“Not a problem. Come by anytime.”
“Yeah, and when you think you’re about to go nuts, call me. I’ll watch the kids for you,” he promised.
“I will take you up on that very soon.”
He stood, and McKenzie rose and followed him to the mudroom. He grabbed his coat and muffler and put them on.
Impulsively, he hugged McKenzie. “Thanks, sis.”
“You’re welcome. Just remember, I think she’s worth waiting for too.”
#
Valerie stared gloomily out the café window. She’d read the paper, filled the salt and pepper shakers, scrubbed every table, swept the floor, and even dusted the windowsills. She was bored out of her mind and sat contemplating mopping the floors.
Fran sank onto the chair across from her. “If you clean one more thing, I’m going to send you to my house.”
“I’m bored.”
“Bored? The way you scoured the tables and chairs, it looked more like you were erasing some memory,” Fran declared. “You know, when I was married, anytime I got angry with my husband, my house would shine. I scoured the very scent of that man away. Should I get the mop?”
Valerie frowned at the nosy waitress. “I’m not mad. I’m okay.”
“If this is what you call okay, you need to call Dr. Phil and see if you can make an appointment.” Fran’s eyes grew large, and she raised her brows. “That was supposed to be a joke.”
“It wasn’t funny.”
“Yeah, well, I was trying to put a smile on that pretty face. You keep scowling and you’ll soon need a face-lift.”
“I don’t need cheering. I’m just bored.”
Fran sighed, her fingers drumming the table as she looked inquiringly at Valerie. “I haven’t seen Matt in here for a couple of days.”
“So.”
“You guys have your first fight?”
“We are not a couple! And no we didn’t have a fight.”
“Good. I was afraid you would walk in here one day and tell me you were quitting to work for him full-time.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’m sure he’ll fire me any day.”
The older woman frowned at her. “What makes you think that? Matt told me his office was running like a well-oiled machine since you’d come to work for him.”
Valerie was tired of hiding from her problems, and she felt just mean enough to want to shock Fran. “That was before I asked him to have sex with me.”
A shocked silence came between the two women before Fran began to laugh.
“What is so funny? I don’t find the situation amusing at all.”
“Matt turned you down?”
“What man alive would turn down no-strings sex?” Valerie asked, indignation in her voice.
“He’s not attracted to you?”
“Oh, believe me, there is enough mutual attraction to heat Palooka County all winter,” Valerie admitted. “It’s just that…”
Fran sat back, shook her head and grinned.
“He didn’t want just a hookup. Oh nooooo, he wants a relationship.” She slammed her hand on the table. “It’s the twenty-first century! Sometimes people just have sex!”
“Well, honey, most women want more.”
“Not me!” Valerie leaned back and crossed her arms.
“Matt is a great guy. He’s honest, hard working. He’s a decent man. And he sure ain’t hard on the eyes.” Fran gave her a stern look. “You’re attracted to one another. The problem must be with you. So why are you trying to run him off? What are you afraid of?”
She frowned and knew that everything Fran said was true. The problem did lie with her. But how did she get over the fear of being involved with another man? This man she feared could hurt her way more than the last one.
She was still recovering from her life’s unexpected turn, and yet here was Matt, a caring, hard-working man who stirred places in her heart she hadn’t known existed. She wanted to have sex with Matt, but the thought was scary.
Fran watched her, waiting.
“You’re right. It’s me, Fran,” Valerie confessed, not feeling any better. She toyed with a napkin full of silverware, needing something in her hands. “I’m afraid of saying yes and I’m afraid of saying no. Does that make any sense?”
“Oh, honey,” she reached out to pat Valerie’s hand.
“Matt wants commitment, and that word paralyzes me with fear. I can’t think past today without needing to call 911.”
“Is panic what put you on that bus to Denver?” Fran asked.
Valerie nodded, unable to speak.
“Oh, honey, you need to stop running and face whatever sent you over the edge. You’ll be crippled with fear until you take care of whatever had you jumping on that bus.”
Tears welled up in Valerie’s eyes as she stared out the window, unable to face Fran. She couldn’t tell her. She couldn’t tell anyone what she was running from without revealing she’d lied. And that hurt almost as much as what Carter had done to her. She hated the fact that she had come here and lied about who she was to cover her tracks. These people had become her friends, her family, and she had deceived them.
Right now, she didn’t like herself very much, but at the time, she’d believed she had no choice. And she still didn’t have a choice unless she wanted her father and Carter sweeping into town.
But Fran did deserve to know the reason behind her skipping town.
“My former fiancé…he did something that sent me running five minutes before I was to walk down the aisle. I’m afraid he’s still looking for me. He can’t find me, Fran.”
“I don’t know what to say, Valerie,” Fran said quietly. “I thought as much. We’re your friends here. And if Matt cares about you, he’ll give you time. Have you explained to him the reason why you only wanted to hook up?”
“No.” She shrugged and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I was trying to shock him into going away. By offering him just a hookup, I took a big chance that he might have said yes.”
Fran shook her head. “Well, honey, I’m sure that didn’t sit too well with his male pride. You know a man like Matt has way too much testosterone and ego as it is. You need to explain your reaction to him.”
“He’s been avoiding me.”
“I’m sure he has. He probably doesn’t know what to think,” She patted Valerie’s arm. “So do you care about him?”
Valerie sighed. “More than I should.”
“Then talk to him. Explain to him that you need some time. You aren’t committing to a lifetime, just to seeing one another.”
“That’s what he wanted, and I couldn’t even give him that much. I panicked.”
And since that day, that small reasonable part of her brain had kept asking her what was she doing. What if her cowardice caused her to miss out on the best man she’d ever met? What would it hurt to just let things happen?
“You’re right. I’ve been avoiding him,” she admitted, not knowing how to explain to Matt that she wanted to explore their attraction but was so afraid.
“You’ve got to face Matt, and eventually you’re going to have to face the demons you’re running from,” Fran said in a comforting voice.
“I know. I’m just not ready. It’s been peaceful here in Springtown. I’m not ready for the demons in my past to catch up to me and destroy the peace I’ve found here.”
And how did she explain to Matt that she wasn’t Valerie Brown, but Valerie Burrowss? And she’d burned her fiancé’s car.
#
Later that night, alone in the restaurant, Valerie swabbed the floor, her thoughts focused on how Matt would feel when she told him the truth. He obviously thought that being truthful was important, and she’d lied to him. Her entire life here in Springtown was a lie, yet she hadn’t meant to fall in love with the little town. Life here was simpler, not the fast paced, society-focused existence her father insisted upon.
She could live like she wanted while not having the pressure of living up to her father’s expectatio
ns. She wasn’t an heiress apparent, but just a waitress.
But how would Matt react when he learned she’d lied? How would he respond when he learned her father was a top liability lawyer in Dallas?
What would he think when he learned she’d deliberately run from her own wedding? What would he think when he learned she was wanted for questioning by the police?
The piercing shrill of the smoke alarm caused her to drop the mop. The noise sent her heart racing into her throat. For the first time she noticed smoke pouring into the dining area.
Dear God, Fran had left her alone, and the kitchen was on fire.
Valarie ran to the kitchen. Going through the swinging doors, smoke slammed into her face, and she gasped as the heat caused her to suck in the toxic air. She backed out of the kitchen, coughing, and yanked the phone from its cradle. Quickly she dialed 911.
“We have a fire at the Mountain Chalet Café. Send a truck.”
“Ma’am are you in the building?” the operator asked.
“Yes,” she said, choking on the smoke.
“Get out now!”
She dropped the phone, turned to run when she saw the fire extinguisher hanging on the wall. This was her friend Fran’s restaurant. The woman who had befriended Valerie in her darkest hour. She yanked the extinguisher from the wall. With a deep breath, she plunged back into the smoke.
Flames roared from a pan of grease, licking at the ceiling tiles. If the tiles caught fire, the entire building would sizzle like a sparkler on the fourth of July.
Adrenaline and fear rocked through her, and she pushed the emotion aside. With a yank, she pulled the pin on the handle, aimed the nozzle at the base of the fire, and squeezed the trigger. In the distance she could hear sirens wailing and knew the fire department was on its way.
A steady stream of chemicals spewed onto the base of the flames as she held her aim steady. Smoke bellowed from the fire, making it almost impossible to see, the air dank with fumes and smoke. She coughed and tried to hold her breath and not breathe the toxic fumes.
A fireman burst into the kitchen, a hose in his hands. He yelled something, and a second fireman appeared before her eyes.
He took the empty extinguisher from her hands and led her through the smoky dining room and out the building. She could hear the firemen yelling to one another in the kitchen, the smoky scene surreal to her, almost like she was in a dream.
She stepped outside to see the red-and-white lights of the fire truck flashing their warning. The whine of the engine pump filled the cold night while she breathed the fresh air and coughed so hard she thought she would faint.
“Are you hurt?” the fireman asked.
“No,” she gasped, her lungs burning, her throat scratchy as her mind began to clear.
“Take slow breaths. I’ll have the paramedics check you out.” He sat her down on the curb in the cold, but she didn’t mind. The air was clean, and though it hurt to breath, she felt relief.
The fireman brought over a paramedic and then disappeared back into the building.
Police tape fluttered in the cold breeze, and Jesse stood watching the firemen, keeping onlookers back. His eyes widened at the sight of her and he hurried over. “Are you all right?”
She tried to talk but all she could do was cough.
A paramedic slipped an oxygen hose around her head and a cannula into her nose. “Try to breathe normally.”
While the paramedic took her vital signs, all the tension and fear in her body overwhelmed her, and she began to shake. It was cold outside, but the cold she felt was from within. Fran had left her alone in the restaurant, and it almost burned to the ground.
Valerie had not left the pan of grease on, but she still felt responsible.
“Hey, you’re okay. Don’t be going into shock on me,” the paramedic said as he placed a blanket over her shoulders. “Your vital signs are good. I’m only giving you oxygen to clear your lungs.”
Fran pushed through the crowd, her face white and her eyes large and frightened. “Thank God! I was so worried when I saw the fire truck. Are you all right? What happened?”
Valerie nodded, her hands shaking. She tried to speak and her voice croaked. “Stove…”
Fran hugged her close, and Valerie savored her embrace. The person who had given her a job and found her shelter, when she needed it most, Valerie treasured Fran’s friendship and would have done anything to save her friend’s restaurant.
“I don’t give a good crap about the restaurant. I have insurance.”
Fran glanced at the paramedic for reassurance.
“She’s fine. She breathed in some smoke, so we’re taking preventive measures to make sure she’s all right.”
Valerie pushed back, needing to breathe the oxygen, trying to clear her fogged mind. Black streaks were smudged on Fran’s clothes where their bodies had touched.
“Grease,” Valerie choked out. “Pan.”
Fran’s eyes crinkled and her face grimaced. “I fried some french fries, but I thought I turned that fire off. Besides, Todd was still in the kitchen, and he always checks everything before he leaves.”
“I was mopping…”
“It doesn’t matter. No one was hurt and I was going to remodel the kitchen in the next six months. The remodeling will just start sooner.”
The fireman came to the door, and Fran hurried over to him. “Can I go in?”
“Sure, the fire’s out. We’ve shut off the gas, and now we’re checking to make sure there are no hot spots.”
Fran followed the fireman inside, leaving Valerie to sit and breathe in the clean air and calm her pounding heart. Her lungs ached and her head drummed like a marching band. She closed her eyes.
When she opened them several minutes later, Matt stood in front of her. Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight of him. She resisted the urge to throw her arms around him.
His gaze held hers, and without a word he shrugged out of his coat and wrapped it around her.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.
She nodded, afraid to speak. Her throat felt scratchy and rough, and her emotions clogged her throat. She refused to cry in front of him. She refused to let him see her vulnerable and weak.
“Water,” she managed to croak, needing a diversion.
A few minutes later, Jesse handed her a glass, and she took it from him gratefully. The cold liquid cleansed her mouth from the acrid taste and soothed her scratchy throat. She gulped the cold liquid, feeling dry. When the glass was empty, she handed it back to Jesse.
“Thanks.” Her voice sounded stronger. An incredible tiredness swept over her, leaving her drained. “I think I’d like to go home now.”
The paramedic nodded at her. “It’s probably the best thing for you. Stay warm and get into bed. Your throat is going to hurt for a few days, but you should be okay.”
“Thanks,” Valerie mouthed. Slowly she rose. Her legs shook like Mexican jumping beans on uppers. Matt put his arm around her, and she leaned on him, needing his support, wishing she didn’t require his strength, but grateful for the comfort.
Fran rushed out of the restaurant. “I can’t believe you stayed in there. The ceiling tile is charred. It could have fallen on you. You could have died.”
“I just reacted. It wasn’t until the fire extinguisher was empty and the flames were gone that I realized the danger,” Valerie whispered and then started to shake once again as her mind pictured everything that could have gone wrong.
If they knew her past, everyone would think she had started the fire.
Fran shook her head. “I’m just grateful you kept the whole place from going up in smoke.”
“I didn’t do anything anyone else wouldn’t have done.”
“You put out the fire. You overcame your fear and handled the situation,” Fran said pointedly looking between her and Matt.
Valerie understood her message but felt too drained to react.
“Take her home and no fussing tonight,” Fran dema
nded like an overprotective mother.
Matt frowned at her. “Fussing?”
If Valerie hadn’t been so weak, she would have laughed, but she didn’t have the strength. She managed to croak, “Someone take me to McKenzie’s before I collapse.”
Matt kept his arm around her as he walked her away from the fire engine and the crowd of people who had gathered in the street. It felt good to lean on him when she felt so vulnerable, so weak. He helped her into his Jeep and hurried to the other side.
He climbed in and started the engine.
Valerie was spent emotionally and physically. Matt kept glancing over at her during the short drive, and finally she closed her eyes and leaned her head back to limit their conversation.
“I owe you an apology for getting angry the other day,” he said quietly. “I was wrong.”
She groaned. She didn’t have the strength to deal with the problems between them tonight. She whispered, “Please, Matt, do we have to discuss this now?”
“No, but I didn’t take your suggestion very well, and I needed to say I’m sorry.”
For a moment she sat stunned. He was saying he was sorry? How did she respond? She was too weak. At this moment, her defenses to his charm were completely obliterated.
“Apology accepted. Now can we continue this discussion another day, when I have the strength to complete it?”
“Deal,” he said. “As long as you return to the office.”
“Deal,” she whispered. “As long as you take me home.”
Chapter Ten
The next day Matt glanced up as Jesse came through the door of his office juggling two cups of coffee.
“Hi,” he said. “Since Fran’s is closed, I thought I’d bring the coffee to you today.”
“It’s not that crap you make in your office is it?” Matt asked.
“Excuse me? The strength of the caffeine in my coffee has been known to scar many esophagi. Only real men are not afraid to drink my brew.”
He sat the cups down on Matt’s desk.
“Should I puff out my chest and beat on it?”
Jesse grinned. “Okay, I bought the coffee at the convenience store.”
“Thank God for that.” Matt leaned back in his chair.
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