Page 4 of Burning Love
He shook the hand she’d extended out.
Small in his. Soft against his calloused skin.
“Jace.”
“And you’re the captain.” She pointed to his helmet. “Sorry you had to rush here like this. I’m going to kill my mother. Talk about embarrassing. My heart isn’t pounding with fear, but I almost wish it was now that I realized you came on a false alarm.”
“Not a false alarm if it had caught fire while you were downstairs or the smoke caused you to pass out.”
Her face flushed. “You’re right. I appreciate your hard work. I’m still ticked at my mother though. Give me that much.”
“You’ll have to take that up with her.” He could see she was trying to force out a laugh. “Do you want me to help you open the windows in the house before I leave?”
She hesitated. “Sure, if you will. I don’t care if my mother gets mad we’re going through the whole house. It serves her right for sticking the chicken in the oven to thaw like that.”
He didn’t argue that one might think you’d look in an oven before you turned it on.
He followed her up the stairs and into one wing of the house. There was smoke up here. They’d have to clean this all out and it’d be a bear to do, but not his problem. Looked like there was enough money here to hire someone.
“This is a lot of house.”
“There were a lot of us kids,” she said. “The rooms are all empty now. I’m the only one left and I get the basement apartment. These wings are for when people visit.”
He went to all the spare rooms and living rooms up here, turned on every fan they had, and opened windows.
“You should be set.”
“How did you get in? There is no way my mother left the door open. You didn’t break it in, did you?”
Her eyes were huge, the sapphire blue of them looking more concerned than annoyed.
“The security company unlocked it.”
She frowned. “I hadn’t known that was possible. I don’t think I like knowing it can be done.”
He shrugged. “You’ll have to talk to your mother about that. If it wasn’t possible then it would have been broken down and you’d have to get someone out here to fix it.”
He would have tried his hardest not to destroy the door, but it wasn’t always possible.
“I guess that’s one good thought on this day. I’ve been dreaming about chocolate chip cookies for hours,” she said. “Which I’m sure you’re thinking is crazy. This last thirty minutes was probably a wild goose chase in your eyes.”
“Who am I to say what goes through someone’s mind? I’ve been called to much worse or funnier situations though.”
Jace had to get out of here fast because what was going through his mind was that he’d like to ask her out for a drink.
He’d always had a thing for the girl next door, and Talia wasn’t making it any easier standing there fresh-faced in nothing but a T-shirt and shorts, like she’d just rolled out of bed and into his thoughts.
She obviously wasn’t married if she lived at home with her mother, but someone like her probably had men pounding on her door.
She laughed and shook her head. “My brothers would say they can never figure me out. They’d be right. I’m sorry for the trouble today. Truly, I am.”
“Just doing my job.”
Jace walked to the front door and pulled it open.
“You did a great job. I appreciate it. Sorry if I was rude when I shouted. I wasn’t thinking of much other than strange men in my house coming out of nowhere and me having to explain the damages to my mother.”
“It was understandable,” he said. “Have a great day.”
