Heart on Fire (3 page)

So Mommy wasn’t a fan of pink? He liked her already, the little girl too.

Damn it, what is her name?

Time to call Ben, the local realtor, and ask because he was too damned curious, and didn’t want to look like a jackass when he went over to help.

First stop was a quick shower. He was still covered in soot, and smelled like a campfire.

Grabbing his phone, he hurried up the stairs and dialed his old friend.

* * * *

Cherish finally knelt down beside Mila, and helped dig the holes to plop the flowers into. Took some coaxing, and bribing, but that was all right. She was happy her little girl was keeping her end of the bargain after begging and pleading for the assortment of pink flowers.

Oh, she hated pink, but there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her angel.

“Would you like some help, Miss Day?” a deep velvety voice asked.

Mila nearly jumped out of her skin, as she turned to find her neighbor smiling from behind the fence. The man she had seen exactly once in the last two days, and even then only in passing.

Her realtor had told her he was a fireman and worked wonky hours. Ben neglected to mention he was one of those firemen who should be on calendars.

Jeez, he was so brawny and yum he made her mouth water. It had been years since a man’s presence had much effect on her.

The grey firehouse t-shirt hugged a very impressive upper body. His smile showed off dimples that gave him a boyish charm, even with scruffy two-day beard growth. Smoky blue-grey eyes captivated her. The temptation to rub her hands over his short brown hair could get her in trouble if she gave in. Something about him rang a bell, but she couldn’t put a finger on what.

When she didn’t answer, he added, “I swear I’m a good neighbor. Not a creep. You can ask Mrs. Clevenger across the street.”

Blushing, Mila blinked and swallowed down her embarrassment to return his smile. “I don’t know your name, though you apparently know mine.”

“I thought we don’t talk to strangers, Mommy,” Cherish piped in with a frown.

“He’s our neighbor, honey, and the realtor told us he’s a fireman, so I think it’s okay this time.” She kissed Cherish’s cheek and stood up to go to the fence.

Directing her attention to him, she pulled off her gardening glove, offering her hand and a smile. “You can call me Mila.”

His big hand wrapped completely around hers, sending a spark that shivered through her body. He gave her a firm shake without crushing her fingers.

“Kyle Blake. It’s a pleasure” She could listen to that voice all day long.

Her little girl ran over with a big grin and put her hand out. “I’m Cherish Day, because Mommy cherishes me.”

His smile brightened as he looked down. “Why, hello there, Cherish. That certainly is a fitting name for such a pretty young lady.” He gently shook her hand.

Another point to the big charming fireman, and he was already racking them up. Her realtor mentioned he wasn’t married. Now she couldn’t help wondering why the hell not.

None of my business, and I’m certainly not one to judge.

Cherish giggled. “He’s nice Mommy. Can he help us?”

Mila’s eyes widened as she looked down at her daughter, who stared back with big puppy-dog eyes.

“Uh, sure.” She shrugged and met Kyle’s gaze. “If you don’t mind a little dirt or the color
pink
.” Her nose scrunched.

He laughed. “You don’t like pink?”

“I’m not that girly, no. Cherish loves it though. It’s her favorite color, as you can see.” She waved her hand at her girl’s vibrant pink ruffled skirt, paired with a hot pink shirt and sequined pink vest. Totally girly-girl, but it matched her personality.

“Pink certainly suits you, Cherish.” He winked and walked around the fence to join them.

Nervous, which was unusual, Mila went back to digging holes.

Kyle knelt beside her. “Sorry I haven’t been very neighborly. Work has been hectic.”

“I can imagine with the wildfires nearby. Sounds like they were finally put out last night?” She looked over as he did and their gazes locked. The trace of desire in his eyes made her pulse race.

“Yeah, finally. But it’s been a few days of chaos. Your realtor happens to be a friend. He mentioned you drove here from Washington. Anyone besides you and your daughter?” he asked casually, obviously curious though.

Her eyes dropped back to the garden. “No one else. Her father’s not in the picture.”

“Bad news?”

How would she know? One-night stand at a Halloween party. She never even saw his face, never asked for a name, and it wasn’t like she planned for the condom to break. It was a wild night of abandon. And sure, at twenty-two she should have been on birth control but she stopped after she dumped her college boyfriend, thinking she wasn’t going that route again anytime soon. She had since learned her lesson, and stayed on the pill, no matter what. Not that she needed it, since she had only been with one man since Cherish was born, and that relationship had been short-lived.

Preparing for the worst, she whispered, “He’s never known, and I had no way of contacting him.”

“Oh.” Kyle frowned.

Mila took a breath and steeled herself against judgment as she looked into his eyes.

He surprised her with a warm smile. “Sorry.” Then he did one better and changed the topic. “So what do you do?”

“Teach. I’m starting at the high school tomorrow.” It was both exciting and nerve-wracking. New place, new students, and new challenges. She could hardly wait.

“And what is it you teach?” His dimples popped and his eyes sparkled.

So gorgeous, so tempting, and definitely not worth the trouble.
She cleared her throat and answered, “Science, chemistry actually.”

He turned to Cherish and winked. “I bet your mom is incredibly smart.”

“The smartest ever.” She grinned at Kyle, then dug another hole.

Mila blushed. “I don’t know about that.”

“So what made you decide to move all the way down here?”

“I needed a change, and my aunt told me about an opening at the high school. Having a babysitter handy will be a huge help.”

Cherish bounced as she turned toward Kyle. “Aunt Dee is my favorite. She’s awesome, and makes the best cookies!”

“Deanna Rogers?” he asked with a raised brow, his blue-grey eyes sparkling.

“That would be her.”

“She’s close too. Down the road, and around the corner.”

“Yup, close, but not too close.” Mila reminded herself that he didn’t need to know, and wouldn’t care about her situation. Feeling stupid, she focused on planting.

Kyle got busy, efficiently filling Cherish’s holes with flowers. In no time, they had everything planted.

“Bath time, bath time,” Cherish squealed.

“How long do her baths takes?” Kyle asked.

“Uh,” Mila frowned, concerned with the nature of the question as a million fears swirled through her head.

Clearly reading her worried expression, he held up his hands in alarm. “Oh no, I just thought I would get myself a mocha. There’s a café up the road. I was going to offer to bring you one, but didn’t want to be back before she was out of the tub. I swear, I only wanted to know how long to stall.” His panic washed away her doubt.

Relieved, Mila offered a weak smile. “That’s unnecessary. You’ve been a huge help with the flowerbed. I appreciate the offer though.”

“You do drink coffee, don’t you?”

She shrugged, she was more of a tea person. “It’s okay, really.”

He looked down at Cherish. “I was planning to bring you a creamsicle.”

Cherish perked up. “A what?”

“It’s an orange and vanilla drink, and super yummy. I’ll even get you whipped cream.” He winked. “Least I can do since you were so sweet and helped your mom with the gardening.”

“Mommy, please,” Cherish begged, dragging out the words.

“Oh, all right. I guess I could use an iced chai.”

His head tipped to the side as he studied her. “Chai? Tea drinker?”

Mila nodded, trying to calm her thumping heart. Kyle was sweet, thoughtful, and clearly paid attention. He wasn’t at all what she expected, and definitely not what she was used to.

One dark eyebrow rose. “You lived in Seattle, the land of coffee on every corner, and you don’t drink coffee?”

Blushing, she shrugged. “Never liked the stuff.”

“Okay.” He grinned, slow and sexy. “She’ll be out and dressed in half-an-hour?”

“Yes, I’ll make sure of it,” she answered without thinking.

“Then I’ll see you shortly.” He dipped his head and strolled back to his house.

She stared after him a moment, wondering why she’d agreed.

He’s a friendly neighbor. Nothing more. Out of your league, and you aren’t playing anyway.

Mila took a deep breath and turned to Cherish. “All right, kiddo, bath time.”

Chapter 2

After cleaning up, Kyle walked down to the coffee shop. The same one he ran into Dee at about a month ago. She told him all about her niece moving up. He’d forgotten the conversation until he was standing at the counter.

Kyle walked into Novel Grounds, scrubbing a hand over his face. It was early, but he had to run a few errands.

Dee turned to him with a grin. “Hey, did you know the Larkays moved out last month?”

“Good riddance,” he mumbled. Any of his other neighbors and he would likely miss them, but the couple who lived next door were mean, nasty slobs who constantly bickered. Their arguments turned violent all too often.

Delight danced through her eyes. “You’re going to have a lovely new neighbor soon.”

Curiosity piqued, his brow arched. “And how would you know this?”

“Between the job opening at the high school, and our friendly neighborhood realtor, I managed to convince my favorite niece to move out here. With some work, the house will be perfect for her and her daughter.”

Kyle’s brow knit together. “No husband?”

“She’s never been married. Her precious little girl is the result of a one-night stand.”

Not one to judge, he smiled. “Raising a child on your own isn’t easy. I know Dad struggled with me after Mom passed away. She has my respect.”

“You’re such a great guy, Kyle. Too bad you aren’t twenty or so years older, or I would show you the benefits of having a real woman in your life.”

“One day I’ll find the right woman. Right now, I’m content on my own.”

Now he wondered if Dee was hoping he would be interested in her niece. He was, but based on the little he knew of her history, he had a feeling slow and easy was the way to her heart.

He took his time walking back to her place, and started up the porch steps exactly thirty minutes later. He gave the door one solid knock and waited.

A few seconds later, Mila opened with a smile. Her voice sent a shock of warmth through him. “Hey, Cherish is painting in the kitchen. Come on in.”

“Thanks.” He carried the tray to her counter. The paneling he remembered was gone, replaced with fresh paint in warm, inviting colors. Comfortable, but nice furniture. No clutter in sight. The house was a thousand times nicer than the Larkays had kept it.

He smiled over at Mila. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”

“Thank you. I visited when I first bought it, and contracted for some work to be done. Deanna helped with quite a bit. In fact, my aunt kept Cherish the first night so I could get everything situated.”

“You did a fine job. Your home is welcoming. And only two days? I’m impressed, you must be very organized.”

She laughed, her hands sliding in her pockets as she lifted a single shoulder in a shrug. “Yeah. Well, when you deal with a bunch of teenagers every day, it helps to be organized. I’m not a total neat freak, but I don’t like too much mess either.”

“Hey, nothing wrong with being tidy.” He handed her drink over, before taking Cherish a creamsicle with extra whipped cream.

“Here you go, kiddo.” He studied the painting. “Wow, you’re talented.”

Her whole face lit up. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He winked and stood back up with a smile for Mila.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Mila.” He turned to Cherish, expression never dimming. “And you, too.”

The slight frown on Mila’s face was an unintentional jab. His heart fell. “What’s wrong?”

She looked down at her daughter’s painting. “Nothing, sorry. Planning, you know, mom stuff.” Her eyes met his, a blush on her cheeks.

He didn’t like the way she was shutting him out. He knew there was something wrong, and damn him, but he wanted to know what it was so he could fix it.

Stopping himself from touching her cheek, he dipped his head toward the door. “Right, well, I need to get to work, so I’ll catch you later. Thank you for the company today.”

“Thank you for the chai, and the help.” She walked him to the door. “Really, I appreciate it. So far I like the neighborhood.”

“We’re a friendly bunch. I hope to see more of you. Both of you. Cherish seems like a great kid.”

Her whole face lit up. “She is.”

“Enjoy your day, Mila. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

Her breath caught, and she answered, “You too, Kyle.”

* * * *

“Mommy, he’s cute.” Cherish giggled, skipping over two minutes after the door shut.

Like an idiot, Mila stood frozen, staring at the door, trying to figure out why it felt like she knew Kyle.

His voice, those hands.

Yeah, but I’m totally imagining things.

There is no way in hell.

Mentally shaking herself, Mila nodded. “He is.” More than that. Everything about Kyle was appealing. At least from what she'd seen.

No sense in thinking about the hot fireman next door. She wasn’t looking for a man. Besides, he probably had a following of beautiful women, not to mention a girlfriend.