Free After the Fire by Clare Revell

whole. His hackles rose. Lord, keep me calm here .
    Nick ran his gaze over Freddie. “That’s a lovely pendant you have there.”
    “Thank you.” Freddie took a step closer to Jason. “It’s new, I bought it this morning. The stone is mined locally, apparently.”
    “May I?” Nick reached for it.
    She looked at Jason then nodded, not moving as Nick examined the pendant.
    Jealousy and a sudden desire to deck Nick flooded Jason. Please, Lord, I can’t keep my cool here unless You help me .
    “What sort of stone is it?”
    “Firestone. One of the rarest.”
    Nick let go. “It is lovely.”
    “Thank you.”
    The immediate danger over, Jason bent down and picked up the camera from where he’d let it fall. He turned it on. It worked.
    “Why don’t I take one of the both of you?” Nick held out his hand.
    Jason looked at Freddie. He wasn’t sure if he was glad or not when she nodded. He gave Nick the camera and put his arm around Freddie, pulling her close, wanting in some way to protect her.
    The sounds dulled around him as they posed. Aware of her perfume, nothing else mattered. Oh, man, this is a mistake . His whole body resonated in a way he’d long since put aside. She fitted so perfectly against him, as soft and warm as he remembered. I was a fool ever to have left her, Lord. Not that I regret working on the mission field, but I should have given her a chance to explain her actions before I left. I see that now.
    Slowly the sounds returned. Seagulls swooped and called above him, boat sirens filled the air, crates of fish clattered as they were unloaded and he heard Freddie thanking Nick as she took the camera back.
    “You’re welcome. Did you want to join us for lunch? We’ve got a table at the pub across the way. They specialize in locally caught fish.”
    “No, thank you, we have plans. Maybe another day.” Jason shook his head. Eating with Nick was the last thing he wanted to do.
    “Sure. See you later.”
    Jason watched as Nick and Hannah headed down the quay hand in hand. He turned to Freddie to find her, hands on hips, giving him the raised eyebrow look. “What?”
    “We have plans ?”
    “You’d rather go eat with them?” He winked at her. “I can call them back.” He got up and made as if he were going to, laughing when she grabbed his arm and shook her head at him.
    “No, thanks. What “plans” have we made, then?”
    “How does a picnic grab you?”
    “Very tightly around the throat.” She looked at him straight-faced.
    He rolled his eyes and laughed. Freddie laughed with him, the tension the Steeles had caused dissipating.
    “I’ll go and get the sandwiches while you go to the optician over there and get your glasses fixed.”
    “Sounds like a good plan.” Freddie pushed them back up her nose.
    “Ham or tuna?”
    “Cheese.”
    “Trust you to go for the third option,” he teased. “All right, cheese it is.”
    “If we find some place quiet to sit, then I can finish telling you what I found out. It’s stuff you need to know.”
    “Sure.” Jason shouldered the rucksack. “Meet you outside there in a few.”
    “Sounds good to me.” Freddie headed across the road.
    Jason sat on the wall for a minute watching her. Being with her, it was so effortless to fall back into the easy routine of flirting. She gave a little back, but then the shutters came down and she closed off again. The old feelings assailed him full force. He didn’t want them, any of them. She betrayed him once, how could he be sure she wouldn’t do it again?
     
     
     
     
     

7
     
    The sound of children playing in the park filled the air as Freddie sat across the bench from Jason. He’d bought cheese salad subs and lemonade. For a moment she’d gone back in time, fifteen years to the day they sat in a similar park, talking weddings and bridesmaid’s dresses.
    “Penny for them.” Jason smiled over at her.
    “I was just thinking that you’re right. This is a hundred times better than sitting in