“An employee who had been fired and was angry at the owner.”
“I came up with another name of someone you could check out,” Shamus said, lifting his water glass to take a big sip. “I’d forgotten I had to let Mike Reynolds go a couple of months ago.”
“He was your assistant farm manager, wasn’t he?” Joshua asked, peering at Darcy.
Did he notice the stiff set to her shoulders and the tight grip she had on her glass? she wondered.
“Yeah. I didn’t like his methods.”
“He’s working at the Colemans’ farm now.”
“That’s what I heard.”
“Dad, I think—”
Shamus swung his sharp gaze toward his daughter, a challenge in his eyes.
Darcy stiffened even more. “I don’t think we need to discuss this at the dining room table.” She glanced toward her son.
“Aw, Mom, I know about the fire.”
“You know, Lizzy, I have to agree with Darcy. You’re a terrific cook.” Joshua took another bite of his spaghetti. He wished he could ease the heavy tension in the room.
The vulnerability he glimpsed in Darcy’s eyes melted through his defenses. He found himself wanting to help her through the pain he knew she was experiencing. Her smile touched his heart, urging him to comfort. After Carol’s betrayal he hadn’t thought that possible, and was surprised by the feeling.
Lizzy blushed a nice shade of red, her eyes twinkling. “You always do know just the right thing to say, Joshua Markham.”
Shamus snorted but continued eating.
Sean added, “He’s right. I love your spaghetti.”
Darcy slid a glance toward Joshua. Her smile reached deep into her large brown eyes, fringed in long, black lashes. The beat of his heart accelerated. He gripped his fork tighter.
“I agree with my son, Lizzy. But if I remember correctly, you make a great lasagna, too.” Darcy’s shoulder-length blond hair fell forward and she pushed it behind her ears.
With the conversation turning to favorite foods, Joshua sat back, watching the exchange at the table. The lively gleam in Darcy’s eyes made her whole face light up. He tried to picture her breaking in a yearling, but couldn’t. She was petite, not more than five foot two.
When Lizzy served sliced peaches and ice cream for dessert, Sean snapped his fingers and said, “I’ve got the perfect name for the new filly. Peaches.”
“Not a bad name, son.” Shamus frowned at Lizzy, who had handed him a bowl of peaches without the vanilla ice cream.
When Joshua’s cell phone rang, everyone shifted their attention to him.
“Sorry.” He retrieved his phone from his pocket and checked the message. Tension whipped down his length as he surged to his feet. “I have to leave. There’s a fire at the Coleman farm.”
Darcy’s eyes widened and she came to her feet too, her napkin floating to the carpet. “A barn?”
A new tension descended in the room. “Yes,” Joshua said as he headed toward the door.
Chapter Three
“Mom, let’s stop. I want to see where Joshua works. Maybe Arnold’s there.” Sean bounced up and down in the front seat of the truck, pointing to the fire station at the end of the block.
“Hon, I still need to pick up some things at the store and there’s a lot to do back at the farm.”
“Pleease, Mom.”
Pausing at the stop sign, Darcy chanced a look at her son. The eagerness in his expression shoved away all her doubts. Just because she had thought about Joshua Markham several times in the past forty-eight hours—okay, more than several times—didn’t mean she couldn’t pay him a visit, then go her merry way. “All right. But we can’t stay long. And if he’s busy, we’ll need to leave.”
“Sure.” Sean stretched his neck to get a better look at the fire station as Darcy pulled into the driveway and parked behind the building.
“Hon, he might not be here.”
“He is.”
Suspicion began to form in her mind. “How do you know?”
Sean ducked his head to the side and studied the scenery out the side window as though fascinated with the brick wall several feet from the truck.
“Sean.”
“Uh—” He stared down at his hands fidgeting in his lap. “I called him this morning.” Her son’s voice was barely audible.
“Sean, you know better than to bother a busy man.”
He lifted his head, turning his appealing look on her. “But, Mom, he told me I could play with Arnold. I wanted to find out when.”
“That doesn’t mean you have an open invitation to visit him at work or to call him anytime you want.”
“Yes, I do.” His grin split his face. “He invited me this morning. Said I was welcome to come by anytime they were there.”
“Only after you called.” Darcy gripped the steering wheel and thought about backing out and escaping before anyone saw them. Her dream about the fire last night was filled with the image of the smoke and fog parting and Joshua walking toward her. Everything had dimmed except the man in the fire gear striding toward her with exhaustion evident in every line of his handsome face. Confidence had marked his stance as he’d come to a stop in front of her. His blue eyes had gleamed in the early morning light, drawing her toward him—dangerously close.
The flashback to the previous dream made beads of perspiration pop out on her upper lip. Darcy brushed them away. What am I doing? I have no business thinking about Joshua Markham in any terms other than as a firefighter and an acquaintance. She started to switch on the engine and leave before anyone knew they were there. She would find some excuse to give her son.
Too late. Joshua waved from the door and strode toward them.
“See. He’s expecting us.”
Darcy wanted to hide. She felt the heat suffuse her cheeks as the man walked to the truck, a smile of greeting on his face. The first thing she thought about was the dusty jeans and the old worn shirt she wore. Why hadn’t she changed before coming into town? Why did she care? Her record with men was no good. She just had to think about her husband and father to confirm that.
Joshua stopped on her side of the truck, his face framed in her window, only a few inches from her. She rolled down the window and forced a smile to her lips. “Is this a bad time to come?” Please let it be, she silently added, even as she responded to his heart-melting grin, her pulse accelerating.
“It’s been quiet around here.”
“That’s good” was all she could think to say with the man dominating her space, his musky scent surrounding her.
“Yeah, we feel the same way.”
“Where’s Arnold?” Sean asked, unbuckling his seat belt.
“He’s in the station. Come on in and meet the rest of the guys.”
Sean hopped from the truck before Darcy could say anything. Joshua opened her door, and she slid out, glad to see her legs would support her weight. Her son ran ahead while she and Joshua walked at a leisurely pace toward the building.
“I checked with my friend about a puppy for Sean. It’s fine with him. In fact, he can have the pick of the litter.”
“How much are the puppies?”
“Free. He just wants