With Valor and Devotion

by Charlotte Maclay

  “He’s got me.”

  “The courts will have to rule that he’s available for adoption before any action can be taken, but you only agreed to care for him temporarily. And you know you can’t keep him here indefinitely.”

  “You got that damn straight.” He plowed his fingers through his already mussed hair. “The apartment manager came by this afternoon. Somebody complained.”

  Probably one of the bevy of beauties in the complex who wanted her share of Mike’s attention. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’ve been thinking about moving to someplace bigger. A house, maybe.”

  Kristin’s jaw went slack. “A studly bachelor like you wants to leave the singles scene?”

  He shrugged. “It gets old sometimes.”

  Could he really give up a lifestyle that had given him such a heady reputation, she wondered. Perhaps he could for Randy, at least temporarily. But she wasn’t so sure he’d do it for a woman. Nothing he’d said so far indicated he’d gotten past his aversion to commitment.

  She knew in her heart she’d never settle for less—not for the long term.

  THE NEXT AFTERNOON, she and Randy were engaged in a heavy-duty game of Go Fish when her pager went off. She checked the number and called Addy back at her home number.

  “Hey, girlfriend. Where you been keeping yourself?”

  In the arms of her lover as long as she could. “I’m here. What’s up?”

  Randy took that moment to start tussling with Suzie, wrestling and giggling on the floor, the dog woofing excitedly.

  “Randy, be careful of your arm,” Kristin warned.

  “Where are you?” Addy asked.

  “Uh, I’m at Mike Gables’s apartment.”

  “Oh, my Lord, are you and Mike—”

  “It’s not what you think.” Sure it was, but Kristin didn’t want to admit that just yet. “I’m taking care of Randy while Mike’s at work.” She could almost hear Addy’s frown at the other end of the line.

  “Randy?”

  “The little boy Mike rescued from the fire. Mike’s his foster father.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  Kristin scowled into the phone. Why didn’t anyone think Mike would make a perfectly good father? Because he’s the world’s most charming playboy, an irritating voice in her head answered. “It’s temporary,” she hedged.

  “Oh, great. And you’re—”

  “Supervising the situation.”

  “I called your office and they said you’re off work for a couple of days. I thought maybe you were sick.”

  Sick at heart about her suspension, she wasn’t prepared to reveal it to anyone just yet. It was too painful. “I’m fine.”

  “Well, then, if can you tear yourself away from Mr. Studly, how about a night out with the girls to see a movie tomorrow night?”

  Kristin hesitated. Tomorrow was one of Mike’s days off. He’d be home in the evening. She’d far prefer to be in the arms of her lover than watching some hunk on the screen. “I don’t think so, Addy. But thanks for inviting me.”

  “You’re going to be busy, I gather?”

  Heat stole up her neck and flooded her cheeks. “I certainly hope so.”

  With a burst of laughter, Addy wished her well and hung up. Kristin could only hope she wasn’t pinning her hopes on something Mike wasn’t willing to give, something a lot more enduring than great sex.

  BY THE TIME Sunday rolled around, Mary Jane Pendrick was overwhelmed by the number of children she’d be supervising at Adoption Day. Since Kristin already had a relationship with Randy and would be coming back to work on Monday, Mary Jane asked her to bring the boy. They simply wouldn’t mention their informal arrangement to Mr. Oden.

  The regional park was about twenty minutes north of town. There were baseball diamonds, volleyball courts, picnic tables and a play area for the children. The afternoon couldn’t have been more perfect—a bright blue sky with a light breeze, the temperature hovering right around eighty degrees.

  Holding his broken arm close to his chest, Randy clung to Kristin with his free hand as she followed the sound of children playing.

  “I don’t wanna get ’dopted,” he complained.

  “If you could tell me about your family—aunts, uncles?”

  “I don’t wanna live with them, neither.”

  “Okay, I understand,” she said, although she didn’t fully understand how any family could be so awful that a child didn’t want anything to do with them. She gave his little hand a squeeze. “We’re just going to visit Mike for now. I bet he’ll even let you sit behind the wheel of his fire engine.”

  The idea didn’t seem to appeal to Randy, who continued to pout.

  The children who were available for adoption had on big My Name Is stickers. Other youngsters, children of prospective adoptive parents as well as the offspring of firefighter families, added to the general excitement of the day.

  Despite her reluctance to consider Randy being adopted by a family she didn’t know, Kristin took him to the check-in table to get a name tag. A lump formed in her throat as she stuck it on his striped T-shirt. Only the knowledge that it was in the boy’s best interest to have a family of his own, people he could count on, gave her the courage to smile.

  “Now, you be on your best behavior, hear? I want you to make a good impression.”

  “Where’s Mike?”

  She looked around, her gaze drawn instinctively to the best-looking man in the park, standing beside Engine 61. Her heart stumbled at the sight of Mike. Although they’d been sleeping together for a week, her body reacted with a fierce need for him. She had the troubling feeling that if they made love together every night for the next fifty years, she’d still experience the same powerful sensation every time she saw him.

  “I see him!” Randy took off at dead run.

  With a wry shake of her head, Kristin followed. Since she was more or less on duty, despite her suspension, she’d worn nice slacks and a conservative blouse. Shorts and a tank top would have been more comfortable.

  Mike had already boosted Randy into the driver’s seat of the engine by the time she reached him.

  His gaze swept over her appreciatively. “You’re lookin’ pretty sexy.”

  “I’m already too hot.”

  “So am I, princess. So am I.”

  His softly spoken words sent a wave of warmth to her cheeks more effectively than the hot sun overhead. But before she could respond to his comment, an attractive dark-haired woman arrived, giving Mike a friendly smile.

  “Hey, Mike. How’s it going?”

  “Can’t complain, Janice,” he responded in the same friendly tone. “How ’bout you?”

  Green darts of jealousy stabbed Kristin right in the heart. She didn’t dare forget Mr. Studly was Paseo del Real’s number-one heartbreaker.

  Just then two youngsters came running up, scrambling to get on the fire truck without so much as asking permission. The boy looked to be about nine, his sister about four. Randy held his own, holding on to the steering wheel in a death grip with his good hand.

  “You two slow down,” the woman admonished. “And don’t push that little boy out of the way, Kevin. You know better.” She shrugged helplessly as her children turned the fire truck into a jungle gym. “I’m sorry. Kevin can’t resist climbing anything that will stay still for him, and Maddie is the world’s worst copycat.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Mike assured her. “That’s why we’re here today. Besides, I want you to meet a friend of mine.” He turned to Kristin, introducing her to Janice Gainer.

  The woman extended her hand to Kristin. “My husband Ray is on C-shift, part of the ladder company. It’s nice to meet you, Kristin.”

  Mumbling a greeting, Kristin mentally kicked herself for being so jealous. That wasn’t like her at all. But then, she’d never been in love before. “Your children are beautiful,” she said.

  Janice laughed. “They run me ragged but I love �
�em. Is that your little boy?”

  “Not exactly. I’m his social worker. Mike’s been acting as his foster father for the past few weeks.”

  Janice did a double take worthy of a stand-up comic. “Mike? Our resident bachelor? I don’t believe it.”

  “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

  “Ah, come on, you two,” Mike complained, the complexion of his own cheeks deepening to a nice red hue. “It’s no big deal.”

  Janice laughed. “Ray never said a word about you playing daddy. Of course, he’s not around all that much between work and his second job. But I had no idea.”

  Kristin noted Mike’s frown but she had no idea why Janice’s comment about her husband would trouble him.

  Janice turned to Kristin. “Why don’t we leave the kids in the care of our local heroes, and I’ll introduce you to the rest of the wives. It’s about time for my shift at the hot-dog stand anyway.” She added a quick reminder to her son to watch out for his sister.

  “I’m not sure.” Kristin glanced at Mike. “Can you keep an eye on Randy?”

  “Don’t I always?” he answered.

  Kristin had to agree he’d done a pretty good job so far—except for the small lapse when he’d let Randy climb a tree. Still, given that her job was at serious risk, she hesitated.

  “Go, go. I won’t let him climb any trees,” he said, reading her mind. “I promise.”

  Swallowing a smile, she said, “That’s one promise you’d better keep, buster.”

  His laughter followed her as she walked with Janice toward the picnic area where the hot dogs were being served.

  “Say, is that the little boy Mike saved from the burning house a few weeks back?” Janice asked.

  “One and the same.”

  “And now he’s the boy’s foster father?”

  “Temporarily.”

  “Hmm. Interesting. I wouldn’t have expected that from Mike. He’s always seemed so—”

  “Studly,” Kristin supplied.

  Janice shot her a curious look. Kristin could almost read the woman’s thoughts. Matchmaking was a universal trait of every female who’d reached the age of puberty—probably long before that. In this case, Kristin suspected Janice’s efforts would be a waste of energy. Making love was one thing, but she didn’t believe Mike would ever be willing to tie the knot.

  THE CLUTCH of wives around the hot dogs simmering on a barbecue looked up with smiles when Kristin and Janice arrived. Kristin immediately recognized Kimberly Lydell, formerly a news anchor on local TV. She hadn’t seen her in a while and vaguely recalled she’d gone to work for a PBS radio station hosting a late-night show.

  “This is a friend of Mike’s,” Janice announced, introducing Kristin to the women.

  Kimberly was the first to extend her hand, and Kristin was shocked to realize the TV newscaster’s face was scarred, very likely the reason she’d switched careers from television to radio. “Looks to me like Mike’s taste in women has significantly improved,” Kimberly said. “Welcome to the Station Six Wives Club.”

  Kristin started to explain she wasn’t there as his girlfriend—and would never be his wife—but her words were drowned out by everyone’s laughter. It didn’t matter. They’d learn the truth soon enough. Mike didn’t believe in commitment, and she was hanging on to the few remaining pieces of her heart as hard as she could so she’d be left with something when he decided to move on.

  “Yoohoo! Hello, ladies!” In a swirl of perfume, Councilwoman Anderson arrived, easily recognizable by anyone who’d lived in Paseo del Real for more than a month. “I’ve brought cookies for the children.” She held out a tray piled high with chocolate chip cookies.

  “That’s wonderful, Mrs. Anderson.” Kimberly accepted the councilwoman’s contribution to the party.

  “Have any of you seen Harlan—Chief Gray?” she corrected. “I want him to be sure to try one of my cookies. It’s a brand-new recipe.”

  Janice said, “I think I saw him by the ladder truck a little while ago.”

  “Oh, good.”

  She turned to leave, but Kimberly put a gentle hand on her arm. “You remember how we talked about not using too much perfume?”

  “Oh, dear.” She looked around sheepishly. “Since my accident, and that dreadful concussion, well, my sense of smell isn’t what it used to be. Sometimes I overdo it a bit.”

  Kristin dug into her purse. “I brought some pre-moistened towelettes just in case one of the children had a disaster. They might help.”

  “Thank you, dear.” Mrs. Anderson took one, opened the packet, then dabbed the towelette behind her ears and down her ample cleavage. “It’s so difficult for a woman my age to know how to catch a man. Harlan seems so…so resistant to everything I do. You’re such an attractive young woman, I’m sure you don’t have a bit of trouble.”

  Laughing, Kristin’s heart went out to the woman who’d spent a thousand dollars at the bachelor auction to get a date with the man she’d fallen for. “Trust me, this dating game is the pits at any age.”

  “I suppose you’re right, dear.” She dropped the towelette into the trash can. “Now I must find Harlan. They do say the way to a man’s heart is through his tummy, you know.” She scurried away with a small baggie of cookies in her hand.

  Maybe that was Kristin’s problem, she mused. Mike had been doing all the cooking.

  Cautiously, one of the wives tasted a cookie, then rolled her eyes. “I certainly hope Chief Gray has an iron stomach. These are awful. I think she left out the sugar and substituted salt.”

  There was a low murmur of laughter but Kristin didn’t join in. She understood about being desperate for a man to return the love she offered. It hurt like blue blazes when he didn’t. Right at the moment she had more affinity with Evie Anderson than she did with the women serving hot dogs.

  She lingered a while with the wives, taking a turn passing out ice cream to the children. Then she excused herself to check on Randy. Heaven help her if something happened to him while she was responsible this time. She’d be unemployed for sure.

  A crowd of both adults and children had gathered around the fire truck. Mike and Randy appeared to be the center of attention while a television reporter, microphone in hand, interviewed them both, a nearby cameraman picking up all the action.

  “Thanks a lot, Mike, that’s a wrap,” the reporter said, handing the mike back to the cameraman. “Great interview. It’ll be a terrific human-interest story.”

  Mike didn’t seem all that happy with his apparent notoriety, turning his back to the reporter to help a youngster who wanted a boost onto the fire engine.

  Kristin waited until the crowd had thinned and the children were engaged in examining the workings of the fire truck before she approached Mike. “So now you’re a television celebrity?” she teased.

  “Not likely,” he grumbled. “They’re going to do a follow-up story on me and Randy.”

  “Well, that’s nice. You’re both very photogenic.” There was something very appealing about any man in a crisply pressed blue uniform, and Mike was no exception. “The fire department can always use good PR.”

  Jamming his hands in his pockets, he looked off across the park. An angry muscle ticked in his jaw. “The angle they’re using this time is Randy needing a home. Somebody to adopt him. Hell, he’s already got a home. With me.”

  “Well, certainly if we don’t find his family—”

  “I don’t give a damn about his family and neither does he. If anybody’s gonna adopt him, it’s damn well gonna be me.”

  She stared at him slack-jawed. “You can’t mean that!”

  “Why the hell not? Single guys adopt kids all the time.”

  Hooking her arm through his, she tugged Mike away from the fire truck and the gaggle of children. She didn’t want Randy to hear their conversation, didn’t want him to get his hopes up if Mike was just blowing smoke. People often had unrealistic expectations about adoption. It wasn’t simply a walk in the park. Adopt
ion was forever.

  “How can you even consider adopting Randy? Your apartment is all wrong—”

  “I told you I was thinking about moving.”

  “What about his family? His aunt?”

  “If she was interested in raising the kid, she would have shown up by now.”

  Shaking her head in dismay, she said, “Aren’t you the same man who tells anyone within shouting distance that you aren’t interested in commitment? What on earth do you think adopting a child means?”

  He scowled at her. “This is different. Randy needs me.”

  She clamped down on the words that almost escaped her throat. What about me? What if I need you too?

  “So, can you get me the forms I need to fill out?”

  Reluctantly, she nodded. Mike would make a wonderful father, but she wasn’t at all sure he knew what he was getting himself into. The process was long and complex, often frustrating.

  But at the core, she was hurt that he’d impulsively leaped into a commitment with Randy and wouldn’t even consider one with her.

  Grimly, she wondered if she had some blatant flaw that made it impossible for any man to commit to her. Or perhaps it was her selection process, an uncanny ability to be attracted to men who were emotionally unavailable.

  HE’D JUMPED into the deep end this time. Headfirst. Without air tanks.

  What the hell made him think he could be any kid’s father? Randy needed somebody better, somebody who knew what they were doing.

  It hadn’t hit Mike what he’d done until they’d gotten the rig back to the station and cleaned up the smeared fingerprints that were everywhere. He couldn’t adopt Randy.

  But he couldn’t let him go, either. He loved the boy. That was something he could no longer deny. He just wasn’t sure it would be enough.

  In his room on the third floor of the fire station, he stripped down to his skivvies and headed for the showers. Most of the guys from Engine 61 and the ladder company who’d been at Adoption Day were already in the shower. Hell of a thing if they got a run to a fire now. Turnout coats and pants, and nothing else. Ugly, and damn uncomfortable.

  The communal shower had eight heads, spraying water all around the tiled room. Soapsuds foamed across the floor and curled down the drain. Greg Turrick, a new guy, belted out a country-western tune in the far corner while he lathered up. Nobody paid much attention. He appeared immune to their kidding jibes, so they left him alone, just glad he hadn’t brought his guitar into the shower with him. Besides, Greg had proved himself to be a damn good firefighter. Having a few quirks was okay.