Controlled Burn (10 page)

Why did he feel such a strong, subliminal need to keep that distance between them? And was he protecting her, them or himself?

* * *

On her way back from the restroom, Jessica had to pass by the bar, so when Lydia waved, it seemed only polite to stop and chat for a minute.

“How’s the pool playing going?” the other woman asked.

“Good, I guess. I think Scott’s winning, though I’m not sure.”

“I’m not sure how, but my brother usually wins. I think he talks so much nobody else can concentrate.”

Jessica laughed. “Possibly. Who is that a picture of on the wall? It looks signed and...is it really screwed right to the wall?”

“I was going to give you
hell, but I guess you get a pass since you’re from California. That’s Bobby Orr, one of the greatest Bruins to ever play hockey. One of the greatest of
anybody
to play hockey.”

“I’ll remember that. I’m going to the charity hockey game with them tomorrow, and it’ll be the first time I’ve ever seen a game.”

“With them? Oh, you mean Joe and Marie?”

“Yeah, and Rick, too. I guess we’ll
all go together.”

“It’ll be fun. I’ll probably see you there, since everybody from the station sits together and the Broussards sit with Rick, so you will, too.”

Of course, since she was their granddaughter and nobody could possibly miss that fact.

It was hard not to notice how carefully he introduced her as Joe and Marie’s granddaughter every single time. Not as his friend. Not
as a friend of the family. Certainly not as his date. He was keeping her at a distance, as if he was just doing his landlords a favor by showing her the town.

“We should go out sometime,” Lydia said. “Like a girls’ night out. I like to do that every once in a while since it feels like every night is a boy’s night out at the bar.”

“That would be fun. I don’t have much free time before
I go back to California, but maybe the next time I come back.”

“Sounds good.”

“I should get back there and see how it’s going,” Jessica said.

“Make them show you how to play,” Lydia said. “Oh, and do me a favor and let them know I’m not walking all the way back there to take their orders. If anybody’s hungry, they can come order at the bar.”

When Jessica walked into the back
room, she saw that Rick had abandoned the table and was leaning against the wall talking to Gavin. He smiled when he saw her and nodded his head for her to join them.

“You ready for a lesson?”

“I guess so. And Lydia said if anybody’s hungry, go to the bar because she’s not coming back here.”

“I’ll take everybody’s orders up,” Aidan said, and then he shrugged when they all looked
at him. “Hey, I never pass up an excuse to talk to my future wife.”

Jessica enjoyed the good-natured ribbing the guys gave him, though she wondered how it was that Scott and Aidan appeared to be the best of friends and she knew they worked together, but Aidan was marrying Scott’s sister. She thought there was some kind of man code about dating your best friend’s sister.

Showed how much
she knew about men.

After they’d given Aidan a list of how they wanted their burgers, he disappeared and Rick handed Jess a pool stick. “I’m guessing you’ve figured out the basic rules by now.”

“Use the stick to knock the white ball into the other balls to make them go in the nets around the table.”

“Close enough.”

Usually Jessica didn’t like learning new skills with an audience.
She felt awkward and she didn’t like the pressure. But these guys were fun and she’d spent enough time with them tonight to know they’d definitely laugh, but they’d be laughing with her and not at her.

She tried to put her hand like she’d seen Scott do and set the stick across her knuckles. Then she jabbed it and it caught on the green table, not even hitting the white ball.

“Jesus,”
Rick said, “if you rip the felt, Tommy will put my balls on display in a pickle jar on the bar.”

Jessica snorted. “God forbid. I’ll do my best not to wreck the table, then, although I blame you since you’re supposed to be teaching me how to do this.”

“Tommy wouldn’t waste a pickle jar on your balls, old man,” Scott said. “Probably just use a shot glass.”

Jessica laughed—she couldn’t
help it—but then squealed when Rick wrapped his arm around her waist and hauled her close.

“Think that’s funny, do you?”

She playfully jabbed at his stomach with her elbow. “A little bit, yeah.”

“Since I prefer my balls where they are, let me show you how to hold the cue before you get us both in trouble.”

Jessica was pretty sure the way he leaned over the table with her, molding
his body against hers was what would get them both in trouble. He was tall enough so her ass wasn’t actually nestled against his crotch, but she knew there wasn’t much space between them. And his chest
was
pressed against her back as he took her left hand in his and stretched their arms out on the table. After showing her how to hold her fingers, he closed his right hand over hers and they went
over how to hold and move the cue.

She wasn’t going to remember a single word he said. All of her focus was on the way his body covered hers and the feel of his hands on hers and his breath on her cheek.

“I need to hit the head,” she heard Gavin say.

“We need refills,” Scott said. “I’ll go now so you can help carry them back.”

Jessica gave a laugh that sounded breathy and full
of anxiety. “Was that their subtle way of leaving us alone?”

“Incredibly subtle,” Rick said before he pressed a kiss to her neck that made her entire body shiver. “This was not one of my better plans for not kissing a woman.”

“And yet neither of us have moved.”

When he stood up straight, she regretted saying the words. Even if it was a dumb idea, she liked the feel of his body so
close to hers. But when she laid the pool cue across the felt and straightened up, he put his hand on her elbow and turned her to face him.

“It’s still a bad idea,” he said, his voice low.

“I agree.” She stepped into the curve of his arm. “So after you kiss me, we should make another agreement about how we won’t do it again.”

That seemed to be all the urging he needed. His mouth
closed over hers so swiftly she gasped against his lips. It was hot and urgent and she stood on her toes, arching her back to get more of him.

His hands were at her hips, holding her against his body, and she wrapped her arms around his neck so he couldn’t pull away. He nipped at her bottom lip and she moaned, wishing they were alone—really alone—and that maybe this time they wouldn’t stop.

“The burgers will be—oh. Sorry.”

They broke apart to see Aidan standing on the other side of the pool table, his body language making it clear he wasn’t sure if he should stay or go back out to the bar.

Jessica stepped back, feeling a hot flush over her face. “Rick’s showing me how to play pool.”

She had to respect Aidan for holding the straight face as long as he did, for about
fifteen seconds before he laughed. “I was going to tell Gavin he should ask Rick for some pointers on how to beat Scotty, but he might want to watch some YouTube videos instead.”

Before either of them could respond, Scott and Gavin came around the corner, each carrying a tray of beer mugs.

“You better tip me,” Scott said when he’d managed to set the tray on one of the tables without
spilling the beer.

“Rick can handle that,” Aidan said. “He gives good tips.”

Jessica blushed again, but Rick only laughed. “Here’s a tip. Don’t eat the yellow snow.”

As the other guys each claimed a fresh beer, Rick stepped close to Jessica and leaned close so only she could hear him. “Is this where we agree not to do this again?”

Sadly, she nodded. “That’s what we said.”

“Remind me next time not to agree to that in advance.” He winked at her and then joined the others. “Come get your beer before one of these guys chugs it, Jess. You’ll want it when the burgers come out.”

She claimed her mug, and then took a seat at the table again since she didn’t think she’d survive any more pool lessons tonight. But as she watched Rick joke around with his friends,
she ran his words through her head again.

Remind me next time not to agree to that in advance.

Next time.

Chapter Nine

By the time the hockey game rolled around on Saturday, Rick was almost numb with exhaustion. The normal twenty-four-hour shifts didn’t bother him. He could usually get enough sleep to function just fine and he liked having five days to play with. Sometimes he’d cover a tour for somebody else, but he’d been starting to play with the idea of a second job. He just needed
to figure out what he wanted to do.

But sometimes the stars were out of alignment or the moon was full or maybe there was something in the water, but they ran their asses off for twenty-four hours and made do with battle naps when and where they could grab them. That had been Friday.

He’d managed to sleep for a few hours in his own bed, but what he really wanted to do was close the room-darkening
blinds and hibernate for the entire weekend.

Instead, it was time to go downstairs and see if the Broussards were ready to head to the rink. There were guys from a few different stations playing, since they couldn’t all play, but any firefighters from the representing stations who didn’t show up with a toy better have a good excuse.

As soon as he stepped out onto his deck, he winced.
The weather was turning and there was a cold snap in the forecast. Trying not to imagine all the space heater, woodstove and chimney disasters in the city’s future, he made his way down the stairs and walked through their back door.

The second he stepped into the kitchen, he realized he wasn’t as exhausted as he thought. Jessica was in jeans, with her hair in a ponytail and only the lightest
touch of makeup on her face. And she was wearing a navy blue sweatshirt that was too big for her, but said Boston Fire across the chest.

He wanted to back her up against the counter and kiss those strawberry-tinted lips until their legs wouldn’t support them anymore and they slid to the tile floor in a tangle of arms and legs.

“Hey, Rick,” Joe said, and Rick jerked his attention to the
older man standing in the doorway. “I already put the toys in the trunk. I swear Marie thinks she’s Santa Claus.”

Rick swallowed hard and managed a smile. “It’s all for a good cause. And I see you also got Jess a sweatshirt.”

“Yup. Marie only has the one she wears, but I have two, so I lent her one. People need to know which side she’s on.”

His side, Rick thought. As beat as he’d
felt this afternoon, he almost wished he was playing just so he could spot Jess in the crowd, cheering for him and calling his name.

Marie walked into the kitchen wearing a sweatshirt that matched the other two. Rick was wearing his T-shirt with a hoodie over it because he tended to run hot and crew neck sweatshirts drove him crazy. And since he hadn’t totally cooled off yet from the passionate,
if imaginary, kiss with Jessica, he was ready to get back outside.

“We need to get going,” he said. “It’s Jess’s first time, so we want good seats.”

And so started a debate between Joe and Marie that lasted all the way to the rink as to what constituted good seats. And since Joe was in the shotgun seat next to Rick and Marie was in the backseat with Jessica, it meant the older man spent
a lot of time turned in his seat, yelling past Rick’s ear.

“You sit close and you can hear everything and practically smell the sweat,” Joe said.

“But if you sit near the top, you can see
everything
,” Marie argued.

“I’d like to see everything,” Jessica said, “but it’s hard to resist the smell of sweat.”

She said it so sincerely, Rick had to choke back a laugh. He didn’t offer
an opinion, though. Truth be told, the other guys from the station and their families would have staked out a section already. They’d take the best four seats that were left together.

Getting inside, dropping the bags of toys in the collection box, and making their way to those seats was probably quite the adventure for Jess, though. It didn’t seem as if they could walk ten feet before she
had to be introduced to somebody else. When they finally found the guys from his station, though, he was pleasantly surprised by how many of their names she remembered.

He knew she’d met some of them a couple of times—at the station when Marie stopped by, and then at the bar—but the first time had been nothing but a barrage of names, and some of them hadn’t been at Kincaid’s the other night.
Remembering names was probably a skill that helped make her good at her job, he thought. It made people feel valued.

Another thing that surprised him was how often he had to stop himself from touching her. He wanted to put his hand on the small of her back to guide her through the crowd. Or lace his fingers through hers when they were talking to people. And maybe if she’d been any other woman,
he would have. But whenever the temptation got too strong, he’d remember they were there with Joe and Marie. And they were trying not to do the kissing thing anymore, by mutual agreement.

“Aidan!” he heard her say, and watched her shake the other guy’s hand. “It’s good to see you again.”

Then he watched her greet everybody else, amazingly able to keep them all straight. Aidan was engaged
to Lydia, who was Scott’s sister. And their dad, Tommy, was in attendance, as well. And Scott and Lydia’s sister, Ashley, who was married to Danny Walsh. He wondered if she’d made a spreadsheet or something in advance and studied it.

“I had a great time at your bar the other night,” she told Tommy, who grinned at the praise. “And the burger was to die for.”

“I’m glad you liked it,” the
old, retired firefighter said, his chest puffing a little. “Heard you played a little pool with the guys.”

Rick hoped that was all he’d heard, but Jess just smiled. “Did you close down to come for the game? It looks like you’re all here.”

“Nope. Karen’s watching the place for us tonight. She’s a friend of Rick’s.”

“We should find some seats,” Rick said before that conversation could
go any deeper. “Good to see you, Tommy.”

They finally found an empty stretch of bleacher long enough for the four of them. Rick had assumed Jessica would sit between her grandparents, but Joe went in first, with Marie on his heels. Jessica sat next to her, leaving Rick at her side on the end. It wasn’t a big deal, except for the fact he was going to spend the entire game with his thigh pressed
against hers.

“How do you remember everybody’s names?” he asked her while they waited for things to get under way.

“It’s just a knack I have. I tend to remember details about people pretty easily if I’m trying. When I was growing up, I always wanted to be an event planner. Even now, one of my favorite things to do is plan the annual holiday party we throw for our employees and some of
our clients. Doing it at a distance isn’t as fun, but I still get to handle the details.”

“How come you didn’t do that, then, if that’s what you wanted to be and you’re good at it?”

She laughed. “My father would never have gone for that. And what’s the point of building a successful business if your only child is organizing baby shower party favors or wedding venues?”

“So you have
to live his dream because you’re an only child?”

She gave him a sharp sideways look and he shut his mouth. Luckily, the announcer chose that moment to turn their attention to the ice, and Jessica not only laughed but clapped her hands for the guy dressed as Santa on skates.

As always, the crowd noise rose to earsplitting decibels during the team introductions. The police department’s
team skated out first, followed by the fire department. Judging by the explosion of sound when Aidan and Scott were introduced, Lydia and Ashley were sitting not too far behind them and off to the left.

Once the game started, it quieted a little, though. He watched the play, but he was also very aware of Jess’s long leg pressed against his. Especially when, about halfway through the game,
she tilted the rest of her body toward his to ask a question.

“How come they’re not punching each other?”

Rick leaned closer, because there was no way he could have heard her correctly. “Did you ask me why they’re not punching each other?”

“Yes, or hitting each other with the sticks or something. Except for sometimes pushing each other into the walls, they’re not hitting each other
at all.”

So he
had
heard her correctly. “I have to say, you keep this bloodthirsty side of yourself pretty well hidden.”

“I’ve seen highlights during news broadcasts, of course, and when I found out we were coming here, I read up on hockey on the internet. I thought there would be fighting and blood and stuff.”

“It’s a charity game being played by guys whose calling in life is to
help people.”

“Yes, I get that. Protect and serve and all that.” She waved her hand. “But this is hockey. I had expectations.”

He forced himself not to laugh at her, because he didn’t want her to feel foolish. But it was hard when that pretty face seemed so genuinely dismayed by the lack of violence. “Sorry to disappoint you, but the game’s not over yet. There’s still a chance Kincaid
could get riled up. He’s got a bit of a temper.”

“Scott and Aidan are both from your station, so how come you didn’t play?” She gave him a slow once-over that would have made his cheeks red if he was the blushing kind. “Not good enough?”

His eyebrow arched and he held her gaze until she proved she
was
the blushing kind. “Oh, I’m good enough, honey. Trust me.”

“Don’t call me honey.”

“Don’t question my manhood.”

She
really
blushed then. “I didn’t question your...manhood. I questioned your ability to play hockey.”

“Same thing.”

“What an incredibly guy thing to say.”

“Thank you.”

She turned her attention back to the ice with an exasperated sigh, and he had to stifle a chuckle. When he nudged her knee with his, she crossed her arms and tilted her
chin a little, so it was clear she was ignoring him. But a smile played with the corner of her mouth and that was good enough.

He might have been tired earlier in the day but now, as far as he was concerned, this game could go on all night.

* * *

Jessica couldn’t remember enjoying an event as much as she enjoyed the hockey game. Of course it didn’t hurt that the fire department
won and the crowd had managed to set a new record for tickets sold
and
the number of toys collected for charity.

She probably shouldn’t have had a steamed hot dog, though. Or the nachos. Or the popcorn or the cotton candy. And she didn’t even want to think about how much soda she’d had. But as best she could tell, questionable food choices and sports were a package deal.

When it was
time to leave, she stood and put her hands to her back to stretch. She had no idea how Joe and Marie managed to sit on the bleachers for so long, but maybe they were just used to it. And her leg felt cold without the constant hot pressure of Rick’s thigh against hers. At first, she’d felt compelled to draw her knee away to give him more space and to save herself from the distraction, but there simply
hadn’t been enough room.

When the crowd they were being swept along with finally got through the exit, the cold night air was like a slap in Jessica’s face. It hadn’t been cold when they left the house and she had a shirt on under the sweatshirt, so she hadn’t bothered with a coat.

“I’ll go get the car,” Rick told Joe and Marie, who were chatting with friends on the sidewalk. “Save you
the walk. And it’ll take a bit in this traffic, so you’ll have time to visit.”

“Take Jessica with you,” Marie said. “I can tell she’s already freezing.”

While she wanted to protest and try to at least pretend she could hang with the native New Englanders, the idea of a warm car and a nicely contoured seat was too much temptation to resist. She walked up the street next to Rick, trying
to remember how far away the car was parked and hoping they got there before she embarrassed him by freezing to death in the midst of a bunch of people who didn’t even look cold.

Then she stepped in a shallow puddle. Or rather, she stepped onto it. Her foot slipped on the ice and she would have landed hard on her ass if not for Rick’s quick reflexes. In a flash, his arm was looped under hers
and he yanked her upright before she could actually fall. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was better than a busted tailbone.

“Thanks. I guess I should add ice being slippery to my journal of things I learned in Boston.”

“I can throw you over my shoulder if you want. I’ve had professional training.”

She gave him a look that might have scorched that fancy fire coat he wore. “Do they
give classes on being a caveman at the fire academy?”

“That part just comes naturally to some of us. But they have to teach us how to lift with our legs and not with our backs, I guess.”

This was ridiculous. Jessica was freezing, and now Rick had threatened to throw her over his shoulder.

Okay, that wasn’t really fair, she forced herself to admit. He’d
offered
to throw her over
his shoulder. A small distinction, but one he’d probably consider an important one. “I think I can manage on my feet, thank you.”

“Let me know if you change your mind. Practice keeps the skills sharp.”

She realized they’d continued on walking, and his arm was still tucked under hers, with his hand curled around her elbow. Whether he was afraid she’d slip on ice or if he just liked it
there, she couldn’t be sure. But she certainly didn’t mind it, so she just kept walking.

“Did you have a good time tonight?”

“I definitely did, though I ate a lot of foods I don’t think were meant to go together.”

“Any food eaten while watching sports is exempt from any kind of nutritional standards.” He smiled at her, his teeth gleaming in the dim light. “Especially if you’re actually
at the arena or stadium in person. Ask any sports fan.”

“I should watch a game on TV. With professional hockey players, I mean.”

“Just so you know, there’s not always fighting and blood in professional hockey, either.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Not for the fighting. I had a really good time tonight and I think I could become a fan.”