Scorched, p.1
Scorched, page 1
SCORCHED
Brothers of Fire
Book 4
Kathryn Shay
Scorched
Copyright © 2023 by Kathryn Shay
All Rights Reserved
Published by Ocean View Books
Cover Design by Stacy Stephens
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Table of Contents
Cast of Characters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Author’s Note
Brothers of Fire Series
REKINDLED Excerpt
About the Author
Cast of Characters
Main Characters
Tom Mancini-Lieutenant in the Crystal City Fire Department
Stefanie Stevens—Lieutenant in the Crystal City Fire Department
The Brothers of Fire
Captain Jarek Zenko (Lacey Roth)
Lieutenant Noah Keaton (Chloe Logan)
Captain Tim Daniels (Ava Daniels)
Lieutenant Tommy Mancini
Captain Adam Stark
Captain Carson Taylor III
Tom’s Family/Friends
Rose and Gus Mancini—grandparents
Joey Mancini—son
Anna Anderson—next door neighbor
Lila Hart—Joey’s mother
Melanie Grant—Tom’s lawyer
Stef’s Family/Friends
Vanessa Stevens—mother and best friend
Addison Gray—Vanessa’s beau
Beth Hall—high school friend
Various Firefighters
Engine 2 Tom’s group
Tony Lopez
Link Larson
Brad Sanders
Abby Gardner
Truck 2 Stef’s new group
Captain Abe Quinn-captain of the house
Ethan Goodfellow
Bull Ransom
Jerry Hopewell
Luiz Santiago
Other Firefighters
Nick Jacobs—floater
Lt. Alex Henson-sub for Tom
Hospital Staff
Nancy Cohen—social worker
Locations
Brothers&Sisters Bar
Crystal City Diner
Lakeview Restaurant
The Elmwood Inn (The Grand Hotel)
Chapter 1
Where is she? Tom Mancini checked his watch for the hundredth time. He knew she was finished by now and…the front bell rang. Not wanting to be too eager, he walked slowly to the foyer and opened the door to the porch. Her back was to him. “Stef?”
She turned. Her expression brought a huge smile to his lips. She gave him an impish grin. “I passed.”
Tommy couldn’t help himself. He stepped outside, picked her up and swirled her around. “I knew you could do it, Lieutenant Stevens.”
She hugged him close. “You were the reason why.”
Stepping back, he led her inside. “Let’s go sit outside.” They went through the house to a wooden deck off the porch. The lawn rolled back a ways and trees gave the whole yard privacy.
She said, “It’s beautiful back here.”
He crossed to the table. A bottle rested in a cooler along with cheese and crackers on a plate. “I’m prepared.”
“How sweet that you had so much confidence in me.”
Tom wished he had more confidence in himself. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her now that they were equal in rank. “Of course I did.” He grabbed the cheese plate first, then the bottle. He put a towel around it. Pop! The cork flew onto a chair. He poured the bubbly and gave her a glass.
“To you, Stefanie Stevens. Congratulations.”
“And to you.” She clinked his glass. “Thank you for helping me.” Her eyes shone.
“You would’ve done it without me.”
“Yeah, but it wouldn’t have been any fun.”
His gaze held hers over the rim of the glass. “For me, too. Stef.” He broke the eye contact. “Let’s sit.”
They dropped down onto the two-person swing with a teal padded cover. She was still grinning as she looked out at the lawn, then patted the arm of the swing. “Did you get this for your grandparents?”
“Yeah. They sit out here all the time and hold hands.”
“I want to be like them, someday. With somebody special.”
Ask her, you idiot.
But the failures he’d had in his love life prevented him from getting out the words.
“Where are they?”
He’d lost the train of thought. “Who?”
“Your grandparents, silly.”
“Now that they sold their bakery, they can travel. They went to stay with their sister up in Rochester. My grandmother can still drive and it’s only two hours away.”
“Will they be gone long?”
“A week.”
“Hmm.” Her expression was mysterious.
“So, what firehouse would you go to if you could choose your placement?”
“Noah Keaton’s. On an opposite shift. I like the smallness of each group there and the fact that they aren’t as busy as Carson’s station.”
“Yeah, that appealed to Noah too.” He took a sip and the wine went down cold and silky.
“Did you want to go to Engine 2?”
Shrugging a shoulder, he said, “Didn’t matter. I was happy to get a placement. I had to wait a while.”
“I will too, I’m sure.”
He toed the rocker back and forth. “What did your mother think about all this?”
“She doesn’t know yet. I came right here, like we agreed.”
“That makes me feel good.”
She turned her whole body to him. “How good, Tom?”
“What do you mean?”
Cocking her head, she gave him a tender look. “Don’t pretend you don’t know.”
Take the chance. He set down his glass and took hers, placed it next to his, their sides touching. “I do know from my end, Stef. But how—”
She threw her arms around him. Plastered herself to him. “Kiss me, please. I’ve been dreaming about that.”
The minute his mouth touched hers, he felt sparks shoot to all his nerve endings. It was like lightning. He deepened the kiss, explored her mouth, nipped her lips until the two of them were squirming.
He stood. Pulled her up. It felt totally normal to scoop her into a carry; she nestled into his chest as he headed toward the bedroom. Unable to believe this was happening, he set her on the bed and began to unbutton his shirt.
She opened hers.
When he was naked he dove in.
* * *
Stef awoke to a sound. The doorbell. She turned over. Tom was fast asleep. Maybe she’d take a peek at who was there. Then she’d decide if she’d wake him.
Throwing on his shirt, which smelled delightfully like his spicy aftershave, she tiptoed out of the room and walked to the foyer. A blond woman in a pretty peach dress stood on the stoop, facing the street. Well, this was awkward. But, hell, Stef wasn’t retreating. She opened the door and the blonde turned around. Oh, she was pregnant. Very pregnant. “Who are you?” she asked.
“Um, I’m Stef. Who are you?”
She shook her head, dislodging her pretty curls. “Then Tommy’s got a girl on the hook again.”
“Pardon me?”
She touched her belly. “I was another one of them.”
Stef’s gaze dropped to the woman’s stomach. “What are you saying?”
Before she could respond, she heard, “Stef, what are you…” He came to the door in his boxers. No shirt. And sexy scruff on his face. “Lila?”
She gave him an intimate smile. “Hello, Tommy.”
“What do you want?”
“Remember, I’m the last woman you dumped.” Again she put her hand on her belly. “I’m almost seven months pregnant.”
His beautiful brown eyes widened like saucers. “Is it—”
“Yours?” Her tone was flip. “Yep. Congratulations, you’re going to be a daddy.”
He turned to Stef, who took a step back. “I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, I am too.” She headed to the back of the house.
A clutch in her heart stopped her for a moment. She found her clothes, dressed.
Tom came inside. “Please, let me explain.”
“No need. You got a lot of things to deal with here. But one of them isn’t me.” She finished buttoning her shirt. “Don’t contact me again.”
“Stef…”
She raced out of the room to the foyer. She caught a glimpse of Lila in the living area. Tears threatened, but she kept going.
Out the door.
Out of the driveway.
And out of Tom’s life.
* * *
Vanessa, Stef’s mother, called out from the bedroom of her condo. “Hey, honey. I’m almost ready.”
“No worries.” She took a bottle of water from the fridge and sat in the dining area.
Vanessa came out to the kitchen. “Hey, thanks for waiting.” Her mom wore a simple black sleeveless one piece suit with a wide belt of hammered gold, dangling earrings and bangles to match. The front plunged discreetly.
Stef had chosen a blue summer sundress—her own style. But she had taken the time to curl and fluff her hair and put on some eyeshadow and lipstick.
“Would you like me to drive?” her mother asked.
“No, I’m okay with it.”
Vanessa tipped her chin. “What aren’t you okay with?”
“I’ll tell you over drinks.”
They arrived at the Glen Edith, a beautiful restaurant overlooking a gorge with a waterfall. They’d snagged a table outside and sat close to the railing, in a corner. The beginning-of-August night was warm but comfortable. The rush of water and the scents of the green earth surrounded them.
A waiter came up to them. “Good evening, Ms. Stevens. Would you like the champagne you ordered?”
“I would. Thank you.”
When he left, Stef said, “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Of course I did. It’s not every day that a daughter achieves the rank of lieutenant in the fire service.” She reached across the table to take Stef’s hand. “I want to celebrate your success.”
“Let’s do it.”
They made small talk until the champagne arrived, then her mom toasted her accomplishment.
Stef took a sip. Hmm. Cool and dry.
“All right, we’re alone with drinks. Spill.”
She lifted her chin. “I slept with Tom last night.”
Vanessa’s eyes widened. “Wow. I knew you liked him but that’s a big step.”
“I was so happy about passing and he was elated too. I promised I’d come to see him right after the test. We kind of got carried away.”
“You know, sweetheart, there’s nothing wrong with that.” Her mother was a liberal feminist who had taught her that sex was good and healthy.
“This time there was. First off, I don’t get involved with firefighters.”
“I know.” Vanessa’s ash-brown brows knitted. “Because of those awful rumors that you slept around.”
“Uh-huh. And second, something fluky happened.”
When she related the visit from a woman who claimed to be his ex-girlfriend, and pregnant, Stef’s stomach got queasy remembering the shock and disappointment of the confrontation.
“Oh, my God. Oh, damn it.”
“I know. I probably would have broken my own rule about firefighters and dated him. But this sealed the deal not to do it.”
“That would be a hard road to navigate, especially in a new relationship.”
“Right. Besides, I don’t even want a serious one yet.”
“There’s always Harry.”
Stef laughed. “Harry’s a great guy. Not the settling down type, though.” Stef had been dating the young stockbroker off and on but the relationship was casual. Not so much lately, though.
“So, how was the sex with Tom?”
She felt the heat rise to her face. “I didn’t expect him to have so much…expertise. He knew a lot. More than any other guy I’ve been with.”
“Darling, there haven’t been that many.”
“I know. But there’s more. He was so tender. And…slow.”
“Whew! A powerful combination.”
She sighed. “That’s why I said the situation is unfortunate.”
“What did he want from you?”
“He got as far as let me explain and I cut him off.”
“Maybe that was hasty.”
She took a hefty sip of the champagne. “It wasn’t, Mom, believe me.”
“All relationships are messy, Stef.”
“Not with you. You had a fantastic marriage with Daddy and now a good relationship with Addison.”
She watched Stef. “About that.”
“Oh, no, you’re getting married?”
“What? No. Actually, I’m going away this weekend with him. And on a cruise later in the summer. I have vacation saved up and I’m taking two weeks.”
“That’s generous of him.”
“What do you mean? Ah, I see. Addison’s not paying for my expenses.”
“Mom, he’s rich.” A local businessman, Addison Gray owned a high-end clothing store, a pharmacy and an ice cream shop.
“I won’t be indebted to him. It’s the fastest way to kill the sizzle.”
Now Stef laughed. “You’re something else, Mother.”
“So are you, Stefanie. Now, back to the expert in bed. Are you sure you want to ditch him?”
“I have to. My career’s too important to me. How would it look, me hooking up with a guy who has a pregnant girlfriend?”
“Shitty, I guess. But other people’s opinions haven’t stopped you from doing anything in your past.”
“If I want a career in firefighting, other people’s opinions have to matter. So no, Tommy Mancini is out of my life.”
* * *
“Okay, Mancini, talk!” This from Adam. The Brothers of Fire had finished up their axe-throwing, an activity Brooke Remington had told Tim about. They’d snagged a table way in the corner of the big gym-like space, where they could see the action but it was quiet enough to talk. The dull cracks of the axes, swearing and cheers came from the other area.
“Why me?” Tommy asked grumpily. He was more depressed than he’d been in recent memory.
Tim, next to him, socked his shoulder. “You’re wound up tight. You look like you lost your best friend. You groused the whole night. And you threw like shit. We’re here for you, Tommy.”
He shot a glance at Stark. “Adam’ll mock me.”
Adam’s face sobered. He could be a sarcastic bastard but when one of them was in trouble, he could be kind. “No, I won’t, I promise. I’m trying to be nicer.”
“All right. Two big things happened this past weekend. Stef Stevens passed her lieutenant’s exam and we…hooked up afterward.”
“Hooked up as in…” Noah asked.
“What it always means,” Jarek explained. “Tom, that sounds like good news. Or was it awful?”
“It blew the top of my head off. Hers, too.”
“Well, then?”
“We fell asleep, but I got a visitor. Remember Lila?”
“Yeah, the party girl.” Noah frowned. “You were better off without her.”
“She’s pregnant.”
Four jaws dropped.
Tim recovered first. “Is it yours?”
“She said it is. Right in front of Stef.”
Noah scowled. “Oh, boy, bad luck.”
“She also told Stef she was another one of the girls I dumped.”
“You said she dumped you.” This from Adam.
Jarek moved to the end of his seat. “I got something to say about that. Lacey heard that you didn’t dump most of the women you said you did. It was the other way around. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to call you a liar.”
“They did dump me. Some of ‘em gave me ultimatums I didn’t want to accept. I waited for some of them to call me after a few dates and they didn’t.”
“Why didn’t you call them back?” Noah asked.
“It was their turn.” He shrugged. “After a while, I thought they were ditching me.”
“You’re pretty young, Tom. Maybe you didn’t see things right.” Jarek again.
“Maybe. But that’s not the issue with Lila. I know for a fact that I ended the relationship with her. Anyway, that’s not the issue now.”
“Go ahead and tell us what is.” Tim was always so encouraging.
“First off, I want to be with Stef. Second, I can’t find out if the kid’s mine.”
