Mr. February Page 5

  He checked his watch and thought about Jillian. By now, her pottery class was in full swing. He wondered how that was going, caught himself, and frowned.

  She wanted to get married and have a baby, and he wasn’t going to think about her anymore, period.

  Yet, here he was, doing exactly that.

  Kissing her behind Rosemary’s had done a real number on him. He shouldn’t have done it, but there was something about her that drove him wild. Her long-limbed, slender body, for one. Slender, but not skinny, with curves that were all woman. And her mouth…

  His body woke up, and he started to get hard.

  Hell.

  Setting his jaw, he strode into the garage, where several of the guys were prepping for future calls and doing other stuff.

  Adam was finishing up with a call on his cell phone. “Love you, babe,” he said, with the goofy smile he got when he talked to Sam.

  They had a good thing going on, might even make it long term.

  For both their and little William’s sakes, Rafe hoped so. While he was happy for them, he didn’t understand love and for sure didn’t want it. Watching his mother ruin numerous relationships and reel in the aftermath, witnessing his father suffer when his marriage to Lori had soured had been awful. Rafe would never set himself up for that kind of pain.

  “Up for a game of hearts?” he asked when Adam had finished his call and laid out his stuff.

  They had an unwritten rule to not play poker at the station. That they reserved for Friday nights, with a standing game at a different coworker’s house each week and everyone from the station welcome. Sometimes ten people showed, sometimes two or three. Lately, Rafe hadn’t played at all.

  “Okay.” Adam nodded to Hank. “You in?”

  “Sure. Hey, Liam, how about a game of hearts?”

  Wearing the trademark scowl guaranteed to intimidate people who didn’t know him, the giant of a man shrugged. “Sure, if you suckers don’t mind getting your asses trounced.”

  With the usual blustering, the four of them climbed the stairs to the kitchen/dining area, which doubled as a place for group relaxation.

  Rafe grabbed a worn deck of cards from the game shelf, and they sat down at one end of the big, rectangular dinner table. After shuffling, he dealt the cards.

  “Seen Jillian lately?” Hank asked as he collected his hand.

  “I’ve been hearing about her,” Liam commented. “She lives on the property next to yours. She’s supposed to be hot.” A cocky grin transformed his whole face. “When do I get to meet her?”

  Rafe narrowed his eyes, silently warning the dude to steer clear.

  “Lighten up, Rafe.” Liam rubbed his hand over his shaved head before throwing down the two of clubs.

  Rafe tossed in a card.

  “I met her last week, near the end of our run,” Hank said. “She has legs you wouldn’t believe.”

  “I saw her at Rosemary’s yesterday, when Sam, William, Rafe, and met for breakfast there,” Adam said.

  Liam raised his eyebrows. “She ate with you?”

  Rafe frowned. “No, and quit looking at me that way. I don’t plan to see her again.”

  “Why not?”

  “For starters, she’s not my type. Plus, getting involved with my future neighbor is a bad idea. And because she said point blank she’s ready to get married and have a baby.”

  Liam looked stricken. Like Rafe, he enjoyed playing the field. He shrugged. “At least she’s up front about what she wants.”

  Over the PA system, Sarah McCone, one of the female dispatchers who worked for the fire and police departments, called out a fire alarm at Barclay’s Pub at the north end of town.

  Leaving the cards on the table, Rafe and his buds quickly moved toward the brass fire pole, used only when a call came in. One by one, they slid down it and prepared to head out.

  *

  To Rafe’s relief, the fire at Barclay’s Pub caused only minor damage. He, Ethan, and Gus, this month’s paramedic team, checked out all the customers. None showed any indications of smoke inhalation or medical trauma. Given the rapid response time of the fire department, came as no surprise.

  Unlike finding JR Metzger on the premises. He appeared to be sober, but his staggering sidekick, a skinny, scraggly looking male, was obviously drunk.

  “How you doing?” Rafe asked JR.

  “Not bad. I’ve never been at a tavern when a fire broke out. At first, it was kind of exciting.”

  “There’s nothing exciting about a fire in a building full of people,” Rafe countered. Although, truth be told, every time a call came into the department, adrenaline surged through the whole crew. “Be thankful our firefighters extinguished the fire quickly and no one got hurt.”

  “Good point.”

  “Why don’t you call your sister and your girlfriend. They’ll want to hear you’re all right.”

  “They won’t know about this fire. Besides, it’s almost eleven o’clock. These days, Chelsea’s never up past ten. Jillian’s probably winding down and getting ready to turn in. I’ll tell them in the morning.” JR glanced at his friend. “Ready to take me home?”

  “If I were you, I wouldn’t ride with this guy,” Rafe advised. He nodded at the other man. “You’re in no shape to drive.”

  The intoxicated male bristled. “I’m fine.”

  Safety was key, and in the interest of calming him down, Rafe gentled his tone. “Come on, buddy, it’s obvious you’ve had too much to drink.”

  “How the hell would you know, you son of a bit—”

  JR grabbed his friend’s arm. “He’s right, Pete. You’re drunk. Besides, the cops over there are watching us.”

  Muttering, Pete quickly backed down, pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and punched in a number.

  “You do the same, JR,” Rafe said.

  The kid shifted his weight. “I, uh, don’t have a cell phone.”

  Without a job he probably didn’t have the funds to buy one. Rafe pulled his own phone from his pocket. “Here, borrow mine.”

  JR made the call and then returned Rafe’s phone. “Jillian’s going to pick me up.”

  Not exactly the woman Rafe wanted to see, but he figured he could handle himself by playing it cool.

  Pete’s ride showed up. Soon, only JR, the tavern owner, a police officer, Rafe, and his crewmates remained.

  Rafe told Ethan and Gus to stand by while he talked to JR. His two crewmates began to pack up.

  “What are you doing, hanging out with a guy like Pete?” he asked.

  JR scrubbed his hand over his face. “We haven’t really hung out since before I moved to Seattle in ninth grade. Pete’s not so bad. He said he might know of a job for me at the bottling plant where he works. We were discussing it over beers.”

  Jillian’s sedan pull into the parking lot. The rush that went through Rafe had nothing to do with the fire. “Your sister’s here, in record time. Your call probably scared her.”

  “You’re the one who asked me to call her.” JR rolled his eyes. “Sometimes she acts more like a mom than a sister.”

  She exited her car, her long legs encased in leggings and boots that looked sexy on her. Her forehead wrinkled with concern, she hurried toward her brother. “Are you okay, JR?”

  He gave a terse nod and brushed off the hug, reminding Rafe of teenage kid who didn’t want anyone fussing over him.

  Ethan and Gus and the men from the two fire trucks wandered over. Rafe figured those who knew Jillian wanted to say hello. The others no doubt wanted introductions.

  Within minutes, she’d greeted the men she already knew and had met the rest, along with Captain Comings.

  Warm, friendly and clearly comfortable in her own skin, she charmed them all, Rafe included. Even if he was bound and determined to play it cool. He might not want the white picket fence and all the trimmings, but he sure wanted her.

  After a few minutes of chitchat, the firefighters disbursed. Rafe asked Ethan and Gus to hang loos
e a little longer, and the two moved toward the aid car.

  “Did your pottery class go okay?” he asked Jillian, careful to hide his unwelcome warmth.

  “Until the end.” Her eyes narrowed at her brother. “I need speak with you for a minute. We’ll be right back, Rafe.”

  Rafe nodded and used the time to organize his gear in the medical kit he’d brought. Although Jillian and her brother kept their voices low, he could hear snatches of the conversation.

  “…agreed to help me clean up after class,” she said. “But no, you…”

  Between her angry expression and tone, Rafe easily filled in the gaps. JR had chosen to hang with Pete instead of helping Jillian.

  A mixture of guilt and defensiveness darkened JR’s face. “It was a spur of the moment thing,” he said, his voice carrying easily. “Pete said he might know of a job at the bottling plant.”

  “A job?” Her tone softened. “That’d be so great.”

  “Yeah, but according to Pete, they’re looking for certified welders. That leaves me out.” Hanging his head, JR kicked at a pebble.

  “At least Pete knows you’re looking. You did tell him to put out the word you need work.”

  Her brother stiffened. “Come on, Jill, I’m not that dumb. Of course I did. I don’t need you telling me how to look for a job.”

  Jillian crossed her arms and raised her voice. “Seeing as you haven’t lined up a single interview, apparently, you do.”

  Every person within hearing distance stared at them.

  “Get off my back!”

  She winced, and Rafe’s protective hackles rose. Forget that he meant to play it cool. He moved closer to Jillian, but she signaled for him to leave them alone. He nodded, but hovered nearby.

  “I hate that you’re upset with me,” she told her brother. “As much as I love you, I’m not thrilled with you, either. You haven’t followed through on your promise to give me a hand when I need you, and I don’t see you spending much time looking for a job. I’ll help in any way I can, but this can’t go on forever. You have three months, until mid-June, to find work, save up, and move into your own place. Then you have to go.”

  She’d used a form of tough love that impressed Rafe. Maybe she’d given her brother more time to get his act together than Rafe would have, but at least she’d set an end date. And she’d done it with love and loyalty to JR that had shone through.

  Rafe couldn’t help but compare her to his mother, a woman without a loyal bone in her body or a thought for anyone but herself. Some of his earliest memories were of when she left him alone in the evening, sometimes for the entire night, and then lied about where she’d stayed and with whom.

  Jillian was straight forward and steady. And he hated what her brother put her through.

  With that, he made a snap decision. He crossed to where they stood and joined them. “I couldn’t help overhearing. I might be able to help,” he told JR. “You’ve cleared pastureland, so I assume you can operate a chainsaw and drive a bulldozer.” He waited for JR’s nod then continued. “Before the builder can break ground on my house, I need to clear half an acre of brush and small to medium-size trees. It’s a two-person job and should take ten days to two weeks to finish. You interested?”

  Jillian’s brother brightened right up. “Hell, yes.”

  Jillian’s brilliant smile made Rafe feel ten feet tall.

  “All right, then,” he said. “I go off duty at 0800 Wednesday morning. Why don’t we meet at my property after lunch, and I’ll show you what I want. The following week, you can start.”

  “Awesome. Do I need to find a partner to work with?”

  “That’s taken care of.” Rafe had already contracted with a tree removal expert he trusted, a man who wouldn’t be averse to taking on JR instead of his own assistant—provided Rafe paid extra. He wasn’t about to analyze why he wanted to do this. “His name is Zach, and you’ll meet him Wednesday.”

  “What about the equipment? Should rent my own tools?”

  Rafe shook his head. “Zach has everything.”

  Knowing he’d pleased Jillian made him way too happy. As he ambled toward the aid car, he caught himself grinning and quickly sobered. No sense giving his buddies any ideas when he planned to steer clear of her.

  He climbed into the back of the aid car and buckled in.

  “If I stood in your shoes, I’d be grinning, too,” Gus quipped from the passenger seat. “She’s a looker, all right. Chalk up another score for our resident stud.”

  So much for wiping his expression clean. “You’re one to talk,” Rafe returned. At six feet four, two hundred thirty pounds of solid muscle and an outgoing personality, Gus had no problem attracting women.

  “Jillian didn’t give me that soft-eyed smile.”

  “In case you haven’t heard, she’s on the prowl for a husband.”

  “Ah.” Gus shook his head. “That changes everything.”

  Chapter Eight

  ‡

  Delighted with the luscious blue-green glaze and the shimmering gold edging she’d applied to a recently fired sushi set, Jillian whistled. “You are gorgeous, if I do say so.”

  Once she fired the pieces for the second time, a process permanently fixing the glaze, the colors would be even more vivid. The tray and bowls could then be used for sushi or appetizers, or simply appreciated as art.

  Jillian intended to sell it and a bunch of other pottery at the next month’s Art Festival. She would also bring scrapbooks of other work and take custom orders to fill later.

  If all went as planned, she would net a hefty chunk of change. Money she needed. Mainly because, between the loss of income due to the closure of the Artist Cooperative school and the larger than usual grocery bills, courtesy of JR and Chelsea, her bank balance had dropped too low for comfort.

  She carefully arranged the sushi pieces on a shelf to dry undisturbed, where they joined dozens of other recently glazed items. All of it ready for the kiln.

  At the sink, Jillian washed up, humming loud enough to hear herself over the hiss of the water. Then she laughed at herself for sounding so off-key.

  The pretty pottery contributed to her good mood. That and JR’s job. At this very minute, her brother was with Rafe, learning about his upcoming job. And icing on the cake—JR had accepted her timeline to move out. Rafe had been right. When done well, tough love wasn’t such a bad thing.

  If that wasn’t wonderful enough, this very minute Chelsea had gone out to apply for a sales job at The Rogue Valley Cheesery, a shop that sold handmade cheese near the Guff’s Lake resort. This was the first job she’d applied for since she and JR had shown up. It seemed his temporary employment had jump-started her to look for work.

  Wouldn’t it be great if they both got jobs? They could save up quickly for a place of their own and be out before mid-June.

  Mentally Jillian crossed her fingers, but she knew she was getting ahead of herself. In order to pay rent on his own apartment, JR needed a permanent, full-time job and a paycheck he could depend on. Finding that would probably take the full three-month deadline she’d given them.

  Baby steps first. For now, she was grateful Rafe had given her brother a chance to prove himself.

  He didn’t have to do that. What a great guy. She liked him more all the time.

  If only he wanted to settle down and start a family…

  “Knock-knock,” Chelsea said, entering the studio.

  “Hey.” Jillian smiled. “How was the interview?”

  “Oh, you know.”

  That didn’t sound so good. “Not great, huh?”

  “It wasn’t terrible. I got along with the woman who interviewed me, and she liked my restaurant and retail experience. But I doubt she’ll hire me.”

  “Why not?”

  Chelsea gave her a duh look. “Because I’m pregnant.” She laid a hand over her belly, which seemed to grow by the day.

  “She wouldn’t dare. It’s illegal to discriminate.”

 
; “She’d never admit the reason.”

  “All the same, I’m going to think positive and keep my fingers crossed,” Jillian said.

  Chelsea shrugged. “I wish I could call JR. When will he be back?”

  Yet another thing the couple desperately needed—cell phones. “We’ll see him when we see him.”

  “I can’t wait for him to have money.” The girl hugged herself and spun around.

  It was pretty exciting. Even temporary work had boosted his self-confidence. He wasn’t as ready to take offense at things Jillian said, and had even cracked a joke or two. His brighter attitude was bound to translate into good things, such as putting more effort into searching for a permanent job. And then… Jillian stopped herself right there. There she went, getting ahead of herself again.

  “Are you ready for a coffee break?” Chelsea asked. “Except you don’t drink coffee, and my doctor won’t let me.”

  Pleased Chelsea wanted her company, Jillian smiled. “Your timing is perfect. I just finished for the day. Who needs coffee when there’s tea for me and cocoa mix for you?”

  As they exited the studio into the weak afternoon sun, Pooh barked excitedly. They collected her from the fenced area and brought her with them.

  While water for the tea heated and Chelsea stirred cocoa into a steaming mug of milk, Jillian opened a package of chocolate cookies and set it on the table. Pooh sat down nearby with her ears cocked and her tail wagging hopefully. “Sorry, girl, these will make you sick.”

  Chelsea grinned. “I got that covered,” she said, shoving a couple of doggie treats into her jeans pocket.

  Soon they were seated at the table, sipping their drinks and munching on cookies.

  From time to time, Chelsea fed Pooh a treat. “At the interview, I heard about the big ash tree near Guff’s Lake,” she said. “Do you believe what they say?”