Trial by Fire Read Online Free PDF Page B

them.
    “Lieutenant Howard Paxton,” she said, trying it out.
    Strong and solid, like the man himself. A big dude nobody in their right mind messed with. Yet reserved, almost shy, at least when he’d spoken with her. He’d been so solicitous, genuinely concerned. Best of all, he’d made her feel small and delicate. No mean feat for a woman “built like a brick shithouse,” according to her last boyfriend, Rod the Sleaze.
    Okay, Howard was a firefighter. A real-life hero. For sure, the guy treated everyone with that same gentle care. He was doing his job, that’s all. Still . . .
    What did he look like out of the heavy coat, without the hat shadowing his chiseled features? Damn, if only she could’ve seen his hair, the real color of his dark eyes.
    Even so, true chemistry wasn’t all about appearance, she reminded herself. She didn’t need to drool over his fabulous bod to feel the wonderful hum shoot clear to her toes simply from being near him, talking to him.
    No question. Howard possessed the mysterious it . That elusive, magical male something that made a woman forget to breathe. Almost as if he’d recognized her on the most primitive level, the key in the lock. The encounter was unlike any she’d ever experienced.
    And she’d blown it by acting like a stereotypical pushy blond bimbo, when nothing could be farther from the truth.
    FYI . . . my number is listed.
    “Jesus Christ on roller skates, Katherine Frances.” Her face heated at the memory. “If he cared enough, he would’ve figured that out by himself.”
    So much for cosmic male-female mojo. The poor guy had probably run screaming for the hills, thankful to have escaped her razor-sharp talons. After he stuffed his tongue back in his head, of course. He was a man , as prone to their weaknesses as any other, if the stupefied expression on his handsome face was an indication.
    Which left her alone and saddled with much bigger worries than when she woke up this morning. The major-league, hairy-monster-under-the-bed kind. Holy shit.
    Her parents absolutely could not find out she might’ve seen the arsonist/murderer, and vice versa. Her sister, Grace, could handle it, but Daddy’s heart couldn’t take the stress. Thus the forced holiday from his law practice and what should’ve been a relaxing cruise with friends. Push comes to shove, she’d have to lie to their faces, and the idea made her cringe. She’d always been such a pathetic liar, especially to the three people she loved most in the world.
    “A fine mess, Ollie.” She burrowed deeper into the covers.
    Dawn had crept through the blinds and across the carpet with pale, orange-gold fingers by the time her eyelids finally drooped in defeat. As she sank into Neverland, she envisioned a big, sexy man sweeping her effortlessly into his arms, without throwing a disc in his lower back.
    She smiled into her pillow. In her scenario, the studly firefighter revived her using decadent, delicious methods that belonged between the covers of an erotic romance.
    For the first time in months, fantasies weren’t enough.
    Her last thought before sleep took her was maybe— just maybe—she was ready to take another chance on reality.
    He loved the garden at night.
    No yelling. No whippings.
    This was his magic forest, and the good witch protected him from the evil troll here. She sprinkled her dust all around, and nobody else could get in.
    He liked to hide in the rows of plants. Especially the corn and tomato ones. They were the tallest, even if sorta scrawny. That was okay, ’cause he was scrawny, too.
    But he’d grow big one day. Bigger than the tomato plants or corn stalks. Bigger than his crummy house!
    And when he did, Daddy couldn’t hit him ever again.
    The dirt felt good between his toes. Soft and cool. He wriggled them deeper into the soil, wishing he could find an earthworm.
    He fingered a silvery leaf, smiled at the curly vines and round veggies. Would there be lots and lots of juicy red