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I shake my head to push off unwelcome thoughts of Lisa. She happened three fucking years ago. It is time to move on. Besides, I am happy now. Somehow, I’ve managed to crawl out of the dark hole she tossed me in.
“I have to go, Valerie,” I tell her. “Thanks for calling and for, you know…” My voice trails off. How do show gratitude to a woman you only met three months ago for raising your daughter?
“I know and you’re welcome. We’ll do it until you’re ready,” she says softly and my chest constricts.
It’s her tone of voice that does it. It’s not fair on her and I really do need to do something. Anything as long as it’s a step toward resolving this issue.
“I’m having dinner with my parents on Friday. I’ll tell them about Emma then.” Sweat forms on my back.
“I’m glad. Emma needs as much love around her as she can get,” Valerie says.
I inhale deeply and then we say goodbye. Fear clutches at my heart. Telling my family about Emma is a huge step. She’ll no longer be a secret.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were on a call.”
I spin around while raising the hose and aim the jet of water at a figure in front of me. A scream rents the air and hands fly up in a defensive gesture.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath when I realize that it’s a woman.
I move the hose from her but it’s too late. She’s drenched in water and her clothes, a shirt and a skirt cling to her body like a second skin. Her full breasts and her nipples are visible through her wet blouse, setting my fantasies ablaze.
All at once, it hits me who she is. Vanessa, Ace’s sister-in-law. “He’s going to fucking kill me,” I mutter.
“Who?” she says, irritation drawn on her perfectly heart-shaped face.
“Ace. I almost drowned you. He already threatened my life if any harm came to you.” I look at her clothes and wet face in horror. I close the distance between us, grab a handful of her skirt and attempt to wring out as much of the water as I can.
Sounds of giggling fill the air and I look up in surprise. I’m momentarily at a loss for words when I look into her chocolate brown eyes. “You’re laughing! After I’m completely ruined your clothes.”
“You should see yourself,” she says and wipes a stray tear on the corner of her eye.
I look down at my hands filled with as much material of her skirt as I can gather. Yeah. Not my finest moment. “Let’s go into the house and get you out of those wet clothes.”
I hold her arm lightly and lead her toward the back entrance. Her shoes make a sloshing sound as she walks. I hope I haven’t destroyed them. I rush forward to open the door.
“Please come in.” I’ve never felt as clumsier as I do at this moment. I can’t wait to tell my brothers about this. They’ll get a good laugh out of it. Not my sister though. She would roll her pretty eyes at me and call me a dork.
I follow Vanessa in.
“Your kitchen is lovely,” she says.
“Thanks.” I’m impressed that she can admire my kitchen while soaking wet. Most women would be throwing a fit and complaining about their ruined hair. Vanessa is not only wet, but she doesn’t have make-up on and she’s not the least bit self-conscious. She doesn’t need it either. She’s beautiful in a refreshing wholesome way. “I’ll show you upstairs.”
I lead the way up conscious of the fact that this is the first woman not related to me who has ever been in my house. I never bring women home. It’s either her place or we’re out of town and in that case, it’s a hotel.
I take Vanessa to the master bedroom, glad that I’m a stickler for neatness. I push open the bathroom door and she follows me in. I grab a towel and hand it to her.
“You shouldn’t follow strange men into their bathrooms.”
She raises the towel to her face and hair and dries them. “You’re not a strange man. You’re a fire fighter.”
I chuckle softly at her words. Everyone assumes that firefighters are big softies. That is why it’s so easy to score with women. As soon as I introduce myself as a firefighter, everything changes. They lean closer to me and unconsciously touch me more.
“I’ll get you some clothes to change into,” I tell her.
I’m grinning as I go next door to the guest room. In the walk-in closet, I sift through the clothes and grab a long red maxi-dress and a blouse. Vanessa is about the same size as Janice and I’m pretty sure they’ll fit her.
I knock on the bathroom door, and seconds later, she opens it a crack. A hand emerges and I give her the clothes.
