After laying a skillet on the stove eye, he couldn’t move. The shiny surface reflected his horrified expression. If he hadn’t been at Janie’s house, he might have thrown the pan across the room and into the opposite wall.
The phone clicked as Janie laid it on the counter.
“Well, this is a bit awkward.” She drummed her fingers on the countertop.
“You didn’t tell the caller I was alive, did you?”
“It was my father, and no I didn’t.”
“Why not?”
She rubbed her forehead. “Good question.”
“Do you think the doc will tell him?”
“Yes.”
“Were you embarrassed at my spending the night in your home and unprepared for his question, or did you have another reason for withholding the information?”
“Yes, to the first one.” She studied her nails and then gazed at him. “But I’m also glad you’re alive.”
Trevor propped his hip against the cabinets. “So am I.”
“Dad seems to think our resident arsonist has returned.”
“What?”
She shrugged and wadded a paper towel in her hands. “Ten years ago, ours wasn’t the only house that burned. Unexplained fires claimed more than ten lives.”
“And they never found the perpetrator?”
“No. Some believed the arsonist worked at the oyster farm, because after it dried up, the fires stopped.”
“And what do you believe?”
“I don’t know.”
He cradled her gloved hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
She moved a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you, but I don’t think I’m the target.”
Trevor released her hand and cooked breakfast while Janie cleaned up. The subject of him being the target was dropped because he refused to discuss its merit. Janie tried, but he went about pulling food from the refrigerator and ignored her. Finally she had stomped upstairs. He had heard her slamming doors up until the water started running. Breakfast covered the table, and still Janie remained absent.
After eating, he gathered his ripped clothing from the day before, pulled a sewing kit from his daypack, and mended the pants. Finished, he threw the items into the washer. He returned to the kitchen, and Janie was sitting at the table licking her fingers.
“That was so good.”
Trevor’s heart beat rapidly in his chest as he forced himself to look away from the erotic sight. A hummingbird hovered before the window sucking nectar from a feeder. Trevor focused on the speed of the fluttering wings as he said, “Glad you liked it.”
Pressure on his forearm had him looking at the top of her head. She lifted her face and said, “I’m sorry about earlier. I let my temper control my mouth.”
He shrugged but turned his head. She moved in front of him. A drop of jelly pooled at the corner of her lip, and he desired to kiss it away. She spoke, but he couldn’t focus on the words; instead he watched her red, luscious lips.
“Trevor, have you heard a word I’ve said?”
“Nope.”
She laughed. “What is on your mind?”
He pointed at her face, and she did something that almost brought him to his knees. She flicked out her tongue, slowly rolling it around until she found the jelly. The jelly received extra attention as she stroked her mouth several times and expressed muted sounds of pleasure.
Trevor needed to get away. The ding of the finishing washer saved him. “Excuse me. I need to switch my clothes over.”
“Okay. I’m going to see if the news is reporting the fire.”
Trevor tried not to run. He threw the clothes into the dryer and went to the bathroom and threw cold water on his face, before finding a seat in the living room. Perched on the edge of the couch, Janie cradled her chin.
“They haven’t mentioned casualties yet.”
A reporter appeared on the screen. “Another tragic fire has occurred in Pearl Valley. Over the last ten years there have been a total of fifteen unsolved fires. The police report no suspects in any of these recent or past events.”
The scene switched, showing amateur footage of the hotel blaze. The on-scene reporter spoke to the studio reporter. “It’s been a destructive day in Pearl Valley.”
“Indeed it has. It appears that poor town will never get over its disasters. Let me ask you, does Morgan plan to rebuild?”
“The owner was unavailable for comment.”
“Sharon, can you tell us if there were any casualties?”
“Word came earlier today that one man was thought to have perished in the fire, but as of yet we have had no firm confirmation. Back to you, Mary.”
“Thank you, Sharon, and to all you who are watching. And remember, you heard it first on Channel Three News.”
Janie switched the television off and settled back on the couch. “What do we do now?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Janie suggested they call local law enforcement and let them know Trevor was alive and then stay inside for the day. The reporters and the curious would be on the prowl, and neither one of them was up to being scrutinized.
She popped popcorn and picked out an old movie on television. They chose a Charlton Heston flick where he played the part of Marcus in a 1960s version of Julius Caesar.
Janie widened her eyes at some scenes and covered her eyes during others. The movie ended, and Trevor shook his head in disbelief. His chest rumbled with unrestrained laughter.
“What’s so funny?’ she asked.
“Imagine a group of blacksmiths taking time to hammer nipples and abs into a soldier’s armor. Yup, gotta have my armor form-fitted, otherwise how could I possibly enter battle?” He pranced around the couch with his shirt pulled taut across his muscular chest.
He fell on the edge of the seat and slid into the floor. “Look at me. My armor protrudes farther than yours. Can’t you just see the blacksmith hammering that stuff into place? Why that’s crazier than any metal chastity belt ever thought about being.”
They shared a laugh before growing somber. Trevor ruffled her hair like one would a child.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing,” she said, turning away before he tried to guess.
“Look, I know that’s not true. Might as well tell me.”
She sucked her lip between her teeth but quickly released it when she noticed how his eyes darkened. She’d been noticing his reactions to her all day. She wasn’t sure if they were good or bad. She knew he found her attractive, but in their current situation that could be a dangerous thing.
Moving out of reach, she stretched her arms over her head and sauntered toward the kitchen. “Why don’t I make us a sandwich, and we can go on the back porch for a bit?”
“All right. I’ll help you.”
Within seconds, he was on her heels. She turned to tell him he didn’t have to help and fell against his chest. His hands found their way to her waist, and ripples of pleasure ran along her spine.
“We need to stop meeting like this,” he whispered.
She lifted her gaze. Again his pupils had darkened. He bent forward. Before she knew what was happening, he was kissing her. The act started slow, his tongue dancing with hers, but soon it increased in intensity. His hand wound tightly in her hair, and she tiptoed to get closer.
It was like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Or like seeing the aurora borealis in Alaska. Or like a field of daisies swaying in a gentle breeze. The touch of his lips on hers was like a slice of heaven on earth.
When the kiss ended and he pulled back, they both gasped for breath.
“I’ve wanted to do that for at least a day and a half,” he said.
Janie fought her laughter. With a husky voice, she said, “Then why didn’t you?”
He studied her. “Maybe I should have.”
His head dipped as if he meant to kiss her again, but he stopped. From his back pocket he dragged his cell phone. The screen glowed bright.
“I need to answer this. Do you mind?”
She shook her head and wobbled as he released her. She continued into the kitchen to make the sandwiches, but she couldn’t put them together properly. She gathered canned goods instead of lunch meat, and she brought waffles from the freezer instead of cheese. It was official. She had lost it.
****
“No, Rory, I’m fine.”
“But we heard the fire consumed you. The flames were so hot the news said it melted your prosthesis to nothing.”
Trevor frowned, but he didn’t respond.
“Look, maybe you should come home. You said yourself Miss Dossett wasn’t what you had expected, that she wasn’t going to be able to help you like you thought. That place is obviously too dangerous.”
Trevor snickered. “This coming from the one-legged man who still wants to jump from planes.”
“Hey now, that was my wife’s idea. She needed new writing material, and I’m more than happy to oblige.”
The smack of a kiss echoed over the line, and Trevor said, “Rory, I’m fine.”
“Is something going on that you’re not sharing with me?”
“Probably.”
“Trevor?”
“Look, Rory, I might have been mistaken when I said that Jane couldn’t help me. I think just being with her is helping.”
“I see.”
“And don’t worry, I’m an ex-Navy SEAL, remember. I can take care of myself.”
“That’s what we all say before they sink their claws into us.”
“I heard that, Rory!” yelled Hannah in the background.
“Sorry, dear.” Rory apologized before adding, “But seriously, that place seems dangerous. This is the second fire in the one week you’ve been there. Do the police have any leads?”
“The television news says no.”
“Then maybe you should do some investigating.”
“Who, me? I’m not an investigator.”
“I know you don’t want to believe you’re in danger, or that the fires might have something to do with you visiting town, but there hasn’t been a fire in Pearl Valley in over seven years. Trust me when I say I checked and rechecked. I called a few friends, and they did some digging. It seems ten years ago there was a rash of fires. After Miss Dossett was hurt, they stopped briefly. Then there were a few where no one was hurt. But after the oyster farm petered out seven years ago, nothing, no fires, not even a campfire gone bad until now.”
Trevor looked behind him and saw Janie busily sweeping the kitchen. Her hips swayed with the motion of the broom. Still he cupped the mouthpiece as he asked, “You aren’t trying to say you think Janie has something to do with this?”
“I’m trying to say be careful.”
The call ended, and Trevor ran his hand through his hair. The thought of Janie being involved in the burnings was preposterous. She had burns on her hands. Her father had been burned on his face; her mother had died. Not to mention she’d been at home with him when the hotel burned to the ground.
None of it made any sense. Maybe Janie’s theory that a worker from the oyster farm had started the original fires was correct. But what about now? Who was around then that is still around now? Did the fires have anything in common besides being in this town?
These were all questions he needed answers to.
****
Trevor left Janie on the pretense of going shopping. She would have loved to come, but he mentioned going to the next town over, and she quickly changed her mind. He’d known this would happen, which is why he had mentioned it.
Twenty minutes and twenty miles away, Trevor stopped at a department store in Sapphire Shoals. There he purchased everything he would need. All his toiletry supplies replaced, he bought enough clothes for an entire week.
His purchases complete, he headed to the police station. After he introduced himself, he was escorted to the sheriff’s office. The royal treatment was a little odd, and he feared he had stepped into a trap.
A rotund man about five foot one waddled into the office and glared at him. Quickly Trevor removed his cowboy hat, and the man’s expression softened, but not much.
“I understand you’re that feller that was supposed to have burned up in the hotel last night. Care to tell me where you were hiding out?”
“That’s confidential.”
“I see.” The man tapped a finger to his forehead. “So if you haven’t come in to confess, what are you here for?”
“Confess? Confess to what?”
“Whoa, son, hold your horses. I didn’t mean nothing by that.”
“Sorry.” Trevor shifted in the plastic chair. Breaks in the material tugged at his pants, and he moved again. “Look, I just came in to see if you have any leads.”
“Now what do you want to know that for?”
“Well, I had some pretty expensive stuff in that hotel room, and I want to know who to bill.” Trevor maintained a haughty air.
“I reckon we don’t have to jump down that road just yet. I’m sure Morgan had insurance.”
“That’s fine.”
“Is that all you wanted?”
“No, I want to know if there is a connection between this fire and the last one. I guess I want to know if I’m safe.”
“Safe? You want to know if you’re safe? Of course you’re not safe. Ain’t a person who lives or stays in Pearl Valley that’s safe. Why, that is the unluckiest place in the entire United States.”
The sheriff prattled on and on, and Trevor tuned him out. Lifting his chin he could make out documents on the sheriff’s desk that were marked with the word fire. He tried to read the notes, but the script looked like chicken scratch, and he couldn’t make heads or tails out of the mess.
Politely he excused himself, leaving his cell number in case they wanted or needed to contact him. Outside the sun blared, and the pavement smelled like scorched earth. Shops lined the streets of the town, announcing sapphires for sale.
Cowboy hat on his head and the glare blunted, he saw a familiar figure. Doc Giles was entering one of the shops. Looking both ways, Trevor crossed the street and peeped into the window. The doc leaned over a glass case. A jeweler handed him a ring, and he studied it with a critical eye.
The thick glass muffled their words. Afraid to enter, Trevor waited. Doc gave the ring back, and the jeweler offered to pull out another one, but the doc shook his head. Trevor hid behind a vending machine and waited for him. When Doc walked out, he went toward another jewelry store on the strip.
All total, he went inside ten jewelry stores. Each time he looked at a ring, each time he said no, and each time he walked out and went to another. Trevor’s leg pained from standing and waiting, but he knew something was going on. If he was patient, he was sure it would be revealed.
At the last store on the strip, the doc entered. The jeweler slapped his back, and Doc laid a handful of rings on the jeweler’s glass. Trevor tripped and hit the store’s glass window. The doc’s head swiveled, and Trevor dropped. The sounds of someone moving toward the door had him hurrying away.
He tugged his cowboy hat downward and lowered his chin to his chest as he shuffled past the shops and back to the station where his truck waited.
Inside the sun-baked vehicle, Trevor pulled out his phone and dialed Rory.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Left by herself, Janie was overwhelmed by loneliness. It was odd. She spent most of her time alone, but yet this one day without Trevor made her feel lonelier than she had ever felt in her entire life.
She paced the halls of the house. She vacuumed, dusted, swept, mopped, and washed clothes. She mowed the lawn and fed the birds. She even went for a walk in the park. But nothing satisfied her craving for Trevor’s attention.
Around suppertime, she decided to go to the diner. Carol could feed her, and maybe she could find out some more information about the fire. Dressed in a pair of shorts and a blue t-shirt, she decided to walk. The evening air had cooled and the wind l
ifted her hair and blew a breeze against her neck, reminding her of the way Trevor had blown on her neck in the cave.
Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze. She needed to get her emotions under control before entering the diner. She wouldn’t want Carol to noticed how flushed she was. Thankfully, it was late spring and she could blame the heat.
The bell rang above the door, announcing her entrance. Carol and a few of the regulars waved in her direction. She found her booth empty and slid onto the side facing the door. Holding the menu in front of her face, she sipped at the ice cold water Carol had brought her.
The booth seat crackled as someone slid across from her. Her heart raced with anticipation and brought more heat to her cheeks. Perhaps Trevor had returned and he’d joined her.
Lowering the menu, she was shocked to find Doc Giles sitting across from her.
“Hello, Janie.”
“Hello, Doc. How are you?”
“I’m good and you?”
“I’m fine.”
“How is your friend?” he asked looking at the bathroom door.
“Oh, he isn’t here. He went shopping for clothes. The fire wiped out most of what he had.”
“Where did he purchase his clothes?”
“What?” She pulled back, confused by the question.
“Never mind. I didn’t come here to talk about Mr. Jacobs.”
“Okay. Did you want to eat dinner? I hear the special today is Carol’s famous chicken casserole. I’ve had it a few times and it is mouthwatering.”
“No, I didn’t come to eat. I came to see you.”
“You did?”
“Yes, I did. I have something I need to ask you.”
Janie cringed. If he asked about Trevor spending the night at her house in front of all these people, she would die of embarrassment.
“We’ve known each other for some time now, right?”
“Yes.”
Renee lifted a brow in her direction, but Janie shook her head, and the waitress went on to another table.
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