One Hundred Ways: An Aspen Cove Romance

by Collins, Kelly

  He rose from his prone position and pulled the box onto his lap. “Pizza, of course.”

  “Right.” She picked up her discarded slice and took a ravenous bite. Who knew kissing a sexy fireman could build such an appetite?

  They sat on the blanket and ate pizza while Luke asked about her art.

  “Sam wants two metal sculptures for the concert. Did she tell you about them?”

  He shook his head.

  The urge to begin drawing and cutting had her bouncing up and down like a kid waiting for ice cream truck money. Her arms became animated as she described how he would have to ignite the fireworks at the finale.

  “I better not have to be shirtless and carry a puppy.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “It’s my costume for the calendar. They have me wearing the bottom half of my turnout gear and holding a puppy.”

  “Aww, I love puppies.”

  He rolled his eyes. “What about shirtless firemen?”

  She shrugged. “Don’t know. I’ve never seen one.”

  He closed the pizza box and pushed to his feet. “Maybe next date?”

  Her eyes shot open wide. “This was a date?”

  “We had dinner, talked and kissed. Best date I’ve had in a long time.”

  He offered her his hand and pulled her to a standing position.

  “What about Mark’s wife? Did you date her?”

  “Nope, she sat next to me at Cannon and Sage’s wedding.”

  “Did you eat and talk?”

  He turned his head and gave her a knowing look. “We did, but I never did this to her.” He sucked the air straight from her lungs with his next kiss. It lasted long enough to make her dizzy.

  When they broke apart, she stepped back and drew in a huge breath. “A warning next time might be nice. I can’t breathe.”

  “I know CPR.” He licked his lips and lifted his eyes in a flirty way.

  “I may need it if you keep kissing me like that.”

  He gently pinched her chin between his fingers and looked into her eyes. “When I kiss you, I’ll leave you breathless and wanting more.”

  He picked up the pizza box and walked out. He did as he promised. He left her wanting more. So damn much more.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next few days kept Luke busy. A small forest fire broke out halfway between Aspen Cove and Cross Creek that kept the tiny firehouse hopping. He was always happy to help neighboring units.

  Since he could remember, Luke believed good begot good. He supposed it was the same as believing in karma.

  His team returned to the station, tired and covered in soot. Though the fire was out, their work would continue. The equipment needed to be cleaned and the rig washed.

  “You going over to see your girl later?” Thomas pulled his helmet from the truck.

  “My girl? She’s about as much mine as you are Abby’s.”

  Thomas groaned. “Not true. You’ve played tonsil hockey with Riley. I haven’t gotten an arm's length next to Abby.”

  “That’s by choice, although I don’t see why not. She’s pretty and nice.”

  Thomas shook his head. “She’s also a woman of childbearing years who no doubt wants marriage and kids.”

  “All right, Mr. Confirmed Bachelor, I’m rushing to the shower to get this crap off me.” He wiped at the black on his face. “I’ll be out in a few.” He removed his turnout gear and dragged his tired ass to the showers.

  It was amazing how soap and water could renew a man. He pulled on clean clothes and headed back to the rig to help his crew get it ready for the next event, which he hoped was a long way away.

  James was winding the hose when he walked in. There was at least one man at the station at all times. Today it was James.

  “Everything quiet?”

  He nodded. “Mrs. Brown called, asking for you. She said she couldn’t find Tom.”

  Luke chuckled. “Poor Tom most likely ran away.”

  “I went by and found him hunkered in the corner of the dormer window, dressed as a bat.”

  Luke couldn’t imagine what that looked like. “A bat? As in flying, rabies-infected mammal, or wooden implement to hit a ball?”

  “Black with wings. She’s getting ready for Halloween.”

  “But that's months away.”

  James tucked the nozzle inside and stood back. “I’ll never understand.”

  As Luke went to grab his gear so he could air it out and wipe it down, one of the alarms rang. When the station was built, it was equipped with automatic alarms connected to the Guild Creative Center and a few other businesses, like Maisey’s Diner. Eventually, they’d have the entire town wired so when a smoke detector went off, they got an alert.

  James hit the alarm, and the crew rushed forward, jumping into their gear.

  Thomas drove the rig while James hopped in the truck, and they sped with sirens blaring over to the Guild Creative Center.

  Luke held his breath until they rounded the corner and saw no smoke billowing from the building. Didn’t mean there wasn’t a fire, but at this point, there wasn’t a large event.

  They rushed into the building, checking each unit until they got the end unit—Riley’s unit.

  He found her standing at the door with a folded piece of butcher paper in her hand, fanning the smoke from her studio into the hallway and toward the back door.

  “You got a problem, ma’am?” he called over the loud alarm warbling through the building. He could see from his position a few feet away there was no fire, but there was certainly an exhaust issue.

  He expected her to come back with some kind of funny retort. She seemed to have a lot of snark in her arsenal, but when he got closer and she moved the paper from in front of her face, all he saw were reddened eyes and streams of tears.

  She looked at the crowd gathering around outside, peeking through her windows. His crew lined up behind him.

  He turned to James. “Cut the alarm and tell everyone it’s okay to return to their studios.” James took off toward the back door, where the control panel was. Seconds later, the wail of the alarm stopped.

  “I’m so sorry. I… I don’t know what’s going on. I was working, and all of a sudden there was a beeping noise, then a screeching sound. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  He didn’t understand the tears or the apologies. Nothing had happened. Did she think a fire alarm would send him running the other way?

  He looked at his crew, who stood waiting for direction. “Give me the keys, James.” James tossed him the keys to the truck.

  Luke nodded toward Thomas. “Can you handle cleaning and prepping the rig?”

  “I got it.” Thomas took a few steps forward and glanced inside Riley’s studio. “You want me to disburse the crowd?”

  “Yes, please.” Luke marched over to the windows and yanked down the blinds. “Show’s over!” he yelled.

  He wasn’t sure the looky-loos could hear him through the triple-paned glass, but he hoped so, because if the building had been on fire, they would have been in the way. What was it about people and their need to rubberneck disasters?

  Riley swiped at the tears in her eyes. “I’ve wasted your time.”

  He watched his crew disappear around the corner and pulled her into his arms. “This is my job. It’s not a waste of time. Tell me what happened.”

  “I didn’t start a fire. I was welding.” She pointed toward the center of the room, where a piece of sheet metal was transforming into a guitar.

  He had to admit, it was going to be amazing when she finished.

  “Okay, was there a lot of smoke?” He took in the space around them. He had to give her credit. Her work area was tidy. The tanks were located far away from the flames. There weren’t any obvious safety issues.

  “No, not really. Metal burns fairly clean.” She took in a deep, jagged breath. “Everyone thinks I’m a loser. It’s a small town, and in five minutes there will be a rumor I burned down the Guild
Creative Center.”

  He couldn’t argue with her on that point. Small towns were notorious for gossip, but he had to give the people of Aspen Cove credit. They were a forgiving bunch and didn’t generally rush to judgment.

  “It will blow over.”

  She took a step back. “You don’t understand. My whole life, I’ve been blamed for things I didn’t do. I try and try, and bad luck follows me like a damn dark cloud.”

  Still dressed in his gear, Luke stripped down to the clothes he wore underneath, then returned to pull her into his arms.

  “You can’t be blamed for a fire when there wasn’t one.”

  Rounding the door were Doc and Bobby Williams. They were still on the reserve roster and often came out to local calls.

  “Heard there was a fire.” One look at Riley wrapped in Luke’s arms, and Doc continued. “Thought it had something to do with flames, not hormones.” He turned to look at Bobby, standing next to him. “False alarm.”

  “Everything good here?” Bobby asked.

  “Got it under control.” He held her tightly.

  Both men turned and disappeared, and seconds later Riley’s knees gave way and she melted into the floor. A heap of tears and wails.

  He rushed over to close the door to her studio, then came back, swooped her up from the cold cement floor and walked her to where the moving blanket still sat on the floor.

  He lowered himself but kept her in his arms. She curled up in his lap like a wounded bird seeking refuge.

  “Shhh, it’s okay.”

  “No, it’s not.” She looked up at him. “You started this. You told everyone I was a safety hazard, and now they’ll believe it.”

  He palmed her shoulders and held her far enough away for him to see her face. “I didn’t tell everyone.”

  Again, she sucked in a jagged breath. “I heard you at the bonfire. You’re a man of influence in this town. People will believe you.”

  “I’ll set them straight.”

  She buried her face in his shirt. “You smell like smoke.”

  “Still?” He lowered his nose and inhaled. He didn’t smell anything but her. Being next to her was like standing in the center of an orange orchard. “I showered.”

  She rose up and brushed her nose against his neck. “Okay, you smell like soap and cedar.”

  “Better than smoke.” He scooted until his back was against the wall, then he cradled her in his lap. “Let’s talk about what happened here.”

  She brushed the hairs that had escaped her ponytail from her face. “I told you, I don’t know what set it off.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about, but let’s address that first.” He turned her so her back was to his front, but she still sat on his lap. “Did you turn on the exhaust system before you started?”

  “The what?”

  He chuckled. “There’s our problem.” He pointed to the wall and the knob next to the light switch. “This is a state-of-the-art building, and that is your exhaust system. It’s designed to remove gases, smoke, and smells from the air. When it’s not on, they build up and the system senses it. It probably beeped at you for several minutes before the alarm sounded, right?”

  She nodded. “Yes, but I had no idea. I thought it was an air conditioner and the temp was fine, so I didn’t mess with it.”

  “Problem solved. Next time, mess with it. Now, on to the next issue. Why so emotional?” He wrapped his arms around her middle, pinning her to him.

  “I don’t know.”

  “You do. What happened to my bold, beautiful woman?”

  He could feel her swallow hard. “She’s not real. She’s someone I’m trying on for size. She seemed to fit until now. You seemed to like her, and now I’m not sure what you think.”

  He was glad she was facing away from him, or she’d see the shock in his expression. “I like you, Riley.” He nuzzled her neck until her whole body shuddered against him. “Why are you so worried about what others think?”

  She spent the next fifteen minutes telling him about her life. How her mother had left her and her twin brother when they were a month old. How her father needed a woman to help care for his children. How he’d married Kathy within weeks of meeting her. She talked about how her father left them emotionally long before he left them physically. He’d drowned his sorrows in a bottle of vodka before he drowned himself by passing out while doing dishes.

  Her brother left when he graduated from college.

  “Everyone leaves me. I have no one.”

  “Not true.” He shifted her around so she straddled his legs. He wiped her wet cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. “You’ve got Dalton and Maisey, and you’ve got me.”

  He watched a twitch of a smile play at her lips. “You’ll run as fast and far as you can once you leave here. Everyone does.”

  He pulled her forward until his lips were barely touching hers. “I don’t run away. I run to. I’m not going anywhere, Riley.” His hands skimmed her sides while his lips brushed hers. It was a tentative kiss. Not because he was unsure, but because he wanted to make sure she was on board.

  When she rocked forward, her core against his growing hardness, he knew she was all in. He opened his mouth and tasted her sweetness.

  Their tongues danced while his hands caressed all the places he could feel. When his fingers trailed across her back, she stiffened.

  He pulled away. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I’m good.”

  “You want me to stop touching you?”

  Her head shook. “No, I'd like you to touch me. God, I’m so pathetic.” She let her head fall forward. “I’m starved for attention.”

  He cleared his throat. “Riley, I want you to be with me because you want me, not because you’re starved for attention.”

  She gripped his shoulders like there was a chance he’d also abandon her.

  There was no way he’d leave her now. He’d kissed her, tasted her, and somehow, she’d gotten into his system. She was as necessary as the blood that ran through his veins.

  “I’m sorry, I’ll be better.”

  He thumbed her chin so she was forced to look at him. “Be you. You’re perfect the way you are.”

  “How would you know?”

  “Because, sweetheart, I see you.” He stared into her blue eyes and realized they weren’t the color of a clear sky or tropical sea. They were speckled with green— a color he’d always associated with hope.

  Chapter Seventeen

  It’d been two days since the incident at the studio. Two glorious days, or she should say two amazing nights.

  The first night, Luke took her back to his place, where he cooked her an omelet and they curled up on the couch and watched scary movies. So scary she ended up in his lap, but she figured that was the plan.

  Last night when she finished work, he was waiting outside, leaning against his SUV, dressed in worn jeans and a T-shirt.

  He didn’t tell her where they were going; he simply helped her inside the car and drove. Twenty minutes later, they were at a ranch. Ten minutes after, they were on a horse, her sitting in front of him. He took her to a vista, where they watched the sunset. Where he kissed all doubt from her mind she wasn’t perfect the way she was.

  Standing in front of the mirror, she slicked on her gloss and tucked the stray hair she couldn’t get to behave behind her ear. She’d dressed in jeans because Luke always commented on how nice she looked when she wore them and paired the outfit with a button-down plaid blouse.

  Luke was a country boy at heart. His story wasn’t much different than hers, except he was missing the wicked stepmother.

  “That’s as good as it’s going to get,” she told herself. She trotted down the stairs and opened the door to find Katie struggling with a box in one hand and her toddler on her hip.

  “Oh, my goodness. I need another set of hands.”

  “Let me help.” Riley took the box since she had no idea what to do with a child.

  Katie
opened the door to the bakery and led her inside. “Put that over there.” She pointed to the stainless-steel table in the center of the room. “I bought some rubber mats called Silpats. Maybe they’ll stop Ben from burning the cookies. I swear, ever since your aunt got her hair redone, that man’s brain has turned to mush.”

  “She definitely entered the twenty-first century with a bang. I love it.” Riley set the heavy box on the table.

  “Me, too.” She looked down at her daughter. “Have you met Sahara?”

  Riley took a step back. Children scared her. Only because she considered herself a poor candidate for motherhood, given her role model.

  “No, but she’s so cute.” The baby propped on Katie’s hip was a beauty. Golden ringlets hung down to her shoulders, and eyes that looked like a summer sky smiled back from the sweetest face.

  “Sahara, this is your cousin Riley. Can you say Riley?” Katie moved forward and set Sahara in a playpen full of toys. “She doesn’t say much yet. A few words like down and up, and of course dada and mumum. I’m not sure if the last one is her calling me or telling me she wants to eat.”

  Riley laughed. “Before you know it, she’ll be talking your ear off and you’ll remember the glorious days when she had a vocabulary of four words.”

  “No doubt.” She looked to the ceiling. “Everything good up there for you?”

  “Yes, in fact. I’m making good tips at the diner, and I’d like to pay you something.”

  Katie was already shaking her head before Riley finished her sentence. “Not necessary. How could I charge you for something given to me?”

  “Easy. Heck, I paid three hundred dollars a month to live in the space above my dad’s workshop, and it didn’t even have a kitchen. I microwaved everything.”

  Katie’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh my gosh, another microwave wizard. You and Sage will have to get together and compare notes. I don’t think she’s ever cooked anything that couldn’t be nuked in under ten minutes.”