Sean's Reckoning (3 page)

Sean heard the flurry of excited conversation on the other end, then finally Ruby took the phone.

“You sure know how to win a kid’s heart,” she said.

Sean ignored the compliment. “What about it? Can you bring him by?”

To his surprise she hesitated. “How about in a couple of hours? Will you be around after seven?”

“Never can tell when we’ll get a call, but I imagine we will be. Any particular reason you want to wait?”

“Deanna will be home then. I know she wants to come along. I think she has some money she wants to pay you.”

“I told her that there was no rush on that,” he said, feeling unreasonably irritated that Deanna was in such
a hurry to pay him back. Since he never liked being indebted to anyone himself, he realized he should be more understanding, but it rankled nonetheless. “It’s only been a couple of weeks. She can’t possibly be on her feet financially already.”

“She isn’t, but you don’t know her,” Ruby said, sounding every bit as exasperated as Sean felt. “She’s got this mile-wide stubborn streak and more pride than any woman ought to have. She won’t rest until she’s paid you back every cent.” She lowered her voice and confided, “Frankly, I think she’s on the verge of collapse from exhaustion. She was already working two jobs. Ever since the fire, she’s added extra hours at the restaurant. Tonight’s her first night off, and she wouldn’t have taken that if I hadn’t called and told Joey he had to insist on it.”

“You called her boss?” Sean asked, not sure whether to be impressed or shocked. “What did you do? Did you have to blackmail him?”

“Pretty much,” she said cheerfully. “I told him if he didn’t let her out of there, I’d come over and tell his customers he was a total creep for making her work all these extra hours when she’s practically asleep on her feet.” She paused. “And I might have mentioned something about spreading the word about a case of food poisoning I had recently.”

Sean grinned at the thought of a vengeful Ruby descending on the hapless Joey. Whoever the poor man was, it was unlikely he would be a match for her.

“What about Kevin?” he asked. “Does Deanna have any time for him these days?”

“Kevin’s okay. He’s with me,” she said, her voice immediately taking on a defensive edge, as if she understood the implied criticism of her friend.

“A boy needs his mom,” Sean said fiercely, perfectly willing to risk Ruby’s wrath to make his own point.

“Yeah, well, he needs a roof over his head, too,” she retorted, switching gears to take her friend’s side. “And Deanna’s determined to give him that. I keep telling her she doesn’t have to make it happen tomorrow, but she won’t hear it.” She hesitated, then added thoughtfully, “Maybe you can get through to her.”

“Damn right I will,” Sean muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing. But if you all come by, I’ll talk to her.”

“We’ll see you in a couple of hours, then,” Ruby said with what sounded like a hint of satisfaction in her voice.

Listening to her, Sean felt his gut tighten. He had his answer for sure now. The woman was matchmaking, no question about it. If he had half a brain in his head, he’d develop a sudden case of the flu and be long gone before they got to the station.

But an image of Kevin Blackwell’s excited expression as he’d crawled up into that fire truck crept into Sean’s head. Add to that the boy’s obvious yearning for a man he could look up to, and Sean knew he wasn’t going anywhere. There were plenty of men in the world who didn’t think twice about disappointing a kid, whether their own or someone else’s, but Sean would never be one of them. He’d lived with way too many disappointments of his own.

Deanna was still irritated by the way Joey had summarily dismissed her just as the dinner hour was getting into full swing. No matter how hard she’d argued
that she needed the tips, he’d kept right on shooing her toward the door.

“Wednesdays are always slow,” he’d said, despite the fact that every table was occupied. “How much would you make tonight, anyway?”

“Every little bit helps,” Deanna had countered.

He’d opened the register, pulled out a twenty and slapped it into her hand. “This will make up for some of it, then. You need some sleep. You need to spend some time with your boy.”

Deanna’s gaze had narrowed at that. “You’ve been talking to Ruby, haven’t you?”

“Ruby who?” he’d inquired with completely phony innocence.

“You know perfectly well who I’m talking about,” she’d responded. Joey and Ruby had taken an almost instant dislike to each other years ago. They tried not to let it show in front of Deanna, but it was hard to miss. “Okay, if you and Ruby have actually reached an agreement about something, I know better than to argue with you. I’ll go home. I’ll spend some time with Kevin. I’ll sleep.”

Joey gave a nod of satisfaction. “And tomorrow you’ll be back with a smile on your face for all the customers, so they’ll double their usual tips.”

“If only,” Deanna had muttered. Most of Joey’s customers were senior citizens living on fixed incomes. That was one reason they came for Joey’s early-bird specials in the first place.

Now that she was actually on her way home, Deanna found her feet dragging. Exhaustion clawed at her. She would give just about anything for an hour in the tub, a glass of iced tea and twelve uninterrupted hours of sleep.

Instead she found Ruby and Kevin waiting for her on the front steps.

“You’ve got five minutes to go inside and make yourself beautiful,” Ruby announced.

“Why?”

Kevin bounced up and down in front of her. “We’re going to the fire station to see Sean. He invited us, didn’t he, Ruby?”

Instantly suspicious, Deanna glanced at her friend. “Sean called?”

“Well, the truth is that Kevin called him, but Sean did ask us to come by. I spoke to him myself.”

Deanna sensed a plot, one she wanted no part of. “Then why don’t the two of you go on over there? You don’t need me. You can take that cash I have for him.”

Kevin’s face fell. “But we waited for you, Mom. You’ve got to come.”

“That’s right,” Ruby agreed, giving Kevin’s hand a squeeze. “Sean’s expecting all of us. You don’t want to disappoint him, do you?” She glanced pointedly at Kevin to indicate that Sean wasn’t the only one who was going to be disappointed if Deanna refused to go.

Pushing aside her exhaustion and her suspicions, Deanna forced a smile. “Okay then. Give me ten minutes to shower and change.”

Kevin’s expression promptly brightened. “Hurry, Mom. We don’t want to keep him waiting too long. He might get too busy to see us. Or he might go home.”

Deanna pressed a kiss to her son’s forehead. “I’ll hurry,” she promised.

As she passed Ruby on her way up the steps, she
leaned down and whispered, “And I’ll get even with you for this.”

Ruby chuckled. “I doubt it. In fact, if things go the way I’m anticipating, someday you’ll thank me. I left my red halter top on the bed. I think it’s just the thing for you to wear on a hot night like this.”

“Don’t count on it.”

“Mom!” Kevin whined.

“I’m going,” she said, slipping inside and trudging up the stairs. Going to the fire station was absolutely the last thing she wanted to do tonight.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t say quite the same thing about seeing Sean Devaney…and that reaction scared her to death.

S
ean tried to pretend that he wasn’t watching for Deanna’s arrival at the firehouse. He kept his nose buried in a book. As a kid he hadn’t been much of a reader, but during the endless hours between calls at the station, he’d picked up a fantasy novel one of the other firefighters had just finished and he’d been hooked. He’d enjoyed the pure escape from reality into realms where good always triumphed over evil.

He was currently finishing up the latest Harry Potter book, enjoying the way the beleaguered kid stood up to the bullies around him. He couldn’t help wishing he’d had Harry as a role model when he’d been a kid. Tonight, however, even though he was as engrossed in the latest adventure as he had been in all the others, his attention kept drifting to the sidewalk outside.

“Looking for anyone in particular?” Hank inquired, dropping into a chair next to him.

“Who says I’m looking for anyone?” Sean replied, testy at having been caught.

“Usually when you get lost in one of those books of yours, this place could burn down around you and you wouldn’t notice, but tonight you seem distracted. You keep glancing toward the street.”

Sean considered lying, but since he was going to need Hank’s help to get some alone time with Deanna, he decided to come clean. “Deanna Blackwell’s on her way over with her kid.”

A grin spread across Hank’s face. “I knew it!” he said triumphantly. “She’s the doll from that fire a couple of weeks back, right? You’ve been seeing her all along on the sly, haven’t you, you sneaky dog? I knew you were lying through your teeth when you claimed you weren’t interested.”

Sean frowned at him. “I have not been seeing her. The kid called today and wanted to come by to see the fire trucks. I said okay. It’s no big deal.”

“It’s worth fifty bucks to me,” Hank gloated.

Sean studied his friend’s expression, looking for even the tiniest hint of guilt. “You actually had bets going on whether I’d see her again, didn’t you?” he asked. Hank didn’t even flinch.

“Well, of course I did,” Hank said with no evidence of remorse. “Your love life—or lack thereof—is the subject of much speculation around here. All the guys keep wondering why you’re not married, since every woman you meet falls madly in love with you.”

“I don’t see anyone long enough for them to fall in love with me,” Sean contradicted.

“Which I explained to the guys, but they think you’re just holding out on us, that you’ve got some gorgeous babe stashed away and that you sneak off to
spend every spare minute making passionate love to her.”

Sean groaned. “You all clearly have too much time on your hands.”

Hank grinned. “True enough. So, is the delectable Deanna bringing her hot friend with her?”

“If you’re referring to Ruby, the answer’s yes.”

“Then I am forever in your debt,” Hank said solemnly. “I have had a few incredibly steamy dreams about that woman.”

“You have steamy dreams about every woman you pass on the street,” Sean pointed out.

“This is different,” Hank insisted.

Sean rolled his eyes at the familiar refrain. “I doubt that, but you can do me a favor. I need a few minutes alone with Deanna. Can I count on you to show Ruby and Kevin around?”

“When have you not been able to count on me?” Hank demanded indignantly. “No matter how trying the task, do I not step up to the plate when you ask?”

Sean chuckled. “Then I take it the answer is yes, even though this is one of those
trying
occasions?”

“Yes,” Hank said, then added with exaggerated politeness, “And thank you for thinking of me. Those of us in the Boston Fire Department are here to serve and protect in whatever way we’re called upon to do so.”

“Try to remember that when you’re thinking about hitting on Ruby,” Sean cautioned, thinking of the way she’d neatly blackmailed Deanna’s boss. “Something tells me she could bring you to your knees if you get out of line.”

Hank made a show of swooning ecstatically. “This just keeps getting better and better. You know how I love a challenge.”

“Don’t make me regret this,” Sean said.

“Have I ever let you down?”

Ah, Sean thought, that was the thing. For all of his fooling around and his penchant for chasing anything in skirts ever since his divorce, Hank DiMartelli was the best buddy a man could have. There was no one in the department Sean would rather have at his side going into a raging inferno. Hank was fearless and loyal and smart. He’d won more citations for bravery than anyone else at the station, Sean included.

Sean punched him in the arm. “Never,” he agreed. “But there’s a first time for everything, and in your case this better not be it.”

Hank’s gaze narrowed and his expression turned serious. “Why all the paternal concern for a woman you barely know and aren’t interested in?”

Sean wasn’t precisely sure himself. “She’s Deanna’s friend,” he said, which was the closest he could come to summing it up. “And something tells me Deanna would be royally ticked if she thought I was throwing Ruby to the wolves, or to one wolf in particular. People seldom spot your finer qualities through all the bull.”

“Then by all means, I’ll be on my best behavior,” Hank assured him. “I won’t even try to cop a feel of those gorgeous breasts of hers.”

Sean grinned at the concession despite himself. “Something tells me that’s the last thing I need to worry about. I’m pretty sure Ruby can handle someone with roving hands. She’s probably had a lot of practice. Maybe you should consider getting to know her for her mind.”

“That body, and she has a mind, too?” Hank asked, his expression incredulous.

Sean scowled at his joking. “Go to hell.”

Hank laughed. “But if I do, who’ll show Miss Ruby and the kid around and get them out of your hair so you can practice seducing the lovely Deanna?”

“It’s not about seduction, and I’m sure I can manage on my own, if it comes to that,” Sean said. “In fact, showing them all around myself might be the smarter way to go.”

“Forget it. Ruby’s mine. You can have the single mom with the vulnerable look in her eyes. Just one question, though. I thought that was the type you tended to avoid like the plague. So what’s up with this Deanna? How did she get under your skin?”

Sean sighed, not even bothering to deny Hank’s claim that Deanna had gotten to him. “I wish I knew.”

The walk to the fire station a few blocks from the apartment hadn’t taken nearly as long as Deanna would have liked. She’d wanted to postpone this encounter with Sean Devaney for as long as possible, but with Kevin running ahead and demanding that she and Ruby hurry, they’d made it to the station in record time.

All the way over she had tried to prepare herself for the physical impact the sexy firefighter was likely to have on her again. She told herself that appreciating a man’s body wasn’t a crime, that it certainly wasn’t anything that required some sort of commitment. She even consoled herself that her stomach probably wouldn’t even flutter when she saw him again. It had probably been a one-time thing brought on by her overwrought condition on the day of the fire. Maybe he was really a toad.

But when Sean walked into view in his snug jeans and tight T-shirt, looking like a walking advertisement for testosterone, that weak-kneed effect slammed into her again. Deanna was forced to face the possibility that it hadn’t been seeing the burned-out wreckage of her home that had drawn all the air out of her lungs that day. Maybe she’d just been subconsciously looking for an excuse to fall into this man’s powerful arms.

Beside her, Ruby sucked in a breath. “My God, he’s every bit as gorgeous as I remembered,” she said in a stage whisper that Sean could easily hear.

“Stop it,” Deanna whispered, her cheeks flaming. “You’re embarrassing me.”

“A work of art that impressive is meant to be appreciated,” Ruby retorted with a grin, her gaze never wavering as Sean sauntered toward them. “And if you tell me that you don’t see it, then I’m giving up on you and taking another shot at him myself.”

“Okay, yes, I see it,” Deanna admitted. “Now hush.”

Ruby ignored her plea and leaned down to whisper, “I still say he has the hots for you. Just look at that glint in his eyes. He hasn’t even glanced at me once.”

“It’s probably there because he knows you’re talking about him,” Deanna retorted with exasperation.

Fortunately, Kevin raced ahead to literally launch himself at Sean. Deanna noticed he caught her son without breaking stride, and after one last glance in her direction, he focused all of his attention on Kevin. Deanna’s heart instantly melted. She liked the fact that he treated Kevin as if what he had to say was important. Ruby had been right. Sean was a man who understood a boy’s desperate need for attention. She was
forced to admit it was a trait that could get to her if she let it.

Because she was so shaken by the discovery that any man could have that sort of impact on her after years of general immunity to the male segment of the species, she resorted to brisk politeness when Sean finally reached them. When he held out his hand, rather than shaking it as he’d obviously expected, she slapped an envelope of cash in it.

“I really appreciate what you did for me,” she said, the words stiff and formal and not nearly as grateful as she’d meant them to be. “This is half of what I owe you. I’ll have the rest in another week or so.”

He gazed directly into her eyes. “Yeah, well, that’s something we should talk about.”

Deanna blinked at his somber tone. “Meaning?” she asked, noting that he didn’t put the envelope into his pocket. In fact, he looked as if he had every intention of giving it right back to her.

Sean didn’t reply. Instead he glanced across the room. “Hey, Hank,” he called to another fireman, who looked to be a year or two older. His craggy features weren’t as handsome as Sean’s, but there was a confidence about him and an irrepressible grin that would definitely appeal to most women. “How about showing my man Kevin here and his friend Ruby around the station, while Deanna and I talk? We’ll catch up with you in a few minutes.”

Hank’s appreciative gaze swept over Ruby and his eyes lit up. Deanna noted that Ruby looked equally intrigued.

“No problem,” Hank said at once, then forced his attention to Kevin. “You really like fire trucks, huh, kid?”

“You bet,” Kevin said eagerly.

“Personally, I prefer the men who drive them,” Ruby said, regarding Hank with frank appreciation.

Deanna took note of his broad shoulders, dark-brown eyes and only a dark shadow of hair on his shaved head. He was definitely Ruby’s type—unrepentantly male.

He grinned at Ruby. “Is that so?”

Deanna shook her head as the three of them left. “Your friend is a brave man. Ruby’s a wonderful friend, but she’s fickle. She has a habit of discarding men like tissues when they don’t live up to her ideals, and they seldom do.”

Sean chuckled. “Then I think they were made for each other. Hank is a notorious flirt.”

Deanna shot a look at him. “He’s not married, is he?”

Sean looked hurt by the question. “Of course not. What kind of guy do you think I am? And even if he were, what’s the harm in asking him to show Ruby and Kevin around the station? I didn’t set them up on a date.”

“Sorry,” she said at once. “I overreacted. It’s just that Ruby’s a lot more vulnerable than she looks. Most men miss that.”

Sean stared after them, his expression thoughtful. “Yeah, I imagine they do. She looks as if she could handle anything that comes along.”

“When her guard’s up she can,” Deanna agreed.

“But she lets it down too often and too quickly?” he guessed, surprising Deanna with his insight.

“Exactly.”

Sean turned back to her. “I doubt anything much
can happen between her and Hank with Kevin along as a chaperon.”

Deanna nodded. “You’re probably right. Why did you make such a point of getting rid of them, by the way?”

“Like I said, I wanted to talk to you about the money thing.” He held out the envelope. “I want you to take this back.”

Deanna’s hackles immediately rose. “Not a chance. And there is no ‘money thing,”’ she responded edgily. “You made a loan, which was extremely generous of you, by the way. I’m paying you back. It’s a business matter.”

“It’s not as if we signed loan papers and there’s some huge penalty if you miss a payment,” he retorted. “It was a hundred bucks, not a thousand. I wish it could have been more. After the fire destroyed everything you owned, I thought a few extra dollars might help you get back on your feet, buy a few essentials. I certainly didn’t need it back right away.”

“Maybe in your world a hundred dollars doesn’t amount to much, but it was a lifeline for me.”

“That’s exactly my point. You need it right now. I don’t. It’s certainly not worth working yourself into exhaustion to pay me back.”

Deanna groaned. Now she understood why he’d gone all worried and protective on her. “Ruby’s been blabbing, hasn’t she? Did she tell you I was working too much?”

“She mentioned two jobs and extra hours on top of that,” he admitted. “That’s crazy.”

“It’s not crazy if I want to start over and get out of her apartment.”

“Is she complaining?”

“No, of course not.”

“Well then, what’s the rush?”

“It’s a matter of principle.”

“Is the principle worth more than your son’s happiness?”

Deanna stared at his suddenly harsh expression. “What kind of question is that?” she demanded heatedly. “
Nothing
is more important to me than Kevin’s happiness and well-being. And what right do you have to question that? You don’t even know me.”

Despite her sharp response, he didn’t back down. “Maybe not, but I can see what’s staring me right in the face. Kevin needs his mom, not an extra few bucks for groceries.”

“Maybe if you’d gone hungry you’d feel differently,” she snapped.

“I have,” he said bluntly. His unflinching gaze clashed with hers. “And I’ve gone without a mother. I’m here to tell you that there’s no comparison. I would have gone hungry every night of my life, if it had meant seeing my mother again.”

Deanna felt as if he’d landed a punch squarely in her gut. Even without details, that revelation explained a lot. No wonder he was taking her situation so personally.