The Last in Love (Ardent Springs Book 5) Read online

  “Then Abby needs to come around more often.” As Frankie leaned close to shovel in the food, his glasses steamed up. Justin had no idea how the man ever saw through the things, since the lenses, which could easily start a wildfire if held to the sun just right, were always smudged.

  “I’d have no problem with that.” Justin winked at Abby.

  “What would I be?” she asked. “The station mascot? Or is that limited to dalmatians?”

  Eating around his garlic bread, which Justin had no intention of touching—just in case—he let Frankie field the question.

  “We have a cat for that,” the brooding member of the squad offered. “Perkins is around here somewhere.”

  “Perkins?” Abby asked, failing to hide her smile. “You have a cat named Perkins?”

  Frankie nodded but kept his eyes on his food. “Named after Thaddeus Perkins. We lost him in a factory fire five years ago.”

  The reminder sobered all three of them, and Justin considered kicking the other man under the table. Green eyes turned hollow a second before disappearing behind dark lashes. She’d lost her husband to war, and though danger came with the territory in the firefighting business, he saw no reason to remind her of that reality.

  “Weren’t you watching a baseball game, Frank?”

  Still chewing, the other man said, “I’m eating.”

  “You eat in front of the TV all the time. Come on. Abby and I have work to discuss.”

  Bushy brows met as one. “Since when did you take up nursing?”

  Justin stared him down. “I haven’t.”

  “Then—”

  “I’m trying out a new hobby,” Abby cut in. “A little gardening. Justin has experience and offered to teach me what he knows.”

  “You play with flowers?” Frankie asked Justin, face incredulous.

  “Landscaping,” he corrected. “Now if you don’t mind . . .”

  Magnified eyes glared suspiciously before their third wheel pushed back his chair. “I’ll leave you alone, but I’m coming back for seconds when this is gone.”

  Nodding in agreement, Justin said, “Have at it. There’s plenty more on the stove.” Once Frankie was out of earshot, he turned to Abby. “That’s twice today you’ve cut me off from revealing our new partnership. You want to tell me why this has to be a secret?”

  “It doesn’t have to be,” she hedged, failing to meet his eyes. “Not forever, anyway.” When she finally looked up, Justin raised a brow. “I don’t know how to tell them,” she whispered, perching her elbows on the table.

  “Tell who what?”

  “My family,” she hissed. “How do I tell them that I’m not going to be a nurse anymore?”

  Going with logic, he replied, “You’re still a nurse. You just aren’t working as one for a while.”

  “Right,” she snapped. “Instead I’m helping start a business in a field I know absolutely nothing about. That’s totally sensible.”

  “Sensible is overrated.”

  “My family won’t see it that way.”

  “They’ll come around.”

  “Eventually,” Abby admitted. “I guess I should just tell them and get it over with.”

  Her reluctance planted doubts. As much as Justin wanted an excuse to spend time with her, he also intended to make a full effort at this business, at least for the summer. “If you don’t want to do this, you need to tell me now, Abby. I’m giving you an opportunity, not a mandatory sentence. No hard feelings if you’ve changed your mind.”

  “No,” she said, eyes sincere. “I want to do this. I checked nine books out of the library this afternoon and I’ve already started studying. I promise, I want to do this.”

  “Good to know,” he said, relieved. “But this means we’ll be spending a lot of time along Main Street, visible to pretty much the whole town. If you don’t tell them soon, you’re going to have a harder time explaining why you didn’t later.”

  Abby twirled her fork in circles. “That’s a practical thing to say for a guy who thinks sensible is overrated.”

  “I can be practical when the situation calls for it,” he assured her. “Does this mean we’re ready to get to work?”

  Pushing the plate away, she pulled a notebook and pen from the purse beside her chair. “I’m ready,” she said, opening to a clean page. “Where do we start?”

  Charmed by her enthusiasm, he said, “Why don’t you tell me what you learned from that book today?”

  Her face fell. “I only read a few chapters. I haven’t learned anything.”

  “Then you picked up the wrong book.” Justin had transitioned his manual labor experience into two design classes in college, so he could have easily taken the teacher role. But if this was going to work, Abby needed to feel confident enough to collaborate, not just follow his orders. “You had to learn something.”

  “Well,” she started, tapping the end of the pen on the notebook, “the author said that the biggest mistake most landscapers make is not focusing on the big-picture design first. If that’s right, then we need to focus on a whole design for the entire project, rather than the different parts individually.”

  As he suspected, she’d already absorbed more than she realized. “That’s exactly right.” Justin crossed to the side counter and returned with a long sheet of graph paper. Earlier in the day, he’d sketched out the square with Main Street darting off east and west. “This is the canvas we have to work with. I took a few measurements this morning, but we’ll need to complete a more precise survey tomorrow.”

  “That’s a huge canvas,” she muttered, staring at his basic pencil drawing.

  In a perfect world, a job this size would require a month for planning alone. They didn’t have that kind of time.

  “But not a blank canvas, which is good. Trees are in place, which will save us an incredible amount of time and money.”

  Abby tapped the paper next to the corner of Fourth and Main. “Have you thought about using planters along the sidewalks? Maybe we could find a style that would complement the older architecture of the buildings.”

  When he didn’t immediately respond, she brought her eyes up to his face, and Justin didn’t bother hiding the grin. “That’s exactly what I was about to suggest.”

  “No,” she said, sitting back in her chair. “Really?”

  “We’re going to make an excellent team,” he stated, sliding a stray lock off her forehead. A subtle blush dappled her cheeks, making him long to touch her again.

  “This does seem like the start of something good,” she breathed, sinking a tooth into her bottom lip.

  Justin sat mesmerized by the glimmer in her eyes and the way her slender neck curved just right, offering the perfect spot for a kiss.

  “Hot damn!” yelled Frankie from the living room, breaking the spell that had fallen over the new partners. “Did you see that home run?”

  As Justin took a deep, frustrated breath, Abby giggled. Neither of them answered Frankie’s question.

  “We should work on our design,” she suggested. “Four weeks isn’t a lot of time.”

  “You’re right,” Justin reluctantly agreed, putting a few extra inches between them. “Let’s get to work.”

  Chapter 11

  Abby never knew landscaping could be so sexy. She also never imagined her first creative meeting would include playing footsie with one of the hottest men she’d ever met. Poor Frankie had no idea what was going on at the other end of the room, but if he had, she was certain a scandalized blush would have been visible through the woolly beard.

  Practical Abby would never have approved of mixing business with pleasure. Good thing that uptight biddy hadn’t come to this meeting.

  Somehow, through the flirting and occasional innuendo, they’d managed to conceive of a rather impressive plan. They’d even searched the Internet for the necessary planters, locating several possibilities that wouldn’t break the budget. There were three items on the immediate to-do list.

  In th
e morning Justin would stop by the local nursery for a full price list and to see what plants would be readily available in the next month while Abby paid a visit to the local newspaper, the Ardent Advocate, to discuss buying ad space. One project was good, but not enough to sustain a business.

  When their individual tasks had been completed, the pair would meet at the bookstore and start filling in the measurements that Justin had skipped. Abby planned to arrive early enough to catch her mother and confess her sudden occupational change, since, as Justin had pointed out, once they started working in the square for all to see, news would travel fast. Better that Mama hear the news from Abby than from someone else.

  Feeling good about what they’d accomplished, Justin had cleaned up the kitchen while Abby packed her purse and made a quick trip to the powder room. When she returned, Justin cornered her next to the fridge.

  “I have a surprise,” he whispered against her neck before reaching for the freezer door. If he kept breathing in her ear like that, Abby might have to climb in the freezer just to cool off. “Don’t let Frankie see,” he added, slipping something hard and cold against her palm before he tugged her toward the stairs by her free hand.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  Justin didn’t answer until they reached the parking lot. “Come on,” he said, leading her to a small bench she hadn’t noticed earlier. An ancient arbor, which appeared less than stable, kept the little seat hidden in the shadows.

  When he motioned for her to sit, Abby said, “Are you serious? The whole thing looks ready to fall over at any second.”

  “Live a little,” he urged, taking a seat and pulling her down beside him. “Now eat your ice cream bar before it melts.”

  “Is that what this is?” She tore through the plain white wrapper to find a chocolate-covered treat on a stick. “I can’t remember the last time I had one of these.”

  He ripped his open. “Frankie doesn’t know I put them in there. It’s our little secret.”

  “That isn’t very nice,” Abby scolded, nibbling on her chocolate. “Didn’t your mother teach you to share?”

  “She did,” he answered, tapping his treat against hers. “But he’s already invaded our date. He doesn’t get to share in dessert.”

  “I thought this was a business meeting,” she reminded him before taking a full bite.

  “I’m a multitasker.” His thigh pressed against hers. “I’m good like that.”

  Voice husky, she said, “I bet you are.”

  They ate their desserts in companionable silence until Abby thought she might burst from anticipation. Though of what, she wasn’t sure. They certainly weren’t going to have sex on this old, rickety bench, but she could think of worse locations for a first kiss.

  “At the risk of pushing my luck,” Justin said, stretching an arm across the back of the bench, “I don’t suppose we could do this again tomorrow night? The date part, that is.”

  “I’m free,” she replied, “but you should probably let Frankie check his calendar.”

  “Your interest in a threesome is duly noted, but I was thinking just the two of us this time?”

  Abby tucked her head against his shoulder. “I’m willing to try that.”

  “Good.” His chin settled against her hair. “Abby?”

  “Yes?” she said, casting her face toward his.

  “Would you mind if I kissed you right now?”

  Suddenly shy, she looked away. “I wouldn’t mind that at all. I was kind of hoping you would.”

  “Thank God,” he muttered, placing a hand beneath her chin. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.”

  Though she couldn’t see his eyes in the dark, Abby imagined them glowing like polished gold. “It’s only been a couple weeks since the night of the fire.”

  He lifted her into his lap. “This fire started long before that one.”

  Tender lips brushed hers. Light. Gentle. Testing. A lick at the corner. A quick nibble along the bow at the top. All the while, his hands caressed her body, one along her hip while the other slid up her spine. Abby’s blood went hot as her muscles tensed with need. She hadn’t been touched, let alone kissed, in what felt like forever.

  Her hands slid around his neck, pulling. Conveying what she didn’t have the words to say. And finally he deepened the kiss, the taste of cold chocolate mingling in their shared breath. Abby’s head swirled as she pressed against him, his mouth hot and giving, and she greedily took all that he offered. Heat pooled between her thighs and a moan slipped free, a sound foreign and yet distantly familiar. Sweet, delicious desire coiled through her body as the kiss intensified, leaving her tethered to reality by nothing more than the muscles flexing beneath her palms.

  Justin broke the connection first, leaning his forehead against hers. “Abby girl, you’re going to kill me.”

  “There are worse ways to go,” she murmured, panting against him. “But I didn’t mean to lose control like that.”

  “Don’t ever apologize for passion, darling.” He leaned back far enough to brush the hair from her eyes. “The last thing I want to do is send you home, but I’m on duty until morning and I’d rather not spend our first night together in a bunk under a snoring Frankie Beckham.”

  The idea didn’t appeal to Abby, either. “We should probably slow down anyway,” she said, toying with a wisp of hair at the collar of his shirt. “There must be some rule against starting a relationship while trying to start a business, but I don’t feel much like following rules these days.”

  “I like this rebellious side of you,” Justin whispered before tasting her earlobe. His teeth toyed with her bottom lip. “Now you’re giving me all sorts of ideas. And if we don’t get off this bench, I might say to hell with duty and take you right here.”

  Abby shivered, her body fully aroused. “I’ve never had a fireman fantasy before, but maybe I’ve been missing out.”

  “I’ll fulfill any fantasy you want, baby. Just say the word.”

  The bench creaked as she rocked against him, reminding her of their precarious perch. Gathering all her strength, Abby pushed against his chest and slid to her feet.

  “I’d better let you get back upstairs,” she said, feeling something soft beneath her foot. “What was that?” she squealed, nearly jumping into his arms again.

  Justin laughed. “That was my ice cream bar.” He surveyed the area around the bench. “And I’m guessing that one is yours.”

  “Dang it,” she pouted. “I wanted that.”

  “The sacrifice was worth the prize,” he uttered, lifting off the bench and pulling her in for another scorching kiss. By the time this one ended, Abby was trembling and could barely feel her feet. “This is going to be the longest night of my life,” he breathed against her ear.

  Unable to speak, she nodded.

  “You’d better get going before Frankie comes looking for us,” Justin said.

  “My purse is still upstairs.”

  “Shit.” The expletive echoed her feelings exactly.

  “I don’t think I can face Frankie right now,” she said, rubbing her swollen lips. “Could you bring it down for me?”

  “Like I said, anything for you.” They walked back to the door, but instead of opening it, Justin tugged her close. “I don’t want to let you go,” he groaned, burying his nose in her hair.

  Knowing what she had to do, Abby let her practical side slip back into place. “You have a job to do, and I have books to read.” A gentle pat on his chest and he let her step away. “We’ll see each other in the morning, right? And then our date tomorrow night. I’d volunteer to cook for you, but I still don’t have a stove.”

  “There’s always pizza,” he said, a wicked grin teasing his talented lips. “I could pick it up on the way.”

  Abby nodded. “Okay. Now hurry and get my purse. The longer we’re down here, the more Frankie is going to wonder what we’re doing.”

  “What does it matter if Frankie knows what we’re doing?�
�

  “He works with my brother,” she reminded him. “The big, overprotective brother who’s well skilled with a tire iron.”

  “Right.” Justin opened the heavy metal door. “I’ll be back in a second.”

  More aroused than she’d been in a long time, Abby paced the small lighted area, keeping an eye out for anything that might pop out of the dark. When a raccoon scurried past the bench, she nearly leapt out of her skin.

  “What’s the matter?” Justin queried, charging out the door seconds after she screamed. “Are you okay?”

  Working to catch her breath, she pointed toward the arbor. “Raccoon,” she panted. “Scared me.”

  “Come on,” Justin chuckled, handing over her purse. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

  When they reached her Corolla on the street, he opened her door. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”

  Mostly recovered, she smiled. “That raccoon is not the reason I’ll be losing sleep tonight.” Seeing her words as an invitation, Justin leaned down for another kiss, but Abby’s self-preservation kicked in. She held him off with one finger pressed firmly against his sternum. “Save it for tomorrow or I’ll never get out of here.”

  Strolling backward, he gave her enough space to climb inside and close the door. After tossing the purse on her passenger seat, Abby started the engine and gave Justin one last wave before driving off, but at the red light a block away, she fought the urge to turn around.

  “Patience is a virtue, Abigail,” she said aloud, driving on when the light turned green, confident that tomorrow night her two-year drought would finally come to an end.

  After tossing and turning for several hours, Justin finally drifted off, only to be awakened an hour later by the firehouse alarms. By the time he’d suited up, four more squad members had arrived to leap on the truck at the same time he did. By five a.m., an hour before his shift ended, they’d extinguished the brush fire and headed back to town. Justin dropped his gear and went straight home, which meant walking two blocks down Main Street to his little apartment above the bookstore. Eyes burning, he’d grabbed a quick shower and sprawled across the small hand-me-down sofa for a brief nap.