Читать книгу Six Hot Single Dads - Lynne Marshall - Страница 18

Ten

Wednesday nights always meant a family dinner with Joanna, at Marcus’s apartment. Lila loved her aunt Joanna, and Marcus enjoyed the time with his sister away from the business of Chambers Gin. Sales had boomed exponentially after his second public appearance with Ashley mere days ago, when he’d taken out his frustration on her very kissable lips. Marcus wasn’t sure which he was more stressed about—sorting his feelings for Ashley or preparing for media night at the distillery.

“This is the last work thing I’ll bring up tonight, but we really need to go over the final details for media night on Saturday. It’s days away.” Marcus was excited by the prospect, especially since they’d had even more media outlets ask for an invitation after the two tabloid appearances with Ashley.

“You worry about your interview with Oscar Pruitt,” Joanna replied. “I’ll worry about everything else.”

“Dad has been waiting on a Chambers Gin feature in International Spirits for years. I don’t think I could worry any more than I already am.” If I don’t dazzle Oscar Pruitt, we’re sunk.

“Please. Marcus. Let’s save work for tomorrow.” Joanna held Lila’s hands and helped her motor across the kitchen floor. “I can’t believe how big my niece is getting.”

His little girl wasn’t far from being a walker. Before long, she’d be toddling all over the apartment, climbing furniture, saying far more than “hi” and “Da.” Things were going so fast—too fast. He had to get serious about dating, about finding a mother for Lila. He just needed a bit of time to get past Ashley mentally.

Marcus pulled a shepherd’s pie from the oven that Martha, his housekeeper, had prepared according to their mother’s exacting directions.

“Do I smell something burning?” Joanna’s voice squeaked.

“You do realize that jokes about my cooking aren’t going to work, right? I didn’t make this.”

She scooped Lila up into her arms. “No. I’m serious. I smell smoke.”

Marcus set down the oven mitts and stepped away from the stove. That was when the smell hit him, too. Panic quickly followed. “Is it coming from the hall?” He rushed to the door and placed his hand against it. Still cool to the touch, and no signs of smoke coming out from under it. And yet the smell was there. “Get Lila’s diaper bag. And your purse,” he barked.

He opened the door slowly. The vestibule was clear, but the smoke smell was stronger. One glance at Ashley’s apartment door and he whipped around to where Joanna was standing. “Get Lila out of here now. Take the stairs. It’s safer.” It was warm enough outside that they wouldn’t need coats. He patted his pockets. No cell phone. It was in his room. “Call the fire department on your way down. Now go.” He kissed Lila on the cheek, hoping like hell this wouldn’t be the last time he’d ever see her or his sister. “Everything’s going to be okay, darling. Go with Auntie Jo.”

Joanna’s eyes were wide with panic. “Marcus, you’re coming with me.”

“Go. Now. I mean it. I have to make sure Ashley isn’t home.”

Joanna disappeared into the stairwell with Lila.

He bounded over and began pounding on Ashley’s door. “Please don’t be home,” he muttered to himself. “Please don’t be home.” Was she in there? He didn’t have a phone. And why wasn’t the fire alarm going off? He’d have to do it himself. He lunged for the red box and pulled the bar. Without a second wasted, he grabbed the fire extinguisher across from the elevator and returned to Ashley’s door. No answer as he pounded the hell out of it.

The cycling squeal of the alarm was deafening, but he knew it would be a good half hour before the fire department could arrive. He’d read horror stories of Manhattan fires out of control. He and Ashley lived on the top floor, which would likely keep the fire contained, but the nagging question of whether Ashley was inside her apartment wouldn’t leave him. He couldn’t go. Not until he knew for certain she wasn’t home.

He touched the doorknob with the tips of his fingers. It wasn’t hot. Ideally the fire wouldn’t be too bad. He stood back and kicked the door with every ounce of adrenaline he could. The force of the kick rippled up through his heel and into his leg. It hurt like hell. Still, the door refused to give. He kicked again. And again. And again. Finally it flew open. Smoke was everywhere inside Ashley’s apartment, but it wasn’t so heavy that he couldn’t see. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it over his mouth, then crouched down and went inside.

“Ashley!” he yelled from behind the cover over his mouth. Smoke billowed out of the kitchen. He stepped closer and saw the flames. He took aim with the fire extinguisher hose, surprised by the force with which the chemicals came. He sprayed back and forth across the base of the fire. Luckily it only took a moment before it was out. It had been contained to the kitchen, but it wouldn’t have been long before it would’ve engulfed the rest of the apartment. What would have happened if Joanna hadn’t smelled the smoke? He didn’t even want to think about it. After a quick look in the other rooms, he ran into his apartment, grabbed his cell phone and headed downstairs.

He placed a call to Joanna while he raced down the eleven flights. “Are you and Lila out?”

“Yes. We’re in a cab right now. What’s happening?”

“The fire’s out. It was a few minutes from being really, really bad.”

“Oh my God, Marcus. Get out of there. Get in a cab and stay with me for the night.”

“No. You keep Lila. It will make me feel a lot better if she’s safe with you until the fire department can check out the building. I have to call Ashley and tell her what happened.” He could only imagine how devastated she’d be. “Do you need anything?”

“I have plenty of supplies from the last time Lila stayed with me. Her diaper bag has a change of clothes. We’ll be fine.”

Joanna bid her goodbyes as Marcus filed out of the lobby with many of the other residents, who were all wondering what happened. Marcus found Mrs. White and filled her in.

“Good Lord, Mr. Chambers. Ashley will be so upset. It’s a good thing she can just move into your apartment now that you two are an item.”

He painted a smile on his face. “I have to call her right now. Can you speak to the fire department if they arrive while I’m on the phone? Excuse me.” He separated himself from the crowd of people outside the building, placing the call to Ashley, jamming his finger in his ear. “Please answer, please answer...” he muttered as the phone rang.

“I hope you aren’t calling to complain about my contractor. I’ve had the worst day.”

Her voice sent a surprising wave of relief coursing through him. She was okay. The fire was out. Lila and Joanna were safe. “I’m so sorry to tell you this, Ashley, but there’s been a fire.”

* * *

A fire. No. No. No.

Ashley had never so frantically hailed a cab in all her life. She yanked a twenty-dollar bill from her wallet and flattened it against the Plexiglas between her and the taxi driver. “This is your tip if you get me home, now.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The driver looked over his shoulder, punched the accelerator, dodged another taxi and ran a red light.

She eased back in her seat and wrapped her arms around her waist, rocking back and forth. Deep breaths seemed impossible. Every drag she took of oxygen only teased her lungs before being quickly expelled. “It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay.”

She stared out the cab window, but she didn’t see the city. Instead, visions of the fire that took her family home when she was ten years old overtook her mind. She couldn’t push them out no matter how hard she tried. She saw it all, she felt it all—standing in the ditch next to Rural Route 4, the dusty road that ran past her family’s farm. Faded, splintered clapboards that her great-grandfather had hammered into place by hand went up like scrap wood in a bonfire. Licks of fire swallowed the living room curtains her mother had sewn from bedsheets. It was as if they’d been nothing, made of tissue. Every last one of their belongings—furniture, their clothes, her most treasured books, the diary she’d been keeping for only a few weeks, the teddy bear she’d had since she was a baby—all of it had been taken that night. For good.

The loss had been enormous and in many ways, her family hadn’t truly begun to heal from it until Ashley landed the matchmaker show and started making real money. Then she’d been able to lift her family out of debt, buy her parents a house, give her brothers a little something extra. The fire had led to more than a decade of struggle that the entire family was ill-prepared for, especially Ashley. She’d had to grow up overnight. The thing was—before the fire, she hadn’t given much thought to being poor.

The farm had been such a happy place—thriving crops in the fields, a garden chock-full of yellow wax beans and tomatoes, chickens chattering in the yard next to the henhouse, barn cats sleeping in the sun on the front porch. The house was paid for. Her great-grandfather had built it himself. Before the fire, it had always felt as though they had plenty, or at least enough. After the fire, the henhouse was the only thing left standing, and there was no insurance, no money for a motel. They’d depended on the kindness of neighbors to help them through it.

And once again, things were tumbling down. By the time Ashley got up to her apartment, the scene was strange—both quiet and busy. Three or four firefighters milled in and out of the door. The heavy smell of smoke became stronger with her every step forward, until it began to sting her nose and stopped her dead in her tracks. If she stayed out here in the hall, it didn’t have to be real. She didn’t have to face what was waiting for her on the other side of her door.

Marcus came out of his apartment. “You’re here.” His voice was serious, sounding as if it was any other day.

Ashley shook her head, turning and looking up into the complexity of his eyes. “So you smelled smoke? That’s how you found it?” With every passing word, her voice grew weaker.

Marcus pulled her into a hug, and she had to work to keep from collapsing in his arms. He made her feel protected, and it was so tempting to give into that, to take it willingly. How had he ended up as her support system? How had this man who could be so insufferable ended up being her saving grace? Even when he’d tried everything he could to push her away.

She didn’t have a single safety net in her life. She spent her days walking a tightrope, trying to keep everything going, trying to keep everyone else secure. It was nice to know that someone, somewhere, could make her feel that way. She’d never expected it would be Marcus, nor did she have any idea how he felt about the role.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t see a way out of this. She’d get back on schedule with her apartment somehow. It would be everything she’d hoped for. But she’d have to retrace parts of her gut-wrenching past to get through it. No wonder she felt as if someone was turning a knife in her stomach.

“Joanna smelled the smoke. She was over for dinner. I had her take Lila. Obviously I wanted her out of harm’s way.”

Tears stung Ashley’s eyes. Harm’s way. Her apartment was the source of that harm. “You could’ve been hurt. Little Lila could’ve been hurt. Marcus, I’m so sorry. Thank God you were here and acted so quickly. Thank you for doing what you did. I’m never going to be able to thank you.”

He patted her back and pulled her in for another hug, reminding her she was safe. “The fire marshal should be out any moment now. I don’t think you’re allowed inside yet. They’ve cut the electricity, anyway. They seem certain the fire was electrical.”

A man wearing a firefighter’s uniform adorned with a very important-looking patch came through her apartment door. “I’d know you anywhere, Ms. George. I’m Lieutenant Williams. Very nice to meet you. My wife is a huge fan.”

“Oh, that’s nice.” It wasn’t exactly what she’d imagined she would first say to this man. She had dozens of questions, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask even one. She stood as still as a statue, bracing for whatever came next.

“I’ll have to get an autograph from you at some point, but in the meantime, let’s talk about your fire.”

Or not. We could not talk about it and just pretend it didn’t happen.

“The point of origin was one of the kitchen outlets. My guess is faulty wiring.” Lieutenant Williams stepped closer and showed her a photo on his phone. Marcus stood behind her, looking over her shoulder, appraising things with his watchful eye.

One glimpse of the scene and she clamped her eyes shut—her gourmet retreat with the eight-burner stove and custom cabinets now resembled the remnants of a campfire. The gorgeous glass backsplash was marked with a gaping black hole. “The electrician was just working on the kitchen the other day,” she mumbled, her stomach sinking.

“Yes, well, we’re going to need to speak to your contractor about that. That’s why we cut the electricity to the apartment. We don’t want to risk another fire. I’ll be back in the morning to begin the inspection of your unit. Shouldn’t take more than a few days. Then you can get a team in here to clean up. In the meantime, I can’t allow you to occupy the space. You can gather some of your items as long as a fire department member is here. Do you have a friend you can stay with?”

Grace was her closest friend, but she lived with her sister and a handful of cats in a tiny apartment. It would never work. They’d all be on top of each other. “I’ll find a hotel room.”

Marcus cleared his throat but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t shocked he hadn’t offered, but she wished he had. At least it would’ve made it easier to deal with the fire department. Maybe it was for the best that they stay away from each other. She didn’t need more confused feelings heaped on top of the ones she had right now.

“Also, Ms. George,” Lieutenant Williams said, “you should know that your sprinkler system failed, and we suspect it was compromised. If your contractor’s workers bypassed the system, I have no choice but to file a report with the city. There will be an investigation. They could lose their license. It’s a very serious safety violation.”

“I don’t understand, though. They had a waiting list. Their other work is beautiful.”

Lieutenant Williams shrugged. “We see this every now and then, even with some of the best contractors. One worker takes a few shortcuts and everyone suffers.”

“There’s nobody else who could’ve done it. They’re the only people who have been working in my apartment.” Marcus had been right all along. However “in-demand” her contractor had been, she’d ended up with a team of idiots working on her project. She’d given in to tunnel vision, just moving forward with the renovations because all she wanted was her apartment to be done. She’d wanted that one thing for herself, at any cost. “I guess I need to start looking for a new contractor.” She disbelieved the words as they left her mouth. She’d been so sure Marcus would be the reason her renovations came grinding to a halt. In the end, it was because the company she’d hired—and defended all along—had done a terrible job.

He nodded. “You should be able to return in a week or so. We won’t hold your apartment hostage forever. You’re very lucky that Mr. Chambers acted so quickly. It could’ve been far worse for your apartment and for the entire building. I’d say that all things considered, this is a good thing. You would’ve been living with a ticking time bomb. That bad electrical could’ve short-circuited at any time—while you were asleep, while your neighbors were asleep.”

The weight of everything threatened to knock Ashley to the ground. It could’ve been far worse. She knew worse. She’d lived worse. She was so relieved that no one had been hurt, but her guilt over the possibility was crushing. She took in a deep breath as tears bloomed at the corners of her eyes. She had to stay strong...at least until she could collapse in a heap on a hotel bed.

Ashley and Marcus stepped away. “It’s okay,” she said. “You can tell me now that I messed up. I know I did.” She waited for the lecture or at least that smug look on his face, the one that would say without words that he was, once again, right. And she had been wrong. Tragically wrong.

“I don’t have to say it. It’s all quite clear.”

She waited for the part about how it was okay that she’d made a mistake, but he didn’t say it. And she couldn’t blame him. He and his family had been put at risk.

“I’m sorry, Marcus. I don’t know what else to say.”

“You can say that you’ll stay with me,” he said. “If you’d like to.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Really?”

“Yes. You can stay with me. You can be nearby while they do the inspection, you can be on hand if your contractor shows up, and all of your things are here. It’s the only sensible thing to do.”

Because you’d invite me to stay only if it was sensible. “I thought you didn’t like to have women around Lila.”

“Lila’s perfectly safe at my sister’s. She can stay there for a few days. I wouldn’t dare bring her back into the building until the inspection is complete, anyway. I can visit her before or after work. She’ll be safe from all of this.”

He nodded in the direction of her apartment, but the invisible line between Marcus and her door went right through her. Her choices had created the danger. They’d prompted Marcus’s need to keep the most precious thing in his life far away from her.

“So? Are you accepting my invitation? I’m too tired to persuade you, so you’ll have to make the call.”

Could she do this? Retreat to the home of the man she’d cursed on a regular basis just a few weeks ago? Should she do this? Would they just end up arguing over breakfast? Or would she spend the night staring at the ceiling, wondering what he’d worn to bed that night? “Yes. Thank you. I appreciate it.” She turned back to her apartment door. “I really don’t think I want to go in there.” Her voice was shaky again. She dreaded the thought of seeing the damage firsthand.

“Why don’t you get settled in my guest room? I’m sure I can find something for you to sleep in.”

“Old potato sack lying around somewhere?”

“Something like that.”

They made their way to his apartment. This was the first time Marcus had allowed her to step over his threshold, and she didn’t take the invitation lightly. He’d been clear—women who weren’t the nanny or housekeeper didn’t come over. Of course, Lila, the person he was protecting, wasn’t here to protect. She’d been whisked away to safety.

Marcus’s furnishings were trim and masculine—a charcoal-gray sofa, chocolate-brown leather armchairs and a low wood coffee table, set against the backdrop of marine-blue walls with crisp white trim, with vintage black-and-white framed photographs and old maps as art. A massive basket in the corner overflowed with colorful toys, a happy oasis in an otherwise sophisticated and serious room. She followed him down the hall, where he flipped on the light in his extra bedroom. “I trust this will work.”

This room was serene refinement in soft white and shades of cream, camel and café au lait. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” She took in a deep breath. There was so much to do—deal with insurance and the fire department, get everything cleaned. And then there was her contractor. Clearly the crew had to be fired tomorrow. As to whom she’d hire to finish things up, it was back to the drawing board. She had another year of celebrity under her belt since she’d last contacted her first-choice builders. Perhaps they could be persuaded to move her up in the queue.

“I need to find you something to sleep in,” he said, sounding a bit uncomfortable with the task he’d given himself. “I’ll be right back.”

“That would be great.” Ashley sat on the edge of the bed, exhausted and struggling to get a handle on her feelings. The fire was a living nightmare, but it had landed her in Marcus’s inner sanctum, a place she’d been fairly sure he’d keep her out of forever. It was hard not to be fascinated by this glimpse into his life, to see a glimmer of hope. She and Marcus Chambers might have horrible odds romantically, but there was still something about him that left her wanting more.

He reappeared in her doorway, presenting her with a pair of pale blue, perfectly pressed men’s pajamas. “I, uh, I don’t know what you normally wear to bed, but I hope this will do.”

She had to smile at his sewn-up approach, knowing that when the lights were turned down and clothes were coming off, he was uninhibited and commanding. Regret over their almost-night together still ate at her. If only they’d actually made love, if only she’d been able to witness the moment when he unraveled, she would have had another piece of the sexy, complicated puzzle standing before her. “Is this what you normally sleep in?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at the pajamas.

“Just the pants. I can’t stand to wear a shirt to bed.”

A flood of heat and frustration threatened to consume her. He’d just plopped a sequence of half-dressed images in her head that would be hard to shake, especially knowing it was all going to play out in the next room in a few minutes. All night long. “You wouldn’t want to smother yourself with pajamas.”

He knocked a knuckle against the door frame. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m sure you want to phone your family.”

Her family. Good God, she hadn’t dared to entertain the notion. It would crush her mother. Her dad might not handle it much better, and he needed to avoid stress at all costs. Why did reality have to encroach on her daydreamy thoughts of Marcus and his chest? “I’ll call them tomorrow.”

“Are you sure? I don’t know what I would’ve done without my family after Elle left. They got me through everything. I really think you’ll feel better if you talk to them now.”

And there it was—another piece of the puzzle, willingly given. He wasn’t afraid to admit that he’d needed help and support during his divorce. So he was human after all. “Yes. You’re right. I promise to call them first thing in the morning. I’ll let them get their rest tonight.”