Men of courage

by Lori Foster

  At the very top of the stairs, Rosie could see more boxes. She couldn’t tell what they were, but they looked different from the ones downstairs. She was ready to investigate when a large man came bursting into the room. He stopped in the curtained doorway and glared darkly at Regina.

  “Here now! Just who the hell are you? You ain’t allowed in here to take pictures.”

  Frowning at his tone, Rosie took two steps forward. Regina quickly attempted to introduce herself. “I called earlier. I’m a reporter with the—”

  Suddenly a loud crack sounded like the blast of a gun, and the man whirled around. “What the hell!” His eyes rounded at something Rosie. couldn’t see and he shouted, “What are you doing? No!”

  A whoosh of fire shot through the doorway, caught the curtains and flared up into his face. Cursing, he staggered backward and jammed into Regina. They both went down.

  “Regina!” Rosie tripped over a box and almost fell, too. She fetched up against the wall, bruising her arm. Before she could straighten herself, the burning curtains fell to the floor and the fire spread to lick around the crates of firecrackers. Seconds later, they began to explode, the sound almost deafening.

  Horrified, Rosie saw that Regina had hit her head and was badly dazed. The man, who had started to run out without her, apparently thought better of it and quickly threw Regina over his shoulder. He raced out the back door, leaving Rosie inside, alone. She tried to call out, tried to scream, but the roar of the fire and the noise of the fireworks swallowed up any sound she made. The man hadn’t seen her, so he hadn’t even known she was inside.

  The fire spread too quickly, and Rosie’s alarm was almost as choking as the smoke filling the room. Hot flames blocked the back door, leaving her only one other way to go. Up.

  Praying, Rosie quickly scaled the stairs. She had only a second to see that the upper floor was congested with bottle rockets, flares and Roman candles—then she saw the window and lurched toward it. She struggled to get it open, but her fingers felt numb in her fear; the window refused to budge. Behind her, the roar of the fire grew, angry and menacing. Tears ran down her face from the blinding smoke, but she brushed them away, forcing herself to think. Finally she pulled off a shoe and smashed it against the windowpane until all the sharp shards of glass were gone.

  Leaning out to gulp in fresh air, she looked for Regina, but she couldn’t see her or the man. However, about four feet in front of her, a thick sturdy branch from the oak tree reached out like a lifeline.

  Several explosions sounded below, making her jump in terror. Rosie covered her ears before new determination gripped her. She’d just gotten Ethan, damn it, and no way was she going to let some stupid fire keep her from him now. Thanks to all the lessons she’d taken with Riley, she was strong, agile. She would save herself.

  She kicked off her other shoe, crawled onto the window ledge and stretched out her hand. She couldn’t quite get hold of the branch, no matter how she tried. There was only one thing left to do. She’s have to jump to the tree—and pray she didn’t miss.

  HIS thoughts had centered on Rosie all day. He had to be the biggest fool alive not to have realized earlier how much he cared for her. She was his best friend, his better half and his perfect match sexually. When he considered all the time he’d wasted, he wanted to kick himself.

  When he remembered how sexy she was in bed, how soft she felt and the way she held him when she came… he could barely breathe. Rosie did everything with an abundance of energy and involvement. Lovemaking had been no different. Damn, he was lucky because out of all the men in the world, she wanted him.

  She also wanted a big, formal, fancy wedding. Ethan closed his eyes and groaned.

  He needed a distraction in the worst way and his appointment with Regina Foxworth would serve as well as any other. He was just starting into the diner when he heard the explosion and saw the smoke in the sky. It wasn’t far away, and he knew fire engines were probably already on their way. Still, before he even knew it, he was halfway there, his long legs eating up the distance. The closer he got, the thicker the smoke grew.

  He reached the industrial area and pushed his way through a wall of people lining the street, watching the flames consume the old building. He recognized it, of course. This was the shady fireworks dealer he’d mentioned to Rosie. He wasn’t surprised by the fire, all things considered, but he prayed no one was hurt.

  “You people should back up,” Ethan told them as his training naturally came to the fore. “At least go to the other side of the street.” He got people moving even as he heard the sirens start off in the distance. Reluctantly, the crowd parted and shifted—and then he saw Red.

  But… she was supposed to be at the Diamond Diner, waiting for him.

  She sat on the curb, a thin trickle of blood running down her temple, her clothes dirty and torn. “Hey?” Ethan crouched in front of her. “Are you all right? What the hell happened? What are you doing here?” As he spoke he pulled out a hanky and dabbed at the blood on her head.

  She opened vague eyes and blinked at him. “Ethan?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.” Ethan wondered if she had a concussion or if she was in shock. Either way, he needed to move her a safer distance away from the fire. “Can you walk, Regina?”

  Appearing desperate, she clutched his hand. “Rosie…”

  “What?” Frowning, sure she was delirious, Ethan took her shoulders. “What about Rosie?”

  She shook her head as if to clear it, then tried again. “Oh, God, I think… I think she’s still inside.”

  Ethan stiffened; the bottom fell out of his stomach. Still inside? He looked at the flames dancing out every window, coloring the sky crimson. He took in the billowing black smoke that clung to everything, stinking up the air. “She’s at work.”

  “No.” Big tears clouded Red’s eyes. “She was with me.”

  Numb incredulity gave way to rage. Ethan wasn’t aware of roaring, wasn’t aware of charging the building, but suddenly men were holding him back and no matter how he fought, he couldn’t get loose. No, no, he wouldn’t accept it. He hit someone, kicked someone else.

  Riley appeared, though that didn’t make any sense. “Ethan, damn it, no.”

  “Let me go,” he snarled, fighting for his life.

  Riley wrapped his arms around him and they fell to the ground ten feet from the building. Intense heat washed over them, and there was another loud boom. Half of the roof caved in. With Riley holding him flat on his back, Ethan twisted his head to stare at the destruction. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even really see. The smoke was so goddamned thick…

  Then he heard her calling his name. At first he thought he imagined it even as hope sprang alive inside him. None of it seemed real. Why would Rosie even be here? And Riley?

  He pushed Riley aside as if he were no more than a gnat. Before he’d taken two steps toward the building, Riley grabbed his arm and swung him around. “Ethan, there! There she is.”

  With his fist cocked back, Ethan hesitated. He heard her call him again and then he followed the direction Riley pointed. Two buildings down, Ethan saw her. She’d lost her shoes, her hair was singed, but she was running toward him and, damn it, he couldn’t manage a single step. He started desperately sucking air two seconds before his knees gave out.

  “Ethan.” She stumbled to a halt in front of him, grabbed his arm and tried to haul him to his feet. “We have to move,” she panted. “The place is full of stuff—bottle rockets and Roman candles and… I don’t know. All kinds of explosive things.”

  Slowly his vision cleared until he could see again. Belatedly, his instincts kicked in and he struggled to his feet. “We have to move.”

  Rosie blinked at him. “That’s what I was saying.”

  “Come on.” He wrapped her protectively in his arms and together they jogged to the opposite side of the street, away from harm. Riley walked up to stand beside them, holding Red in his arms. Ethan hadn’t even noticed him picking up the
other woman, yet there she was, cuddled against Riley’s chest. They all sat on the curb.

  The men shared a look. “This is going to be one hell of an interesting story.” Riley glanced down at Red and shook his head.

  Beyond confused, still rattled with lingering fear and embarrassed over his reaction, Ethan scowled. “Just what the hell is going on? Why are you here?”

  “I was just…” Riley glanced at Red, frowned and shrugged. “I was just checking up on her. She was so damn jumpy yesterday and…”

  Red, still holding Ethan’s hanky to her temple, lifted her head. “You were worried about me?” Riley looked disgusted. “Yeah.”

  “But I thought you didn’t believe me.” He glanced at Ethan. “I believe you now.” Suddenly he looked furious. “Damn it, Red, when I suggested you do a story on fireworks and safety, I didn’t mean for you to go skulking around this part of town.”

  “I’m a reporter,” she insisted, but with her face white and streaked with blood, her indignation was ludicrous.

  Riley took the hanky from her and dabbed at her cut. “You’re a fool.” She started to protest and he pushed her head back to his shoulder. “I know why I’m here, but, Rosie, what are you doing here?”

  Ethan’s grip on Rosie was bruising, but he wouldn’t, couldn’t, let her go. She patted his chest in a bid to soothe him. “I was with Regina.”

  Ethan stared down at her. “Why?”

  “I didn’t want her to try to steal you away.” He looked thunderstruck, then outraged. “Of all the idiotic…” Red lifted her head. “But I don’t want him.”

  Rosie looked at Riley. “Yeah, I know that now.”

  The fire engines arrived with a lot of flashing lights, noise and fanfare, drowning out any further possibilities for conversation. Men ran to the surrounding buildings, evacuating people, moving others to safety.

  Without being told, Ethan and Riley strode farther away. Ethan kept Rosie tight to his side, and Riley still carried Red. Other members of the crowd weren’t so easy to sway, and Ethan had to wonder at the idiocy of spectators. If the building should explode again, anyone close by could be hit with debris.

  The firefighters went to work, pulling out hoses, surrounding the building and fighting the fire from the outside in an exterior assault. One look told Ethan that it wasn’t safe to do anything else.

  A concerned firefighter approached Rosie. “Was there anyone else inside?”

  Her voice raspy from the smoke, she said, “We—Regina and I—heard two men arguing. Only one came out to talk to her, though. I don’t know about the other man.”

  Riley gave her a sharp look. “What do you mean, he talked to her? What about you?”

  “He didn’t see me. I was by the stairs.”

  She leaned on Ethan and he pressed his face against her smoke-scented hair. All his training, everything he knew, had disappeared with his panic. But then, no woman had ever loved him the way Rosie did. She was his, and if he lost her…

  When she continued, her voice was softer, a little frightened. “I had to go upstairs because the fire just… spread. Like a whoosh.”

  Ethan held her back. “Do you think it was deliberate?”

  Rosie looked at Regina. Both women looked upset. “Maybe.”

  Regina nodded. “I saw a flash of fire, then I fell and hit my head. I’m sorry I can’t be more help.”

  Riley patted her back. “Shush. Just rest.”

  Bemused by Riley’s behavior, Rosie had to force her gaze back to the man questioning her. “The fire blocked the door where we’d entered and it was all around these boxes of firecrackers, and they were all spilled everywhere and half-opened so that the fuses were sticking out almost like someone had set it up on purpose. Regina took a lot of pictures but…” Her babbling came to a halt. “Regina, where’s your camera?”

  Regina looked down at where the camera had hung around her neck, then stared for several moments in disbelief before saying, “Well, damn.” She glared at Riley as if it might be his fault. “It’s gone!”

  Rosie scowled. “I bet the man who carried Regina out took it. He did seem mad that she was using the camera. I don’t know where he went but I did see him leave with her.”

  “You said you went upstairs?” Riley didn’t seem in any hurry to put Red down.

  Rosie nodded, sending her frazzled hair to bounce around her face. “I climbed out a window, into that big tree behind the building. The fire blocked the alley so I had to go two buildings over to cut back to the street.”

  The firefighter touched her arm. “Thanks. I’ll want to talk to both you ladies later. In the meantime, if you see that man, let me know right away, okay?” He waited for her nod, then headed off to once again force onlookers back.

  Rosie lifted her face and touched Ethan’s mouth. Her fingers were trembling, her eyes a little red. “I’m so sorry if I scared you.”

  “Scared me? I was more than scared, Rosie.” He kissed her gently. “I love you, damn it.”

  “I don’t want a big wedding.”

  Not sure he’d heard her right, Ethan frowned. “What?”

  She fisted her hands in his shirt and tried to shake him. “We’re getting married at a justice of the peace as soon as possible, and that’s that. Do you understand me?”

  Ethan looked at Riley, who raised both brows and shrugged. Against his throat, Red murmured, “They’re in love. They’re getting married.”

  “I see.” Riley kissed her ear. “Let’s let the paramedics take a look at you, okay?”

  “But I’m fine.”

  “We’ll do it anyway.”

  Disgruntled, she said, “All right, but at least let me walk.”

  “No.” Riley headed for the ambulance that had just pulled up.

  Ethan watched him carry her off, a little surprised though he didn’t know why. Riley was… well, he was more dangerous than any modern man should be. He’d joined their group after they all met on a fishing trip. Since then, they’d been good friends, but Ethan was always aware of Riley’s sharper edge and thinly veiled civility. He hid it well, but there were times, such as now, when his primitive instincts shone loud and clear.

  Ethan had seen hints of it with the way Riley fought, how he remained alert at all times, the precise gentleness he utilized in his everyday life, as if he had to concentrate on that because it didn’t come naturally.

  This was the first time he’d seen his armor crack around a woman. Interesting.

  Shrugging away those thoughts, he gave his attention back to Rosie. “Honey, we can get married any way you want. It was stupid of me to—”

  “You heard me, Ethan Winters.” The rest of the roof caved in with a thunderous crash. Rosie jumped, gripped him tighter and raised her voice accordingly. “It’ll be a small wedding, damn it, just us and the guys and well… maybe Regina.” She looked worried, and watched him with a frown. “You won’t mind that, will you? I like her and I kind of think Riley does, too.”

  “You kind of think, huh?” Ethan glanced over at the ambulance where a paramedic tried to convince Riley to set Red down. Ethan grinned, knowing Riley had just claimed a woman in the most elemental way known to man. No way would he relinquish his hold on her. “I’d kind of say you’re right.”

  “I do love you, Ethan.”

  He sat—or rather his knees gave out—but he caught Rosie on his lap. “As long as I get you and the house and the dog and the kids, nothing else matters to me.”

  She beamed at him. Ethan pushed her singed hair away from her face and kissed her. “You’re making me old before my time.”

  She sighed. “Well, as long as I’m the only one making you, I can live with that.”

  EPILOGUE

  Rosie laughed as she got out of the limousine Ethan had insisted on hiring. They’d ridden to the small church with Harris, Buck, Riley and Regina. Her white dress was knee-length, simply cut, but it was lovely, the bodice overlaid with lace and pearls. The look on Ethan’s face when he’d
seen her in it had made her feel more beautiful than any traditional wedding gown could have.

  The church was another thing he’d insisted on. And Rosie loved him too much to argue. Only two weeks had passed since the fire, which was still under investigation. They’d found the man who had carried Regina out, but no one else. He denied taking her camera, denied any wrongdoing, and claimed the other man Rosie had heard was just a customer.

  He did agree that someone had deliberately set his place on fire. Unfortunately, he wanted to blame Regina.

  So far, the fire was a mystery, but Riley was now convinced that Regina had reason to worry—and he’d taken it upon himself to keep an eye on her.

  Rosie started for the front door of the church, but Ethan sidetracked her. “We need to go in from the back.”

  “We do? Why?” Everyone kept watching her, making her very suspicious. “What’s going on, Ethan?”

  His smile made her heart do flips.

  “You’re so difficult, sweetheart. Come on.” He caught her hand and she had to trot in her high heels to keep up with him. Regina carried her bouquet for her—a beautiful creation of roses and baby’s breath and lilies. There was a strange hush to the air as they traversed the cobblestone path to the rear. Rosie hesitated when she saw the flower-covered trellis, but Ethan didn’t give her a chance to balk.

  They stepped through the trellis—and into an elaborate setting of orange blossoms, crepe paper and hundreds of chairs filled with guests. A multitude of trees had been decorated with ribbons and a white outdoor platform, complete with a smiling minister, had been erected on the immaculate lawn.

  Thunderstruck, her mouth hanging open, Rosie scanned the crowd of grinning faces. She recognized her neighbors, all the people she worked with, Ethan’s relatives and co-workers and friends and… almost the whole town.