TONY: Slow Burn (Raging Fire Book 1)

by Kallypso Masters

  Carm nodded. She’d been invited to a girls’ night at Angelina’s, just before the surprise birthday party, and had accepted so as not to tip Angelina off that something else was in the works a few days later.

  “I’m so happy for them,” Carm said. “They seem to have it all worked out now.”

  He chuffed. “Despite their rocky start, I think you’re right.”

  Carm didn’t want to revisit the early animosity that had existed between her and Tony, mostly because they’d been worried about their siblings. She’d let go of that this summer, probably at Capitol Lake. Everything was good now—both between their now-married siblings and themselves.

  Carm glanced over at Tony who sat with his eyes closed as if communing with nature. The strain she’d seen on his forehead and around his eyes the night they’d had dinner had disappeared. Was he coming to peace with what had happened in June? She knew from her family’s experience dealing with Marc’s past trauma that it could be a long process, but she hoped Tony would find peace eventually.

  Laughter from approaching hikers made him blink his eyes open, and he turned to her and smiled. “Thanks for bringing me up here, Carm.”

  Her heart warmed in the glow of his smile.

  “Thanks for being up to the challenge. Not many of my friends are.”

  “I’m your man, any time you want.”

  The urge to kiss him again was strong, but all too soon the other hikers broke into their private moment, and they decided it was time to vacate the spot.

  “The hike to the double diamond ski trail is steep,” Carm cautioned. “Are you up for it?”

  “I am if you are,” he replied before taking a long draw from his water bottle.

  They packed up their trash and belongings, donned their backpacks, and set out. This part of the trail was hot, dusty, and straight. Carm preceded him in the narrow spots, but more often now they could walk side by side.

  Due to the strenuous hike, they didn’t say much, but the silence was comfortable. She enjoyed being with Tony, which surprised her given her first impressions of him. No telling if anything might come of the relationship—whether they’d ever become lovers or grow as friends—but for now she’d simply enjoy his company.

  So far, the day had gone perfectly, but she was going to hate for their hike to come to an end. Of course, after the passion had flared the other night, maybe the best was yet to come.

  At the summit, Tony spotted a restaurant near the gondola. Most of the tables had been taken by guests enjoying beers and appetizers, but people probably didn’t hang out that long.

  “Want to stop for a drink?” he asked.

  “I’m famished after that hike. Make it an early dinner, and you’re on.”

  He liked that she didn’t fuss about food and had a healthy appetite. “Sounds good to me.” They each headed to the restrooms after he put in their names for a table. When she approached him standing at the railing overlooking Aspen, his body instantly sensed her presence, and he turned to her and smiled.

  They soon were seated at a table with a fabulous view—for him, that was of Carm. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He didn’t bother picking up the menu. “What do you recommend?”

  She checked the menu briefly. “Oh good. They still have the smoked trout appetizer. And you can’t go wrong with their Teriyaki or Cajun chicken salads. I like the Cajun one myself.”

  When the server came, she ordered a glass of Chardonnay and he a beer before placing their meal orders.

  Carm’s cheeks were rosy from the exertion from the hike here, and her eyes sparkled. Today had been comfortable but without the strong sexual urgency between them there had been on her doorstep that night after dinner. He’d simply enjoyed her company without a thought to whether or when they’d have sex. Oh, he’d been supremely aware of her body whenever she came near him on the trail. But the sparks certainly were flying now.

  “What else do you do for fun, Tony, besides hike?”

  Drawn out of his thoughts about the beauty seated across from him, he thought about telling her he was taking scuba lessons, but opted not to, in case it didn’t work out.

  “I run. Hang out at daVinci’s…” Pick up women I hardly know. “Volunteer for SAR missions. Oh, and I like to cook.”

  “Tell me what your specialties are.” She took a sip of her white wine.

  He ran down the list and she seemed impressed with the scope. “All firefighters have to know how to cook for each other. Usually we take turns. Sometimes…”

  He almost told her about stopping by the station on his off days to cook, but he didn’t do that anymore. He took a long drink of his beer.

  “Sometimes what?”

  “Sometimes I take someone else’s turn.”

  “I’m sure your firefighting brothers don’t mind that at all.”

  Nowadays, he only took his own turn, and his meals weren’t as ambitious as they used to be. He missed cooking special meals, though. Cooking used to relax him. Maybe he’d pick it up again on an upcoming shift, but he wasn’t ready to put in any extra time at the station yet.

  “You seem to love a variety of foods too,” he noted.

  She laughed. “I’ll eat anything except squid.”

  “I bet I can get you to even like that.”

  “Oh, I doubt that!” She gave a pronounced shudder, then laughed.

  Mama had him make the family’s Christmas Eve calamari every year. Maybe he’d share some with Carm this year. Not that he’d force anything on her. Some people just didn’t like the same things he did, and that was okay. She didn’t even have to try it if she really had an aversion to it.

  Of course, if they started dating, it would be over by December anyway. But they’d always see each other, given how connected their families were.

  Then don’t screw this up by having sex with her.

  It wasn’t like she couldn’t have her own Christmas Eve celebration without him. “Does your family celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes?”

  She smiled. “Doesn’t every Italian family? Mama always hired the best chefs for her restaurants and one of the requirements was that they could put on a Feast beyond compare. Sandro and I continue the tradition. We invite anyone staying at the resort who is interested in joining us. Most of the Italians show up, but I think others would rather be dining and drinking elsewhere. You’re invited, if you’d like to this year.”

  Tony’s mama’s gathering was much less grand than what Carm described, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything. “Thanks, but Mama would disown me if I missed her meal on Christmas Eve.”

  “Sounds nice.” Did he detect a hint of envy in her voice? Tony started to extend an invitation to her but thought better of it. That was months away, and who knew where their relationship would be then? Tony had no staying power with women.

  And had no business getting involved with Carm in any way other than platonically. She deserved a guy she could raise a family with, and Tony’d already decided he didn’t want to bring kids into the world only to leave them if there was a tragedy in the line of duty.

  Their appetizers were served, and all thoughts of Christmas Eve and dating were pushed aside. For now.

  Carm was tempted to invite Tony over to cook something for her, but her kitchen was ill-equipped to say the least. He’d have to bring all the supplies, and that seemed a bit much to ask of him.

  “This trout’s amazing,” he said as he savored his last piece.

  One thing they had in common was a love of food. Watching him eat was a joy to behold.

  As they ate their salads, Tony shared stories about some of the pranks his station’s brothers played on each other.

  “There’s one called endless dishes where you have a rookie rinsing the dishes. He hands the dish to another guy who pretends to stack it in the dishwasher but instead passes it behind the probie’s back to a third who dirties it up and gives it to a fourth to place it again on the stack to be rinsed again. Always takes
a while for the probie to catch on, but it’s good for a laugh no matter how many times you see it.”

  “I’d think you’d have more important things to do.”

  He shrugged with a sheepish grin. “It helps to pass the time and to initiate the new guys.”

  “Did Marc go through one of your pranks too?”

  “Did he ever!” Tony described how he and another firefighter placed empty soda cans under the legs of Marc’s bed. “The beauty of this one is that they don’t collapse right away or even at the same time. Marc was practically asleep when his bed crashed down. I think he thought the building had collapsed at first.” Tony wiped away the tears from laughing so hard just telling the story. “I think our howls of laughter from the rec room gave it away eventually, though.”

  Carm shook her head. Marc had never said a word about it, but then she could see it was all in good fun and happened to all the new guys. “And what did they do to you when you started there?”

  The smile left his face. Apparently, it wasn’t so funny when you were on the receiving end.

  “It wasn’t even my probie prank that got me the best. And Marc had a hand in it too. He somehow rigged up a syringe to a hidden IV bag and gave it a slight spritz whenever I took a drink during dinner. I thought there was a hole in my cup and changed it out twice.” Tony shook his head but didn’t seem to find it nearly as funny as Carm did picturing him. “Finally, I started to lean over the plate to catch the drips and hoped the guys didn’t notice my drinking problem.”

  Carm couldn’t hide her mirth and this time she was the one wiping away tears. “How’d you catch on?”

  “Marc put too much pressure on the syringe, and it exploded.” He shook his head. “I have to say I was relieved that it wasn’t just that I was unable to drink right anymore.”

  “You all sound like a bunch of kids.”

  Tony shrugged. “We don’t treat each other any differently than other brothers do.”

  “Yeah, there’s nothing like having brothers.” Carm remembered Marc and Gino’s antics when they were younger, sobering when she remembered the falling-out they’d had just before Gino enlisted after 9/11.

  Tony must have noticed her mood change and placed a hand over hers to squeeze gently. “I can’t imagine losing a brother.”

  “Thanks, Tony. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

  She didn’t want to put a damper on the day, though, and decided to share something she hadn’t shared with anyone outside the family. “My oldest brothers were full of mischief and loved to tease Mama, who pretended not to like it, but she loved them both so much, Mama usually broke down and laughed in the end.” She sipped her wine to help regain her bearings.

  “Anyway, it was Christmas Eve when they were both teenagers. Gino put some yellow food coloring on the bottom of the bar of hand soap. Mama was hurrying us all to get ready for the Feast in the restaurant and Marc went to the bathroom and washed his hands. He couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t get them clean but tried to hide them from Mama. She unknowingly went into the bathroom and, man, was she upset when she wasn’t able to remove the dye and had to eat dinner with her guests with yellow-stained hands.” Good times. “Gino had died laughing at Marc’s predicament, but when Mama discovered what he’d done, she punished him with no computer for two weeks.”

  Realizing they’d come to the end of their meal, she pulled out her credit card. “No, let me get it,” Tony insisted.

  “Nope. You got dinner last time.” Before he could give the server his card, she’d sent the woman off to settle the bill. “Now, do you want to hike down or take the gondola?”

  “I think the gondola might be best. I probably should walk off that huge meal, but we’ll still have to walk back to your condo.”

  She didn’t think he’d eaten all that much, but Carm was anxious to get back to town and see what else the day—and night—might hold for them. They’d hit it off so well, but she didn’t get the vibe from him that he wanted to take her to bed the way he’d seemed to want to last week.

  Carm had mixed feelings about taking their relationship to the next level herself, but doubted she’d turn him down if he made a move at her doorstep again.

  However, when they reached her condo, he kissed her on the cheek like her brothers might.

  She trailed a fingertip down his cheek, hoping to entice him to take the kiss to the next level.

  “I had a lot of fun today, Carm. Thanks for the hike and for dinner.”

  She tried to hide her disappointment that this sounded like good night. “Want to come in for a drink or something?”

  “Thanks, but I’m on duty tomorrow morning. And I’ve got some laundry to do.”

  He seemed to be distancing himself from her again. Why was he making excuses? “Everything okay?”

  He glanced away before meeting her gaze again. “Carm, I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t have a great track record with women.”

  She wasn’t particularly interested in hearing about him and other women.

  “You’re special. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Carm had to laugh at this. “I’m a big girl, Tony. You don’t have to worry about me.”

  He drew a deep breath and expelled it through his mouth. “You turn me on more than any woman I’ve ever known, Carm, but I don’t want us to move too fast then find out we aren’t compatible. That would make seeing each other at family gatherings more than awkward. Let’s give dating a little more time first. Just to be sure.”

  “I’ve got all the time in the world, Tony. Why don’t I come to Aspen Corners next time?”

  He evaded her gaze again. “There’s a lot going on right now. I’ll call you if I find some time.

  More than his eyes were evading her. “Sure. You know where to find me.”

  But would there be a next time?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Two days before Angelina’s birthday blowout, Carm emerged from Marc and Angelina’s guest bedroom and came down the stairs wearing nothing but her bathrobe. Marc was at a special paramedic training class in Colorado Springs, so this get-together had been his idea.

  None of Angelina’s friends—Karla, Megan, Cassie, and Savannah—had let slip tonight about the huge surprise party the family had planned for Sunday. Trying to have a celebration on the actual day with Marc’s and Angelina’s brothers’ schedules at their fire stations had been impossible, but the day after had worked out for everyone. Not being on her birthday would help with the surprise aspect.

  Carm had left work a few hours early and the girls had enjoyed a fabulous grilled trout dinner with rice and grilled veggies—and a little too much wine.

  The others were already on the back deck waiting when she exited the house. “Sorry if I kept you waiting.”

  “Nonsense,” Cassie said. “Perfect timing.” She picked up a large shell of some kind that held a sage bundle and a black feather. Padding across the deck, Carm stepped out of her flip-flops as everyone else was barefoot. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect or how to prepare, so she’d follow their lead.

  Cassie had explained at dinner that she’d be doing a cleansing ceremony. From what Carm surmised, Angelina and Karla had done one with Cassie before, but it was a first for Megan, Savannah, and her.

  Carm eyed the inviting steam rising from the tub longingly but waited until they were ready to get in.

  Cassie stood up straighter. “Legend says that when the wind carries a feather to earth it provides a special link between the bird it belonged to and the universe’s source of creation, which connects all living things to one another. I found this crow’s feather on my mountain this morning as I rushed to my studio. A crow’s feather is a symbol of balance, and—realizing we all probably struggle at times in finding balance between work, family, and friends—I thought it might be fitting for us to focus tonight on goals to improve balance in each of our lives.”

  Balance between her work and personal life had been some
thing Carm had been contemplating after the wedding—and even more so since things had cooled so abruptly between her and Tony. Despite her making two attempts at getting together with him for another hike or dinner, he’d declined, saying he was doing some special training classes. Okay, she had no reason to think he wasn’t telling the truth, but it had been two and a half weeks. Right. Carm got the message, although she couldn’t understand why he’d gone cold on her before they’d even let things heat up.

  Cassie removed her robe and the other women followed suit with Carm being the last to lay her robe over a patio chair. Carm wasn’t a prude by any stretch, but the last time she’d been naked in a hot tub had been with a boy she’d dated sophomore year at college. That hadn’t worked out, either. Maybe she’d never find the right man for forever, although she did enjoy spending time with Tony.

  Focus on the moment.

  Cassie smudged the area with sage, guiding the smoke from the sage bundle throughout the area of the hot tub and over each of the women. Then she set the shell on the patio table, extinguished the sage, and laid the crow’s feather across the top of the shell before turning to the women again.

  “Before we step into the hot tub for the final part of our ceremony, let’s each offer up what we plan to change in ourselves to help us find more balance in our lives.”

  Plan? She hadn’t really given it any thought. Carm waited for someone else to speak first, uncertain what she wanted to say, but when no one else appeared to be ready, Cassie smiled.

  “I will go first as I have had a little more time to think about this.” Cassie took a deep breath and continued. “If we don’t maintain a healthy balance between our work and personal lives, we risk losing sight of what truly matters most.”

  The other women nodded. Carm could relate. She’d focused solely on the resort the past year or two and, other than commitments to her parents and siblings, had moved all personal relationships to a back burner.

  “For months,” Cassie went on, “I have been preparing for an exhibit in Santa Fe at the gallery owned by Ryder’s sister.” She smiled toward Megan before becoming serious again. “I come into the house from my studio long after midnight most nights and head back out before Luke is even out of bed the next morning.”