Chapter 37
Thirty-Seven
T he first thing Ethan wanted was a shower and then to sit down with Jane to discuss ways she could keep herself safe. Although that conversation could wait until morning, when they were both rested.
He followed her into the house and up the stairs. At the top, she opened a door to a small bedroom. “I think you’ll be comfortable in here. It’s the only room upstairs with an attached bath.”
“Great.” He glanced around. “Where is your room?”
Jane gestured to the room diagonally across from him. Okay, that worked for him. He was closest to the stairs. If anyone thought they would get past him, they had another think coming.
Ethan knew he wouldn’t be sleeping tonight. Jane was bound to remember what happened, and if he knew anything about the human mind, once she was settled in bed, her mind would react to the fear.
“I’m going to take a shower and go to bed. If you need anything, help yourself.” She furrowed her brow. “There are sandwich makings, juice and soda in the fridge. The hard stuff is in the dining room cabinets.”
“Nah. I’m good. See you in the morning.”
Jane sighed, walked into her bedroom, and closed the door. A few minutes later, Ethan heard the shower running and tried unsuccessfully to put any thoughts of Jane naked out of his mind. Now was not the time. So when would be? He mentally scolded himself again.
Jane and he were at what he hoped was the beginning of a relationship. There was no hurry to get her into bed until he was certain of what they had and they were both ready. Not that he wouldn’t mind having sex, but Jane wasn’t a one-night stand.
Putting thoughts of sex out of his mind was proving difficult. Ethan undressed, turned on the shower, and stepped in. Hopefully, the cold water would tamp down any wayward thoughts his cock was having. If not, he’d have to take matters into his own hands.
A half hour later, he emerged from the shower, his body not only relieved of tension but also wrinkled like a prune.
Ethan grabbed a pair of boxers and a T-shirt and pulled down the white spread as he glanced around the room. The white cast-iron bed was on one wall, the paneling behind it painted a soft green, while the rest of the room was off-white. Two nightstands were on either side, with a gray print rug on the floor. The window was dressed in white gauzy curtains.
He walked over, pushed a curtain back, and looked out into the darkness. Only a few stars were out tonight. It was a room that could be masculine or feminine.
He returned to the bed, briefly sat on the edge, then stood up. He remembered he hadn’t checked the whole house and made sure the windows and door were locked.
Hearing nothing from Jane’s bedroom, he walked downstairs.
And froze.
Darkness enveloped the house, and silence filled the air. Except for a heavy sigh.
Ethan scanned the living room and saw nothing out of the ordinary, walked over to check the front door: locked. Then he stepped into the kitchen. In the shadows, he saw a small figure hunched over the table.
“Jane. Sweetheart,” he said as he pulled out the chair across from her. The wooden chair creaked under his weight. He leaned forward. “I thought you’d be asleep by now.”
“I tried, but all I could think of was Bucky lying on the ground with his head bleeding. Then how lucky we were that the fire didn’t spread to the barn. And I kept wondering who would do this. And why.” Her voice cracked and trembled with fear.
He reached for her hands. They were cold in his and trembling a bit. He gave them a reassuring squeeze. “I promise you, I will find out who’s behind this,” he said softly.
“I have a feeling this is all connected to David Thornton and whatever slimy business he was in. But what concerns me even more is why set the greenhouse on fire?” Ethan clenched his jaw. He didn’t have any answers yet, but he would find them and soon.
“That’s the question, isn’t it? Why just the greenhouse when they could have set the whole barn on fire?” Jane asked.
Ethan squeezed her hands a little tighter, hoping to impart some courage to her. “I don’t know, but I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”
Slowly, she nodded.
“Come on,” Ethan said, standing and pulling her to her feet. “You need to go to bed and try to get some sleep.”
She followed him to the staircase. “I’m not sure I can.”
“I’ll stay with you until you do,” Ethan promised.
Jane gave him a small smile, and he followed her up the stairs. When they reached her room, she hesitated.
“Are you sure?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
“I’m sure. Never doubt my word, Jane.”
She stepped into her room. Ethan waited until she settled in, pulling the blankets up to her chin. He glanced around for a chair, spotted one in the corner.
“Will … will you hold me?” she asked.
Hold her? “Of course.” Ethan got on top of the blanket and lay down. He pulled her into his arms, and she sighed.
“Thank you.”
“Oh sweetheart, you never have to thank me for looking out for you.”
Ethan stayed like that until her breathing became slow and steady. She was asleep. He should get up.
But first, maybe he’d close his eyes for a just second. It wasn’t hard imagining having his arms around Jane for the rest of his life.
Ethan shifted in bed, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face. It felt familiar and comforting, like home. As he brushed a stray lock of hair from his face, he smiled and made a mental note to tell Jane how comfortable the bed was. But then, confusion set in … why did he have hair on his face? His hair was short. It never got in his eyes before.
Suddenly, he felt a warm body snuggled into his side.
Panic shot through his body as he opened one eye, then the other. His pulse quickened, and each beat of his heart echoed in his ears. How the hell did he end up under the covers? With Jane? And why did he have his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders while her ass was snuggled, pressed right up against … his very hard cock? Blood rushed to his face in embarrassment, but also a deep desire surged through his veins.
Had she noticed?
No.
Thank God. She was snoring softly, and he prayed he could slip out of bed without waking her. Sleeping with Jane was not what he expected when he lay down to comfort her last night.
Ethan’s mind raced as he gently moved his arm from her shoulders. Her body shifted. He froze. Waited.
He was relieved she hadn’t woken up. Then he started inching his way over to the edge of the bed, holding his breath when the bed creaked beneath him.
She slept on peacefully.
Finally, he slipped out of the bed and found comfort in the thought that they were still fully clothed.
His heart still pounded as he took one last look at Jane and gently pulled the covers over her partially uncovered—very sweet—ass. The sight sent conflicting emotions through him. What would happen if he just got back into bed to hold her? Maybe make love to her?
No, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. When Jane asked him to stay with her last night, she hadn’t invited him into her bed like that.
Yet here he was this morning, in this predicament. Ethan felt a rush of heat on his face. He had to get out of here before he embarrassed them both.
He stole one last look at her peacefully slumbering and hurriedly left the room.
Ethan returned to his room, dressed, and walked downstairs to the kitchen. He found the coffee and made a pot. Out the window, the gray-blue sky reminded Ethan it was still early. He could just make out Tanner moving hay with the tractor.
The coffee was ready, and he pulled out a cup, filled it and sat at the kitchen table. His to-do list was getting longer. First up, going to the station and reviewing all the information they had to date, visiting the hospital to get Bucky’s statement, following up with any leads, and calling Sean.
“Hey,” a warm voice whispered in his ear, and arms wrapped around his chest.
“Good morning to you,” said Ethan. “How did you sleep?”
He felt Jane smile against his hair. “Great.”
“Can I get you a cup of coffee?” he asked.
Ethan felt the cool air hit his back when she stepped back. “No, I can get it myself. Thanks for making it.”
She poured herself a cup and sat across from him. Ethan noticed she’d dressed in a pair of leggings and a long, loose top. Her hair was still mussed, and she looked absolutely adorable.
Focus here, bud.
Jane fiddled with her cup. Her face turned pink, and she looked over at him. “Thank you for staying with me. I was concerned I would be afraid and wouldn’t sleep, but that didn’t happen.”
“It was my pleasure.”
“I hope you caught some shut-eye.”
Oh, he did; however, he sure wasn’t going to mention how he found them this morning, especially if she didn’t know. “The guest room is very comfortable.”
“Sooo…” Jane glanced up at the ceiling, then around the room.
“What?” She was uncomfortable about something.
“I’m planning on picking Bucky up this morning to bring him here,” she said as she took a sip of coffee, staring at him over the edge of the cup.
“Okaaay?”
She put the cup down. “You don’t have a problem with that, do you? I’m sure you’ll want a statement from him, but I thought it would be easier to take it here and not at the hospital.”
Ethan thought about that. It didn’t matter to him, and Bucky would probably feel more at ease at Jane’s house.
“Sounds like a plan. I was going to talk to him in the hospital, but here is fine too.”
Jane sighed. “Will the fire marshal investigate how the fire started today?”
“Well, Beaver Creek isn’t big enough to have a fire marshal, but Scotty Carothers, who you met last night, is an experienced fire chief and handles fire investigations. I’m sure he’ll be back.”
“Would you ask him to let me know when he expects to come over? I’d like to be here,” Jane said.
“Are you sure?” Ethan replied. He could understand wanting to know but hoped revisiting the scene wouldn’t upset Jane too much.
Jane nodded. “I’m not going to let this stop me from enjoying my farm and feeling safe. I love Beaver Creek, and I love this property.” She blew out a big breath. “You know, I’ve always written about crime, the emotions that people might experience, but I’d never felt them. Until now.”
His heart went out to her. While he saw the aftereffects of crime and criminal activity, most people had no idea how it would affect them. He hated that Jane was experiencing the fear and anger of a crime.
“Anyhow, everything is going to be okay. I’ll be okay.” She gave him a small smile. “And I can’t thank you enough for being here with me.”
They were interrupted by a knock on the front door. Jane tipped her head and frowned. “I wonder who that might be?”
Ethan laughed. “Well, if you answer the door, you’ll know.”
“Wiseass.”
Jane stood and walked through the living room to answer it. Ethan heard exclamations of sympathy. The voice sounded familiar. Whoever it was, Jane was insisting she was fine.
He got up to get himself another cup of coffee. Jane and Claire walked into the kitchen.
Claire? Why was she here?
“Claire heard about the fire and came over to see if I needed anything,” she said, noticing Ethan’s confused look.
“Humph,” Ethan said. “I wasn’t aware that news had been released about the fire.”
“It hasn’t.” Claire gave him a side-eye. “Scotty and I are good friends. He called early this morning. I came over to see if Jane needed help or company.” She gave him a long look and smirked. “But I can see she doesn’t need company.”
Ethan finished his coffee and put the cup in the dishwasher. “I’m glad you’re here. I was just leaving.”
He gave Jane a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll let you know when Scotty is coming out and be back later to speak with Bucky.”
“Thank you,” Jane replied.
First, Ethan stopped by his house to change into his uniform and catch Tanner up. By the time he reached the station, it was already midmorning. A few deputies were at their desks, including Rosie and Adam. He called everyone into his office.
“I heard about the fire at Jane’s barn. Is she all right?” asked Rosie.
He tapped his fingers on his desk. “As good as can be expected.” He looked around at his staff. “I need you all to investigate if there have been similar fires in the area.”
“Do you think this is the act of a firebug or random?” asked Adam.
Ethan shook his head. “I don’t know, but we’re not leaving any stone unturned. Jimbo, Evan, I want you two to interview shopkeepers, some of the townspeople. See if they’ve noticed any strangers in town or conflicts.” He put up a hand. “I know it’s a long shot. Also, check with a Mr. Pomeroy in Berkshire, who sold the heater to Jane.”
Evan raised his hand. “Why don’t we put something in the newspaper? It might jog someone’s memory.”
“I’ll call Olivia at the Beaver Creek News a little later,” said Ethan. “Rosie and Adam, I need to stop by the fire department. When I get back, we need to go over all the information we have so far and double-check everything.”
“Any questions?” Ethan looked around. Everyone shook their heads and walked out.
Ethan leaned back in his chair, clasped his hands on his stomach, and closed his eyes. He would call Sean in a few minutes but couldn’t help wondering what it was about Jane’s farm that was attracting so much interest. The farm had been there for a good hundred years, and he didn’t remember Mr. Jenkins having problems like this.
David Thornton had to be the impetus for the continuing crime, but why? And who was he working with?