“What’s happening?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
Wyatt Crossley appeared out of the sea of faces. Gavin noted that his friend wasn’t dressed in his police uniform, but that didn’t make him seem any less official. Wyatt strode forward commandingly. He started to say something, looked hard at the two of them, then quickly motioned to someone else. “We need an EMT over here now.”
Gavin looked at Leigh. Blood ran down her arm.
“You’re hurt!” he exclaimed.
“No, I’m not.”
“You’re the one who’s hurt, Gavin,” Wyatt told him. “Your hand is bleeding all over her.”
A gash across his palm was bleeding freely. “I must have cut myself when I unlocked the door.”
“You’re burned, too,” Leigh said in concern.
Small, angry blisters were forming on the back of his hand. “Thanks. I didn’t feel a thing until you pointed them out.” But they made up for it now.
“You sure you’re all right?”
Leigh nodded as Wyatt addressed the question to her.
“I’m fine. He’s the one who played hero.”
“I didn’t go in there alone,” he pointed out.
As a paramedic tended to his hands, Wyatt asked the inevitable question. “What happened?”
“I’m guessing, Keith Earlwood was trying to torch the place when something went wrong.”
Leigh inhaled sharply. “He was trying to kill you?”
“Why would he want to do that?” Wyatt demanded.
“She only means because I live over the shop. If I’d been in my apartment, I could have been killed,” Gavin told him without looking at Leigh. “It’s no secret Earlwood needed money, Wyatt. A lot of stupid people figure insurance is one way to collect.”
“You think the victim is Keith Earlwood?”
“Yeah, I do.” Gavin pointed down the street. “I noticed his car parked on the other side of that fire engine. Leigh and I were on our way up to my place when she spotted someone moving around inside the store. I called 911. I was talking to the dispatcher when the place literally blew up.”
Satisfied, Wyatt nodded. “I’m Wyatt Crossley, by the way,” he said to Leigh. “You must be Leigh Thomas.”
“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking about introductions.”
Leigh inclined her head as the fire chief approached Wyatt. “Clear this street now! We’ve got a gas line involved. The whole block could go.”
Wyatt hurried off, shouting terse directions to the uniformed officers milling around.
“Thanks,” Gavin told the man who’d bandaged his hand and put salve on his burns. To Leigh he said, “Let’s see if we can get my car out and get away from here.”
Immediately, they saw that wasn’t going to happen. Between fire trucks and police cars, they had no hope of working Gavin’s car free.
“Now what?”
“Leigh? Is that you?”
Jacob Voxx appeared out of the crowd that was being ordered back.
“Jacob! What are you doing here?”
“I was driving through town when I got stopped by the fire. Hey, are you okay? You two look like you were in the fire. You weren’t, were you?”
“Gavin and I helped pull a man out of the building.”
Jacob took in the bandaged hand and the blood on her blouse and shook his head. “What is it with you and your sister and fire?”
“Folks, you need to clear this street now!” a young police officer ordered.
“Do you two need a ride?” Jacob asked. “My car’s over there.”
Leigh looked at Gavin. His first instinct was to say no, but that would mean calling George or someone else to come and get them.
“Thanks,” Gavin said. “That would be great.”
“Where to?”
“The Walken estate,” he told the younger man.
“You aren’t wearing your sling anymore,” Leigh said. “Is your arm feeling better?”
“Yeah. It’s still sore as can be, but it’s healing. You’ve got a couple of nasty burns there, Gavin. They must hurt like the devil. Who did you pull out of the building?”
“We think it was Keith Earlwood,” Gavin told him honestly. “He was badly burned.”
“Someone said a gas line exploded.”
“That’s what we heard, too,” Gavin agreed. Privately, he wondered just how much help the gas line had had. He eyed the low-slung sports car Jacob led them to in surprise. “Nice car.”
“Thanks. It cost me a small fortune, but I got a good deal on it from a guy I know. He got one speeding ticket too many and lost his license. Basically all I had to do was take over his payments. It’s a tight fit in back, Leigh, but I’ve driven with three people before.”
“That’s okay, Jacob. I’ll manage.”
“Just push all that stuff on the seat onto the floor,” Jacob said.
Gavin noticed one of the items was a package of chewing gum. It was fruit flavored rather than spearmint, but he eyed Jacob with new speculation.
“What do you do for a living, Jacob?” he asked as Jacob pulled away from the curb.
“I’m in the computer field.”
“Big field. Could you narrow that down some?”
Jacob flashed him a grin. “I’m a programmer for the most part, but I’ve done some networking stuff as well. I’ve got a great job with a company called Via-Tek. It’s based in New York City, but I do a lot of work from home. Really, all I need is a computer and a modem and I can work just about anywhere.”
“Must be nice.”
“Yeah. The pay’s great and the perks are even better.”
“How’s your mother doing?” Leigh asked.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t talked with her in a couple of days. I’m sorry about the way she behaved at your office the other day, Gavin. Mom’s been pretty upset since Marcus died. She’d sort of gotten used to playing lady of the manor, I’m afraid.” He glanced apologetically at Leigh in his rearview mirror.
“You don’t need to apologize for her, Jacob,” she told him.
“I know. Part of the problem was that she’d just discovered Marcus had drained their accounts.”
“What?”
Jacob jerked when Gavin barked the question at him.
“Uh, yeah. He didn’t leave her any money. You’d think being a doctor and all he’d have plenty stashed away, but it turns out he was close to broke.”
“Is she okay?” Leigh asked. “Does she need money?”
Gavin frowned, but Jacob was shaking his head.
“No, but thanks. Mom will be fine. She’s a survivor, you know. She’s been setting aside her own money for years. I guess she thought she’d be rich after Marcus died. His empty bank account came as a real shock. Still, that’s no excuse for the way she behaved. She’s always been a little high-strung,” he told Gavin.
“You’re sure Marcus was broke?” Gavin asked. He shot a look over his shoulder at Leigh. She shook her head, looking puzzled.
“That’s what Mom said.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Leigh said. “He may not have been the best doctor in the world, but he had plenty of patients and he didn’t have many expenses. It didn’t cost him anything to live at Heartskeep. What did he do with all his money?”
Jacob shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe he lost it betting on horses. I don’t know. I just know, according to my mother, there isn’t any money.”
Which partially explained why Eden had been taking what she could get from Heartskeep after his death.
“Did Marcus have a gambling problem?” Gavin asked as they pulled up to the Walken estate.
“Not that I knew about. I think Mom would have said something if that had been the case.”
Gavin frowned as he reached for the door handle and stepped from the car. “Thanks for the lift, Jacob,” he said as he helped Leigh out of the backseat.
“Glad I could help.”
“You’ll stay in touch?”
she asked him.
“Count on it.”
“Where are you staying?” Gavin asked.
“With a friend tonight, but I’m going back to my place in New York in the morning. I’ve got a meeting in the city tomorrow afternoon.”
“Well, be careful,” Leigh told him.
“You, too. I’m not the one rushing into burning buildings. ’Night, guys.”
Based on the car parked in front of the Walkens’ house, they still had company.
“Let’s go in through the back,” Gavin suggested.
“Good idea,” Leigh agreed. “What do you think happened to all the money, Gavin?”
“That is a good question.”
Nan wasn’t in the kitchen, so they hurried up the back stairs.
Leigh stopped when they reached the hall. “I just realized you lost everything you owned in that fire.”
“There wasn’t all that much. Some clothing and a few books.” He shrugged. “The only thing I regret is the picture of my family, but there’s probably another copy in storage somewhere.”
“In storage?”
“My grandparents died when I was in high school. George had their estate boxed up and put in storage for me.”
“You’ve never looked at any of it?”
He shrugged. “My grandparents and I weren’t exactly close. They were rigid disciplinarians. You can imagine how well we got along when I was sent to live with them after my aunt and uncle gave up. To their credit, my grandparents made an effort to stay in touch after I was placed in foster homes, but I’d given them such a hard time after my folks died that we never did find a way to communicate after they sent me away.”
She rested a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Gavin.”
“So am I. About a lot of things.” He looked down to where her hand rested against his skin. She didn’t move it away.
“If you’re referring to what happened between us, there’s no need for you to be sorry.”
“Isn’t there?”
She withdrew her hand. “Not unless you enjoy feeling like a martyr.”
He blinked in surprise. “I didn’t see that one coming.”
“Do I really seem that fragile and traumatized to you?”
“Why do I get the feeling this is a trick question?”
Her eyes narrowed in warning.
“Okay. Truce,” he said. “I’ll accept that your fragile exterior hides a core of solid steel, if you’ll accept that I’ll always feel a little guilt for treating you like…”
“An easy conquest?”
“Close enough.”
She could imagine the word he’d been thinking. She also knew that if they were ever going to move past their history, she was going to have to make him see it was unimportant to them now.
“You know what I think, Gavin? I think you’re the one who was traumatized that night.”
He rubbed his jaw and stared at her thoughtfully. “You could be right. It was certainly a turning point in my life.”
Inwardly, she sighed in relief. “Mine, too, but I like to think there’s a reason for the things that happen. We learn from them and move on.”
There was a wry twist to his lips. “Do I detect a note of censure there?”
She shrugged lightly. “If the censure fits…”
He smiled with his eyes and his expression softened. “Which room are you using?”
“Over there,” she said, pointing. “Hayley and Bram are across the hall.”
“Then I’ll use the room next to theirs.”
She searched his features, looking past the smoke that stained his skin, but unable to tell what he was thinking. Maybe it was time to take another page from her sister’s book and be a little more assertive.
“You could share my room.”
He stilled. The air around them felt charged and her heart began to pound heavily.
Very gently, he reached out to trace a path down her cheek with his finger. “I would like nothing better than to share your room…”
He drew it across her lips.
“…your bed…”
Lightly swept it down the side of her throat to her collarbone.
“…your body.”
Stopped at the juncture of her V-necked blouse.
Her breasts seemed to swell. A fluttery feeling started low in her belly, sending ripples of hot desire through every nerve ending.
“But—”
“No!” she protested. “No buts. I hate that word!”
His features softened in regret. “So do I,” he said softly. “More so at this moment than I ever have.”
He didn’t want her.
“I’ve already compromised my principles enough where you’re concerned.”
She was determined not to let him see how those words hurt. She resented the gentle kindness in his eyes. She didn’t want kindness from Gavin. She wanted—
“Tonight, neither one of us is thinking straight. I know I’m not. And to be honest,” he added with a rueful smile, “I’m too wiped out to…well, be of use to you or anyone else. Get some sleep, Leigh. We’ve got a lot of decisions to make in the morning.”
He kissed the top of her head before she could respond and turned away. Rooted to the spot, she watched him enter the room beyond Hayley’s without looking back. He closed the door with a finality that was devastating.
He didn’t want her.
When was she going to accept that she was nothing like her sister? Emulating Hayley never had worked for her. How was it she kept forgetting that lesson?
She heard footsteps coming up the back stairs and spun around as a figure came into sight.
“Leigh!” George said in surprise. “Nan thought she heard someone up here.” He took in her smoke-stained features and his expression turned to immediate concern. “What happened? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said quickly as he crossed to her.
She told him about the explosions and fire and Jacob driving them home.
“And while I’m okay, you might want to check on Gavin. Besides getting cut and burned in the rescue, he lost everything in his apartment.”
All she’d lost was her heart.
“He’ll need clothes for tomorrow,” she added.
“I’ll take care of it, but are you sure you’re okay? You look a little rocky. Do you want me to get Emily?”
“No. Please, don’t.” She didn’t want to talk to anyone else tonight. “I’m going to take a shower and go to bed myself.”
“Your sister’s been trying to reach you. She left a number.”
“I’ll call her in the morning.”
The last person she wanted to talk with tonight was Hayley. She’d know immediately that Leigh was upset and she’d suspect the reason. Leigh didn’t want to hear an “I told you so,” even if Hayley was too kind to say it out loud.
“You know, Leigh, your grandfather was one of my closest friends.” George’s light blue eyes searched her face intently. “I would do anything at all for you or your sister.”
Impulsively, she reached up and hugged him, blinking back tears at his heartfelt words.
“I know. Thank you.” She sniffed, stepped back and offered him a watery smile. “You and Emily have always been here for us and I can’t tell you what that means. Thank you, George. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Sleep well.”
“I’m going to try.”
WHEN THE KNOCK came at his door, Gavin wasn’t surprised. It had actually taken her longer than he’d expected, but he wished she hadn’t come. Walking away from her once had been hard enough. He only hoped he had the strength to send her away again.
He squared his shoulders and reached for the door handle. “Leigh—”
“George,” his foster parent corrected, pushing his way inside and sweeping Gavin with a penetrating stare. “Leigh told me about the fire. She said you’d been hurt.”
Only rarely had Gavin witnessed this particular expression on George�
��s face, but on those occasions, he’d learned it wisest to tell him whatever he wanted to know.
“Just a couple of minor burns and a superficial cut, that’s all. I had them treated at the scene.” He held up his bandaged hand.
George barely gave it a glance. “Leigh said she wasn’t hurt.”
Ah, that explained the intensity. The words had been a question rather than a statement. He was worried about Leigh. George had always shared a close bond with the Hart family and he and Emily had been extremely protective of the twins since their mother disappeared.
“She wasn’t hurt, George, but it was a rough day.” He gave his foster parent a quick sketch of the events in Saratoga Springs. “She’s really worried about Mrs. Walsh. But I’ve got to tell you, Leigh’s got guts, George. You should have seen her facing down Earlwood.” He shook his head in remembered disbelief. “And the way she charged into that fire with me… She’s something else. Which is exactly why we have to watch her.”
For the first time, the older man relaxed. “She’s like her mother—and the rest of the Hart family. Good, strong genes in the Harts. They’re smart, beautiful and intensely loyal.”
His stare was penetrating. Gavin felt as if he was missing something here, but George’s expression suddenly turned rueful.
“I’d better be getting back downstairs. Our guests should be about ready to leave by now. I’ll go down and hurry them on their way, then I’ll get you some clothes. And don’t worry, I’ll tell Emily what happened after they’re gone. You know where we keep the extra toiletries, so help yourself to whatever you need. We can talk in the morning.”
“Thanks, George. I appreciate this.”
“You’re family, Gavin.”
Emily and George had always tried to make him feel that way, even when he’d tried his best to keep them at a distance. They’d accepted him and loved him when he’d been far from lovable. Gavin didn’t know exactly when it had happened, but he’d come to think of them as family.
Standing beneath the shower’s spray a few minutes later, Gavin tried to put his powerful mix of emotions in perspective. He didn’t know much about love, but he knew a lot about wanting—and he wanted Leigh. In trying to do the right thing tonight, he suspected he’d hurt her feelings, but better a few bruised feelings now than a broken heart later.
The Second Sister Page 16
