Mr. January Read online

  At the end, a girl and two boys approached him about becoming firefighters.

  “It’s a competitive field,” he said, “but we’re always looking for qualified candidates.”

  “How do we get qualified?” the taller, skinner of the two boys asked.

  “Earn good grades. Enroll in college and take fire safety classes. Work toward your paramedics degree, and volunteer at the county station. Then come see us.”

  The girl jotted down his every word. Short and curvy, with bangs that hung in her eyes, she reminded him a little of Sam.

  So it figured that on the drive back to the station, he thought about Sam. Her pretty smile and the way her laugh coaxed out his own. Her expressive eyes and their easy back-and-forth. How she bit her lip or gnawed the pad of her thumb when something bothered her. Her dedication to her work and her amazing baking skills. Her devotion to William. And her passion.

  He caught himself in a sappy grin. With a shock, he realized he liked her a whole lot more than he’d ever intended.

  “Damn,” he muttered. He didn’t want to care this much. Sam didn’t want that, either.

  Irritated, he shoved her from his mind. For all the good that did.

  Dinner was always a community affair, with each man taking a turn at cooking dinner for the others. Tony was tonight’s chef. He served up fried chicken with all the fixings—mountains of food. And a good thing, with the captain and twelve hungry firefighters to feed. Anyone who made the mistake of stiffing on food got razzed mercilessly and never did it again.

  Sitting around the big, rectangular table, they helped themselves and dug in.

  “Good chicken,” Gus commented when he came up for air and dished up seconds. Built like a linebacker, he really packed it away.

  Adam’s buddies ate and joked and laughed, as they usually did. Adam joined in, without his usual enthusiasm. He figured no one noticed. Then Liam eyed him with his infamous scowl.

  “You’re in a crappy mood. You said you couldn’t wait to come back. It’s only been a week, and you’re glaring at the world.”

  The rest of the men, even Captain Comings, fixed him with hard stares. He snorted. “You need to see an eye doctor and get yourself some glasses.”

  Rafe smirked. “Two words. Samantha Everett.”

  Adam narrowed his eyes, and the joker hooted. “I knew it.”

  “Shut up and pass the mashed potatoes.”

  “So, it’s like that.” Ethan gave a sage nod.

  Adam piled potatoes onto his plate. “The problem is William. His dad is out of the picture, and he’s growing a little too attached to me.”

  Rafe shook his head. “This is exactly why I steer clear of single moms.”

  “Amen,” several other the crew members seconded.

  The room grew quiet, everyone too busy eating to comment. Figuring he’d dodged a bullet, Adam relaxed.

  “I remember William from when you showed him and Sam around the station,” Liam said, and Adam tensed up again. “Cute kid. Even then, he looked at you with stars in his eyes. Like you were his hero.”

  Between the tour and the instant attraction between him and Sam, Adam hadn’t noticed. Even if he had, nothing would have changed. He still would have pursued Sam. “I’m no hero, and I sure as hell can’t be William’s.”

  Nate looked thoughtful. “Kids are great, until they turn into teenagers. Then they get pretty weird and dramatic…at least my girls do.” Divorced, with twin fifteen-year-old daughters, he knew firsthand.

  “Yeah, but they’re yours,” Rob said. “When they’re some other guy’s…”

  A long, noisy exchange followed, guys speaking their minds and sometimes disagreeing. Finally, they quieted down.

  Max eyed Adam. “What are you gonna do about Sam?”

  “How the hell should I know?” Adam drained his water glass to avoid having to say more.

  Rafe snorted. “Does she know you have feelings for her?”

  Uncomfortable discussing his feelings, Adam rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to finish my dinner.”

  “Suit yourself, man. But if it was me, I’d go over there and try to work something out.”

  *

  Samantha had just finished tucking her sleepy son in after a bedtime story Tuesday evening, when he regarded her with the big, somber-eyed expression that always melted her heart.

  “Mom?”

  “Yes, sweetie?”

  “Do you think Adam misses me?”

  It had been more than a week since Adam had called to say he’d been cleared for work, and longer than that since William had last seen him. But her son couldn’t seem to forget the firefighter. “I’m sure he does.”

  “Then why doesn’t he come and see me?”

  William looked crestfallen. Aching for him and wishing she’d done a better job protecting him, she forced a smile and smoothed his furrowed brow. “You remember why… because he’s super busy.”

  Samantha missed Adam, too, more than she would ever let on to her son. With the exception of that one call, she hadn’t heard from him. Not even a text or an email.

  She ought to be relieved he’d taken their decision to not see each other seriously. But couldn’t the man at least try to change her mind?

  Now that he was back on his regular shift, he’d probably forgotten all about her. When she really liked him—and more.

  Truth be told, she was half in love with the man.

  That should have terrified her. Did. But she couldn’t control her heart any more than the chilly February weather.

  “Could we go see him at the station tomorrow?” William asked.

  Adam didn’t work Wednesdays. Even if he did, she didn’t want him thinking she was chasing after him. Besides, seeing him again would only set William up for more disappointment.

  “Mrs. Randall asked us to visit Gordy and Cocoa while she’s visiting her family in Portland. I thought we’d go over tomorrow,” she said, hoping to distract her son with the horses.

  “Okay, but when can we visit Adam?”

  He just wouldn’t give up. Samantha blew out a breath. “Let’s talk about this later. It’s late and we have to be up early.” She kissed his forehead. “Good night and good dreams.”

  Feeling lonely and very sorry for herself, she plodded down the stairs to prep for tomorrow’s baking. In the kitchen, she turned the radio to her favorite oldies station, donned a bib apron and hair net, and then washed her hands.

  While she measured and mixed dry ingredients together, she continued to wonder about Adam. Was he fighting a fire? Treating someone with a medical emergency, studying, or playing cards with his friends? Regardless, he probably wasn’t thinking about her.

  Her heart ached. But then, he’d never promised her anything. Still, she’d assumed he cared, simply by the warmth in his eyes and his tenderness toward her. Behavior rooted in more than physical need. Otherwise, he would have walked away as soon as she refused to make love. Wouldn’t he?

  When the radio began its on-the-hour news update, Samantha realized she’d wasted precious time lost in an endless loop of what-ifs. Painful experience had taught her wishful thinking never solved anything.

  “Enough of that,” she stated out loud. Straightening her shoulders, she set to work.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ‡

  Not long after dinner, Adam decided to call it a night. After a busy day, he expected to fall into dreamland the second his head hit the pillow. Instead, he tossed and turned and longed for Sam.

  He wasn’t supposed to miss her like this.

  She didn’t want him to, either—or so she’d claimed. Yet she’d kissed him, responded to him, looked at him with a hell of a lot of something that went way beyond the physical.

  When a woman started to fall for him, he usually cut and run. But this time… He wasn’t used to such deep feelings.

  Feelings. Scary stuff, risky at best.

  All the same, he cared.

  What was he suppose
d to do with that?

  Rafe’s words echoed in his mind. If it was me, I’d go over there, tell the woman how I felt, and see if we could work something out.

  Not a bad idea, if this was about just Sam and him. If she didn’t have William.

  Of all the single women in the world, he had to get interested in the one with a kid.

  Adam punched the pillow hard with his fist, surprised when the casing didn’t break apart. Resting his head on his arms, he stared into the darkness. Stupid, weak bastard, damn fool. None of the names with which he taunted himself, labels the old man had once scarred into his mind on a daily basis, changed the fact he wanted Sam.

  He hooted out loud, the sound more like an anguished howl. Then he dismissed Rafe’s advice. No, thanks. He preferred to steer clear.

  With that, he rolled over and finally slept.

  *

  Often in the quiet, early morning hours, Samantha caught up on email and text messages while she waited for whatever was in the oven to bake.

  On this dark Wednesday morning, Jana had texted a photo of the shoulder bag she wanted to knit, a pattern that looked a lot easier than the sweater that would not end. Getting the sleeves right tried her patience to the max, but darn it, she would knit them into submission. A supplier had emailed a delivery date for an order, and a friend in Enterprise had forwarded a joke. Just the usual stuff.

  Until the last email of the bunch. It stopped her cold.

  It’s been awhile. We need to talk, and I want to see William. I’ll be in Guff’s Lake next week and will contact you when I arrive.

  Jeff

  Stunned, Samantha gaped at the message. Why now when she’d finally moved on and started a new life? As far as she knew, since the divorce, Jeff hadn’t visited Enterprise or contacted any of the people they’d once counted as friends. Then how had learned she’d moved to Guff’s Lake?

  More importantly, why did he want to talk to her?

  Panic mounting, she attempted to reason with herself. Jeff was William’s father, and as much as she detested him, it might be good for William to see him.

  To open old wounds and cause him pain all over again? Oh, hell no.

  On the heels of that, something awful popped into her mind. That Jeff planned to take her son away.

  Fear shuddered through her. Suddenly chilled to the bone and unable to sit still, she jumped up and paced to the kitchen window. Hugging herself, she stared out, at the darkness. Please, oh please, don’t let him come after William.

  The buzzing timer jerked her back to the present. The act of pulling two pans of muffins from the oven and then sliding two more in calmed her enough to reason rationally.

  Two clear thoughts filled her mind. One, Jeff would never take her son. She raised her trembling chin. Just let him try. And two, she was pretty sure who had told him where to find her. Her mother.

  Anger overshadowed the fear. Samantha compressed her lips and narrowed her eyes. She wanted to call her mom right away and ream her out, but at this hour, her parents were sure to be sleeping. They didn’t get up until seven, and they left for Everett’s General Store around eight. She would contact them after she dropped William at kindergarten.

  Mind whirling and heart pounding, she finished baking, and then packed and loaded the orders into the car. She got William up and dressed, survived the morning deliveries, and smilingly dropped him at kindergarten.

  At home again, she speed-dialed her mother’s cell phone before she even exited the car. Her mother didn’t pick up until Samantha stepped inside and shut the door behind her.

  “Samantha.” She sounded surprised. “Your dad and I are just opening the store. Is everything okay?”

  Dispensing with the niceties, Samantha came straight to the point. “Did you tell Jeff where I live?”

  “Is it supposed to be a secret?” her mother asked in an oh-so-innocent voice.

  “You did tell him, and without even checking with me first? Without giving me advance warning? How dare you!”

  “Calm down. You have the same email and cell phone number you’ve always had. Jeff was going to contact you anyway. Besides, as William’s father, he deserves to see his son.”

  “After what he did? He cheated on me and broke William’s heart! He’s never paid a dime of child support, and the bills he saddled me with…. Three years later, I’m still struggling to pay a few of them off. Jeff left and never looked back. So no, he lost that privilege.”

  “That’s all in the past, Samantha. Maybe he realizes what he gave up. If there’s a chance you two could reconcile….”

  Samantha’s jaw dropped. “For the millionth time, I don’t want Jeff back, and I doubt he wants me. He’s married to Kayla now, remember? They live in some backwoods commune.”

  “You don’t know that he’s happy with her.”

  Why had she even tried to explain? Her mother didn’t listen and never had. She only heard what she wanted to. Samantha gritted her teeth in frustration. “Drop it, Mom.”

  “Fine. But you will let Jeff see William.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “I need to think about that.”

  “Why? For both Jeff and William’s sakes, you must.”

  She had a point. If Samantha prepped her son as to what to expect and stuck close by…. “I guess so,” she grudgingly replied.

  “Good girl.”

  “I’m not a girl, Mom. I’m a thirty-year-old woman.”

  “You know what I mean.” After a lengthy silence, her mother said, “I don’t know what else to say.”

  “How about, ‘I’m sorry I told Jeff where to find you without first checking with you.’”

  Of course, the exasperating woman failed to apologize. She never did.

  “We’re having a mid-winter sale, and customers are starting to trickle in,” she said. “I should go. Let me know what happens with Jeff.”

  Grumbling, Samantha disconnected.

  She thought about calling Adam. By now his shift had ended and he was visiting his father. Who knew why he was the one person she needed. Never mind—her pride wouldn’t let her contact him.

  She could use a friendly ear, someone she trusted. A call to Jana went to voicemail. No doubt her friend was swamped with the usual breakfast customers. Samantha left a message, asking her to call.

  Gossip that Betty was, she knew all about Jeff, and as far as Samantha knew, she hadn’t shared any of the details. Samantha assumed she could trust the woman on this, too. But her neighbor was still out of town. Samantha didn’t feel comfortable confiding in anyone else.

  What to do, what to do?

  First on the list, protect William by making an appointment with the lawyer. Forget saving enough for the fee upfront. This was too important to put off.

  Sending a silent thank you to Adam for giving her Dwight Cornell’s business card, she punched in his number.

  *

  Before Adam clocked out Wednesday morning, he learned that his written exam had been scheduled for the following Wednesday, immediately after his shift ended. Which gave him one week to cram.

  He didn’t mind hitting the books day and night if it meant getting the thing over with. Next up, if he passed—no, when he passed—the physical test, followed by a face-to-face interview before a panel of superiors.

  He thought about telling his pop that the test had been scheduled, but decided to keep the information to himself for now.

  He intended to drive home and hit the books. Instead, the 4Runner pulled up in front of Sam’s place.

  Hell if he knew what he was doing here. She didn’t want him coming around.

  Shaking his head, he killed the engine. He stayed in the car, fighting the urge to knock on the door.

  Wait. Wasn’t Betty out of town? Then Sam might even let him in. That or slam the door in his face.

  From the car, he saw her trough the kitchen window, pacing back and forth like a caged tigress. Even out here, he could sense the tension radiating from her.
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  Curiosity got the better of him. Before he knew it, he rang the bell. Without waiting for her to answer, he tried the latch. Unlocked. That wasn’t like her.

  Concerned, but not about to go in without her okay, he stuck his head inside. “Sam?” he called out warily.

  “Adam!” From the kitchen, she hurried toward him. “Thank goodness you’re here.”

  She seemed relieved to see him. Go figure. Her hair was every which way, and her normally pink cheeks pale.

  Something was wrong. Adam shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it at the doorknob. “What happened?”

  She chewed her lip, which explained why it looked red and sore. “I’m so upset. Come into the kitchen. That’s where I left my phone.”

  She wasn’t making any sense. Seriously worried, he followed her down the hall.

  Her cell phone sat on the kitchen table. She poured herself a coffee and, without asking, filled him a mug. They took their usual seats. After she pressed a few buttons on the phone, she handed it to him. “Take a look at this email. It’s from Jeff, my ex.”

  Adam read the message and frowned. “He’s coming here.”

  “Yep. My darling mother told him where to find me.”

  “Nice of her,” he muttered.

  “She has some misguided belief that we’re going to reconcile.”

  The thought of Sam with the man who’d hurt her and William ticked Adam off. Under the table, his hands fisted. “Do you want that?” he asked, careful to keep his tone neutral.

  “Are you kidding? I’d rather have my arms chopped off.”

  He’d barely sucked in a relieved breath before she went on in a rush.

  “I’m scared he wants to take William away from me.”

  Her eyes started to fill. Uh-oh. But she surprised him and blinked back the tears. She was tough, and he admired her for that.

  “It’s been what, three years since you heard from him?” Adam shook his head. “It wouldn’t make sense for him to try and take William.”

  She plowed her fingers through her hair. “I can’t imagine any other reason why, out of the blue, he’s decided to come to Guff’s Lake.”