When they reached Stillwater, Leon suggested he should call the fire station. “If Andy Mellor gives the go ahead, we could see if any of your clothes and the boys’ stuff is worth saving.” She felt his gaze probing her profile. “That’s if you feel okay about going back to your place?”
Flora knew what he meant. Her little house was different now. Someone had not only started a fire while her boys slept upstairs, but that person had also dumped Jennifer Webster’s body there. Those things hardly contributed to the homey feel she’d tried so hard to create.
“I have to go back. If I don’t, he wins.” She spared a second glance Leon’s way. “But you’ll be with me, right?”
“Always.”
Always? In any other circumstance, that word might be considered a declaration. When Leon didn’t follow it up with any more information, Flora figured she was letting her overwrought imagination skip too far ahead. It was possible he meant that word in relation to their friendship. In which case, shouldn’t she be feeling glad instead of slightly disappointed? After all, she was convinced it was too soon for anything more. Right?
Except when she looked at Leon’s carved profile and strong muscles, or gazed into his green eyes, she wasn’t sure keeping her distance was such a good idea. It felt a lot like she was standing at the edge of an emotional precipice. And she didn’t know whether she was more afraid of what would happen if she jumped or turned back.
Was this all part of the danger she was in? Was she seeking solace in Leon’s arms because, on some subconscious level, she saw him as the protector she needed? Since Danny’s death, she had been both Mom and Dad to her boys, striving every day to make sure they were never disadvantaged because they only had one parent. Deep down, she knew she’d done a good job. It hadn’t always been easy. Juggling the demands of work and home had been hard, but she’d tackled both with determination. Things had changed since their arrival in Stillwater. She had been under intense pressure. Fear was a constant unseen presence breathing down her neck.
Was the attraction she felt toward Leon stronger because of that? Could it be simply a primitive response, a basic need to find security for herself and her boys? She smiled inwardly. If that was the case, she had to question her own judgment. Yes, Leon was physically strong. He had already assured her that his army training had provided him with the skills he needed to protect her. Most important of all, she knew he wanted to look after her and the boys.
But...seriously? If all she needed right now was a big, strong man, she could have made life easier for herself. Leon was not the straightforward choice. Yet, the more she got to know him, the more she wanted to know him. And that wanting had nothing to do with his strength and his looks. It was about the way he made her feel. Yes, he made her feel safe. But, when she was with him, she felt warm and cherished. There was also a whole world of new emotions involved.
She didn’t want to get into comparisons. That would be unfair to Danny, and she couldn’t see any reason to go there. Even so, there was an inevitability about thoughts of “then and now.” At seventeen, she had tumbled confidently into love. Her heart had been light and free, and she had been sure the sweet sunshine that bound her to Danny and filled her with warmth would last forever.
The girl she’d been then had not experienced what she felt now. This wasn’t warmth. It was raw heat, searing every part of her and depriving her of the ability to breathe properly when Leon was around. Stripping away her defenses, it was growing stronger with every passing minute. When she looked at Leon, Flora saw her own yearning reflected back at her. She didn’t know how long they would be able to sustain this level of need without it consuming them. All her internal debating counted for nothing in the face of such primal need. But if they let go of the tight rein they both were keeping on their emotions? What then?
Leon ended his call and interrupted her soul searching. “Andy said they’ve completed the investigations at your house. There’s an officer finishing up there, so he’ll let us in.”
They drove along Lake Drive in silence and Flora pulled into her own pathway, thoughts still in turmoil. As she switched off the engine, Leon shifted in his seat to face her and her questions were answered. Where this man was concerned, she would trade sensible for wanton. If he’d let her...
“I was watching your face as you were driving.” You were? Oh, my days. She hoped he hadn’t been able to see too much of what she was thinking. “I know it’s hard, but Laurie is right. Let’s try and keep it normal.”
Her lips curved upward. Did he know he’d taken her idea of normality and shaken it up like an overeager kid with a snow globe?
“Stillwater normal takes some getting used to,” she said.
As they left the car and approached the house, Flora could clearly see the fire damage on the front facade. It was less than she’d expected. Although smoke had blackened the boards all the way to the second-floor windows, the fire had only taken hold in the porch. Rick Morris, the firefighter who had helped cut Stevie free from the playground equipment, was waiting for them inside the house.
“It looks a mess, but it is safe.” He pointed to some rough timber beams that had been used to shore up the porch ceiling. “The structural work won’t take long. Replacing the furnishings and decorations will
