Driven By The Hero (Hero Romance 1) (2 page)

Chapter Three

It had been two hundred and ninety-eight days since she’d stepped foot in a liquor store. It wasn’t a secret to the owner of the establishment, Jonathan Gray, why she showed up once a year to purchase a bottle of Yukon Jack, her husband’s favorite liquor. Jonathan was a tall, willowy man who could either have been in his late forties or early sixties, Elaine couldn’t be sure and she was too embarrassed to ask. He greeted her the same way he did the year before, but there was a look in his eyes that suggested he thought there was trouble.

“Good afternoon, Elaine. What can I do you for today?” he asked in the same southern drawl he’d had the first time she had wandered into the establishment teary eyed and a little frightened. It had been her first time in such a place.

“Well, I’m in need of a case of beer,” she told him warily as she stepped up to the counter. For the first time since she’d met him, Jonathan looked like he might deny her the sale. He had every right to considering it was a state run store and he could deny anyone he liked service.

“What kind?” he asked as if he hadn’t made up his mind yet.

“The kind where a lot of people will appreciate it? I’m going to a party tonight, all adults, don’t worry.” At least, she hoped Jody wasn’t dumb enough to invite a bunch of teenagers or something silly like that. She didn’t know the woman all that well and was starting to wonder if it was a good idea she was pushing herself to attend.

“I wouldn’t peg you for the law-breaking type.” Jonathan smiled as he came around the counter and put his hand on her shoulder. He led her over to the shelf that held over thirty different kinds of beer. “There’s light, dark, in-between, spiced, not spiced, flavored, unflavored, goat-” He waited to see her reaction and she chuckled nervously. “If you’re attending a party, something in-between is probably a good idea. Not something too light for the people who appreciate a rich flavor, and not something so dark and heavy that the lightweights will gag. I’d say a Young’s Bitter. That should do you,” Jonathan said lightly as he pulled down a heavy, twenty-four case of beer.

Elaine thought about telling him she’d rather take two six packs as they would be easier to carry, but she decided she was strong enough. It was only a few miles to the outside of town where the party was located, and she was the mother of a three-year-old. She’d carried heavier diaper bags in her lifetime.

“Thanks, Jonathan,” she told him as she paid and grabbed the beer. She hefted the cased with both arms and clung to it as she walked from the store.

Just as she rounded the corner, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket and she had to wrestle the case to the ground to reach it. It was seven on the dot and her mother had sent her a text stating that Jacob had come over and that Thomas was safely tucked into bed. Somehow, Elaine doubted the second part was true, but Jacob would see to it that her son had a decent bedtime. She picked up the case and continued to walk.

One mile shy of the party, she was starting to wonder why she hadn’t asked someone for a ride. Her feet were killing her and she was afraid she might start to sweat despite the cool evening air. It was about half an hour past the start of the party and she wondered if Jody was upset.

The sound of a muscle car caught her attention and she glanced at it from the corner of her eye. It was an old mustang with three men sitting in it, two in the front and one hanging between the front seats with wild smiles on their faces. All three of them were good looking in their own way, but they looked to be at least five years younger than her. That’s why it shocked her when they stopped and backed up the vehicle, rolling down the window.

“Hey, are you going to the barn party?” It was a testament to how small of a town she lived in that they both knew she was going to the same party they were because she was carrying beer and that the party was being held in a barn. Who did that anymore?

“Yeah,” she said and heard the trunk pop open.

“Put the beer in and get in the back,” the driver demanded with a wink. Elaine thought twice about it, but she decided she’d rather take the risk than carrying her load another five feet.

She slid in the back beside the youngest looking of the three and took his hand when he offered it. “Nicholas,” he told her as a way of greeting.

“Elaine,” she told him with a small smile. They chatted about the weather and how great it was going to be at the party, and then they were there. It took them about five minutes when it would have taken her another fifteen to twenty to get to her destination. She made a mental note to think about getting a car if she was going to be social.

“Thanks for the ride,” she told them as she stepped out. Nicholas took the beer inside and she trailed him at a distance.

The music was louder than she’d remembered it being at parties she’d attended when she was younger, and the bodies mingling about on the dirt dance floor reminded her of a school of fish. It wasn’t something she was eager to jump into. Someone put their hand on her shoulder and the sudden warmth and noise seemed to remind her of a time before when things were happier, when she was more carefree. A time when her husband had approached her in a similar fashion popped into her mind and suddenly it had grown hard to breathe.

Her chest constricted and her heart started to pound as she turned to the unknown person touching her. Jody’s smile was bright and warm as she welcomed Elaine to the party and moved on to talk with other friends. The panic on Elaine’s face must not have been evident, but suddenly she knew why her brain had been telling her it was a bad idea to attend.

Trey, the man who had been Thomas’ father and her lover, had taken her to many parties like this. He had never taken a sip of alcohol because he wanted to be ready if he was called in, but she’d always gotten tipsy and relied on him to take her home. Now there was no one to take her home.

The tears stung her eyes and she sniffed as she hurried out the barn doors and into the night. There was the sound of two people making out to her left, so she opted for the right and hurried around the outside. No one would be able to hear her sniffle and suck in deep breaths of air if she was close enough to the music.

In the dark, she wiped away her tears angrily as she fought for control. She promised every year that she would only cry for one day, and today wasn’t that day.

Chapter Four

Memories assaulted her one after the other as she let the tears flow freely. She was glad she hadn’t put on any makeup before she’d left. There wasn’t anyone she’d been looking to impress and she hadn’t thought she’d do more than drink a beer or two and walk home. Now she was standing outside the barn trying to stifle the memories and the tears that came along with them, and she felt pretty pathetic.

If Trey had been there, he would have whirled her around the barn and introduced her to his friends for the umpteenth time as his beautiful wife and mother to their son. She would have smiled and they would have seemed like the perfect couple. They had been in love in a way that was only possible once in a lifetime, Elaine was sure.

He had a smile that was infectious and a dimple on his left cheek. His hair had been a lighter, fairer blonde than hers and he always kept it cropped very short. “So the bad guys can’t grab hold of it,” he’d told her once when they were on a date. Elaine had rolled her eyes and told him to be serious, but he’d adopted a serious gaze and told her he was.

What had won her over were his honest, dark blue eyes and his olive complexion. Thomas had his eyes and his skin tone, but he’d inherited her ash blonde hair.

“Excuse me, but is this spot taken?” The deep voice jolted her out of her miserable reverie and she shook her head abruptly.

“No, of course not,” she told the stranger as she turned her head and wiped the last tear away. Thank God it’s dark, she thought as she looked forward again.

“Thought you might need this,” he said as he held out a plastic red cup with an amber liquid in it. Elaine took it but didn’t sip it. “You look like you’re not having too good of a time.”

“Just had a bad day,” she told him honestly. “Shouldn’t you be inside?” She turned to glance at him and almost did a double take. He was taller than she had first thought because he was slouching against the wall and his skin was so dark that when he smiled his teeth made a sharp contrast. There weren’t many dark skinned men in Hunts, Pennsylvania and she was curious as to why he’d come to a barn party in the first place.

“You can drink it, you know. It’s not poisoned or anything, but I won’t be too insulted if you don’t. I kind of like smart women,” he said as he pointed at her drink with his finger raised off his own cup.

“Oh, I’m just not a big beer drinker,” she lied smoothly as she looked down at the offered drink.

“I’m out here because I’m not too fond of in there myself. Josiah invited me because of the last barn party he tried to have. It almost ended in flames. I don’t know what he thinks an off-duty fireman is going to do with a tiny garden hose and a bunch of drunks if it does decide to go bad, but he seemed pretty adamant.” He took a second to glance at her and she felt her cheeks turn crimson when their eyes met in the dark. She hoped he couldn’t see. “I’m Ethan, by the way.”

“Elaine,” she told him as she took his offered hand. A small jolt of warmth raced up her arm and she sucked in a deep breath before she took her hand back. It had been a long time since she’d felt attraction for someone.

“That’s a nice name - old fashioned and easy to remember. Your mom’s the lady who does readings on Chestnut, right?”

“How’d you know?” she asked as she inwardly wished he’d change the subject. Her mother wasn’t necessarily embarrassing, but everyone seemed to think her daughter had the same affinity for carrying around cards and doing random readings.

“You two look a lot alike and I was just there this afternoon, plus she may have mentioned her daughter, Elaine.” When she looked up with a little alarm and found his toothy grin, Elaine wondered what exactly her mother was talking about. “My mother enjoys tarot cards and thought she could get a reading from your mom. Don’t worry; it was just small talk about you working at the grocery store. Nothing bad,” he amended.

“Did she also mention I have a three-year-old son?” Elaine took a sip of her beer and raised an eyebrow.

“Uh, no. No mention of that,” Ethan told her with a tone of perplexity.

“Yeah, she tends to forget to mention that fact when there are eligible men around.” She kept the scorn from her tone and rolled her eyes. Had Jody talked with her mother before she had gone to the store and showed up in time to convince Elaine to go to the party that night because she knew Ethan was going to be there? Or maybe she was just hoping Elaine would get together with any man at the party. It had been a little odd that Jody hadn’t bought anything on her way out. She’d just shown up, talked to Elaine, and left.

The more she thought about it, the more obvious it became she had been set up.

Elaine finished off the beer and lightly held her cup between two empty fingers. “So your mother likes to play matchmaker?” Ethan asked, seemingly undeterred by her silence.

“You could say that. Ever since my husband died-”, Elaine bit down on her bottom lip hard and held her breath. This was the part where he would throw up his hands and leave, and while she had initially wanted him to, his ability to remain quiet was calming.

“I’m sorry. Bad subject. How about I ask you what your favorite color is? Maybe if you’d like another beer?”

“I’d like that, another beer,” she confirmed. To her shock, Ethan reached down and took her hand as if they had known each other for quite some time, and then he led her back into the barn for another beer.

Chapter Five

The noise was just as distracting as it had been the first time and Elaine wanted to immediately turn tail and head back outside. She steadied her nerves and allowed Ethan to lead her over to a rickety-looking card table with stacks of beer and other various alcohols displayed upon it. She watched as Ethan popped open a beer and dumped it into her empty cup. He added a shot of liquor, but Elaine didn’t get a chance to see what it was. She took her drink from Ethan when he offered it and didn’t complain when he took her by the hand and led her back into the fresh night air.

The weather was starting to cool down drastically and Elaine wondered if they were in for another cold spell. Her mother would be upset considering her tomato plants would not survive another drafty week, but Elaine had to admit she enjoyed the cooler weather. She smiled into the night as she took a sip of her drink without worrying this time, and made an appreciate noise when she tasted the hint of honey.

“What’s in this?” she asked as she turned to Ethan. He was looking up at the sky contemplatively.

“Hm? It’s a secret recipe,” he told her as he looked back down and seemed to come back to Earth.

“I like it,” she told him as she took another gulp. It made her feel pretty warm and fuzzy, so she slowed down on the sipping and decided to look up at the night sky with her partner in crime.

“If you don’t mind my asking, you don’t seem like you’re too happy about coming to a party. Why come in the first place? Are you a cop?” Elaine felt a girly giggle bubbling up and stifled it with her free hand.

“No, I’m not a cop. Jody invited me, and she asked me to bring beer. I was kind of distracted when I told her I’d come, and I felt guilty knowing I had promised to bring something. So I sucked it up and decided it was about time I got out of the house.” Way to sound like a crazy loser, she thought as she sucked in another large gulp of beer and liquor. Maybe it would help ease some of the burn on her cheeks.

“Seems like a fair enough reason. I was kind of hoping you were a cop, though,” he told her with a wink. The small gesture sent a shiver down her spine and she chalked it up to being drunk. It wasn’t that Ethan wasn’t handsome with his high cheekbones, dark hair and dark eyes. Not to mention that in these parts, he was kind of exotic. It was turning her on a little, but she was afraid it would wane once she realized what she was doing.

It was better to play it safe.

“So isn’t the entire fire department here? Seems kind of lame that only one guy gets invited,” she said as a way to make conversation. Elaine didn’t want to seem greedy, but she’d prefer he stayed outside with her. It was a heck of a lot less lonely and Ethan made good company. He was quiet but knew when to say something in order to make it a little less awkward.

“The rest of ‘em had to stay back and actually wait for the call. Don’t worry, they’re dressed and sitting in the fire trucks as we speak.” His hand had casually found hers in the dark and she wondered if he was this touchy-feely with everyone he met.

“It was that bad last time, huh?” she wanted to sound like she was joking, but the reminder of her husband hanging in the conversation was making her feel uneasy.

“Don’t be nervous. I won’t let anything bad happen.” Ethan sounded so sure of himself that she almost believed one man could make a difference, but she knew from experience it couldn’t.

Elaine was about to ask him what it was like to be a fireman when her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She excused herself momentarily and pulled it out to see that it was her mother sending her a text.

Where are you? It read. Elaine was rudely reminded that her mother was at home, most likely alone at this hour of the night, and her son was sleeping upstairs. She needed to get home before her mother got any bright ideas and started reading the cards or doing something else that would distract her for too long.

“I’m sorry, but it’s late and I should get home.” Elaine tried to hide the forlorn tone from her voice and finished off her drink. She’d get a good night’s sleep and wake up in the morning with a dry mouth and a minor ache to remind her of why she should avoid Jody’s invitations to parties. However, the final buzz she got from the alcohol would be worth it. She’d sleep without nightmares that night, she was sure.

“I saw you come in with those boys in the mustang. You don’t have a ride?” Ethan took her cup from her and tossed it into a trashcan not too far from where they stood.

“You offering?” Part of her wanted him to say no and the other was eager for him to drive her home.

“It’s not a mustang, but I think it’ll do,” Ethan said as he pulled out a set of keys. He reached down to take her free hand again and she idly wondered why she would allow such a brazen move. They were no longer in the dark as they walked in front of the entrance to the barn, and everyone who wanted to look could see that she was leaving with the tall, dark fireman.

A tiny voice at the back of her mind wondered if people were judging her in that instant. She was two years out from being a widow, but should she wait five before she was even interested in anyone? Then that tiny part of her mind chastised her for even going there. Ethan was giving her a ride home. It was as simple as that.

“Whoa, wait. You’re a fireman and you’ve had a beer. Shouldn’t you call a cab or something?” He didn’t look dazed or tipsy in the least, but she knew that allowing him to get into a vehicle when he’d had alcohol could put his entire career at risk.

“I’ve had water all night, sweetheart. I’ve seen one too many cars wrapped around trees to make that mistake,” Ethan told her as he looked down at his keys and pressed a button on the fob. A set of headlights flashed in the night and was low to the ground.

Elaine stopped short when she saw she was about to climb into the passenger seat of an Audi with just two seats, which told her it was fast. “Wow, this is a nice car,” she said as he helped her sit down and pulled the seatbelt forward.

“Thanks, saved up for it for a while,” Ethan told her before he closed the door. He made his way around to the driver’s side and turned on the heated seats. They felt good against her chilled thighs and back, and the blues playing from the speakers almost calmed her into falling asleep.

Ethan drummed his fingers on the wheel as he drove. He wasn’t slow like a grandmother, but he seemed to take his time as he weaved through the back streets and carefully turned down his headlights when the high beams weren’t necessary any longer. Elaine watched the way his capable hands slid over the wheel as he drove and wondered if any man had ever looked as sexy as he did behind the wheel. There was a graceful power to his movements that fascinated her.

Before she knew it, she was unbuckling her seatbelt and leaning over the console to get a whiff of the cologne mixed with the scent of heady male she had gotten earlier.