Passionate Heat

by Rachel Kenley

  He wasn’t a patient kid growing up, but Army training and civilian work had taught him the value of being focused and methodical. His colleagues were always amazed by his ability to spend hours moving slowly over a site and find what he needed even if he didn’t know what he was looking for. More than ever, he wanted that skill to work for him now.

  He continued to take pictures, grateful for digital cameras with large memory cards. When he was in the back of the building, he heard the distinctive hum of a hybrid car, and looked up to see a small silver vehicle pulling up next to his in the lot. Harlow came to stand by him as he watched Jillian get out of the car. He was too far away to shout a greeting, so he walked to her.

  “Good morning. What brings you here?”

  “I saw your car in the lot, and even though you’ve only just arrived in town, I wanted to know how things were going with the investigation.”

  “Nothing much to tell at the moment. I got here less than an hour ago myself and I’m still working on the perimeter.”

  “I hope you catch this person and prove it was arson soon. It will go a long way to help with getting a check from the insurance company.”

  “You lost me on that one.”

  “This place belongs – belonged – to me. Didn’t Charlie tell you?”

  “No, he didn’t,” Miles said and if he discovered any more surprises the man left out they were going to have to have a serious talk. “What were you building?”

  “It was going to be a combination dance studio and physical therapy center. That’s why you found me at the gym. I was only weeks away from opening here with my first clients and students.” Her voice caught at the end.

  “Let’s sit down,” Miles said. It was clear this place had meant something to her. They found a pile of cinderblocks left by the builders and sat together. “Tell me more.”

  “It’s no big deal…” she started.

  “Now, there’s a familiar phrase, coming from you. You always thought everyone else’s dreams were more important than yours. I didn’t agree with it then and I don’t buy it now.” He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her.

  She took it with a smile. “A cloth handkerchief? That’s unexpected. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll tell you about this place if you tell me when and why you started carrying around one of these.”

  “It’s a habit born of totally practicality. On one of my earliest training days, I learned you can’t count on having full protective gear or even a shirt which will easily cover your nose and mouth during a blaze. I’ve made sure to have one of these in my pockets ever since. It’s saved my life a time or two.”

  “Makes sense.”

  Harlow chose that minute to come over and nudge Miles, then Jillian. “She wants an introduction,” he said. “Harlow this is Jillian. Jillian, this is my partner and friend, Harlow.”

  Jillian put out her hand. “How do you do, Harlow?” The dog took that as an open invitation to sniff around Jillian’s neck, then made her laugh when she licked her lightly and gave her cold nose kisses. “It’s nice to meet you, too, beautiful girl.”

  “So, tell me about this place,” Miles said.

  “When I turned thirty a few months ago, I learned my mother had put a substantial sum of money into a trust for me. I used it to buy the land, design my new business and start – and nearly complete – the construction.”

  “Did you leave Rob before or after your birthday?”

  “Before, although this inheritance certainly made it easier to resist all of his suggestions and pleading to come back to him.”

  “I would imagine so.” Harlow walked off and he followed her with his eyes before asking one of the questions he really wanted the answer to. “Why did you marry him?”

  She sighed and kicked at a rock. “A lot happened after you left. We had shared so much that night, only to have my father ruin it with threats and accusations. If you wrote to me after, I never got the letters, and I have no doubt my father could have kept them from me when…” Her voice trailed off.

  “When?”

  “When I was recovering from a car accident,” she said.

  “What accident?”

  She looked at him and more tears threatened her ability to speak. It seemed appropriate to be sitting near the rubble of one broken dream as she told him about what happened to an earlier one.

  Taking a deep breath, she said, “It was late August, two months after my graduation, and I hadn’t heard from you. I was still angry with you for what I saw as stubbornness against anything my father said. I had been sulking for most of the summer, driving my father and everyone around me crazy. Finally, I agreed to go with some friends to the lake for an end-of-season bonfire bash, to try to cheer myself up and see off friends who were going to college.”

  “You were still planning to go to Boston Conservatory, right?”

  She nodded. “I was supposed to be leaving in two weeks. Rob was very kind and attentive after you left.”

  Miles snorted. She continued, “I wasn’t interested in him and I made that clear, but he was persistent. Anyway, the party wasn’t much fun. I never did have many close friends at our school. Rob came over to me along with another couple, Peter and Tanya, and suggested we leave, maybe take in a late movie somewhere. I didn’t want to stay, so I agreed.”

  “And there was an accident.”

  “Someone cut us off at an intersection just south of here. Rob was driving and lost control of the car. We went off the road and smashed into a tree, passenger side first. Tanya was sitting behind me, and we were both trapped. The door was wedged into my leg and I remember feeling blood. I knew there was a lot because I could smell it too, sort of metallic. When they pulled me out, it started gushing and I passed out soon after.”

  “The door was holding you together, keeping the wound from gaping.”

  “Yes, I woke in the hospital in a cast and attached to all sorts of IVs. I was told that in addition to a broken leg, part of the door sliced through muscle and nerves, causing severe damage. They weren’t certain for a while if I was going to gain enough strength in the leg to walk again. Dancing was, of course, out of the question.”

  “It must have been awful.”

  “I cried until I couldn’t anymore. As a matter of fact, I wore myself out from so much of it. I’ve hardly cried since, current tearing to the contrary.”

  “Clearly their prognosis about your walking was wrong.”

  “I’m as stubborn as you sometimes,” she said.

  “I prefer ‘determined’.”

  “So do I. It was a long rehabilitation, as you probably understand, and took the better part of a year. The next September, I went to college closer to home and became, as you know, a physical therapist.”

  “And Rob?”

  “Felt terrible about being part of ruining my dance career. He was very attentive and kind, visiting me regularly during my recovery and then at college.”

  “During which time you never heard from me.”

  She nodded. “So I thought you were out of my life. The longer you were gone, the harder it was not to listen to and believe my father. For a long time, it was as if I’d forgotten how to be strong.”

  “You seem to be doing better now.”

  “I am. It was harder than I thought, but it’s been worth it.”

  “Remember, he only has the control you give him. I’m glad you’re taking that back.” He took her hand in his. “I’m so sorry for all you went through, for all you lost, and most of all, for not being there.”

  She swallowed past a lump in her throat. So much for not crying. She whispered, “Thank you,” and as she stared into his eyes, he moved forward slowly and kissed her.

  This was nothing like yesterday’s kiss, which was fueled by frustration and filled with passion. Today his mouth was soft and yielding, offering comfort and understanding. The emotions rushing through her took her breath away, and she brought her hand up to caress his face.
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br />   He moaned at the gentle touch and brought his arms around her, pulling her closer. She opened her mouth and welcomed his tongue into hers, linking them, connecting them. Breathing in the scent of him, she ran her hands through his short hair, relearning how he felt. She could almost taste his understanding and sympathy for what she had been through. In this moment, she couldn’t imagine how she ever believed he had turned his back on her, and she allowed herself to accept how much she had missed him, both talking to him and being with him. Being in his arms felt so good, so right.

  A soft woof made them reluctantly end the kiss, although Miles still held her gaze.

  “Can’t you see I’m busy?” Miles said to Harlow. She barked again.

  “Maybe she doesn’t like seeing you with another woman.”

  “Then she and I are going to have to have a long talk later. What is it, girl?” he asked, finally turning to the dog.

  She dropped something at their feet and gave a full bark.

  “Oh my Lord,” Jillian exclaimed, as she picked up the piece of gold jewelry. “It’s my charm bracelet. I can’t work with it on, so I take it off frequently. I was wearing it on the day of the fire, but left it in my desk because I went to help the painters. When I couldn’t find it after the fire, I realized I must have lost it in the blaze. Oh, Harlow, you’re wonderful.” She gave the dog a hug.

  “I remember it well,” The last time he had seen it she had been wearing it in bed with him. “There should be one on there from me.”

  She blushed. “There was. I took it off. I do still have it, though.”

  “I hope you’ll consider putting it back on.”

  Without a pause, she said, “I will. I can’t believe she found it.”

  “When she was nuzzling you, she must have picked up your scent, then found it again in the debris.”

  “Harlow, you are amazing,” she said. The dog barked in agreement. “Thank you so much.”

  “Can I put it on you?” he asked.

  “Yes, please,” she said and held out her wrist. He fastened the clasp, which looked small in his large hands. He bent forward and kissed the exposed part of her wrist, sending a new shiver through her body and making her want to pick up where they left off. As she leaned in, a car’s honking made them jump apart. Jillian looked up to see a Mercedes drive by, as the female driver waved at her.

  “Who was that?”

  “Tanya.”

  “The girl from the crash?”

  “Yeah, she married Peter, who was Rob’s best friend. We all hung out when she and Peter were together. They split about two years ago. Well, the news of my sitting here with you should be all over town before dinner tonight.”

  “Ah, small town life. Is it going to be a problem?”

  “Not for me. I’ve always been seen in this town as a little strange. How about for you?”

  “Not in the least. I’ve always been considered a troublemaker. But why don’t we give any other passers-by something to really talk about?” he said and kissed her again.

  From their first tentative kiss years ago, she had loved connecting like this with him. Because so much time had passed, it was if she was experiencing it all again. She was reminded of innocent, easier days when all they did was kiss, talk and kiss some more. Nothing else was needed during that time of sexual awakening and discovery. Everything could be satisfied with a simple meeting of the lips. Memories sweet and bittersweet flooded her, along with the pleasure and warmth of having him close.

  She could have sat there all day in his arms, but the next interruption came from the ringing of his cell phone. “It’s Charlie,” he said, looking at the caller ID. “I’d better get to the station and print out the pictures I have of the three sites. There’s a lot to be done to catch this guy.”

  “I’m glad you’re here to help. I trust you,” she said simply as she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. She meant it completely. He’d been back only a day and already her world was changing.

  Chapter Four

  Jillian walked into her office sweating from her jazz class, feeling wonderful and more energized than she had in weeks, only to find Norman Wagner sitting behind her desk as if it were his. She sent a silent thank-you to the electronics store geek who’d persuaded her to password-protect her computer. She had no doubt he’d go through her files if he could. “Hi, Dad,” she said in a monotone. Visits from her father were never welcome, less so when she had no time to prepare.

  “Hello, kitten,” he said.

  She groaned inwardly and tried not to wince visibly. The endearment told her whatever his reason for being here, he was going to try to influence her with kindness. Sometimes it was harder to resist than his anger, but she heard Miles’s voice in her head. He only has the control you give him, she remembered, and felt more confident than she had in a while. “What can I do for your today?”

  “Can’t a father simply come by to visit his daughter?”

  “Yes, of course, but that’s not your style. You always say the phone is for setting up appointments, and that talking face to face is for getting things accomplished.”

  “I suppose I should be pleased to know you listen to me.”

  “On occasion, yes.”

  “Then I want you to listen to me now. It’s time for you to come to your senses. You’ve made your point. You want your independence. I can respect that, but it doesn’t mean you need to live by yourself in a condo.”

  “Why, because it’s not one you own?” She took a long drink from her water bottle as she watched her father’s cheeks redden. They both knew she’d chosen the place on purpose. It was spiteful and immature, but it was also kind of fun, and she had no regrets.

  “You know that’s not it. No one in our family gets a divorce. You and Rob need to work things out.”

  “Dad, we’ve had this conversation countless times over the last several months, and it’s a waste of time. It’s too late for Rob and me.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course it’s not too late.”

  “I am not being ridiculous,” she said firmly, surprised she had said it out loud. Normally she only thought her smart retorts and managed to keep them to herself. “And I don’t need to come to my senses either. I am thinking perfectly clearly.”

  “Not from where I’m sitting,” he answered.

  “Well, you shouldn’t be sitting there anyway.” As usual, he ignored her words and focused only on the results he wanted. It might work for him in business, but it wasn’t going to work with her.

  “This is my office, and it’s my life. I am a grown woman and your days of telling me what’s right for me are over.” She was shaking inside and hoped her father couldn’t tell. If he noticed any hesitation on her part, he’d pounce and her confidence was still too new to withstand a direct attack from him.

  He stood up from her desk and walked toward her. Needing to keep her distance, she changed places with him and sat in her chair. She hated it being warm from his body. Still, it was good to be there. It added to her self-assurance and reminded her of the independence she was striving to have in her life.

  “I don’t understand you anymore,” he said. He sounded almost resigned, but Jillian knew it could be another ploy to get her to change her mind.

  “Dad, you’ve never understood me, any more than you understood Mom. I wish you could see that I don’t need you to understand my decisions, only to accept them and hopefully support them.”

  “How can I do that when I think you’re making a horrible mistake?”

  “By not staying married to a man I don’t like, let alone love? By starting a business instead of a family?”

  “Yes, all of those things. You shouldn’t be on your own. There’s no need for it.”

  “You’re wrong, Dad. I most definitely should. I will not spend my life standing in the shadows of someone else’s goals, as Mom did.”

  “Your mother…”

  “Is not someone I am going to discuss with you. We both kn
ow she was unhappy and wanted more, and we both know you discouraged us both whenever you could.”

  “I supported all those dance lessons, missy. Don’t you forget that.” The convincing her with kindness portion of the conversation was clearly over. She braced herself for the guilt. “I paid for your rehabilitation after the accident, your college years and your fancy wedding.”

  “And for those things, the wedding not included, you have my gratitude, but I do not owe you anything. I am your daughter, not your employee.”

  Before her father could answer, his cell phone rang. She knew from his expression when he looked at the number it that it was business. As he spoke brusquely on the phone, she closed her eyes and pictured the things that made her feel powerful – dancing, her future studio, and her mom. An image of Miles naked above her flashed into her mind, surprising her and bringing a flush to her cheeks. Thinking of him and knowing he was near was helpful. He had only been back in her life a few days, but already his presence was making it easier for her to accept strengths about herself that Rob and her father had eroded over the years.

  “I have to go,” her father said as he snapped his phone shut, breaking her out of her thoughts.

  “Not a problem.”

  “We’ll talk more later.”

  “I don’t doubt it, but for the record, there is nothing more to say about my marriage or my choices.”