Firefly Mountain (9 page)

“Logical.” Jonah nodded. “What are these lines?” He pointed to dotted red lines on the print.

“Those, Jonah, are all the walls that need to be demolished before I can start building this plan.” Patrick sat back, and a fleeting thought of massaging his exhausted muscles after a day of knocking down walls surprised Gini.

“Wow, man. Good thing I’m going to help you,” Jonah said.

“You’re going to need a team of help if you want to ever finish this,” Gini said.

“Don’t you love volunteers?” Jonah winked at Gini.

Gini’s eyes sprang open wider. “I’m not volun—”

“Of course you are. Gini, we can’t let our newest Burnam citizen do all this work by himself. Haddy’ll help too, won’t you?”

No fair. Haddy would agree to anything that involved being around a tool-carrying Jonah.

“Sure. I’m good at fetching tools.”

“That’s the spirit.” He turned to Patrick. “Gini’s handy too. She built an arbor and swing for her backyard.” Jonah looked back at Gini. “C’mon. Patrick needs you.”

Gini peered at Patrick, who sat perfectly still as if he were holding his breath. Did he want her help? Need it? What else did he need?

“Look, you don’t have—” Patrick started before Gini held up a hand.

“No, I’ll help. If you don’t mind, that is.”

Patrick studied her for a long moment. The lights in the pub made his eyes a darker shade of green-brown, like grass mixed with maple syrup. Gini waited, holding her breath now.

“I’d never say no to free labor,” he finally said.

“Oh, we’ll figure out a way to make you pay,” Jonah said around a grin.

Gini exhaled and worried more about what helping Patrick might cost her.

Patrick and Midas arrived early at the station the next morning. He’d slept better than he had in a long time. No dreams. Just the smell of wildflowers. He told himself it had nothing to do with spending the previous evening with Gini. He was tired from getting organized at the house and starting over in a new town so he’d needed the sound sleep. That’s what it was. That’s what he’d believe.

But the time he’d spent with Gini—with all of them really—had been more fun than he’d expected. The conversation had been easy, and their genuine interest in his building plans had made him feel like one of them. He’d never felt like one of anything back in Rhode Island.

Well, maybe one of the circus sideshow freaks.

At the station, he was on dorm duty again, which was fine. Gave him a chance to think. Besides, he liked cleaning. The order of it, the sterility. Freshening a room calmed him. Scrubbing, sweeping, dusting. The method to all of it was logical and efficient.

So when Jonah came in wearing the muddiest pair of boots in history, Patrick nearly blew up. He jerked his arms toward the gloppy, brown trail of sludge Jonah had left behind.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Huh?” Jonah looked to where Patrick pointed. “Oops. Sorry, man.”

Patrick was already on his hands and knees wiping at the mess. On the white of the tiled floor, the tracks were particularly harsh. He grimaced as he wrung out his rag and muddy water sloshed into his bucket.

“Where were you before work? A pig pen?” Patrick continued scrubbing until the brown streaks disappeared.

“Almost actually.” Jonah sat and peeled off his boots. He held them in his hand and wavered over where to put them. The look on Patrick’s face told him nowhere in the dorm would be an acceptable place.

Patrick held out his hand. “Give them here.”

Jonah shrugged and handed over the boots. Patrick carried them to an open window. He clunked them together until most of the caked-on mud dropped off. Then he set them down on another rag. Jonah watched the entire process while standing in his socks.

“Do I get those back?” He smiled when Patrick glared his way.

“On your way out.” Patrick dumped the contents of his bucket and stowed the cleaning supplies. “Now how were you ‘almost actually’ at a pig pen before work?”

“I was at Gini’s farm. She’s photographing for the calendar today.” Jonah stood and struck several manly poses with his arms flexed. Patrick didn’t know what his reaction to that was supposed to be, and Jonah dropped his arms. “Okay, right. Anyway, I was over there this morning, first thing, to have my pictures taken. Haddy made me stand in the middle of the dirt field beside Gini’s barn while one of Haddy’s dogs stood on hind legs with its paws resting on my back. Freaking huge dog.”

Patrick started down the stairs to the vehicle bay. Jonah hopped off the chair and went after him. Remembering his boots, he stopped back in the dorm and grabbed them. He slipped them back on and met Patrick downstairs.

“You’re really not going to let her take your picture, huh?” he asked.

Patrick’s shoulders slumped. Was he going to have to make a deal with Jonah too?

“No pictures.” He shook his head.

“It’d make her so happy though.” Jonah took a step closer to Patrick. “It’s best to keep Gini happy.”

Before Patrick could ask a question, Jonah turned on his still slightly muddied heel and walked away. Patrick followed, but Chief Warner got in his path.

“Just the guy I was looking for,” the chief said. “Mason called. Wants to chat about your report for the arson case when you get a minute.”

“Sure.” Patrick stepped around Chief Warner and headed for Jonah.

“Patrick, ‘when you get a minute’ means now,” the chief said.

“Right, of course.” Patrick dug out his cell phone and dialed. He gave the chief a nod and walked to the classroom to get some privacy. He sat at the first conference table and drummed his fingers on it. He needed to get to the bottom of what was going on with Gini. Why did his picture mean so much? Why was it best to keep her happy? What did she eat for breakfast? How did she like her hamburgers cooked? Did she like to be on top or the bottom?

“Rivers.” Mason’s voice cut into Patrick’s wayward thoughts.

“Mason, it’s Patrick. What do you need?”

“I need to know your sister’s favorite flower,” Mason said.

“What?” Patrick wasn’t sure he’d heard him correctly. “Chief Warner said you wanted to speak with me about the arson case.”

“Well, yeah. That’s what I told him. I am a professional, you know. But cut a guy a break. Don’t make me guess and get it wrong. I want everything to be perfect.”

“Everything?” Patrick pictured Mason walking Raina out of the bar last night. What else had he done?

“Our first date. Somehow I found the balls I’d thought I’d lost and asked Raina to dinner tonight. By some series of cosmic events, she said yes. Now are you going to tell me what flower she prefers or do I have to haul your ass in to the station?”

Now Patrick laughed. “You sound a little desperate, Mason.”

“I am. I won’t hide it. I
really
like Raina. She’s beautiful, and smart, and can sing, and—”

“Okay, okay,” Patrick said. “I get the idea. Raina loves tulips.”

“Tulips? That’s it? Nothing exotic? Nothing impossible to get? Tulips?” Mason’s voice got higher and higher.

“Tulips. She’s loved them since she was a little girl. Used to draw them all over everything. Got in trouble with her fifth grade teacher for drawing them on her homework.” Patrick smiled as he remembered Raina crying about that.

“But they’re so pretty, Patrick,” she’d said. “Why doesn’t Mrs. Glickson like them?”

Patrick had thought it had something to do with the fact that Mrs. Glickson probably hadn’t received real flowers from anyone in quite some time.

“You’re sure it’s tulips?” Mason said.

“Positive. Bring her tulips and you’re set for the night.” Patrick never envisioned the day he’d be telling a man how to win his sister over. He’d spent so much time keeping men away from her. “Look. You seem like a nice guy.”

“Uh-oh,” Mason said. “Is this the part where you tell me to keep my damn hands off your sister? Because I don’t know if I can do that, man.”

“No. This is the part where I tell you to
be
a nice guy, or things could get ugly.”

“Fair enough. We haven’t gotten to know each other that well yet, but I am a nice guy. I’m also extremely inexperienced in the dating department, so I’m more scared than anything else right now.”

“Takes a real man to admit that,” Patrick said. “Don’t worry, Raina comes off a little pushy, but she’s scared too.”

“Thanks for the inside info.”

“No problem. Any case related stuff?”

“I’m heading out today on some leads. Hopefully my foraging will turn up something.”

“Keep me posted.” Patrick hung up and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. When he entered the vehicle bay, he saw four fighters standing beside one of the trucks. As he approached, their conversation floated to him.

“I got to sit on one of the horses,” Willy said. “Gini said she was going to use an up-close shot that had me from waist up and the horse’s head in it.

“That’s because she was trying to hide your chicken wing legs, Willy,” Chuck said. The other two fighters roared in laughter along with Chuck.

“Shut up.” Willy folded his arms across his chest but was laughing too. “At least I didn’t have to snuggle up to a fluffy bunny. You’re lucky it wasn’t pink.”

More laughter as they ribbed each other. The joking ended with the other two fighters taking off for Gini’s farm.

What would Gini have made him pose with? How would she try to hide his…flaws? Patrick had worse features than chicken wing legs to hide.

Doesn’t matter
. Gini wasn’t getting anywhere near him with her camera no matter how much fun the other fighters were having.

****

“Tuck the pup under your chin, Steven.” Gini adjusted her camera lens. “That’s it right there. Perfect.” She looked at the current firefighter model and enjoyed the way the sun made his skin all golden. He had a ripped chest and arms so corded with muscles she was certain he could crush her with a hug.

Haddy fanned herself as she stood next to Gini. “The temperature escalated like twenty degrees back here when he took that shirt off,” she whispered.

Gini giggled and snapped her camera. She pulled it off the tripod and went in for some closer shots, experimenting with the light and perspective. Haddy’s golden retriever wiggled in Steven’s oversized hands, but his grip surrounded the small pup easily.

“This calendar is going to be awesome,” Gini said.

Steven smiled then sneezed.

“Bless you.” Gini pulled her camera from her eye. “Steven, are you allergic to dogs?”

He nodded, long eyelashes fanning across his cheeks as he looked down.

“Yikes. Haddy, get that pup away from him.”

Haddy rushed in and scooped up the dog. Gini put her camera back on the tripod. Steven slipped into his shirt.

“Why didn’t you say something, Steven?” Gini asked. “I could have given you another animal.”

“Wouldn’t matter. I’m allergic to all of them.” Steven shrugged and dug his heel into the dirt.

“Well, why did you agree to do this then?” Haddy asked. “Not that we’re sorry you did. You looked amazing holding Spike.” She bounced the puppy in her arms.

“It was only for a few minutes.” Steven sneezed again and Haddy offered him a tissue. “I didn’t want to let you down, Gini.” He blew his nose.

Gini patted his cheek. “Thanks, Steven. I appreciate it.”

“You appreciate it enough to kiss me?” He stuffed the tissue into his pocket and grinned.

“Nice try.” Gini waggled a finger. “How about a kiss on the cheek?”

“I’ll take what I can get.”

Gini rose to her toes and pecked Steven’s right cheek. He kept his hands by his sides like a gentleman and tipped his head.

“Thanks. That should carry me along.” He gave Haddy a quick hug and headed for his car.

“Tell Nick and Drew they’re up next.”

Steven waved a hand in acknowledgement and slid into his car. As he drove off, Haddy sidled up beside Gini.

“I could photograph firefighters for the rest of my life.” Her voice was light and dreamy.

“We’re already halfway through unfortunately.” Gini tapped the schedule stuck to a clipboard.

“Pity. Such beautiful scenery.” Haddy shook her head. “I loved the way Jonah looked next to my Titan.” She rubbed her Doberman’s silky black back as the dog pushed his nose into her leg.

“I’ll put Jonah in May for your birthday.”

“That’d be nice. Who are you going to put in July for you?” Haddy reloaded the film in Gini’s second camera so it would be ready for the next round of shots.

“Haven’t seen anything I truly like yet.” Gini pulled the saddle off Nyx, figuring she’d do some bareback poses with the next guys.

“Or,” Haddy said, “you’ve seen what you truly like, but he won’t let you take his picture.”

Gini brushed Nyx’s ebony coat until it shimmered like a puddle in moonlight. “Don’t think I’ve given up on photographing Patrick. I have a plan.”

“What kind of plan? Sneak attack?”

“No, that wouldn’t be fair. I’m going to reel him into my net of charm then persuade him to let me take his picture.”

“Net of charm? Sounds devious,” Haddy said. “I like it.”

“He’s just shy being new here and all.” Gini thought about Patrick’s rudeness when they first met and knew that wasn’t the kind of guy he was. Not after spending time with him last night. She’d come on too forceful that first meeting. Now she knew how to handle Patrick. He required gentle, subtle, sweet. She could be those.

Probably.

“Once he’s more comfortable around us, he’ll open up,” Gini said.

“He’d better do it fast though. We don’t have a lengthy timetable for this fundraiser. If you’re going to turn him around, you need to work quickly.”

“I’ll start this weekend when we’re helping him at his house. What better place? He’ll be more at ease on his own turf. He won’t even see me coming.”

“Devious, for sure.” Haddy pointed at Gini. “Makes me wonder what I’ve agreed to without knowing it.”

Gini rubbed her hands together as if she were a mad genius. “You’ll never know, my friend. Never know.”

But Haddy was easy. Patrick was a bigger challenge.