The Fan

by Velvet Vaughn

  “‘Fraid so.”

  He thought she mumbled “just freaking great” under her breath. Her face burned bright red, accentuating her sea green eyes. “Thank you, Bella,” she mumbled, her gaze never meeting his.

  “Welcome,” Bella responded.

  Logan and Bella bid their goodbyes and returned to their house. The slightly ditzy, sinfully sexy Ms. LaRossa was just too darn tempting.

  #

  Jade thanked Isabella and reluctantly, the shit-eating grinning Logan. She slammed the door in their wake, falling back against the wood panel. Her face was flaming, her ego non-existent. She felt dumber than dirt, dense as a dipstick, dim as a doorknob.

  How was she to know what a fuse was or how to fix it? Her parents had pampered her so she never had to do those kinds of things growing up. When she left for college, she stayed in dorms and apartments and then moved to another apartment with Vanessa. Soon after, she hooked up with Kyle and they paid people to run their house. She'd never lived by herself.

  She knew Logan enjoyed his little tutorial on what she should do if it happened again, explaining it to her as if she were the same age as his daughter. His grin and laughter bursts told her as much.

  First, she didn’t know that a lawnmower needed gas and now that the electrical wiring of a house included fuses. She should feel good about herself for learning so much on her own.

  Instead, she felt like the thickest, most brainless twit around. Here she thought the loss of power could be the result of an overzealous fan, as in the murdering kind. Instead it was the work of an overworked fan, as in the blowing kind.

  Totally humiliating. She was an actress, had co-starred in dozens of films. Loved the spotlight. Hunky Logan Bradley got a front row seat to her performance of “Woman too stupid to live.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Logan reclined on the couch, his portable computer on his lap. He kept one eye on the screen, the other on Isabella so he knew when to respond to her eager questions as she followed Dora the Explorer on an adventure. Static blurred the screen and the lights blinked. He glanced at the TV and noticed the severe weather alert in the top left-hand corner. The cartoon broke away to a weatherman at an Indianapolis news station. Bella huffed in annoyance at her program being interrupted. Logan shushed her complaints as he focused on the news. Storms were rolling across the area, the most severe headed straight for Bloomington.

  Summer storms in Indiana were common and sometimes dangerous. Situated in "Tornado Alley"—a swath of states extending from the Southeast to the Plains—Indiana didn’t have the high frequency of tornadoes seen in places like Kansas and Oklahoma, but more than made up for it in intensity.

  With that thought in mind and considering that March through June was considered tornado season, he prepared a storm shelter when Isabella came to live with him. He cleared out the closet under the stairs in the basement and stocked it with bottled water, crackers, a portable TV/radio combo, flashlights with extra batteries, pillows, blankets, a change of clothes for each of them and a first aid kit.

  Angry-looking red splotches covered the television screen, indicating severe weather. Bloomington was projected to be in the center of the storm.

  Logan switched off his computer and placed it on a side table. “Bella, sweetie, why don’t we take Fiji and go down to the special room downstairs.

  “Yeah, yeah!” Isabella jumped up and down. She considered the room to be her secret hideaway. “We gotsta take Cimanon too!” Logan smiled at his daughter. Cimanon was her attempt at pronouncing Cinnamon, the teddy bear he bought her when she first arrived. She asked him what color the bear was and when he said cinnamon, she instantly wanted that as its name.

  “I’ll grab Cinnam…” Logan’s words were cut off when a dull but shrill noise blared outside. A tornado siren. Logan scooped up Isabella in one hand and Fiji in the other and dashed for the stairs. Alerted by his sudden change of demeanor, Isabella began to whimper.

  “Daddy, what’s wrong? I’m scared.”

  “Don’t be scared, sweetie. I’m right here.”

  She settled her head on his shoulder. “I always feel safe when you're with me, Daddy.”

  He squeezed her with love and dropped a kiss to her head. He made a detour and grabbed her stuffed animal before descending the stairs.

  “Unca Dan?” she asked worriedly.

  “He’s in Indianapolis, baby, and won’t be back until late tonight. He should be safe from the storm.”

  Once he settled them in the room, he powered on the television. He suddenly remembered his elderly neighbor, Mrs. Harper. She didn’t have a basement. There was plenty of space for her and another two or three people to comfortably fit in the room for the duration of the storm.

  “Isabella, sweetie, I need you to be a big girl for Daddy, okay?”

  Her answer was to stick her thumb in her mouth. He barely suppressed an eye roll. “Honey, Mrs. Harper is all alone and we don’t want her to be scared, do we?”

  Isabella shook her head, her thumb still firmly planted between her lips. Her other hand stroked Fiji who had crawled onto her lap.

  “Will you promise me you will stay right here while I get her?” When she nodded enthusiastically, he added, “I mean it, Bella. You have to stay right here with Fiji. Promise me.”

  Her mouth made a small popping noise when she pulled out her thumb. “I romise, Daddy.”

  He hated to leave her, wanted more than anything to stay and make sure she was safe but he needed to check on Mrs. Harper. If his Aunt Trudy were alone and someone didn’t help her when they could have, he would be murderous. He ran a hand down Isabella’s curls and kissed her forehead. “I will be right back, baby.”

  He rose quickly and scurried out the door, locking it as he left so Isabella would stay safe.

  Logan stepped outside and was greeted with a gust of wind that almost knocked him back a step. He took off for Mrs. Harper’s house at a dead run, rain pelting his face. In his peripheral vision, he noticed a light on in the upstairs room at Jade’s house and turned in time to see her silhouette as she passed by the window.

  A strong headwind made his trip harder. Just as he got to his neighbor’s house, golf-ball sized hail rained down. He pounded on the door and called out, “Mrs. Harper. It’s Logan Bradley.” When he got no answer, he stuck his hands beside his face and peered into the window. No sign of her. He sprinted around to the back of the house, cursing as the hail pelted harder.

  He hurdled the stairs to her back porch and pounded on the door, calling out her name. The door flung open and Mrs. Harper stood there shaking.

  “Oh Logan, dear, what are you doing out in this weather?”

  “We're under tornado warnings. I came to take you to my basement.”

  “You sweet angel. Thank you. I was so worried, not knowing what to do.” A sharp crack of lightning sounded, making them both jump.

  He grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.” She popped up an umbrella and he wrapped an arm around her waist as he hustled her down the stairs. They were going to get soaked if he had to adjust to her steps so he bent down and scooped her into his arms.

  Mrs. Harper’s startled gasp turned into genuine laughter. “Why, I don’t think a man has carried me since my Harold toted me across the threshold over sixty years ago,” she twittered. Thunder rumbled overhead as they reached the door. The light was still on next door and his darn conscious pricked him again. He knew that house had no basement, either.

  Although snooty Ms. LaRossa probably wouldn’t appreciate it, he knew he would have to go back for her too. He tossed Mrs. Harper’s umbrella on the tiled entryway and hurried her to the basement. As he fumbled with the lock, a sweet little voice sang the ABC song and he smiled. He carefully opened the door and peered inside. Isabella was crooning to herself, hugging her teddy bear close to her chest as Fiji napped comfortably on her lap. Isabella looked up and saw him.

  “Daddy,” she screamed as she leapt to her feet, dislodging a startled
Fiji. She threw her arms open and he picked her up and hugged her, trying not to soak her in the process.

  “Thank you for being such a big girl for Daddy.” He kissed her cheek and put her down.

  She ran to hug Mrs. Harper.

  “Hi Gamma May!”

  While she was chatting away happily, he inched to the door again.

  “Where are you going, Daddy?” Bella’s voice was stern with warning.

  “I’ll be right back, sweetheart. I’m going to go see if Miss LaRossa wants to join us.” He'd already told Mrs. Harper that he was going to get his next door neighbor and bring her over, too.

  Isabella’s brows puckered as she pursed her lips. “I’m starting to get mad. You hurry back, Daddy.”

  He nodded solemnly, his lips twitching. “I will.”

  Before she could reprimand him again he sprinted up the steps and outside. He pounded on the door and called out Jade’s name, yelling to be heard over the sounds of the violent storm.

  “Ms. LaRossa! Jade!”

  When there was no answer he fumbled for the spare key the Hunts kept above the porch light. His fingers closed around the metal key and he jammed it into the lock. Opening the door, he called out her name again and heard the deafening beat of music drifting from upstairs. He took the steps two at a time, still calling her name.

  He pinpointed the sound from behind a closed door and he pounded. No answer. With a deep breath, he shoved open the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

  Jade LaRossa was reclining with her hair piled on top of her head, her eyes closed and one hand wrapped around the stem of a wine glass, in a tub filled with scented bubbles.

  Just then, her eyes fluttered open and widened in shock. She screamed and the wine glass went flying.

  “What are you doing?”

  Jade wrapped her arms around her chest but not before he got a glimpse of the most amazing breasts he'd ever seen. He stood stock still, willing himself not to get aroused. One pink tipped nipple poked through her fingers and he stifled a groan.

  Shaking his head to clear it, he turned his back and quickly explained. “A tornado's headed this way. I know the house doesn’t have a basement and I came to get you so you could come to ours.”

  Lightning exploded and the lights flickered off, plunging the room into total darkness. Everything became dangerously quiet.

  “A tornado?” Water splashed and sloshed over the side of the tub as she quickly exited. “Oh my gosh. I’ll just throw on some clothes.”

  He heard her fumbling around getting dressed and tried hard not to imagine the sexy lingerie she draped across those gorgeous breasts.

  A hand touched his arm and he jerked. “Listen,” she said. “It’s quiet now. The wind stopped blowing. It sounds like the storm has passed.”

  Logan glanced outside, noting the green tint. “Sweetheart, that’s the calm before the storm. That means it's almost here.”

  The lights blinked back on and the music Jade had been listening to blared through the speakers. She squealed in startled terror.

  Instinctively, he scooped her in his arms.

  “What are you doing? Put me down,” she ordered.

  He ignored her and raced down the steps. Heck, when he was a SEAL, he used to carry equipment three times her weight without breaking a sweat. He barely even noticed her presence.

  He didn’t stop until he reached his basement.

  Mrs. Harper had the radio playing when he entered the room with a damp and still fuming Jade. He sat her down, preparing himself for her verbal tirade. Her nostrils flared and she opened her mouth to let him have it when a sweet little voice stopped her cold.

  “Jade, Jade!”

  Isabella jumped up and hugged her legs. “Wanna come see Fiji?”

  Jade’s eyes softened when she looked at Isabella and Logan felt an ache deep in his chest. She stroked Bella’s dark curls. “Of course I would, sweetie.”

  “You, too, Daddy. Come-on.” Isabella slipped her hand in his. He sat and she plopped in his lap.

  They had no sooner settled when the lights flickered once, twice and then went off for good. The house creaked and groaned with the force of the wind and the sirens continued their shrill warning. Thunder exploded and all three females shrieked and grabbed for Logan. He snapped on the battery operated lights to find Bella clinging to his neck like a baby monkey, Mrs. Harper clutching one side and Jade the other.

  He smirked with pure masculine pride.

  Jade quickly scooted away and scooped up Fiji, obviously upset at her display of weakness. Mrs. Harper reached for the radio and turned it up. Two tornados had been spotted in the area. It wasn’t over yet.

  Chapter Twelve

  To pass time and take everyone’s mind off the brewing tempest, Jade led them in singing silly songs. Bella entertained them by crooning the alphabet song about a dozen times. They stayed in the room until they were sure the threat had passed. By the time they opened the door, the lights had popped back on but it was now pitch black outside.

  While Logan escorted Mrs. Harper home, Jade offered to stay with Isabella and Fiji. The little girl was adorable and obviously loved her father. Every other word out of her mouth was “My daddy did this,” or “My daddy can do that.”

  Isabella wanted Jade to give her a bath and though she'd never done it before, Jade had no problem attempting the task. Fiji lay curled on a rug beside the pool-sized tub as Bella splashed in the water and played with her plethora of toys. Jade squirted a dollop of shampoo on her hand and sniffed the liquid.

  “One of my favorite smells in the world.”

  Jade sucked in a breath and spun, falling on her butt in the process. Shampoo went flying from her hand. A hank of wilted hair fell across her eyes and she blew it out of the way.

  “Daddy, Daddy,” Bella crooned.

  Logan stood with one shoulder propped against the doorway, his arms braced over his chest and his feet crossed. His sexier than sin lips quirked with humor. Jade sighed and used the back of one sudsy hand to push the stubborn strand hair off her face. Somehow she managed to get more water on her than actually filled the tub.

  Reading her mind, Logan confessed, “It’s a messy job. Bella is as wiggly as a fish on a hook.” He picked up the baby shampoo and squeezed some in his palm before lathering up Bella’s hair. Jade’s insides fluttered at seeing his big, strong hands massaging Bella’s delicate head. He scrubbed his fingers along her scalp and gently shook her head, making her squeal with laughter. After he rinsed the suds out, he reached over and grabbed a blue fluffy towel off a rack and held it open. Bella launched herself in it and he proceeded to shimmy her dry.

  At that moment, Jade had never wanted to be a part of something as desperately as she did a warm, loving family of her own. Something touched her hand and she jerked. Logan passed her a bottle of baby lotion. Her eyes flew to his and she had to swallow the lump that threatened to choke her. Somehow, he'd read her mind again.

  A naked Bella came to stand in front of her with a child’s trust. She was standing so her flat little tummy pooched out.

  “Let’s get you all soft and smooth, Bella.”

  “That’s what my daddy calls me.”

  Jade realized it was the first time she'd called the little girl by anything other than her full name. Bella just seemed to fit.

  Once Jade had slathered the lotion all over her body, Logan held up a yellow nightgown with Disney princesses on the front. Bella hoisted her arms high in the air and he slipped it over her head and tugged it into place. Then he held a little pair of pink panties out and she stepped into them, her little hand braced on his big shoulder for balance. Once they were in place, she held her arms up again and Logan swept her up and deposited her on the counter. He withdrew a black hairdryer from a drawer and snapped an attachment on the end. He grinned sheepishly at Jade and held up the tool. “I’d never even heard of a diffuser before Bella, let alone how to use one.” He flipped the switch to low, grabbed a pick and be
gan drying her hair.

  “How did you learn about them,” she asked, genuinely curious and totally enchanted.

  He turned his head to the side to talk to her, not taking his eyes from his task. “The first time I washed her hair, I used a flat brush and the dryer. She looked like a miniature Tina Turner when I got done.”

  Jade laughed, charmed. His big hands kept moving easily and soon, black ringlets danced around her head.

  “My Aunt Trudy literally doubled over in laughter when she saw the mess I made of Bella’s hair. She ran out and bought the diffuser and taught me how to use it correctly.”

  “Daddy, can Jade wead a story with us tonight?”

  “Oh, baby, we’ve kept her here long enough. I’m sure she has things she needs to do.”

  There was no place she would rather be than with this man and this child.

  “Please Daddy?”

  “Bella…”

  “I’d love to read a story with you, Isabella.”

  Bella clapped her hands, a wide smile crinkling her eyes. Logan lifted her off the counter and she scurried to her room to pick out a book.

  Logan gathered the wet towels and draped them over a rack. “You really don’t have to stay.”

  Jade touched his arm. Sparks flew from the spot of contact and traveled throughout her body. Jerking her hand back, she struggled for composure. “I’d really like to, if you don’t mind.”

  Logan gifted her with one of his gorgeous dimpled smiles and motioned for her to precede him from the room. He flipped off the bathroom light and guided her to Bella’s room with one hand on the small of her back.

  She stepped inside Bella’s domain and stopped, causing Logan to bump into her back. The large room was a magical fairy kingdom, complete with Princess Bella. Walls painted pink, white mesh covering her canopy bed, stuffed animals spread about, an abundance of toys and gadgets and electronics and enough frilly goodies to make a real princess jealous. It was a dream retreat for any little girl.