Free Safe From the Fire by Lily Rede Page B

ignoring
Matt as best she could, “They can’t just assume that you’re a criminal.  They
would also have to assume that you’re an idiot, because I can’t think of any
other reason you would come back to town only to torch it.  Why set fire to a
place where they already expect you to walk around carrying matches and
lighter fluid?”
    Grace
knew she was rambling, but she couldn’t help it as she tugged Adam out of the
building and steered him back in the direction of home.  The night was dark and
cold, but the smell of fire lingered.
    “Can
we stop and pick up a pizza?”
    “How
can you be hungry at a time like this?”
    Adam
shrugged.
    Boys.
    “How
did your date go?”
    The
question came from out of the blue, and Grace scowled.
    “I
don’t want to talk about it.”
    And
she didn’t – not about Matt, not about fires, not about the fact that she still
wasn’t wearing any panties.  Her body flashed hot and cold, remembering Matt’s
hands stroking the curves of her ass and the jerk of lace that accompanied the
ripping sound.
    “And
you wore that ?  If your plan was to convince him that you’re secretly a
nineteen-fifties Sunday School teacher, that dress definitely would have done
the trick,” Adam teased.
    “Shut
up.”
    “Did
you at least bring home a toolkit?” he sighed.
    “What?”
Grace tried to make sense of the abrupt change in subject.
    “I’ll
take that as a no.”
    Adam
rolled his eyes.
    “I
didn’t get a chance to tell you – I’ve got a job interview, day after tomorrow.”
    Grace
stopped short, eyes widening.
    “Oh
my God, where!?”
    “Lansky
Construction.  Russell convinced his brother Darryl to give me a shot.  It’s
kind of appropriate, right?  I burned stuff down, and now I get to build things
up.  I know there are going to be some people who think...well, they won’t like
it.”
    “Who
the fuck cares what people think?  A job is a job.”
    Adam
smiled, clearly pleased with her approval, and Grace felt a pang – Adam hadn’t
had much of that in the last few years.  For all of his big talk about standing
on his own and being an adult, he could use a serious dose of unconditional
support.  At least she could give him that.
    He
pulled her to a stop in front of the local pizza place.  The lights were still
on, though through the window a busboy was busy stacking chairs and mopping the
floor.
    “Seriously,
I’m starving.  Let’s convince Mr. Franzi to take one more order.  He likes you,
right?”  Adam sounded hopeful.
    “He
likes anyone with breasts.”
    “Perfect. 
You flash him, I’ll order.”
    Grace
punched her brother in the arm, but smiled, her first real, relaxed smile since
her disastrous date with Matt had ended so abruptly.
    “How
about you flash him and I’ll order.”
    Grinning,
Adam pushed open the door.

CHAPTER
SEVEN
     
    MATT
FELL INTO BED feeling like he could sleep for a week.  Technically, he should
still be off duty, but the fires had put the entire department on call, and
Chief Hammond was already arranging for backup from nearby towns.  He had taken
one look at Matt and ordered him to go home and sleep before he got himself, or
someone else, killed.
    For
once, the dreams left Matt alone and he woke, stomach growling.  Late morning light
streamed across the bed, and Matt absently remembered that he had to get to
work on the storm shutters and finish weatherproofing the house before the
first snows.  He lay back in bed, scratching his stomach, and let his mind drift,
filled with images of fires and of an anxious Adam Mallow.  Someone was working
overtime to make everyone point fingers in his direction, but Matt was starting
to think it was a little too easy.  And Grace would never buy it.  She had
faith in the kid.
    Grace.
    All
concerns over the fires fled as Matt pondered the woman who wouldn’t get
involved with him because she thought they were sexually wrong for each other.
    Hell,
she’s one-hundred percent right about