Fire Down Below Read online

  Copyright ©2019 by Nina Quinn

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons,

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  Nina Quinn

  Chapter One

  A blustery fall wind sent a smattering of leaves whirling across the fire station parking lot. Fire Chief Justin Reynolds held his jacket closed and opened the driver’s side door of his truck. Rex, the station mascot, jumped inside and took his spot riding shotgun.

  The night shift had arrived and gotten settled. He’d stuck around for a bowl of chili, shooting the shit with the boys before heading home to watch a little Thursday night football.

  He’d spent most of the late afternoon pretending he wasn’t looking forward to teaching fire safety to Annie Williams’s second-grade class.

  Usually, it was his lieutenant who conducted fire safety classes. But, three years ago, he’d gotten suckered into presenting on behalf of his lieutenant who’d called off that day. He’d seen Annie that first time and his heart had damn near beat right out of his chest. She was beautiful and sweet as could be. And married. Let’s not forget that part.

  He did his best to ignore her when he saw her here and there around town. He thought if he pretended she didn’t exist, he could get her the hell out of his head.

  Epic fail.

  The following year, he’d insisted on being the one to present to her class, his lieutenant be damned. She’d grown more beautiful if that was even possible. And, she’d kicked her asshat husband out of their house.

  The grapevine in his small town kept him informed of her status. Eight months ago, her divorce was final. Thank fuck.

  Tomorrow would be his third year presenting fire safety to her students. He hoped like hell she’d accept when he asked her out. Not that she’d actually have a choice because he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

  Justin took a left onto Main Street and did a slow drive through the tiny town of Rockville, Colorado. The stores had closed up at five o’clock. The town was deserted except for the happenings at the Silver Dollar Saloon.

  Justin’s radio chirped to life, “Chief Reynolds, we have a 10-33-2---Chief, it’s your sister’s house.”

  Justin grabbed his radio, “10-9 dispatch, are you fucking serious?”

  “She called it in herself. It’s Michelle’s house Chief, we’re rolling.”

  Justin flipped on the lights and sirens, pulled a U-turn and hauled ass. He took a right on Third Street and punched it. It didn’t take him more than three minutes to pull into Michelle’s driveway, Engine No. 9 right behind him.

  His seven-year-old nephew, Ian stood on the front lawn holding his backpack. Justin threw open the door of his truck and ran to Ian, Rex hot on his heels. The poor kid’s cheeks were wet with tears, his eyes wide with fear.

  “Where’s your mom, kiddo?” were the first words out of Justin’s mouth.

  “She went back inside. She said she had to get the secret money,” Ian’s small voice cracked and his little body started to shake.

  “Rex, stay.” Justin motioned for the Dalmatian to stay. “I’ll get her, little buddy. Don’t you move.”

  Flames engulfed the front door and porch. Engine No. 9 rolled to a stop in the driveway. He didn’t wait, he ran to the back of the house to gain entry.

  Michelle had been divorced for a grand total of four months. She was the primary breadwinner because her lazy ass ex-husband hadn’t worked a fucking day in his life. So help him if that asshole was responsible for setting her house on fire, he’d skin the man alive.

  It didn’t matter what he told his sister, she’d been afraid her soon-to-be-ex would clear out their bank account during the separation. So she’d closed their accounts and hid the money in the sofa. Talk about a cliché, but it was the honest to God damned truth. Sometimes, there was just no reasoning with that woman.

  “Michelle! We need to get the hell out of here, sis!” He found her kneeling in front of the sofa, as expected, stuffing wads of cash into a trash bag.

  The sound of water hitting the porch and the chatter over the radio at his belt assured him it wouldn’t take long to extinguish the flames.

  “I’m done,” Michelle said, stuffing the last of the money into the bag.

  Justin grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the rear of the house. “You’re damn right you are.” His voice bellowed. It’s not like she didn’t know the drill for fuck sake. You never go back into a burning house.

  End of story.

  By the time Justin had hauled his sister back around to the front of the house, the flames were out. The porch was charred and two support beams had burned through and crumbled. That left the porch roof completely unstable, and ready to cave in with the next stiff breeze.

  Lucky.

  She was damn lucky this hadn’t gone sideways. He took the bag of cash from her and watched as Ian ran into her arms. Poor kid had an amazing mom and a dick for a dad. It was the perfect opportunity for Justin to step in and be a role model for the kid. He was going to take all kinds of advantage of that situation.

  Two minutes into Michelle’s reunion with Ian, Rockville’s Police Chief pulled up outside the house. They dedicated the next two hours to interviewing and investigating. And Ryan’s favorite part of the job, paperwork.

  Not.

  ∞∞∞

  Annie Williams stood outside Lincoln Elementary and ran her hands down her hips smoothing out any wrinkles that had dared to form across the smooth fabric of her navy blue skirt. Paired with black patent leather ballet flats, a cream silk shirt, and the pearls her father had gifted her with upon her graduation from college, Annie hoped like heck she’d make a memorable impression. It was finally here, the most special day of the year.

  Not Thanksgiving.

  Not Christmas.

  Heck, not even her birthday. Today was the day her class of second graders would learn about fire safety.

  Satisfied she was wrinkle-free, Annie lifted her chin, threw her shoulders back and strode up the stairs and through the front door of the school where’d she’d taught for the last three years.

  Students ranging from first grade through sixth milled about in the hallways. The first bell rang just as Annie rounded the corner to her classroom.

  Holy spumoni. He was already there.

  Chief Reynolds.

&
nbsp; Justin, the fire God. He leaned against the corner of her desk, arms crossed over the span of his chest, his legs crossed at the ankle. Even in the bulky khaki turnout gear, he took her breath away.

  He exuded confidence, and she could practically smell the testosterone in the room. The man was nearing forty and there was absolutely no way on earth he’d be interested in her.

  She was curvy, with naturally curly red hair, pale skin that burned if she spent more than three minutes outside, and at twenty-five, he’d surely go for someone more worldly. More experienced in life. Yet somehow, none of those thoughts had kept her from getting up at the butt crack of dawn to tame her wild hair with more product than a normal person used in a year, stuff her muffin top into a pair of Spanx, and try on every outfit in her closet to find one that was especially flattering.

  She had no business fantasizing about the man, but she couldn’t help herself. A man like him wouldn’t be caught dead with a woman like her, but hey a girl could dream, couldn’t she?

  Justin looked up as she entered the room and a broad smile crossed his face. The man had to be six foot three or four with hair the color of coal, and eyes like sapphires. That smile could stop traffic and send old ladies into cardiac arrest.

  Annie sighed and smiled back at him. He extended his hand, and she took it. A zing of sensation skittered up her arm and curled her toes. Just like last year. And the year before. Was she the only one who felt the electricity between them? Probably.

  He’d brought Rex with him again this year, and the kids sat on the floor taking turns petting the gentle giant.

  “Class, this is Fire Chief Reynolds, and he’s going to talk to us about fire safety this morning,” she said, her voice a little unsteady and heat rising to her cheeks.

  It was clear throughout Justin’s presentation that he was a natural with kids. Clearly, he had a rapport with them. The best part was always the stop, drop, and roll portion of the presentation where the kids got to practice their skills with Rex who’d been trained to demonstrate.

  The children’s laughter filled the classroom and tugged on Annie’s heartstrings. Once upon a time, she’d imagined a happy marriage to an amazing man and a house full of her own kids. So far, she’d only managed a failed marriage and quite frankly, her ex wasn’t that amazing.

  The snide comments and belittling remarks in front of his friends about her weight had started only six months into their marriage. He’d pushed her to diet and go to the gym and told her they wouldn’t be having kids until she got her weight issues under control.

  Now if that didn’t cause a woman to eat a sleeve of thin mints in the closet, nothing would. When she’d gained twenty pounds due to stress eating, he threatened to leave. She took him up on the offer and packed his bags. She’d moved the rest of his shit onto the lawn, and changed the locks on the house she’d inherited from her grandmother.

  That twenty pounds melted off the moment he was gone, and she was right back at a solid size fourteen and that had been that.

  The bell rang for recess, and the kids bustled out the door. Annie peeked out into the hallway to make sure they made it out the back door and onto the playground without mishap. These youngsters got ten minutes of fresh air for physical activity after every hour in the classroom. Unheard of in most school districts, but something Lincoln Elementary had adopted from Japan and Finland. It worked wonders for attention span and improved academic performance.

  Annie closed the door behind them and returned to her desk where Justin half-leaned half-sat on the edge. And there she stood in an empty classroom with Rex and his impossibly handsome firefighter feeling all kinds of awkward.

  ∞∞∞

  Justin couldn’t take his eyes off of Annie. She had a smile that lit up the room. The mass of gorgeous curly red hair tumbled down her back and the smattering of freckles on her otherwise porcelain skin was adorable.

  “You don’t have to head outside with the kids?” he asked.

  Annie shook her head. “No, I have the next session, not this one.” She dropped her eyes to the floor, unable or unwilling to meet his gaze, he wasn’t sure which.

  Justin stood to his full height and took a step closer to Annie. She looked up from the floor with a deer-in-the-headlights look to her eyes. He clasped his hands behind his back to squelch the urge to touch her.

  “Thank you, Chief Reynolds, for coming out again this year. The kids always seem to connect with you and Rex,” she said.

  Rex wagged his tail at the compliment and sniffed at Annie’s hand for an ear scratch.

  “Anytime. If it gets me out of paperwork, I’m game,” he said. She flashed him a small smile, and his heart skipped a beat. Damn, how did she do that? “Listen, Annie, I thought we could go out to dinner Friday night. Pick you up at six?”

  Annie’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes went from deer-in-the-headlights to full-on barn owl, but she didn’t seem to be able to manage a response. “Say yes, Annie.”

  That snapped her out of it and not in a good way. Vigorous head shaking in a negative motion was not the answer he wanted.

  “I...I...no, thank you. I mean, I appreciate the offer I’m just, um...busy,” she said, her face turning a light shade of pink.

  “All right. Saturday then.” Groveling for a date wasn’t something Justin normally had to contend with. Even if he happened to be butt ugly, which he knew he was not, women lined up for firemen. Bonus points for an officer. But, not his Annie. Reflexively he reached a hand to cup her cheek and felt the electric charge between them. The fire hose in his pants responded predictably. Annie sucked in a gasp of breath.

  “You feel it too, Annie. I know you do. There’s chemistry between us. Let’s just have dinner and see if we enjoy each other’s company. People do it all the time. Not that big a deal.” He rubbed his thumb across her impossibly high cheekbone. He’d beg if he had to but he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

  “Well, I...just can’t Justin. I’m sorry.” Her voice sounded unsure. Like she wanted to say yes, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Fine. Begging it would be, but not here and not now.

  Justin dug into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, flipped it open, and removed a business card. “In case you change your mind, Annie, call me. I’ll keep Saturday free just in case you want to share a meal with me.”

  He needed to persuade her to his way of thinking. He lifted her chin with his finger, and her eyes darkened two shades. He closed the last of the distance between them and leaned closer. “I’ll wait for your call, beautiful.” He touched his lips to hers. Feather-light and soft.

  “Miss Annie!” A student had burst into the classroom and Justin took three steps back from Annie. She whipped around to address the little boy.

  “What is it, Kyle?” She dropped to one knee before the boy seeming to assess him for soundness. “Can we see the fire truck? Please? Pretty please, Miss Annie?” Emerald eyes looked up at him and Justin took the boys hand.

  “Let’s go get your classmates and we’ll check it out real quick so you won’t be late from recess, okay?” Kyle nodded vigorously and ran for the playground, shouting as he went.

  Chapter Two

  The little cottage style house Annie had inherited from her grandmother sat at the end of a long tree-lined driveway. It came with several acres of land, a greenhouse, and a kitchen garden. Annie loved it. Loved that it was part of her heritage, loved that it was quiet and peaceful and that it was a place she could call her own.

  Once the divorce had been finalized, she’d removed every trace of her ex-husband from the home. Not that it had taken much doing, but the walls were restored to a warm white, the overabundance of pillows were back on the couch, and the frilly bedspread and lace curtains were back in the master bedroom.

  She’d even gone so far as to adopt a cat, which her ex had refused to let her do while they were married. George had proved to be an endless source of amusement and a great snuggle buddy on lonely nights, which seemed
to happen more and more lately.

  It wasn’t really a surprise that Annie had overslept this morning. She hadn’t gotten much shut-eye since one tall, dark, sexy Fire Chief had asked her out on a date. A date! A real D.A.T.E.

  There wasn’t a woman in town under the age of eighty who’d have turned him down. Not a one. Except her of course, because she was an idiot. He’d surprised her, simple as that. Shocked her, actually.

  Throwing back the covers, Annie got out of bed. Saturday was cleaning day, so she didn’t bother with a morning shower. On went her cleaning day jeans with the ripped knees and frayed bottoms. An oversized sweatshirt and up went her unruly mass of red curls into a ponytail, completing the Saturday morning look.

  The last of the auto-timed coffee spit into the carafe as she walked into the kitchen. It was always a treat to linger over the first cup of Joe on the weekend. Also known as I-don’t-want-to-clean-the-house-just-yet-itis. She poured herself a cup.

  “George, it’s time for breakfast.” Normally the cat would already be winding figure eights between her feet at this hour.

  Annie took a seat at the kitchen island and picked up Justin’s business card from the counter, and ran her finger over the fire station emblem. Should she call him? There was no denying the sparks that flew between them might just ignite into a flame if she gave them a chance. He’d shocked her with his dinner invitation, and she’d panicked. Once the no-thank-you-very-much was out of her mouth, she just didn’t know how to take it back.

  Truth be told, she was afraid.

  Afraid that Justin would want her to go on a diet, or lose thirtyish pounds, or give her the stink eye if she ordered dessert. She didn’t want to hear any of that from Justin, because she liked him. A lot. And she’d promised herself after the divorce that she wouldn’t change herself for any man ever again. But Justin wasn’t just any man. He was someone she could see a future with. Yes, that was a ridiculous notion seeing as she’d refused him the first date, but in her twenty-five years on the planet, she’d never once felt sparks fly, and this man had made that happen with just a touch.