Up In Flames (9 page)

Resisting the urge to tackle her, or throw her over his shoulder caveman-style, he put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze. “Well, I'm proud of you. Kevin needed to be put in his place, and he needed to hear it from you. I've got to be honest with you. I don't know what you ever had in common with him."

She mulled it over for a moment. “Believe it or not, he wasn't always so cocky. When he was a kid, he was one of those skinny, beanpole types who couldn't get a girlfriend if he paid for her. Then one day, he grew into his looks. It was right around the time we started dating. He applied for the firefighter job, started working out and got beefy. He finally started getting the attention he'd always craved. Funny thing, though, is I always liked him as a shy beanpole."

"Well, sometimes people do change. And not always for the better."

"I didn't change.” Her voice was quiet and small.

"Ever constant, are you?” Shane's eyes crinkled as he grinned at her, as he tried to ignore the damned tugging of his heartstrings.

"Oh yes, I just keep those homes fires burning. Boring, ole Juliet.” She suddenly laughed. “You know, a certain man who will remain nameless from now on used to make fun of me because I like vanilla ice cream. He said it was such a boring choice, predictable. He actually called me ‘Vanilla Juliet’ a few times. It pissed me off, but I never said anything. I'm starting to think I missed all the signs Kevin wasn't really invested in us."

"Jules, he's a piece of shit, and you're definitely not boring.” He'd kept his eyes trained on her face, but now allowed them to dip ever so discreetly down to the line of her neck, wondering how it would feel to taste that skin. She looked so beautiful at that moment. The sun was starting to set, and its rays highlighted the glossy strands of her short, black hair. Her skin was luminous, and he even noticed a freckle or two he'd never seen before. He wondered if she was hiding any other secret freckles, and he indulged in thinking about how amazing it would feel to locate them. “In fact, I'd say you're the least boring person I know."

She looked up at him, squinting because the setting sun was in her eyes. Shane adjusted his position on the bench so she wasn't staring into the blaring rays. “Thanks.” She took a deep breath. “I haven't been very nice to you, Shane, and you've been quite nice to me. Here I am, apologizing again. I said things I shouldn't..."

"We both did. Don't mention it. It's behind us.” He reached into his own pocket and tossed a coin into the fountain too. “Let's try for world peace after all, shall we? How about I drive you back to the farm?"

She looked skeptically at him. “After all those drinking games you and your buddies were playing?"

He leaned over and shushed her theatrically. “Don't worry. It was OJ all the way for me. I was just trying to get to know the boys. If the new captain doesn't socialize with them, they'll never accept him."

"Well, how sweet! Maybe if you continue to play nice, the boys will let you into their clubhouse one day,” she teased. “Okay, Captain. Take me home."

With those words, Shane realized that was precisely what he wanted to do. More than anything.

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On the short drive back to the farm, Shane saw the sky change. Grey clouds were quickly emerging where there had been none before. Even as he and Jules ran up the steps to the house, they heard the first crack of thunder and streaks of lightning started to briefly illuminate the darkening sky.

He held the door open for her and they tumbled into the house, eager to escape the deluge sure to follow.

"We made it just in time,” she said.

"We sure did.” Shane stood with her in the hallway, not quite willing to retreat to his suite of rooms just yet.

Even as Jules flicked on a couple of lights, the house still seemed dark, thanks to the cloudy sky outside. It was turning into the sort of night that made one grateful for company.

She turned to smile at Shane. “A night like this is only good for one thing."

He paused, hoping upon hope she was about to suggest they tear each other's clothes off and have animal sex. “That being?"

"Watching movies!” She dashed into the kitchen and rummaged through the shelves for microwave popcorn. “I hope you don't mind movie-style butter. I know it's not the healthiest option, but the other stuff just tastes like cardboard. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Uh, sure, I guess.” When she wasn't looking, he hit himself on the forehead. “Watching movies, of course, you dumbass,” he said under his breath, trying to ignore the state of arousal he was in.

She stopped what she was doing for a moment. “Oh, I'm sorry. You do want to join me, don't you? I didn't mean to assume."

"Yes, I want to join you. It sounds great.” Shane tried his best to look cool, knowing he probably looked more like a teenage boy who just got asked to play spin-the-bottle. “What movie did you have in mind?"

"Well, I know it sounds corny, but I love the old black-and-whites.” She peered into the microwave, impatient for the popcorn to pop. “I just treated myself to a new DVD copy of
It's a Wonderful Life
. Is that okay with you?"

"Actually, I like Jimmy Stewart movies."

Her eyes lit up. “Then, we're decided.” She retrieved the popcorn bag from the microwave, careful not to burn herself on the hot edges, and emptied it into a bowl with a liberal sprinkling of salt. “Shall we?"

As he followed her into the den, Shane caught her rosewater scent, underlying that of popcorn. It was faint, but sweet enough it made you want to seek out the spots where she had applied it. The scent was so different from the heavy musk Alana used to wear, the one he often found overpowering. The two perfumes were so indicative of the women who wore them, but it was Jules’ soft scent which was now going straight to his head.

She got the movie ready, and then plopped down onto the cushy sofa. She positioned the bowl of popcorn next to her, then looked up at Shane. “Oh, if you don't want to sit on the sofa, I can put some popcorn in another bowl for you."

"No sense dirtying another bowl. I can share if you can.” He sat down next to her, and grinned as he noticed her blushing at his nearness.

"Claire always said I was terrible at sharing my popcorn, but I'll try to behave.” She winked at him. “But if you were holding vanilla ice cream, of course, I'd whip it out of your hands so quickly you wouldn't even know what happened."

"Fore-warned is fore-armed.” He gave her a little salute.

The movie began, and it wasn't long before Shane noticed the wistful look on his companion's face. “You really like this movie, don't you?"

"It's my favorite. When I was little, I used to believe I'd grow up and marry Jimmy Stewart. And of course every time I heard a bell ring, I thought it was Clarence getting his wings all over again! I was a silly kid."

"Nothing silly about that. We all want the ideal partner and home life. Things are just simpler in the movies."

They watched quietly for a bit, but it wasn't long before Shane noticed she was sneaking peeks at him. He continued happily munching his popcorn, and waited for her to say what was on her mind.

Well before George Bailey began to question his existence, Jules spoke. “How long were you and your wife together?"

"Pardon?” He hadn't been expecting that question.

"If you don't want to talk about her, it's okay. God knows I've talked your ear off about my past.” She bit her lip, looking as if she wished she hadn't spoken at all. “I know it's none of my business."

"It's ... it's all right.” He played with the piece of popcorn in his hand, and then popped it into his mouth. “Alana and I were together for about three years before she died."

"Just three years. It's a shame you didn't have longer with her.” Her forehead was furrowed, and the fine, black arches of her eyebrows were knit together. “It must have been very hard for you."

"It's been a bit of a journey, I'll admit."

Jules turned her whole body to face him, pulling her feet up under her. Bedford Falls and Clarence the angel were already clearly forgotten. “How did she die?"

"In a fire."

He knew there was no sense sugar-coating it. It was best to just come out and say it. There had been a time when he could barely utter those words, but he said them calmly now, hoping his eyes did not convey the despair he had felt for so long.

Jules’ jaw dropped. He could tell she didn't know how to respond. No one ever did. No expression of consolation quite fit the bill when someone died a horrible, fiery death. This was usually the point in the conversation where people got embarrassed and said “I'm sorry,” then scurried away. He waited for her to do the same thing.

Jules just stared at him, her eyes darker, questioning. She turned off the TV and DVD player, and turned back to him. “Oh, Shane,” she whispered. “That's terrible. Unthinkable. I can't begin to imagine what you've been through."

She placed a small hand on top of his, and he gave her a little grin, liking how it felt. They sat quietly for a minute, lost in the moment. Jules obviously didn't want to intrude on his thoughts. She just looked at him, as if waiting for him to decide if he wanted to unburden himself.

That space was what he needed. He felt the need to tell her what happened. “Alana was home alone that night and left a candle burning by mistake. She went to bed and was asleep when the fire took hold.” He frowned, remembering how angry he'd been at her for doing something so stupid. He'd warned her umpteen times. “Anyway, I was away on business that night. I wasn't far away, but the drive home had to be the longest of my life."

"As a firefighter, it must have been very hard to confront, especially because you would have seen similar tragedies."

"Actually, I wasn't a firefighter at the time."

"No?” Jules cocked her head, wondering what it was he was doing.

"I have a construction-slash-contracting company. My dad started it up years ago, but when he hurt his back, he passed it to me. J&S Contracting. My parents, John and Sheila, are the J and S. Maybe you've heard of it?"

She could only nod. She'd clearly heard of it all right. Most people he knew had. It was a huge, well-respected company. And he could tell she was wondering why on earth he wasn't still doing that work.

"Anyway,” he continued. “Running the company kept me busy. Since I was a teenager, my dad made sure I was exposed to every aspect of construction possible. Eventually, I learned the business side as well. I liked the work, and as you've seen, I'm good with my hands."

She looked away for a second, as if silently concurring. She removed her hand from his, and tucked it into her lap.

"Anyway, I was away at a trade show that day and ended up staying at a hotel, rather than driving home late at night. If I'd only gone home sooner..."

"You mustn't think that. It does no good to torture yourself."

"Well, I went home as quickly as I could. The firefighters were amazing. Some of them were still on the scene when I arrived, and they really helped me through those horrendous, first moments. I'll never forget the strength they showed, the compassion. Within a couple of months, I had made the decision to become a firefighter myself."

"That's a big change."

"I wanted to be able to help others, as they helped me. Contracting was fine, but I wanted to make a different contribution. The company's still mine, but now I have a good team of people running it for me. Alana's death showed me I was meant to be a firefighter.” When he saw the expression on her face change, he questioned her. “What are you thinking?"

She stared at him. “Just that you're ... so strong. If that had happened in my family, I'd be broken forever, but you've turned a tragedy into something admirable. It's amazing.” She looked on him in wonderment. “I've finally met someone who deserves to wear the uniform."

"I can only hope so, but thanks. I feel I've found my calling.” He smiled for the first time since the topic had come up. “Listen, you're missing your movie.” He grabbed the remote and turned it back on.

Jules resumed eating her popcorn, albeit reluctantly. He watched her from his periphery. She didn't look remotely interested in George Bailey or his angel anymore.

Once the movie was over, the awkward silence began. He didn't want to be the first to leave, and got the sense she felt the same. They stuck to their spots on the couch.

The rain was still pounding the roof and sides of the house. They sat in the darkened living room, watching as the credits rolled. It was late, late enough for Shane to feel he should politely exit. However, the more time he spent with Jules, the harder it became to leave her.

It was becoming clearer by the moment that he was intrigued by so many little things about her, from the adorable way she munched her popcorn to the way she played with the big, amber ring on her right hand.

More importantly though, he appreciated how she listened to him. When he spoke, her whole body inclined toward him as if in a state of concentration. She seemed truly interested in what he had to say and how he said it. She made him feel important and, he had to admit, he liked that feeling.

It was a reflection of her caring nature. She had a way of making you feel as if you were the only person in the room with her, whether you were the fire captain, the plumber or the little Girl Scout selling cookies at the door.

Right now, curled up on the couch in the semi-darkness, he definitely didn't want to leave her. She was beautiful, petite yet shapely, the sort of woman around whom his arm just loved to curl. She had pulled up her bare feet under her, and he could glimpse ten elegant toes, nails painted a red as vivid as her personality.

He was beginning to think Kevin McGuinness was the greatest fool who ever lived.

The Bakers’ old clock struck the hour. As much as Shane wanted to take Jules in his arms, he resisted. Harmless flirting? Yeah, right. It was getting harder to dismiss what they had as casual flirtation.

He decided to do the honorable thing.

"It's getting late. I should really let you get to bed.” A fleeting image of Jules in her bed taunted him, but he stamped it out of his mind.