Trial by Fire (24 page)

Julian. He should’ve known the oversexed dog would make for the beauty like a heat-seeking missile. Grace and Kat exchanged pointed glances, and Grace shrugged, offering her new admirer a serene half smile.

“Lead the way.”

The pair wandered off, and Kat frowned after them in worry. “I remember that guy from the fire at Joan and Greg’s. Will she be all right with him?”

Howard chuckled. “Julian? With anyone else’s sister, I’d have to say not a chance. But I have a feeling Grace is fully capable of carving out his liver with one manicured fingernail.”

“True.” Dismissing the matter for the moment, she heaved a shaky breath and scanned the crowd. “So, are you going to introduce me to your folks?”

If his heart got any bigger, he’d burst. “You bet, sweetheart. This way.”

Introducing the girl to his parents. Not long ago, he’d have run far and fast at the suggestion. Screaming and covering his balls. Too intimate, too personal.

Sort of like chopping veggies in his kitchen. And spooning after sex.

With Kat at his side, he couldn’t think of anything that pleased him more.

He was
so
toasted.

14

Kat shook in her sandals every step of the way to where Howard’s parents sat enjoying the afternoon and their guests. Holy craparoni. Besides Howard, Bentley Mitchell was one of the biggest men she’d ever laid eyes on.

There was a much more imposing aura about the older man than she saw in Howard. A hard-as-nails presence. Maybe because he was chief, and that sort of experience meant his shit-o-meter had a sensitive dial.

As Bentley rose to greet her, she was struck anew by how closely Howard resembled him in build and facial structure. Even his short, dark brown hair liberally threaded with silver might’ve been Howard’s match when the chief was younger.

Howard’s parents waited for their son to introduce the new girl, expressions filled with welcome, and no little curiosity. The idea of being an insect under a microscope made her squirm. Out of instinct, she pressed into her lover’s side, seeking the sanctuary of his big, warm body.

“Relax, you’ll be fine,” he whispered in her ear. Placing an arm around her, he squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. “Guys, I’d like you to meet a very special lady. This is Kat McKenna. Kat, these are my folks, Bentley and Georgie Mitchell.”

A very special lady.
Yeah, she liked the way he’d said that, so poised and confident, in his deep, sexy voice. Beat the heck out of her stumbling intro to Grace.

Bentley took her hand in both of his, pumped it in a firm grip. “When my boy keeps a secret, it’s a damned good one,” he said gruffly. “Are you going to make an honest man out of the rascal?”

“Bentley!” The tiniest woman Kat had ever seen pushed her towering husband aside and pulled her into a quick, enthusiastic embrace. Drawing back, she shook her head, humor and exasperation etched on her adorable face. “Ignore him, dear. Working with mostly men for forty years and being the boss for the last twenty-five has left him with the manners of a goat.”

Howard’s dad grimaced. Smothering a nervous laugh, she scrambled with an appropriate response. “I, um, it’s great to meet you both. Howard speaks very highly of you two.”

What an inane thing to say. But it was true, and pleased his parents to no end, if Georgie’s blush and Bentley’s puffed-out chest were any indication.

“Oh, and happy birthday, sir,” she added.

“Thank you, young lady. Not a bad turnout for a rude old goat.” He shot his little wife a pointed glare.

Which the older woman ignored. “Won’t you sit down? Tell us about yourself. You have us at a disadvantage, you know.”

Howard placed a couple of lawn chairs next to his parents and gestured for her to sit by Georgie. He took the seat on her other side as she answered. “Well, there isn’t much to tell. Howard and I met when my parents’ neighbors’ house burned the other night and his team answered.”

“Oh, heavens,” Georgie whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “What an awful thing about that woman who burned inside. You weren’t injured, I hope?”

Oh, shoot. Belatedly, she regretted bringing up the fire. She had no idea whether Howard had discussed his predicament with his parents. “No, no, I’m fine. Anyway, we’ve been, ah, seeing each other when our work schedules permit. I’m a first-grade teacher here in Sugarland.”

That revelation prompted a round of positive commentary from the Mitchells on how important it was to pay teachers more to draw in the good ones and keep the experienced staff. For several minutes, they questioned her with avid curiosity about her job, how difficult it was sometimes, and how rewarding. Relaxing, she warmed to the topic she knew best.

The subject of teaching segued into her own parents and sister, all of whom she adored—even if she hadn’t chosen to follow their father into his high-powered law firm like Grace had done. But she kept her dad’s disappointment out of the picture. After rattling on for a while, she noticed Howard had taken her hand. She glanced sideways to find him smiling, brown eyes shining with unmistakable pride. His emotion, naked for all to see, left her lightheaded. And happy. Happier than she’d ever been.

This man would
never
be disappointed in her for being true to her own path. She knew that in the fiber of her being.

Deftly, she turned the conversation’s focus to Howard’s parents, encouraging them to tell how they’d met and later adopted their son. Their love for Howard radiated from their faces, threaded through every word as they spoke of a frightened, abused little boy who’d come into his own and completed their lives.

Howard shifted in his chair, his expression growing uncomfortable, either from the gushing praise or the reminder of his awful past. Damn, she hadn’t meant to upset him. His parents went on, not seeming to notice that he’d paled under his tanned skin, looking faintly sick.

One of his friends picked up on his tension, though. The cute guy with the short black hair and gorgeous laser-blue eyes hiding behind his wire-rimmed glasses. A very sweet man, he’d assisted her at the fire. What was his name? Zack.

“Hey, buddy.” Zack smiled, striding over to their group, holding a can of Diet Coke. “You gonna hog your pretty lady all afternoon or introduce the rest of us?”

“I don’t know if I trust you dogs with my woman,” Howard said, standing. “But I need to throw the burgers on the grill.”

Zack dimpled. “We’ll take good care of her. Really.”

“You’d better.” He arched a brow. “I’d hate to have to find a place to hide your body.”

Good Lord. Kat choked with embarrassment, sliding a glance at Georgie. The older woman grinned at their antics and waved a hand to shoo her off.

“Go on, meet some other young people. Some of Bentley’s friends brought along their grown kids and their respective dates, too. You don’t need to keep us company. Us old fogies will stick together for now.”

Kat gave the Mitchells a quick wave as the lieutenant and Zack steered her toward a group of their friends. As they neared, she tried to quell the flutter of nerves attacking once more. Sweet Lord, she’d never seen so many scrumptious, hard-bodied men in one place.

“Kat, these guys are some of the crew from my station, ” Howard said. “You’ve already met Zack. From left to right, the tough guy there is our transplanted Texan, John Valentine. Val to us. He works B-shift.”

Thumbs hooked in his jeans, Val nodded. “Nice to meetcha.”

“Next to him is Tommy Skyler, our newbie on A-shift, relatively speaking.”

Whoa. The blond kid looked so much like the Brad Pitt of a decade ago, it was crazy. A true stunner, almost too beautiful.

“Hello,” she said, including the huge, bald Val, as well.

“Next is Eve Marshall—she’s on my shift, as well— and that’s Clayton Montana, B-shift’s FAO and resident cowboy with a death wish. Clay rides bulls professionally on his off weekends.”

The lean, sandy-haired cowboy in question cocked an eyebrow. “Wanna see my scars?”

Howard clamped a hand down on Clay’s shoulder, hard enough to make the other man wince. “No, she doesn’t. Why don’t you make your worthless hide useful and help me with the burgers?” Bending, he gave Kat a kiss and whispered, “I’ll be right back.”

Her heart thumped triple time. “Go ahead; I’m in good hands.”

As he practically dragged Clay across the yard, Tommy whistled between his teeth. “Man, the lieutenant’s, like, a
goner.
He totally just marked his territory. ”

“Kat’s a woman, not a fire hydrant for some jerk to pee on, you idiot.” Eve fisted her hands on her slim hips. “No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend, Skyler.”

He smirked. “Hey, I’ve got plenty of girlfriends. More than Salvatore.”

Zack shot their buddy a droll stare. “No, you and Jules have an increased risk for contracting something contagious and inflammatory that requires antibiotics.”

“Whatever, dude. At least my date isn’t attached to my wrist.” Dismissing Knight, he saluted Kat with his beer. “Great to meetcha. Gotta go talk to some people.”

Val wandered off with Tommy, and Kat frowned after them, puzzling over his exchange with Zack. Harmless jabs between friends? Or had that been a flash of pain she’d seen on Zack’s face?

“Boys.” Eve shrugged. Soft, curly dark brown hair streaked with reddish-blond caught in a light breeze to tickle her pert nose, and she tucked the wayward strand behind one ear. “Can’t live with ’em, can’t shoot ’em.”

Zack paused in taking a swig of his soda. “I’m a guy, and you don’t want to shoot me.”

“You’re not a guy, you’re my best friend.”

“Well, gee,” he sighed. “I think I’ll just go find a corner and lick my raw, bleeding wounds. Later.”

After Zack moved out of earshot, Kat leaned toward Eve, watching the man’s fine, tight backside disappear into the crowd. Not as fine as Howard’s, but she wasn’t dead by a long shot. “Zack’s too cute.”

Eve gazed after him as though she’d never considered his desirability before. “Yeah, I suppose so. But he’s even more beautiful on the inside, you know. A lot like Howard.” Lips curving upward, she let the opening dangle. Odd pale blue eyes, striking in contrast to her lovely coffee-with-cream complexion, regarded Kat steadily.

“I guess that’s my cue, huh?” She smiled, and Eve returned it in full. Something passed between them, the beginnings of a bond, perhaps? She liked Eve and wanted to make a good impression, not only on her, but on all of them. “Yes, Howard is gorgeous inside and out. I’ve never met anyone like him.”

“The lieutenant is special to us, and one of the most respected men in the department besides. He’s got that strong, silent mojo going on, but inside he’s a teddy bear.” Eve’s voice lowered as she studied Kat from under long lashes. “I’ve never known a man with a bigger heart, and I’d hate to see his get broken.”

“You don’t have to worry about that where I’m concerned. If anything, he’ll break mine first.”
Because we’re great in bed, but he doesn’t talk to me.
But she didn’t know Eve well enough to vent about personal matters. At lunch, though, Grace had given her some sage advice—don’t push him too hard. Let it ride and see what happens.

“Hmm. Don’t know about that, girlfriend. He seems pretty far gone to me.”

“From your lips . . .” They laughed together, and Eve entertained her with several stories about calls the team had responded to in recent months, some hilarious, others downright scary. Why hadn’t Howard shared any of this? The question nagged at the back of her mind like a sore tooth. Maybe he didn’t think it was important. . . . Or maybe she wasn’t important enough to tell.

Okay, this party was turning out to be a little more of an eye-opener than she’d bargained for.

“Damn, who drank all the Bud Light?” Scowling, Clay fished around in one of the coolers.

Howard stuck his head out from behind the open lid of the grill. “There’s more in the fridge inside. Ice down a few, would you?” Busy with the burgers, he disappeared again.

Mounting the deck steps, Kat waved a hand at Clay. “I’ll get them.” The least she could do was be useful. Besides, the cowboy’s attention had already been snagged by a couple of attractive—and presumably unattached—young ladies.

“Thanks, darlin’. ’Scuse me, duty calls.” Like a hound on the scent, he made a beeline for the women.

Shaking her head, Kat grinned and went inside. Apparently, Clay had the attention span of a gnat. And gonads of steel, to hit on his superiors’ daughters.

Opening the packed fridge, Kat found the large carton of beer wedged upright between two shelves and sandwiched between sodas, dips, and cold salads. Grasping the edge of the cardboard, she tugged, trying to work the box out. Darned thing was stuck.

“Here, let me help you with that.”

Startled, Kat straightened and spun, bumping her head on the door of the fridge. “Ow!”

“Are you all right? I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Blinking at the attractive older man who’d done just that, she painted on a smile and suppressed a sudden jangle of nerves. “No, I’m fine.”

In truth, the man was invading her personal space. Big time. She was effectively pinned inside the open fridge, no room to maneuver. And at the moment, everyone else was outside.

The man gave her a crooked smile. “The beer?”

“Oh! Of course.” Good grief, he was only waiting for her to move out of the way so he could help. Feeling silly, she let him by, watching as he tugged the carton out with ease and placed it on the counter.