“It’s all Mrs. F can talk about. She’s worried that it won’t work for her, so she made Mr. F say three times, ‘I wish for grandchildren.’ Any day now I expect Lanny to tell us he’s knocked up some girl.”
“Hope it’s not Isla,” Gemma said, and they laughed.
As Rachel climbed into her UTV—this one in green camouflage—Gemma said, “I haven’t heard from Colin in days. Nothing bad happened at the fire, did it?”
“We’ve not heard anything either,” Rachel said. “But Colin flies a helicopter, so they keep him pretty busy. Are you missing him?”
“It’s just that—” Breaking off, Gemma shook her head. “I just want to know that he’s okay.”
“How are you going to choose between Colin and Dr. Tris?”
“Tris is just a friend, that’s all. I hardly know him. Colin’s a friend too and I don’t know him very well either, but—” When Rachel started grinning, Gemma decided to shut up.
“Friendship is great, isn’t it?” Rachel said, then sped off toward the house.
Absolutely no one was helping her keep her distance from Colin!
The next morning Gemma awoke at 4 A.M. and couldn’t go back to sleep. For the last several years she’d started her day with an energetic workout, and now the lack of activity was making her restless. At five she gave up the struggle and got up, dressed, and went to the kitchen to make herself breakfast. It was still dark outside, so when she heard a tap on the glass door and saw what looked to be a man wearing a mask, she jumped. It took her a few moments to realize it was Colin. She went to the door, turned the latch, and opened it.
“I’m glad to see you did lock it,” he said as he stepped inside.
He looked awful! The “mask” he was wearing was soot and smoke, so thick on him that she couldn’t see his skin. “Come in and sit down. You look exhausted.”
“No. I don’t want to dirty your furniture. I dropped Pere off and I was going home, but I saw your light on and wondered if anything was wrong. What’s that smell?”
“Oh!” she said as she hurried to the kitchen. “It’s turkey bacon.”
When she turned back to him, he had a look of hunger in his eyes. “How long has it been since you ate?”
“I don’t know. Yesterday sometime.” He put his hand on the door. “I need to get home and—”
“I cut up red peppers and onions, and I have cheese and eggs. I make a great omelet. And I bought some of Ellie’s seven grain bread. It’s a few days old but if I put enough butter on it you won’t be able to tell.”
She could see that he was giving in. When she motioned him toward the kitchen, he went to a stool by the bar, and sat down. She quickly poured him a glass of orange juice and he drained it in one gulp. Toast lavished with butter kept him busy while she whisked four eggs. She’d already chopped the peppers and onions and sauteed them in oil. She put them with the cheese on the omelet and put the plate in front of him.
He didn’t say a word until all the food was gone.
“Better?” she asked when he looked up.
“Much,” he said, then gave a huge yawn. When he tried to cover it, he smeared the dirt on his face.
“How long has it been since you slept?”
“I think it’s three days now.” He started to stand up. “Gemma, you’re a real treasure. Thanks for this. I’ve got to get home so I can get cleaned up. My skin is itching. And I need to sleep.”
When he took a step and stumbled, she was afraid for him to drive. Gemma put her hand on his back and pushed him toward her bedroom. “Shower’s on the right. Take your time.”
“Clothes . . .” he said.
“I have a jersey so big you and Shamus together could wear it, and I have matching sweatpants. Go on! Once you’re clean, I’ll drive you to your place and you can sleep.”
When he gave her a one-sided grin, his white teeth stood out against the dirt on his face. “Ten minutes,” he sai
d.
Gemma watched him leave the room, and when she heard the shower running, she couldn’t stop the desire she felt. Colin, naked, and just a few feet away. She scrambled a couple of eggs for herself, ate, then cleaned up the kitchen. When she heard the water turned off, she realized she should have found the clothes beforehand and laid them out for him. Maybe while he was drying off, she could slip into her bedroom and get the clothes.
She glanced inside and saw that Colin was lying facedown across her bed, clean, a towel wrapped around his middle, and he was sound asleep.