Some Like It Sizzling, page 7
Chapter Six
Luke had basically double-dog dared her, and she’d fallen for it.
“I’m going to get something to eat,” Jenna said. She didn’t want to be near Luke, who still had a smug smile on his face, or her father, who’d had one too many beers and confessed her most humiliating secret.
“I’ll come with you,” Olivia said, moving beside her.
Great. An awkward silence fell between them.
“I’m sorry for the way Colleen behaved,” Olivia blurted out suddenly. “She shouldn’t have brought up your wedding or, well, anything else she said.”
Jenna tensed, wondering if Olivia was being sincere, or about to start some girl-on-girl warfare.
“She still hasn’t gotten over the divorce,” Olivia continued. “And she’s been under so much stress lately with everything that’s been happening.”
Olivia tilted her head and gave a nod, as if Jenna was supposed to know what she was talking about. Jenna opened her mouth, wanting to probe further, then clamped her mouth shut. Luke and his family weren’t her concern, and whatever was happening wasn’t her business. She had her own problems to worry about.
“You and Luke seem like you’re still close,” Jenna commented.
“My parents are divorced, and their fighting made my childhood miserable,” Olivia said. “We didn’t want that for Eli. So we do whatever is necessary to get along.” She paused before adding, “And I still care about him. I want him to be happy.”
Jenna had been prepared to hate Luke’s ex, but Olivia was making it way too hard. Now she understood why Colleen was still upset about the divorce. Jenna imagined Olivia and Luke had been a great couple. The mystery behind their divorce grew. Annoyingly, Jenna doubted she’d ever know the answer. After today, she’d probably never see Olivia again.
When they reached the grill, Bridget had taken over for her father. “What’ll you have?” she asked, her concentration on flipping burgers. When she lifted her gaze, her eyes widened as they fell on Jenna. “Sorry, no French food here. Or was it Italian? I can’t remember where exactly you ran off to.”
For a seventy-five degree day, it was certainly chilly in this backyard. “Italy, at first,” Jenna told Bridget. “Then Paris, and London for a while.” She saw the hurt in Bridget’s eyes, not of an adult, but of a twelve-year-old child.
Jenna tended to answer snark with snark, but this time she swallowed a snap of defensiveness. “I’m sorry I never called or wrote,” she said softly. At the time, she’d wanted to forget the past, especially anything connected to Luke. She’d been afraid if she contacted anyone, she’d end up on the next plane home.
“Whatever,” Bridget said with a shrug.
“Jenna hasn’t eaten yet,” Olivia said brightly.
“I didn’t think you ate at all.” Bridget looked her up and down.
“I’ll have a burger, no bun,” Jenna said. Pricks of annoyance jabbed her skin as Bridget smirked. Yes, Jenna was careful about what she ate. She didn’t eat junk food and avoided carbs whenever possible. And she did it while working in a restaurant and being best friends with a pastry chef. She deserved a frickin’ medal, not disdain.
Who cared what Bridget thought? Hal loved that she kept such a thin figure—
Her shoulders dropped. Hal loved showing off his “model” girlfriend, as if that were still who she was. But she hadn’t been a model in a long time. She was a different person.
“Actually, give me a bun,” she told Bridget.
If anything, her smirk got bigger, as if she’d goaded Jenna into eating something she didn’t want.
“I heard you own a restaurant,” Bridget said.
“A third of a restaurant,” Jenna corrected.
“I read an article about it in Gastronomy magazine,” Olivia said. “I’ve been dying to try it.”
“You should. I can give you a discount.” Jenna groaned inwardly. Why had she said that?
“I’d love to. Between work, my dissertation, and Eli, I need an evening out.”
Bridget nodded. “I can’t remember the last time I had a night on the town.”
“Let’s do a girls’ night sometime.” Wow, she was just determined to dig herself into a deeper hole. Luckily, there was no way Olivia and Bridget would want to spend time with her.
But to her surprise, Olivia replied, “That would be great. We can do it on a weekend that Eli is with Luke.”
Jenna lifted her lips in a smile as fake as her nose. “Wonderful. I’ll invite my partners and we can make it a group.” She knew Ashton and Chloe wouldn’t hesitate to join in if she asked. Safety in numbers, and all that. “I can’t wait.”
…
“You sure are a glutton for punishment,” Ashton commented as they strolled down the street. Dinner service would be starting at the restaurant in an hour, and Ashton liked to get a walk in before Ty planted her on a stool to expedite orders. He was still annoyed that Ashton refused to start her maternity leave. Not annoyed, Jenna corrected. Worried. Which was why Jenna had agreed to go with Ashton when she had a million things to do to get the restaurant ready to open. Lately, Ashton hadn’t been too steady on her feet. Probably because she couldn’t see them.
“I know,” Jenna said with a moan. “I could practically feel the hatred stabbing me, and every Kearney family member took a turn with the knife.”
“Even Luke?”
Jenna thought back. “No, actually. Luke defended me.”
Ashton hesitated and then said, “Luke’s a good guy.” She threw up her hands before she even finished the sentence and before Jenna could react. “Don’t kill the messenger; you already know it’s true.”
It hurt to think about, but Ashton was right. Luke was a good guy. It was Jenna who’d been the train wreck in their relationship.
“Olivia was there,” Jenna told Ashton.
“Ooh, the ex-wife.” Ashton rubbed her hands together diabolically. “Did she take a stab at you, too?”
“Just the opposite,” Jenna admitted. “I have to agree with the rest of his family. I don’t know why they got divorced.” An unexpected lump clogged her throat, but she forced the words past it. “They make a great couple.”
“You never know what happens in other people’s houses. My parents are proof of that.” Ashton stopped and rubbed her lower back. “Let’s head back.”
They turned and started toward Sweet Home.
“I know you hate to give in,” Jenna said when she noticed Ashton still holding her back, “but it may be time to start your maternity leave. I have a feeling the bosses will understand.”
“Ha-ha,” Ashton grumbled. “What am I going to do at home? Lie around eating Chloe’s pastries? I’ll go crazy. And the moment I’m gone, you know Ty is going to try to put that giant fried turkey leg on the menu. I keep telling him the restaurant isn’t a county fair, but he thinks the corn flake crust is classy…” She threw up finger quotes when she said “classy.”
Jenna could see her friend’s face growing red. “Don’t worry. I promise to extend my veto power if he tries it.”
“Sorry,” Ashton said, fanning herself. “The baby hates turkey.”
Jenna laughed. “What are you going to do when you can’t use that excuse anymore?”
“Probably…” Ashton’s voice trailed off. “I think that black sedan is following us.”
“Where?”
Ashton pointed. “I’ve seen him pass us about five times already.”
Jenna whipped her head around, and sure enough, a black sedan was coming down the street toward them. Looking through the windshield, she recognized the driver.
Now it was Jenna with the red face. As Ashton gasped, Jenna stepped into the street, in front of the car. Even with the windows closed, she could hear the driver swear as the car screeched to a halt.
“Are you crazy?” the man shouted, lowering his window.
“That’s what I’m wondering, too,” she heard Ashton mutter from the sidewalk.
Jenna walked around to the driver’s side. “Not crazy, confused. Wondering why the FBI is following me.”
The driver, whom she recognized from the FBI raid on her apartment, gulped. Then, he seemed to compose himself. “Your husband is connected to a lot of bad people. We’re just making sure you’re okay.”
“Bullshit. You’re not worried about me,” Jenna countered. “You still think I’m going to lead you to Hal. And he’s not my husband. He’s nothing to me but the bastard who left me at the altar after stealing my life savings.”
“You don’t think I haven’t heard that before?” the agent retorted.
“It’s the truth,” Ashton said, coming up behind her.
“You haven’t heard from him?” the agent prodded.
Jenna closed her eyes as she felt tears coming on. She felt like this nightmare was never going to end. The FBI still hadn’t cleared her of being involved in Hal’s criminal activities, even though they hadn’t found any evidence. At least the people Hal bilked seemed to believe she was clueless; no scary guys in dark suits had shown up at her door or put a horse’s head in her bed. Of course, they had probably known Hal well enough to realize she was nothing more than a pawn in his game.
When she was able to push back the moisture, she lifted her lids and stared at the man. “I swear, I don’t know where Hal is. In fact, I hope I never see him again. And if I do, believe me, you will be the first call I make.”
“Good enough for you?” Ashton put her hands on her hips. “You’d better quit following her, because if you don’t, I won’t hesitate to let the press know you were tailing us. I don’t think people will like the image of an FBI agent harassing a pregnant lady.”
His jaw clenched. “Now see here, lady…”
“Ohhh!” Ashton grabbed her stomach and bent forward. “It’s the baby! You just made my water break.”
Before Ashton could even let out another wail, the car sped away from the curb, smoke lifting off the skid marks.
“Oh my God! We need to get you to the hospital.” Jenna grabbed her cell phone, ready to call Ty. Her fingers stopped mid-dial when she noticed Ashton cracking up.
“What an idiot. He actually thought he’d caused me to go into labor.” Ashton smiled. “I don’t think he’ll be bothering you again.”
Now Jenna was laughing. “That was powerful acting. I really thought this baby was on its way.” She put her arms around Ashton, which was no small feat considering how close she was to giving birth. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”
“I love you, too. And if someone messes with you, they mess with me, too.”
The rest of her life might be shit, but Jenna was lucky in her friendships.
…
The following Saturday arrived sunny and clear. A full house of firefighters packed the station, along with a number of “victims.” Luke would be running the session, which included both fire safety and paramedic protocols. All of the firemen in the station doubled as paramedics. In fact, many of them worked shifts to earn extra cash.
Luke had just finished the setup when he saw Jenna walk in, looking like a million bucks. He was surprised she’d shown up since he’d goaded her into accepting his invitation. She must be even more desperate for money than he thought.
He strode over to her, eyeing her up and down. “Nice outfit.”
Her forehead wrinkled in confusion and she looked down at her blue dress. “This is Dolce and Gabbana.”
“I have no idea what that means. I do know you’re going to be lying on the floor half the day. This is a training session, not high tea.”
Anger burned in her eyes. “Do you usually scold your victims on their outfits when you arrive at a fire or accident scene? After all, they should have known to wear sweats in case their house burned down!”
“Fine.” Luke held up his hands in surrender. “Just don’t come crying to me if you get a little dirty.”
“I think we can safely say I won’t come crying to you for anything.”
True enough. Jenna had never been the emotional type. Luke had probably cried more in his life than she had.
“Go check in over there.” Luke pointed to the registration table.
“I call dibs.” Kai suddenly appeared at his side as Jenna walked away. “I think she’s going to need CPR.”
Luke scowled at his teammate. “Don’t waste your time. She’s not interested in firemen.”
Kai’s eyes scanned Jenna from calves to breasts. “I’ll be anything she wants.”
Maybe this had been a bad idea. Half the guys on the team would fall in love with Jenna, the rest would remember her from the day, a few months back, when she’d visited him and left with her clothes out of place.
Mattie joined the group, wrinkling her nose. “Who invited Barbie?”
“Jealous?” Kai smirked, until Mattie shot him a look that would kill a rhinoceros.
“Can we use her for the ‘buried alive’ scenario?” Mattie begged, returning Kai’s death stare.
One of the situations they would be practicing was a victim buried in a collapse. They used lightweight materials to simulate the disaster, but the victims still usually ended up dirty and sweaty. It was another reason they paid participants instead of looking for volunteers. “It’s her first time,” Luke said to Mattie. “Let’s save that for one of our regulars. Now, go get ready.”
He shouldn’t have cared what happened to Jenna, but he did. Maybe it was the fireman in him, some sort of savior complex. But he couldn’t stand the pain in her eyes when her father had told everyone about her financial problems. And he couldn’t stand the thought of her spending an hour trapped under a pile of rubble.
“That woman just asked me how much I paid for my Malibu Dreamhouse.”
Luke turned to find Jenna behind him.
She pointed to Mattie. “Is she your girlfriend? Because maybe you should start warning me about these things. Like, having an ex-wife and son.”
“Didn’t think it was any of your business,” he told her coolly, but the truth was, he didn’t know why he hadn’t told her about Olivia and Eli. Maybe because Jenna had never wanted children. “And we work together; she’s not my girlfriend. We’re just friends.”
“Does she know that?”
“Believe me; I’m not the one she’s interested in.” Mattie would die before admitting it, but Luke was fairly certain it was Kai she fantasized about. Sometimes, this place was more of a soap opera than a firehouse.
“Olivia seems nice,” Jenna commented casually.
Luke eyed her, wondering if she was digging for something. He had no interest in discussing his marriage with Jenna. “She is nice.”
“And Eli is sweet.”
“He’s a great kid.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were married.”
And there it was. “Why would I tell you I got married and divorced? You’re the one who left me, remember?”
“I remember,” Jenna replied through gritted teeth. “I’m just saying, there were opportunities for you to tell me.”
He stepped closer to her, until the lavender in her perfume filled his nostrils. “Like when you visited me here and we were upstairs?” He took another step closer and he heard Jenna’s sharp intake of breath. “When you were flat on your back, pulling me on top of you?” He slipped one hand to her waist and felt heat surge through her. Or maybe through him. “Is that when I should have told you?”
She swallowed as she twisted from his grasp. “That would have worked.”
“Sorry, then.” He dropped his hand and stepped back. Getting too close to Jenna was like getting pulled into the suck zone. “Besides, I figured you already knew. Your dad and your brothers were at my wedding.”
“They never told me.”
“Really? I’m surprised—” Realization hit him when he saw the flush in her cheeks. “You told them never to talk about me, didn’t you?”
“We broke up! Who wants to hear about their ex?”
“You are some piece of work.” All these years, she’d always been in the back of his mind. Clearly, he hadn’t been in hers. The moment she’d stepped on that plane to Italy, it had been as if he didn’t exist.
“I don’t want to argue anymore,” Jenna said with a sigh. “I thought we agreed to leave the past behind us and just be friends.”
She had asked him to be friends right before jumping him. “If I recall correctly,” he winked, “I liked your version of friendship.”
She rolled her eyes. “And I remember telling you I didn’t mean that kind of friend.”
“Fine by me,” he said with a shrug. She was right; the past didn’t matter. He’d gotten over their breakup a long time ago. Yeah, her reappearance in his life had stirred up some old feelings, but nothing he couldn’t push back down into oblivion.
“Hey, Kearney,” Donut called from behind them. “Are you ready to get started?”
Luke turned his head. True to his nickname, Donut had a cruller in one hand and a chocolate glazed in the other. “You tell me. Do you need some coffee to wash that down, or are you ready to go?”
Donut stuffed one pastry into his mouth and then the other. “Done,” he said with his mouth full.
Luke switched his attention back to Jenna and grinned. “Ready to have some fun, friend?”
The next five hours were grueling to the extreme. Not just for the firefighters, but the “victims” as well. Sometimes they were required to remain “unconscious,” even as they were being handled, prodded, and carried. Other times they were supposed to be awake, naming symptoms for the paramedic portion of the training.
Leading fifteen men and women through different scenarios, Luke lost track of Jenna, until he found himself beside a crushed car. Through the front window, he could see her in the driver’s seat. “Situation?” he asked Kai.
“Truck versus car,” Kai responded. “Doors are jammed closed and the driver’s unconscious.”
He peeked inside again. Jenna was pretty good at this. Her eyes were closed, her chest movements slow. She was either asleep or praying she’d wake up to find out this had just been a nightmare and she was in a North Shore high-rise. Then, he noticed beads of sweat slide down her temple.
