn’t meant to say that. Then again, with Rory, she was always doing and saying things she shouldn’t. Still, it was the truth—one she’d been hiding from for too long.
“YOU SCARE ME too,” he said, pulling her into his arms and bringing his mouth down on hers. It had been too long since he’d held her and tasted the sweetness of her kiss. The heat of the day swirled around them and the branches of the willow tree offered them privacy.
He wasn’t going to worry about his future. He’d rather take a chance on Meg, who was with him at this moment, than wait for some fantasy woman who might never show up.
Natalie had killed something in him. And he was starting to think it was his drive to go after what he wanted that she’d decimated. She’d made him doubt himself, not just in the firehouse but also in life.
Meg wrapped her arms around his neck, lifting herself on tiptoe to meet his lips again. This woman was hot today. Hell, she was hot every day. There wasn’t a single time when they’d been in each other’s company that he hadn’t had to fight his own instincts and keep his hands to himself. Suddenly, fighting himself seemed like a damned stupid idea.
In The Heat 0f The Night (The O'Roarkes Duet Book 2) Page 15
