His smile brightened up a bit. “Actually, she and Tino both offered, but it was no contest. He’s good-looking enough, but he’s really not my type.”
“Good decision,” Amy said, laughing. “Besides, I’m betting Tino would insist on leading all the time.”
Mikhail finally rejoined the conversation. “Yeah, he’s a jerk that way.”
An attractive woman, who looked to be in her late fifties, stepped out on the front porch. “I thought I heard voices. Are we dancing out here to entertain the neighbors, Misha, or are you going to bring your friends inside?”
She laced the words with a warm smile.
Mikhail shifted his helmet to his other hand to take Amy’s hand in his as they started toward the steps. “We were headed that way.”
Jay had already started up the steps to the porch, stopping to kiss Marlene on the cheek and give her a quick hug as he walked by. Amy took the opportunity to whisper a quick question to Mikhail. “Misha?”
His cheeks flushed a bit. “It’s the diminutive form of my first name. My birth mother was the only other one to call me that.”
Amy gave him a head-to-toe look. “I like it. The name suits you.”
Even if there was nothing diminutive about him at all.
His pale blue eyes stared down into hers with palpable intensity as they headed into his mother’s house. “You can call me that, too, if you’d like.”
His offer pleased her. The name clearly had a special connection to the two most important women in his life. She’d never heard his brothers call him by anything other than Mikhail or a friendly obscenity of some kind whenever she’d been around them. Maybe she was overthinking the significance of his offer, but she didn’t think so.
The inside of the house matched the outside. Well cared for, comfortable, and inviting. Mikhail guided her into the living room, where his mother was waiting for them.
He gave her a quick hug before performing the introductions. “Mom, you’ve heard me talk about my neighbor. Amy Short, this is my mother, Marlene Lukash.”
Amy stepped forward and offered the older woman her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Lukash.”
“Please, it’s Marlene. Any friend of Misha’s is a friend of mine. I know you’ve already met my other two sons, and my grandson. By the way, Ricky raves about your baking, and he’s not easy to impress.”
She glanced at her son and then back at Amy. “As I recall, Ricky mentioned being jealous of the special cookies you made for Misha here. Something with chocolate kisses and peanut butter.”
Mikhail crowded closer to where Amy stood, as if he felt the need to defend her. “Mom, you’re embarrassing her.”
He was right about that. Amy just hoped Ricky and the others hadn’t figured out the significance of the chocolate kisses she’d baked into the peanut butter cookies she’d made special for him. When in doubt, bluff. She did her best to pretend they’d been no big deal.
“I’d be glad to send you the recipe. I’ll email it to Mikhail, and he can forward it on to you.”
Marlene looked pleased. “That would be great. I love trying out new recipes. Now, shall we get started? Misha, you and Jay can move the furniture while Amy and I pick out the music.”
Five minutes later, Marlene partnered with her son as they demonstrated the basic box step. At first, the two of them moved slowly with deliberate precision, repeating the same pattern over and over while Jay and Amy watched. It looked simple enough, even if a bit stilted. Then, they picked up the pace and made a smooth sweep the length of the living room and back to where they’d started.
Mikhail and his mother were both grinning when the song finally came to a stop. Amy applauded and laughed when they both bowed.
“Now, it’s time for you two to try.” Marlene held her hand out to Jay. “You be my partner while Mikhail works with Amy.”
The two couples lined up next to each other, close enough that Marlene could offer advice but with enough room between them so they wouldn’t get in each other’s way. Mikhail settled his big hand on the center of Amy’s back. The warmth of his palm helped ease her nervousness, and his grip on her right hand was gentle but firm.
“All right, we’ll start without the music while I count off the beat. One, two, three, four. And again.”
Amy kept her eyes focused on her own feet as Mikhail moved them both across the floor. “Look up at me, Amy.”
She stumbled slightly as she dragged her gaze up to meet his, but he caught her. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a slight smile. After a quick glance toward where his mother was explaining something to Jay, he leaned in closer to whisper. “You’re doing fine. Pretend it’s just the two of us dancing alone in your kitchen.”
Then he moved them out of the same square pattern to slowly take a turn around the room, just as he and Marlene had done. Other than a couple of awkward moves on her part, they made it back to the starting point without any major mishaps.
Even though Marlene had had most of her focus on her own partner, she called out a few constructive comments to them. “Misha, check your frame. Your hand should be higher on her back.”
He dutifully slid his hand up to just below Amy’s shoulder. Maybe it was her imagination or wishful thinking on her part, but the stroke felt more like a caress than a technical adjustment.
“Now, that same box step can be used in the waltz, the foxtrot, and even one of the Latin dances. Misha, let’s show them.”
Jay joined Amy on the sidelines as once again Marlene and her son demonstrated the various rhythms and dances.
After a few trips around the room, Marlene gave her and Jay their marching orders. “Why don’t you two try all three styles?”
Jay didn’t move until Mikhail looked at him and nodded. Seriously, had he just asked his permission to dance with her? What the heck was up with that? But the music had already started, so there was no time for questions. All she could do was give the dance her best shot.
Jay was looking pretty grim as the two of them got into position. The tension thrumming in his big body was obvious even though the only points of actual contact were where his hand rested lightly on her back and his other one held hers in a death grip. For some reason, his nervousness helped banish some of her own.
“I’m not going to bite, Jay.”
He’d been staring determinedly over her head, but his gaze dropped down, briefly meeting hers before glancing toward Mikhail. “I know, but he might.”
“He’s just unhappy because you’ll outshine him out on the dance floor next week.”
Jay’s laughter rang out over the music. “Sweetheart, he’s unhappy all right. But I’m here to tell you that it has nothing to do with any dancing skills I might or might not have.”
What was he talking about?
Before she could ask, Mikhail tapped Jay on the shoulder. “I’m cutting in.”
She protested. “But your mother wanted the two of us to go through all three dances together.”
Jay immediately released his hold on her and backed away, his hands in the air. “You know what, I think I need your mom’s help on that last dance style. Yep, I’m sure of it.”
Then Amy was back in Mikhail’s arms, and he swept her across the room, moving too fast for her to ask him what his problem was. Not that she wanted to be anywhere else than right where she was. The only thing that would make it even better was if they didn’t have an audience.
“You’re a natural at this.”
She suspected her dance partner was exaggerating, but that didn’t detract from the fun she was having right then. “I suspect it’s because I’ve got a great teacher.”
“Thank you.”
She couldn’t hold back her laughter. “I was talking about your mother.”
His eyes narrowed, promising retribution. “Brat.”
Then he spun her through a series of dizzying spins, leaving her breathless and happy. Jay clapped for them. “Way to go, Amy! You’re making the big guy
look good.”
Meanwhile, Marlene stood next to the stereo and shuffled through several CDs. “Should I start another song, or do you all need a break?”
“A break from what?”
As one, the four of them turned to face the newcomer. Jack stood inside the entryway while a pretty woman and Ricky filed in behind him. Marlene lit up as soon as she spotted them. “You didn’t tell me that you were stopping by today.”
“We were out shopping and decided we’d do pizza for dinner. Thought you might like to join us.”
As he spoke, Jack scanned the room. Amy bet he didn’t miss a single detail. His next words confirmed it. “So, Mom, I see you’re giving dance lessons again. Tell me that you’ve finally managed to help Mikhail figure out how to do it right. I wouldn’t want him to embarrass everyone at the dance with those big, bumbling feet of his.”
Jack was obviously jerking his brother’s chain, but Amy didn’t like it. “I’ll have you know he’s a great dancer!”
She didn’t regret leaping to Mikhail’s defense, but instantly every adult and the one teenager in the room were staring at her. At them. At the fact that Mikhail was still holding her close. Darn it, maybe she should’ve kept her mouth shut.
But when she glanced up at Mikhail, he winked at her and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before turning his attention to his brother. “About that pizza. Are you buying?”
Jack shot his brother a disgusted look. “Yeah, I am, but you or Jay will have to make a run to the store for ice cream and beer.”
Before answering, Mikhail asked her, “Maybe I should’ve asked if you actually wanted to hang out here with this bunch or if we should go in case you already have plans for this evening.”
Amy hadn’t expected to stay for dinner, not to mention that she had a puppy who would be missing her pretty badly by now. “I’d love to stay, but I can’t leave Panda alone for much longer.”
Marlene gave her a questioning look. “Who is Panda?”
“My bulldog puppy.”
The older woman smiled. “I’d love to meet him.”
Mikhail glanced at Amy and then back at his mother. “Tell you what, Mom. If Amy doesn’t mind, the two of us will go back to our houses and pick up the dogs. We’ll stop and get the drinks and ice cream on the way back.”
Marlene was already nodding. “Perfect.”
Amy had to ask, “Are you sure? Panda’s not completely housebroken yet.”
Mikhail snickered. “Neither is Jack, but she lets him in all the time.”
Their mother looked much put-upon. “All right, that’s enough of that. Amy will think I never taught either one of you how to behave in public.”
Then she smiled. “But to answer your question, I’d love to meet Panda and Sarge. This house survived everything my sons put it through. An accident or two from a puppy isn’t going to hurt anything.”
“All right, then Panda and I would love to join you for dinner.”
Mikhail took her hand and towed her across the room. “We’ll call you when we’re on our way back to let you know when to order the pizza.”
Jack started putting the furniture back where it belonged. “Sounds like a plan, but don’t drag your feet. I’m hungry.”
The woman who’d come in with Jack blocked Mikhail’s headlong rush toward the door. “Before you whisk Amy out of here, it would be nice if you stopped long enough to introduce the two of us.”
“Oops, sorry, Caitlyn. I didn’t mean to be rude. I just worry that if we delay feeding your husband too long, he’ll start chewing on the furniture.”
He shot the man in question a quick grin and added, “Again.”
Jack started to raise a single finger but then jerked his hand back down when he realized his mother, his wife, and his son were all watching. “You’re thinking of Tino, not me. And to be fair to him, he wasn’t actually chewing on the coffee table. He accidently banged his teeth on it when I, uh, inadvertently tripped him.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right.”
It was hard not to laugh at the despairing looks on both Marlene’s and Caitlyn’s faces. Amy had seen the same expression on her own mother’s face more often than she could count, back when her four brothers all lived at home. It must come from having all those competitive males living under the same roof.
“It’s nice meeting you, Caitlyn. I appreciate all the help Jack and Ricky have given me, working on the fence and building my greenhouse.”
“I’d love to hear more about the greenhouse and how you plan to use it.”
While his sister-in-law was still talking, Mikhail tugged Amy another couple of steps toward the door. “I guess we need to be going, but I’d love to talk to you about the greenhouse when we get back.”
Outside, she jerked her hand free from Mikhail’s grasp. “That was a bit rude, don’t you think? We were talking.”
He didn’t look the least bit apologetic. “And you can talk some more when we get back.”
“What’s with the big hurry?”
“I wouldn’t put it past Jack to order the pizza as soon as we pull out of the driveway. If we’re not back in time to get our fair share, we’ll end up living off ice cream and beer.”
She laughed. “I don’t know about the beer part, but you know I could live quite happily on ice cream. In fact, just to be safe, let’s get the makings for banana splits. If we don’t get pizza, we can pig out on those. Considering they’ve got fruit, nuts, and dairy, they pretty much cover the entire food pyramid all by themselves.”
“Not sure my mom will buy that rationalization, but it works for me.”
Amy tugged on her helmet and started her bike. As they headed for home, she found herself smiling. Mikhail’s mom and the others had instantly accepted her as one of them. She suspected that they thought she and Mikhail were more than friendly neighbors, and maybe they weren’t wrong about that. Her feelings for him got more tangled all the time, and she was pretty sure he had the same problem.
Regardless, it felt good to spend time with a big, boisterous family. She missed her own sometimes so much that it hurt, but the reasons for why she’d moved away hadn’t changed. They’d all needed the time and distance to gain a new perspective when it came to her and the health problems that had plagued her for years.
One of these days she’d have to tell Mikhail her story. If their relationship ever evolved into something more than friends with no benefits, he’d see the scars that she’d picked up along the way. She could only hope that they wouldn’t be too much of a turn-off for him.
There was no reason to hurry with that explanation, though. Thanks to modern medicine, she was no longer in imminent danger of dying.
Someday maybe her family might even believe that. Until they did, she would stay right where she was and enjoy being around people who didn’t constantly try to protect her from all of life’s adventures by wrapping her in a thick layer of bubble wrap.
With that happy thought, she caught up with Mikhail just as the stoplight ahead of them changed back to green. Together, they gunned their engines and tore off down the road with matching grins on their faces.
Chapter 14
Smoke. Flames. Heat. So fucking much heat. No one could survive that kind of inferno. In fact, with one exception, no one had.
Mikhail watched as the police shepherded the spectators drawn to the tragedy back farther away from the property. One crew of firefighters kept pouring on the water, dousing the flames and cooling the embers while others stood watch to ensure sparks from the ever hungry fire didn’t catch hold on the neighboring houses. Meanwhile, the EMTs hovered close by to make sure the men and women who’d actually braved the flames to look for survivors were doing all right.
Good luck with that.
Yeah, sure, physically they were all fine. Mentally was a different question altogether. For Mikhail’s part, his heart hurt. Not exactly the kind of thing that could be fixed with an oxygen mask or a few butterfly bandages.
; Originally the firefighters had retreated to a safer distance once they’d confirmed there was no one left inside to save. Both the grandmother and her adult daughter had died with their lungs full of smoke. That had been bad enough. But then police had learned from one of the neighbors that there might have been a child visiting the family, a little girl about six years old. No one knew for sure if she’d gone back home or not. Realizing she was unaccounted for, Mikhail had led the charge back inside.
He’d found her hiding in the back of a closet, curled up in a ball and barely breathing. The EMTs had done everything they could to stabilize the unconscious child before transporting her to the hospital. It could be hours or even days before they knew for sure if death was going to be cheated of his full fare tonight. Even those who weren’t particularly religious prayed hard the doctors could pull off a miracle.
Mikhail pounded his fist on the side of the truck hard enough to hurt. Indications were that two lives had ended because someone hadn’t changed the batteries in the fucking smoke alarms. The husband, who was out of town on business, would be carrying around a crap load of guilt for the rest of his life.
There was more than enough blame to go around. If only the crew had kept looking longer the first time they’d gone into the house. If only Mikhail had realized sooner that the closet had another small door in the back that led to the crawl space. It had been the perfect hiding spot for a scared little girl. It had almost been her tomb.
If…if…if…
He shivered from the cold that had settled in his soul. How many women and children were going to die on his watch? More than his conscience and weary shoulders could bear. He fought to keep his eyes open, because every time they closed for more than a second or two, his head filled with the familiar horror stories from the past: his dead mother, the civilian victims in Afghanistan, the two women who hadn’t made it out of that house alive.
The fire chief joined Mikhail where he stood staring into the darkness of the night and his past. “This was a tough one.”
Mikhail nodded but kept his teeth clamped together for fear of what he’d unleash if he let even a single word slip past the anger and the self-loathing clogging his throat right now.
Love, Always and Forever Page 13