Somewhere Only We Know (17 page)

"Good."

"What about you? Any more word from Mitch?"

"No. But I wouldn't expect him to show up here. What happened Friday night has already gotten back to the top brass, and while they don't usually intervene in personnel problems—"

"You're a Callaway and your dad is going to want to know what's going on," she finished.

"That and the fact that Mitch assaulted me. That goes a little beyond just a personnel issue. I'm more concerned for my brother Colton; he has to work with Mitch, and that can't be fun."

"The sins of the brother, not the father, in this case."

"Exactly. I don't want Colton to pay for Mitch's intense dislike of me, especially considering the work we do."

"Then maybe it's good your father is getting involved."

"It's rarely good when my father gets involved in my business," he said dryly. "But this might be the exception." He paused. "Did you sleep in my bed last night?"

His question turned her cheeks pink, and there was a brighter gleam in her eyes when she looked back at him. "No, I took the couch. Your bed is waiting for you."

"I want you to be comfortable, Maddie. It's really fine."

"And I was really fine on the couch."

Her words brought back the fact that they'd both slept on that couch Saturday night, and it had been very comfortable.

Dylan interrupted their conversation. "Hey, Burke, I just wanted to let you know that the food is going fast, so if you want some…"

"I do," he said, getting to his feet. "I'm starving."

As they walked out of his office, Dylan fell into step with Maddie. "I've never had fried ravioli before," he said. "It was fantastic. Did you cook everything you brought?"

"Yes, I was practicing my skills for an interview I had earlier today for a chef's job."

"Did you get it?" Dylan asked.

"I don't think so."

"Their loss. I'm sure you'll get snapped up." He stopped abruptly. "Wait a second. Have you ever thought about doing a food truck?"

"Sure, but I don't have the capital to invest in something like that," she said.

"I have an idea for you. My sister Kate has a friend who has a food truck, but he just broke his arm in a motorcycle accident. He can't cook with his cast, and he's losing business. He needs a temporary chef. I wonder if you could help him out for a few weeks while he's recovering and you're in between jobs. I'll give you my sister's number if you're interested. She can hook the two of you up."

"I'd really like that," Maddie said with excitement in her voice. "Thanks."

"No problem. Someone who cooks like you should definitely be cooking for the public. I'll call Kate and find out when you two can meet. Burke, can you be the go-between?"

"Sure." While Burke appreciated the way Dylan's words had made Maddie's eyes light up, he was thinking just the opposite, that he wouldn't mind keeping Maddie's cooking just for himself. Maybe he'd keep Maddie to himself, too.

"I'm so glad I came down here," Maddie said as they walked back into the lounge.

"A lot of people are happy about that," he said, waving his hand toward the table where his fellow firefighters were happily cleaning their plates.

"That's what dinner is supposed to look like. When I was at the restaurant earlier, I couldn't help thinking that I didn't feel very happy when I was cooking, and when I'm happy the food tastes better. Yesterday, when I was making all these dishes, I felt great. Maybe a food truck would be a better place for me."

"It probably doesn't pay as well. I doubt there are benefits. In fact, I'm not sure Kate's friend will be able to pay you anything." He hated to dampen her enthusiasm, but one of them had to be practical.

"You're right," Maddie agreed. "But it could be fun. Maybe that's worth more than security."

And just like that, he was reminded that he and Maddie had very different outlooks on life.

"I know you wouldn't think that," she added.

"I don't think fun is worth more than security, but it's worth something. It's good to love what you do—otherwise, why do it?"

She nodded, a hint of surprise in her gaze. "I agree."

"But it's nice when fun and security meet up. I'm not sure that's in a food truck run by my cousin's friend."

"Only one way to find out."

"True. I'm going to grab some food." He'd barely started toward the counter when the alarm went off. "Dammit. I have to go."

"I'll wrap up the food and put it in the fridge," Maddie said. "You can have it when you come back."

"You're an angel."

"I never thought I'd hear you call me that," she said with a laugh.

He grinned back at her. "I'm a little surprised, too."

"I guess food really is the way to a man's heart."

He didn't bother to answer, but it wasn't her food that had his heart beating faster. It was her beautiful green eyes, her enticing smile and those inviting lips…

The fire inside of him was burning just as hot as the one he was about to put out.

Chapter Twelve

After three hours spent working a warehouse fire, Burke got in five hours of sleep before his shift ended at seven Tuesday morning. He wanted to go directly home. He wanted to see Maddie again. He hadn't felt so eager to leave the firehouse in a long time. Work had been his salvation the last few years. But getting home would have to wait. First, he had to meet his father. If his dad hadn't asked him to come to the office, he might have tried to put him off, but when he went to headquarters, Jack Callaway was Deputy Chief of Operations and he was a Battalion Chief. He didn't ignore a direct call from his Deputy Chief. He just hoped he could limit the conversation to Mitch's behavior. He didn't want to get into a discussion with his father about Leanne.

When he got to his dad's office, he was surprised to see Colton standing in the hallway, texting someone on his phone. His youngest brother wore jeans and a T-shirt under a gray jacket. Like Burke, Colton was working the same shift out of another firehouse, a firehouse run by Captain Mitch Warren.

"Colton," he said.

Colton looked up and gave him a nod. "One second. I have to send this to Olivia."

"How is Olivia?" Colton's girlfriend was in the process of relocating her life from New York to San Francisco and had been going back and forth the past few months.

"She's good," Colton said with a happy smile. "Liv will be officially living here starting next Monday. I can't wait. So Dad called you in, too?"

"Yes. I'm assuming this is about Mitch. How was your shift?"

"It was great. Mitch called in sick, so I didn't have to deal with him." Colton paused. "From the first day I started working with him, I knew there was tension between you, but Friday night he was out of his mind. He hates your guts. I know it has something to do with Leanne and that you're probably not going to tell me what it is, but I'm going to tell you that Mitch is not someone you should ignore—not anymore. Something tripped a switch in his brain. He's not just annoyed and grieving; he is fired up, and you're his target."

"I know. I'm handling it."

"I hope you can handle it. But the last time the two of you were together, Mitch ended up getting in the first and only punch."

"I chose not to hit back."

"Was that when you were on your ass tangled up with a pretty blonde?" Colton joked. "The same woman who happened to show up at Nicole's party with you?"

"Maddie is staying with me for a few days," he admitted. "And she did throw me off my stride last Friday night, but I also didn't want to get into a fight with Mitch and ruin the Parkers' memorial celebration." He thought about telling Colton that he'd gotten in a shot on Mitch on Saturday but decided it wasn't important to share that right now. It would just bring more questions.

His father's office door opened, and Jack Callaway beckoned them inside.

The office was comprised of a large oak desk in front of a big bay window with floor-to-ceiling bookcases on one wall and a large scheduling board on the opposite wall. Two straight chairs were placed in front of the desk. Burke and Colton slid into them while Jack sat back in his large leather chair and gave them both a contemplative look.

"We've got a problem," Jack said.

"The problem is mine," Burke cut in. "Colton doesn't need to be here for this."

"Hey, I work with the guy; you don't," Colton said. "So I'm in this, too."

"Colton is right. He's in a difficult position, caught between his brother and his boss." Jack paused. "I've called Captain Warren, but he hasn't returned my calls. I've told him that if he doesn't get back to me by five o'clock today, he'll be placed on temporary leave until we can speak to each other."

"That's a good decision," Colton said with an approving nod. "The last two weeks, Mitch has been acting erratically, blowing up at everyone for little to no reason, and he's been drinking a lot after work. He's not in a good mental place to lead. I don't know what changed, but something happened."

"I agree," Jack said. "I've spoken to some of the other firefighters at your house, Colton, and their opinions are the same as yours. I'd like to get Captain Warren a psychological evaluation to see if we can get to the root of his problems."

Burke knew what the root of Mitch's problem was—Leanne.

"Can you shed any light on the situation, Burke?" Jack asked.

"Mitch and Leanne were friends. He's been unable to accept the fact that no one has been made accountable for Leanne's accident. He believes in some twisted way that I'm responsible for her death."

"You were working the night she died," Colton said quietly.

"He thinks I orchestrated the hit-and-run."

"That's absurd," Jack said, his gaze turning hard. "Why the hell would he think that?"

"You're going to have to ask him."

"Why don't you tell me why he thinks that?" Jack countered.

He hesitated. But if he couldn't trust his father and his brother, who could he trust? "Mitch told me that he and Leanne had an affair, that she was pregnant when she died, and he thinks I knew that she was having his baby, and that's why I wanted to kill her, or at least get rid of the baby."

Colton's jaw dropped and even his father looked taken aback by his words. For a long minute, there was nothing but silence in the room.

Jack was the first to recover. "I'm sorry, Burke. Did you know that—"

"They slept together? No. And I have only Mitch's word on that."

"You can't believe anything he says," Colton put in.

"I don't know that I believe him. I don't know that I believe any of it. I'm still trying to figure it all out. Apparently, the new investigator he hired discovered Leanne's medical records. And now he's looking into the accident again. Mitch is fired up, thinking he's going to finally know the truth."

"I wondered what had happened to knock him off the edge he was on," Colton said.

"Now you know."

"How can we help?" Jack asked.

"There's nothing you can do to help," he said, getting to his feet. "I'll work this out on my own, and I expect what I just said to stay between the three of us."

"You never need to say that," Jack returned. "We're family."

"Thanks. I'm glad you're pulling Mitch off the job. I think that's a good decision."

"I agree. Be careful, son."

"I will be."

He and Colton left the office together. They didn't speak until they left the building and were out on the busy streets of San Francisco.

"I want to help you, Burke," Colton said. "What can I do?"

"Nothing, Colton."

"I could reach out to Mitch's family. His sister came to the firehouse a few weeks ago. I'm sure I could get her number, see if she knows anything."

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't want you getting involved in this. Mitch could turn on you just as easily as he's turned on me."

"I'm not worried about that. I've been dealing with his bad attitude the past few months, and it hasn't been fun, but I've managed."

"Just stay out of it, Colton."

Colton sighed, shaking his head in disgust. "I know you still think of me as your bratty little brother, but I'm a grown man. I can help you out."

He smiled. "You were a brat, but I don't think of you that way anymore. You've proved yourself to be a good firefighter and an even better man. But I still don’t want you involved in this. However, if you want to get Mitch's sister's phone number, I wouldn't say no."

"Consider it done. I'll text it to you as soon as I have it." Colton paused. "Don't believe the worst until you know for sure what the truth is."

Colton was talking about Leanne's infidelity, warning him against jumping to conclusions. The problem was—deep down—he knew it was true.
Why
was something he wasn't ever sure he'd find out unless he could get one of Leanne's friends or her parents to tell him something he didn't know.

But those concerns were for later. He wanted to get home. He wanted to see Maddie. And at the moment, that was all he really cared about.

* * *

Tuesday morning, Maddie woke up to the sound of the front door opening. She jolted to a sitting position as Burke walked through the apartment door.

He gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"What time is it?"

"Almost nine."

"That late?" She ran a hand through her tangled hair, wishing she'd woken up before he got home so she would have had a chance to shower and get dressed. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders as he set a coffee down on the table in front of her.

"I wasn't sure what you liked, so I went with hazelnut latte."

"That's perfect. I can make us some breakfast."

"You've done enough cooking for me. Why don't I take you out for breakfast? There's a great little diner not too far from here."

"That sounds good. Can I take a quick shower?"

"Of course."

She got up from the couch, acutely conscious of her skimpy boxer shorts and clingy tank top. She grabbed the first clothes she could find from her open suitcase on the floor and dashed down the hall to the bathroom.