His Southern Sweetheart

“No problem,” Nate said cheerfully. “I’ll cook.”

Fine, gorgeous and he could cook? What could go wrong?

* * *

What could go wrong? More like what couldn’t go wrong? To say Nate started a full-blown fire was exaggerating. Sure, the flames were high, but the smoke had been the scariest part. And speaking of smoke—where it was, there was fire. At least, the fire now brewed in Nate’s system. He was the one with the obsessed thoughts and dreams of Amelia. He refused to let his opportunity to be with her be threatened by someone else. One of Southwood’s finest firemen lingered on the porch, talking and flirting with Amelia. He got it; she’d been gone for a while.

“I can’t believe you’re really here.” Fireman Parker Ward was the first to greet Nate in the Marlows’ driveway. He introduced himself after assessing any damages, claiming to have been familiar with the address and wanting to personally make sure Helen Marlow was okay. When Amelia stepped out from around the side of the house, the guy had been following her around like a lovesick puppy.

Amelia rubbed her fingers across her chin. She leaned a hip across the railing of the porch. Parker stood too close for Nate’s comfort, with his fireman’s hat in his hand, coat open and shamelessly displaying the snug T-shirt. Who did he need to write a complaint to? Nate’s mind tried to recall the name of one of the bachelors from the auction, but he was too busy eavesdropping from the other side of the door. Was this even professional?

“Well, I can’t say I’m here for long, Parker,” Amelia said with a slow Southern drawl Nate had become familiar with from the other residents of Southwood. When they’d met at the hotel bar, she’d spoken with no trace of an accent.

Parker nodded. A series of smiles passed between them. “Well. I hope while you’re here you’ll let me cook you a real dinner.”

Seriously, dude? Nate’s fists balled. The dig of his fingers against his palm snapped a bit of reality into him. Nate reminded himself he did not do complications. Amelia had made it clear she did not plan on staying in town. Nate loved Southwood and planned to be here for the long haul. He was at the Marlow residence for a job and when that was complete he owed her nothing. Well, at least maybe dinner tonight.

“I’m not sure you cooking me dinner is a good idea.”

“I—” Parker pressed his helmet against his chest “—am a great cook. Ask anyone at the station. Besides if anything should catch on fire, I’ll put it out myself.”

Nate closed his eyes and counted to ten in order to keep from ripping the screen door off and choking the smug fireman. A light, airy giggle sounded off. Realizing he’d never made Amelia giggle without touching her irritated Nate even more. From his angle, he saw Amelia’s face light up. The corners of her eyes softened and her smile widened.

“You’re still crazy,” Amelia replied.

“And you’re still beautiful,” said Parker. “But of course I may be biased.”

No bias, Nate thought. Anyone with a pair of eyes saw the beauty in Amelia. From what he understood, she spent her career filming people when she needed to be on film. Now there was something worth turning on the television for.

“Oh, Parker, stop.” Amelia flirted on.

Yeah, Parker, stop. Nate rose from the back of the couch, ready to interrupt, when one of the other firemen honked the horn on the truck.

“I’ve got to go,” Parker announced. “But I am serious about catching up with you before you leave. I understand you don’t want to run into folks but maybe I’ll meet you at FP General for a cup of coffee. It will give me a chance to catch up with Miss Helen. I had no idea she’d hurt herself.”

The squeak of the screen door caught their attention. Both Parker and Amelia turned toward him. Amelia’s face was more quizzical, while Parker shot him a glance of irritation for the interruption. The man did not care for Nate’s presence. Whatever. Amelia was his for at least thirty-two more hours, with a bonus for dinner tonight.

After the local fire department cleared out of the driveway, the desire to cook a meal gone, Nate convinced Amelia to let him take her out for dinner. Women didn’t resist his invitations to dinner. With Amelia, it seemed more like an act of congress. With people like Donna Jean or Brittany, they wanted to be downtown at one of the local restaurants, depending on the night. Since it was Sunday, most were closed, with the exception of some of the old eateries closer toward the town square, run by families who spanned generations in Southwood. Nate decided to take her choice to eat at a newer pizza joint across town as flattery, and tried to read it as a desire to have him all to herself, but somehow he couldn’t fool himself. Amelia did not want to be out with him; that she’d picked the corner in the back of the pizzeria where no one would see them clued him in.

“Did you leave here under WITSEC orders?” Nate teased.

Amelia’s dark eyes stopped skimming the laminated menu long enough for her to furrow her brow. “What?”

“You’re all cloak and dagger.” Nate nodded at the way she held the menu in front of her face. “Unless you need glasses.”

The way she frowned was cute. The corners of her mouth turned upside down and her bottom lip poked out. A shoe made direct contact with his shin. “My eyesight is perfect.”

“Not just your eyesight.” Nate cocked his head to get a glimpse of the hourglass curve of her shape.

“Does your cheesy machismo usually work on women?”

Nate flashed a grin. “It worked on you last week.” He regretted the words the second before he finished the k in week. Amelia’s foot came into contact with his shin again. “Sorry. Chalk this up to being nervous.”

Amelia settled back against the black leather booth. “You’re supposed to be nervous?”

“Who wouldn’t be?” Nate relaxed in his seat. “You breeze into town and drop a wad of cash on me just to make me do work for what you could have hired someone else to do, and much more cheaply, too.”

The little flower in the center of her white spaghetti-strap top rose up and down. Even through the flicker of the flame bouncing off the deep maroon glass candle holder, he caught the way her cheeks turned pink.