"Well, don't worry about me. I've got this," he tried to set his brother free from at least one worry even though he knew it was no use. Ever since their parents had been murdered, he'd taken over the family and was the most difficult of watchdogs for all of them, more so than any parent.
"Sure,” he dragged out the word. “I won't worry, yeah, just get your ass home, and keep me posted as much as you can."
"Will do. And if you hear anything about Gio, you keep me posted."
"Okay, talk to you later then. I’ve got to get some work done around here. Stay safe."
With that both brothers hung up. And both worried.
The phone conversation ended just in time. Blaze had enough on his plate without having to worry about Gio getting screwed up again by being brought into Lisa’s nightmare. They had all once loved her. And, they all resented her for what she had done to their brother. She’d been like a sister to them; they’d been neighbors, the proverbial girl next door, and then she’d gone and married the local rich boy and left Gio seriously fucked up. Only his parents’ deaths had shocked him back to reality. Andreas wanted a united front. They needed to stick together for Nikko, the youngest, who was still in high school when the murder happened and for him too. He’d just started college. But Gio was scarred badly. He’d never had a serious relationship since, and women had become mere toys to him to be used, and then thrown away.
Who was he to argue? He’d done the very same thing, learning from his brother, and going through a very similar experience with Nicole, and Alex, a friend to both of them. Betrayal sucked, and it had taken a lot from all of them.
Ugh. But he had to focus now. He had a job to do, and as he turned the sharp corner at the end of the long and winding road down from Bella’s, he saw the first houses off in the distance. He also saw what appeared to be Clara’s store, and she lived right next door according to Bella. He’d stop by and fill her in, and hopefully, her husband, Joseph, would not have left for work, and be willing to drive him to a rental car place. He’d make the calls to his own rental car company when he was at the new place to come and pick up the disabled vehicle.
Hopefully all would go according to plan.
***
Luckily it did, and Blaze was headed back to Bella’s by three-thirty in the afternoon.
Clara had been quite suspicious at first, seeing this stranger who claimed to be a friend of Izzy’s, and then after having her husband drop him off at the nearest rental agency which was forty-five minutes away, she pointedly told him, she would be driving up to check on Bella herself. He was able to cajole her into good humor, by telling her what wondrous healing properties her balms had evoked in him, and showing her the scars on his hands it had helped to soothe. He’d told her the whole story of Bella finding him, and seeing the scars had added truth to his ludicrous, but very true story.
The car rental situation took longer than expected. There was a lot of paperwork to be done. After that was accomplished, it was noon, and he still had some shopping to do. It had taken an hour to find a place that sold modest refrigerators, and then he wanted to stock it with food. He bought the cheapest refrigerator he could find, and was assured it would fit into the king cab pickup he rented. He’d been tempted to buy her a stove as well, but didn’t want her to think he was overdoing it. After getting the small GE compact refrigerator into the truck and secured, he was directed to a Piggly Wiggly’s to do his grocery shopping.
Arriving at the super market, he found himself whistling softly to himself in his anticipation of returning to Bella. He was glad Andreas had agreed with his plan; it gave him two days with Bella before he had to tell her who he was, and to think of a way to help her. He didn’t know what they had between them, and it still confused the crap out of him, but after hearing her story, he knew she wasn’t really a part of this, and being alone, no family, friends all moved around the country, and her mother gone, he kind of felt a kindred spirit to her. He and his brothers, his one aunt and cousin, well, he knew what it was like to not have roots, and feel lost.
He just couldn’t see her spending her life alone or in prison. He didn’t think it fair for her to be lost in these hills to wither out her days alone, on the run. If he could only figure out a way to clear her name, she’d be able to make some kind of life for herself.
Walking into the grocery store, he was immediately accosted by the sight of the summer display for the fourth of July, and was shocked to realize it was tomorrow. Wow, he’d be spending the holiday with Bella. He decided on the spur of the moment to make it a memorable one.
The display included all the items to grill a barbecue feast. Smiling too himself, he grabbed one of the small boxed grills he could easily assemble, two bags of charcoal and charcoal fluid, and set out to buy the fixings to have a real cook out, amongst the other things on Bella’s list.
Steaks, baking potatoes, tinfoil, corn on the cob, beans, and the fixings for strawberry shortcake all crowded around other staples he picked up at the last minute and threw into the cart with Bella’s meager list of supplies. Blaze knew he had overdone it, but it was a holiday after all.
Blaze headed directly to the checkout eager to get back. A pretty blonde, tall and slender, was standing at the end of her checkout line waiting for a customer. When she saw him approach she beckoned to him. He was glad to not have to wait in line, but he knew that look well. The look the cashier was giving him. He smiled politely, nodded and approached. Her name tag read, Heather Way, and apparently she was employee of the month. Hmm, he thought, wondering how she had gotten that weighty title. She was a looker, and probably very popular with the customers. Very popular if she looked at many of them this way. The woman, definitely hot, was practically undressing him with her eyes, and imagining all kinds of things. He was a man, and normally would have enjoyed her come-on, but Bella was waiting. He couldn’t believe the change that was coming over him.
“Just put it all up here, honey,” Heather purred. “I’ll ring you up.” She somehow made it sound, in her Midwestern accent, like she wanted to tie him up, and he couldn’t believe he wasn’t interested. She oozed sex appeal.
“Thanks,” he laughed acknowledging her flirtation, but shook his head in the negative to let her down easy.
“Oh, cooking out I see. It’s gonna be so, sooo hot tomorrow,” Heather continued, not giving up. She picked up the weekly flyer and fanned herself, causing her blonde hair to be uplifted in the air conditioned store, and fanning her chest, trying to draw his attention to her cleavage. He looked, it was instinct. Nothing happened down south.
“Yes, it is July,” he nodded making small talk, putting the last of his items up on the conveyor belt, as she began to scan the items over the electronic digital bar code reader.
“Sooo, hot,” she continued to shake her hair over her shoulder, and bit her lip seductively.
“Oh yes, so hot,” he mimicked. The girl was a flirt. Reprehensible. He liked her type, normally. He found women with easy manners refreshing. They let you know what they wanted, and it had been simple and easy for him to get what he needed and walk away.
Heather laughed, eyes sparkling with mischief. Mischief he normally would have enjoyed for a few hours, but he wasn’t one to play games, and lead people on. He knew from her eyes she thought she must have hooked him, so he went and let her down easy.
“Sorry babe, I’m just in town for the holiday, and have a pretty girl already waiting.” He winked to soften the blow.
“Oh, poo,” she teased still smiling. “All the hot ones are taken.” She winked in return, but didn’t turn sour. Yes, normally the Heather Way’s of the world were exactly his type. But not now. Not with Bella waiting.
He paid for his purchases, gave Heather one more wink, and left, pushing his cart back to his rented pick up, with the refrigerator strapped down in the back. He felt like a domesticated man running errands. Strangely it didn’t bother him in the least. He knew if any of his brothers could see him now,
they’d be laughing their balls off, and Andreas would be fuming. Yep, that didn’t bother him either. The only thing bothering him was that he couldn’t get Bella out of his mind, and he was excited as hell to be returning to her.
***
On the drive back to Cherokee, Blaze began to get anxious to return to Bella. He didn’t like leaving her for the whole day, not because he thought she would flee. She was trying to make a life for herself there—but the Romans worried him. He decided to send a quick text to Andreas and pulled off the road so he wouldn’t be distracted.
Blaze: All done with the rental. Returning to Cherokee. Might be out of touch with lack of service. Just a thought. Keep tabs on the Romans cell phone calls just to see if he is making calls to people in the area. No sign of trouble. Just a precaution.
It took Andreas barely a minute to respond.
Andreas: Good idea. On it.
Blaze: Thankx
Andreas: Be safe. Two days.
Feeling better after he’d done something proactive, Blaze hit the accelerator. He'd left early enough to get everything done and now he could focus on how to help Bella. He had a day and a half to get to know her better and hopefully to get some kind of information he could use to clear her.
When his truck made it up the steep incline of the road to her secluded cabin, he let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. Turning into her driveway, he noticed his other rental already gone. He panicked momentarily as he knew he'd left his bag in the car, but Bella was sitting in the rocker on the front porch, and she got up and waved when she recognized him behind the wheel. Her smile was welcoming and friendly. His bag was on the porch next to her. His gun, which he'd left in the bag, in a special case he used when he travelled was locked and he had the key on him. The gun was a loaner, one he had been able to get with his special license that allowed him to carry a weapon in several south-eastern and mid-western states. The laws up North were much more stringent even for law enforcement and bounty hunters.
When he parked and got out, she was making her way down the steps carefully, and she was still smiling although a bit shyly.
"Hey, B . . . Izzy!" he called. Crap! He'd almost slipped. She seemed not to notice, and he could always claim he was about to call her babe.
"So you got everything taken care of?" she nodded towards the truck as he shut his door. She was acting strangely, and not making eye contact. He began to worry. If she’d seen the case would she guess what was inside?
"What's the matter?" He wasted no time. He felt like he wouldn't have enough of it with her.
"Um, well when they came with the tow truck, this is going to sound stupid," she interrupted herself shaking her head in embarrassment, "I just got worried you might not come back. Stupid right?"
"You’re not stupid,” he smiled taking a step towards her. He had the urge to pull her into his arms.
"But then your bag was here, so I knew you'd be back, just . . ." Her voice trailed off as she tried to find the right words. She'd been worried he'd leave right away. She liked him a lot. Knew he had friends he'd been going to see in Gatlinburg and thought he might change his mind about sticking around for a few days. She hadn’t realized how incredibly lonely she’d been until she'd met him.
"What is it, Izzy?" he asked glancing at his bag quickly.
"I know you have friends you are planning on seeing . . . It’s just, well, despite how we met, it's been, um, nice having you around," she finished lamely not knowing how to express the myriad of emotions that engulfed her.
Taking her chin in his hand, he lifted her face to meet his eyes. "It's been really nice." His voice was gruff, thick with passion and emotion. Her eyes dilated in response to his words. The attraction they felt for each other was there, always there. "I called my friends," he got closer. "Told them I wouldn't be making it after all," he lied.
"You. . ." Her words were lost by his kiss, and she threw her arms around him. She had no idea what this meant. Knowing he was just on a vacation to visit some college buddies, her heart could not help but soar. She had just a bit more time with this incredibly handsome stranger before she faded from his memory, and he walked out of her life.
When the kiss ended, and Blaze looked down on Bella, he thought he saw her green eyes shimmer, but she blinked before he could be sure, "I didn’t ask, but if it's okay, and from that kiss I think it is, I'd like to stay a few more days, Izzy."
"My name is Isabella," she blurted. She didn't know what possessed her to tell him, but she somehow wanted him to say her name, her real name.
He smiled down on her knowing this was important. This was her trusting him just a bit more. "Isabella,” he tested her name out loud. “I'm Italian. I like it. Isabella, my Bella,” he added shortening her name and elongating it. The smile she gave him told him she was happy, very happy with his response. "You are beautiful Bella."
"Blaze. I am glad you are staying. I know you’re just passing through and you'll be gone soon, but even if it's just a few days, I want you to know I'm fine with that." She didn’t want Blaze to think she’d try to hold on to him longer, she was prepared to take only what he was willing to give. She couldn’t make any promises and it was only fair to be as truthful as she could.
"I'm glad, Bella." Her smile was radiant. "I'll have to go home in a few days, but I'd like to spend that time with you. Better than swapping old baseball stories and complaints about old professors over cheap beer."
Bella didn't know what to say. Hearing him say her real name thrilled her, but she also felt something crack a little in the region in her heart. She knew this wouldn't end well for her, but knowing her life would be difficult for at least a few years, she would make do with a few days, and cherish these memories for a lifetime if needed. She was going to seize this opportunity, and like her mother had told her before she died; she was going to follow her heart on this one.
Blaze was so confused by his feelings, and to shake off his mixed up emotions, he pulled back from her and teased her. "I hope you don't get mad. But I brought way more than was on your list." He needed to think about this more later.
She smiled and arched one eyebrow at him suspiciously. "What did you do?" she asked, noticing the very large cardboard box in the back of the truck for the first time.
"I bought you a refrigerator. And please don't worry, it wasn't too expensive. I'd be spending more at the hotel I was going to stay at."
"You didn't!" she remarked, shocked at first. "You didn't have to do that. You've got to let me pay you for it. I was going to buy one soon anyhow."
"Nope. No way, and please don't argue with me on this. You needed it. I'm here staying with you free of charge, and I insist." He shook his head vehemently and began to walk towards the back of the truck with Bella on his heels.
"But, how are we going to get it in?" she mused aloud.
Blaze burst out laughing, thinking of something Gio might have said if he had heard her make that comment. Bella was looking at him strangely, obviously not getting the joke. "It'll be easy, I'll pull the truck right up to the porch. With the gate down over the steps, I'll just slide it straight in." Again he laughed, and again she gave him a strange look. He continued, "You keep the door wide open, and I'll push until it’s all the way inside." Her eyes went wide, and she burst out laughing finally understanding his meaning when his voice dropped down to a husky octave.
"Oh, my god! Pig,” she laughed. “But that does sound like it would work."
"It'll work all right," he winked at her. “We will try it now, and later." Bella shook her head and blushed at his double-entendre.
"I'll get the door, and clear a path, and you bring the truck around. But for that juvenile behavior, I might not let you slide it in so easily."
Now it was Blaze’s turn to be shocked. He stared at Bella and she was blushing from root to tip at her own joke, but God she looked adorable, and he loved her teasing him in return. This was something he could get used too.
"We
will see about that. I am pretty irresistible. But, Bella, let's get the refrigerator inside first and then we can see just how hard you can try to resist me.” She was shaking her head, and smiling. “I bought food too, and some of it needs to be refrigerated,” he added to hurry them up. He was suddenly anxious to get Bella inside.
***
They had the fridge and all the food unpacked within the hour. Bella was flabbergasted by all he bought. He'd even showed her what he purchased for tomorrow, which was the Fourth, and she hadn't even recalled what day of the week it was let alone the month. Her days had all blurred together. The Fourth of July, she hadn’t even thought about that day. It was her birthday. She'd be twenty-five, and she would get to share it with Blaze even though she didn’t plan on telling him it was her birthday.
She was also shocked by the man’s generosity, and insisted she pay for some of the groceries. He wasn't staying long from what she gathered, and knew he shouldn't, though she didn’t mention it. He’d never eat all the food he bought in two or three days.
Blaze didn't push his luck. Money was no object for him; he did very well as part owner in The Marino Bros. Bail and Bonds. But, he couldn't tell her that. His only answer was he would take forty dollars, no more.
Bella knew he had paid much more, but acquiesced. She didn't want to make it an issue, but she also didn't want him to feel like she couldn't take care of herself. She had money, yes she needed to stretch it, but what he purchased would last her weeks. Plus, she planned on starting her own garden, and maybe get a few chickens, and hens to save and conserve what she had.
When he showed her the grill, she just laughed. He was way too generous. But, when he fired it up and made her delicious cheeseburgers for dinner, while she tossed together a fresh salad, she wasn't about to complain.
After dinner, bellies sated, they went outside to enjoy the sunset, and to pass a bit of time. Blaze suggested a glass of wine, and surprised her yet again. He had purchased six bottles for her. He cracked one open, and they sipped the delicious pinot and talked into the darkness.
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