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“One way or another, my men will come back to work,” Drake assured him. “Your term is almost up. Then we’ll see who really cares about the safety of the citizens.”
“Are you threatening me?”
With a slow grin, Drake raised his hands, palms out. “Just stating a fact. The voters will take care of you.”
And with that he walked out, nodding to Betty May, who was wide-eyed, no doubt hearing the heated encounter—not Drake’s first with the mayor, but perhaps the most hate filled.
Drake marched all the way back to his truck and slammed the door. Damn it. He had to figure out a way to get the city to allow him to hire his men back on. The men who were currently working were maxed out. They were tired and all feeling the extra stress...not good when lives were on the line every single day.
Drake clenched the steering wheel and stared out the windshield toward the old fountain in the distance at the park.
Andrea had loved that fountain. Had always said if she got married she’d do it there in the summer with all the beauty of the tall old oaks surrounding her.
Drake had every intention of giving her that dream. He’d had every intention of giving her everything she’d ever wanted.
But that dream had died in a fiery crash.
Starting the engine, Drake forced out the crippling images of that day. His counselor was right. Focusing on the past wouldn’t help him rebuild for a better future. And he knew that Andrea would want him to move on; she’d want him to live his life. Besides, he had a department he needed to fight for and a boy in the hospital he cared about.
Which brought him right back to the pretty nurse who seemed a bit skittish when he was around. Her beauty was rather shocking, and Drake hadn’t felt a physical pull toward anyone since Andrea. Which only made his mixed-up emotions even more confusing.
How could he find another woman so appealing in such a short time? Should he ask her out? He had to keep trying his hand at dating if he wanted to truly move on.
But Marly was afraid of something. Perhaps he should approach this on a friendship level, because Drake knew one thing. He had to find out what had put the shadows beneath her pretty eyes.
* * *
Marly was thankful her supervisor gave her a few hours off to chaperone Willow on the kindergarten field trip. Marly knew it was going to be tough to hold a full-time job and be the parent Willow needed, especially after removing Willow from the only home she’d known.
So far Willow was adjusting perfectly, and today’s field trip to the fire department was all her sweet little five-year-old could talk about this morning.
Marly left work early and pulled into the department lot just after the bus did. It didn’t take long for Marly to zero in on the chief, and she cursed herself for instantly seeking him out.
Drake stepped up to the open doors of the bus and greeted the kids with a wide grin as they bounced off the last step and raced across the lot to the closest shiny red truck. Another group of men in blue polos and matching pants herded the children to the grassy area, where they had them take a seat.
As Marly got out of her SUV, her eyes locked on the chief. She hadn’t seen him since that awkward moment in the hallway two days ago. He hadn’t popped in yesterday like he’d said he would, and she hated that she’d had a sliver of disappointment when her shift had ended and she hadn’t seen him.
Marly crossed the parking lot and headed toward the front of the bus to wait for Willow. Before she could spot her daughter, Drake raised his head. Even with his dark aviator sunglasses on, she knew he was looking right at her.
Sweltering heat from the late-summer sun did nothing to prevent the chills from racing through her. The instant reaction her body took to this man was unexplainable and unwanted. Yes, at one time she would’ve loved to have felt chills over the thought of a man like Drake looking at her, but that was years ago, before she’d married a monster.
Trusting her judgment now wasn’t the smartest move. She needed to regroup, build a solid life on her own before trying to appreciate a man like Drake. Her personal life would have to come later—much later.
Such a shame, though. She didn’t remember the last time a man had looked at her and made her feel anything but fear.
“Mama!”
Marly smiled as Willow came running up to her. “Come on.” Willow started tugging on Marly’s hand. “They’re going to let us squirt the hoses in a minute, and the teacher said we may get to climb inside a truck.”
Laughing, Marly allowed herself to be pulled toward the other smiling, wiggly kids. She passed by Drake, earning a devastating smile and a nod of his head.
“Marly.”
Unable to help herself, Marly returned his smile. “Chief St. John.”
Mercy. Just passing by the man and his spicy scent had Marly wondering where on earth her head had gone. Hadn’t she scolded herself already? Physical attraction wasn’t something she could indulge in. But just because she didn’t plan on doing anything about this sudden onslaught of emotions didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate the view of such a spectacular man.
“I want to sit in the front,” Willow said, taking a seat beside a little boy wearing his school spirit T-shirt. “This is my friend Alan. Just stand over there with the other moms, but watch me when I squirt the hose. Okay?”
“All right, sweetie,” Marly agreed.
She stepped aside, but not too close to the other moms. She was only here to see her daughter, help if needed and snap some pictures of her baby’s first field trip. What she wasn’t here to do was make friends with other moms or spend her time fantasizing about Chief Drake St. John.
But as she watched him interact with the children, she found herself softening toward this local hero even more. The children all stared up at him with wide eyes as he projected his strong voice over the young crowd. They were his captive audience as he discussed how firefighters rescued people when they were scared and needed help.
Within moments he had donned full firefighting gear to show them how they may look scary, but all the equipment was to keep them safe so they could help others in danger.
That instant, Marly found herself drawn deeper into his world. Whether she wanted to or not, she was mesmerized and hung on his every word...just like the children.
Great. Now what? The emotions were there. No matter how she’d tried to dodge and deny them, they were in the forefront of her mind. So what on earth did she do with that revelation?
* * *
Drake absolutely loved this part of his job. He loved the interaction with the kids, enjoyed seeing their smiling faces as he explained the different tools on the different fire trucks; he even loved letting them play with the fire hose.
But today, all of that faded in the background. Marly had a child—a little girl who looked exactly like her. Once his initial shock wore off, he realized he was staring like a fool.
Drake wasn’t sure if he was more shocked at the fact she had a child or the fact she was smiling so widely, so beautifully. He’d not seen her so happy before. Of course, he’d only seen her in her element at work, caring for Jeremy.
The second he’d spotted her, his heart had tightened, but when her face had lit up at the sight of her little girl, Drake had literally felt that punch to the gut he’d heard his brother Eli talk about.
Now that the children had gone through their tour and were starting to line back up for the bus, Drake realized Marly had pretty much stayed in the shadows. He’d caught her snapping photos of her daughter, and now she was holding the little girl, kissing her on the cheek. Drake lurched forward. He couldn’t let an opportunity pass him by.
“Would you like a picture together?” he offered.
Marly’s head whipped around. “Drake.”
“You know the chief?” Willow asked, wide-eyed and obviously impressed. “Why didn’t you say so? That’s the coolest!”
Drake laughed. “Maybe your mom could bring you back sometime. I’m sure I can find time to take you for a ride in the fire engine.”
The little girl’s mouth dropped. “If you’re kidding, Chief, I’m gonna be sad.”
Drake couldn’t help but reach out and give a tug on one of her long blond ponytails. “I would never kid someone so eager to learn about firefighting. But you have to promise one thing.”
“Anything,” she squealed and wiggled in Marly’s arms. “What is it?”
“You won’t try to take my job once you learn all this stuff.”
He forced his eyes to stay locked onto the little girl, which wasn’t a hardship because she was so adorable. But he could feel Marly’s gaze on him, and he wanted to turn and see those dark eyes of hers.
“I promise, Chief,” the little girl assured.
“Call me Drake.” He held out a hand for her to shake. “And your first name is?”
Her tiny hand slid into his and she squeezed. “Willow.”
“Nice to meet you, Willow. Your bus is loading, so how about I take a picture of you and your mom in front of the station so you guys can always remember this day?”
“Oh, Drake, you don’t have to,” Marly protested.
He cut his gaze to hers; thankfully he’d removed his sunglasses so he could see her with no barrier. “I know I don’t have to. I want to.”
Marly smiled as she handed over her phone. “In that case, we’d love a picture.”
Drake made sure he took a couple. He knew from experience that most women wanted options. Sweet Willow, with her golden pigtails, gave her mommy a big hug and scrambled down to race to the bus.
Marly waved goodbye and turned to Drake. “Thank you. You’re really good with children.”
Shrugging, Drake rested his hands on his hips. “Kids are great. You just have to know how to treat them.”
A shadow passed over Marly’s eyes. “Do you have kids?” she asked, raising her arm to shield the sun from her eyes.
He thought of Andrea, of the dreams they’d had. The family they’d planned.
“No,” he told her. “I’m an uncle to a beautiful baby girl, but none of my own yet.”
Sliding her phone back into her smock pocket, Marly started to pass him. “Well, I need to get back to work. Thanks again for being so great with all the kids, and especially Willow.”
“I meant what I said.” He turned to meet her stare as she started to walk away. “Anytime you see my black truck here, swing in, and if we’re not busy I’d love to give her a ride on the engine. I know she’d enjoy it.”
Marly studied him for a moment before a corner of her mouth kicked up. “You really do love kids, don’t you?”
Taken back by her odd question, Drake nodded. “What’s not to love?”
There it was again, that ghost of an emotion taking over, and Marly’s smile turned sad in an instant. “I agree. See you around, Chief.”
Drake watched until Marly was in her car and headed down the street. A hand slapped him hard on the shoulder, and Drake turned to see one of his men grinning.
“She’s a looker, Chief.”
Drake nodded. No sense in denying the truth.
“Gonna ask her out?”
Shaking his head, Drake laughed. “I have no clue what I’m going to do. No clue.”
And that was the honest truth. Because on one hand he wanted to see Marly on a personal level, but on the other hand she was scared of something—or maybe someone.
The pull Drake felt toward her, though, was only getting stronger. As much as he wanted to see more of the beautiful pediatric nurse, he also knew he needed to take things slow.
After all, he was still on shaky ground himself in regards to relationships.
Chapter Three
Those piercing blue eyes had penetrated her once again. If Marly thought Drake a big man before, now that she’d seen him in full gear, he was even more impressive. She knew broad shoulders lay beneath that bulky coat, and his towering height was only emphasized by his helmet.
What drew her to powerful men? Although she had to admit, Kevin’s power was used to blackmail and lie to get what he wanted. From the little she’d seen of Drake, the man genuinely cared for his job, the people he encountered. Drake certainly didn’t seem the type to use others for a publicity stunt.
Marly steered her car back into the hospital lot and found an open spot. Now that Willow had been given the invitation to go to the fire station, no doubt the rambunctious little girl would ask every two minutes when they were going.
Which meant Marly would have to go back and witness Drake in all his gorgeous glory. A part of her so wanted to address the tension that settled between them each time they were within breathing space of each other, but at the same time, she wanted to deny any attraction existed. She wanted to ignore the desire that seemed to creep up on her when she didn’t have the mental strength to stop it.
Killing her engine, Marly sighed and rested her head against the steering wheel. No matter her sudden attraction to Drake, she had a war she was still fighting, and that had to come before anything else.
When her phone chimed to signal a text, Marly pulled the cell from her purse and cringed at the screen.
Call me. You can’t avoid me forever.
That didn’t mean she wouldn’t try like hell.
Tossing her phone back in her purse, Marly stepped out of her car, welcoming the warmth of the midday sun. When she’d left Nashville, she’d found enough courage to force Kevin into letting her go, taking Willow and not disclosing her whereabouts in exchange for the pictures she had promised would not go to the newspaper or other media outlets.
Kevin didn’t know she’d gone to the police... Of course, she figured he knew now. No doubt some corrupt cop who was friends of the family had called Kevin moments after Marly had left. Marly knew the power Kevin’s family held, so she also knew that was probably why the Nashville Police Department hadn’t returned her calls and she’d heard no more on her case...if there even was a case.
Marly figured the only reason Kevin hadn’t hired a PI and traced her phone was because of his powerful status and the fact that he tended to avoid public conflict. For once, his social standing was working in her favor.
Even with the sun beating down on her, she trembled. There was no way in hell she’d ever return to Kevin. If she had to stay on the run the rest of her life to protect her child, then so be it. She would never be another man’s punching bag or pawn again.
* * *
The day after the field trip, Marly was stepping out of Jeremy’s room when Drake came striding through the bright yellow walls of the pediatric unit. The cheery surroundings made him seem less intimidating, but the man’s impressive size still dominated the space.
When his gaze met hers, his lips spread wide in a smile that hit her hard. Then she spotted the small stuffed Dalmatian in his hand and she couldn’t help but return the grin. Why was she softening toward this man so fast? She’d learned her lesson, right? Just because a man was charming and good-looking didn’t mean he treated women right when no one was looking.
But there was still that nugget of doubt that kept telling her Drake was nothing like the man she’d married. Nothing.
“You carry toys everywhere you go?” she asked, once he closed the gap between them.
Glancing down at the toy in question, Drake shrugged. When his eyes met hers once again, they held as his voice lowered. “My toys are a bit larger than this.”
She shivered at the veiled flirting and innuendo. The part deep inside her that had thought no man would ever find her attractive again sparked to life. For so long she’d not even been given a second thought, other than being used as a pawn or publicity stunt.
But Drake had a way of making her feel... Just feel, and that was something she’d have to get used to if she was going to keep seeing him in this small town.
“I assume that’s for our patient?”
With a nod, Drake asked, “How’s he doing today?”
“Good. Amy just stepped out to get a bite to eat and Shawn ran home to shower. I nearly had to bribe them to take care of themselves.”
Drake swallowed hard, glancing away.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I just... This whole situation kills me. I don’t know what to say to Shawn. Words won’t fix what happened.” He shook his head. “Talking to people after accidents is part of my job, yet this is on a whole new level of difficulty. Shawn and I are friends.”
“You saved their son’s life,” Marly pointed out. “They’re grateful.”
“I know they are,” he told her, waiting until another nurse went by before he continued, “I’m thankful I got to him in time, but the entire situation just sucks.”
“You didn’t tell me you were the one who pulled Jeremy from the fire. Amy was telling me earlier how she doesn’t know what they would’ve done without you.”
Drake’s eyes held hers, but he didn’t utter a word. A true hero was someone who didn’t boast or brag of his achievements. A true hero did his job, though fear may overpower him. A true hero cared for others, put their needs first, even at the risk of being injured himself.
And before her stood a true hero.
“You can go in and see him, but I’ll need to put the toy at the nurse’s station with his other things. We’ve been keeping all of the balloons and flowers out here since his room is set up for his special needs due to the burns.”
He passed the stuffed dog over, and Marly was careful not to let her hands brush his again. The less contact with this potent man the better. He was already wreaking havoc on her nerves and consuming way too much of her mind and she barely knew him.
“Go on in,” Marly said, afraid of just how fast she was becoming infatuated with the town fire chief. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
She quickly rushed off and went straight to the employees’ restroom. Flicking the lock, Marly sank against the back of the door. Drake St. John was becoming a bigger issue than she’d first thought.
When he’d first come into the pediatric unit she realized he was probably there to check on the boy because that fell in line with being the chief. But then when he’d been there nearly every day, he was great with Willow and now he’d brought a stuffed animal for Jeremy... He was becoming more and more real.
Marly sighed. Real? That sounded ridiculous. Of course he was real, but now he was even more genuine and melting away that layer she’d formed around her heart. She needed to be on guard, not to start feeling all schoolgirl over a handsome, charming fire chief.
No doubt, his physical appeal couldn’t be denied, but how could she allow herself to be so taken with him so fast? She’d learned her lesson—the hard way—on big, powerful men. Right now she had to focus on rebuilding her new life and trying to keep custody of Willow. Kevin wouldn’t stop at sending texts and voice mails. He’d take action by hiring a PI, if he hadn’t already.
But it was getting harder and harder to focus when Drake came around. Between his easy rapport with Willow and his dedication to Jeremy’s welfare, there was so much more to Drake than power.
Perhaps that was what scared her most.
Marly looked at herself in the mirror. In twenty-six years, she’d been through too much. All she wanted was happiness, a settled life in which she felt safe, protected and secure. Not only for herself, but also for her daughter.
She eased her blond hair back, facing the ugly, jagged scar that ran down her temple. Vanity had never been her thing, so the physical image wasn’t what bothered her. Kevin’s fists had taken so much more than physical beauty. They had taken away her freedom, her sense of self-worth and her courage. But she was getting those back. No way would she give Kevin the satisfaction of stealing everything from her.
Including her daughter.
Her eyes roamed down to the small scar on her chin. That one was impossible to hide, but at least it was on the underside, so it wasn’t as noticeable and easier to chalk up to a fall from childhood.
Adjusting her hair back in place, she took a deep, calming breath and headed back to work. At some point she’d have to face the fact that she was finding herself more and more intrigued by—and dare she say attracted to—Drake.
She couldn’t act on her unstable emotions. After all, how could she trust anything she felt after her poor judgment regarding her ex? On the other hand, she couldn’t keep lying to herself about this invisible tug whenever Drake was around. She was a woman who had desires and eyes, for pity’s sake. How could any woman not do a double take at Drake? And after that double take, the real problems started. Because the looks didn’t make the man...the big heart and devastating smile did.
* * *
Drake eyed the young boy lying in the sterile bed wearing a sheet up to his waist, dressings wrapped around his torso and his left arm. Drake’s heart literally ached for Jeremy, Shawn and Amy. Such a beautiful family living in a small town like so many others around the country, and now fate had turned their world upside down.
Someone needed to step up and help them. There was no way Shawn and Amy could take on this financial burden alone. Wasn’t that what people in small towns did? Rallied behind each other when one of them was hurting? Besides, they needed mental support, as well. No one should ever go through a trauma like this alone.
Drake figured he’d get the ball rolling in the direction of a fund-raiser to assist Shawn and Amy. He couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.
Drake wanted to drag the mayor from behind his desk and his cushy leather chair and show him the ramifications of cutting good, hardworking firefighters. Drake had zero tolerance for that man, and this was just another reason Drake couldn’t wait until the next election when hopefully a new mayor was sworn in...a mayor who actually cared about the people of the town.
When Drake stepped from the room and eased the door shut behind him, Marly was nowhere to be seen. He walked up to the nurses’ station and was greeted by a middle-aged lady wearing character scrubs with her hair in a tight, high bun.
Balloons, teddy bears and flowers were piled high on the back counter. Drake figured all of those gifts were for Jeremy, since Drake saw the stuffed toy he brought nestled in the mix.
“Excuse me,” he said, leaning an arm on the top of the high counter. “Is Marly busy?”
“I haven’t seen her for a couple of minutes. Maybe she’s in the break room.” The lady turned, gesturing behind the desk to a narrow hall. “It’s the first door on the right. Go on in.”
Drake smiled. “Thank you, ma’am.”
Drake figured wearing his department logo on his shirt had gotten him the pass to the employee area. He went around the desk and into the break room but didn’t see Marly. As he turned to leave, Marly rounded the corner to enter the room and plowed right into him.
Instincts had him reaching out, gripping her arms tight in an attempt to steady her. The second he grabbed her, she screamed and jumped back.
The color had gone from her face, and Drake held his hands out to his side. “Are you okay?”
A shaky hand came up to her heart as she nodded, her eyes not quite meeting his.
“Marly.” He eased closer. The disturbing look in her eyes wasn’t just shock at finding him in here, this was pure fear. “Come in and sit down.”
After a moment of silence, she sought his eyes and shook her head. “No, no. I’m okay.”
“You’ve gone pale and you’re shaking.” He started to reach for her, but she moved back. Dread settled deep in his stomach. “Are you afraid of me?”
Marly closed her eyes and sighed. “No,” she whispered.
Drake had no clue what demons she was battling before his eyes, so he remained silent. God knew he’d never wanted anyone to witness his rough moments after Andrea’s accident.
It wasn’t long before she raked a hand down her face and opened her eyes. With her shoulders back and head high, Drake knew she’d pushed through whatever hell she’d entered into moments ago.