by Alison Bliss
“I don’t know what happened,” he said, concern lacing his deep tone, along with a smidgen of petulance at Mandy’s remark. He looked at me, as if waiting for me to answer for myself, but I still couldn’t speak. He nodded his understanding and told Mandy, “She just sort of…froze.”
“Oh. I’m sorry, Anna,” Mandy said, her tone registering her sincerity. “You seemed fine after the booth fire. I didn’t realize—”
“What booth fire?” Cowboy asked.
“When Anna and Bobbie Jo stopped by our booth earlier, some napkins caught fire on the table behind Anna. We had to use a fire extinguisher to put it out.”
Cowboy’s suspicious eyes met mine once again and his jaw tightened. “Go see if Reynolds needs any help, Mandy.”
She bit her lip. “Are you sure? I can help you with—”
“It’s okay. Just go.” His low, gruff voice wavered between confusion and anger.
Obviously, he suspected me of starting that booth fire. But I hadn’t. Not really. Or rather, not intentionally. It was an accident, one that could have easily happened to any of us. Though I doubted he would see it that way.
I managed to loll my head back enough to see the orange glow once more and a tremor ran through me. Cowboy’s arms tightened around me, drawing my attention back to him. Our eyes met briefly, then I began to hum. It was so low, I hoped he couldn’t hear it over the noise of the loud music and the shouts of the carnival goers, but knew he probably felt the vibrations against his ribs.
Cowboy pulled his arm out from behind my legs and let my body slide down his until both my feet touched the pavement. Then he unknotted my arms from around his neck. I’d coiled around him like a boa constrictor, and apparently didn’t want to let go.
He smoothed one large hand over my hair while the other rubbed at the back of my neck, soothing and relaxing me. “You’re okay,” he whispered gently in my ear. “I’ve got you.”
That’s when the humming stopped. I accepted his calming touch willingly and my heart rate decreased. I didn’t know why he’d elected himself to be responsible for me. But he had. And I fully believed he wasn’t about to let me down now.
Cowboy leaned me against the cold metal of the truck and used the strategic placement of his body against mine to keep me balanced upright as he opened the door and maneuvered me into the passenger’s seat.
He reached past me and grabbed a navy blue jacket with a fireman’s patch on the sleeve, wrapping it around my shoulders. Then he pulled an orange emergency kit out from behind the seat and flipped open the lid. A small silver tank and a self-contained breathing apparatus were inside.
The last time I’d seen my mother alive, she was covered in white skin-peeling blisters and wearing such a mask. “No, I’m okay.” But he ignored me and tried to put the mask over my face, anyway. I shoved it away. “I said I don’t need it!”
He gritted his teeth. “Wear the damn mask, Anna.”
I shook my head. Beyond watery eyes and a slightly sore throat, I wasn’t presenting any other signs of damage from the smoke. “I would, if I thought I needed it, but I’m not even coughing anymore. I don’t have a headache, hoarseness, nausea, or mental confusion. Nothing to indicate I suffered smoke inhalation.”
When his gaze dropped to my chest, swiftly and blatantly, my pulse quickened and my eyebrow rose. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Shut up.”
“Excuse me?”
After a minute, he lifted his head, letting his eyes meet mine. “I was counting your respirations, not ogling your breasts,” he said, pressing two thick fingers to the inside of my wrist to measure my erratic pulse.
I’d angered him, though I hadn’t meant to. It isn’t my fault the playboy has a reputation he can’t live down.
My pulse must not have spiked as high as I’d thought, because he tossed the lid closed on the oxygen tank and put it away. Wordlessly, he pulled me against his chest, sharing his body heat. It wasn’t cold out, but I was shaking and couldn’t have resisted if I wanted to. His strong arms wrapped around me like a security blanket and the divine scent of his cologne permeated my nostrils, lending me comfort I hadn’t known I needed.
Reynolds produced a water hose from nearby and doused the blaze while we watched in silence. Guess the contained fire was small enough they didn’t need to bring out the big hose because, within minutes, the flames were out.
Cowboy pulled back, placing his hands on my shoulders and looking me square in the eyes. “Anna, why did you start the fire?”
Stunned, I blinked at him and shook my head adamantly. “I…I didn’t.”
His eyes narrowed with suspicion and his mouth pulled taut into a flat, thin line. He didn’t believe me. Not only that, but there I was clinging to a man I now wanted to strangle.
Angrily, I tried to shift away from him, but he held me firmly in place, nodding to the site where the fire had been. “Then tell me what happened,” he demanded, his tone bordering on frustration and fury.
“How would I know? I was with you, remember? I just left you back there. Why would you even suggest I had anything to do with—”
“There’s a bottle of lighter fluid on the ground not ten feet away from where you were standing. It only takes seconds to start a fire using that. Besides, you were practically standing in the fire when I found you. I had to radio it in and then double time it up here to get you out of the smoke before you killed yourself. What the hell were you doing, anyway?”
“I was just…”
“Just what?” When I didn’t respond to his question, he raised his voice. “Answer the damn question.”
“It doesn’t matter. I didn’t start the fire. That’s all you need to know.”
“Bullshit, Anna! This is the third fire in three days you just happened to be near when it started. I don’t want to believe you had something to do with it, but what the hell else am I supposed to think?”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Hey, Captain,” a young fireman said, approaching us and addressing Cowboy. “No injuries to report and the flames are out. But we found the source of the fire. You might want to come talk to him. He’s on the side of the building over here and refuses to leave.”
Cowboy and I gave each other a puzzled look and then stepped out of the vehicle to head in the direction the fireman came from. We caught sight of a man with a scruffy gray beard and ratty clothes leaning against a nearby fence. “Damn you, Dan!” Cowboy yelled, making me jump. “I told you to stop setting shit on fire.”
The homely-looking man lifted his head and gave us a rotten-toothed grin. “Fuck you.”
“Watch your mouth. There’s a lady present.”
The old man grunted. “Well, fuck her, too.”
Cowboy must’ve heard my small intake of breath because he rolled his eyes and whispered, “Just ignore him. He’s nothing but a grouchy, filthy-mouthed old man. He doesn’t like anyone telling him what to do.” Cowboy glanced back at the man. “Do you, Dan?”
Dan held up a middle finger on his grimy hand and said in a gruff, rancid voice, “Up yours, shit-for-brains.”
“He’s trying to provoke me,” Cowboy explained. “Whenever he wants a hot meal, Dan here does something illegal…like setting fires.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “H-he did this on purpose? But he could’ve killed someone.”
“Yeah, including himself.”
The old man guffawed. “Quit talking about me like I’m not standing right here. I know my rights. You gonna have me arrested or what?”
Cowboy nodded. “The sheriff will be here any minute. You’ll probably be stuck in a cell until Monday morning, and then you can go home to your wife.”
“Heeeeeell, no.” He shuddered. “Have you seen that woman?”
“Yeah, but you haven’t,” Cowboy told him. “You’re only imagining what she looks like.” I squinted at him, not understanding what he was talking about. “Dan’s legally blind,” he explained. “Has been f
or years.”
“Oh. I see.”
Dan stared stupidly at me. “Well, just rub it in, why don’t ya? You damn kids nowadays don’t think twice about making fun of someone with a handicap. In the good ol’ days, children respected their elders.”
As the sheriff pulled in, Cowboy said, “Your ride’s here, old man.”
Dan pushed off the fence and picked up an aluminum cane I hadn’t noticed leaning against his right leg. Then he started toward the sound of the cruiser, swinging the cane back and forth as it clattered on the pavement, while mumbling under his breath.
I looked up at Cowboy, still confused. “H-he’s not a vagrant?”
“No, but he’s still a bum. Every time he pisses off his wife, she refuses to cook for him and kicks him out. Then he pulls this crap.”
“So, he’s the town drunk, then?”
“Dan?” Cowboy chuckled at the thought. “Nah. He doesn’t touch the stuff. Besides, this place is too small for a town drunk. Instead, we all just take turns.”
Before I could respond, the fireman named Reynolds approached. “All clear, Captain? Or do you still want us to have the sheriff take her in for questioning?” he asked, grinning in amusement.
Lightning flashed in Cowboy’s eyes and he gave Reynolds a go-to-hell look, which prompted the young fireman to quickly turn and head for the hills.
I crossed my arms, glaring at him in disbelief. “You were going to have me arrested?”
Cowboy closed his eyes and let out a hard breath. When he opened them, the anger I’d seen in them was gone and only softness and sincerity remained. “No, I was just going to have him…talk to you, I guess. I thought maybe if it was somebody besides me asking the questions, you would—”
“What? Tell the truth? Because you still think I’m lying to you, right?” As he opened his mouth to speak, I knew an apology loomed on the tip of his tongue. But it was one I didn’t want to hear. His fury may have dissipated, but mine had just kicked into high gear. I shook my head and pulled the jacket from around my shoulders, shoving it into his chest. “Here. I guess it’s safe to say that I can go now.”
He took the jacket and reached for my hand. “Anna, wait…”
“Just leave me alone,” I said, walking quickly away from him.
Chapter Five
“Got my book?”
I’d seen Cowboy come through the library doors, but had refused to allow myself to acknowledge him until he spoke first. Even then, I only reached beneath the desk and handed him the book with the red spine.
“Guess you’re still mad,” he said.
I continued ignoring him.
He braced his hands on the counter. “Are you going to at least let me apologize for last night?”
“No.” I grabbed a couple of returned books I’d already scanned back into the system, rose and headed for the far aisles, away from prying eyes and bent ears.
He followed behind me, not giving up. “I talked to Bobbie Jo.”
“Good for you.”
“She vouched for you, so I’m letting it go…this time. I closed the report on the dumpster fire and chalked it up to an accident. She trusts you.” His tone sounded almost angry about it.
I kept walking, but glanced over my shoulder at him, noting his questioning eyes and the way he held his mouth in a flat, grim line. Suspicion and mistrust lit up his perfect face like a flashing neon sign. “Yet you still don’t.”
He didn’t even bother denying it. “Do you blame me? You avoid my questions every chance you get, and you won’t stay in one place long enough for me to have a decent conversation with you.” When I walked faster hoping to get out of everyone’s earshot before he spoke another word, he said, “Damn it, Anna. Why are you always running from me?”
“I’m not. I’m—”
“Afraid I’m going to ask you out?” he asked, as if he were finishing my sentence.
My heart skipped a beat, but I pretended to be unfazed. I stepped inside an alcove and placed one of the books on the shelf where it belonged. “Don’t be absurd,” I said, lowering my voice.
“So it’s okay for me to ask you out, then?”
“What? No, I…I didn’t say that. Don’t put words in my mouth.” I marched down the aisle with him hot on my trail. “You’re not asking me out.”
“Why not? Since I closed the report, there’s nothing stopping me from doing so.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
He groaned. “What the hell is your problem with me?”
I stopped and turned to face him, lifting my brows. “You really have to ask that?” Then I moved further down the aisle.
“I’m trying to apologize for last night,” he said from behind me. “If you would just stand still long enough…” He grasped my shoulders and turned me to face him. “Look, I’m sorry. I was wrong, okay?”
“Fine. Apology accepted.” I spun away from him and scanned the shelves. When I found the spot I was looking for, I slid the book back into its rightful place. I pivoted and walked toward him, then passed right by him on my way back to the circulation desk.
“That’s it?” Cowboy asked.
I paused and looked back, shrugging nonchalantly. “What more is there?”
“Have dinner with me tonight.”
My stomach fluttered and I smiled, but didn’t hesitate with my answer. “No, thank you.”
He sighed. “Why? Because of last night?”
“No, not because of that,” I said, straightening a book on a nearby shelf.
“Just dinner. I’m not asking for anything more.”
Yeah, sure…yet.
To say I didn’t trust men was the understatement of the year. And Cowboy was definitely all man. Good-looking. Charming. The kind of guy who made hearts bleed in every female within a hundred-mile radius. Even with his lack of commitment and my plans to leave town, it would still never work between us. So why waste either of our time?
“I’m sorry, Cowboy, but my answer is still no.”
His face twisted in genuine confusion, as if he’d never been told “no” before. He hesitated and then said, “It’s because you think I’m butt-ugly, isn’t it?”
I bit my lip to keep from giggling at him. He couldn’t be “butt-ugly” if he tried. “No, that’s not it, either. You just…need to stop asking me out.”
“Why? What did I do wrong?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then what? Am I too damn pretty for you? Come on, there’s got to be something.”
I sighed at his arrogance. “Listen, Cowboy, what you did for me last night was sweet and I appreciate it. But we both know you carrying me away from that fire wasn’t some clichéd romantic gesture.”
He nodded in agreement. “More like a caretaker helping an invalid get from point A to point B. So?”
“That is exactly my point. You’re blunt, reckless, arrogant, and…frankly, a little conceited, which is something I’m not.”
“Just spit it out already. I’m a big boy. I can take it.”
I hesitated to tell him the God’s honest truth, but I had to say something to get him to leave me alone. “I don’t do short-term love affairs,” I blurted out.
Clearly caught off guard by my admission, he blinked rapidly before a smile tugged at the sides of his mouth. “You mean sex?”
I closed my eyes and sighed, embarrassment flooding my cheeks. “Yes, of course I’m talking about sex.”
“So what about long-term love affairs?” The inflection in his tone made his voice deeper, sexier.
I cracked one eye open and saw him grinning at me with a hand propped leisurely on the shelf beside me and the other at his waist, his thumb snagged in the loophole of his jeans. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“Darlin’, I’m not making fun of you. I’m only suggesting something a little longer than what you were expecting.” Then he shrugged his brows.
His cockiness pushed my buttons. “Okay, enough. Obviously you’re used to flir
ty women throwing their wishful hearts at your feet and their willing bodies into your bed without you barely lifting a finger. But I’m…well, I’m not interested.”
Wearing a sexy little grin, he stepped forward, forcing me to inch away from him until my back hit the bookshelf behind me. “Oh, really?” He actually sounded surprised. Arrogant jerk.
“Yes, really. I guess you find that hard to believe?”
“Sweetheart, as jumpy as you are around me, I don’t see you doing either.” His hands framed my face and his thumbs tipped my chin up. My breath hitched as his lips neared mine. “But the adorable way you’re blushing and stammering all over yourself… Well, darlin’, I’d say you have more interest than you’re letting on.” His emerald eyes twinkled with intimate knowledge of women’s desires and a blatant invitation for me to test him on it.
An easy victim of wishful thinking, I licked my lips nervously and felt his breath warm them. A pulse developed between my legs as sexual undercurrents flowed rapidly through my veins. But lucky for me, it also heightened my sense of reality. Because a man like him wouldn’t go for someone like me. Not unless he was getting something in return. Cowboy always wanted something he couldn’t have. It was just the way he was.
That argument alone persuaded me to put an end to the standoff. It was self-sabotaging, I knew, but my heart and my mind threatened to form a conspiracy against me by sending me off to dangerous, Cowboy-infested waters. And that wasn’t a depth I was willing to go.
I shied away farther, my back digging into the bookshelf, as I tried to put more distance between us. “I’m not a trophy, nor do I aspire to become a notch on someone’s belt. I’m not the kind of girl who rolls out of a man’s bed after one meaningless night of sleeping together.”
He laughed softly. “I don’t know about meaningless, sweetheart, but the sleeping part is not usually the way I do things.”
I rolled my eyes. “You just don’t get it, do you? I’m not looking for a fling.”
“That’s too bad,” he said, settling his hands on the bookcase behind me, effectively caging me in. His masculine frame towered over me, forcing me to look up to see his eyes. “Because it’d be hot as hell watching you come unwound.”
