Marly steered her car back into the hospital lot and found an open spot. Now that Willow had been given the invitation to go to the fire station, no doubt the rambunctious little girl would ask every two minutes when they were going.
Which meant Marly would have to go back and witness Drake in all his gorgeous glory. A part of her so wanted to address the tension that settled between them each time they were within breathing space of each other, but at the same time, she wanted to deny any attraction existed. She wanted to ignore the desire that seemed to creep up on her when she didn’t have the mental strength to stop it.
Killing her engine, Marly sighed and rested her head against the steering wheel. No matter her sudden attraction to Drake, she had a war she was still fighting, and that had to come before anything else.
When her phone chimed to signal a text, Marly pulled the cell from her purse and cringed at the screen.
Call me. You can’t avoid me forever.
That didn’t mean she wouldn’t try like hell.
Tossing her phone back in her purse, Marly stepped out of her car, welcoming the warmth of the midday sun. When she’d left Nashville, she’d found enough courage to force Kevin into letting her go, taking Willow and not disclosing her whereabouts in exchange for the pictures she had promised would not go to the newspaper or other media outlets.
Kevin didn’t know she’d gone to the police... Of course, she figured he knew now. No doubt some corrupt cop who was friends of the family had called Kevin moments after Marly had left. Marly knew the power Kevin’s family held, so she also knew that was probably why the Nashville Police Department hadn’t returned her calls and she’d heard no more on her case...if there even was a case.
Marly figured the only reason Kevin hadn’t hired a PI and traced her phone was because of his powerful status and the fact that he tended to avoid public conflict. For once, his social standing was working in her favor.
Even with the sun beating down on her, she trembled. There was no way in hell she’d ever return to Kevin. If she had to stay on the run the rest of her life to protect her child, then so be it. She would never be another man’s punching bag or pawn again.
* * *
The day after the field trip, Marly was stepping out of Jeremy’s room when Drake came striding through the bright yellow walls of the pediatric unit. The cheery surroundings made him seem less intimidating, but the man’s impressive size still dominated the space.
When his gaze met hers, his lips spread wide in a smile that hit her hard. Then she spotted the small stuffed Dalmatian in his hand and she couldn’t help but return the grin. Why was she softening toward this man so fast? She’d learned her lesson, right? Just because a man was charming and good-looking didn’t mean he treated women right when no one was looking.
But there was still that nugget of doubt that kept telling her Drake was nothing like the man she’d married. Nothing.
“You carry toys everywhere you go?” she asked, once he closed the gap between them.
Glancing down at the toy in question, Drake shrugged. When his eyes met hers once again, they held as his voice lowered. “My toys are a bit larger than this.”
She shivered at the veiled flirting and innuendo. The part deep inside her that had thought no man would ever find her attractive again sparked to life. For so long she’d not even been given a second thought, other than being used as a pawn or publicity stunt.
But Drake had a way of making her feel... Just feel, and that was something she’d have to get used to if she was going to keep seeing him in this small town.
“I assume that’s for our patient?”
With a nod, Drake asked, “How’s he doing today?”
“Good. Amy just stepped out to get a bite to eat and Shawn ran home to shower. I nearly had to bribe them to take care of themselves.”
Drake swallowed hard, glancing away.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I just... This whole situation kills me. I don’t know what to say to Shawn. Words won’t fix what happened.” He shook his head. “Talking to people after accidents is part of my job, yet this is on a whole new level of difficulty. Shawn and I are friends.”
“You saved their son’s life,” Marly pointed out. “They’re grateful.”
“I know they are,” he told her, waiting until another nurse went by before he continued, “I’m thankful I got to him in time, but the entire situation just sucks.”
“You didn’t tell me you were the one who pulled Jeremy from the fire. Amy was telling me earlier how she doesn’t know what they would’ve done without you.”
Drake’s eyes held hers, but he didn’t utter a word. A true hero was someone who didn’t boast or brag of his achievements. A true hero did his job, though fear may overpower him. A true hero cared for others, put their needs first, even at the risk of being injured himself.
And before her stood a true hero.
“You can go in and see him, but I’ll need to put the toy at the nurse’s station with his other things. We’ve been keeping all of the balloons and flowers out here since his room is set up for his special needs due to the burns.”
He passed the stuffed dog over, and Marly was careful not to let her hands brush his again. The less contact with this potent man the better. He was already wreaking havoc on her nerves and consuming way too much of her mind and she barely knew him.
“Go on in,” Marly said, afraid of just how fast she was becoming infatuated with the town fire chief. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
She quickly rushed off and went straight to the employees’ restroom. Flicking the lock, Marly sank against the back of the door. Drake St. John was becoming a bigger issue than she’d first thought.
When he’d first come into the pediatric unit she realized he was probably there to check on the boy because that fell in line with being the chief. But then when he’d been there nearly every day, he was great with Willow and now he’d brought a stuffed animal for Jeremy... He was becoming more and more real.
Marly sighed. Real? That sounded ridiculous. Of course he was real, but now he was even more genuine and melting away that layer she’d formed around her heart. She needed to be on guard, not to start feeling all schoolgirl over a handsome, charming fire chief.
No doubt, his physical appeal couldn’t be denied, but how could she allow herself to be so taken with him so fast? She’d learned her lesson—the hard way—on big, powerful men. Right now she had to focus on rebuilding her new life and trying to keep custody of Willow. Kevin wouldn’t stop at sending texts and voice mails. He’d take action by hiring a PI, if he hadn’t already.
But it was getting harder and harder to focus when Drake came around. Between his easy rapport with Willow and his dedication to Jeremy’s welfare, there was so much more to Drake than power.
Perhaps that was what scared her most.
Marly looked at herself in the mirror. In twenty-six years, she’d been through too much. All she wanted was happiness, a settled life in which she felt safe, protected and secure. Not only for herself, but also for her daughter.
She eased her blond hair back, facing the ugly, jagged scar that ran down her temple. Vanity had never been her thing, so the physical image wasn’t what bothered her. Kevin’s fists had taken so much more than physical beauty. They had taken away her freedom, her sense of self-worth and her courage. But she was getting those back. No way would she give Kevin the satisfaction of stealing everything from her.