Hard to Resist

chapter SEVEN



“MOMMY! MOMMYYYYYY!”

Kat bolted upright, ripped abruptly from a deep sleep. She was at Samantha’s bedside in an instant, relieved to find there was nothing obviously wrong. Sam was having a nightmare.

Her heart racing, Kat woke her daughter as gently as she could. “Sammy, honey, I’m right here. You’re okay, you’re safe. It’s just a bad dream.”

The little girl’s eyes opened. “Fire? Is there a fire?”

“No, honey, there’s no fire. It was just a dream. We’re perfectly safe.”

“Where’s Bashira?” She looked around frantically.

“I’m sure he’s around, somewhere. Bashira? Here, kitty, kitty.” The cat was probably in the middle of Kat’s futon, monopolizing the space. Since Samantha had shunned Bashira, the kitten had decided to sleep with Kat, and he liked to settle down right in the middle.

Bashira came trotting in to Sam’s room, meowing, expecting a treat. He jumped up on the bed, and Samantha petted him.

“Dumb cat. I dreamed he got burned up.”

“Oh, Samantha, that must have been scary. But here he is, safe and sound.”

Bashira, craving attention, rubbed himself all over Sam. Eventually, she put her arms around him. Who could resist him, even with his ragged ears?

Kat sat on the edge of the bed and cuddled her daughter. “I hear sirens,” Sam said. “I keep thinking they’re coming here.”

The sirens were loud. Kat hadn’t thought about their proximity to Station 59 when she’d moved in here. “That’s just because we live so close to the fire station. They’re not coming here. If there was any problem, our smoke alarms would go off. And I promise we’ll hear them this time.” The first purchase Kat had made was two heavy-duty extra-loud smoke detectors. She’d installed them herself and tested them. She’d let Samantha test them, too. The buzzers were loud enough to wake Kat, even if she was comatose. She’d also bought three fire extinguishers, one for each room. Maybe that was overkill, but the sight of all those red canisters was reassuring.

“If we had a fire, how do the firemen know where we are?” Samantha asked.

“That’s a good question. And you know who would know the answer? Mr. Basque.”

“Mr. Basque? Oh, the fireman.” Sam’s upturned nose wrinkled in distaste.

“Not just any fireman, but the one who rescued us. And Bashira. And I have to let you in on a little secret. This apartment…Mr. Basque owns it. He’s letting us live here until we can find a bigger place. He’s the one who fixed it up and painted the walls while we were gone today. In fact, he lives in the big house.”

Samantha’s eyes widened in alarm. “You mean that house right there? Right in the yard?” She pointed out the window. Although it was dark, she had the general direction right.

“Yes, that’s the one.”

“Is he there right now?”

“Yes. I imagine he’s asleep.”

“He won’t come in here, will he?”

“Not unless we invite him. But, Samantha, I think we should invite him. He’s offered to go over every inch of this place and make sure we’re one-hundred-percent safe. He puts out fires every day, so he knows all about how fires start. Now who better to show us how to be safe?”

“I don’t want him here.”

“Even if it’s just for a few minutes, so we can be safer? Personally, I’ll sleep better at night knowing we’ve done everything we can to protect ourselves, and I bet you will, too.”

Samantha wavered. “Will you be here?”

“Of course.”

“Okay, I guess he can come over, but only for two minutes.” Then she yawned. “Will you get in bed with me? Just until I fall back asleep.”

Kat considered that a reasonable request.

They snuggled spoon fashion—Kat, Samantha and Bashira, who didn’t seem to mind being squashed against Sam’s stomach. He purred so loudly it sounded as if a small lawn mower was in bed with them.

At least Sam had regained her affection for her kitten. And she’d agreed to let Ethan come over, even if it was only for two minutes.

Baby steps.

* * *

ETHAN WHISTLED as he loaded sheets and towels from the B shift into a large-capacity washing machine. Laundry was an easy chore. He could do it whenever he decided to, so long as everything was dry and folded by the time his shift was over.

“Somebody’s happy,” said Priscilla, as Ethan wandered into the kitchen to find a snack. She and Tony sat at the table, playing poker.

“Are you guys still at it?”

“We’ve created a monster,” Tony said. “Priscilla is the luckiest poker player I’ve ever seen, not to mention the most ruthless. She’s bleeding me dry.”

“Better quit while you’re ahead,” Ethan cautioned her. “Lucky streaks don’t last forever.”

“Not luck. Skill. I’ve got this game figured out. Any moron can win.”

“We better check my IQ, then,” Tony said, “’cause I’m losing.”

“You guys can’t think of something better to do?”

“Like what?” Tony shuffled the cards and dealt another hand of five-card draw. “I suppose you’ve been engaged in some noble activity that gives you deep, inner satisfaction at the same time it’s making the world a better place.”

“No, I’ve been doing laundry,” he admitted. He opened the C-shift fridge, frowned at the meager offerings, then checked the pantry. Half a box of chicken-flavored crackers. “We need to go shopping.” He settled for a cold Diet Coke and sat down at the table. “Deal me in.”

“So what’s got you so chipper?” Tony asked. “Is it Kat?”

“Yeah, as a matter of fact. She asked me to come over tomorrow night.” For a safety inspection, not a date, but still. If all went well, he planned to turn the evening into something more personal.

“Nice work,” Tony said. “Think you’ll kiss her?”

Priscilla kicked Tony under the table. “You’re not in high school anymore. No wonder your girlfriends never stick around long, if you take that attitude.”

“Hey, low blow.”

“You’re the one who told me your relationships have longevity issues. I didn’t make it up.”

Ethan was glad the conversation had turned away from Kat. She was too important to trivialize with such talk. She was special. And he had a date with her tomorrow.

Okay, it was only a two-minute date. But if he couldn’t make progress with Samantha, there was still Plan B.

He’d wanted to kiss Kat again when they’d been sitting on his deck, he’d settled for holding her hand. At least she wasn’t mad at him. And she’d shared her painful past with him—something he didn’t imagine she did too often. He felt honored that she’d trusted him with that information. And more determined than ever that she would never want for anything again.

* * *

IT WAS A WARM AFTERNOON when Ethan arrived at Kat’s door for the fire safety inspection, and he was glad for the heat. Because when Kat opened the door she was wearing denim shorts and a white T-shirt. She looked beautiful, and it made his mouth grow dry.

She’d pulled her luxuriant hair into a thick braid that hung partway down her back, and she had on a bit of makeup. She might be dressed ultracasually, but she’d taken pains with her appearance.

That made his grin wider.

“What?”

“You just look so great, that’s all.” He stepped inside and looked around, pleased by what he saw. The place was starting to look like a home. Kat had added a few pictures on the walls, a vase of fresh flowers on the coffee table and a couple of throw pillows on the futon. “Where’s Samantha?”

“In her room. Samantha!” she called. “Samantha. Come out, please. Mr. Basque is here.”

Samantha appeared in the bedroom doorway, her expression wary. A Raggedy Ann doll dangled from one hand.

“Hi, Samantha,” Ethan said, speaking softly and offering a reassuring smile.

It didn’t work. She continued to stare at him with those huge eyes, so like her mother’s.

“I brought something for you,” Ethan said, digging into the plastic bag he’d carried in with him. “Captain Campeon has agreed to make you the official fire safety marshal for 118 North Winnetka Street.” He produced a child-sized red plastic firefighter’s hat and a gold-colored tin badge. “Shall we pin the badge on your shirt?”

Samantha stepped forward a couple of feet. “I don’t know how to be a safety marshal.”

“That’s why I’m here. I’m going to train you. When we’re done, your apartment will be as safe as any place in Oak Cliff, maybe in all of Dallas.”

She did not look convinced. Her gaze darted to her mother, then back at Ethan. She didn’t move an inch from the doorway and looked ready to flee at the slightest provocation.

Kat went to Samantha and took her hand, which seemed to give the child a bit of courage. “Okay,” Kat said. “Since I’m the assistant safety marshal, I’m ready to learn my stuff. Let’s get started.”

Ethan examined the outlets and light switches, which he already knew were perfectly safe since he’d checked them out before Kat and Sam moved in. He looked for frayed electrical cords. He examined all the fire extinguishers to see that they were fully charged, and then made sure both Kat and Samantha knew how to use them. He tested the smoke alarms and almost deafened himself.

“Where did you get those things?”

“The Safety Store,” Kat said. “You can be sure I’ll never sleep through a smoke alarm again.”

Samantha dutifully followed Ethan around, watching and listening. He gave her a checklist and let her read it aloud, which she did amazingly well for a seven-year-old. When she finished, she looked up at Ethan quizzically.

“Do you really go to a fire every single day?”

“Well…not every day. When I first started this job, I went for two whole weeks without any fires, at all. Fires don’t happen very often, you know. Most people go their whole lives without living through a fire like yours.”

“But I hear sirens all the time, at night,” Samantha said. Her voice grew fearful again. “What about all those fires? Don’t they have safety marshals?”

“Most of those sirens you hear aren’t fires. Sometimes it’s the police, chasing down a speeder or something. Sometimes it is the fire truck you hear. But we get called out to all sorts of things—car wrecks, or when people get sick and need to go to the hospital. Even a funny smell. Usually, it’s no big deal.”

Her little face registered surprise. “Really?”

She’d ventured a little closer to him, though she still held Kat’s hand in a death grip. He got down on one knee, so he could be at her level. “Really. Now, we’ve checked out your apartment, and it gets an A-plus-plus for safety. But do you know what to do if there is a fire?”

Kat took in a sharp breath. Samantha was doing really well so far. Ethan had been here at least ten minutes, and Sam hadn’t tried to enforce the two-minute agreement. But this was straying dangerously close to the topic that got her all upset.

“I call 9-1-1,” Samantha said solemnly.

“That’s right. But you do it from the neighbor’s house—after you get out. If you smell smoke or see flames, you don’t stop to call anybody, you don’t stop to grab anything.”

“What about Bashira?”

“Cats are pretty smart about getting out of a fire. Bashira can take care of himself.”

“Nuh-uh.” Samantha shook her head fiercely. “Dumb cat was hiding under the bed.”

Ethan looked at Kat, who shrugged. She couldn’t see telling a child to leave her beloved pet behind in a fire, even if searching for Bashira was what had gotten them into trouble in the first place.

At least Sam was concerned about the cat’s welfare. For a while, Kat had worried that Samantha blamed poor, hapless Bashira for the fact they almost hadn’t escaped the fire.

“Mr. Basque, how does the fire truck know where to go?” Samantha asked.

“You give your address to the 9-1-1 operator, and she tells the driver of the fire truck. Then there’s a computer right in the truck that shows a map of the whole city. It shows the driver exactly where to turn.”

Samantha looked impressed.

Next, Ethan suggested they run through a fire drill. “You only have one door and no fire escape,” he said, “and if your path to the door is blocked by smoke or fire, you need to learn how to go out the window.”

Samantha, who’d been thawing out slightly, immediately tensed at the mention of fire, smoke and windows. “No. Mommy, I don’t want to do the safety inspection—and it’s been way more than two minutes.” She clung to Kat.

Kat picked up her daughter and squeezed her reassuringly. “All right. I guess that’s enough safety for one night. Do you want to pin on your badge and wear your hat?”

“No.”

Kat looked at Ethan helplessly. “Can you thank Mr. Basque for helping us to be safe?”

“Thank you,” she said, almost grudgingly, her face buried in her mother’s shirt.

“I guess that’s my cue to exit,” Ethan said. The look he gave Kat spoke of regret and sadness. Kat knew his feelings were hurt, having a little girl reject him. Kat didn’t feel too hot about it, either.

* * *

WHEN KAT SWUNG HOME for lunch the next day, she was feeling optimistic, despite her lack of sleep. A thunderstorm had blown in during the night, scaring Samantha silly. She’d never been afraid of storms before, but Kat had again found herself sharing the twin bed with her daughter and a cat.

That morning had dawned clear and pleasantly cool, however, the sky a brilliant blue. The air had a fresh-scrubbed after-storm scent to it. Everything looked green and shiny, and Sam had awakened cheerfully.

When Kat opened the gate, she was surprised to find Ethan in the backyard, using a circular saw to make a cut in a long four-by-four. For a few moments she paused to simply admire the play of muscles across his back as he worked.

When he set the saw down to make another measurement, she moved closer and he saw her.

“Hey, Kat.” He smiled, his even, white teeth glinting in the sun.

“Hey, Ethan. What’s all this?”

“It’s a fire escape. Well, it will be. I was cleaning up some broken branches in the yard and I really looked at your windows, and I saw how high up they are. There’s no safe place to jump.”

“This is for my apartment?” she asked incredulously.

“It needs one. And I want you and Samantha to feel one-hundred-percent safe. If she’s scared at the idea of jumping out a window, now she won’t have to be.”

“But don’t you think that’s going a little overboard? We’re not going to be living here that long.”

His enthusiasm sagged a bit. “I’m improving the property, and a fire escape will benefit any tenant I end up with. Anyway, I enjoy this kind of thing. I’m not allowed to moonlight until I’ve been on the job a while, but I can at least work on my own projects.”

Whether he enjoyed it wasn’t the issue. Kat couldn’t deny how uncomfortable this made her feel. Ethan was going to a lot of trouble for her. Paint and a new kitchen, he might have done anyway. But this? Lumber was expensive, and a fire escape was a huge project.

“I was going to buy us a rope ladder,” she said.

“Now you don’t have to. Is something wrong? I thought you’d be pleased. Is everything okay with Sam?”

“She had a bad night last night. The storm scared her.” And maybe it was Kat’s lack of sleep that had her overreacting today. “She seemed okay this morning. But I just don’t know what to do with her sometimes, when she refuses to be comforted. I’m great at counseling other people’s kids, but not my own.” She wished she hadn’t blurted out that last part. Ethan didn’t need to hear about her maternal insecurities.

Bashira trotted up to greet her, and she leaned down to scratch him behind his ears. “How did you get outside?”

“I let him out,” Ethan said. “He started howling at the open window when he saw me out here, and I felt sorry for him. And it’s pretty hot today. I thought I’d go to Home Depot tonight and buy you an air conditioner. You won’t survive long without one.”

Of course she would survive. Did he think a little heat would shrivel her up? She’d been on her own for two years now and taking care of things just fine. The way Ethan just charged in, declaring she needed this and had to have that, unsettled her.

“It’s very kind of you to go to so much trouble,” she forced herself to say. “But you’ve already done so much. I mean, a brand-new kitchen, the cleaning, the paint… Anyway, we’ll be out of your hair before it gets really hot.”

“Kat, you’re not in my hair. I couldn’t sleep at night knowing you were living in an oven. I have to buy a window unit, anyway.”

Virginia would counsel her to simply say thank you. “Look, Ethan, just because you saved my life, that doesn’t make you responsible for it for all eternity. You’re worrying way too much about us.”

He scratched his head. “Because I want to buy an air conditioner? To improve my rental property?”

She took a deep breath. Okay, maybe Virginia was right. “I’ll shut up now. An air conditioner would be nice, so thank you. But don’t feel like you have to rush out and buy it,” she ended lamely.

“You’re very welcome, Kat. I would do anything to make this time easier for you and Samantha.”

How many times had Chuck said, I would do anything…?

“Thank you,” she said again. “I have to grab some lunch—I’ve got a meeting with some school officials in a few minutes. I could make you a sandwich.”

“You don’t have to feed me,” Ethan said.

She gave him a challenging look. “You’re doing all this to help me out. And you won’t accept one measly sandwich?”

“I already ate. Really. But thanks.” He smiled again, and her insides went all gooey.

What was she to do with a man like Ethan? One side of her wanted to just tell him to back off. But the other side wanted to pull him closer.

She turned, and ran up to her apartment before she said or did something else that would make him think she was as confused as a squirrel in the middle of the street with a car bearing down.

Ethan returned to his carpentry, shaking his head. For all her college smarts, Kat Holiday was certifiable. Maybe he was going out of his way for her. He probably wouldn’t have built an elaborate fire escape for just anyone. But he couldn’t help it. She was going through a rough patch right now, and he wanted to help her. That was who he was and what he did. He couldn’t stand to see anyone—man, woman, child or animal—suffering needlessly, especially not when it was in his power to fix things.

Wanting to help her out had nothing to do with the fact he’d been the one to drag her from a burning building. He would still want to help her, even if he’d not been involved in her fire.

But would he be so determined to help her if he wasn’t attracted to her? If she didn’t have those pretty brown eyes?

Tony had asked Ethan that, and he’d vehemently denied that Kat’s attractiveness had anything to do with his offering her his apartment and fixing it up so nice; that he would have done the same for anyone who’d come into his life in such dire straits. But was that really true?

He’d been unsure before, but he knew the answer now. No. He wanted to get closer to her, and he was doing anything and everything to remove the barriers—including wooing her daughter. Unless Samantha accepted him, his chances with Kat were nil.

Unfortunately, his efforts weren’t exactly producing the desired results. Kat’s prickly reaction to the fire escape and the offer of an air conditioner left him bewildered.

Maybe it was time for Plan B.