Love, Always and Forever

by Alexis Morgan

  “The EMTs said to let you know the little girl you carried out made it to the emergency room. Her burns were minor. Smoke inhalation was the real danger, but she’s breathing on her own now. No word beyond that, but the trauma hospital is one of the best in the world. She’s in the best hands possible.”

  “Thanks, sir. That helps.”

  Not really.

  “The fire is all but out now. Get your gear. You’ll be on the first truck heading back to the station.”

  Mikhail didn’t bother to protest. Thanks to a multicar accident that they’d responded to earlier, it had been a tough shift even before this fire. He didn’t have much left in him right now. None of them did. At least by the time the truck made it back to the station, they would be off duty, and he could head home with three full days off to recover.

  And to decide whether he’d ever come back.

  The chief hadn’t reached his position without having developed a sixth sense when it came to the mental state of his men. “Wanjek, you know none of this was your fault. Sometimes people make mistakes that have tragic consequences. It’s a damn shame about the two we lost, but thanks to your diligence, we did save that little girl.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  They stood in silence for another few seconds before the man spoke again. “God knows on nights like this it’s difficult to be a glass-half-full kind of guy. But for your own sake, try damn hard to see it that way. Focusing on the victories, however small, might be the only way you’ll survive in this line of work.”

  He patted Mikhail on the shoulder before walking away to speak to more of his men.

  Mikhail silently wished him luck in cheering up the rest of the crew, most of whom had been at this far longer than he had. Maybe the chief’s pep talk worked for them; it sure as hell hadn’t done much for Mikhail.

  What good was a man if he couldn’t save those who couldn’t save themselves?

  He hadn’t been able to answer that question back when he was a young teenager, and he couldn’t answer it now. Joe had been able to see through the facade that Mikhail presented to the rest of the world. Somehow, he had always sensed whenever the past had dragged his adopted son back down into the bitter darkness that had surrounded Misha after his birth mother’s death. Even after Mikhail had reached adulthood, Joe’s no-bullshit way of looking at life had remained an important anchor in his world. That anchor was gone now, and it was times like this when he missed his adoptive father the most.

  As he gathered up his gear and helped load the truck, he reminded himself that he still had his mother and his brothers…and Amy.

  Maybe when he got home, he’d see if she wanted to go grab breakfast somewhere. It wouldn’t be fair to burden her with the details of what had happened tonight, but a couple of hours in her undemanding company would go a long way toward helping him find equilibrium again.

  His plans made, he turned his back on the still smoldering house and joined his coworkers in packing up. The sooner they finished, the sooner he could go back to the station house. Once there, he’d take a hot shower and scrub his skin clean of the stench of sweat, smoke, and death. Too bad the memory of this night couldn’t be washed down the drain, too.

  —

  A knock at the door had Panda yapping and dancing around Amy’s feet, making it hard to cross the living room without tripping over the little guy. She solved the problem by scooping him up in her arms.

  “Settle down, you little rascal. It’s too early for you to be making such a racket.” Or for unexpected guests. The sun was barely up, and the only reason she was awake was that Panda had needed to make a trip outside.

  One look at the man standing on her front porch had her depositing Panda back on the floor to free up her arms. Mikhail’s eyes were dull, his mouth set in a grim line. She had no idea what had happened, but she’d never seen anyone in more need of a hug than he was at that moment.

  That the man didn’t protest when she dragged him inside to wrap him in her arms was only added proof that all was not well in his world. His arms immediately snapped tight around her as he buried his face against her shoulder.

  She didn’t press for an explanation, figuring he’d talk when he was ready. His shoulder muscles, which had started off rigid and unyielding, gradually softened as she slowly stroked her hand up and down his back over and over again. If his grip on her had tightened any more, breathing could have become problematic. Still, she didn’t protest. Right now, Mikhail’s need for comfort outweighed her need for air.

  Finally, he relaxed his death grip but continued to hold on to her. It took Panda whining for attention to end the moment. Mikhail dropped his arms down to his sides, his expression and coloring only marginally less ashen than it had been.

  “Sorry about that.” He ran his fingers through his still-damp hair. “Look, I just got off work and came over to see if you’d like to go out to breakfast with me. My treat.”

  She really needed to spend the morning working, but there was no way she’d turn down such a simple request. If he needed her company, she could always work through the evening if necessary. “I’d love to go. Let me grab my purse, so I can drive.”

  Because he looked as if a feather would knock him over right now.

  Mikhail gently brushed a stray lock of hair back from her face. “I’m glad you’re willing to go, and I am really hungry.”

  “But?”

  Then the first vestiges of a smile softened the stark lines on his face. “But you might want to think about changing out of your pajamas first. Personally, I like the rumpled, just-rolled-out-of-the-sack look, and the bulldog T-shirt and flannel boxers are pretty damn cute. However, I’m guessing some of the other customers might stare.”

  It took her sleep-fogged brain another second to catch up with what he meant. Then her face flamed hot. “Right. Clothes, not pajamas. Give me a few minutes to get dressed.”

  As she backed away, intending to retreat to her bedroom, Mikhail followed her step for step. What was he doing?

  “Misha?”

  “There’s one more thing before you do all of that.”

  He gently pushed her back two steps, effectively trapping her between the entryway wall and two hundred thirty pounds of hard-bodied male. Once again he buried his face in her hair, but this time he nuzzled his way along the line of her neck, sending little riffles of heat coursing through her body. She moaned or maybe he did.

  He kissed his way along her jawline, his big hands settling on her ass, pulling her right up against the rigid proof that she wasn’t the only one hungry for something besides breakfast. He brushed his lips across hers and whispered, “I lied a minute ago.”

  She blinked up at him, trying to make sense of his words when all she really wanted was to concentrate on the feel of his powerful chest pressing against her aching breasts, only the thickness of their two T-shirts separating them. “You did?”

  “The T-shirt and boxers aren’t cute.”

  Two words seemed to be the limit of her ability to talk right now. “They aren’t?”

  “No, they aren’t.” His hands swirled up the length of her back and then down to slide under the hem of her shirt, just far enough to give them both a taste of skin-to-skin contact. “What they are, Amy, is sexy is hell.”

  Feeling daring herself, she tugged his shirt up and savored the warmth of his skin with her fingertips. He murmured encouragement as he deepened the kiss, his tongue dancing in and out of her mouth, coaxing her to join in the play. Each stroke only concentrated the throbbing ache between her legs and the heaviness settling in her breasts.

  Another few seconds of his teasing temptation and she was going to drag him down the floor right where they were and have her wicked, wicked way with him. When she tried to pull his shirt off, he caught her hands in his, bringing the exploration to a screeching and completely unwelcome halt.

  Both of them were breathing hard, as if they’d been running a 5K instead of indulging in an early morning ma
ke-out session. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed that he’d found the strength to stop. Still holding her hands captive, he rested his forehead against hers.

  “Damn, woman, I swear you should come with a warning label. That went from zero to a zillion way too fast.”

  “And you didn’t like that?”

  She wished she’d kept quiet; she wasn’t sure if she could stand it if he said yes. Regardless, his laughter wasn’t exactly the response she expected. “No, I should think it obvious that I liked it too much. I swear the only reason I came over here this morning was to spend some time with you to help get my head back on straight.”

  A shadow of his earlier grim demeanor was back, instantly converting her hunger for him to concern. “What happened?”

  He stepped back, putting a different kind of distance between them than just the few feet of hardwood floor that now separated them.

  “Nothing you need to hear about. Just a rough shift at the firehouse.”

  That was clearly an understatement. Whatever had happened had been bad. In fact, really bad. Later, after they got back from breakfast, maybe she’d look online to see if she could learn what had put those haunted shadows in his eyes.

  “Since you don’t think my bulldog jammies are dressy enough to wear to breakfast, I guess I should go get changed.”

  On her way down the hall, she called back, “I hope you have someplace good in mind. I want extra fancy French toast, scrambled eggs, and freshly squeezed orange juice.”

  Mikhail nodded. “Got just the place.”

  “While you’re waiting, take Panda out for me.”

  “Will do.”

  She paused outside of her bedroom door. “And, Misha, about whatever happened last night—I’m sorry.”

  His handsome face reflected nothing but sorrow. “Me, too, Amy. Me, too.”

  —

  After a long drive out toward the mountains to the café he had chosen, Amy made good on her demand and ordered French toast, eggs, and orange juice. Mikhail settled for a Florentine omelet, hash browns, and a short stack of buckwheat pancakes. The look on Amy’s face when their order arrived was priceless. She stared down at the heaping plate sitting in front of her for the longest time before speaking.

  “You didn’t tell me that the servings were big enough to feed an entire family.”

  He picked up his fork and dug right in. “Not my family. My brothers and I can wolf down a meal this size in no time.”

  “I’ll give you that much. My brothers would certainly devour more of this than I will.”

  She smiled, but it was tinged with a touch of regret. “Chad would love this place. Actually, they all would.”

  Funny how she always talked about her brothers with such affection in her voice, but they’d never come for a visit since he’d known her. She hadn’t mentioned making any trips home to see them, either.

  “I think you said he was the one nearest to you in age. Are the two of you close?”

  Amy took a bite of her eggs, thereby preventing herself from having to immediately answer the question. Interesting.

  Finally, she swallowed. “Yeah, we are, although I don’t see him very often since I bought my house.”

  “He’s never seen where you live?”

  Just that quickly, her pretty eyes looked so damn sad. “He drove the truck for me when I moved in. He hasn’t had a chance to come back since. His job keeps him pretty busy.”

  Would she make the same excuses for her other three brothers if he kept pressing? How about her parents? Other than that one time she went to meet her mother for lunch, she’d made no mention of seeing her parents, either. What could’ve happened to build a wall between Amy and her entire family?

  Ordinarily, he would’ve pressed for details. How could he help if he didn’t know what the problem was? But right now he was having a hard enough time dealing with his own issues. Maybe he was being selfish, but this morning his own equilibrium was too damn fragile to take on anyone else’s problems. Eventually, though, he was going to find out what secrets his pretty neighbor was hiding. For now, he changed the subject.

  “So, are we still on for Saturday night?”

  She immediately brightened. “I am. In fact, I’m almost sorry that those dance cards they talk about in historical romances aren’t still in use.”

  Even though he had his suspicions, he asked anyway. “Because?”

  Amy’s smile was a bit smug. “Because mine would be filling up pretty quickly. I’ve already promised dances to Jack, Ricky, and Jay. I’m betting Tino might be willing to risk a turn around the floor with me, too.”

  Mikhail ordinarily didn’t much like to share, but he couldn’t bring himself to protest. For a woman who’d never been asked to a dance, having so many men willing to make sure that she didn’t spend too much time sitting on the sidelines had to be exciting. He’d have to thank all those jerks for showing Amy a good time. However, she was his date, not theirs.

  Well, technically, not a date. She still thought she was simply doing a favor for a friend by going with him. That was the deal they’d made. Now wasn’t the time to tell her any differently.

  “Will there be any room left on that fictional list for me?”

  She smiled at him over the rim of her coffee cup. “Play your cards right, and I might be able to squeeze you in for one or two dances.”

  “And what would that involve?”

  “Well, as I recall, someone promised me some slave labor digging sod in my yard.”

  “I’m off the next few days, so I should be able to tear your yard up for you.”

  “Great!”

  She set the cup back down. “Although, seriously, you don’t have to waste your days off working in my yard. You deserve some downtime.”

  “Nope, a deal’s a deal. You did the layout for my yard, so I’ll tear up yours. Maybe I can draft Ricky to help out.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  With a happy-sounding sigh, she set her fork down and leaned back in her chair. “I don’t think I did that breakfast justice, but it was terrific.”

  He eyed the two untouched pieces of French toast still on her plate. “It would be a real shame to let those go to waste.”

  She pushed the plate closer to his. “Have at it.”

  “You sure you don’t mind? We could always box them up to go, although I’m not sure how well they’d reheat if you took them home. However, I am worried that I’m keeping you from working this morning.”

  “One of the benefits of being self-employed is setting my own hours. I have a couple of things I have to finish today, but they won’t take long. As long as I get them to my customer by tomorrow morning, he’ll be happy.”

  “I’ll make it quick.”

  Mikhail slathered the toast with butter and then dumped a thick layer of maple syrup over the top. It smelled like heaven, and he devoured both pieces in short order. “I’m sorry now that I didn’t order that myself. Next time.”

  Despite the good food and even better company, his energy was fading fast. It was time to head back home and get horizontal.

  “We should be going.”

  Amy followed him up to the register and waited patiently while he paid the bill. On the way out, she looped her arm through his. “Thank you again for breakfast. I’m guessing you’re going to crash about two minutes after we get home. Why don’t I bring Sarge over to spend the day at my house? He’ll be good company for Panda, and you’ll be able to sleep undisturbed without having to worry about him.”

  The dog was Mikhail’s responsibility, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse her offer. “I’m sure he’d appreciate the chance to hang out with his little buddy and the pretty lady next door.”

  “I’ll be home all day, so you can pick him up whenever you want. In fact, why don’t you come over for dinner tonight if you haven’t already had your fill of my company?”

  Like that would ever happen.

  “I’ll b
e there.”

  —

  The ride home was over before he knew it, mainly because he fell asleep almost as soon as they left the restaurant parking lot. One second he was leaning back against the headrest and the next Amy was shaking his shoulder.

  “Hey, big guy, we’re home. You need to wake up unless you want to end up sleeping in my car all day. I’m not strong enough to carry you inside.”

  He grumbled a bit but finally managed to open his eyes. “Sorry to pass out like that. I don’t guess I’ve been the best of company this morning.”

  “Not a problem, but let’s get you home.”

  Amy was out of the car and around to his side to open his door before he’d even managed to press the release button on his seatbelt. At least he climbed out of the car by himself even though his entire body moved as if he’d been dumped in a vat of thick molasses.

  Once again she entwined her arm with his as she led him over toward his front porch. He grumbled, “You don’t have to walk me home, Amy. I know where I live.”

  “I never said you didn’t.” She stubbornly matched her steps to his longer ones. “I have to pick up Sarge, remember?”

  Oh, right. The dog.

  Her patience evidently knew no bounds, because she made no effort to open the door herself when it took him three tries to get his key in the lock. Sarge waited in the entry, his blocky body wiggling from head to toe with excitement over his two favorite humans coming through the door.

  Mikhail squatted down to give Sarge a proper greeting. “Good boy. Guess what? You get to hang out with Panda today.”

  At the sound of the puppy’s name, Sarge renewed his happy wiggle. In his excitement, he knocked into Amy, almost sending her flying into the wall. Mikhail managed to catch her, once again finding himself with a delicious armful of sexy woman. It was a damn shame he was too tired to take proper advantage of the situation—and her.

  He could, however, give a friend a kiss for putting up with him. One that involved a little hands-on appreciation for all that she’d done for him. Did she realize what a perfect fit she was for him? Not just physically, either. A couple of hours spent in her company helped his morale more than anything the military or even his family had done for him since he’d rejoined the civilian world.