Free Ring of Fire by Susan Fox

hand and her voice grounded Eric, pulling him back from where his brain wanted to go. As he listened to the boy’s bright chatter, those words chased away the memory of Danny’s last ones. Eric rested his hand on Lark’s in a silent thank-you, and she shot him a quick glance, a soft smile, and then withdrew her hand.
    His thigh felt cold and he mused over what had just happened. It didn’t reflect well on him. Again, he’d lost control and this woman had rescued him. He drank some wine and finished the food on his plate, though now he barely tasted it. Maybe coming here had been a bad idea.
    Caught up in what he refused to label as self-pity, he wasn’t paying a lot of attention to what Jayden was talking about until the boy announced, “Eric says there’s one thing men can do that women can’t.”
    Lark frowned at Eric. “Oh, does he? And what might that be?”
    â€œJayden, I don’t think that’s appropriate dinner conversation,” Eric said quickly.
    â€œNo, I’d like to hear this,” Lark countermanded him. “Jayden?”
    â€œPee through a hole in a fence!” her son announced triumphantly.
    â€œOh, honestly,” Lark said. “You two need to grow up.” But he could see she was struggling to hold back a grin.
    Her mother let out a soft chuckle.
    And suddenly, Eric felt better. Good enough that when Mary offered seconds, he accepted enthusiastically.
    â€œDid you have any trouble finding a new place to live?” Lark asked Eric.
    â€œI got a furnished apartment in town. Nothing special, but it works for me. It’s closer to the fitness place where I exercise. By the way, did you figure out what happened to the house on Tannen? It wasn’t my fault, was it?”
    â€œDidn’t your insurance adjuster tell you?”
    Embarrassed, he said, “I didn’t have insurance. It didn’t even occur to me to get it since I have so few possessions. Never thought about the prosthesis. Believe me, I got flack for letting that expensive piece of equipment go up in smoke. And yes, the new one is insured.”
    â€œLive and learn,” she said. “Anyhow, no, you didn’t cause the fire. It was an electrical fire in the kitchen, the result of faulty wiring. Old wiring. And the smoke detector was broken.”
    â€œI should have checked the smoke detector.” He felt a little guilty for not paying more attention to his surroundings.
    â€œYes,” Jayden said. “People need to have them checked regl . . . reg-u-lar-ly. Right, Mom?”
    â€œRight,” Lark agreed. “The people who rented the house to Eric should have done that.” She turned to Eric. “But it’s always a good idea for a tenant to double-check.”
    â€œOkay, you’ve both convinced me,” Eric said. “When I get back to my apartment tonight, I’m checking the smoke alarm and all the electrical plugs and cords.”
    Mary shook her head. “Stop lecturing, Lark and Jayden. Let the poor man enjoy his dinner.”
    They all chuckled, and resumed eating. A couple of minutes later, Lark said casually, “It’s warm in here.” She unzipped her hoodie, peeling it off to reveal a red tank top.
    Eric’s blood pressure jolted. The skimpy top showed off a rack as fine as any he’d ever seen, not to mention strong, toned shoulders and arms.
    But the thought that it was her powerful body that had tugged his own helpless one down the stairs of a burning building was enough to put a damper on his arousal and make him concentrate on the food rather than the perfection of her body.
    For dessert, there was fruit salad and homemade raisin oatmeal cookies, and when the meal was finished, Eric said, “That’s the finest dinner I’ve had in a long time. Thank you, Mary.”
    â€œYou are very welcome.” She studied him for a long moment. “Seeing as you’re here to help