4. Marlee
Chapter 4
Marlee
I tapped my pen against my desk, staring out my window. The memory of Seth’s gaze locked on mine as he practically begged me to return to my office wouldn’t stop replaying in my mind.
Please, stay in your office until we have more concrete proof that you’re not in danger right now.
Why did that make me feel strangely…warm…all over? I chewed the inside of my cheek, glancing at the clock on my computer for the third time in two minutes. What was taking Seth so long at the fire? Four hours had passed. I should have heard something by now. I hated the idea of closing up in thirty minutes and heading home without any answers…
My receptionist’s voice cut through my thoughts on my intercom.
“Miss Jenkins, Sheriff Beck from the Romeo Police Department and Seth Teagan, from the Romeo Fire Department are here to speak with you.”
“Send them in,” I replied, fighting the flutter in my belly at the mention of Seth’s name.
A moment later, Sheriff Beck and Seth entered my office. I rose to greet them, steeling myself when I gripped Seth’s hand. He still wore his turnout gear, and his face was smudged with soot, indicating he didn’t have enough time to clean up before this meeting.
“What can I do for you, gentlemen?” I asked. “Do you have information about that house fire on Fleet Street?”
Sheriff Beck cleared his throat.
“Unfortunately, we found evidence that the fire was started by the same arsonist that started the fire earlier this week.”
I gritted my teeth and exhaled slowly. Not exactly surprising, but having it confirmed was a blow nonetheless. I would have to take extra security precautions with all of our properties that were currently on the market. When word reached my clients, I would have a PR nightmare on my hands.
“We’re digging into previous case files,” Seth said. “Looking for any signs that the arsonist might have acted earlier than this.”
“Well, the sooner you can catch whoever it is, the better,” I countered. “I’m losing money left and right. My clients trust me to handle the sale of their homes.”
“If you can provide a list of your current properties that are for sale,” Sheriff Beck replied. “I will personally assign an officer to patrol the area and keep an eye out for danger.”
“I’ll have an assistant get that information to you within the hour,” I said. “In the meantime—”
Glass shattered. A red cylinder rolled to a stop at my feet and bumped against my shoe.
“Get down!” Seth bellowed.
Everything happened so fast. Between one blink and the next, Seth kicked the red cylinder away. A deafening boom filled my office, followed by a shower of sparks and a high-pitched shrieking nose that felt like it was piercing my eardrums.
Then Seth collided with me. When I hit the floor, he curled his body around mine, his palm cupping the back of my head. His weight was heavy and oppressive, and the scent of smoke from his turnout gear filled my lungs.
The sound of scuffling filled the room. Sheriff Beck swore under his breath.
“Get her out of here,” he barked.
Seth curled his strong fingers around my upper arm and pulled me to my feet. He tucked me into his side as he draped the weight of his firefighter’s coat around my shoulders. A haze of smoke filled my office, making my eyes water. My ceiling was pockmarked and blackened.
“What happened?” I rasped.
My voice felt like it had been stripped raw from the smoke. Seth led me out of the office and into the fresh, cool late afternoon air.
“Someone threw a firework through your window,” he replied. “There’s no doubt that you’re the target of this arsonist now.”
I winced as I rubbed my aching neck. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off. I felt bruised all over after being tackled to the floor by Seth. I patted my hair self-consciously—it was a tangled mess, falling loose from my ponytail.
“Did I hurt you?”
Seth touched my cheek, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear. My tongue suddenly seemed glued to the roof of my mouth. It took every ounce of composure to prevent myself from leaning into his touch, melting like a pile of snow in mid-July beneath the heat of his hand.
I shook my head, pressing my lips tightly together. I didn’t trust myself to speak. My voice would give me away in a heartbeat.
“Sorry about the football tackle,” he said. “Just doing my job.”
A faint, shaky laugh escaped me.
“I won’t hold it against you.”
Seth kept a hand on my arm as he glanced up and down the street, searching for anyone who might have thrown that firework.
“Do you have any idea who might want to cause trouble for you?” he asked.
I shrugged.
“I only moved here a few weeks ago. I barely know anyone except my coworkers. And you.”
His gaze flicked to me with a small, pleased smile.
“You don’t know me that well yet, sweetheart. I had to get your name from your business card. We’re practically strangers, but I’m flattered that I’ve made it onto your list of acquaintances.”
I bit my tongue at how good sweetheart sounded with the slight hoarseness in his voice. This time, I didn’t reprimand him for it.
Sheriff Beck emerged from my office building a moment later, holding the charred remnants of the firework in a plastic bag.
“Do you have anyone you can stay with for a while, Miss Jenkins?” he asked.
My heart lurched against my ribs. I couldn’t believe this was really happening.
“No,” I said. “I’m new to the area. My parents still live back in California.”
“Then I’d like to station an officer outside your residence for a few days. Just to be on the safe side.”
I nodded, fiddling with the sleeve of Seth’s jacket. He tightened his grip on my arm with a reassuring squeeze.
“I’ll keep an eye on Miss Jenkins until the officer shows up,” he said.
Sheriff Beck retrieved his phone from his pocket, dipping his head with gratitude.
“Sounds good. It would be best to evacuate the office building before I assign a detective to take a look around here for documenting evidence.”
I blinked, switching into professional mode. I slid Seth’s jacket off my shoulders and handed it to him.
“Of course, I’ll get on that immediately. How…how long does the office need to be closed?”
“We’ll turn the place over to you by tomorrow.”
***
An hour later, officers swarmed the building and three police cars lined the street. Red and white lights flashed in the growing dusk. My body felt heavy and slow with exhaustion after everything that had happened today—the arsonist, the firework, the knowledge that someone didn’t want me here.
I perched on the curb, rubbing the rapidly growing tension headache in my temples. Then a familiar pair of firefighter boots came into view. When I glanced up, Seth gazed down at me with a styrofoam bowl of ice cream in each palm.
“Thought you could use something sweet to cheer you up,” he said, taking a seat beside me.
I tried not to think about how his shoulder pressed lightly against mine, warm and strong. I accepted the bowl he held out to me, mounded with chocolate ice cream, drizzled with too much caramel, and loaded with rainbow sprinkles.
“I…actually can’t remember the last time I had ice cream,” I said, taking a scoop with the plastic spoon.
“Let me guess,” Seth replied. “You only eat organic, non-fat, no sugar, healthy, tasteless food, so you can operate at peak professional efficiency.”
I cast a sideways glance at him.
“Are you mocking me?”
He smirked with a faint chuckle, licking his spoon clean. I stared at the sweep of his tongue as my stomach twisted and my mind whirled with fantasies I should not be entertaining.
“Maybe,” he admitted. “A little.”
“Well, for the record, my job keeps me busy. I usually eat on the go, and protein bars last longer in my purse or my desk than ice cream does. I guess I just don’t have time for it otherwise.”
He hummed and gestured at me with his spoon.
“So…you’re a workaholic.”
“I prefer to call it being dedicated to my career,” I countered.
He snorted and dug into his ice cream, shaking his head.
“You’re hiding.”
I scoffed.
“Beg your pardon?”
Seth fixed me with a long, searching look. I fought down a rising blush, caught in the spotlight of his attention.
“Judging by your style, I’d say appearance means a lot to you. That fancy car you drive suggests your bank account is fat and happy. Most folks don’t make that kind of money in a small town. You moved here from California…but you don’t have the laid back demeanor of a Cali girl, so that means you didn’t do any hiking and surfing. Probably lived and breathed some soul-sucking corporate gig. A woman like you doesn’t bother with small towns like Romeo unless you want to disappear.”
I growled at how easily he could read me and shoved a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth. It was deliciously sweet and creamy and cold, soothing my raw throat after inhaling the smoke from that firework. Seth breathed a laugh.
“I’m right, aren’t I?”
“It was a lucky guess.”
“You can admit I’m right. It won’t kill you.”
“Maybe it would,” I protested. “The shock of it could stop my heart and I’d keel over dead on the spot. Then my blood would be on your hands.”
Seth shrugged.
“Not a bad way to go, if you ask me. Imagine that in the headlines of the local newspaper: New Girl Expires While Dating Hottest Firefighter in Town. ”
I choked on my ice cream, incredulous.
“We are not dating.”
He gestured between us.
“We’re hanging out. We’re talking. There’s food involved. Sounds like a date to me.”
I flung an arm at the police.
“An arsonist tried to set fire to my office when I was still inside .”
A teasing sparkle gleamed in his eyes.
“And you wore my coat afterward for comfort. Sounds like something a girlfriend would do.”
I made a noise of frustration and turned away, fighting the temptation to flick ice cream at him.
“Oh, all right,” Seth relented. “Since you’re a big shot from California, you probably expect a little more fuss when it comes to your dates.”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” I said.
“So, let me take you out this weekend.”
I turned to look at him in surprise.
“We’re having a cookout at the firehouse on Saturday,” Seth continued. “It’s a small fundraiser, nothing major. The money goes to local families in need who have lost their homes to fire. It would be a great way to meet people in town, introduce yourself. Maybe give folks a chance to see you as a real person instead of a professional for a change.”
I studied him for a moment. Seth’s gaze met mine, with a hint of earnestness, but there was an unguarded, vulnerable honesty, too. The date was only part of his offer. He was giving me a chance to settle in, to make connections. I was new here, with no friends, no family, no one to lean on in the midst of this unsettling business with the arsonist.
But Seth was opening the door to the community he called home.
I ducked my head and poked at my ice cream.
“I’d…like that,” I admitted, haltingly.
Seth grinned.
“That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”
“Don’t make me change my mind. Bragging isn’t attractive.”
His eyebrows shot up. I wished I could take the words back immediately.
“So the truth finally comes out,” he said.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
“You said I was attractive,” Seth countered.
“I said bragging isn’t attractive. It’s an important distinction.”
“You think I’m hot .”
I groaned and rolled my eyes. He bumped his shoulder against mine, jostling me.
“Well, I think you’re hot, too.”
I took a giant bite of my ice cream in an attempt to chill the blush burning up my neck to the tips of my ears.