Burn So Bright

by Jennifer Bernard

  She put a hand to her forehead. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I just meant, someone who doesn’t intend to get married.”

  “Well, you’re right about one thing. I’m a lot better at committing to being a pretend fiancé than the real thing.” His smile made her knees a bit wobbly as they made their way back up the beach.

  “And I really appreciate it. Believe me. If not for you, I’d have no chance at Casa di Stella.”

  She flopped onto her favorite beach blanket and half-closed her eyes, letting the sun soak into her. Josh grabbed a towel and whistled to Snowball. She watched them jog down the beach a ways so Josh could dry her off. It was amazing how attached to Josh the dog had become in such a short time.

  Or maybe it wasn’t amazing. Maybe it was completely understandable.

  Her phone buzzed from her gym bag. Lazily, she reached for it. Probably just Logan letting her know he’d landed safely and was back home studying again.

  The actual words of the text were nothing like that. You were right. Let’s put things on hold for now. I can’t deal with drama on top of exams. Sorry. L.

  She felt Josh’s weight settle next to her on the blanket. The hairs on her arm stood up as if his nearness electrified them. She tossed the phone back in her bag and whooshed out a long breath. She lay back and closed her eyes, letting the weight of Logan’s words sink in. Strangely, she didn’t feel angry or hurt or sad.

  Mostly, she felt relieved.

  “Everything good?” Josh asked her.

  She opened her eyes a crack. Josh sat with his knees bent up, feet apart. The sunlight haloed his shaggy blond-streaked hair and gilded his long limbs. One hand shaded his eyes as he looked out at the ocean. The other casually dug through the thick scruff of fur around Snowball’s neck. The dog lay across his feet in apparent bliss.

  “Sure.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing. Listen…we can skip the house thing. You’ve done enough already.”

  Josh frowned down at her. “Okay, what’s going on? Half an hour ago you were begging me to help you.”

  “I know, but…” What was the point? Casa di Stella was supposed to be a home for a family. A happy couple with children. “It’s over with Logan,” she said in a low voice. “He just sent me a text.”

  “He broke off your engagement in a text?” Josh sounded appalled, but Logan actually did a lot of his communicating by text. Suzanne didn’t find it that strange.

  “Well, for now. Until his exams are over.” A sort of depression settled over her. Reality sinking in. No longer was she engaged. She was alone again. “Anyway, I can’t have you pretending to be my fiancé if I don’t actually have a fiancé. And I have no business buying that house anyway.”

  “Why not? You have enough for the down payment, right?”

  “Well, yes, but—”

  “And you’ve wanted it since you moved out, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “So what difference does it make if Logan’s being an ass? This is about you, not him.”

  She stared up at him, shading her eyes against the bright sunshine halo-ing his head. Suddenly a visceral memory took hold of her.

  She was lying on her back on the platform behind the turrets of Casa di Stella. She thought of it as her own private stargazing platform because she was the only one who went up there. It was the night before Mrs. Chu was due to move in, and she was supposed to be at the McGraws’ already. But she didn’t want to go…wasn’t ready to go…and that was when she spotted the first shooting star.

  Of course she wished on it.

  Then another streaked across the night sky, and another. And she’d wished with all her heart for—

  She sat up. “Oh my God.”

  “What?”

  “You’re wrong. It isn’t about me.”

  Josh looked utterly confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “When I wished on the shooting stars at Casa di Stella, I wasn’t thinking about me. I was thinking…okay, I know I’m not making sense here. I told you I had a rough time after my parents left. I lived alone at Casa di Stella, and I was really angry and upset. It was summer, and I used to ride my bike down here to the beach. One morning, I got here really early and met these two runaway girls, Fiona and Leeza, who were camping out. That’s how I first found out that runaways stay in that grove. Anyway, I invited them to stay with me in the house.”

  “What?”

  “It was fun, don’t freak out. We had tea parties in the library and played in the tunnel. It was like a big make-believe playground. Then the Realtor started showing the house and Fiona and Leeza got scared off and left. About a week after that, I saw a news story on TV about a runaway teenage girl who was attacked and nearly murdered. It was Fiona. And that’s when I realized how incredibly lucky I was. I was scared and lonely, but at any time I could have gone to the McGraws’. So many girls don’t have that luxury. Fiona was from here, and her stepfather was abusing her. Bad shit happens everywhere, even in cute little tourist towns.”

  “Yeah, of course that’s true.” Josh played with a handful of pebbles, letting them flow from one hand to the other. “But what does all this have to do with the house?”

  “Well…” She took a deep breath. “Did you know it has a stargazing platform on the roof between the two turrets? Just before I left, there was a meteor shower. I lay on the platform and watched the stars fall.”

  Josh leaned over and nudged her with his shoulder. “Not to correct a resident of the stargazing capital of the West, but you know those aren’t stars, right? They’re chunks of rock hitting the atmosphere and burning up.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him. “Who’s telling this story, anyway? They’re shooting stars, hotshot. And I wished on every single one. All of my wishes were for Fiona and Leeza. I wished they’d be safe. I was really scared for them. I wished they’d find a good place to stay. So that’s what I’m going to do with Casa di Stella.”

  “You lost me.”

  She rose up on her knees to emphasize the seriousness of her announcement. “I’m going to buy it and turn it into a home for runaway girls.”

  He turned his startled gray gaze on her. “Wow.”

  “It’s perfect. It’s practically designed for girls. It’s the girliest house on the planet, you said it yourself.”

  “Yup. Can’t argue with that.”

  Energy surged through her. Details, plans, all cascading into place. The third floor could be transformed into dorms. The living room would become a common room. This was so much better than her original idea about a weekend getaway where she and Logan would entertain his clients. Runaways would appreciate Casa di Stella so much more than any grown-up could.

  But first—she had to buy it. And for that, she still needed someone who resembled a fiancé. “Will you get fake-engaged to me again, Josh?”

  11

  Suzanne took Josh and Snowball to her condo so she could shower and change. Josh had warned her that he might get called to a fire at any moment, so if she wanted his help it had to be soon. She called the Realtor, scheduled the meeting and took a personal day off from work.

  Now she was getting dressed while he sat on her couch, which was upholstered in a bright scarlet color that somehow seemed perfect for Suzanne. She was so full of surprises. At first she’d seemed like a fun girl, someone to joke around with and needle—the kind who gave as good as she got. Someone with just enough edge to keep him interested.

  But now he saw her in a whole new way. Her plan impressed him. He had no idea how practical it was, but admired the fact that she wanted to help runaways. And the idea of a fifteen-year-old Suzanne inviting two strange runaways into her house—that was definitely Suzanne Finnegan in a nutshell. She was a secret rebel with a generous heart and an unpredictable streak.

  He listened to the sound of her rummaging in her bedroom and tried not to picture her getting undressed. Impossible not to, since the image of
her tall form in boy shorts and bra was never too far from his mind.

  Back to business. They still had the problem of convincing Mrs. Chu to sell the house to Suzanne.

  “The showing was just the preliminary, this is the main event,” she’d told him. “Now she wants to actually talk to us in person. Grill us, really. She might ask for other stuff, like your bank statements or whatever.”

  He didn’t like any of that, but he’d told her he’d help and he would. The stakes were higher now; there were runaways involved. How could he say no to that?

  “I see only one way to make this work,” he called to her.

  “Please, I’m all ears. I can’t think of anything that doesn’t involve hacking into Logan’s bank accounts.”

  “Nah, no need for that. Let’s keep Logan out of it. The solution is simple. You need to get engaged to me. Josh Marshall, member of the Jupiter Point hotshots.”

  She appeared in the doorway wearing a cream wrap blouse that tied at the waist. His fingers itched to untie it. Her long lemon-gold hair was smoothed over one shoulder while she messed with the back of her shirt. She looked as delicious as a lemon meringue pie. Her color scheme made her eyes look an even deeper shade of ocean than he was used to.

  “You’re saying you’re willing to pretend that you, the actual Josh Marshall, are engaged to me, Suzanne Finnegan? In a public sort of way?”

  “As crazy as it sounds, yes, I am. For the runaways.”

  “You’re willing to sit there and get interrogated by a crabby, judgmental lady from Hong Kong who hates my guts?”

  “She likes me.” Josh stretched out his legs and interlaced his hands behind his head. “She is a woman, after all.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “If you’re going to be my fiancé, we have to do it right. You have to swear off all flirting. You can’t make me look bad. You can’t go out with anyone else, either. What if Mrs. Chu sees you with another woman?”

  “Well, what if she sees you with Logan? Come to think of it, what if Logan hears that you’re engaged to some firefighter? If we’re going to do this, it works both ways.”

  Her face fell. She slumped against the wall, looking completely defeated. Josh fought the urge to rush to her side and wrap his arms around her.

  “You’re right. This is never going to work. I don’t care what Logan hears, but the fact is, everyone knows I’m engaged to a lawyer from out of town named Logan. The only way it would make any sense is if I tell everyone about—” Suddenly she brightened. “Wait. Let’s review. You and I were spotted at the YWCA party coming out of the bathroom. We also came to Sean and Evie’s engagement party together.”

  “We walked in at the same time,” Josh corrected.

  “Close enough. Then we were seen at the Venus and Mars Café. And possibly at the beach. With our newly adopted dog. It’s perfectly clear what’s been happening.”

  Maybe it was clear to her, but definitely not to him. “You’re going to have to explain it to the simple-minded fireman over here.”

  “We’ve been falling in love.”

  “What?” He sat up so suddenly he banged his shin against the coffee table. “No one’s talking about love here. This is a fake engagement, remember?”

  “Relax, big guy. You’re just a rebound, anyway.”

  “WHAT?” That sounded even more unappealing. “Back up. Way up.”

  “It’s simple. We just have to give people a believable explanation. Hang on.” Holding up one finger, she dialed a number. “Yes, Mrs. Murphy? I need to cancel that book I ordered for Logan. Yes, I’m fine. It was a mutual decision… Definitely for the best… Yes, I totally agree. Well, I wouldn’t say that, but Josh is definitely a very nice guy and he’s been so supportive…okay, thank you. I’ll stop in very soon and thank you in person.”

  When she hung up, she must have caught the stunned expression on Josh’s face. “What?”

  “What the hell was that?”

  “That was me spreading the word that Logan is out of the picture. And that you might be stepping up.”

  “With one phone call?”

  “One very well-placed phone call.” She whipped her still-damp hair into a ponytail, slid a hair tie off her wrist to anchor it, shouldered her tote bag, and held out her hand to him. “Ready?”

  “One condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Hand me the car keys. I need to be in control of something around here.”

  In her Miata, after a stop to buy more appropriate interview clothes, Josh came up with a few more questions. “So we’re supposedly in love and maybe even engaged.”

  “We can fudge that one a little. Mrs. Chu already thinks we’re engaged, that’s all that matters. And Lisa knows you’re you. I mean, that you’re not him.”

  “Are you going to tell your friends what’s really going on? Because I don’t want to lie to the crew. They wouldn’t believe me anyway, not with my track record.”

  She rolled down the window and let the wind play with her ponytail. “Can you tell them you’re doing it as a favor to me? Because of some legal issue or something? They might believe that.”

  He thought about it. “Sure. I’m a good guy. I do favors all the time. They’re usually sexual, but—”

  “Ha ha.”

  “Speaking of which, next question. Are we having sex?”

  “Look at you.” She turned in her seat to give him a scorcher of an up-and-down look. “Of course we’re having sex.”

  Now that was promising. This wasn’t the first time he’d caught a hot look from her, but he wasn’t sure how serious they were. Maybe there would be a silver lining to this pretend engagement. “Tonight?” he asked hopefully.

  “Not actually having sex. Good Lord, I barely know you.”

  “I can fill in a few blanks if you want. No criminal record, no debts, no enemies that I know of. Well, maybe Logan. And maybe Mrs. Chu once she figures out I’m a big fraud.”

  “Don’t worry about them. Think about the bigger picture. Think about the runaways.”

  “It’s a good cause, that’s for sure. Good enough to go without sex, though?”

  “Well.” She whooshed out a breath. “You’re forgetting something.”

  “What?”

  “I’ll probably know you a lot better after we’re done with this meeting.”

  She was so right. Mrs. Chu welcomed them to Casa di Stella with a smile like a shark, with Josh playing the role of chum. She had tea and a spread of Chinese pastries waiting for them. They all sat around the glass-topped table in the backyard, under a gazebo dripping with wisteria. Josh couldn’t help thinking what a wonderful place it would be for traumatized teenagers. It had an otherworldly, timeworn atmosphere. Tall brick walls around the entire perimeter made it feel safe from the entire world.

  Suzanne’s vision held a lot of appeal.

  But first, they had to get past the shark patrolling the entrance. And the shark definitely had a nose for blood. “Who are your parents? Where do they live? Are they married?”

  Josh nearly sloshed hot tea onto his lap, and returned the cup to its saucer. This interrogation would not be helped by hot liquid. “My parents are divorced, but they both still live on our ranch in Texas.”

  “You visit often?”

  “I visit never.”

  “What is wrong?”

  “I’m busy, and you know…” He cast around desperately for a distraction. “I’ve been spending all my time here in Jupiter Point getting engaged.” Suzanne scooted her chair closer to his and leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled up at him adoringly. But it didn’t throw Mrs. Chu off for a second.

  “Divorced parents, no good. Not good for children.”

  “No, it isn’t.” He could definitely agree with that. “It’s very bad for the children, which is why I intend to never get divorced.”

  Of course, his solution was to never get married in the first place, but he left that part out.

  “That’s
good. No divorce. Once you marry, that’s it.” She looked from one to the other. “How many kids?”

  “Two.” He looked at Suzanne in surprise. They’d both said “two” at the exact same moment.

  “Ah. You discuss already.”

  Josh smiled, letting Suzanne answer that one. “It’s just one of the many things we’ve discussed. We talk a lot. That’s one of the great things about our relationship.”

  “How you meet each other?” she demanded, turning to Josh.

  “Through friends. My best friend is engaged to Suzanne’s cousin, so you see? One big happy family.” Josh stroked Suzanne’s hand, but when he saw Mrs. Chu frown at the gesture, he stopped.

  “When is your wedding?”

  When Suzanne tried to answer, she stopped her with one commanding motion of her hand. “I want to see what he says. You, I already talk to.”

  Oh, crap. If Suzanne had already answered this one, he was screwed. He had no idea when she would have scheduled her hypothetical wedding. Time to scramble. He lifted Suzanne’s hand to his lips.

  “For me, it can’t happen soon enough. Every morning, I wake up wishing we were already married, that I didn’t have to wait a single minute before I see her beautiful face again.”

  Her hand jerked in his, but he held it tight. The moment seemed to slow until it felt like thick honey from a bottle. Where had those words come from? They were supposed to be facetious…but they weren’t. They seemed to rise from somewhere deep inside, some part he wasn’t used to looking at. Would Suzanne think he’d lost his mind? Or that he had amazing acting skills?

  Instead of looking at Suzanne, he sat back and met Mrs. Chu’s gaze. His words had touched her, clearly. She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with a linen napkin. As soon as she composed herself, she went right back into interrogation mode. “You say your family has a ranch?”