Page 27 of Playing With Fire

The breeze, which had been ambivalent until now, picked up in strength, bringing the faint damp smell of rotting vegetation. A cloud drifted across the pale sun, and the temperature plummeted. Dry leaves from forgotten fall skittered across the concrete.

Ricky zipped up his jacket. “Temple Mountain Town Council prides itself on its inclusive and diverse community. If some old coot wants to burn down the nursing home, we won’t discriminate in our balanced and proportionate response to the threat.”

She snorted with laughter. Her hands were thrust deep into the pockets of a red corduroy jacket.

She wasn’t wearing any makeup, Ricky realized. Must be her day off. Without the armor of the smooth, flawless layer of color, her skin was pale with the faintest of freckles scattered across her long nose. The tip of her nose was pink in the chill.

The overall effect was one of pared-back beauty; of finely honed features which were both fierce and vulnerable in their nakedness.

Ricky felt an absurd rush of tenderness that he couldn’t explain, followed by the even more absurd urge to wrap his hands around her face and kiss the cool cheeks, the frozen nose, and those wide, generous lips.

Her eyes flared briefly, as though she read his thoughts.

She cocked her head to one side.

“Did you swallow the town council rulebook? Sounds nasty.” Jodi shifted her feet uneasily as she spoke, and Ricky was on the point of suggesting she change shoes when his better sense prevailed.

“Let’s sit down for a bit.” He led her over to a small bench in front of a bleak mulched space where the rose garden would be a place of beauty in a couple of months. She hobbled behind him and let out a sigh of relief as they sat.

“These damned boots,” she muttered. “So don’t leave me in suspense. I need to get home before I get a blister. And there better not be any important developments because this is my day off.”

Ricky stretched out, enjoying the respite, and the fact that Jodi was alongside.

“The serial nuisance who I have been chasing all over town with my fire extinguisher seems to have gone quiet,” he began.

He sneaked a look at her profile. Her eyes were closed and she looked ready to lay her head on his shoulder at any moment.

In his dreams.

He hastily continued. “Maybe it was your breaking news story warning about juvenile pyromaniacs. Nice work, by the way. I had to tell Leroy that your relentless questions wore me down. But he was most annoyed by the photos of his assistant taken at the scene. Told me I looked like Gomer Pyle. I don’t even know who that is, but I know it’s bad.”

Jodi laughed. She opened her eyes and met his gaze.

“Look it up, city boy. And Leroy has a point. It’s the keen expression. But tell me about the serious safety breach which has brought Temple Mountain’s finest to the old folks’ home.”

“It’s...ah...more of a tempest in a teacup, in a manner of speaking.” Ricky nodded towards the front door of the reception where someone seemed to be lurking. A young woman with a Rubenesque figure waved impatiently in their direction.

“Hmmm,” said Jodi. “Why am I not surprised that there is suddenly an urgent need for the new hot firefighter to attend the retirement village where Bonnie Browning is the manager?”

Ricky blinked. “Bonnie Browning as in Leroy Browning’s daughter?” He smirked. “And I’m the hot new smoke jumper?”

Jodi nodded. Her grin was way too wicked for Ricky’s liking. “Exactly. There’s no accounting for taste.”

“As a matter of fact, I am here on a genuine call,” said Ricky in a dignified tone. “Some old coot...sorry, older citizen, started a fire while sneaking a cigarette.”

“Wow.” Jodi whistled. “So why aren’t you in there with your bucket of sand or your big hose?”

There was a brief silence as Jodi realized what she had said. She settled on a carefully blank face.

Ricky nodded gravely, as though her question was perfectly sensible and not causing an embarrassing surge in testosterone.

“Fire’s out,” he said briefly. “Cup of coffee did the trick. Now I’m off to read the riot act.”

“Yoo-hoo!” Bonnie Browning had gotten tired of waiting. “Officer? Rickkkky!”

Jodi couldn’t hold back another unladylike snort of laughter. She stood up, hitching her bag over her shoulder, and threw him a lazy smile.

“How’s the lasagna going? I hope you used plenty of mozzarella.”

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