Falling for Home

by Jody Holford

  “Go home. I’ll come by later with an update. You don’t need to be here for any more of this,” he suggested, turning his gaze on Lucy. His eyes changed slightly, his gaze softening in a way she hoped only she would notice. “Take her home. Get cleaned up and have something to eat. I’ll come by, okay?”

  The three sisters nodded and navigated their way through the curious onlookers. No one spoke directly to Kate, but Lucy heard the murmurs of “so sorry,” “such a shame,” and “poor girl.”

  “What a fucking mess,” Sam assessed, hands on his jean-clad hips. The trucks and the crowd had gone. The sun was almost done for the day, and so was Alex. His head hurt, his body hurt, and his heart hurt. The rec center lay in blackened bits and pieces, ruined by someone with nothing better to do than tear apart his town.

  “That’s an understatement. Fire chief said it was deliberate. Figures they used gasoline-soaked cloths to start it up. Doesn’t take long for something like this to rage out of control,” Alex sighed, running his hand through his smoke-matted hair.

  “So they’re not only assholes but they’re idiots, too?”

  “Pretty much. I need to know you can fix this. I told Kate that I’d come by with an update. I want to be able to tell her that you can put it back together.”

  “Shit, Alex. There’s no fixing this. It’s a do-over.”

  “But you can do it?”

  “Sure, you know, with all my spare time these days, I’ll just draft up some plans and get started tomorrow,” Sam snapped without feeling.

  He glared at Alex and walked forward to where the building looked like it had crumbled.

  “Don’t be a dick,” Alex returned.

  Sam scoffed and shook his head while Alex followed him around the decimated lot.

  “You want to say that everything will be okay. You can sugar coat it for Kate, but this is going to take work. And money.”

  “The city must have insurance. Once the fire inspector signs off on it as arson, they should be able to move forward with a claim,” Alex mulled. The sky was a fuzzy, unwelcome grey even though the fire had been put out for a while now.

  “Who the hell would do this?”

  “I don’t know. Not for sure anyway. But I will find out. And whoever it is will wish they’d chosen a different town to screw with.”

  Sam grinned at his friend and gave him a hard clap on the back.

  “Looks like you have your work cut out for you. No more lounging in your office with a box of donuts.”

  Alex shook his head and treated his friend to a one finger salute, but he also smiled for the first time all afternoon.

  Chapter 7

  “What are you working on, honey?” Julie asked as she padded into the kitchen, coming to stand behind Lucy where she sat at the long and wide, wood-planked dining table. As a girl, she had done her homework at this table.

  Looking over her shoulder, Lucy saw her mom’s eyes were wrought with concern. Little creases marred the corners, and Lucy could see her biting at the inside of her cheek—something Lucy did, too, when her thoughts weren’t settled. Julie’s hair framed her face in loose curls that made her look younger. She smelled like mint and Lucy breathed her in as she rested her head against her for a brief moment. Her mom stroked her hair gently and something twisted inside of her stomach.

  “I’m doing up some brochures. I thought that I could offer photography as a trade for townspeople pitching in with the center,” Lucy said. She straightened and scrolled through the screen, showing Julie the brightly colored document she had been working on. “How’s Kate?”

  “She’s alright. She’s tough like all my girls. She’s lying down. I was going to make some soup. You know that there’s actually a link between soup and feeling better, don’t you?” Julie asked as she peeked a little closer at the brochure.

  “Uh—sure.”

  “So you’ll take photos in exchange for what? Money?”

  Julie moved to the cupboard, her flowing sweater waving behind her, and rooted around for some soul-healing soup. Lucy stretched her arms above her head, yawning.

  “Money, labor, supplies. Whatever they have to give. Anything.”

  Lucy felt cooped up even though she had spent a good portion of the day outside. Even after showering, she could still smell the fire and taste the ashes on her lips. She pushed back from the table to grab a drink. As her mom opened a couple cans of soup, she eyed Lucy with a bit of doubt.

  “Why would someone give supplies and labor for a few photos?”

  Lucy’s jaw tightened and she fought back the irritation. Her family didn’t truly understand the depth of her talent. She didn’t need them to build up her ego, but it would be nice if they recognized that not every photographer’s work was featured in National Geographic, Cosmo, and Rolling Stone—all of which were on her résumé.

  When Char had become a dentist, they’d rented a hall and held a celebration. They were planning something similar for Kate when she graduated with her degree in social work. When Lucy had graduated, they wondered why she would go to school to study something that was clearly a hobby. She had taken off on her first trek to Europe before any celebrations could be mentioned or overlooked. They had never purposely made her feel less, but standing beside them did that all on its own. They were proud of her; she knew that, most of the time. Still, it would be nice if they understood the measure of her success. Before she’d gotten fired, of course.

  “People love to be photographed, mom. High-quality photography isn’t cheap. People are doing photo shoots of everything these days—not just weddings. And I’m not just an average photographer. I’m offering something they’ll want in return for something that the rec center needs. You’ll see,” Lucy said. Her tone was clipped, but she didn’t try to soften it. Her mom mumbled a “Hmm,” as she continued to stir.

  Lucy busied herself by grabbing drinks and bowls, setting them down roughly on the counter. From the window over the sink, she saw Alex trudging up his porch steps, his grimy jacket slung over his shoulder. Her heart ached for him. It wasn’t hard to see how much pride he took in taking care of this town and the people in it

  “I think it’s nice you want to do something to help Kate, honey. I think it matters to her that you’re home. Probably a lot now. You want some of this soup?” Julie asked, dishing up the miniature, oddly formed vegetables in red broth. Lucy shook her head, still staring at Alex’s house, even though he’d gone inside.

  “Nah. I’m going to go check on Alex.”

  “He’s such a good man. I have no doubt he’ll find who did this,” Julie replied, kissing Lucy’s cheek before picking up a bowl of soup to take to Kate.

  She didn’t doubt it either, but until he did, he would blame himself for this and whatever else might happen.

  The shower had washed away the grime, but not the heaviness that sat in the pit of his stomach. He pulled on a pair of athletic shorts and towel dried his hair a bit more before tossing the towel into the laundry. Wandering into the kitchen with the intention of getting a beer, he almost tripped over Furball. Swallowing a curse, he leaned down to pet the cat, which had stopped him in his path for that very reason.

  “I know, bud. You’re being neglected.”

  Furball meowed in agreement and followed Alex to the kitchen. Alex dumped some food in a bowl and after setting the dish down, he ran his hand along the cat’s back. He grabbed a beer for himself; he’d think about food later. Turning on the T.V., he leaned back on his couch right when the doorbell rang. Closing his eyes, he silently cursed and stood to see who wanted what now. When he opened the door, he was pleasantly surprised to see the only person he would be willing to invite in at this particular moment.

  “Hey there, Sheriff,” Lucy smiled up at him, a pizza in one hand and a laptop case in the other. He smiled back when she eyed his bare chest a moment too long before bringing her gaze back up to his.

  “Hey yourself. If you’re sharing that pizza, come on in.”


  He moved aside and shut the door after her. She toed off her baby blue Converse shoes and walked through the house into the living room as though she came over all the time. Putting the laptop bag down, she looked over at him.

  “You want plates for this?”

  “Nah. I’ll grab some napkins, though. You want a beer?”

  “Sure.”

  He grabbed the napkins and a beer for her. Then, because it seemed polite, yanked on a T-shirt before joining her. She’d already started on her first slice, making him chuckle.

  “Hungry?”

  She looked away from the T.V. and nodded unapologetically.

  “Yup. They were having soup at my house. Apparently, it heals. I saw you come home and figured you’d probably be hungry, too.”

  He sat down beside her and grabbed a slice. She put hers down to open her beer.

  “You figured right. Did you go get it or did they deliver?”

  “Delivered. Had to wait on the porch so my dad didn’t try to steal any. He’s not a big fan of vegetable soup,” she laughed in her musical way and the sound drained some of the tension he’d been carrying. Beer, pizza, and Lucy. Not a bad end to a shitty day. Also not something he should get used to.

  “I don’t mind soup. On cold nights. When pizza isn’t an option.”

  She tucked her legs beneath herself and took a long swallow of her beer. He liked the slender column of her neck and enjoyed the swell of her breasts when she arched back—but he should probably try to keep his thoughts, and eyes, from straying there.

  “Pizza is always an option. Unless you’re in the backwoods of some tiny town in the middle of nowhere,” she amended, setting her beer down. She turned so her body was facing his, making their knees touch.

  “I don’t need to be anywhere pizza isn’t an option,” he replied.

  She looked sweet and soft in a pale pink hoodie and black stretch pants. Her socks were polka dotted and cheerful.

  “How are you?”

  “I’m okay. Pissed. Tired. Pissed. Not quite as hungry as I was five minutes ago. Come to think of it, not quite as pissed or tired as I was five minutes ago, either, so thank you.”

  She pursed her lips, and he had the urge to kiss her. He thought better of it since he was still finishing up his pizza.

  “You’re welcome. I didn’t know if you’d want company,” she said, almost shyly, which was something he’d never thought of her as being.

  He grabbed a napkin, wiped his mouth, and took a drink of his beer before answering.

  “What if I hadn’t?”

  “Oh, I would have said I was just bringing you pizza and dropped it off.”

  “Then you would have gone home and had soup?”

  “Yup. And I would have been mad thinking about you over here eating my pizza,” she said with a smile. She crumpled up her napkin and tossed it onto the coffee table.

  “I like this better,” he said, reaching out and twisting a soft strand of her hair around his finger. “How’s Kate?”

  He noticed that she shifted a bit closer before she answered, which was more than fine with him. He put his arm on the back of the couch behind her head.

  “She’s sad. I hate seeing her cry. She hardly ever cries. But, she’s resilient. She’s got some ideas for how to rebuild. She’s going to talk to city hall tomorrow to see who needs to fill out the paperwork for the insurance.”

  He couldn’t help touching her and played with her hair while she spoke.

  “Well that crosses one thing off of my to-do list, so tell her to let me know what she finds out. I talked to Sam. We went to school with him. You remember?”

  “I don’t really remember him from going to school, no. I mean, I knew who he was, but it’s not like we were friends,” she recalled.

  He poked her teasingly in the shoulder. “He wasn’t cool enough for you?”

  She pursed her lips in an adorable way before frowning at him. “What’s that supposed to mean? As if.”

  Lucy had always been in her own little world, but maybe she truly didn’t realized how appealing she was, back then or now. This only made him want her more. He let it go, without answering her and tugged a strand of her hair playfully. She spent her life capturing beauty and yet she didn’t seem to see it inside of herself.

  “Anyway, Sam’s an architect and does construction. He says it’s going to be expensive to rebuild, so I sure as hell hope the insurance gets it started. What Kate is trying to pull off is going to matter to the community.”

  Because he didn’t think he could resist kissing her—which would make him want to touch her, which would make him want to do more than touch her—he stood and picked up the pizza box. She rose with him, grabbing their beer bottles and following him to the kitchen.

  “You know your voice goes all soft and sweet when you talk about my sister?”

  She rinsed the empties before lining them up on the counter. Alex blinked, unsure he’d heard her correctly. Scrunching his face, he chose his words carefully. “I like Kate. She’s sweet.”

  She turned her head, glancing at him for a second. “And gorgeous.”

  Alex frowned, running a hand through his hair. Kate was a kid. “And, what? Twenty?”

  Lucy turned to face him just as he closed the refrigerator door. Alex moved closer, putting his hands on the countertop, gripping it on either side to stop himself from touching her. His eyes were drawn to the pale freckles on the bridge of her nose. He wanted to kiss each one.

  She stared at his chest. “You’re my age. Not that much older than Kate.”

  Shaking his head, his heart thudded heavy and slow in his chest. “You know I’m not into your sister, right?” he asked. He smiled, warmed by what sounded to him an awful lot like jealousy. He leaned in and kissed the side of her neck softly, then placed another kiss below her ear. She kept her hands at her sides.

  She had to clench her fists to keep from touching him. He might be older than Kate, but he was probably a lot better suited to her. Driven, settled, solid … very solid. She felt her nails dig into her palms.

  “I was just mentioning how you sound when you talk about her,” she replied in what she hoped was a flippant voice.

  His nose nuzzled against her as he replied, “Hmm.”

  The sound he made vibrated against her neck at the same time he pressed his lips there, causing a shiver to skirt up her spine and settle deep in her belly.

  The smell of his soap was ruining her ability to think clearly. “Wanna know how I feel around you?” His voice was low and gruff.

  She would have answered him, but her tongue stopped working the moment his gently touched her ear. She put one hand on his chest and another on his waist. Just for balance.

  Alex pressed against her with his hips. “Not soft. And not sweet.”

  “I know what the opposite of soft is, but isn’t the opposite of sweet sour?”

  He laughed and pulled back to look at her. He shook his head, but his eyes were bright with amusement and unrestrained affection.

  “You’re damn hard to seduce,” he chuckled. “Maybe you should stop talking.”

  She laughed and let herself run her hand over his chest, which was, indeed, very solid. She knew that he likely deserved someone better than her, but he was a grown man, pressed up against her, capable of making his own choices. From the hungry look in his eyes, she didn’t think she was forcing him to be with her, and he was well aware that she didn’t stick around.

  “I’m trying to give you an out. A chance to come to your senses,” she said, her voice breathy, her eyes not lifting to his.

  “Lucy,” he said in a low, firm voice that made her stomach feel like it was being tickled from the inside. He put his fingers to her chin and lifted her gaze as his thumb stroked her cheek.

  He really had nice eyes. Direct. Warm. Sexy.

  “I was twelve years old the first time I thought of kissing you. Do you really think, now that you’ve given me permission, I want an out?”


  He answered his own question by leaning down, inundating every one of her senses, and pressed his mouth to hers. He kissed her like he’d been waiting just as long as he claimed. His hands moved immediately to her back, and she gave up trying to do the right thing. She might not stay, but she was here now. There was nowhere else she would rather be.

  He was twenty-eight years old and had been with enough women to know what he was doing. He knew how to seduce, romance, tease, and flirt. But any finesse he might have prided himself on seemed to have vanished when Lucy’s tongue touched his, when her hands gripped the fabric of his T-shirt, making him wish he hadn’t put it on. He went from pulling her near to boosting her onto his counter so he could step between her legs and wedge himself against her. She didn’t seem to mind and looped her arms around his neck, devouring him with just as much energy as he felt. He was almost dizzy with need, but when she started to yank at the hem of his shirt, he was able to pull back enough to realize that if he only got one chance with Lucy Aarons, he was going to make it count.

  “Slow down, Luce.”

  “Why?”

  “So I don’t miss anything,” he smiled, pulling her closer and lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he walked to his bedroom. She teased his neck with her lips and her tongue, making his fingers flex into the soft fabric of her pants and the gentle curve of her ass.

  “Alex,” she whispered, her eyes clouded by desire and doubt. It was clear she wanted this, but she was holding back, worrying about hurting him, as far as he could tell. Truthfully, she could—probably would. But it would be worth it.

  “I promise I won’t ask you to put a ring on my finger after,” he teased. She gave him a glare that only made him laugh.

  “It’s not funny. You’re the last person I would hurt on purpose,” she said seriously.