Somewhere Only We Know (18 page)

As she showered, she became fully awake and very aware that things were about to get more complicated. It had been one thing to stay at Burke's apartment while he was gone, but he was home now, and what that meant, where that would lead, she had no idea.

There was an attraction between them. She'd been trying to deny it for days, but it was real. She just had to decide what to do about it, and she didn't want to do anything for the wrong reasons. She was a little lost, drifting on a sea of uncertainty, and Burke was an anchor. But she didn't want to grab on to him because she was close to drowning. If there was going to be something between them, they had to come together as equals.

Too many people leaned on Burke. She didn't want to be one more. And he would let her lean on him, because that's the kind of man he was. He rescued people. He solved problems. He was a fixer. And she was probably in desperate need of fixing. But that wasn't the kind of relationship she wanted.

Not that she even wanted a relationship, she thought with a sigh. She was still trying to get rid of the tangled ties of her last affair. This wasn't the time to start another.

On the other hand, love wasn't something that necessarily waited for the right time, and she didn't want to miss out on something because she was afraid.

But she and Burke weren't in love, she told herself firmly. There was just some chemistry going on—probably because they were sharing a small space. Once she moved out, they'd probably never see each other again.

Turning off the shower, she toweled off, dried her hair and got dressed. Looking in the mirror, she felt a lot more ready to face the day.

When she returned to the living room, Burke was sitting on the couch and he was on the phone. She hesitated, not sure if he wanted some privacy, but he motioned her forward. She sat down in the chair next to the couch as he finished his call.

"Thanks, Max," he said. "Yeah, I'll let her know, and we both appreciate your help."

"What did Max find out?" she asked.

"A couple of things. It appears that your ex-boyfriend is in debt to a loan shark named Harry Barker. He's a well-known Vegas bookie who doesn't tolerate unpaid debts. He has a lot of muscle working for him, and to date he's been very good at avoiding arrest. Max said that your boyfriend should go to the police and see if he can work with them to get Harry Barker's operation shut down. They can protect him if he helps them build a case."

"I can't imagine he'd agree to that. It's a good idea, but Paul isn't…" She wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence. "I don't think he's very brave. Since all this happened, he just seems to get weaker and weaker, like a scared little boy. I don't even recognize him anymore. Maybe he was always like that, and I just didn't see it."

"Well, if he calls you back, which he probably will, you might want to suggest this as an alternative to running away and trying to get other people to lend him money."

"I will."

"Max also said to keep your eyes open. While Barker operates mainly out of Vegas, he's been known to have ties in California. Depending on the size of the debt Paul is under, Barker may be willing to send his men to San Francisco to find you and use you as leverage."

"But I don't have any more money."

"They could still use you to flush Paul out."

"Like bait?"

"Yeah," he said grimly.

"I don't think Paul would come to my rescue."

"They might not know that; you were engaged, after all."

"I barely remember that now. Did Max have any news for you about Mitch?"

"He's identified who Mitch is using as a private investigator, but he hasn't had a chance to contact him yet. We're hoping the investigator might be more objective and reasonable. We need to find a way for us to work together."

"Excellent idea. I know that in light of what Mitch told you about his relationship with Leanne that working with him is an abominable idea, but working against him isn't great, either. Mitch needs to know what you know and vice versa. Maybe you should set up a meeting with some neutral third parties present like Max and this investigator. They can stop things from getting ugly, and you and Mitch can hash it all out."

Burke gave her an incredulous look. "You think Mitch and I can just talk ourselves to a resolution?"

"I don't know, but you both have questions. You both know a piece of the story. It's time to compare notes."

"I don't want to talk to him, Maddie. I don't want to see his face. I don't want to hear him tell me how much Leanne loved him."

"It would be really uncomfortable," she agreed. "But you have to play the cards you're dealt, and you're not going to rest now until you know the truth. That truth can probably only be found if you, Mitch, Leanne's parents and friends sit down and talk."

"I'll think about it. I'm going to let Max talk to the investigator first." He got to his feet. "Let's get some breakfast."

"Great."

"By the way, I called my cousin Kate and her friend wants to talk to you about the food truck. She said she'd call me back and we can set up a time to meet this afternoon or tomorrow."

"That would be great," she said, excited about the possibility. "You've done so much for me, Burke. I don't know how I'm going to pay you back."

He smiled. "I'll think of something."

A little shiver ran down her spine. She wondered if what he was thinking was the same thing she was thinking…

* * *

Molly's Diner was a small restaurant a few blocks from Burke's apartment building. It was run by a rather large, middle-aged woman named Norma who gave Burke a very friendly smile and quickly ushered them to what she claimed was the best seat in the house. After a quick perusal of the menu, Maddie ordered up blueberry waffles while Burke settled on the French toast.

"You're very popular here," she told Burke as she drank her coffee.

"I gave Norma some suggestions a few months back on how to bring up her wiring to fire code. I'm now one of her favorite customers."

"Do you come here a lot?"

"A fair amount, when I don't have beautiful blondes cooking me breakfast."

She smiled. "I'm always more beautiful when I'm cooking. It's funny how that works out."

He grinned. "Not the first time you've heard that compliment?"

"Definitely not the first, but I still enjoy it." She paused. "When I left the firehouse yesterday, you were going to a fire. Was it a bad one?"

"It was a warehouse with a lot of potential combustible materials. We managed to contain the fire and prevent it from reaching the worst chemicals and spreading to other buildings."

"That sounds dangerous."

"No one was hurt, so it was all good."

"Have you ever been hurt on the job?" she asked curiously.

He waited for the server to set down their plates and ask if they needed anything else. Then he said, "I've had a concussion, a broken hand and suffered smoke inhalation, nothing too serious."

"That all sounds serious."

"They were minor issues. They didn't keep me off the job long."

"You don’t like anyone to feel sorry for you, do you?"

"Nothing to feel sorry about, Maddie. I survived. And injuries can be part of the job, but I love what I do. These days my life is rarely in danger. I worry more about keeping everyone else safe, especially the young guys. They get overeager and impatient. A fire is a living, breathing thing. You have to respect it. You have to be ready for it to change at any moment. And you can never underestimate it."

"There's a reverence in your voice," she commented.

"I don't revere fire, but I respect it. I have to. It's my job to not only make sure I put the fire out, but that the men I send into a building are going to come out safe and healthy."

"Have you ever lost a fellow firefighter?"

His lips tightened. "Two good friends a couple years back. It was rough. I still think of them a lot. They were great men."

"I'm sure. I was thinking when I was at the firehouse that Shelby and Rachel are surrounded by some good-looking men. Have there been any hookups?"

"Not at our house. Rachel was dating a firefighter from another house for a while, but I think that ended. Shelby dates outside of work. If there has been anything going on at the house, they've kept it away from me."

"Would it bother you?"

"I wouldn't be a big fan of such a relationship. It can complicate things and when you're on a fire, you can't have emotions or friendships or relationships playing any kind of role." He paused. "Have you dated at work?"

"Yes. I went out with the owner of a restaurant in Italy for almost a year. When we broke up, I also lost my job."

"Did you learn your lesson?" he asked with a teasing smile.

"Not entirely," she conceded. "I did date another sous chef while I was in New York. That ended more amicably, but it was still awkward to work there afterwards. Since then I've kept my romantic life away from my job."

"How many romances have there been?"

"Uh, I don't know," she said vaguely. "A few."

"Serious ones?"

"A few," she repeated, not really wanting to get into actual numbers. Thankfully, her phone rang, and even more thankfully it was her mother's number on the screen. "It's my mom. Do you mind?"

"Go ahead."

"Hi, Mom, how was your trip?"

"It was lovely, very relaxing," her mother said. "And we were thrilled to find the remodel done when we arrived home last night. I was a little worried we might end up in a hotel for a few days."

"I can't wait to see it."

"Which is why I'm calling. We'd love for you to come down today if you can."

"Today?" She'd thought her mom would have wanted time to catch up on her sleep and get over her jet lag.

"If you're free. We want to talk to you about something that's worrying us."

"What's that?" she asked warily.

"Paul left us some rather disturbing messages. What's going on? I thought we'd seen the last of him."

"I can't believe he called you. I didn't think he had your number. It's really nothing you need to worry about."

"Well, we're concerned, and we'd feel better if we could sit down with you." Her mother paused. "I just remembered you don't have a car anymore. Do you want us to come to your apartment?"

Since the last thing she wanted was to tell her parents about her living situation, she immediately dismissed that suggestion. "No, I'll find a way down there. I'll text you when I'm going to come, but it will be sometime this afternoon."

"Can't wait to see you, honey. Try and make it for lunch. Your father is going to grill some steaks."

"I'll try."

Burke gave her a questioning look as she ended the call. "Paul called your parents?"

"Yes. They're worried, and they want to see me today. I just have to figure a way to get down there. Maybe I could get a zip car."

"I'll drive you down."

"I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking me, I'm offering."

"I'm sure that's the last thing you want to do on your day off."

"Actually, it would be nice to get out of the city. I wouldn't mind the drive. Just say yes. We don't need to do this dance every time I offer to do something for you or you offer to do something for me."

"So far all I've done for you is cook you a few meals."

"And they were great. I'm happy to help, and to be honest it takes my mind off the whole Mitch/Leanne situation. So in a way I'm doing this for myself as much as for you."

"Then yes."

"Good. I always liked your parents. It will be nice to see them again."

"They liked you, too. They were so impressed with your academic focus, especially my father. He was always big on grades, and Dani was much better at bringing the good grades home than I was. I tended to get distracted during class—butterflies flying outside the window, the kids passing notes to each other, people walking by the open door."

"There was apparently a lot going on in your classes," he teased.

"I just tended to be more interested in those things than in what the teacher was actually talking about. How did you keep your focus?"

"I wanted the good grade more than I wanted to stare at the butterflies."

She nodded. "That's the difference between us. I liked the butterflies."

"What time do you need to get down there?"

"Any time that works for you. I said I'd text when I knew for sure."

"Let's go back to my place and we can figure it out. Are you done?"

"Yes," she said popping the last bite into her mouth. "That was really good."

Burke called for the check, then laid down a twenty-dollar bill and told Norma to keep the change.

Maddie liked that he was a generous man. Having worked in restaurants for a long time, she appreciated someone who respected and rewarded the service they'd been given.

As they walked down the street, she said, "By the way, I have an appointment to see an apartment tonight around eight-thirty. It's a roommate situation. The woman looks fairly normal on social media, so I'm going to check it out."

"Do you really want a roommate?"

"It wouldn't be my first choice, but I do need to find a place to live."

"Just make sure it's the right place," he said. "There's no rush."

She didn't know why Burke was so easygoing about letting her stay on his couch. It didn't really fit his personality. He'd always seemed like someone who liked his own space, but he didn't seem to mind at all that her clothes and things were all over his living room. Maybe it would bother him more if he was around, but he'd been gone for two days. She'd see how the next two days went when they were living in each other's pocket.

She stepped off the sidewalk to cross the street when a car suddenly came out of nowhere. She froze.

"Maddie," Burke yelled, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back to the curb as the car hurtled past them. "What the hell was that?"

"Didn't they have a stop sign?" she asked in confusion.

"Yes, but they obviously didn't see it. Are you all right?"