by Heather Lyn
Copyright © 2016 Heather Lyn
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Author acknowledges the use of trademarked titles, names, and places. Author does not claim to own these and was not asked to promote them. Author holds no copyright to them and does not gain anything from their mention.
This book is intended for mature audiences due to graphic language and sexual content.
Contact the author: HEATHER LYN
Editing: Hot Tree Editing
Formatting: RMGraphX
Photographer: Allan Spiers
Cover Design: MGBookcovers
Model: Chase Ketron
Hearts Ablaze
Hearts on Fire Series
Book One
By Heather Lyn
CHAPTER 1
AUBREY
This can’t be happening. There has to be some kind of mistake. My father can’t be dying; it doesn’t make any sense. He’s always been an active and healthy man, taking good care of himself. They have to be wrong.
He just broke the news to my older brother, Landon, and me. We’re seated at the dining room table in my parents’ house, across from my mother and father. Mom’s crying, and Dad’s clearly shaken.
“No. They have to be wrong. Maybe they got the results switched with someone else.” I’m adamant that he’s going to be okay. I look over at Landon; he appears to be in shock, no emotion in his blue eyes. His jaw is clenched and he won’t look any of us in the eye. “Right, Land?” I need him to agree with me, need to hear him say they’re wrong. But he remains silent.
“Baby girl, I’m so sorry. I went and spoke to my doctor this afternoon about the results. They aren’t wrong, and there’s not a whole lot they’re going to be able to do. It’s very aggressive and they won’t be able to operate. They’re going to start treatment as soon as they can, but there is a chance it won’t help.” Dad reaches across the table to take my hands in his own, trying to soothe me as best he can. But nothing will make this better.
“We’ll fight this, Dad. You’re the strongest man I know. You can beat this,” Landon finally speaks. He rises from the table and rubs a hand over the short strands of his brown hair, forcing a smile on his face. “I gotta get going, since the guys are waiting for me, but we’ll talk tomorrow, Dad. Promise.” He claps Dad on the back, gives Mom a kiss on the cheek, and, without another word, strides to the front door. The sound of it slamming shut echoes throughout the house.
Dad stands from the table and walks over to sit in the chair next to me.
“Listen to me, Aubrey. I know this is scary. Hell, I had no idea that was going to be the result of all my tests. But it’s going to be okay. I promise you.” I can see the tears in his eyes as he speaks, mirroring my own. I reach out and wrap my arms around his neck, breathing in the familiar scent of my father.
“I love you so much, Daddy,” I whisper into his shoulder.
“I love you too, Aubrey.”
Wiping the tears from my face, I stand and move to give my mom a hug. She hasn’t stopped crying, but her arms wind around me tightly.
“Love you, Momma.”
“Oh, my beautiful girl. I love you too.”
Standing on shaky legs, I walk to the living room to grab my purse, throwing it over my shoulder before heading back into the dining room to say good-bye to my parents. As I step through the doorway, I see my dad holding my mom as she quietly weeps. I swallow the lump in my throat, my eyes stinging as I quickly turn around and leave the house. Hopping into my Camry, I pull out my cell phone and call my best friend and roommate, Kennedy.
“Hey, Kenni, are you home yet?” I’m trying my best to keep my composure, but I’m failing. And quickly.
“I just pulled in the driveway. Why?”
I can hear the concern in her voice, which just causes the tears to come down faster. “Uh, I...” I can’t even form a sentence. I don’t know what to say.
“Aubrey, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”
“My dad. He’s sick. What if he dies? What am I supposed to do, Kenni?” I can barely talk, but over my sobs, I hear Kennedy telling me to calm down and drive home safely. I get myself under control, wiping my face with the back of my hand. Starting the car, I slowly back down my parents’ driveway and drive home with a million thoughts racing through my head.
Why is this happening to us? Why my dad?
Ten minutes later, I pull into the complex where Kennedy and I share an apartment. It’s an older three-story building with six units; we share a small two-bedroom apartment on the third floor. I slowly walk up the stairs, mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of questions I know are coming my way. I just wish I had answers. Pushing open the door, I’m immediately greeted with Kennedy pacing the small area in the front hall.
“Aubrey! Jesus, what the hell is going on?! I could barely understand you on the phone. Are you okay?” She pulls me in for a hug, which I immediately return. We met our freshman year in college; we were roommates and just clicked, becoming fast friends, and now I’m so grateful to have her here. Her brown eyes are filled with concern as we head into the small living room and kitchen area. We sit together on the sofa so I can fill her in.
“He seems so together, but I think he’s freaking out, Kenni. It’s like he’s trying to be brave for me and Landon and Mom, but you can see how scared he is. You know my dad. He’s the toughest guy I know. He says they have to start treatment now, but there is a good chance it won’t do anything. And then what, Kenni? We just have to sit around and be okay with the fact that Dad is going to die? It’s a total fucking nightmare!”
“Aubrey, it’s going to be okay. I know that’s probably the worst thing I could be saying to you, but it is. We’ll get through this. How did Landon take the news?” She brushes her long brown hair off her shoulders and leans forward to grab my hands.
“Okay, I guess. He didn’t really react at all, just told Dad we were going to fight this and that he believed in him.” It’s killing me to talk about this; it’s all so surreal.
“Kenni, let’s go out for a while. I really need to think about anything else.”
“Are you sure, Aubrey? Are you really feeling up to it? I’m more than comfortable just hanging out here tonight. Whatever you want to do.”
Kennedy’s such a good friend, but hanging out at home will just have me thinking about my dad all night. I can’t do that.
“No, I’m sure. I could use a couple drinks, believe me. You want to try out that new bar downtown—Wheelers, I think it was called? Let me throw on some fresh clothes and we can head out. Why don’t you call us a cab while I start getting ready?”
Kennedy pulls out her phone to find a cab company as I head into my bedroom. It’s springtime in Tennessee, so I want to make sure I dress right. I finally decide on my best skinny jeans, my favorite red heels, and a black shirt that shows off what little curves I have. Grabbing my curling iron, I add a couple curls to my shoulder-length blonde hair. Luckily, my blue eyes aren’t too red, so I throw just a little mascara and eyeliner on and dab on some lip gloss. I spritz some of my favorite perfume on my neck and wrists and decide I’m good to go.
Leaving my bedroom, I find her waiting for me in the hallway. She’s straightened her hair so it
falls to the middle of her back and is sporting her favorite black pumps with a purple lace top and a pair of black skinny jeans.
“Kenni, you look hot!”
“Thanks, biatch. Cab will be here any minute, so let’s go!”
I grab my clutch and follow her downstairs. We’ve just reached the lobby when the cab pulls up, so we climb inside and head for the bar. It’s a fairly short drive, only a few minutes; I grab some money from my clutch to pay the driver and we head inside.
It’s dimly lit, with a huge bar off to the left, tables and chairs filling one side, and a dance floor on the other. We go straight to the bar, each ordering a dirty martini before grabbing a vacant table top next to the dance floor. Taking a sip of my drink, I look around, taking in the tons of people dancing to the country music playing loudly over the speakers. We are just outside of Nashville, after all; country is a staple in a bar like this.
“All right, Aubrey. See anyone you like?” Kenni elbows me in the side as she sips her martini.
I break out into a smile and slap her arm. “I am not here to pick up guys! I’m just here to have a few drinks! Besides, picking up guys is your job, isn’t it?”
She sticks her tongue out at me then goes back to her martini and perusing.
I have no interest in a relationship; there’s way too much going on in my life at the moment. No, I’m here to hang out with my best friend, and have myself a damn good martini. Maybe I’ll even dance later.
Who knows what the night has in store for me?
CHAPTER 2
NOAH
“I swear, dude, I thought that chick was gonna punch you in the face! Hilarious!” My best friend Grayson smacks me on the back, cracking up as we relax after a shift at the firehouse. We’ve both been firefighters for the last seven years, having joined the academy right after high school. Best friends since first grade, it was no surprise to anyone that we both wanted to take the same career path.
“I’m sorry, Gray. Was I supposed to risk my life running back into that burning house to save her stuffed cat? I mean, seriously? That woman wanted me to die saving a stuffed animal! Honestly, what grown-ass woman still sleeps with stuffed animals! She was mental!”
That just makes him laugh harder, and I can’t keep the smile off my own face either. It was pretty funny. Being a firefighter, we see some pretty crazy things, but that was definitely the craziest. I just wanted to relax, go home, and sleep for twelve hours, but unfortunately, my best friend had other plans for us. Hence why we’re sitting in a bar, where I’m already on my third beer. I drain it and place the glass on the table.
“Gray, I’m going to go grab another. You coming?”
“Nah, man. I think I just found something better over there.” Nodding to a tall redhead on the other side of the room, Grayson grabs his beer and heads off. Shaking my head, I make my way over to the fairly crowded bar. I’m actually debating on just leaving when I feel someone bump into me. I spin around with the intention of telling them off, but then I see who it is. She has shoulder-length blonde hair and, in the dim light, I can’t quite make out the color of her eyes. She’s quite a bit shorter than my 6’3”, and she’s wearing a pair of jeans that look like they’re painted on.
Damn. She’s fucking beautiful.
“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, sweetheart. Barely a scratch on me.” I give her my biggest shit-eating grin and she starts cracking up.
“Yeah, that was probably a dumb thing to say, huh? Sorry, this has been a crazy night. Let me start over. I’m so sorry, you sexy son of a bitch, are you okay?”
Oh, this girl has sass. I like it.
“So, you agree. You think I’m sexy?” That’s all it takes before we’re both cracking up. Sticking my hand out to grasp hers, I shake it and introduce myself.
“Hi, I’m Noah. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Aubrey. Nice to meet you, Noah. I’d like to buy you a drink to apologize for all this nonsense, if that’s okay. What will you have?”
“Well, Aubrey, I’d love to have a drink with you, but where I come from, I’ll be the one buying. My momma would whoop my ass if she knew I let a pretty girl pay for her own drinks. So, what will it be?” I grab her hand and pull her over to the now free bartender. She smiles at me before asking for a dirty martini. I order her drink and another draft beer for myself, then turn to look at her. In the bright light of the bar, I can see her eyes clearer, and they are the most beautiful shade of blue. Reaching over to the bar, I hand Aubrey her drink then grab my beer. We clink the glasses together and take a drink.
“So, tell me something about yourself.”
“Well, let’s see. My favorite color is pink. I love country music, hence why I’m at a country bar. My favorite food is my mom’s lasagna. How about you?” She smiles at me.
“I also happen to like country music. I love football. No favorite color. And my favorite food would definitely have to be pizza. Any kind.” I take a pull from my beer as I watch her staring at me. I can’t get over how beautiful she is. We continue to drink in silence when a big grin comes over her face. She places her glass on the bar and turns to me.
“Oh, I love this song!! Would you like to dance?” She holds her hand out to me. I’m not much of a dancer, but for this girl, I could be.
I drain my beer and take her hand. “Let’s go.” I follow her out into the crowd of people as the sound of “Make Me Wanna” by Thomas Rhett blasts over the speakers.
Aubrey stops walking once we reach the center and starts to move her hips. She turns to me and places her hands on my arms, trying to get me to loosen up. I seize the opportunity and grab her hips, pulling her flush with my body. I start to sway with her, holding on tight, and she wraps her arms around my shoulders, following suit.
This girl. I barely know her yet I’m already done for. Her blue eyes are sparkling, her cheeks flushed from the dancing and drinks. I can’t get over how beautiful she is. And she’s awesome. Aubrey is a spunky little spitfire I’d like to get to know better. All too soon, the song ends and she removes her arms from my shoulders. And the sparkle is gone from her eyes.
“Noah, it was so nice to meet you. Thank you for the drink and the dance, but I’m sorry, I have to go. It’s late and I have work in the morning. Have a nice evening!” She leans up on tiptoes to kiss me on the cheek and then she’s gone. I watch her walk over to a tall brunette and whisper something in her ear. Her friend looks over at me then back to Aubrey.
Before I know it, they’re gone, walking out the door. And I’m left standing in the middle of the dance floor wondering what the hell just happened.
“Noah! What are you doing, man? Are you drunk? Must be, you never dance. And why are you just standing there?” Grayson has clearly had a few beers more than me, with all the questions and how loud he’s shouting in my ear. This is easily turning into the strangest day of my life. I can’t help but laugh when he throws an arm around my shoulders to steady himself.
“All right, buddy. Let’s get you home.”
Dragging him out to my Silverado, I fumble for my keys and try to keep him upright. Grayson may only be an inch taller than me, but he has me by at least 25 pounds. And with his drunk ass leaning on me like dead weight, it feels like even more.
“Dude, seriously? Were you fucking drugged? Just walk. I’m not fucking carrying you!”
Gray just starts laughing and lets go of me. “Yeah, I can walk. It’s not my fault everything around me is moving!”
Shaking my head at him, I finish walking the few steps to my truck. A drunk Grayson is so not funny. Or maybe it is; I just can’t concentrate on anything other than Aubrey. I should have at least gotten her number.
After making sure Grayson gets into his house, I head towards my own a few streets over. I bought it a couple years ago for a decent price. It needed a ton of work, but on my off days from the firehouse, I got it all done with help from my da
d, Grayson, and a couple guys from work. And I couldn’t be happier or prouder of the sight of it. It’s a single-story cape, with a large front porch we built ourselves. My mom insisted on having a porch swing set up, which I happen to love. It’s pretty spacious at just over two thousand square feet, with three bedrooms and two baths. I converted one into a workout room, and one is a guest room, usually occupied when my little sister Carmen is home from college.
After locking the front door, I head to my bedroom on the other side of the house. Walking through, I head for the connected master bathroom, turning on the water in the large walk-in shower. I showered after the last call of our shift, but that was last night. Kicking off my work boots and peeling my clothes off, I step into the steaming water and place my head under the stream. I quickly wash my hair and body and turn the water off. After briskly towel-drying my hair, I wrap the towel around my waist and move into the bedroom. Grabbing a pair of boxer briefs, I pull them on and head to the bed. Climbing in, I place my cell phone on the nightstand and shut the light off. I’m completely exhausted and it doesn’t take me long to fall asleep, visions of a certain blonde filling my dreams.
CHAPTER 3
AUBREY
It’s been a week since that night at Wheelers. Kennedy had given me a hard time for running out on Noah the way I had. I knew I shouldn’t have, that I should have at least given him my number. He was so easy to talk to, and quite funny. And handsome. He was really tall, definitely over six feet. His light brown hair curled out from the bottom of the baseball cap he was wearing backwards. His eyes were a bright blue, but it was his smile that drew me in. And he smiled a lot. The whole time we were talking and dancing, I had butterflies in my stomach. No other guy I had ever dated had given me those feelings. Which was all the more reason to stay away from him.
I have too much going on to start dating right now. My dad started chemo and he’s been so sick. I went over there to visit a couple days ago and he could barely get out of bed. Mom has to help him get around because he’s been so weak. But he called me this morning to say he’s feeling a little better, so I’m going over for dinner tonight. I hope Landon will be there; he’s been ignoring my calls, and I’m really worried about him. Dad’s diagnosis hit us all hard, but Landon has completely pulled away.