“What did they learn?”
“We have a witness who saw our arsonist. We already figured it was the same guy. Same accelerant and there’s no such thing as coincidence, but this confirms it.”
“That bastard. I mean, I knew it was him, but there was a small hope that we’d been wrong. That it had been an accident.”
“Gasoline doesn’t accidentally pour itself all over an apartment.” Her eyes sliced through him, not that he blamed her. She’d been holding out for a miracle and he’d just squashed it. “Actually, the witness was your friend, Devin.”
“Oh my gosh. I hope he didn’t see Devin with me. What if he starts to go after the people I care about, to get to me?”
He took another bite of his burger as he thought about her question. It had merit. “I don’t think that’s his game plan. At least, not yet. If it was, why didn’t he hit your agency office?”
“Lexie.” The color drained from her face. “And Ashley are at risk.”
“Crap.” Shawn wished he’d waited to have this conversation in private, where he could have held Kat safe in his arms. “They’re all on the alert, so I think they’re safe for now. Devin saw him when she was in the parking lot, after she came back.”
“What was he doing?”
“She said he was sitting in a car. She didn’t think anything of it at the time. There were people everywhere and she thought he was a resident who had just gotten home. The only reason he stuck out was the look on his face.”
“I’m afraid to ask.”
“She said, ‘he looked gleeful.’”
Chapter 17
Gleeful.
She couldn’t get the word out of her head. After hearing how Devin had described the look on the arsonist’s face as he watched Kat’s home burn, she’d been sick. Physically sick in the ladies’ room.
Miss Elsie had hugged her and sent home some chicken noodle soup, along with a fresh slice of chocolate cream pie. Shawn had fumed for a while, blaming himself for upsetting her. After he got over his anger, he’d spent the evening making her laugh, and the night making her sigh.
For a short time, she’d been able to erase the word from her auto replay, but it was never far from the surface of her brain.
Sometime around two a.m. she’d woken with her heart racing, the thick miasma of smoke cutting off her air. But it had only been a dream. As if she needed any more PTSD after her car accident. Shawn had either slept through it all or pretended to sleep until he knew she was okay. He’d slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her back to his chest. There for her, but not treating her like a fragile flower.
They hadn’t discussed her mother’s plan to supply a bodyguard, although Kat had seen Shawn’s eyes light up when her mom suggested a trip. Nope, wasn’t happening. She wasn’t going to let some crazy guy make her run and hide. There were no guarantees they’d ever catch the criminal. She wasn’t stupid. She’d keep her eyes open, be on the lookout for trouble, but she wasn’t going to live in fear forever either.
As the kids filed into her classroom, she shoved all thoughts of her life outside the school away, and smiled. She had a job to do. She had children who counted on her to teach them, and to keep them safe and entertained for the next six hours. The first two items were easy. For the last, she’d brought in special help.
People thought small children were oblivious. They were wrong. They saw everything. Heard everything. Noticed everything.
“Miss Jones, who’s that man?” Faye Jackson asked as she hung up her coat.
Others chimed in with the same question, while some simply eyed the strange guy standing in the back of the classroom. Shawn smiled, but kept quiet.
“If you’ll all get settled and, in your seats, I’ll let you know.”
It took a few minutes, but soon, twenty very curious pairs of eyes were on her.
“Good morning, class.”
“Good morning, Miss Jones.”
She smiled at each and every one of her students. “I’ve got a special treat for you this morning.”
“Is it banana splits?” Frankie Ribeiro asked.
Kat had to hold in the laugh. Shawn ducked his head, but not before she saw the grin.
“No. We’ll save that treat for one of our parties. Perhaps before the winter break, if you’re all on your best behavior between now and then.”
“Ah, man. That’s impossible,” Frankie said.
“I think you can do it. So now that you all know what our surprise isn’t, do you want to know what it is?”
“Yes!” the class yelled.
“You’ve all done such a great job learning fire safety from Sparky the Fire Dog, I thought you’d like to meet a real firefighter. Would you like that?”
“Yes!” Several of the children turned to watch Shawn walk to the front of the room, while others clapped and chatted excitedly, all except Frankie. Nope, he sat quietly with awe shining on his face.
“Boys and girls, I’d like to introduce you to Fire Marshal Shawn Randall. I expect you all to show our guest your best manners.” Kat turned around to pick up her lukewarm tea and whispered, “Good luck.”
She retreated to the back of the classroom, thankful that Shawn had arranged to spend the day at the school. Her class was up first with an extended lesson plan, but after lunch he’d give a talk to full student body in the multipurpose room. Both would give her a chance to recharge. After her nightmare, sleep had been elusive and fitful.
For the time being, she could sit back and enjoy watching Shawn interact with the kids. He’d already tackled several questions with ease, like what’s a fire marshal and where was his uniform if he was a firefighter?
“I’m glad to hear you all know what firefighters look like and that we wear special uniforms.” Shawn wore a simplified uniform of dark blue work pants and a T-shirt that said NLFD on the front. He turned around so the kids could see the station name and New London Fire Department logo on the back.
“Yeah, we learned that back in kindergarten,” Frankie said. “Where’s your turnout gear?”
Shawn quirked his brow, a small smile brightening his face as he looked at her. Yeah, she thought, welcome to the new second grade. These kids were whip-smart.
“You’ll get a chance to see my gear later today. Maybe even try some of it on.” Shawn looked at all the kids, but his gaze landed on Frankie. “That stuff is pretty heavy. It might even weigh more than some of you guys.”
“Not me.” Frankie sat up straight. “I weigh fifty-two pounds. I’m going to be really tall like my dad one day. He’s even taller than you.”
Kat ducked her head to hide her smile. She didn’t really want to encourage her kids to interrupt, but it was hard with Frankie. The child didn’t have a shy bone in his body.
“Tell you what,” Shawn looked down at the seating chart on her desk, “Frankie. You can be the first person to try on my gear during this afternoon’s assembly.”
The child cried out, “yes,” but then sat quietly.
“What else do you know? Hmm.” Shawn pretended to stroke an imaginary beard and think. “Second grade. You guys are pretty smart by now. Can you tell me, how do we use fire?”
Several hands shot up. Shawn pointed to a girl in the third row. “Makayla, can you tell me?”
“We start fires in the fireplace to heat the house in winter.”
“That’s right. And who should start the fire?”
“My mom or dad. My brother and me aren’t allowed to touch matches.”
Shawn nodded. “That’s good. You should never touch matches or a lighter unless you have an adult with you. And then only if they say it’s okay. Does anyone know if they have a fire plan at home?”
Most of the hands shot up. “Good. You all are smart and prepared. Who knows how to call 911?”
Again, almost all of the hands shot up. Her class had been listening.
As Shawn asked more questions and interacted with the kids, Kat thought about her own plan and prep
aredness. She definitely hadn’t been prepared in her apartment. If she had, she would have had a rope ladder to escape from the second floor and sprinklers. Wherever she lived next would definitely have both. Of course, that was another question for her to figure out the answer to. Where was home now?
Not the apartment. She didn’t think she could ever go back there.
Initially she’d loved the perks of apartment life: neighbors close by (new friends), the gym (yay, more chocolate cream pie), the spa (hello, hot tub), no yard work (bugs, ugh!), and not breaking her nails as she shoveled snow. But her neighbors kept to themselves—probably for the best, given the conversations she’d overheard. When was the last time she’d worked out? Or used the indoor pool? If she couldn’t remember, then the answer was too long.
But over the last few days, she’d learned to love the quiet moments first thing in the morning when it was just her and the sound of Shawn softly snoozing next to her. There was something to be said about fenced-in backyards and privacy. No one to spy you sitting around in pajamas, with messy hair and no makeup, soaking up the early sun. Making love and not worrying the neighbors would hear you scream with ecstasy.
After last night, she’d been really thankful for that last thing.
As well as the peaceful cup of joe on the back porch that morning, as she prepared for the day . . . and Shawn’s upcoming departure.
Her gaze lifted then, met his watching her over the tops of little heads. Laughter rang out as a smile curved his lips. He was a natural with the kids. They were captivated by his every word, by his easygoing manner, and the silly faces he made. Someday, some lucky kid was going to call him Dad.
A sudden wave of sadness made her break eye contact. She pretended to be examining the papers on her lap as she processed the emotions swirling around inside. When that someday happened, she wouldn’t be there. It would be some other woman who got to share that moment with him. And the thought, the realization, left her devastated.
It wasn’t the same pain as when her ex-fiancé had cheated. That had been betrayal. Humiliation. Disappointment. It had compounded the self-doubt she’d experienced after the car accident, but it hadn’t destroyed her. Hadn’t left her a hollowed-out shell that would never love again. She just hadn’t thought she’d find it again so soon.
From the corner of his eye, Shawn watched Kat as he tried to focus on the kids. Engaging with the class wasn’t hard, in fact it was the furthest thing from a chore you could get. They were sharp and full of energy. Funny. But he was always aware of her presence. Quietly observing. Sometimes looking a little lost and other times, like now, a little mysterious. A half smile played at the edges of her mouth. He wondered if she was remembering their night together? The playful and passionate moments they’d shared. Or was she trying not to laugh at his silly antics with the class?
Maybe one led to the other. She’d definitely laughed—and more—last night. He hoped she’d remember their time together long after he left. She would haunt him for the rest of his life. He was sure of that. But if she was laughing at him, he’d take it. He needed someone that would laugh at him, laugh with him, make him laugh. He needed the light to balance the dark his job sometimes brought.
If only they weren’t about to put three thousand miles between them.
“Marshal Shawn,” the little girl in the back, Faye, called out to him. “My cousin’s apartment was on fire.” Her voice trembled, as she searched for her words. “Now he doesn’t have a home.”
Kat’s head shot up, her eyes filled with sadness and guilt.
“Fires are scary, aren’t they?” he asked.
Twenty heads bobbled in agreement.
“Do you know what to do if there’s a fire?”
“Go outside,” one student shouted.
“Call 911.”
“Walk, don’t run,” another said, clearly mimicking his teacher.
“Those are all great answers and you’re all right. Do you know what to do if your clothes catch fire?”
“Stop, drop, and roll,” the class shouted together.
Shawn laughed at their enthusiasm. “That’s exactly what you do. You may want to run, but that might make the fire get bigger and spread to more of your clothes or things around you. It’s important that you stop.” He froze with his hands out. “Drop.” He dropped to the floor. “And roll.”
As he rolled around the floor showing the kids the proper way, the kids laughed and squealed with delight, but all eyes were on him. He jumped back up and looked around. “Is there anyone here who wants to show me their stop, drop, and roll?”
Several hands shot up, but one student in particular bounced up and down on his seat. “Frankie, come show us.”
The boy dashed from his chair to the front of the room where he stopped suddenly, looked down at his clothes and dropped like a stone. He rolled back and forth, flipping and flopping with the biggest grin Shawn had ever seen.
“Good job, Frankie. Now it’s time for everyone else to practice. Let’s have two people come up at a time. We’ll start with you.” He pointed to the far-right row. “While they’re doing that, can you all sing the ‘Stop, Drop, and Roll’ song?”
Kat joined him at the front, leaning in close. Her body barely brushed against him, but every nerve came to life.
“I think you have a fan,” she whispered.
“After last night, I’d hope so.”
Bright spots of pink bloomed across her cheeks and her eyes turned to slits of steel. “I was talking about Frankie. Not me.”
“You doing okay?” he asked.
“Sure. Why?”
He wanted to run his thumb over the dark shadows under her eyes, to run his fingers through her hair that she’d twisted in the back. He wanted to run his hands down her body and hold her tight. But given the time and place, he’d settle for having her near.
“You looked a little lost for a few minutes sitting in the back of the room.”
She broke eye contact for a moment while she praised the kids for being courteous to each other and taking their turns. When she turned back to him, her smile said all was good, but the darkness in her eyes told him something.
“I’m good. Working a few things out in my head.”
“Anything I can help with?” He took a moment to correct one of the boys, who looked like he was doing some kind of old-school break dance rather than smothering flames.
“You could tell me what sounds good for dinner.”
She stepped away to settle a couple of kids down without letting him answer. If he didn’t know her, he might have bought the act. Might have believed the only thing on her mind was food. Might have believed everything was fine.
But he’d held this woman in his arms as nightmares tormented her. He’d watched her laugh with total abandon, seen her eyes fill with sadness, anger, and passion. He’d studied her body language and knew when she was relaxed or overflowing with energy, and he’d felt the sting of her wards shutting him out.
She hadn’t exactly slammed the door to her emotions on him this time, but her walls were being erected one brick at a time. By the time he climbed into his truck on Saturday, he’d bet a million dollars she’d have built a fortress. He got it. It hadn’t been that long ago he’d done the same. Tried to make a clean break. To lessen the pain. Add on the rest of the crap going on like losing a home and having an insane man after her? He didn’t blame her for shutting down.
He'd also seen the flash of guilt in her eyes when her student mentioned the apartment fire and someone else being homeless now.
What she needed, what they both needed, was a break from the crazy.
Kat, having gotten the kids back under control and given them a worksheet on fire practices, leaned against her desk. “So, what’s it going to be tonight? McDonald’s? Taco Bell? Kentucky Fried Chicken?”
“None of those. I know this great little restaurant in Mystic. We can take a stroll down by the river afterwards. Maybe hit that place that has
the great ice cream right by the bridge. Just get out and be normal people for the night.”
Her eyes grew wide, as a slow smile built. A throaty laugh escaped before she clamped her mouth shut. She looked around quickly at the kids, then stepped closer into his personal space. “Thank you.” Her gorgeous smile wavered as her brows pulled in. “But do you think it’s safe? What if he sees me?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
“Never mind. It was a bad idea.” Her shoulders slumped. She gave his arm a light squeeze and walked away to look over the students’ work.
The disappointment ate away at him.
He wanted to see Kat smiling again, laughing, and feeling carefree. She shouldn’t have to live her life in hiding, only coming out to work and then scurrying back to her hole like a mouse. No one should have to live that way. And who knew how long, if ever, it would take to find this guy. He’d gotten careless at the apartment complex, watching the fire, and being seen. Not that they were any closer to finding out his identity.
What would she do after he left? Live the life of a hermit? Take her mom up on the personal bodyguard offer? Or say screw it and live life on her own terms? Shawn would bet everything he had on the last option. The Kat Jones he knew only followed the rules for so long—something he understood. Every now and then, everyone needed to jump on the back of the bull and ride life to the fullest.
To turn up the music loud and let the inner rocker out.
To have no regrets.
Screw it. He was done letting some nameless face control their lives. It was time to take the bull by the horns and if their friend was watching, they’d show him they weren’t afraid. He didn’t get to call the shots in other people’s lives.
Kat walked up to him, her gaze searching his face. The silence built as she studied him. Emotions and questions swirled over her face and eyes. After several long moments, she reached out and laid a hand on his arm.
“What?” he barked, surprising himself. Lowering his voice, he said, “Sorry.”
Before the Dawn Page 25