“I’m hardly ever here alone. You’re normally here. And I know you’ll kick his ass if you had to.”
She laughed. “I will. You have my word for it. But hopefully it won’t even come to that. Now, before we go home, how about we tuck into some of those chocolates he gave you. Is it sealed? I don’t want to eat chocolates from a maniac if they’re not sealed.”
I laughed. “They’re sealed. And yes, good idea. We might as well at least eat the chocolates.”
As usual, we ate so much that we felt sick, and then spent another half an hour on some weird sugar high. We drank coffee with the chocolate, so the sugar high was mixed with a caffeine high. It was incredibly amusing.
“Right, that’s my exercise done,” Terra said with a smile.
“Exercise? Since when did you do any exercise? You’ve been sitting in front of me this whole time.”
“Hey, laughing is great for abs,” she said.
“And chocolate is not.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll focus on the laughing part, thank you very much. It’s a highly underrated sport. So, what are you up to tonight?”
“Oh, I have an exciting night planned. I need to go home and change into something sexy.”
“What? You do? Tell me more!” she exclaimed.
I burst out laughing. “How well do you know me? I have nothing planned. I think I need a cat. That way I won’t be home by myself.”
“You will not get a cat and be that sort of woman already. If you’re going to get an animal, then at least get something quirky like a hedgehog or a guinea pig.”
“It’s not a bad idea. My cousin had a guinea pig once, and I fell in love with the fluffy little chubster. They’re very cute.”
“You see, I’m full of good advice,” she said and then popped one more chocolate into her mouth and groaned. “What am I doing? Take these things away from me.”
I was still chuckling to myself when I headed home. I was in a good mood, and the sugar-caffeine high had made me feel almost tipsy. Which, I concluded, was great for introducing myself to the handsome new neighbor. I was still figuring out what I was going to say to him when I got home and saw that my house was on fire. I stopped the car and stared. Just then, a fire truck pulled up next to me, and a group of men went running toward the house. One man told me to stand back, and I stared in horror as they began hosing down the flames.
“What the hell?”
Chapter Seven
Grant
I was getting into the groove of things at work. Ranch life was very different from office life, and I found myself feeling more alive than ever before. That afternoon, before dinner with Brady, I decided to call Peter to see how he was doing. He’d been on my mind a lot this past week.
“Hi, Peter. It’s Grant.”
“Grant? Grant Maxwell?” he said as if he knew a hundred Grants.
“Yeah. The one and only.”
“Oh wow, this is a surprise.”
I chuckled. “You’re right. I just realized that I’ve never actually called you before. Luckily I still had your number from work. I actually had all the guys numbers but I deleted them all when I left work. Well, except yours of course. I thought it would be nice to see how you were doing. How are things at the office? You must be almost done there.”
I knew he was grinning even though I couldn’t see him.
“Things are going great. It was so weird without you at first. I felt like I had nobody on my side. Then, I got the most incredible phone call. I’d been applying for all sorts of jobs that sounded interesting, but I didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. Then, out of the blue, one of them called me back. There’s this place, not too far from where I live, that sells all these organic vegetables, and they have a market every week that is very successful.”
“The Chandler Market?” I asked.
“Yes! You know it?”
“Of course. Everyone who lives in Chandler knows of that market. I’m not exactly a market sort of guy, but even I thought it was really cool.”
I knew that if Ian or one of the other guys from the club had seen me at the market, I would’ve been given grief for it forever. But it really was a nice market, and one that I would even go to again. It was worth tarnishing my reputation for it.
“Yeah, same here. It’s hard not to like that place. Anyway, just in the slim chance that they might be looking for someone, I sent my CV in. The guy called me and invited me over for a chat. And the two of us just clicked so well. And, as it turned out, his wife was actually friends with my wife. Anyway, to cut a long story short, he offered me the job as manager. He said he was desperate to get someone to run the place and the thought I’d be perfect for the job. I’d be handling pretty much the whole place. I’d be almost like his right-hand man.”
“Peter, that’s amazing. Good for you for trying out new things like that. And that’s a far cry from the real estate job.” Looking at Peter, he was the sort of man that didn’t seem as if he would stand up for his dreams. It was nice to know that first impressions weren’t always what they seemed.
“Exactly! I wanted to do something totally different. I’m still seeing my month out at work, but I went to help out the other day at the market just to get a feel for the place, and I loved it. I felt more alive than I’ve felt in a long time. My wife couldn’t believe the difference.”
“I’m really happy for you.”
“How about you, Grant? How is life treating you? Are you doing anything?”
I told Peter how I was working at the farm with my brother until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life, and I told him about my volunteer work as a firefighter, and he seemed impressed.
“I knew it! I just knew you needed to do something outdoors. That office job was going to be the death of you.”
“You were right. I’m feeling so much better about life these days. And it’s all thanks to you. Which is part of the reason why I wanted to call you. I wanted to say thank you for everything. I’m not much of a phone guy, but I figured this was one phone call I wanted to make. Come and visit anytime.”
“I might just take you up on that.”
I put the phone down feeling happy and then made my way downstairs where Brady was dishing up for us.
“Seriously, you eat like a king here. What is that?”
“Chicken stew. Smells amazing, doesn’t it.”
“It does. Sorry to keep you waiting. I was talking to an old friend from work. He’s the one that really gave me the push to leave the company. He left it too.”
“Ah, that’s great. So, how are you finding things now that you’re a bit more settled?”
“I really like it, Shotgun. I feel freer than I have in a long time. You’ve got something very special going here. And with the firefighting stuff, I feel free again.”
“Ah, I’ve been meaning to ask you about the firefighting. So, you’re enjoying it?”
I nodded. “I am. I’m going to start looking at how I can get involved in it more. They’re a great bunch of guys, and they’ve accepted me so easily. Thanks for helping me out with that, by the way.”
He shrugged. “It’s no big deal, Patriot. Like I said, the people in this community are very helpful. That’s why it’s hard for me to ever imagine leaving a place like this. There’s just something special about the place and the people.”
“Tell me about it. I noticed it immediately.”
“Then again, it’s not for everyone. A lot of people like the anonymity that the city life provides for them. So I guess it’s all about figuring out where you want to stay.”
“You’re not a city cat,” I said to Brady. “You were meant for this place. You were always so quiet before.”
He chuckled. “I’m still quiet.”
“Yeah, I guess so. But you’re a lot more relaxed here. Oh man, seriously this food is amazing. Why don’t you marry the cook?”
He chuckled. “You haven’t met her yet, have you?”
&n
bsp; “No, she’s never around when I am.”
“Well, she’s sixty-three years old, she has a husband, and she had two kids. I don’t think there’s any potential love life between us in the future.”
I sighed. “That’s a pity. She’s amazing. I’ve been to tons of restaurants in the city which all claim to have the best food. But they’ve got nothing on this woman. Hey, what’s that smell?” I said suddenly.
A strange smell was drifting in from outside.
“I don’t know. Smells like someone is burning something.”
“Like a bonfire? That smells too strong for a bonfire.”
I got up and looked outside. I gasped when I saw where the fire was coming from, which was definitely not a bonfire at all.
“It’s your neighbor’s house. It’s on fire!”
“What? Oh no!”
I quickly got out my phone and called the guys from the fire department with the address. They arrived moments later. I wasn’t sure if they’d let me help them, as I had no gear on me, but the moment they saw me, they told me that my stuff was in the truck. I hurried to change, grabbed what I needed, and helped them with the fire. It took seven men and two hours to finally calm the flames. When we were done, I looked at the house in sadness. As good as it was being part of a team that helped people, there was always a moment of sorrow when you realized the devastation of the event.
“Good job, guys,” I said to the team. “Thanks for coming out so quickly.”
“Any idea what happened?” they asked me.
“No idea. I was sitting at the dinner table when I smelled something. Suddenly the house was on fire.”
“Do you know the owner?”
“I know her name is Emily, but that’s all I know. Have you seen her?” I asked. I’d briefly caught sight of her as I went running into the house, and I was grateful that she hadn’t been inside.
“Yeah, she’s over there. I told her to wait.”
“Okay, I’ll go and talk to her. Thanks again.”
I walked over to Emily, who was sitting with a blanket over her shoulders and staring sadly at what used to be her home. She had a few tears rolling down her cheeks, and I’d never wanted to hold someone more in my life. I’d only seen her from afar, but seeing her up close only confirmed her beauty. Emily was gorgeous. Her hair was silky and blonde, and was tied up in a high ponytail, and when she turned to look at me, I saw that her eyes were a dark blue.
“Emily?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah. I’m Emily. Thank you so much for taking out the fire.” Her voice was just a whisper. It was clear that she was still in complete shock.
“I’m so sorry. Do you know what started it?”
She shook her head. “I have no idea. I just came home from work and saw that the house was on fire. I didn’t even go inside. How did you and your team know about it?”
“Oh, I live next door. I actually smelled something burning first, and when I looked out the window, I saw your house. I couldn’t believe it. I called in the team.”
She looked confused. “Wait? You live next door? With Brady?”
“Yes. Well, at least for now. Oh, my apologies. I’m so rude. My name is Grant. I’m Shotgun’s, I mean Brady’s, brother,” I quickly corrected. I was sure that Brady didn’t go by Shotgun to anyone else but the motorcycle club. I was also certain that he didn’t want anyone in this town calling him by that name. He’d always be Shotgun to me, but to everyone in this town, he was Grant the ranch man.
“I’ve seen you. I didn’t know you were his brother. Although, you do look similar.”
“I’ve seen you too. But just briefly.”
“You have? When?”
“Oh, just in passing. We kept missing each other though and I didn’t want to come and knock on your door like a weirdo.” I decided that it wasn’t the best time to tell her that I had seen her crouching behind the car with her bunny slippers.
“I’ve been meaning to come and say hello myself. I was actually going to come tonight. And then this. Are you a fireman?”
“No, I’m just learning the trade. I’ve been helping the team out this past week.”
She smiled sadly and my heart broke into pieces. “Thank you for calling them and for helping out tonight. I still can’t believe this has happened. I’m too scared to even go inside.”
“I’d leave it until the morning if I was you. Now is not the best time to go in there—smoke and all. I’d offer for you to stay with us, but it’s not my house. Let me go and talk to Brady. I’m sure he won’t mind at all.”
She shook her head. “No, no. I’ve already called my friend. She’s coming to get me. I’ll stay with her tonight and figure something out tomorrow. Thank you for offering, though. Oh, there she is now. I better go. It was nice meeting you, Grant.”
“It was nice to meet you too, Emily.”
I stood and watched her leave. I was glad that I had finally gotten the chance to speak to her, although the circumstances could’ve been better. For a while I just watched her house, and wondered if she was going to get any sleep that night. That was her whole life, up in flames.
Chapter Eight
Emily
I woke up the following morning thinking that I had only dreamt that my house had burned down. But then I saw that I wasn’t in my room and I knew that it had all been true. I sat up in Terra’s spare bedroom and looked around. The room was filled with photographs and trinkets that all meant something to Terra. It made me think about my own room, and all the things that I’d collected over the years. All the things that I’d associated as a part of who I was. I’d never pictured myself to be a material person, but there were a lot of things that meant a lot to me. Things from my past. Things that reminded of people, places, and things. I felt a sudden sadness wash over me. The night before I’d been too overwhelmed to really process it all. But now I felt the heaviness of the situation weight down on me, and I couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
There was a small knock on the door, and Terra’s kind face suddenly appeared.
“Ah, my angel, don’t cry,” she said and came to sit with me on the bed. She leaned in to hug me and I cried into her shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” I said when I pulled away. “I woke up thinking it was all just a bad dream. But it’s not, is it?”
She shook her head. “It’s not. And right now I’m just happy that you’re safe and sound. I mean, what if you had been in the house? Sort of makes me think of short life is and how quick things can change. I’m so glad you’re fine.”
“Yeah, that’s true. I didn’t think about that. And I know I should be happy that I’m alive. But I can’t stop thinking about all my things. They’re all gone.”
Terra sighed. “I know. Well, why don’t you go to your house after breakfast and see if there’s anything that you can salvage? You never know; it might not be as bad as you think.”
“That’s a good idea. Wait, what day is it today?”
“It’s Tuesday.”
“Tuesday! I have to go to work.”
“No, I checked your diary. You only had an appointment this morning. But luckily I didn’t have anything, so I’m going to do your work today. You helped me out with that horrible child last week, anyway. So I owe you.”
“Terra, are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. You should take all the time you need. And I want you to know that you can stay here for as long as you want. Okay?”
I nodded. It was good to have a friend throughout all of this. “What would I have done if I didn’t have you? I’d have been out on the streets.”
She grinned. “That’s the positive Emily I know. Come on, I made breakfast. I’m going into work a bit late so that we can sit together this morning. You are my first priority. And I made you something delicious. I know how you love your breakfasts. Take a shower and meet me downstairs. I’m almost finished preparing everything.”
I did as I was told and then walked downstairs to
discover that Terra had made pancakes and waffles.
“Pancakes and waffles? This is like a dream come true.”
“I wanted you to have something special. But if you’d prefer bacon and eggs I can do that too.”
I looked at Terra and smiled. “This is amazing. I’m more than happy with this. Thank you. You’re going to make a great wife one day.”
“Ha! That’s if anybody wants me to be their wife.”
“Actually, if I don’t meet anyone by the time I’m thirty, I might just marry you.”
She beamed. “That’s a great idea. That gives us about four years to meet the man of our dreams. If not, at least we’ll have each other.”
“You know, only you could make me feel better after losing my house to a fire. You’ve actually made me smile.”
People always said that you learned more about someone when you suffered a tragedy than when you were celebrating something. I was starting to see how true that was.
“I feel awful for you, Em. Also, I happen to know that food is the best way to help you forget about your problems. It’s why the two of us are such good friends.”
“I appreciate this, Terra.”
After eating far too much for breakfast, I made my way to what remained of my house. I thought I’d be okay but the closer I got, the more nervous I found myself getting. I could smell the smoke all the way down the road, and when I got to the house, I gasped. I hadn’t realized how bad it was last night as it had been dark. But now, in the clear light of day, I saw how much was ruined. A small part of me had hoped that the house would be salvageable, but now I could see that there was no way it would ever be like it was before. It was ruined. Completely ruined. I sat in the car for a long time, not daring to go out, and wondering if I would ever discover what had happened. How could a house be standing one minute and then burned to the ground the next? How could this happen to me?
When I eventually got out of the car, my legs were unsteady, and I had to take a few deep breaths before finally allowing myself to go inside. I walked in and put my scarf over my mouth. The smell of smoke was still strong, and it was already burning my lungs. I slowly made my way around the ruins, looking to see if there was anything I could find. In my bedroom, I pulled out a box where I’d stored all my old photos. I said a silent prayer before looking inside and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that most of the photos were still intact. Somehow the box had gotten wedged under the bed, and under a pile of blankets, and was saved. Those photos now seemed even dearer to me than before. I’d been meaning to get them all scanned and saved onto a computer, but I hadn’t gotten around to it. I was now determined to get that done as soon as possible. I couldn’t believe how close I had come to losing them all. I sat there for several minutes, just looking through the photos. I held onto the box and made my way through the house, picking up anything that I thought I could save. A few things had somehow made it through the fire, but many things were completely unrecognizable. Things that I’d once thought so important, now no longer existed.
Dirty Daddy (A Single Dad Romance) (The Maxwell Family) Page 49