Barbara Dunlop - An After-Hours Affair

He dared to hope she liked what she saw. Then he gave himself an instant rebuke. How would that be good? This physical attraction between him and Jenny was the root cause of all their problems.

The lightning flashed, the thunder boomed and the rain came down even harder.

“You want me to go get the cart?” Jeffrey offered.

“We might as well wait it out a few minutes,” said Mitch. “This might not last long.”

Jenny’s cell phone rang.

She pulled up the tail of Mitch’s shirt and dug into the pocket of her slacks. “It’s probably Emily. I hope they’re all okay. Hello?” she said into the phone.

She listened for a moment, eyes narrowing, mouth turning into a frown.

“Everything all right?” Mitch couldn’t help but ask, but she waved him to silence and turned her back.

He glanced to Jeffrey, whose brow furrowed in concern. Had somebody been hurt?

“Uh-huh,” Jenny was saying, her tone grave. “No. No, I don’t.” Her free hand went to her forehead, and Mitch reflexively stepped toward her.

“Jenny?” He put a hand on her shoulder.

“As soon as I can,” she said without acknowledging him. “Yes. Of course.” She blew out a breath.

“Jenny?” Mitch repeated.

She turned to him, her face pale, hands shaking as she lowered the phone. “My house is on fire.”

“What? What happened? Who was on the phone?”

“My neighbor. It was a lightning strike.” Jenny held up helpless palms. “The roof burst into flames.”

Mitch grabbed her phone before it could slide off to the floor. “Has the fire department been notified?”

“They’re on the way there.”

“I’ll get the cart,” said Jeffrey, bounding down the two stairs to sprint across the course.

Mitch reached out to touch Jenny’s arm, longing to pull her into his embrace. “No pets, right?”

“That’s what Clara, my neighbor, asked. No. No pets. I’m allergic to cats.”

Mitch hadn’t known that. He tried to rub the chill from her shoulders. “It might not be so bad. The rain will help put the fire out. And the fire department’s close by.”

Jenny nodded numbly. Then she seemed to gather herself. “You’re right. No sense borrowing trouble.” She gave a decisive nod. “We need the facts. Let’s get the facts, and go from there.” She stepped away from his hand.

Mitch’s protective instincts nearly blinded him. Jenny belonged in the comfort of his arms, not standing there all alone and dripping wet, trying to cope with the disaster that had suddenly befallen her life.

He made a move toward her, giving in, anticipating the feel of her small body against his.

But Jeffrey was pulling up in the cart. And Jenny was darting for the gazebo stairs. And the moment was gone.

Red-and-blue lights flashed against the chaos that was once Jenny’s home. A dozen firemen sprayed water into her windows, where orange flames leaped out in the darkening evening. Neighbors stood on the sidewalks, huddled under umbrellas, avoiding the runoff that had turned to a gushing river cascading down the street. The rain remained steady, but Jenny barely noticed.

Emily linked an arm with hers, squeezing tight. “Thank goodness you weren’t home.”

Jenny swallowed. She hadn’t thought of that. But it was true. If the guys hadn’t invited her to go golfing, she might have been sitting in her living room, directly below the lightning strike.

She shuddered reflexively at the thought.

“It’s going to be okay,” Emily continued.

Jenny nodded, trying to force her rational mind to engage. There was a lot to be thankful for here.

“I know,” she finally said. “Nobody was hurt. And everything else is just stuff. It can all be replaced.” She paused, a dark shot of humor piercing her numbness. “It’s not like I had boxes of precious mementos from my happy childhood.”

“Okay, that was impressive,” said Emily.

“What?”

“You. Looking on the bright side so quickly.”

Jenny shrugged. “I suppose I could curl up in a fetal position somewhere and cry instead.”

“Many people would.”

“I think I’m in shock.”

“Yes, well, that’s to be expected. You’ve got insurance, right?”

Jenny nodded. She was well insured. Everything being destroyed by the fire could be replaced.

Her brain automatically began to catalog the possessions in her house. She started in the living room, where the fire was worst, then she mentally worked her way through the dining room, kitchen and bedroom.

“We are going to have to replace my new wardrobe,” she pointed out to Emily.

“That part’ll be fun,” Emily responded with determined cheerfulness.

Jenny didn’t disagree. Shopping for new clothes with Emily had been a lot of fun. Of course, shopping for every single possession a person needed in life was a little more daunting.

She told herself she was lucky. The circumstances of her childhood made very little of her life irreplaceable.

“At least there are no homemade quilts. No heirloom jewelry,” she reminded Emily.

“That’s a good thing,” said Emily. Then she gestured to the fire. “At a time like this.”

Emily knew all about Jenny’s complicated upbringing. Her parents had gotten married because her mother was pregnant with Jenny. The marriage was a mistake, and after five rocky years, her father had left them for good. After the breakup, her mother’s psychological and emotional issues had grown worse, making life chaotic for young Jenny.

Just then, a section of the carport caved in, landing with a resounding crash on top of her car. She started at the sound, blowing out a breath.

“Gonna need a new car, too.” Emily’s voice was hoarse.

“This is unbelievable.” Jenny struggled to keep her equilibrium. Her possessions were disintegrating in front of her eyes.

She caught a glimpse of Mitch where he stood next to the fire truck. He seemed to sense something, turning to scan the crowd. When he came to Jenny and Emily, the scan stopped. He looked directly into her eyes for a moment before returning to his conversation with the fire chief. Meanwhile Cole and the teammates looked on, obviously ready for action, and just as obviously frustrated by their inability to pitch in.

“Do you think this is a sign?” Emily asked.

Jenny dragged her gaze away from Mitch. “A sign of what?”

“That it’s time to start a new life?”

“You mean leave town?” Leave Royal, the TCC, Mitch?

“No. No. I was thinking that when you rebuild, you could go sleek and modern, instead of boxy and practical.”

“You didn’t like my house?” Jenny was surprised to hear that. It was… Her gaze fixed on the flames once more. Well, at least it had once been very functional and livable. It had everything Jenny needed, and the mortgage was very nearly paid off.

“I’m just saying, maybe something that goes along with the new clothes, the new hairstyle, the new makeup and, soon, the new man.”

Jenny pondered the suggestion.

A fresh start. Wasn’t that exactly what she’d been telling herself she needed? Was the universe trying to help her out?

“The TCC is awash with both professional and amateur architects,” she noted. “The building project is bringing everyone with a drafting table out of the woodwork.”

“Anyone have a style you particularly like?”

“A couple, for sure.” Jenny nodded. There were some incredibly creative people living in Royal.

“There you go. Think about it. Maybe do something completely different, fun, exciting.”

“You suppose there’s something wrong with us?” Jenny took a step back as the flames grew hotter on her face.

“Not a thing,” said Emily.

“We’re standing here planning my new house while the old one burns.”

“It means we’re practical,” Emily stated with conviction. “Practical and realistic. Those are both very admirable traits.”

Jenny watched while a fireman doused the oak tree overhanging her living room roof. The roof was blackened, and sagging at an unnatural angle. She couldn’t help picturing the armchair that sat in front of the bay window. She’d bought it last year on sale over in Westbury County. There was a tear on the back now, and she’d never been really crazy about the plaid pattern.

Truth be told, she’d also been thinking about replacing her television set. Though, in this day and age, maybe a larger computer monitor made more sense.

“You must be getting cold.” Mitch’s voice startled her, and she realized he’d moved up next to her in the darkening night. The lights seemed to flash brighter now, the flames more vivid, though she knew the fire was coming under control.

“I’m hot,” she responded, wiping her damp hands across her fire-warmed cheeks.

“The fire will be out soon. And you’re still soaking wet.”

“So is everybody else.” She couldn’t help stealing a glance at Mitch’s bare, glistening chest. She was still wearing his T-shirt, and he looked magnificent, somehow all-powerful standing amidst the chaos.

“I talked to the chief,” he continued. “They think the lightning fried your entire electrical system and started a bunch of smaller fires inside the walls. There’s really nothing more you can do here tonight.” His gaze shifted to Emily. “Is Jenny going to stay with you?”

“Not unless she wants to swell up like a blowfish.”

Mitch’s brows went up in an unspoken question.

“My cats,” said Emily.

Jenny’s nose twitched and her sinuses tingled just thinking about Powder and Puff, Emily’s long-haired Persians. She was good for a couple of hours at Emily’s. But she’d never be able to sleep overnight. “I guess it’ll have to be a hotel.”

The Family Inn by the highway had kitchenettes, and their rates were reasonable. She struggled not to feel overwhelmed by the logistics of the next few days. There’d be necessities to purchase, insurance forms to fill out, and soon, very soon, she was sure the magnitude of her loss would hit her.

“Why don’t we all head for my place for now,” Mitch suggested, his broad hand coming down on Jenny’s shoulder. The gesture felt far too comforting, so she quickly shrugged it off. She couldn’t let herself depend on Mitch.

“We’ll get everybody dried off,” he continued, clearing his throat and letting his hand drop to his side. “We can have something to eat and figure out your next steps.”

“Good idea,” Emily quickly agreed.

Jenny followed up on Emily’s agreement with a nod. The chill of the night air was setting in as the bright flames turned to billowing smoke, and the mist from the fire hoses mixed with the steady rain coming down on them.

Jenny couldn’t stay here and stare much longer. She had to get started on the logistics of the rest of her life.

Since Jenny’s entire wardrobe had gone up in smoke, Mitch had asked Cole to stop at the Quick-Mart and pick her up a pair of sweatpants and a warm shirt that would fit. He’d offered her his shower, then put a barbecued cheeseburger directly into her hands, making sure she had a comfortable place to sit and an opportunity to collect her thoughts.

Now, with the barbecue finished and cleaned up, and a friendly poker game underway in his dining room, he watched Jenny wander out onto his deck alone. She stopped at the rail to gaze across the lights of the golf course. The rain had stopped about an hour ago, and the moon was peeking out from behind the dissipating storm clouds.

Mitch waved off an invitation to join in the game and followed her outside.

Her feet were bare on the damp deck, since Cole hadn’t thought to buy socks or shoes, and hers were still in a heap in Mitch’s laundry room. Mitch briefly glanced to where the fleece pants covered her rear end and wondered if Cole had thought to buy underwear. But he quickly squelched that picture, admonishing his wandering imagination.

If there was a scrap of a gentleman inside him, she needed it right now. He made himself promise to provide her with support, not lust.

“Hey,” he offered softly, padding across the cool, smooth deck, his own feet also bare after he’d changed from wet clothes to a pair of faded jeans and a well-worn Tigers T-shirt.

She turned her head to profile, mustering up a weak smile. The hoots and good-natured ribbing of the poker game faded behind him.

“You okay?” His voice was gentle as he came to a halt next to her at the rail.

She shrugged her slim shoulders, turning her attention back to the view. For some reason, she looked particularly delicate beneath the oversized navy hooded shirt. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t believe that for a minute. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m really fine.”

“You’ve just lost everything you own.” Mitch couldn’t imagine every treasure and memento of his entire life, his childhood trophies, the faded football jerseys, certificates, photographs, letters, gifts from his parents’ travels around the world, going up in flames before his eyes.