Lost in Flames (Lost Series Book 2) (3 page)

At first, he just stood there. Staring again. He shook his head and his cheeks turned red. "I'm sorry. Go ahead and clean up. I'll have food started, maybe finished before you're done."

He left and she fell against the door and slid to the floor. She didn't cry though. Letting herself cry would feel like giving up and she couldn't do that. Not after she'd just survived another attack. One day, her luck would run out. Next time, there might not be anyone to help. No sexy firefighter there to save her life.

That was the death she had to look forward to. Her death would come, because it was the only way he'd stop.

Chapter Three

Ryan waited until Cooper went inside before mentioning Jacob to Sophia. "So, Jacob is out of town again?"

He really tried not to sound jealous. Adding a questioning eyebrow raise helped his case that he was just being nosey.

"Yes. I can't believe I've let you talk me into keeping things to myself. Finding out my brother is gay was a shock, but I really wish he knew we'd still love him no matter what. Hiding it from us is just crazy." She bit her lip and looked over her shoulder.

"You still didn't tell Cooper?" She'd vowed to tell him everything after all the trouble their secrets caused between them. Of course, not letting the guy you slept with know you slept with him or that you were pregnant with his baby was a secret she shouldn't have kept. Which he'd told her. Even if Ryan did try to help her by pretending she was having his baby—something none of them seemed to believe.

"It's not my secret to tell," she said on a sigh.

"You're right. It's all his responsibility to tell the people he loves instead of going on work trips." Ryan added the sarcastic air quotes. "When he actually is going to see his way-too-pretty boyfriend."

"Shut up. How do you even know he's seeing the guy from that day? That was nearly two years ago. Oh wow! I can't believe he's kept his secret that long. Jerk. If he doesn't tell me soon, I'm talking to him." She crossed her arms.

"Time goes by quick." He knew he was being selfish, but it wasn't fair. Why did it seem everyone knew about him, yet had no clue about Jacob?

"You really are one to be complaining about this. It's not like you've come out." She stuck her tongue out.

"It's also not like everyone doesn't already know. No one believed my straight act. My father pretends and will keep pretending for as long as he can." A preacher with a gay son. How tragic is that? "Plus, I let you tell Cooper."

"Tell me what?" Cooper walked past him toward Sophia.

"That I'm gay."

Cooper laughed. "I don't understand why you don't just tell everyone. You know it's not that much of a secret. When Jacob said Sophia was pregnant and y'all tried to say it was yours, I knew better. No offense, but no one is really falling for it."

He shrugged. "It's not like I'm flaunting myself. People in this town just have a really good gay-dar. Or not." Because if they did, then he wouldn't be the only one people whispered about. "It was easier on my dad if I just pretended. He couldn't handle it if I told him the truth and everyone knew."

It's not like he was completely alone. A lot of people seemed to be okay with the idea or they were also in denial. He did get those occasional sneers from the every Wednesday and Sunday church goers.

Sophia yawned. It was still only eight and Mike hadn't made it back from his call. He didn't want to keep her up if she needed rest. "I'll head out. I've got some work to do anyways."

Cooper helped her up so she could give Ryan a hug. "Be good." She kissed his cheek and stared into his eyes.

It didn't take a genius to realize she was looking for something. As much as he used to joke about Jacob's good looks, she had to have some clue he had a crush on her brother. Not that he planned on coming out with it completely. He had no chance of ending up with Jacob. They were two totally different people.

Jacob was stuck up. And Ryan was, well, fun.

So why then do I have a crush on the man?

"I'll be good. You go rest and take care of the little one. Both of them." He slapped Cooper's arm and made his way to his truck. The temptation to look over at the Johnsons' house proved too much. Jacob wasn't home. He did see Mike getting out of his truck with a woman.

The cop vehicle pulling in behind him drew his interest more. He stopped on the drive and shot a text to Mike. The response came just as quick.

All good. Thanks.

He drove on and figured he'd get the scoop on what was happening from Sophia later. If Mike said he was good, then he wouldn't bother his sister with it. She didn't need to be worrying about anything. Maybe the cop was just a friend. Weird though that he never got out of his car.

Ryan really needed to get his head on work. When he got home, he had a job to do on the new cereal advertisement. If they landed it, then he'd get the promotion he had been working hard to achieve. The job was fun, but he was growing a little worn with all the traveling.

It hadn't been his choice to travel so much for he didn't want to leave town or Sophia. Jacob may have had a bit to do with it, too. Although, it seemed more like Jacob would be the cause of him leaving town.

And that made him a moron for falling for him.

****

Jacob swallowed the whiskey while he listened to Craig and his friends chatter away about work and what they'd done the weekend before. They laughed and drank as he sat there wishing the night was over. Craig was the only reason he stayed there. He didn't consider the others friends really and suspected he never would. It was like putting an apple inside a bag of oranges. Both fruits, they had the same shape, but the apple stuck out like a sore thumb.

He was the apple. The people surrounding him—city folk.

Craig squeezed his leg and winked. He was handsome with his strong jaw, perfect smile, and always perfect hair. Unfortunately, the perfection stopped with his looks. Jacob was getting bored with how much Craig thought about himself. He wasn't going anywhere though. At least the loneliness was curbed some when he spent time with his non-exclusive boyfriend. Hiding the truth from his family and friends at home had become harder with the passing of the days, and he found it almost painful to look them in the eyes.

At least around Craig and his friends, he didn't have to hide the fact that he was gay. Everyone knew and seemed okay about Ryan, even if the idiot still refused to admit it, too. Yet, with them accepting Ryan, it wouldn't mean they'd still accept Jacob in the same way. His brothers had always been into sports and he'd joined them in the games, but it wasn't the same. If they found out, they would treat him differently and he couldn't stand the thought. He cherished his family's closeness and this would change everything.

He'd made a secret vow that he'd come out when Ryan did—officially. Since that wasn't happening, nor was his reveal. Ryan was cute, funny, and did something to him that he didn't want to admit. Those feelings stood on a higher level than what he and Craig had. Way higher.

If not for the constant fight to try not to feel more than friendship with him, Jacob would love to hang with him more often. He wasn't conceited, or even perfect. A nice change from what he'd grown used to in two years.

He couldn't believe he'd started seeing Craig that long ago. This explained why he was growing tired of him. You can only handle so much of someone who loves themselves more than anything or anyone.

Jacob pictured himself with Ryan, which felt right and so wrong at the same time. It hurt to know they couldn't happen. Even if they were both out, if something went wrong in the relationship, they'd ruin everything. Sophia would be forced to take sides and he'd never want to put his baby sister in that situation.

"Jacob?" Craig faked a smile, but his eyes narrowed in question.

"I'm sorry. My head was on work." As if that was all they needed to hear, they ordered more drinks and Jacob forced himself into their conversations and away from the pretend future he wanted.

Steven, one of Craig's least obnoxious friends, waved his hand for the waiter to bring another round of drinks. The waiter hurried over, knowing they were regulars and never skimped on the tips. "I'll be back in a flash."

Before the waiter sped off, Jacob picked up his half full glass. "I'm good." To avoid Craig's joke that he was a light-weight, he excused himself to the bathroom.

He stepped outside instead and enjoyed the cool summer night. As he was about to go in, Steven joined him, a smirk on his face.

"I guess you needed to get away too?" The man stood slightly shorter than Jacob's six feet with a slim figure, a bald head, and dimples that showed when he smiled.

Jacob noticed Steven had not kept back from checking him out the few times he'd been around. "I've just got a lot on my mind and felt like a downer. Didn't you just order more drinks?"

"Yep. It was the best way to keep them where they are and I could get away myself. Sometimes their talk about work and how great they are can be a little repetitive. Alex has a way of making me feel left out when we're with his friends." He shrugged. "Don't ask why I'm still sticking with it."

"I won't, because I understand completely." Jacob found himself smiling and not forcing it for the first time that night. "This getting together is just useless if you ask me. They could just do so any other time. I'm only in town so often."

He laughed. "I was pretending Alex liked to go out just to show me off. It's not believable, but I could believe Craig would be doing that with you."

The flattering comment caught him off guard and he looked over to see Steven blushing. "I doubt it on my side, too. I doubt either of them pay as much attention to us as they expect us to give to them. Thanks anyways for the compliment."

"You're welcome. If I had you by my side, that's what I'd be doing all the time." He left with that comment hanging in the air.

Jacob hung out a little longer to wrap his head around what happened. It wasn't like he believed Craig didn't see other men, but he felt awkward going inside to sit beside the man after his friend's boyfriend just hit on him. Funny how opposites really did attract, because it seemed he and Steven had more in common with each other than the men they were seeing.

He shook his head clear and went back inside to join the guys, avoiding Steven's glances for the rest of the night.

Chapter Four

Mike finished up the eggs when Tessa finally came down the steps. The only clothes he could find were his own. Her blonde hair and pale face scrubbed clean of dirt gave him a whole other view of her and he sure as hell didn't mind it.

Her ice blue eyes stood out more, striking despite the dark circles under them. His clothes made her look even skinnier than before though. Not that he expected them to fit her. He wasn't small and stood close to a foot taller than her.

Her nose twitched when she sniffed the aroma from the food and her stomach growled loud. "Sorry. That smells really good and I didn't eat a big breakfast before the fire and now it's dinner time."

"No problem. Thank you, but I can't take all the credit for the deliciousness of the smell. Bacon pretty much always smells good. I hope you don't mind breakfast for dinner." It was after all the best meal of the day. He didn't add that in there, but it was his favorite.

"No. Whatever is fine. Thank you." She looked around.

He found his gaze drawn to her bare feet that barely peeked from under his sweatpants, which she'd rolled several times at the waist and they were still too long. He couldn't think of a time when a woman had worn his clothing. He'd never had one around long enough for sleepovers. The idea had never seemed appealing until now… He mentally slapped himself for the absurd thought.

"They're a little big." She tugged at the sides, showing how much space she had. "It's better than the smoke smell of my other clothes, though. I could wash them if you'll show me where the laundry room is."

He smiled. "I'd say they're big. I'll show you after we eat and maybe we can get them into the dryer before bed. That way you'll have fresh clothes in the morning that fit you a little better."

"That would be nice. Can I help with anything?" she asked as she rested her hands against the counter opposite him.

He got the feeling she didn't know much about cooking at the way she watched him closely with a curious look. "Thanks for the offer, but it's pretty much finished."

The eggs finished just in time for the oven to beep with the biscuits done. He scraped the eggs into a bowl and placed the pan in the sink, before getting the biscuits out.

"Oh. I can fix my own plate," she said when he started fixing their food.

"I've got it. You can have a seat right there at the bar." He piled her plate just as high as his and sat it in front of her, then he grabbed spoons, ketchup, and jelly.

She stared at her plate with wide eyes and a frown on her lips.

"What's wrong?" Maybe she didn't like something on her plate. He felt like a jerk for taking charge of assigning portions. "I can fix you something else. Sometimes I can be a little controlling. I should've let you fix it or at least asked what you liked."

"No! You didn't do anything wrong. It's just a lot of food and I was thinking I didn't want to be rude, but I'm not sure I can finish all of this." She gave him a small smile. "And if that's what you consider controlling, then I think we'll get along fine."

He laughed. "I thought you'd be hungry." One thing he'd learned growing up with a sister: never mention weight, be it too much or too little. Ever. "Don't worry if you can't finish it. I'll just make you eat it later."

The look she gave him was priceless right before she caught on he was kidding.

"Funny," she said sarcastically, but lacked the right tone when she smiled. She picked up a piece of bacon. Watching her eat kept his interest longer than it should have. He changed his attention to his own food and squirted some ketchup onto the eggs. She eyed him with an expression that had him laughing.

"Ketchup on your eggs? I've never seen anyone do that before."

"That means you haven't been in the south for long. It's the best way to eat eggs in my opinion. One thing this house never lacks is ketchup." He slid the bottle her way and contained his smile when she picked it up and added it to her eggs.

She sat there for a moment after mixing the eggs, hesitating before actually taking a bite. Once she finished, he waited for the response he knew would come. She smiled. "That is good. I've been missing out." Then, after a few moments of silence, she suddenly began laughing. "I'm sorry. It's just that I'm certain I've completely lost my mind."

"You may be over exaggerating." He grinned. Even if she was laughing at feeling insane, it suited her. A woman as beautiful as she should always be laughing. Yet, he had the feeling she probably didn't get a lot of chances to do so. Not if there was some crazy ex torturing her.

"I almost died in a fire today—a fire I'm a suspect for starting—and the firefighter who rescued me is letting me stay at his home." She sobered up and her brows scrunched together, causing small creases in her forehead. "If someone is really after me, why would you risk it and if there isn't someone, how do you know it wasn't me?"

She had a valid question. "This isn't the big city you're probably used to. We don't have the ability, man power, or money these cities have. I don't think you set the fire. It never crossed my mind. I do however believe someone deliberately set it. Mrs. Wilson may talk a lot and is nosey, but I seriously doubt anyone did it to hurt her. This was about you."

It didn't surprise him when she turned her attention back to the food in front of her. "I really shouldn't be here. This has all been a huge misunderstanding."

"Whoever you're scared of won't know you're here." He wanted her to feel safe.

She nodded, but didn't say anything else until she finished eating. "I really can't believe I ate all of it. There's no way I could take one more bite if I had one. You're a really good cook."

He basked in the compliment. Cooking was something he always enjoyed and if it made Tessa happy, then he loved it even more.

"Forty-eight hour shifts at the station have you learning to take care of yourself. I was always good at it anyways. Plus, with two younger brothers and a younger sister, I picked up quick after my mom passed away. My dad was okay at cooking some things; I was just a little better." His thoughts turned to Jacob. "I try and do most of the cooking around here, since my brother Jacob has this idea that he's good at it. If I didn't take over, we'd be eating a lot of burnt food or starving."

A blush colored her cheeks. "If I tried to cook, you'd have the same problem."

"Good thing I manage, then." He grabbed both of their plates and rinsed them off in the sink before adding them to the dishwasher. When he finished, she stood in front of the bay window staring out at the sunset. A soft glow outlined her. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

The excitement dancing in her eyes had his chest tightening. He'd mentioned something so simple and her eyes lit up with joy. He'd try to do that as often as he could while she stayed on. The sight was worth it.

"I really would love that. It's been a while since I could enjoy a relaxing walk." She dropped her head to her feet and wiggled them. "I know I made it here barefoot, but I'm not so sure I want to go walking without some protection."

He opened the closet near the front door and grabbed an old pair of flip flops Sophia had left behind. "These are my sister's. Will they fit?"

She tried them on. "I'd probably get half a size bigger, but they'll work."

"Let me show you where the laundry room is first if you want to get your clothes." He waited as she disappeared up the stairs to the bathroom and then came back down. "I don't mind washing them for you, but figured you'd rather do that yourself."

It would be a little too personal for him to wash her panties and bra. The memory of the light blue panties came to mind… Taking a deep breath, he led her to the machines. "Here's the detergent."

He grabbed the bottle from the cabinet above the washing machine and poured only a little in the compartment, since she only had a couple of items to wash. "You should be able to toss them in and click start here."

Not to make her uncomfortable, he stepped out of the room and walked to the front door until she finished.

She joined him and trailed behind him out the door. When he started to walk off with just the screen door closed, she gave him a funny look. "You don't shut or lock your door?"

"Not usually. I don't have to worry about that around here." With the chance that someone was after her, he figured he should be more careful. He stepped back in to grab his keys and then locked the door. "I'll try and get into the habit while you're here."

The light left her eyes again and the fear crept back in. She frowned and wrapped her long arms around her tiny waist.

"Hey, don't let it worry you. I don't regret offering to help, so you aren't allowed to, either. Okay?" Next time he'd be more careful about what he said. No reason to bring up the issue more than needed.

"Okay." She kept her arms crossed as she walked alongside of him. "Will he have to follow us?"

"Hopefully he won't. Hold on." Clearly, she felt uneasy around police officers, and maybe this should make him suspicious, but his gut told him to trust her. He stopped at the open window to speak with Officer Chris Dean. They'd gone to school together. "Hey. We're going for a walk. She's still a little shaken. Is that okay? You'll be good to hang here."

"No problem. I'm here until midnight, then Shepard will relieve me." Chris dropped his head to look over his sunglasses. "She's a pretty girl. Is that why you offered her a place to stay?"

"No," he said dryly. "Thanks for keeping an eye on things. We won't stay away for long." He went to leave and came to a halt when Chris added his last comment.

"Don't stay too long. I might get the feeling to come check on things." His laughter kept on as he went back to playing on his phone.

Irritation had him fisting his hands. It was obvious men would find her attractive, yet, the jealousy came out of nowhere. Jealousy he shouldn't be feeling toward his guest.

"He'll hang here," he told her.

They both kept quiet for the walk until reaching the river.

"It's beautiful here. I've never seen a waterfall in person before." She slipped off her borrowed flip flops and bent over to roll her pants up a little more.

He found himself unable to take his eyes off her as she stepped into the water.

"If you want to go swimming later, we can get something for you to wear. There's a place a little farther down that's calmer and deeper." He attempted to swallow the golf ball formed in his throat when she bent over to run her fingers through the water. Even with his baggy sweatpants, he could still make out the perfect shape of her ass. Something he shouldn't have been noticing. He jerked his gaze to the sky and closed his eyes until he could control himself. But soon, he trailed his gaze back to her.

"I might take you up on that. This place is calming." She twisted to pin him with her ice blue eyes.

Caught.
He cleared his throat and tried to play it off that she'd caught him admiring her backside. "You just let me know."

Avoiding his gaze, she came out of the water. "Hopefully I can get out of your hair quickly though."

Mike vowed to himself to show her a good time and make her forget the worries she'd lived with for too long. Odd how he wanted her to stay longer than she planned. They'd just met that day and he was thinking about the future and how much time he would have with her. Creepy—which made him relieved she couldn't read his intense thoughts.

"It's getting dark. Maybe we should head back." She tried to speak around a yawn.

"You've had a crazy day. I'll get some sheets on your bed." Walking behind her probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. He forced his eyes up.

She tripped and he grabbed her waist, jerking her a little harder than he meant to. The impact of her body against his groin caused him to lose his hold on her, and he doubled over. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, unable to do anything else.

****

"I'm so sorry! Where are you hurt?" Tessa touched his shoulder and leaned over beside him. The paleness in his face had her worried. Then she realized where he was holding himself and pulled her hands back and covered her mouth. "Oh."

When he peeked up at her with one eye, she couldn't prevent the giggle that slipped through. It wasn't as if she found him getting hurt funny, but the situation proved interesting.

Mike straightened up slowly, testing his injury from the way he tensed. Once he was good, he pinned her with a look. "It's not very polite to laugh at a man who's been hit in such a delicate body part." The half grimace, half grin he gave her told her he wasn't upset by the situation, but still in pain. "Not that I want that to happen again, although I did like seeing and hearing your laugh."

The compliment caught her off guard and she went back to walking toward the house. She didn't really know what to say back. The last compliments she remembered getting had all been replaced with hatred and nasty remarks.

The sound of soft footfalls was her only evidence that Mike had come up behind her. She felt like crap for just leaving his polite comment hanging between them, so she said a soft "Thank you."