The policeman eyed him. “You related?”
“A friend and her mother.”
The officer nodded toward the parking lot. “Off in the far corner. We’re still trying to figure out who’s here and who isn’t.”
With a wave of thanks, Adam strode toward the parking lot searching every face as he went. When he saw a group of men and women, some with blankets over their shoulders milling about a large van, he ran toward it.
Leigh was standing beside a woman with an official-looking clipboard. He heard her say, “I don’t know where we’re going to go. We don’t have any relatives here. Will we be able to take anything from the apartment?”
“I’m afraid not,” the older woman with gray hair and a kind smile answered. “We’ll give you a call when you can get back in.”
Claire had been standing there, too, and now looked as upset as Leigh. “But we don’t have anything. We don’t have clothes for tomorrow or nightwear or even our toothbrushes. If we just wait until the firemen are finished—”
Adam stepped closer then. “Your apartment will be a mess from the smoke and the water damage. It might be hard to salvage anything.”
Claire looked at him expectantly. “Adam! Maybe you can do something. I don’t even have my purse.” She turned away so he couldn’t see how upset she really was.
Putting his hand on Leigh’s shoulder, he could feel she was trembling and as upset as her mother. Looking toward the woman whose name tag said she was Esther Bradley, he asked, “Do they have to stay here?”
“No. They’re accounted for. I just need a number where I can reach them.”
“Do you have your cell phone?” he asked Leigh gently.
When she looked up at him, her eyes were shiny and she shook her head. “It was on the charger in the bedroom. Mom and I were in the living room watching TV when someone banged on the door.”
Turning to Esther, he decided, “You can reach them at my number.” He rattled it off.
Claire brushed one hand through her mussed hair. “What good is giving them your number going to do?”
Instead of answering, he asked, “Do you have anyplace to go?”
Leigh and her mother exchanged a glance, then Leigh ventured, “A motel.”
“Will your renter’s insurance cover that?”
Again Leigh looked toward her mother.
Claire shook her head. “No, we don’t know how long we’re going to have to stay, either. I heard one of the firemen say our apartment was damaged the worst, next to Mr. Benson’s. I guess we’ll just have to put it all on Leigh’s credit card. She managed to grab her purse on the way out.”
“I have plenty of room at the ranch. Why don’t you come and stay there until you find another place?”
It was almost a full minute before Claire replied, “We can’t impose like that.”
Leigh didn’t say a word, and when Adam’s gaze met hers, he wondered if he had just made the most foolish decision of his life. Even so, he couldn’t go back now. “You won’t be imposing. As I said, I have plenty of room. There are three bedrooms. You and Leigh can have your own rooms. You’ll even have a private bath. I’m at the office during the day and most evenings. It’ll be better than a motel. You’ll have a big-screen TV to watch.” He tried to make a joke of it, hoping to bring a smile to their lips.
“We’d have to pay you,” Claire insisted.
“No, you wouldn’t. I won’t take your money.” When he saw she was about to protest again, he added, “But I wouldn’t mind a cooked meal, now and then, if that would make you feel better about staying there.”
“How far away is your ranch?” Claire asked reluctantly.
“About twenty minutes out of town.”
“It would only be for a couple of days,” Claire mused. She looked at Leigh. “What do you think?”
“I think Adam’s offer is kind and we don’t have any choice, at least not for tonight. Maybe we can find another apartment quickly, but we need a place to crash in the meantime. Adam, are you sure about this?”
Whenever he looked at Leigh, he wasn’t sure at all. But he was positive Claire would be a fine chaperone and she’d watch over her daughter. His primitive urges would just have to sit on the sidelines. “Yes, I’m sure. Are you okay to drive?” he asked Leigh.
“Yes, but I have to find my car. One of the policemen moved it.”
Claire said, “I’ll have to buy a few clothes someplace. So will you, Leigh.”
“I have an extra uniform in my locker, so I’ll be okay with that. But we’re going to need the necessities for tonight. Why don’t we just take my car and stop on the way to Adam’s. I know how to get there.”
“Are you sure you want to drive?” Adam asked again.
Leigh nodded. “I’m fine. And we’ll need my car to get back and forth. Mom’s car keys are still in her purse in the apartment.” She clasped Adam’s arm. “Thank you.”
He knew they were in the middle of a fire scene. He knew people were milling about. He knew her mother was looking on. Yet none of that seemed to matter. Stroking his thumb along her cheek, he tried to deny everything he was feeling.
Knowing if he kept touching her, he’d want to touch her more, he dropped his hand. “It’s probably going to take you a while to get out of all this. I’ll stop at the grocery store on my way home and stock up on food. Anything in particular you’re hungry for?”
A smile tickled her lips. “Chocolate marshmallow ice cream.”
“I should have guessed.” It had always been her favorite, and when they had bought one cone and both licked from it…
Primitive urges belong on the sidelines, he reminded himself. “Chocolate marshmallow ice cream, it is.”
As he stepped away from Leigh, he saw the way Claire was looking at them. It was a disapproving look, a worried look. Before she decided to go to a motel instead of Cedar Run, he made his way out of the bedlam, feeling strangely light, looking forward to having Leigh in his home.
Chapter Nine
Adam had just finished stowing away the food in his kitchen when his doorbell rang. Already having second thoughts about his invitation to the Peters women he hurried to the door and opened it wide. Both women looked tired beyond measure and carried the discount store shopping bags in their hands.
“Come on in.”
Claire’s gaze appraised his house as she came inside, and Adam supposed she was still having problems reconciling the teenager he’d been with the man he’d become.
“Let me hang up your coats,” he offered, waiting for them to shed their outerwear.
But Leigh shook her head. “You don’t want these hanging with your good clothes. They smell like smoke. If we could just air them out somehow—”
“There’s a clothes rack in the mudroom.”
“I need a good airing out as well as my coat,” Claire told him with a small smile.
“Come on. I’ll show you to your rooms. They have a connecting bath. If you want to get showers, you can.”
As they followed him, Adam made a quick decision on which rooms he’d put them in. There were three bedrooms. He showed Claire to hers first. After she went inside, she laid her bags on the quilted coverlet with its navy, burgundy and green mountain scene. The wrought-iron and rattan bed was a double. The rattan dresser and chest were roomy, and oak blinds at the windows were shut.
“This is nice, Adam. You have a beautiful home.”
“Thanks to a decorator,” he admitted wryly. “But I like it. It’s comfortable, and that’s what I’m looking for.” He opened the door into the bathroom. “The towels on the racks are fresh and there are more under the vanity.”
Claire nodded absently, and he sensed that she just wanted to be alone so she could absorb everything that had happened, get a hot shower and go to bed. “Are you an early riser?” she asked. “I don’t want to disturb you in the morning.”
“I’m usually up around six-thirty on weekends. I’ll take care of Thunder and do
some chores before I start coffee. You won’t have to worry about disturbing me.”
Though his attention had been focused on Leigh’s mother, he was well aware Leigh was standing just outside the door, taking it all in. She looked pale and seemed much too quiet.
“After I show Leigh to her room, I’m going to turn in. Feel free to use the kitchen or watch TV.” He guessed they’d be more comfortable if they had privacy.
Claire patted the bed. “I’m going to take a shower so I don’t fall asleep in the tub. After that, I’ll be asleep in about two minutes. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Adam had just reached the doorway when she added, “Thank you, Adam, for taking us in. We really appreciate it. I’ll make breakfast in the morning if you’d like. Do you have eggs? Maybe some cheese?”
“Sure do. That sounds great. I hope you get a good night’s sleep.”
When Leigh followed him into her room, he heard the rustle of the bags she carried, the light sound of her footsteps on the hardwood floor. The guest bedroom he showed her to was beside his, but she didn’t comment on that or the decor. This room was furnished in lodgepole pine furniture. The full-size bed was covered with a multicolored comforter of turquoise, red and yellow, but he wasn’t sure she even noticed that as she went to the dresser and set her bags and purse on top of it. She rummaged in one of the white bags until she brought out a bottle of pink body gel and one of those net balls to use with it.
“Give me your coat,” he suggested. “I’ll take it to the mudroom.”
Still without a word, she slipped it off and handed it to him. Then he saw her shiver. She was wearing a burgundy sweatshirt and jeans. Wrapping her arms around herself, she looked as if she were cold.
Her back was still to him and he followed his instincts. Hanging her coat over the bed’s footboard, he walked up behind her. “Leigh? What’s wrong?”
In the shadows of the room he couldn’t see her expression in the mirror.
“I know I shouldn’t mind about things being gone. Mom and I are safe. Mr. Benson is safe. Everyone else in the complex is safe. But with the fire, smoke and water damage, we might have lost everything. There’s no way to know until we can go back in.”
His arms went around her then, but as he pulled her back against him, she shook her head. “I smell like smoke.”
“I don’t care.” Tilting his chin down to her head, he just stood there holding her. Finally he tried to reassure her. “Maybe you’ll be able to salvage something.”
“That depends on what the fire took before they stopped it. I should have grabbed my jewelry box…some things from the closet.”
“You had to get out, Leigh. That was more important.”
“But the pearl necklace Mom gave me for graduation was important, and her photo albums, and the gifts the kids in the ward had given me, and… It’s not that all of it is worth so much, but it all had memories attached.”
Memories. Intangible visions. Feelings. Sensations that came and went like wisps of smoke. He couldn’t tell her she’d remember without the souvenirs.
Turning her to him, he took her face between his palms. “You’ll make more memories and gather new souvenirs.”
Her beautiful blue eyes were shiny with unshed tears. He realized she’d been strong all night for her mother. She was vulnerable now, and he could take advantage of that or do the right thing and walk away.
He just couldn’t walk away so he chose the middle of the road. When he placed a gentle kiss on her lips, he felt her start and then her tremble.
Reluctantly, he pulled away. “I’m going to get you some brandy. It will warm you up and help relax you.”
However, she shook her head. “I don’t need brandy, Adam. A hot shower will work wonders.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m positive.”
Adam could hear the water running in the bathroom. “I’ll let you get ready for bed.”
After he picked up her coat, she asked, “Why did you come to the fire tonight?”
“I didn’t put any thought into it. I saw the picture on television, realized your building was burning, and before I knew it I was in the car. I guess I wanted to make sure you were safe.”
“I’m not used to having someone look out for me,” she murmured. “Except for Mom.”
“I think you look out for her, too.”
Before he did take advantage of Leigh’s vulnerability, before he did something they’d both regret, he went to the door. “If you need anything, I’ll be in my room.”
After he left Leigh standing in his guest bedroom, he knew with her in the room beside his, he wouldn’t get any sleep tonight. He’d picture her in that bed. He’d think about all the things he’d like to be doing with her in a bed.
He was the one who needed the brandy.
Adam was hoisting a bag of feed and pouring it into a bin when Leigh came into the barn Saturday morning, took off her jacket and threw it over a stall. “It still smells smoky,” she said, wrinkling her nose.
It was raining again, but she looked like sunshine in her jeans and yellow pullover sweater that she must have bought last night. Her hair was loose around her face, the way he liked it.
Thunder neighed at her and when she got closer, he did it again.
“Does that mean he’s glad to see me?” she asked with a bright smile.
“Sure does.”
“Can I pet him?”
“Go slowly. The same way as the first time.”
Crossing to the horse’s stall, she stood before the large stallion, just looking into his eyes, silently communicating with him. After she brought her hand up slowly, she laid it on top of the gate. In a few moments, Thunder lowered his head and snuffled her fingers. She laughed and gently stroked his nose.
“You seem in better spirits this morning,” Adam noted, finishing with the burlap sack and dropping it next to the feed bins.
“I’m trying to put it all in perspective. After Mom makes breakfast, we’re going to go apartment hunting.”
“I get the feeling she’s uncomfortable staying here with me.”
“Mom doesn’t like to be beholden to anyone. She’s hoping we can find something suitable today so we can get out of your hair.”
Crossing to Leigh, he stood beside her and ran his hand down Thunder’s neck. “Is that the way you feel? You want to get out of my hair?”
When she faced him, her gaze met his. “I always enjoyed being around you, Adam. That hasn’t changed.”
After Thunder whinnied, he pawed the ground, then turned to the other side of his stall.
“He seems restless,” Leigh remarked.
“I’m going to take him out for a ride after breakfast.”
“In the rain?”
Adam shrugged. “He likes it, and so do I. I have a slicker in the tack room. It’ll keep me dry.” Propping one booted foot on the first rung of the stall, he asked, “Are you going to Shawna’s party tonight?”
“I thought I’d stop in. What about you?”
“I wouldn’t miss it. I managed to get her tickets and a backstage pass to the ’NSYNC concert.”
“She’ll be thrilled.”
After a moment he added, “And my sister Lissa might be there tonight. I’d like to meet her. The only thing is—”
“What?”
“I hate to think of meeting her for the first time in the middle of a crowd.”
“Why don’t you call her and make contact ahead of time? At least that way you might get a good feel for what she’s like.”
“She was supposed to return from Scotland this week. I didn’t know how soon I wanted to barge into her life.”
“If I had a brother out there who I’d never met, I’d want to hear from him as soon as I could.”
Unable to keep his hands to himself, he brushed a silky tendril of Leigh’s hair behind her ear. “Not all women are like you.”
“I hope not,” she joked.
But he hadn’t been
joking when he’d said it. Leigh obviously cared deeply about everyone and everything in her world.
“Maybe I’ll call her when I get back from my ride. Do you want to go together tonight?”
When she seemed a bit uncertain, he reassured her. “I don’t have any ulterior motives, Leigh. I like being with you, too. Since we’re both going, we can do our part to conserve fuel.”
His suggestion brought another smile. “All right. I’d like to go with you. Have you heard from Mark?”
“I visited him last night…before the fire. He’s scared but he’s facing this like an adult. Better than an adult. He just wants to get the whole thing over with. I’m going to stop in and see him again this afternoon. It might be the last time I can visit for a while. They’ll move him into isolation tomorrow. Shawna told me that after the party, her mom’s going to go to the hospital and stay overnight with Mark.”
“That will be good for both of them.”
With Leigh standing so close to him, he wanted to touch her again. The swish of Thunder’s tail along with the pitter-patter of gentle rain on the roof were the only sounds in the barn. Leigh’s sweater had a rounded neck, and her pulse point above it seemed to vibrate faster. His own heart was pounding harder.
“I can’t be around you and not want to kiss you,” he said hoarsely.
“I want you to kiss me.” Her voice was no louder than the rustle of hay, but he heard it.
When he wrapped her into his arms, he didn’t rush any of it. He wanted to savor inhaling her scent. He wanted to remember how fragile she felt held against him. When she looked up at him with eyes as blue as a beautiful clear sky, he wanted her in a way that was primal and aching and deep. He kissed her forehead and her cheeks and finally her mouth. She tasted of mint and coffee and every delicacy he could ever imagine. He was fully aroused as they took the moment and ran with it, melding to each other more completely. Rocking against her, he groaned from the pleasure. When her hands curled tightly on his shoulders, he knew he was giving her pleasure, too.
However, Thunder’s snort alerted Adam that something had changed. An instant later, the barn door scraped open on its hinges. Adam prepared himself for the intrusion as he broke the kiss and pulled back but didn’t take his arms from around Leigh.
Take A Chance On Me (Logan's Legacy) Page 12