Her Perfect Hero
Her Perfect Hero
Kara Lennox
Can He Save The Day?The firefighters of Firehouse 59 can't help but wonder when Brady's Tavern, the local hangout, will reopen after the owner passes away. Cute Julie Polk doesn't seem the type to run a bar, but hey, she's better looking than Brady ever was! Needless to say, they're stunned when Julie decides to convert the place into a tearoom!Determined not to let that happen, the firefighters elect Tony Veracruz, the resident Casanova, to sweet-talk the blonde into changing her mind. Brady's Tavern should be back in no time! But as Tony gets closer to Julie and realizes he wants more than just a fling, he's not sure where his loyalties lie.
Julie climbed the ladder and balanced herself precariously at the top
With a screwdriver and a hammer she tried to pry one of the ceiling tiles loose, but theyd been up there for almost a hundred years and they werent coming down easily. Finally she managed to get the hammers claw wedged under one corner. She pried with all her strength, but got nowhere.
The front door opened and a shaft of sunlight cut through the bars dusty interior. A man stepped inside, silhouetted in the doorway. Julie recognized Tonys broad shoulders, his muscular chest, his dominating presence. She took a deep breath.
She started to say somethingand then everything happened at once. With an earsplitting noise, the tin panel above her pulled partly free. Julie clawed at the air as she lost her balance, startled by the falling panel. She braced herself, wondering what kind of injuries shed sustain when she landed.
But she didnt hit the floor. Instead, she fell into a strong pair of arms as perfectly and neatly as if shed dropped into a hammock. It took her a few moments to realize she was okay.
What are you doing here? she asked inanely.
Is that any way to greet a man who just saved your life?
Dear Reader,
In the first FIREHOUSE 59 book I introduced readers to Bradys Tavern, a slightly unsavory bar across the street from the station. In Her Perfect Hero, my heroine, Julie, takes over Bradys. The fun starts when the firefighters get wind of her plans to give their favorite hangout an extreme makeover, and Tony gets caught in the cross fire.
I tried my best to bring Oak Cliff neighborhood to life. Its a place I love because its my home, too. And although Bradys is fictional, I incorporated a lot of real places into the story. As for Tony, hes fictionalI only wish he were real. I hope youll love him as much as I do as he struggles with his divided loyalties.
Happy reading,
Her Perfect Hero
Her Perfect Hero
Kara Lennox
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Texas native Kara Lennox has earned her living at various times as an art director, typesetter, textbook editor and reporter. Shes worked in a boutique, a health club and an ad agency. Shes been an antiques dealer and even a blackjack dealer. But no work has made her happier than writing romance novels. She has written more than fifty books.
When not writing, Kara indulges in an ever-changing array of hobbies. Her latest passions are bird-watching and long-distance bicycling. She loves to hear from readers; you can visit her Web page at www.karalennox.com (http://www.karalennox.com).
Books by Kara Lennox
HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE
974FORTUNES TWINS
990THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR
1052THE FORGOTTEN COWBOY
1068HOMETOWN HONEY * (#litres_trial_promo)
1081DOWNTOWN DEBUTANTE * (#litres_trial_promo)
1093OUT OF TOWN BRIDE * (#litres_trial_promo)
1146THE FAMILY RESCUE ** (#litres_trial_promo)
In memory of my uncle, Captain Henry Pearly Gates, who was a Dallas firefighter for many, many years.
Contents
Chapter One (#u8fed6892-799d-5c37-9b7d-7f5d68acf0b9)
Chapter Two (#u48738bb9-ea3a-569f-ad53-3bd3d56d3302)
Chapter Three (#u1170fb9c-d5c5-5173-b4f7-8ef0877ee6a7)
Chapter Four (#u24fb77d2-b0e5-5c67-a4e9-0808c4f0f74d)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
Tony Veracruz climbed off Engine 59 pumped full of adrenaline for which there was no outlet. Around midafternoon his crew had been called to a house fire in South Dallas. But by the time theyd arrived another company had had the small blaze under control and thered really been nothing for him to do.
Back at the station, he halted traffic on busy Jefferson Street so Lt. McCrae could back the engine into the apparatus room. He willed the alarm to buzz again, but annoyingly it remained silent.
For the past ten or so hours in the August heat hed gone on one call after another, including the rescue of a kid stuck in a drainage ditch. All of which had, thank God, distracted him from thoughts of Daralee.
Now, with nothing to keep his brain occupied, he could think of nothing else. He wished he could banish her from his head. She was finished with him, and nothing he could do would bring her back. For the past week, ever since their breakup, the only thing that could wipe her from his mind was the sound of that alarm.
As he followed the engine into its bay and prepared to close the door, movement across the street caught his eye.
Hey, Ethan, he called to his fellow firefighter and lifelong best friend. The lights are on at Bradys.
His announcement got the attention of everyone within earshot. The guys whod been on the engine joined him in the open doorway to gaze at the illuminated beer signs in the front window of Bradys Tavern. The signs had been dark for the past two weeks, ever since Brady Keller, third-generation owner of the best bar in Dallass Oak Cliff neighborhood, had died peacefully in his sleep.
Maybe its opening back up, Ethan said.
Tony shrugged. We can only hope.
Oak Cliff had once been its own town, but Dallas had swallowed it up more than a hundred years earlier. It comprised a large area across the Trinity River from downtown and came with a diverse population and plenty of character. Those who lived and worked there tended to think of themselves as differentoutside the mainstreamfrom other Dallasites. In turn, Dallas proper didnt think all that much of Oak Cliff.
Bradys was an Oak Cliff institution, and Tony had frequented the bar since hed acquired his first fake ID at age seventeen. Located just across the street from the fire station, it was a favorite hangout for cops and firefighters.
And good ole Brady Keller had been as familiar a fixture as his taverns sticky wood floors and antique shuffleboard table. Hed always been there, ready to listen, commiserate and even serve up an occasional beer on the house, provided your tale of woe was sad enough. Whenever Tony broke up with a girlwhich happened with alarming frequencyhed headed straight for Bradys, where he could distract himself with a game of pool, a sporting event on TV and a cold one. Until the bar had closed its doors.
Fire Station 59 had gone into mourning at the news of Bradys death, especially when the For Sale sign had gone up.
Did you see whos inside? Ethan asked.
I think I can see someone moving around, said Priscilla Garner, another of Tonys good friends. She, Ethan and Tony had gone through firefighter training together. Now they all lived on the same block, worked the same shifts and watched each others backs.As the three greenest rookies, they took a lot of grief from the veterans. Maybe someone bought the place.
I saw who went inside, said Otis Granger, whod had a stool with his name on it at the bar. Otis hadnt gone on the last call. Two girls, and they didnt look like bar owners to me.
Girls? Tonys interest immediately picked up.
Well, women, if you want to be politically correct, Otis explained. But one of them was a teenager, I think.
They were all hoping someone would buy the place and open it up just as it had been. Bradys business had fallen off some in recent years as newer, trendier bars had opened in Oak Cliff, but none of his regular customers wanted to see the bar change.
I think we should find out who they are, Ethan said. Brady must have familysomeone to inherit. He talked about a sister.
Tony, go talk to them. Priscilla gave him a little shove.
Why me?
DuhTheyre female. I dont know if youve noticed, but you have a certain effect on women.
Otis and Ethan broke out laughing, but Tony didnt. Whatever effect he had, it never lasted. His longest romantic relationship had ended after only a couple of months.
Just go find out who those women are, Priscilla urged. They must be related to Brady somehow.Ask them what their plans are. Maybe you can impress on them how important it is to sell Bradys to someone wholl reopen it and keep things the same.
Ethan, why dont you talk to them? Tony argued. Youre the great persuader around here.
Yeah, he managed to convince Kat to marry him, Otis said drily. Like she couldnt have done a lot better.
Ethan puffed out his chest, as he did at any mention of his beautiful new bride. Theyd been married less than a month. Okay, Ill talk to the ladies.
Just then, the door to Bradys opened and one of the women emerged.
Even from a distance, Tony could see she was gorgeoustall and sleek, with golden hair that blew in the breeze. She wore snug faded jeans that molded themselves to a body made for love and a clingy cropped shirt that showed off her trim waist and breasts that bounced slightly as she strode down the sidewalk.
She stopped in front of the For Sale sign attached to the front window, then reached behind the iron burglar bars and yanked on the paper until it came loose. She pulled it free and rolled it up, tucked it under her arm, then went back inside.
Hold it, Tony said. Changed my mind. Ill talk to her.
Uh-oh, Priscilla said. Watch out, Tonys on the prowl.
He gave Pris a disdainful look. Daralee and I just broke up. You dont honestly think Im ready to get involved with someone else, do you?
Tonys fellow firefighters laughed so hard at this that Otis nearly fell onto the concrete floor and Ethan had to support himself against the truck.
What? I cant believe youre laughing about my messed-up love life.
Messed up, Ethan agreed, until the next girl comes along. Youve been mooning about Daralee for, what, a week?
We had a good thing going, Tony said more to himself than Ethan. I really thought He stopped. No time for regrets. That woman with the gold hair was undoubtedly the new owner of Bradys, and someone needed to talk to her before she changed anything. Cover for me if Captain Campeon notices Im gone. Without any further hesitation, Tony loped out of the station, darting between cars on busy Jefferson Street, toward the gorgeous goddess of a woman whounknowinglywaited inside Bradys to meet him.
Bradys Tavern occupied a two-story building that must have been close to a hundred years old, and the brick looked as if it hadnt been cleaned since coal stoves went out of vogue. A flock of pigeons had taken up residence under the eaves and the evidence of their frequent presence covered the cracked sidewalk.
The bars door wasnt locked, so Tony pushed it open. A wall of hot, stuffy air, heavy with the scent of stale beer, slapped him in the face. Hello? Anyone home?
A teenage girl bounded up to him like an eager puppy. Hi. Whore you?
Tony. I work at the fire station across the street. Are you the new owner of Bradys?
She nodded. Well, my mom is. This place is so cool. Do you play shuffleboard?
Not only do I play, I was the Bradys Tavern shuffleboard champion two years running. Wheres your mom? Surely the woman hed seen removing the For Sale sign wasnt this girls mother.
My mom is Bradys sister. Was. Whatever.
Then Brady was your uncle. It must have been tough losing him so unexpectedly. He was a great guy.
Not according to Mom. She said he was a drunkard black sheep who couldnt be trusted with a dime. The girl rocked back on her heels, apparently not realizing shed insulted someone Tony had considered a friend. And her mothers information was outdated. Brady had quit drinking twenty years ago.
Could I speak to your mom? He looked around the bar, which seemed strangely empty without the usual smattering of cops, firefighters and siren sistersthe female groupies who were turned on by any man who wore a badge or wielded a hose. But he didnt see the blond woman.
My mom is at work. But if its anything to do with Bradys, youll want to talk to Julie.
Julie?
My sister.
Ah. That made a whole lot more sense.
Shes counting the glasses or something. Trying to decide what to keep and what to get rid of.
Then hed better talk to her right away before she did something stupidlike throw away the Daryl Jones memorial ashtray.
Tony heard some clinking going on behind the long carved-wood bar and figured that had to be where Julie had disappeared to. He made his way to the bar, his feet schlup-schlupping with every step on the sticky floor.
Ah, it was good to be back here. Bradys was lit up like a Christmas tree, with its vintage signs. They covered almost every available bit of wall surface and illuminated the interior, which was crammed full of tables and chairs, pool tables, dartboardsguy heaven. Every corner had a TV, and when the place had been open all of them were always tuned in to a smorgasbord of sporting events.
A lonely silk ficus tree lurked forlornly in a corner, covered with dust. Supposedly one of Bradys girlfriends had put it there one time, trying in vain to class the place up.
Excuse me, Julie?
She popped up from behind the bar, a pair of yellow rubber gloves on her hands. Looking startled, she stared at Tony for several seconds of charged silence. She had the most amazing amber eyes. Hed never seen eyes that color before. She reminded him of a golden fawn or an unspoiled woodland nymph.
Yes? she finally said. Her low, sexy voice sent shivers down his spine and a rush of blood through his veins.
Tony shook himself out of his daze. How could he be attracted to this woman when his pain over losing Daralee was still so fresh? It was just hormones playing a nasty trick on him. Hi, Im Tony Veracruz. I work at the fire station across the street, and we were just wonderingare you going to keep Bradys? We saw that you removed the For Sale sign.
She cocked her head to one side. Do you want to buy it?
Believe me, weve talked about it. But the price tag is a bit high for us working stiffs. We just really miss the placeand Brady. He was a great guy. It was terrible losing him so suddenly. Youre his niece?
Thats right. Julie Polk. She extended her hand across the bars polished surface, realized she still had gloves on, removed the right one hurriedly and tried again.
Tony took her hand, and rather than shake it as he would a mans, he squeezed it. It was a lovely little hand, with perfectly manicured nails polished a pearly pink. Tonys stomach gave a peculiar swoop.
Julies mask of detached politeness slipped and a flicker of awareness passed over her face. So she felt it, too?
The teenage girl, whod come to lean against the bar resting her chin on her folded arms, cleared her throat.
Julie extracted her hand from Tonys. This is my sister, Belinda. I heard her talking to someone, so I assume youve already met.
I did have the pleasure, though she didnt volunteer her name. Its a beautiful name, too. Hed almost named his daughter Belinda, so he wasnt deliberately laying it on thick.
Belinda blushed furiously. Though her hair and eyes were darker, she looked much like her sisterwhich meant she was probably already breaking hearts in all directions.
So your mother is the new owner of Bradys? Tony asked Julie.
Yes. She and Brady owned it together, but shes been more of a silent partner. They werent very close.
Thats too bad. Its sad when families drift apart. He was thinking about his own family. Due to his parents multiple marriages, Tony had lots of stepsiblings and half siblings, some of whom hed lost touch with. So your mother has decided not to sell?
Frankly Mom really doesnt care. Shes asked me to deal with it for her. Julie put the second rubber glove back on and resumed her task, which appeared to be counting beer mugs and entering the tally on a clipboard. She gave him a nice view of her denim-clad bottom in the process, which Tony fully enjoyeduntil he realized Belinda was smirking at him. He diverted his gaze to the picture of the naked lady above the bar.
But you are going to reopen? Tony persisted.
It would be a shame for the business to leave the family after weve owned it for three generations.
That sounded promising. Yeah, theres a lot of history here. Who are you gonna get to run the place? Brady had a guy working for him, Alonzo. Hed be a great manager.
You dont think I could run Bradys? she asked, challenging. She put the clipboard down and devoted her full attention to their conversation.
Well, youre Tony stopped himself before he misstepped. Some women had accused him before of being a male chauvinist pig. But it wasnt because he didnt think women deserved equal rights or that they werent as smart and capable as men. The opposite was more like it. He thought women should be treated better than men. And he didnt think any woman as beautiful and refined as Julie Polk should have to sling beer and deal with groping, drunk customers.
Im what?
Too pretty to work at a joint like this.
Her gaze fell, her long lashes casting shadows on her smooth cheeks. Thanks, but I dont have the resources to hire someone else to run the place. And since Im currently between assignments, as they say, Im the logical one to take on the job.
More power to you, then. Tony grinned. Bradys was coming back! The guys at the station would be over the moon. And dont worry, he added, youve got lots of friends in the neighborhood wholl help you out. So when are you planning to reopen?
Oh, Id say itll take a few weeks to refurbish the place, work out the menus.
Menus? Brady had served microwave nachos, popcorn and beer nuts. You didnt need a menu for the basics. Youre going to change Bradys?
Bradys is not going to be Bradys. And a big smile spread across her face, dispelling the polite, almost icy mask shed been wearing and transforming her into an angel. Tony was so entranced with how she looked he almost missed what she said next. Its going to be Belindas.
BelindasBar? he asked warily.
Belindas is going to be the coolest tearoom in all of Dallas.
Julie gathered that sexy Tony Veracruz was not happy with her announcement. He stared, his jaw hanging open, for several seconds as he processed her news.
Lord, he was gorgeous. Those well-defined cheekbones, that smooth olive skin and brown eyes a girl could drown in. Funny, shed always thought her ex-fianc, with his aristocratic clean-cut blond handsomeness, was the best-looking guy around. But Tonys earthier looks struck a chord deep inside her.
When hed said she was pretty, the compliment had given her heart palpitations. But how silly was that? He probably told a half-dozen women a day they were pretty.
Did you say? Tonys voice trailed off.
Yes, isnt it great? Im turning Bradys into a tearoom.
On Jefferson Street?
The perfect place, dont you think? Oak Cliff is in the middle of a renaissance. I see revitalization all around us. The historic district is right across the street. Those mansions in Kessler Park are only a mile away. Then theres the Bishop Arts districtlots of sophisticated restaurants and bars going in there. She was using all the same arguments she had used to convince her parents to okay this venture, though truthfully they hadnt cared much what she did with Bradys so long as it brought in some cash.
The moment shed seen the place, despite its coat of grime, the thought had flashed into her mind: Julie Polk, owner and manager of the classiest tearoom in town. Wouldnt Trey be surprised? When shed given him back his ring, hed told her she would never make anything of herself without his help. But she was going to show him and his whole family how wrong they were.
Besides, she also wanted to transform Bradys into Belindas for herself. After her disastrous broken engagement, she needed something she could call her own; something no one could take away from her.
She resumed counting beer mugs. They were nice, heavy glass ones, and she could use them as iced-tea glasses. Almost everything else would have to go, though. Shed been doing a quick-and-dirty inventory since she and Belinda had arrived this morning, and the results were depressing.
But Bradys is a neighborhood institution, Tony argued. You cant close it for good.
I dont really have a choice, she said practically. I know absolutely nothing about running a bar. I do, however, know a great deal about managing a tearoom. Shed spent a year as manager of Lochinvars, the oh-so-tony tearoom inside Bailey-Davidsons, the upscale department store owned by her ex-fiancs family.
Belindas was going to be much cooler than Lochinvars, which had been around for fifty years and attracted mostly older matrons. Belindas was going to bring in the younger women, the rich hipsters who frequented Hatties and Caribe in Bishop Artsthe ones who knew Oak Cliff was the cool place to be, the ones who thought Deep Ellum was just a bit too grungy and Highland Park too stuffy.
But Bradys is a gold mine, Tony argued, following her along his side of the bar as she moved to count the next shelf of glasses. Its packed most nights with hard-drinking men and women who buy lots of beer.
What a charming picture. Anyway, Ive looked at the books. The place might have been crowded, but the customers werent spending enough money. Bradys profits were way down. Theres almost no money in the accounts either.
That didnt surprise Tony. Brady spent it as fast as he could make it. He was a soft touch. He gave money away to any hard-luck story that came his way. He even hosted free Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless.
He did? Julie was surprised. According to her mother, Brady had never done anything that didnt directly benefit Brady. That sounds so nice.
You didnt know him?
Not really. Anyway, the point is, the books dont lie. Shed been taking classes at community college with an eye toward a degree in business management. She knew a bit about accounting. Bradys was barely breaking even.
Okay, so maybe the place isnt a gold mine. Yet. But with the right management skills He looked pointedly at Julie.
Ive done the research. The demographics are changing. A more upscale establishment on this street will be cutting-edge. Belindas should be extremely profitable, even with the investments Ill have to make to refurbish the place. Julie was counting on some quick profits. Clever Belinda, with her perfect SAT scores, was going to attend an Ivy League university. And since the Davidsons had withdrawn their pledge to finance Belindas education, it was up to Julie to figure out how to pay the staggering tuition by next fall, only a year away.
Even though Belinda was certain to get some sort of scholarship, there would still be huge expenses. And her parents couldnt contribute anything. They could barely take care of their own bills.
The real-estate agent had told Julie it could take months or even years to sell Bradys for a fair price. And all the mortgages and liens Brady had on the building would eat up the proceeds from any purchase.
Opening the tearoom was a much better idea. She could sell everythingand there were some collectibles tucked in and around Bradys, like the cigar-store Indian and the vintage pinball machines and neon signs. With the proceeds and her own little nest egg, she could transform this place into a posh yet cozy oasis that would provide her and her family with income for years to come.
Eventually, she would have to pay off Bradys creditors. Fortunately, however, theyd been willing to work out terms when shed explained she wanted to get the place back in business.
Julie had done the math. She really could manage this.
You cant do this, Tony said. Please, Julie, Im begging you. Youll be destroying a piece of Oak Cliff history.
Julie stopped counting beer mugs. She kept losing track, and who could blame her when this gorgeous man was distracting her? She wondered exactly what hed be willing to do to get her to change her mind, then immediately banished the thought. Shed broken her engagement less than a month ago. She was still reeling over her fiancs betrayal and the astounding realization that he and his whole family had expected her to brush his indiscretion under the rug. She had no business letting sexy Tony Veracruz heat up her blood.
Mr. Veracruz, look around you.
He did. Yeah?
This place is a dump. Its a dive, a blight on a neighborhood thats trying to come back. Im going to improve it, beautify it, make it a showplace Oak Cliff can be proud of.
Well, Ill admit Bradys could use a good scrubbing.
What it could use is a nuclear explosion. Thats what it would take to get the dirt off these floors. Everything reeks of stale beer and cigarette smoke.
You could clean the place up, Tony tried again. Wed help you.
Im sorry, Tony. And truly she was. Bradys had probably been the sort of place where some people felt they belonged. Like Cheers, only grittier. Finding a place to fit in, to belong, was important, and she should know. Shed been trying to figure out where she fit her whole life.
Not in Pleasant Grove, the blue-collar suburb where shed grown up in a housing project. Shed always known there was something better for her out in the world and shed thought shed found her place working at Bailey-Davidsons. Shed devoted nine years of her life to itwatching, studying, improving herself, moving up the department-store career ladder, slowly accumulating college credits so that she would eventually qualify for higher management positions.
She loved that store. She loved being around the beautiful clothes, the delicate bone china, the designer bed linensoh, how she loved the linens department.
Most of all, shed loved being around all those well-educated, refined, soft-spoken people. And when Trey Davidson had noticed her, accepted her, when his friends had welcomed her into their circleeven though she couldnt claim an Ivy League affiliation or a single drop of blue bloodshed thought shed found her place. Up-and-coming Bailey-Davidsons executive and wife to the stores heir apparent.
A dream come true.
Except the dream had turned into the proverbial nightmare, and Julie had once again found herself afloat in a strange sea in which she didnt belong, wondering what she would do with her life.
Belindas could be her place. Her creation, her universe. She could surround herself with beautiful things, fine foods and people who appreciated the same things she did.
Tony Veracruz, she guessed, would not be one of those people. Which was a pity. Let Marcel at the Bailey-Davidsons salon cut Tonys hair, then put him in an Armani suit, and hed fit right in at any office in any glass high-rise in the city. But Julie suspected that sort of life didnt appeal to him. She could tell he liked himself the way he was and liked where he was in life.
Which was fine. That was part of his appeal, actuallythe fact that he was obviously so comfortable in his skin.
His gorgeous skin.
How bout I take you out to dinner tomorrow? Tony asked. We could get some burgers. You could tell me more about this tearoom idea of yours.
Oh, she was tempted. For one thing, she hadnt been out to eat at a real restaurant in weeks because shed been hoarding her pennies.
But she had an idea that if she let Tony take her out, even for an innocent hamburger, before long he would be telling her more about what a great place Bradys was and how wrong she was to change it to a tearoom, and she would start to doubt herself.
She didnt need that. Shed doubted her judgment enough after finding out the man she loved had been lying to her for monthsmaybe longer. She needed to surround herself with people who would encourage her and support her and help her make Belindas a resounding success.
Julie wouldnt have cared so much about this venture if it was just about herself, but she would do whatever it took for Belinda. Her sweet, brilliant baby sister was going to have the chance to make something fantastic of herself, and nothing was going to prevent it. Not the miserable, self-serving Davidsons, not her parents apathy and certainly not a fireman who was sentimental about a run-down eyesore of a neighborhood bar. Even if he was sexy as hell.
Im sorry, Tony. I appreciate the invitation, but I have so much to do, she said coolly. Which was true enough.
Another time, then. I better get back to work. He flashed her a dazzling grin, turned with a jaunty wave and exited out the squeaky front door.
She hoped he wasnt serious about asking her out again. She might not have the strength to turn down his next invitation.
Chapter Two
I never met Uncle Brady, did I? Belinda asked as she and Julie climbed the stairs to the apartment above the bar where Brady had lived.
No, I dont think you ever met him. She only had a vague memory herself of a big bear of a man who showed up at Thanksgiving with a fruitcake, drank too much wine and was asked to leave. He sent Mom a little check every once in a whileher part of the profits from the bar. But he and Mom hardly ever talked. Mom sent him a Christmas card every year, but he never reciprocated.
Tony said he was a great guy.
Brady probably gave Tony free beer. But Tony had painted an image of Brady that Julie couldnt get out of her mind. A soft touch. Generous and kind. Sure didnt sound like the mooch her mother had described.
How much do you think well get for all that stuff downstairs? Belinda asked.
Ill have to do some research, but I bet those vintage signs will fetch a good price.
What about those green glass lampshades? Trey has some of those, doesnt he?
Julie gave an unladylike snort. Treys are reproductions. Ours are the real thing. In fact, maybe Ill keep those. Theyll look pretty in the tearoom, dont you think?
Belinda shrugged. Will you keep the jukebox?
No, that Im going to sell. Its an old Wurlitzer, and the vinyl records alone are worth a fortune.
Rather than sounding excited about the prospect, Belinda gave a sad little huff.
What?
Oh, its just a bit tragic thinking about tearing the place up.
Belinda, you must be joking. Its disgusting.
Yeah, but that guy Tony was right. If you scrubbed it up, it wouldnt be so bad.
Dont even think about it. Im not running a bar. Even if she had the experience or knowledge, she preferred the idea of improving the neighborhood. Bradys had been an eyesore, no doubt drawing unsavory characters. Belindas was going to be beautiful. Maybe the firefighters were unhappy about her planned changes, but she bet most of the residents around here would be delighted.
I know, I know, Belinda said. Im just saying its a little sad, thats all.
Julie tried several keys from the big key ring the lawyer had given her mother, finally locating the right one. Shed been avoiding the place where her uncle had died, but she knew she had to check it out. She was planning to live here while she oversaw the renovationsand maybe afterward, too. It would save her a long commute to work, plus she would have her privacy back. Living in her parents tiny house, where they were all on top of each other and getting on each others nerves, wasnt going to work for much longer.
This apartment would do until she could afford something better. Someday, shed like to have her own house. It didnt have to be anything as grand as Treys Highland Park house, where she would be living now if she hadnt canceled the wedding. But she wanted a front porch. And flower boxes in the windows. And a real backyard, maybe with a deck where she could sit outside on a Sunday morning and read the paper, a golden retriever by her side.
Still, a one-bedroom apartment rent-free wasnt bad. She held her breath and pushed open the door.
Bradys living space was surprisingly neat, clean and spartan, given the excessive grime and clutter of the bar. Julie had always heard Brady described as a man who couldnt be trusted. Lazy, slovenly, a freeloaderthose were words her mother commonly used to describe Brady. Yet that image didnt match his digs.
Julie poked around to see if there might be any valuables, but aside from a couple of old paintings and some vintage Fiesta dishes, nothing jumped out as a real treasure.
The bedroom was empty except for a dresser. Someone had removed the bed in which Brady had expired, which was a huge relief. No way would Julie have been able to sleep there.
She returned to the living room and sank onto a worn sofa. It was pretty softshe could sleep on this. And Belinda would be happy to get her own room back at their parents house. The sisters had been sharing a room and a bed, just like old times, for the past couple of weeks.
So what do you think? Belinda asked. Can you live here?
Sure. Ive lived in worse places. Her first apartmentwhen shed gotten her first real job as a stock girl at Bailey-Davidsonshad been one ratty room in the attic of an old East Dallas house. Shed done her cooking on a hot plate.
Bradys living quarters were a palace compared to that but something of a comedown from her last placea classy Park Cities town house shed rented from the Davidsons. Still, she had a little money to live on, the proceeds from returning all the wedding presentsthe ones her friends and family had refused to take back. And Treys parents had given her a handsome severance check in return for her silence about his little secret, which shed been happy to acceptnot that she ever would have gone blabbing about the illegitimate child hed conceived with his mistress even as hed been planning a lavish wedding to Julie. Gossip like that would only make her look dumb. Her stash was enough to keep her going until the tearoom opened.
The view is certainly nice, Belinda said dreamily.
Julie glanced out the window to see what her sister was talking about. All she could see was the fire station, a hundred-year-old brick monstrosity in need of a good sandblasting.
Then she looked closer and realized the blinds to the second-floor window were open; inside a man was pulling off his T-shirt. Belinda!
What? I can look, cant I?
Julie joined her sister at the window. The man picked up a barbell and started doing some curls. It was none other than her firefighting Adonis. Hes doing that on purpose.
Oh, like he knew wed be up here, staring out the window? Get a grip, Jules. Youre paranoid.
Maybe she was. But her reaction to Tony Veracruz had unnerved her.
Shed once felt that way about Trey. Hed flirted with her shamelessly, focused all his attention on her, swept her off her feet. Shed fallen in love, hard, with a man she thought she knew. Handsome, smart, ambitious, funny, generous
Unfaithful.
Feeling all gooey inside over a man, getting caught up in flirtation and charmnone of those offered any guarantee of that mans deep-down character. Julie would do well to remember that and to focus on building a secure future for herself without relying on anyone else.
Tony looked out the window, saw them staring and flashed that cocky smile.
Julie abruptly closed the blinds.
Hey! Belinda objected.
Hes too old for you.
But not for you. Earlier, he was checking out your butt.
Really? Despite herself, Julie felt a little thrill. He probably checks out every girls butt.
He didnt look at mine. Besides, hes going to be your neighbor. You have to be friendly.
No, I dont. Tony Veracruz was trouble with a capital T, and she certainly didnt need any more of that.
SO ARE YOU GOING TO tell us what happened? Priscilla asked. As busy as their shift had been earlier, activity had died down completely. Pris was killing time in Station 59s exercise room, running on the treadmill.
Priscilla was a maniac when it came to fitness and shed guilted almost every firefighter on their shift into working out more. It was humiliating when a wisp of a woman like Pris could lift more weight than you.
Tony had found it difficult to admit to his coworkers the horrible news about what was happening to Bradys Tavern. Theyd given him a task: convince the bars new owner to reopen Bradys just as it was. And though he knew he had nothing to do with Julies decision to turn Bradys into a tea-room, he still felt as if hed let down his comrades.
Mission failed.
Not only that, but beautiful Julie Polk had said no when hed asked her out. Oh, she was interested. Shed acted a little fluttery when hed told her she was pretty, and hed felt some definite vibes flash through the air between them. But shed been prickly, too. Her mind was so filled with plans for her tearoom that romance was way down on her priority list.
He knew darn well he shouldnt be thinking about romance either. He was still smarting from Daralees sudden rejection. Hed thought their relationship was going somewhere. Theyd been so crazy about each other. Now he knew hed been nothing but a boy toy to her, someone to irk her exhusband. When that hadnt worked, hed become history.
But just looking at Julie sent his hormones into a frenzy. Could he help it if he liked having a girlfriend? Still, the next time he fell head over heels for someone, he wanted the same feelings in return. He didnt want to be a low priority or an afterthought.
Earth to Tony, Priscilla said impatiently. Did you hear me?
Sooner or later everyone would find out about Julies plans. He might as well break the news. I heard you. Its just too horrible what shes doing to Bradys.
Priscilla gasped. Is she tearing down the building? Granted, it needs work, but isnt it a historical landmark or something?
Shes doing worse than that. Its sacrilege.
Now he had Ethans and Otiss attention, too. And Jim Petersons. Would you just tell us instead of being a drama queen? said Peterson, pedaling at a leisurely pace on the stationary bike.
Shes turning Bradys into a tearoom.
Otis dropped his barbell with a clang. Ethans jaw sagged.
Priscilla, however, didnt appear horrified. A tearoom. Right here in our neighborhood.
Ethan groaned. Only you, Priscilla, would find this news welcome.
I would miss Bradys, but a tearoom could be good. I could do lunch there.
Otis threw his sweaty towel at her. And where exactly are us men supposed to hang out?
Priscilla turned off the treadmill and slowed to a stop. At least maybe we could get some healthy food there. A salad or Loud groans cut her off. She shrugged. I cant help you if you wont help yourselves.
Pris, maybe you should talk to her, Tony said. Woman to woman. Tell her how important Bradys is to this neighborhood. Its important for us and the cops to have a neutral place to meet and talk things over.
Pris gave Tony an appraising look. If you cant convince her, I dont have a chance. Is she married?
I dont think so. He hadnt seen a ring, anyway.
Youre just gonna have to try harder, Ethan said.
Seduce her, Otis added. Once shes sleeping with you, shell have to listen to you. Chicks are like that.
Priscilla threw the sweaty towel back at Otis. Typical male logic. Men think with their gonads. Women think with their brains.
Just give it the old college try, Ethan said. Get to know her, let her get to know you and then convince her to reopen Bradys. Were sick of seeing you mope about Daralee. About time you found a new girlfriend.
Tony couldnt deny he wanted to give Julie another trysmart move or not. Since meeting her a few minutes earlier, hed had a hard time remembering exactly why hed thought he was in love with Daralee. But cold-blooded seduction wasnt his game. He liked women. He didnt like the idea of using them, even for a good cause. And then there was his own much-stomped-on heart to think of.
Id love to have a new girlfriend, Tony said more candidly than hed meant to. He focused on Ethan. I want what you and Kat have. But Im not sure Julies the one to provide it. Shes a tough cookie.
Ethan shook his head as he wiped down the weight bench hed been using. If you go in with that attitude, expecting to strike out
Look, said Otis, heres what you do. You harden your heart. Every time you look at Julie, you think Daralee. You remember how bad she treated you. You remind yourself that women are evil incarnate.
Hey, Priscilla objected.
Present company excluded, Otis said quickly. Hed been one of the ones to object the loudest when the fire station got invaded by a woman, but he and Priscilla had formed an unlikely friendship, surprising everyone. If you feel yourself softening even a little bit toward this Julie person, you come talk to me and Ill set you straight.
Tony supposed Otis would be the one to do that. He had three ex-wives. If youre such an expert, why dont you seduce her?
Me? He gave a loud, hearty laugh and patted his gut. That girl isnt looking for a fat, old black man. Shes looking for a young stud like you. Besides, my Ruby would kill me if I went near that sweet young thing.
The P.A. system crackled to life. Dinner is now being served in the kitchen, Lt. Murph McCraes gruff voice announced. Come get it now or go hungry.
The firefighters didnt have to be asked twice. They tromped down the stairs in a hungry stampede. But before they could sit down, the alarm sounded. And before theyd even climbed into their turnout gear, a second alarm went out.
Sounds big, Tony said, pushing thoughts of Julie out of his mind for the moment. Another dose of adrenaline surged through his body. He was on the ladder truck today with Ethan, the captain and Jim Peterson. He hadnt been to many big fires, and just the thought of descending on a big conflagration got him as excited as a young kid at an amusement park.
This one was big, too. It was at a run-down auto-body shop, which meant gasoline, oilpotential explosions.
IC to Ladder 59, came the incident commanders voice over the radio. Need yall on the B side of the building on ventilation. Start getting those walls down, if you can.
Captain Campeon, on the ladder truck, abruptly ordered a change of direction, and the truck turned down a side street, raced through an alley and parked in a vacant lot just behind the burning building. Tony chugged the remainder of a bottle of water. On a hot day like today, it paid to stay hydrated.
Grab your tools, rookies, Campeon ordered. Tony did as he was told, collecting an ax and a pike pole. Then he took up a position at veteran Jim Petersons elbow. That was his only assignmentstick to Peterson like bubblegum. The hot August sun would roast him alive inside his turnout gear if he stood out in it for long.
Basque, Campeon barked, get a ladder up to that roof. Peterson, Veracruz, get the window.
The window was barred, but it was easy enough to break the glass using their pikes. As soon as they did, smoke poured out and that was when they heard a dog howling inside.
Tony hated the thought of a helpless animal dying in a fire. Normally, firefighters would rescue pets if it was possible to do so without dramatically endangering themselves.
Hell, lets see if we can get to him, Peterson said. The back door was solid-core steel, but the walls were thin corrugated tin. Tony whacked at the wall with his ax and then Peterson yanked at it until they had an opening.
Ladder 59 to IC, theres a dog inside. Request permission to enter and try to get him out. Not much fire back here.
Affirmative, Ladder 59.
Ill go first, Peterson said to Tony, pulling on his air mask as he set one leg through the jagged opening.
With his own breathing mask in place, Tony climbed in right after Peterson.
Theyd no sooner gotten inside than a blur of brown fur rushed at them. It flew through the air and latched on to Jim Petersons arm, growling furiously. The dog, a pit bull mix, wasnt huge, but it was determined.
Peterson fell back on his butt, cursing wildly. Get this damn thing off me!
Tony gave the dog a kick. And when that didnt dislodge it, he prodded it firmly with the flat side of his ax. He didnt want to kill the creature, but he didnt want it to maim his superior, either.
The dog remained firmly attached.
Ladder 59 to IC, Tony said into his radio, trying not to sound panicked. We need some water back here, fast!
But the call for help was unnecessary; two men were already approaching with a hose. They saw the situation for what it was and blasted the dog with a hard stream of water.
The spray nearly drowned Peterson, but the dog let go. It leaped through the makeshift door and was gone. Tony had never seen a dog run that fast.
You okay, Jim? Tony asked, helping Peterson to his feet.
No. Damn dog has sharp teeth and the jaws of death.
Just as they were emerging through the opening in the wall, an air horn sounded, the signal to evacuate the building. It was too dangerous to remain. Tony was surprised: the building hadnt looked all that bad inside.
An ambulance had already pulled around to the vacant lot in back as Peterson and Tony emerged. Peterson yanked off his mask, his face tightened in pain. Tony couldnt see any blooduntil Peterson took off his coat.
His arm was a mess.
Once the paramedics took over, Tony located Ethan and Captain Campeon. They were as baffled as he was about why theyd been told to clear the building. The fire seemed to be under control.
A few moments later, however, they found out why.
Two incendiary devices had been found at opposite ends of the structure and one on the roof. By now, everyone knew what to look for; this was unmistakably the work of their serial arsonist. Planting a vicious attack dog on the scene was his latest trick to inflict bodily damage on firefighters. Not as showy as the deadly warehouse fire, in which the roof had been rigged to collapse, but still clever and mean. And there was no guarantee he hadnt planted other booby traps inside. At the previous fire hed set a pipe bomb that fortunately hadnt detonated.
A fire marshals Suburban showed up as Tony and Ethan cleaned and loaded their tools, talking in hushed voices about the arsonist. Captain Roark Epperson, lead investigator on the case, stepped out, his face grim.
Tony knew Epperson from the training academy; hed been an instructor there. He also knew Epperson from hanging out at Bradys Tavern. Theyd crossed swords over the shuffleboard table a few times.
The ambulance took Peterson to the hospital for stitches and a shot of antibiotics, so Tony took the rare opportunity to sit beside the captain.
Eppersons gotta be taking this hard, Campeon said as he pulled their truck out of the alley. They drove slowly past the front of the building. Roark was standing in the street, talking to one of the remaining firefighters. Hey, is that Priscilla hes talking to?
Yeah, Tony and Ethan said together. Priscilla had been riding on the engine.
How does he know her?
He was our arson instructor at the academy, Tony answered. And weve run into him a few times at Bradys.
Campeon snorted. Bradys. Damn shame. That niece has no idea the disservice shes doing to the community by destroying that bar. He turned to Tony. Didnt I hear you were doing something about that, Romeo?
Hes flakin out on us, Ethan said. He struck out once, so hes not even gonna try again.
I didnt say that, Tony argued. In truth, he was still making up his mind.
You gotta try, Campeon said, showing a rare degree of humanity. Normally he remained stoic and stone-faced no matter was going on around him. You gotta get through to her. A tearoom? Holy cripes.
All right, Tony would do itfor Bradys. After all, his captain had just given him an order, right? He would seduce Julie Polk. He would pretend he wanted to help her get her tearoom open, but while he was doing it he would share stories about Bradys that would appeal to her sentimentality. He would use every strategy he could think of to get her to change her mind.
Most importantly, he would not fall in love with her. He would not set himself up for more heartbreak.
Chapter Three
Julie was afraid this time shed bitten off more than she could chew. In her zeal to maximize profits from the liquidation of her uncles estate, shed decided an auction was the way to go. Shed done her research and estimated the value of most of the collectibles, putting a reserve price on anything really worthwhile so it wouldnt walk out the door for nothing. Then shed hired an auctioneer, picked a date and paid for an expensive display ad in the newspaper as well as in a local antiques-and-collectibles weekly.
The auction was two days awayand the bar was still a wreck. Shed had every intention of getting in here and cleaning things so that the items would fetch the highest prices. Shed also planned to get a ladder and take down the tin ceilingeach panel was worth at least ten bucks. But shed ended up staying home to care for her dad for a couple of days instead when the woman who regularly looked in on him developed a cold. Since Julie had been living back at home for several weeks, shed felt it was the least she could do. Otherwise her mom would have had to miss work.
Now her dads caregiver was back, but Julie was so far behind she knew shed never catch up. She had a dozen different cleaning products, a bucket full of old rags and not nearly enough time or elbow grease to do the job. Belinda, working double shifts at her summer waitress job this week, wasnt available.
Well, nothing for Julie to do but jump into the project and get as much done as she could. Shed found an old ladder in a back closet. She could take down at least one of the ceiling panels and shine it up so bidders could get a good look at the intricate pressed pattern.
She climbed the rungs and balanced herself precariously at the top. With a screwdriver and a hammer she tried to pry one of the tiles loose, but theyd been up there for almost a hundred years and they werent coming down easily.
Finally she managed to get the hammers claw wedged under one corner. She pried with all her strength but got nowhere.
The front door opened and a shaft of morning sun cut through the bars dusty interior. Belatedly, Julie realized she should have locked the door behind her. This part of Oak Cliff wasnt a hotbed of violent crime, but a girl couldnt be too careful.
A man stepped inside, silhouetted in the doorway, and for a few moments Julie couldnt see his features. Then she recognized the broad shoulders, that muscular chest, the dominating presence. She took in a deep breath. It was Tony.
Even as shed teemed with ideas for Belindas tearoom, making lists and budgets and plans, Tony Veracruz had never been far from her thoughts. And at night when she couldnt sleepand these days, she never could sleephe invaded her fantasies.
Shed told herself it was harmless to imagine what he looked like naked, that she would have few if any dealings with him in the future, so long as she kept her blinds drawn. Given her flat refusal to even talk about reopening Bradys or consider accepting his offer of dinner, she hadnt expected him to return, invading her solitude and setting her heart vibrating like a tuning fork.
She started to say somethingand then everything happened at once. With an ear-splitting noise, the tin panel above her pulled partly free, revealing a wooden beam seething with termites.
Dozens of them fell into her hair.
She screamed and dropped her hammer, then lost her balance. Clawing at the air as she fell backward, she braced herself to hit the hard wooden floor. She wondered in the split second she was airborne how many bones she would break.
But she didnt hit the floor. Instead, she fell into a strong pair of arms as perfectly and neatly as if shed fallen into a hammock.
How had he gotten there so quickly? It took her a few moments to realize she was okay; she wasnt going to die after all. What are you doing here? she asked inanely.
Is that any way to greet a man who just saved your life?
Put me down, please. She still had a head full of termites. She had to get them off her.
You could have broken your neck. Why didnt you ask someone to help you with this?
Oh, you mean a big, strong manbecause I couldnt possibly wield a couple of tools?
Well, obviously you
Im perfectly capable! Or I was, until an entire nest of termites flew into my hair.
Termites?
There are a couple on your arm now.
He quickly put her down and brushed at his arm, while she shook the rest of the insects out of her hair. Ugh. Her skin was still crawling from the sight of those awful bugs.
Got any Raid? Tony asked.
Its going to take more than bug spray, Im afraid. She mentally added a termite inspection, fumigation and possibly expensive repairs to her working list of things to take care of. For now, thoughwhere had she seen bug spray? The storeroom? She walked back to look.
Tony was right at her heels. Youre taking down the ceiling?
Id planned to auction off the ceiling, along with all this other stuff. But I didnt know there was nothing but bare rafters behind the tin. I guess Ill have to leave it. Ah, here it is. For crawling and flying insects. I think termites are both.
Tony took the can from her. Ill take care of this. He climbed up the ladder and sent a toxic fog into the space above the ceiling panels. You know, the tin ceiling is part of the ambience, he argued as dead bugs fell to the floor. Anyway, this is a historical landmark. You cant go tearing it up.
Julie stood well away from the bug shower. I checked with the landmark commission. So long as I dont make material changes to the exterior, Im okay. And a tin ceiling isnt exactly the ambience Im looking for.
Painted tin ceilings were funky and kind of charming, but Julie was going for classy all the way. Shed wanted to do textured plaster.
She mentally adjusted her picture of Belindas to reflect a tin ceilingpainted a pale yellow so as not to call attention to itself. It would be okay.
Then she realized something was on her footsomething alive. Immediately thinking termite, she started to kick until she realized it was a half-grown Dalmatian puppy gnawing on her shoelace.
Excuse me, she said, yanking her foot away, have we met?
Tony came down from the ladder. This is Bluto. His mom is Daisy, the fire station mascot. I usually give him a walk on my days off.
They let you keep puppies at the fire station?
Only in a dog run in the back. And only temporarily. The pups had to go. Bluto is the last one.
So you brought him here?
I saw the lights on and thought Id stop in and see how its going. He looked around. You still have a lot of work to do, I see.
Rub it in, why dont you? Her attention was torn between gorgeous Tony and his cute puppy, which wagged its tail so hard its entire body wiggled.
She couldnt help it. She bent down to pet the pup, and it jumped all over, licking her face in a frenzy of love. Her parents hadnt allowed any pets, seeing them simply as more mouths to feed. And once she was on her own, shed never considered getting a dog or cat.
Hi, Bluto. It was much easier to be warm and friendly to the puppy than to Tony. Safer, too. She wasnt normally unfriendly, but she knew she had to be on her guard with Tony for two reasons: he wanted something from her she couldnt give, and she wanted something from him she didnt dare ask for. If he had any idea how attracted she was to him, he could use it against her.
So you live around here? she asked.
Just down Willomet. Less than a block.
They were neighbors.
A noise above her yanked her attention away from the pup. She looked up just in time to see the ceiling panel shed been working on detach itself completely and head straight for her.
Tony grabbed Julie and the dog and yanked them both out of the way. The heavy piece of tin, with its knife-sharp edges, crashed to the floor right where shed been standing, leaving a gouge in the wooden planking.
Now she reacted. Shed almost diedtwice in two minutes. Her knees went wobbly, and if Tony hadnt put his arms around her, shed have sunk to the floor.
Thats twice Ive saved your life, he said, his voice husky.
For an insane moment, Julie thought he might kiss her. Shed fantasized about it often enough over the past couple of days. But then the moment passed, sanity reasserted itself and Tony released her, leaving her tingling.
Could a brush with death cause these peculiar feelings? She sure hoped she had an excuse for wanting to lose herself in a mans touch when she was supposed to be concentrating on her tearoom.
With no small effort, Tony pulled himself out of the sensual fog that Julie had put him in. Hed felt so drawn to her, as if he wanted to kiss her. Thankfully hed realized how inappropriate that would be and had let the woman go, taking a step back to put her out of temptations reach. This seduction had to be executed with care.
Ethan had said to make friends with Julie, get to know her. That wasnt Tonys normal approach. He usually liked to sweep a woman off her feet, flirt mercilessly, prove to her how strongly he was attracted to her. Hed always figured the friendship could come later, when the sexual pull wasnt so overwhelming that it occupied all of his brain cells.
But so far that friendship part had eluded him. Yeah, he was friends with Priscilla and Ethans wife, Katand Natalie, the mother of his little girl. As far as his love life went, though, something always went wrong before he could become friends with a lover.
So maybe he would try being friends first. There was more than one way to seduce a woman, and he wouldnt quit until hed tried them all.
Th-thank you, Julie said, recovering some of the color in her face. I do appreciate the life-saving maneuvers.
Thats what firefighters are for. She looked amazing, standing there with her heaving breasts and her rosy cheeks, her golden hair mussed from shaking. She was trying to pretend that being so close to him hadnt had much effect, but Tony knew better.
Then she pulled herself together, all business again. As you pointed out, I have a ton of work to do. So if youll excuse me
Thats why Im here. I thought I could help.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Why would you offer to help when you hate the idea of my tearoom?
He shrugged. Never could resist a damsel in distress. He looked around. And you are in distress.
He could tell she wanted to argue. But her need for an extra pair of hands and some elbow grease won out. If you really want to help, the wooden Indian would make a good start. Hes covered with so much nicotine I cant even tell what color hes supposed to be. Then she added, But you wont soften me up. I wont change my mind about the tea-room. So if thats your agenda
Agenda? Youve got to be kidding, Tony said, his conscience pinching him a bit as he picked up a cleaning rag. At least if he helped her clean, he had an excuse to stick around and get to know her better. And she could get to know him. Once she thought it through, shed realize what a great guy he wassaving her life, helping her scrub this place downand she might be more willing to listen to his reasons for wanting to revive Bradys Tavern.
Or he might just make love to her. Right now, that seemed a far more intriguing goal than changing her mind about keeping Bradys intact.
Im not sure how Sir Edward will feel about taking a bath, Tony said as he tackled decades of filth.
Sir Edward?
The cigar man. He used to belong to an Englishman who owned a cigar shop down on Jefferson. When that gentleman fell on hard times he closed the shopand he didnt have enough money to pay off his bar tab. So Bradythat would have been the second Brady, your grandfathertook the Indian as payment.
Tony watched Julie from the corner of his eye. She paused in her efforts to clean years of scum off one of the high round tables that dotted Bradys. Really? How interesting.
She didnt sound sarcastic, at least. So she enjoyed local history. That had to be a good thing for the campaign to save Bradys.
Are there more stories like that?
Dozens. Tony gave up on the Indian and walked back to the bar. Wheres the ashtray that was sitting here?
The big ugly one that possibly used to be brass?
Yeah.
I didnt figure anyone would want it, so I threw it away.
Tony clutched at his chest and pretended to gasp for air. Threw it away?
Was it special? She actually sounded concerned.
It was the Daryl Jones memorial ashtray. Jones was a legendary fire chief, back in the days of prohibition. When he died, they took the old fire bell down and made an ashtray out of it. He and Bradythat would be your great-grandfatherwere good friends.
Julie winced. And they made his bell into an ashtray? Isnt that kind of disrespectful?
Since Jones was a chain-smoker, no. I cant believe you threw it away. Id have bought it from you. Any of the firefighters would have.
Without a word, Julie disappeared into the back room. He heard her digging around and a minute or so later she emerged triumphantly with the ashtray in hand. If youll help me clean, you can have the ashtray for free.
Deal.
As they worked, Tony told her more stories. The billiard table had come from Dallass first bowling alley just before it was torn down. The dartboard had been a gift from a baseball player in the 1950s.
Tony showed Julie a bullet hole in the wall that was reputed to have been put there by the famous bank robber Clyde Barrow, of Bonnie and Clyde fame, when Bradys had been a speakeasy.
Julie paused often to take notes.
That popcorn machine behind the bar came from the Texas Theater down the street.
No kidding? Hey, theyve renovated that theater, havent they?
Yeah, and it looks great. Now he was getting somewhere. Oak Cliff is renovating everything. People are really starting to appreciate the history of this area. Preserving rather than tearing down. Hint, hint, Julie.
Thats marvelous! I bet the theater owners would love to buy back this machine and display it there.
Tony sighed. What are you writing all these stories down for?
The auctioneer says that anything with historical significance will get a better price. So tell me more.
Tony realized his efforts to convince Julie not to tear up Bradys might actually be counterproductive. His stories made her even more inclined to parcel out all these wonderful old things.
Watching her as she scrubbed the filth off an old hurricane lampprobably something left over from the days before the bar had electricityhe had a hard time remembering what his mission was. He just wanted to kiss her.
Still, he made one more try. I understand your wanting to get money for all this stuff, he said carefully. But doesnt sentimental value count for anything? Separately, you have some semivaluable collectibles. Together, you have a legendyour familys legend at that. This is the place your great-grandfather opened a century ago. Doesnt that mean anything to you?
She looked stung by his harsh question, at first, and then she looked madand he knew hed gone too far. She threw down her rag and marched over to him, getting right in his face.
Im sorry that you guys have lost your hangout. Truly I am. But I have to do whats right for me and my family. My living family, not a bunch of dead guys. And even if you try to deny it, itll be good for the neighborhood, too.
He started to say something, but she cut him off.
I am not going to change my mind. What do I have to do to convince you?
Bluto chose that moment to jump against Tonys leg and yip.
Maybe you should take him for that walk, Julie suggested, her voice softening.
Yeah, Ill take him back to his mom. Hes looking for a good home, by the way.
Thats all I needa dog to make my life complete. Why dont you keep him?
Tony laughed. I already adopted one. He hooked Blutos leash to his collar and the dog proceeded to drag him toward the door. Goodbye, Julie. But Ill be back.
As he stepped out into the August heat, he acknowledged that this battle was going to be a lot harder than hed first thought. But Julie wasnt immune to him. Shed enjoyed the stories he told. Maybe, after she had time to think about it, she would change her mind. And if not
He could at least get the word out about the auction. Every off-duty cop and firefighter in Oak Cliff would want to attend and grab a piece of Bradys.
As Tony crossed the street, intending to return Bluto to his dog run behind Station 59, he realized hed forgotten to take the Daryl Jones memorial ashtray.
JULIE HAD BEEN HOPING for a good crowd at the auction, but the mass of people crowding up to the bar to register and receive their bidding numbers exceeded all her expectations.
Shed done everything she could think of to publicize the auction, including the well-placed ads. Shed asked her auctioneer if she should have the sale at an auction house, but hed discouraged her from that. The bar itself was plenty big enough. The location was easy to find and she would save the costs of renting a hall and transporting the goods. Plus, she would get some locals who would bid on items for sentimental reasons.
The crowd was made up mostly of men in jeans and T-shirts. They didnt look like collectors or antiques dealers. But, then again, how would she know what such people looked like?
The one man shed been most anxious to see wasnt in the crowd, however. Tony had left abruptly two days earlier, without his darned old ashtray. She felt bad about the way theyd parted, with her all mad. She shouldnt have let him get to her. If she were one hundred percent confident in her plans, his arguments should have just harmlessly rolled off her back. But the truth was, she was scared to death of what she was attempting.
Maybe shed managed a tearoom, but shed never started her own business from the ground up. She was a mass of insecurities.
The quality of her sleep had deteriorated still more, because she couldnt get the feel of Tonys embrace out of her mindnor the way hed looked into her eyes just before releasing her.
But she had to. Getting involved with a sexy firefighteror any man, for that matterwasnt in her plans.
An older man in a suit approached her and she pointed to the clipboard sitting on the bar. Fill out your name, address and phone there and Ill assign you a number.
Im not here to buy, Ms. Polk.
She looked up sharply, alarmed by his stern tone. Then what can I help you with?
He held up a badge for her to see. Im the fire marshal. Theres a strict limit of one hundred people for these premises, in terms of fire safety, and youve already exceeded that limit.
A hundred? Surely that was wrong. The number seemed very low to her. Her building wasnt huge, but it wasnt a broom closet, either. Are you sure?
Its posted by the door. This old building is a historic landmark, which means we take extra care. Have you had the sprinkler system inspected?
Ill be doing a complete renovation, and fire safety will be my number one priority, she assured him. But for the auction, I cant just go kicking people out whove already registered.
Im afraid youll have to, maam. Unless you want me to do it. But then Id have to charge you a hefty fine.
Julie was steaming. The firefighters were behind this, she was sure of it. Theyd probably been searching for some way to foil her auctionand theyd found it. Maybe the maximum occupancy was a hundred, but she doubted it had ever been enforced until now.
She supposed she had no choice but to comply with the fire marshals order. The auction was starting in fifteen minutes.
So she went to the auctioneers microphone, turned it on and announced that all those who hadnt registered, plus those with numbers higher than ninety-seven, would have to leave because of the fire code. Including herself, Belinda and the auctioneer, that made one hundred. Her announcement produced lots of grumbling, but everyone complied. Once the extras had left, there was plenty of room in the bar. She smelled a rat, especially when the fire marshal shot her a victorious smile.
He parked himself at the door, keeping careful count of all those who came in and those who left.
As the auction progressed, Julie was increasingly disappointed in the results. Shed been to a few similar events before, and usually there was heated bidding, at least over some of the items. But with her auction, once someone bid, the rest of the crowd stayed maddeningly silent. Shed put modest reserve prices on the more valuable things, and most of these did not achieve the minimum bid and so remained unsold.
The auctioneer was sweating, talking up individual items, sharing the stories Julie had written down for him. Finally, though, he shrugged his shoulders and shot her a bewildered glance, validating her own feelings that this was an aberration.
Was it fixed? She took a closer look at the predominantly male, casually dressed crowd, and an awful realization occurred.
They were firefighters. Cops and firefighters. Every single blasted one of them. And they were cooperating, to ensure she did not succeed.
Her face grew hot. How could they be so hateful? Such bad sports? Couldnt they accept that Bradys was gone now and leave her alone? How could anyone get so riled up over a stupid old bar, even if it was a historic landmark?
She caught the eye of one man whod bid on the wooden Indian and gotten it for a hundred dollars when she knew it was worth a lot more. But shed purposely set her minimum bids low because she wanted this stuff gone. He gave her a potent, malevolent look, confirming her suspicions.
There wasnt a thing she could do. It was probably illegal for a group of people to get together and refuse to bid against each other, but who was she going to call? The cops? Theyd arrived early and gotten in line, ensuring they would fill in all the low-numbered slots, and the fire marshal had done the rest of the work to keep out legitimate collectors and antiques dealers.
The auction was over in less than two hours, and she watched dejectedly as items from Bradys went out the doorthe neon lights, the rickety tables and chairs, the dartboards and pool tables, the TVs, even the liquor. A bottle of aged scotch was the one thing that had elicited spirited bidding.
Clem, the auctioneer, approached Julie with a sheepish look. Im really sorry, Ms. Polk. I dont know what happened. I gave it my best shot, but these folks just werent in a bidding mood.
She patted his arm. Its okay, Clem. I know you did your best. Just bad luck. And some conniving firefighters.
Chapter Four
The fire marshal had gone, and a woman entered the bar, heading straight for Julie. She was about Julies age and very beautiful, with light brown hair subtly highlighted with gold and a complexion that indicated she took care of her skin.
Her clothes were good quality, too. Lord knew, Julie could spot such things. The woman also looked vaguely familiar. Shed probably shopped in the department store or eaten in the tearoom.
Are you Julie? the woman asked.
Yes, thats me. Julie held out her hand, and the woman shook it in a businesslike fashion.
Priscilla Garner. I understand a number of your items didnt meet their reserve prices.
Julie mentally snapped her fingers. Priscilla Garner, of course! Julie should have recognized her. Her parents were friends of the Davidsons. Yes, thats right.
Ill take them off your hands.
Youll pay the reserve?
Well, no. But Ill give you something for them.
Julie figured she couldnt afford to be on her high horse. Maybe shed set those reserve prices too high. She and Priscilla did some horse trading, and in the end they reached an agreement. Julie would be getting a little more than half what shed hoped for, but it was better than nothing.
The one thing she hadnt sold was the carved wooden bar, and she was secretly glad about that. No one was willing to pay the steep price shed put on it, and she wasnt about to take less. Once shed polished it, it was pretty impressive. She could incorporate it into the design of the tearoom. Shed already decided she would play up the historic-landmark angle. With the money shed raisedquite a bit less than shed planned onshe didnt have many options but to make lemonade from the lemons she was stuck with.
The place was almost deserted. Clem had taken off, Belinda had gone to her waitress job and only a few of the bidders remained, working out how to transport and pack some of the larger items theyd bought.
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, (https://www.litres.ru/kara-lennox/her-perfect-hero/) .
Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, , , , PayPal, WebMoney, ., QIWI , .
Kara Lennox
Can He Save The Day?The firefighters of Firehouse 59 can't help but wonder when Brady's Tavern, the local hangout, will reopen after the owner passes away. Cute Julie Polk doesn't seem the type to run a bar, but hey, she's better looking than Brady ever was! Needless to say, they're stunned when Julie decides to convert the place into a tearoom!Determined not to let that happen, the firefighters elect Tony Veracruz, the resident Casanova, to sweet-talk the blonde into changing her mind. Brady's Tavern should be back in no time! But as Tony gets closer to Julie and realizes he wants more than just a fling, he's not sure where his loyalties lie.
Julie climbed the ladder and balanced herself precariously at the top
With a screwdriver and a hammer she tried to pry one of the ceiling tiles loose, but theyd been up there for almost a hundred years and they werent coming down easily. Finally she managed to get the hammers claw wedged under one corner. She pried with all her strength, but got nowhere.
The front door opened and a shaft of sunlight cut through the bars dusty interior. A man stepped inside, silhouetted in the doorway. Julie recognized Tonys broad shoulders, his muscular chest, his dominating presence. She took a deep breath.
She started to say somethingand then everything happened at once. With an earsplitting noise, the tin panel above her pulled partly free. Julie clawed at the air as she lost her balance, startled by the falling panel. She braced herself, wondering what kind of injuries shed sustain when she landed.
But she didnt hit the floor. Instead, she fell into a strong pair of arms as perfectly and neatly as if shed dropped into a hammock. It took her a few moments to realize she was okay.
What are you doing here? she asked inanely.
Is that any way to greet a man who just saved your life?
Dear Reader,
In the first FIREHOUSE 59 book I introduced readers to Bradys Tavern, a slightly unsavory bar across the street from the station. In Her Perfect Hero, my heroine, Julie, takes over Bradys. The fun starts when the firefighters get wind of her plans to give their favorite hangout an extreme makeover, and Tony gets caught in the cross fire.
I tried my best to bring Oak Cliff neighborhood to life. Its a place I love because its my home, too. And although Bradys is fictional, I incorporated a lot of real places into the story. As for Tony, hes fictionalI only wish he were real. I hope youll love him as much as I do as he struggles with his divided loyalties.
Happy reading,
Her Perfect Hero
Her Perfect Hero
Kara Lennox
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Texas native Kara Lennox has earned her living at various times as an art director, typesetter, textbook editor and reporter. Shes worked in a boutique, a health club and an ad agency. Shes been an antiques dealer and even a blackjack dealer. But no work has made her happier than writing romance novels. She has written more than fifty books.
When not writing, Kara indulges in an ever-changing array of hobbies. Her latest passions are bird-watching and long-distance bicycling. She loves to hear from readers; you can visit her Web page at www.karalennox.com (http://www.karalennox.com).
Books by Kara Lennox
HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE
974FORTUNES TWINS
990THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR
1052THE FORGOTTEN COWBOY
1068HOMETOWN HONEY * (#litres_trial_promo)
1081DOWNTOWN DEBUTANTE * (#litres_trial_promo)
1093OUT OF TOWN BRIDE * (#litres_trial_promo)
1146THE FAMILY RESCUE ** (#litres_trial_promo)
In memory of my uncle, Captain Henry Pearly Gates, who was a Dallas firefighter for many, many years.
Contents
Chapter One (#u8fed6892-799d-5c37-9b7d-7f5d68acf0b9)
Chapter Two (#u48738bb9-ea3a-569f-ad53-3bd3d56d3302)
Chapter Three (#u1170fb9c-d5c5-5173-b4f7-8ef0877ee6a7)
Chapter Four (#u24fb77d2-b0e5-5c67-a4e9-0808c4f0f74d)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
Tony Veracruz climbed off Engine 59 pumped full of adrenaline for which there was no outlet. Around midafternoon his crew had been called to a house fire in South Dallas. But by the time theyd arrived another company had had the small blaze under control and thered really been nothing for him to do.
Back at the station, he halted traffic on busy Jefferson Street so Lt. McCrae could back the engine into the apparatus room. He willed the alarm to buzz again, but annoyingly it remained silent.
For the past ten or so hours in the August heat hed gone on one call after another, including the rescue of a kid stuck in a drainage ditch. All of which had, thank God, distracted him from thoughts of Daralee.
Now, with nothing to keep his brain occupied, he could think of nothing else. He wished he could banish her from his head. She was finished with him, and nothing he could do would bring her back. For the past week, ever since their breakup, the only thing that could wipe her from his mind was the sound of that alarm.
As he followed the engine into its bay and prepared to close the door, movement across the street caught his eye.
Hey, Ethan, he called to his fellow firefighter and lifelong best friend. The lights are on at Bradys.
His announcement got the attention of everyone within earshot. The guys whod been on the engine joined him in the open doorway to gaze at the illuminated beer signs in the front window of Bradys Tavern. The signs had been dark for the past two weeks, ever since Brady Keller, third-generation owner of the best bar in Dallass Oak Cliff neighborhood, had died peacefully in his sleep.
Maybe its opening back up, Ethan said.
Tony shrugged. We can only hope.
Oak Cliff had once been its own town, but Dallas had swallowed it up more than a hundred years earlier. It comprised a large area across the Trinity River from downtown and came with a diverse population and plenty of character. Those who lived and worked there tended to think of themselves as differentoutside the mainstreamfrom other Dallasites. In turn, Dallas proper didnt think all that much of Oak Cliff.
Bradys was an Oak Cliff institution, and Tony had frequented the bar since hed acquired his first fake ID at age seventeen. Located just across the street from the fire station, it was a favorite hangout for cops and firefighters.
And good ole Brady Keller had been as familiar a fixture as his taverns sticky wood floors and antique shuffleboard table. Hed always been there, ready to listen, commiserate and even serve up an occasional beer on the house, provided your tale of woe was sad enough. Whenever Tony broke up with a girlwhich happened with alarming frequencyhed headed straight for Bradys, where he could distract himself with a game of pool, a sporting event on TV and a cold one. Until the bar had closed its doors.
Fire Station 59 had gone into mourning at the news of Bradys death, especially when the For Sale sign had gone up.
Did you see whos inside? Ethan asked.
I think I can see someone moving around, said Priscilla Garner, another of Tonys good friends. She, Ethan and Tony had gone through firefighter training together. Now they all lived on the same block, worked the same shifts and watched each others backs.As the three greenest rookies, they took a lot of grief from the veterans. Maybe someone bought the place.
I saw who went inside, said Otis Granger, whod had a stool with his name on it at the bar. Otis hadnt gone on the last call. Two girls, and they didnt look like bar owners to me.
Girls? Tonys interest immediately picked up.
Well, women, if you want to be politically correct, Otis explained. But one of them was a teenager, I think.
They were all hoping someone would buy the place and open it up just as it had been. Bradys business had fallen off some in recent years as newer, trendier bars had opened in Oak Cliff, but none of his regular customers wanted to see the bar change.
I think we should find out who they are, Ethan said. Brady must have familysomeone to inherit. He talked about a sister.
Tony, go talk to them. Priscilla gave him a little shove.
Why me?
DuhTheyre female. I dont know if youve noticed, but you have a certain effect on women.
Otis and Ethan broke out laughing, but Tony didnt. Whatever effect he had, it never lasted. His longest romantic relationship had ended after only a couple of months.
Just go find out who those women are, Priscilla urged. They must be related to Brady somehow.Ask them what their plans are. Maybe you can impress on them how important it is to sell Bradys to someone wholl reopen it and keep things the same.
Ethan, why dont you talk to them? Tony argued. Youre the great persuader around here.
Yeah, he managed to convince Kat to marry him, Otis said drily. Like she couldnt have done a lot better.
Ethan puffed out his chest, as he did at any mention of his beautiful new bride. Theyd been married less than a month. Okay, Ill talk to the ladies.
Just then, the door to Bradys opened and one of the women emerged.
Even from a distance, Tony could see she was gorgeoustall and sleek, with golden hair that blew in the breeze. She wore snug faded jeans that molded themselves to a body made for love and a clingy cropped shirt that showed off her trim waist and breasts that bounced slightly as she strode down the sidewalk.
She stopped in front of the For Sale sign attached to the front window, then reached behind the iron burglar bars and yanked on the paper until it came loose. She pulled it free and rolled it up, tucked it under her arm, then went back inside.
Hold it, Tony said. Changed my mind. Ill talk to her.
Uh-oh, Priscilla said. Watch out, Tonys on the prowl.
He gave Pris a disdainful look. Daralee and I just broke up. You dont honestly think Im ready to get involved with someone else, do you?
Tonys fellow firefighters laughed so hard at this that Otis nearly fell onto the concrete floor and Ethan had to support himself against the truck.
What? I cant believe youre laughing about my messed-up love life.
Messed up, Ethan agreed, until the next girl comes along. Youve been mooning about Daralee for, what, a week?
We had a good thing going, Tony said more to himself than Ethan. I really thought He stopped. No time for regrets. That woman with the gold hair was undoubtedly the new owner of Bradys, and someone needed to talk to her before she changed anything. Cover for me if Captain Campeon notices Im gone. Without any further hesitation, Tony loped out of the station, darting between cars on busy Jefferson Street, toward the gorgeous goddess of a woman whounknowinglywaited inside Bradys to meet him.
Bradys Tavern occupied a two-story building that must have been close to a hundred years old, and the brick looked as if it hadnt been cleaned since coal stoves went out of vogue. A flock of pigeons had taken up residence under the eaves and the evidence of their frequent presence covered the cracked sidewalk.
The bars door wasnt locked, so Tony pushed it open. A wall of hot, stuffy air, heavy with the scent of stale beer, slapped him in the face. Hello? Anyone home?
A teenage girl bounded up to him like an eager puppy. Hi. Whore you?
Tony. I work at the fire station across the street. Are you the new owner of Bradys?
She nodded. Well, my mom is. This place is so cool. Do you play shuffleboard?
Not only do I play, I was the Bradys Tavern shuffleboard champion two years running. Wheres your mom? Surely the woman hed seen removing the For Sale sign wasnt this girls mother.
My mom is Bradys sister. Was. Whatever.
Then Brady was your uncle. It must have been tough losing him so unexpectedly. He was a great guy.
Not according to Mom. She said he was a drunkard black sheep who couldnt be trusted with a dime. The girl rocked back on her heels, apparently not realizing shed insulted someone Tony had considered a friend. And her mothers information was outdated. Brady had quit drinking twenty years ago.
Could I speak to your mom? He looked around the bar, which seemed strangely empty without the usual smattering of cops, firefighters and siren sistersthe female groupies who were turned on by any man who wore a badge or wielded a hose. But he didnt see the blond woman.
My mom is at work. But if its anything to do with Bradys, youll want to talk to Julie.
Julie?
My sister.
Ah. That made a whole lot more sense.
Shes counting the glasses or something. Trying to decide what to keep and what to get rid of.
Then hed better talk to her right away before she did something stupidlike throw away the Daryl Jones memorial ashtray.
Tony heard some clinking going on behind the long carved-wood bar and figured that had to be where Julie had disappeared to. He made his way to the bar, his feet schlup-schlupping with every step on the sticky floor.
Ah, it was good to be back here. Bradys was lit up like a Christmas tree, with its vintage signs. They covered almost every available bit of wall surface and illuminated the interior, which was crammed full of tables and chairs, pool tables, dartboardsguy heaven. Every corner had a TV, and when the place had been open all of them were always tuned in to a smorgasbord of sporting events.
A lonely silk ficus tree lurked forlornly in a corner, covered with dust. Supposedly one of Bradys girlfriends had put it there one time, trying in vain to class the place up.
Excuse me, Julie?
She popped up from behind the bar, a pair of yellow rubber gloves on her hands. Looking startled, she stared at Tony for several seconds of charged silence. She had the most amazing amber eyes. Hed never seen eyes that color before. She reminded him of a golden fawn or an unspoiled woodland nymph.
Yes? she finally said. Her low, sexy voice sent shivers down his spine and a rush of blood through his veins.
Tony shook himself out of his daze. How could he be attracted to this woman when his pain over losing Daralee was still so fresh? It was just hormones playing a nasty trick on him. Hi, Im Tony Veracruz. I work at the fire station across the street, and we were just wonderingare you going to keep Bradys? We saw that you removed the For Sale sign.
She cocked her head to one side. Do you want to buy it?
Believe me, weve talked about it. But the price tag is a bit high for us working stiffs. We just really miss the placeand Brady. He was a great guy. It was terrible losing him so suddenly. Youre his niece?
Thats right. Julie Polk. She extended her hand across the bars polished surface, realized she still had gloves on, removed the right one hurriedly and tried again.
Tony took her hand, and rather than shake it as he would a mans, he squeezed it. It was a lovely little hand, with perfectly manicured nails polished a pearly pink. Tonys stomach gave a peculiar swoop.
Julies mask of detached politeness slipped and a flicker of awareness passed over her face. So she felt it, too?
The teenage girl, whod come to lean against the bar resting her chin on her folded arms, cleared her throat.
Julie extracted her hand from Tonys. This is my sister, Belinda. I heard her talking to someone, so I assume youve already met.
I did have the pleasure, though she didnt volunteer her name. Its a beautiful name, too. Hed almost named his daughter Belinda, so he wasnt deliberately laying it on thick.
Belinda blushed furiously. Though her hair and eyes were darker, she looked much like her sisterwhich meant she was probably already breaking hearts in all directions.
So your mother is the new owner of Bradys? Tony asked Julie.
Yes. She and Brady owned it together, but shes been more of a silent partner. They werent very close.
Thats too bad. Its sad when families drift apart. He was thinking about his own family. Due to his parents multiple marriages, Tony had lots of stepsiblings and half siblings, some of whom hed lost touch with. So your mother has decided not to sell?
Frankly Mom really doesnt care. Shes asked me to deal with it for her. Julie put the second rubber glove back on and resumed her task, which appeared to be counting beer mugs and entering the tally on a clipboard. She gave him a nice view of her denim-clad bottom in the process, which Tony fully enjoyeduntil he realized Belinda was smirking at him. He diverted his gaze to the picture of the naked lady above the bar.
But you are going to reopen? Tony persisted.
It would be a shame for the business to leave the family after weve owned it for three generations.
That sounded promising. Yeah, theres a lot of history here. Who are you gonna get to run the place? Brady had a guy working for him, Alonzo. Hed be a great manager.
You dont think I could run Bradys? she asked, challenging. She put the clipboard down and devoted her full attention to their conversation.
Well, youre Tony stopped himself before he misstepped. Some women had accused him before of being a male chauvinist pig. But it wasnt because he didnt think women deserved equal rights or that they werent as smart and capable as men. The opposite was more like it. He thought women should be treated better than men. And he didnt think any woman as beautiful and refined as Julie Polk should have to sling beer and deal with groping, drunk customers.
Im what?
Too pretty to work at a joint like this.
Her gaze fell, her long lashes casting shadows on her smooth cheeks. Thanks, but I dont have the resources to hire someone else to run the place. And since Im currently between assignments, as they say, Im the logical one to take on the job.
More power to you, then. Tony grinned. Bradys was coming back! The guys at the station would be over the moon. And dont worry, he added, youve got lots of friends in the neighborhood wholl help you out. So when are you planning to reopen?
Oh, Id say itll take a few weeks to refurbish the place, work out the menus.
Menus? Brady had served microwave nachos, popcorn and beer nuts. You didnt need a menu for the basics. Youre going to change Bradys?
Bradys is not going to be Bradys. And a big smile spread across her face, dispelling the polite, almost icy mask shed been wearing and transforming her into an angel. Tony was so entranced with how she looked he almost missed what she said next. Its going to be Belindas.
BelindasBar? he asked warily.
Belindas is going to be the coolest tearoom in all of Dallas.
Julie gathered that sexy Tony Veracruz was not happy with her announcement. He stared, his jaw hanging open, for several seconds as he processed her news.
Lord, he was gorgeous. Those well-defined cheekbones, that smooth olive skin and brown eyes a girl could drown in. Funny, shed always thought her ex-fianc, with his aristocratic clean-cut blond handsomeness, was the best-looking guy around. But Tonys earthier looks struck a chord deep inside her.
When hed said she was pretty, the compliment had given her heart palpitations. But how silly was that? He probably told a half-dozen women a day they were pretty.
Did you say? Tonys voice trailed off.
Yes, isnt it great? Im turning Bradys into a tearoom.
On Jefferson Street?
The perfect place, dont you think? Oak Cliff is in the middle of a renaissance. I see revitalization all around us. The historic district is right across the street. Those mansions in Kessler Park are only a mile away. Then theres the Bishop Arts districtlots of sophisticated restaurants and bars going in there. She was using all the same arguments she had used to convince her parents to okay this venture, though truthfully they hadnt cared much what she did with Bradys so long as it brought in some cash.
The moment shed seen the place, despite its coat of grime, the thought had flashed into her mind: Julie Polk, owner and manager of the classiest tearoom in town. Wouldnt Trey be surprised? When shed given him back his ring, hed told her she would never make anything of herself without his help. But she was going to show him and his whole family how wrong they were.
Besides, she also wanted to transform Bradys into Belindas for herself. After her disastrous broken engagement, she needed something she could call her own; something no one could take away from her.
She resumed counting beer mugs. They were nice, heavy glass ones, and she could use them as iced-tea glasses. Almost everything else would have to go, though. Shed been doing a quick-and-dirty inventory since she and Belinda had arrived this morning, and the results were depressing.
But Bradys is a neighborhood institution, Tony argued. You cant close it for good.
I dont really have a choice, she said practically. I know absolutely nothing about running a bar. I do, however, know a great deal about managing a tearoom. Shed spent a year as manager of Lochinvars, the oh-so-tony tearoom inside Bailey-Davidsons, the upscale department store owned by her ex-fiancs family.
Belindas was going to be much cooler than Lochinvars, which had been around for fifty years and attracted mostly older matrons. Belindas was going to bring in the younger women, the rich hipsters who frequented Hatties and Caribe in Bishop Artsthe ones who knew Oak Cliff was the cool place to be, the ones who thought Deep Ellum was just a bit too grungy and Highland Park too stuffy.
But Bradys is a gold mine, Tony argued, following her along his side of the bar as she moved to count the next shelf of glasses. Its packed most nights with hard-drinking men and women who buy lots of beer.
What a charming picture. Anyway, Ive looked at the books. The place might have been crowded, but the customers werent spending enough money. Bradys profits were way down. Theres almost no money in the accounts either.
That didnt surprise Tony. Brady spent it as fast as he could make it. He was a soft touch. He gave money away to any hard-luck story that came his way. He even hosted free Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless.
He did? Julie was surprised. According to her mother, Brady had never done anything that didnt directly benefit Brady. That sounds so nice.
You didnt know him?
Not really. Anyway, the point is, the books dont lie. Shed been taking classes at community college with an eye toward a degree in business management. She knew a bit about accounting. Bradys was barely breaking even.
Okay, so maybe the place isnt a gold mine. Yet. But with the right management skills He looked pointedly at Julie.
Ive done the research. The demographics are changing. A more upscale establishment on this street will be cutting-edge. Belindas should be extremely profitable, even with the investments Ill have to make to refurbish the place. Julie was counting on some quick profits. Clever Belinda, with her perfect SAT scores, was going to attend an Ivy League university. And since the Davidsons had withdrawn their pledge to finance Belindas education, it was up to Julie to figure out how to pay the staggering tuition by next fall, only a year away.
Even though Belinda was certain to get some sort of scholarship, there would still be huge expenses. And her parents couldnt contribute anything. They could barely take care of their own bills.
The real-estate agent had told Julie it could take months or even years to sell Bradys for a fair price. And all the mortgages and liens Brady had on the building would eat up the proceeds from any purchase.
Opening the tearoom was a much better idea. She could sell everythingand there were some collectibles tucked in and around Bradys, like the cigar-store Indian and the vintage pinball machines and neon signs. With the proceeds and her own little nest egg, she could transform this place into a posh yet cozy oasis that would provide her and her family with income for years to come.
Eventually, she would have to pay off Bradys creditors. Fortunately, however, theyd been willing to work out terms when shed explained she wanted to get the place back in business.
Julie had done the math. She really could manage this.
You cant do this, Tony said. Please, Julie, Im begging you. Youll be destroying a piece of Oak Cliff history.
Julie stopped counting beer mugs. She kept losing track, and who could blame her when this gorgeous man was distracting her? She wondered exactly what hed be willing to do to get her to change her mind, then immediately banished the thought. Shed broken her engagement less than a month ago. She was still reeling over her fiancs betrayal and the astounding realization that he and his whole family had expected her to brush his indiscretion under the rug. She had no business letting sexy Tony Veracruz heat up her blood.
Mr. Veracruz, look around you.
He did. Yeah?
This place is a dump. Its a dive, a blight on a neighborhood thats trying to come back. Im going to improve it, beautify it, make it a showplace Oak Cliff can be proud of.
Well, Ill admit Bradys could use a good scrubbing.
What it could use is a nuclear explosion. Thats what it would take to get the dirt off these floors. Everything reeks of stale beer and cigarette smoke.
You could clean the place up, Tony tried again. Wed help you.
Im sorry, Tony. And truly she was. Bradys had probably been the sort of place where some people felt they belonged. Like Cheers, only grittier. Finding a place to fit in, to belong, was important, and she should know. Shed been trying to figure out where she fit her whole life.
Not in Pleasant Grove, the blue-collar suburb where shed grown up in a housing project. Shed always known there was something better for her out in the world and shed thought shed found her place working at Bailey-Davidsons. Shed devoted nine years of her life to itwatching, studying, improving herself, moving up the department-store career ladder, slowly accumulating college credits so that she would eventually qualify for higher management positions.
She loved that store. She loved being around the beautiful clothes, the delicate bone china, the designer bed linensoh, how she loved the linens department.
Most of all, shed loved being around all those well-educated, refined, soft-spoken people. And when Trey Davidson had noticed her, accepted her, when his friends had welcomed her into their circleeven though she couldnt claim an Ivy League affiliation or a single drop of blue bloodshed thought shed found her place. Up-and-coming Bailey-Davidsons executive and wife to the stores heir apparent.
A dream come true.
Except the dream had turned into the proverbial nightmare, and Julie had once again found herself afloat in a strange sea in which she didnt belong, wondering what she would do with her life.
Belindas could be her place. Her creation, her universe. She could surround herself with beautiful things, fine foods and people who appreciated the same things she did.
Tony Veracruz, she guessed, would not be one of those people. Which was a pity. Let Marcel at the Bailey-Davidsons salon cut Tonys hair, then put him in an Armani suit, and hed fit right in at any office in any glass high-rise in the city. But Julie suspected that sort of life didnt appeal to him. She could tell he liked himself the way he was and liked where he was in life.
Which was fine. That was part of his appeal, actuallythe fact that he was obviously so comfortable in his skin.
His gorgeous skin.
How bout I take you out to dinner tomorrow? Tony asked. We could get some burgers. You could tell me more about this tearoom idea of yours.
Oh, she was tempted. For one thing, she hadnt been out to eat at a real restaurant in weeks because shed been hoarding her pennies.
But she had an idea that if she let Tony take her out, even for an innocent hamburger, before long he would be telling her more about what a great place Bradys was and how wrong she was to change it to a tearoom, and she would start to doubt herself.
She didnt need that. Shed doubted her judgment enough after finding out the man she loved had been lying to her for monthsmaybe longer. She needed to surround herself with people who would encourage her and support her and help her make Belindas a resounding success.
Julie wouldnt have cared so much about this venture if it was just about herself, but she would do whatever it took for Belinda. Her sweet, brilliant baby sister was going to have the chance to make something fantastic of herself, and nothing was going to prevent it. Not the miserable, self-serving Davidsons, not her parents apathy and certainly not a fireman who was sentimental about a run-down eyesore of a neighborhood bar. Even if he was sexy as hell.
Im sorry, Tony. I appreciate the invitation, but I have so much to do, she said coolly. Which was true enough.
Another time, then. I better get back to work. He flashed her a dazzling grin, turned with a jaunty wave and exited out the squeaky front door.
She hoped he wasnt serious about asking her out again. She might not have the strength to turn down his next invitation.
Chapter Two
I never met Uncle Brady, did I? Belinda asked as she and Julie climbed the stairs to the apartment above the bar where Brady had lived.
No, I dont think you ever met him. She only had a vague memory herself of a big bear of a man who showed up at Thanksgiving with a fruitcake, drank too much wine and was asked to leave. He sent Mom a little check every once in a whileher part of the profits from the bar. But he and Mom hardly ever talked. Mom sent him a Christmas card every year, but he never reciprocated.
Tony said he was a great guy.
Brady probably gave Tony free beer. But Tony had painted an image of Brady that Julie couldnt get out of her mind. A soft touch. Generous and kind. Sure didnt sound like the mooch her mother had described.
How much do you think well get for all that stuff downstairs? Belinda asked.
Ill have to do some research, but I bet those vintage signs will fetch a good price.
What about those green glass lampshades? Trey has some of those, doesnt he?
Julie gave an unladylike snort. Treys are reproductions. Ours are the real thing. In fact, maybe Ill keep those. Theyll look pretty in the tearoom, dont you think?
Belinda shrugged. Will you keep the jukebox?
No, that Im going to sell. Its an old Wurlitzer, and the vinyl records alone are worth a fortune.
Rather than sounding excited about the prospect, Belinda gave a sad little huff.
What?
Oh, its just a bit tragic thinking about tearing the place up.
Belinda, you must be joking. Its disgusting.
Yeah, but that guy Tony was right. If you scrubbed it up, it wouldnt be so bad.
Dont even think about it. Im not running a bar. Even if she had the experience or knowledge, she preferred the idea of improving the neighborhood. Bradys had been an eyesore, no doubt drawing unsavory characters. Belindas was going to be beautiful. Maybe the firefighters were unhappy about her planned changes, but she bet most of the residents around here would be delighted.
I know, I know, Belinda said. Im just saying its a little sad, thats all.
Julie tried several keys from the big key ring the lawyer had given her mother, finally locating the right one. Shed been avoiding the place where her uncle had died, but she knew she had to check it out. She was planning to live here while she oversaw the renovationsand maybe afterward, too. It would save her a long commute to work, plus she would have her privacy back. Living in her parents tiny house, where they were all on top of each other and getting on each others nerves, wasnt going to work for much longer.
This apartment would do until she could afford something better. Someday, shed like to have her own house. It didnt have to be anything as grand as Treys Highland Park house, where she would be living now if she hadnt canceled the wedding. But she wanted a front porch. And flower boxes in the windows. And a real backyard, maybe with a deck where she could sit outside on a Sunday morning and read the paper, a golden retriever by her side.
Still, a one-bedroom apartment rent-free wasnt bad. She held her breath and pushed open the door.
Bradys living space was surprisingly neat, clean and spartan, given the excessive grime and clutter of the bar. Julie had always heard Brady described as a man who couldnt be trusted. Lazy, slovenly, a freeloaderthose were words her mother commonly used to describe Brady. Yet that image didnt match his digs.
Julie poked around to see if there might be any valuables, but aside from a couple of old paintings and some vintage Fiesta dishes, nothing jumped out as a real treasure.
The bedroom was empty except for a dresser. Someone had removed the bed in which Brady had expired, which was a huge relief. No way would Julie have been able to sleep there.
She returned to the living room and sank onto a worn sofa. It was pretty softshe could sleep on this. And Belinda would be happy to get her own room back at their parents house. The sisters had been sharing a room and a bed, just like old times, for the past couple of weeks.
So what do you think? Belinda asked. Can you live here?
Sure. Ive lived in worse places. Her first apartmentwhen shed gotten her first real job as a stock girl at Bailey-Davidsonshad been one ratty room in the attic of an old East Dallas house. Shed done her cooking on a hot plate.
Bradys living quarters were a palace compared to that but something of a comedown from her last placea classy Park Cities town house shed rented from the Davidsons. Still, she had a little money to live on, the proceeds from returning all the wedding presentsthe ones her friends and family had refused to take back. And Treys parents had given her a handsome severance check in return for her silence about his little secret, which shed been happy to acceptnot that she ever would have gone blabbing about the illegitimate child hed conceived with his mistress even as hed been planning a lavish wedding to Julie. Gossip like that would only make her look dumb. Her stash was enough to keep her going until the tearoom opened.
The view is certainly nice, Belinda said dreamily.
Julie glanced out the window to see what her sister was talking about. All she could see was the fire station, a hundred-year-old brick monstrosity in need of a good sandblasting.
Then she looked closer and realized the blinds to the second-floor window were open; inside a man was pulling off his T-shirt. Belinda!
What? I can look, cant I?
Julie joined her sister at the window. The man picked up a barbell and started doing some curls. It was none other than her firefighting Adonis. Hes doing that on purpose.
Oh, like he knew wed be up here, staring out the window? Get a grip, Jules. Youre paranoid.
Maybe she was. But her reaction to Tony Veracruz had unnerved her.
Shed once felt that way about Trey. Hed flirted with her shamelessly, focused all his attention on her, swept her off her feet. Shed fallen in love, hard, with a man she thought she knew. Handsome, smart, ambitious, funny, generous
Unfaithful.
Feeling all gooey inside over a man, getting caught up in flirtation and charmnone of those offered any guarantee of that mans deep-down character. Julie would do well to remember that and to focus on building a secure future for herself without relying on anyone else.
Tony looked out the window, saw them staring and flashed that cocky smile.
Julie abruptly closed the blinds.
Hey! Belinda objected.
Hes too old for you.
But not for you. Earlier, he was checking out your butt.
Really? Despite herself, Julie felt a little thrill. He probably checks out every girls butt.
He didnt look at mine. Besides, hes going to be your neighbor. You have to be friendly.
No, I dont. Tony Veracruz was trouble with a capital T, and she certainly didnt need any more of that.
SO ARE YOU GOING TO tell us what happened? Priscilla asked. As busy as their shift had been earlier, activity had died down completely. Pris was killing time in Station 59s exercise room, running on the treadmill.
Priscilla was a maniac when it came to fitness and shed guilted almost every firefighter on their shift into working out more. It was humiliating when a wisp of a woman like Pris could lift more weight than you.
Tony had found it difficult to admit to his coworkers the horrible news about what was happening to Bradys Tavern. Theyd given him a task: convince the bars new owner to reopen Bradys just as it was. And though he knew he had nothing to do with Julies decision to turn Bradys into a tea-room, he still felt as if hed let down his comrades.
Mission failed.
Not only that, but beautiful Julie Polk had said no when hed asked her out. Oh, she was interested. Shed acted a little fluttery when hed told her she was pretty, and hed felt some definite vibes flash through the air between them. But shed been prickly, too. Her mind was so filled with plans for her tearoom that romance was way down on her priority list.
He knew darn well he shouldnt be thinking about romance either. He was still smarting from Daralees sudden rejection. Hed thought their relationship was going somewhere. Theyd been so crazy about each other. Now he knew hed been nothing but a boy toy to her, someone to irk her exhusband. When that hadnt worked, hed become history.
But just looking at Julie sent his hormones into a frenzy. Could he help it if he liked having a girlfriend? Still, the next time he fell head over heels for someone, he wanted the same feelings in return. He didnt want to be a low priority or an afterthought.
Earth to Tony, Priscilla said impatiently. Did you hear me?
Sooner or later everyone would find out about Julies plans. He might as well break the news. I heard you. Its just too horrible what shes doing to Bradys.
Priscilla gasped. Is she tearing down the building? Granted, it needs work, but isnt it a historical landmark or something?
Shes doing worse than that. Its sacrilege.
Now he had Ethans and Otiss attention, too. And Jim Petersons. Would you just tell us instead of being a drama queen? said Peterson, pedaling at a leisurely pace on the stationary bike.
Shes turning Bradys into a tearoom.
Otis dropped his barbell with a clang. Ethans jaw sagged.
Priscilla, however, didnt appear horrified. A tearoom. Right here in our neighborhood.
Ethan groaned. Only you, Priscilla, would find this news welcome.
I would miss Bradys, but a tearoom could be good. I could do lunch there.
Otis threw his sweaty towel at her. And where exactly are us men supposed to hang out?
Priscilla turned off the treadmill and slowed to a stop. At least maybe we could get some healthy food there. A salad or Loud groans cut her off. She shrugged. I cant help you if you wont help yourselves.
Pris, maybe you should talk to her, Tony said. Woman to woman. Tell her how important Bradys is to this neighborhood. Its important for us and the cops to have a neutral place to meet and talk things over.
Pris gave Tony an appraising look. If you cant convince her, I dont have a chance. Is she married?
I dont think so. He hadnt seen a ring, anyway.
Youre just gonna have to try harder, Ethan said.
Seduce her, Otis added. Once shes sleeping with you, shell have to listen to you. Chicks are like that.
Priscilla threw the sweaty towel back at Otis. Typical male logic. Men think with their gonads. Women think with their brains.
Just give it the old college try, Ethan said. Get to know her, let her get to know you and then convince her to reopen Bradys. Were sick of seeing you mope about Daralee. About time you found a new girlfriend.
Tony couldnt deny he wanted to give Julie another trysmart move or not. Since meeting her a few minutes earlier, hed had a hard time remembering exactly why hed thought he was in love with Daralee. But cold-blooded seduction wasnt his game. He liked women. He didnt like the idea of using them, even for a good cause. And then there was his own much-stomped-on heart to think of.
Id love to have a new girlfriend, Tony said more candidly than hed meant to. He focused on Ethan. I want what you and Kat have. But Im not sure Julies the one to provide it. Shes a tough cookie.
Ethan shook his head as he wiped down the weight bench hed been using. If you go in with that attitude, expecting to strike out
Look, said Otis, heres what you do. You harden your heart. Every time you look at Julie, you think Daralee. You remember how bad she treated you. You remind yourself that women are evil incarnate.
Hey, Priscilla objected.
Present company excluded, Otis said quickly. Hed been one of the ones to object the loudest when the fire station got invaded by a woman, but he and Priscilla had formed an unlikely friendship, surprising everyone. If you feel yourself softening even a little bit toward this Julie person, you come talk to me and Ill set you straight.
Tony supposed Otis would be the one to do that. He had three ex-wives. If youre such an expert, why dont you seduce her?
Me? He gave a loud, hearty laugh and patted his gut. That girl isnt looking for a fat, old black man. Shes looking for a young stud like you. Besides, my Ruby would kill me if I went near that sweet young thing.
The P.A. system crackled to life. Dinner is now being served in the kitchen, Lt. Murph McCraes gruff voice announced. Come get it now or go hungry.
The firefighters didnt have to be asked twice. They tromped down the stairs in a hungry stampede. But before they could sit down, the alarm sounded. And before theyd even climbed into their turnout gear, a second alarm went out.
Sounds big, Tony said, pushing thoughts of Julie out of his mind for the moment. Another dose of adrenaline surged through his body. He was on the ladder truck today with Ethan, the captain and Jim Peterson. He hadnt been to many big fires, and just the thought of descending on a big conflagration got him as excited as a young kid at an amusement park.
This one was big, too. It was at a run-down auto-body shop, which meant gasoline, oilpotential explosions.
IC to Ladder 59, came the incident commanders voice over the radio. Need yall on the B side of the building on ventilation. Start getting those walls down, if you can.
Captain Campeon, on the ladder truck, abruptly ordered a change of direction, and the truck turned down a side street, raced through an alley and parked in a vacant lot just behind the burning building. Tony chugged the remainder of a bottle of water. On a hot day like today, it paid to stay hydrated.
Grab your tools, rookies, Campeon ordered. Tony did as he was told, collecting an ax and a pike pole. Then he took up a position at veteran Jim Petersons elbow. That was his only assignmentstick to Peterson like bubblegum. The hot August sun would roast him alive inside his turnout gear if he stood out in it for long.
Basque, Campeon barked, get a ladder up to that roof. Peterson, Veracruz, get the window.
The window was barred, but it was easy enough to break the glass using their pikes. As soon as they did, smoke poured out and that was when they heard a dog howling inside.
Tony hated the thought of a helpless animal dying in a fire. Normally, firefighters would rescue pets if it was possible to do so without dramatically endangering themselves.
Hell, lets see if we can get to him, Peterson said. The back door was solid-core steel, but the walls were thin corrugated tin. Tony whacked at the wall with his ax and then Peterson yanked at it until they had an opening.
Ladder 59 to IC, theres a dog inside. Request permission to enter and try to get him out. Not much fire back here.
Affirmative, Ladder 59.
Ill go first, Peterson said to Tony, pulling on his air mask as he set one leg through the jagged opening.
With his own breathing mask in place, Tony climbed in right after Peterson.
Theyd no sooner gotten inside than a blur of brown fur rushed at them. It flew through the air and latched on to Jim Petersons arm, growling furiously. The dog, a pit bull mix, wasnt huge, but it was determined.
Peterson fell back on his butt, cursing wildly. Get this damn thing off me!
Tony gave the dog a kick. And when that didnt dislodge it, he prodded it firmly with the flat side of his ax. He didnt want to kill the creature, but he didnt want it to maim his superior, either.
The dog remained firmly attached.
Ladder 59 to IC, Tony said into his radio, trying not to sound panicked. We need some water back here, fast!
But the call for help was unnecessary; two men were already approaching with a hose. They saw the situation for what it was and blasted the dog with a hard stream of water.
The spray nearly drowned Peterson, but the dog let go. It leaped through the makeshift door and was gone. Tony had never seen a dog run that fast.
You okay, Jim? Tony asked, helping Peterson to his feet.
No. Damn dog has sharp teeth and the jaws of death.
Just as they were emerging through the opening in the wall, an air horn sounded, the signal to evacuate the building. It was too dangerous to remain. Tony was surprised: the building hadnt looked all that bad inside.
An ambulance had already pulled around to the vacant lot in back as Peterson and Tony emerged. Peterson yanked off his mask, his face tightened in pain. Tony couldnt see any blooduntil Peterson took off his coat.
His arm was a mess.
Once the paramedics took over, Tony located Ethan and Captain Campeon. They were as baffled as he was about why theyd been told to clear the building. The fire seemed to be under control.
A few moments later, however, they found out why.
Two incendiary devices had been found at opposite ends of the structure and one on the roof. By now, everyone knew what to look for; this was unmistakably the work of their serial arsonist. Planting a vicious attack dog on the scene was his latest trick to inflict bodily damage on firefighters. Not as showy as the deadly warehouse fire, in which the roof had been rigged to collapse, but still clever and mean. And there was no guarantee he hadnt planted other booby traps inside. At the previous fire hed set a pipe bomb that fortunately hadnt detonated.
A fire marshals Suburban showed up as Tony and Ethan cleaned and loaded their tools, talking in hushed voices about the arsonist. Captain Roark Epperson, lead investigator on the case, stepped out, his face grim.
Tony knew Epperson from the training academy; hed been an instructor there. He also knew Epperson from hanging out at Bradys Tavern. Theyd crossed swords over the shuffleboard table a few times.
The ambulance took Peterson to the hospital for stitches and a shot of antibiotics, so Tony took the rare opportunity to sit beside the captain.
Eppersons gotta be taking this hard, Campeon said as he pulled their truck out of the alley. They drove slowly past the front of the building. Roark was standing in the street, talking to one of the remaining firefighters. Hey, is that Priscilla hes talking to?
Yeah, Tony and Ethan said together. Priscilla had been riding on the engine.
How does he know her?
He was our arson instructor at the academy, Tony answered. And weve run into him a few times at Bradys.
Campeon snorted. Bradys. Damn shame. That niece has no idea the disservice shes doing to the community by destroying that bar. He turned to Tony. Didnt I hear you were doing something about that, Romeo?
Hes flakin out on us, Ethan said. He struck out once, so hes not even gonna try again.
I didnt say that, Tony argued. In truth, he was still making up his mind.
You gotta try, Campeon said, showing a rare degree of humanity. Normally he remained stoic and stone-faced no matter was going on around him. You gotta get through to her. A tearoom? Holy cripes.
All right, Tony would do itfor Bradys. After all, his captain had just given him an order, right? He would seduce Julie Polk. He would pretend he wanted to help her get her tearoom open, but while he was doing it he would share stories about Bradys that would appeal to her sentimentality. He would use every strategy he could think of to get her to change her mind.
Most importantly, he would not fall in love with her. He would not set himself up for more heartbreak.
Chapter Three
Julie was afraid this time shed bitten off more than she could chew. In her zeal to maximize profits from the liquidation of her uncles estate, shed decided an auction was the way to go. Shed done her research and estimated the value of most of the collectibles, putting a reserve price on anything really worthwhile so it wouldnt walk out the door for nothing. Then shed hired an auctioneer, picked a date and paid for an expensive display ad in the newspaper as well as in a local antiques-and-collectibles weekly.
The auction was two days awayand the bar was still a wreck. Shed had every intention of getting in here and cleaning things so that the items would fetch the highest prices. Shed also planned to get a ladder and take down the tin ceilingeach panel was worth at least ten bucks. But shed ended up staying home to care for her dad for a couple of days instead when the woman who regularly looked in on him developed a cold. Since Julie had been living back at home for several weeks, shed felt it was the least she could do. Otherwise her mom would have had to miss work.
Now her dads caregiver was back, but Julie was so far behind she knew shed never catch up. She had a dozen different cleaning products, a bucket full of old rags and not nearly enough time or elbow grease to do the job. Belinda, working double shifts at her summer waitress job this week, wasnt available.
Well, nothing for Julie to do but jump into the project and get as much done as she could. Shed found an old ladder in a back closet. She could take down at least one of the ceiling panels and shine it up so bidders could get a good look at the intricate pressed pattern.
She climbed the rungs and balanced herself precariously at the top. With a screwdriver and a hammer she tried to pry one of the tiles loose, but theyd been up there for almost a hundred years and they werent coming down easily.
Finally she managed to get the hammers claw wedged under one corner. She pried with all her strength but got nowhere.
The front door opened and a shaft of morning sun cut through the bars dusty interior. Belatedly, Julie realized she should have locked the door behind her. This part of Oak Cliff wasnt a hotbed of violent crime, but a girl couldnt be too careful.
A man stepped inside, silhouetted in the doorway, and for a few moments Julie couldnt see his features. Then she recognized the broad shoulders, that muscular chest, the dominating presence. She took in a deep breath. It was Tony.
Even as shed teemed with ideas for Belindas tearoom, making lists and budgets and plans, Tony Veracruz had never been far from her thoughts. And at night when she couldnt sleepand these days, she never could sleephe invaded her fantasies.
Shed told herself it was harmless to imagine what he looked like naked, that she would have few if any dealings with him in the future, so long as she kept her blinds drawn. Given her flat refusal to even talk about reopening Bradys or consider accepting his offer of dinner, she hadnt expected him to return, invading her solitude and setting her heart vibrating like a tuning fork.
She started to say somethingand then everything happened at once. With an ear-splitting noise, the tin panel above her pulled partly free, revealing a wooden beam seething with termites.
Dozens of them fell into her hair.
She screamed and dropped her hammer, then lost her balance. Clawing at the air as she fell backward, she braced herself to hit the hard wooden floor. She wondered in the split second she was airborne how many bones she would break.
But she didnt hit the floor. Instead, she fell into a strong pair of arms as perfectly and neatly as if shed fallen into a hammock.
How had he gotten there so quickly? It took her a few moments to realize she was okay; she wasnt going to die after all. What are you doing here? she asked inanely.
Is that any way to greet a man who just saved your life?
Put me down, please. She still had a head full of termites. She had to get them off her.
You could have broken your neck. Why didnt you ask someone to help you with this?
Oh, you mean a big, strong manbecause I couldnt possibly wield a couple of tools?
Well, obviously you
Im perfectly capable! Or I was, until an entire nest of termites flew into my hair.
Termites?
There are a couple on your arm now.
He quickly put her down and brushed at his arm, while she shook the rest of the insects out of her hair. Ugh. Her skin was still crawling from the sight of those awful bugs.
Got any Raid? Tony asked.
Its going to take more than bug spray, Im afraid. She mentally added a termite inspection, fumigation and possibly expensive repairs to her working list of things to take care of. For now, thoughwhere had she seen bug spray? The storeroom? She walked back to look.
Tony was right at her heels. Youre taking down the ceiling?
Id planned to auction off the ceiling, along with all this other stuff. But I didnt know there was nothing but bare rafters behind the tin. I guess Ill have to leave it. Ah, here it is. For crawling and flying insects. I think termites are both.
Tony took the can from her. Ill take care of this. He climbed up the ladder and sent a toxic fog into the space above the ceiling panels. You know, the tin ceiling is part of the ambience, he argued as dead bugs fell to the floor. Anyway, this is a historical landmark. You cant go tearing it up.
Julie stood well away from the bug shower. I checked with the landmark commission. So long as I dont make material changes to the exterior, Im okay. And a tin ceiling isnt exactly the ambience Im looking for.
Painted tin ceilings were funky and kind of charming, but Julie was going for classy all the way. Shed wanted to do textured plaster.
She mentally adjusted her picture of Belindas to reflect a tin ceilingpainted a pale yellow so as not to call attention to itself. It would be okay.
Then she realized something was on her footsomething alive. Immediately thinking termite, she started to kick until she realized it was a half-grown Dalmatian puppy gnawing on her shoelace.
Excuse me, she said, yanking her foot away, have we met?
Tony came down from the ladder. This is Bluto. His mom is Daisy, the fire station mascot. I usually give him a walk on my days off.
They let you keep puppies at the fire station?
Only in a dog run in the back. And only temporarily. The pups had to go. Bluto is the last one.
So you brought him here?
I saw the lights on and thought Id stop in and see how its going. He looked around. You still have a lot of work to do, I see.
Rub it in, why dont you? Her attention was torn between gorgeous Tony and his cute puppy, which wagged its tail so hard its entire body wiggled.
She couldnt help it. She bent down to pet the pup, and it jumped all over, licking her face in a frenzy of love. Her parents hadnt allowed any pets, seeing them simply as more mouths to feed. And once she was on her own, shed never considered getting a dog or cat.
Hi, Bluto. It was much easier to be warm and friendly to the puppy than to Tony. Safer, too. She wasnt normally unfriendly, but she knew she had to be on her guard with Tony for two reasons: he wanted something from her she couldnt give, and she wanted something from him she didnt dare ask for. If he had any idea how attracted she was to him, he could use it against her.
So you live around here? she asked.
Just down Willomet. Less than a block.
They were neighbors.
A noise above her yanked her attention away from the pup. She looked up just in time to see the ceiling panel shed been working on detach itself completely and head straight for her.
Tony grabbed Julie and the dog and yanked them both out of the way. The heavy piece of tin, with its knife-sharp edges, crashed to the floor right where shed been standing, leaving a gouge in the wooden planking.
Now she reacted. Shed almost diedtwice in two minutes. Her knees went wobbly, and if Tony hadnt put his arms around her, shed have sunk to the floor.
Thats twice Ive saved your life, he said, his voice husky.
For an insane moment, Julie thought he might kiss her. Shed fantasized about it often enough over the past couple of days. But then the moment passed, sanity reasserted itself and Tony released her, leaving her tingling.
Could a brush with death cause these peculiar feelings? She sure hoped she had an excuse for wanting to lose herself in a mans touch when she was supposed to be concentrating on her tearoom.
With no small effort, Tony pulled himself out of the sensual fog that Julie had put him in. Hed felt so drawn to her, as if he wanted to kiss her. Thankfully hed realized how inappropriate that would be and had let the woman go, taking a step back to put her out of temptations reach. This seduction had to be executed with care.
Ethan had said to make friends with Julie, get to know her. That wasnt Tonys normal approach. He usually liked to sweep a woman off her feet, flirt mercilessly, prove to her how strongly he was attracted to her. Hed always figured the friendship could come later, when the sexual pull wasnt so overwhelming that it occupied all of his brain cells.
But so far that friendship part had eluded him. Yeah, he was friends with Priscilla and Ethans wife, Katand Natalie, the mother of his little girl. As far as his love life went, though, something always went wrong before he could become friends with a lover.
So maybe he would try being friends first. There was more than one way to seduce a woman, and he wouldnt quit until hed tried them all.
Th-thank you, Julie said, recovering some of the color in her face. I do appreciate the life-saving maneuvers.
Thats what firefighters are for. She looked amazing, standing there with her heaving breasts and her rosy cheeks, her golden hair mussed from shaking. She was trying to pretend that being so close to him hadnt had much effect, but Tony knew better.
Then she pulled herself together, all business again. As you pointed out, I have a ton of work to do. So if youll excuse me
Thats why Im here. I thought I could help.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Why would you offer to help when you hate the idea of my tearoom?
He shrugged. Never could resist a damsel in distress. He looked around. And you are in distress.
He could tell she wanted to argue. But her need for an extra pair of hands and some elbow grease won out. If you really want to help, the wooden Indian would make a good start. Hes covered with so much nicotine I cant even tell what color hes supposed to be. Then she added, But you wont soften me up. I wont change my mind about the tea-room. So if thats your agenda
Agenda? Youve got to be kidding, Tony said, his conscience pinching him a bit as he picked up a cleaning rag. At least if he helped her clean, he had an excuse to stick around and get to know her better. And she could get to know him. Once she thought it through, shed realize what a great guy he wassaving her life, helping her scrub this place downand she might be more willing to listen to his reasons for wanting to revive Bradys Tavern.
Or he might just make love to her. Right now, that seemed a far more intriguing goal than changing her mind about keeping Bradys intact.
Im not sure how Sir Edward will feel about taking a bath, Tony said as he tackled decades of filth.
Sir Edward?
The cigar man. He used to belong to an Englishman who owned a cigar shop down on Jefferson. When that gentleman fell on hard times he closed the shopand he didnt have enough money to pay off his bar tab. So Bradythat would have been the second Brady, your grandfathertook the Indian as payment.
Tony watched Julie from the corner of his eye. She paused in her efforts to clean years of scum off one of the high round tables that dotted Bradys. Really? How interesting.
She didnt sound sarcastic, at least. So she enjoyed local history. That had to be a good thing for the campaign to save Bradys.
Are there more stories like that?
Dozens. Tony gave up on the Indian and walked back to the bar. Wheres the ashtray that was sitting here?
The big ugly one that possibly used to be brass?
Yeah.
I didnt figure anyone would want it, so I threw it away.
Tony clutched at his chest and pretended to gasp for air. Threw it away?
Was it special? She actually sounded concerned.
It was the Daryl Jones memorial ashtray. Jones was a legendary fire chief, back in the days of prohibition. When he died, they took the old fire bell down and made an ashtray out of it. He and Bradythat would be your great-grandfatherwere good friends.
Julie winced. And they made his bell into an ashtray? Isnt that kind of disrespectful?
Since Jones was a chain-smoker, no. I cant believe you threw it away. Id have bought it from you. Any of the firefighters would have.
Without a word, Julie disappeared into the back room. He heard her digging around and a minute or so later she emerged triumphantly with the ashtray in hand. If youll help me clean, you can have the ashtray for free.
Deal.
As they worked, Tony told her more stories. The billiard table had come from Dallass first bowling alley just before it was torn down. The dartboard had been a gift from a baseball player in the 1950s.
Tony showed Julie a bullet hole in the wall that was reputed to have been put there by the famous bank robber Clyde Barrow, of Bonnie and Clyde fame, when Bradys had been a speakeasy.
Julie paused often to take notes.
That popcorn machine behind the bar came from the Texas Theater down the street.
No kidding? Hey, theyve renovated that theater, havent they?
Yeah, and it looks great. Now he was getting somewhere. Oak Cliff is renovating everything. People are really starting to appreciate the history of this area. Preserving rather than tearing down. Hint, hint, Julie.
Thats marvelous! I bet the theater owners would love to buy back this machine and display it there.
Tony sighed. What are you writing all these stories down for?
The auctioneer says that anything with historical significance will get a better price. So tell me more.
Tony realized his efforts to convince Julie not to tear up Bradys might actually be counterproductive. His stories made her even more inclined to parcel out all these wonderful old things.
Watching her as she scrubbed the filth off an old hurricane lampprobably something left over from the days before the bar had electricityhe had a hard time remembering what his mission was. He just wanted to kiss her.
Still, he made one more try. I understand your wanting to get money for all this stuff, he said carefully. But doesnt sentimental value count for anything? Separately, you have some semivaluable collectibles. Together, you have a legendyour familys legend at that. This is the place your great-grandfather opened a century ago. Doesnt that mean anything to you?
She looked stung by his harsh question, at first, and then she looked madand he knew hed gone too far. She threw down her rag and marched over to him, getting right in his face.
Im sorry that you guys have lost your hangout. Truly I am. But I have to do whats right for me and my family. My living family, not a bunch of dead guys. And even if you try to deny it, itll be good for the neighborhood, too.
He started to say something, but she cut him off.
I am not going to change my mind. What do I have to do to convince you?
Bluto chose that moment to jump against Tonys leg and yip.
Maybe you should take him for that walk, Julie suggested, her voice softening.
Yeah, Ill take him back to his mom. Hes looking for a good home, by the way.
Thats all I needa dog to make my life complete. Why dont you keep him?
Tony laughed. I already adopted one. He hooked Blutos leash to his collar and the dog proceeded to drag him toward the door. Goodbye, Julie. But Ill be back.
As he stepped out into the August heat, he acknowledged that this battle was going to be a lot harder than hed first thought. But Julie wasnt immune to him. Shed enjoyed the stories he told. Maybe, after she had time to think about it, she would change her mind. And if not
He could at least get the word out about the auction. Every off-duty cop and firefighter in Oak Cliff would want to attend and grab a piece of Bradys.
As Tony crossed the street, intending to return Bluto to his dog run behind Station 59, he realized hed forgotten to take the Daryl Jones memorial ashtray.
JULIE HAD BEEN HOPING for a good crowd at the auction, but the mass of people crowding up to the bar to register and receive their bidding numbers exceeded all her expectations.
Shed done everything she could think of to publicize the auction, including the well-placed ads. Shed asked her auctioneer if she should have the sale at an auction house, but hed discouraged her from that. The bar itself was plenty big enough. The location was easy to find and she would save the costs of renting a hall and transporting the goods. Plus, she would get some locals who would bid on items for sentimental reasons.
The crowd was made up mostly of men in jeans and T-shirts. They didnt look like collectors or antiques dealers. But, then again, how would she know what such people looked like?
The one man shed been most anxious to see wasnt in the crowd, however. Tony had left abruptly two days earlier, without his darned old ashtray. She felt bad about the way theyd parted, with her all mad. She shouldnt have let him get to her. If she were one hundred percent confident in her plans, his arguments should have just harmlessly rolled off her back. But the truth was, she was scared to death of what she was attempting.
Maybe shed managed a tearoom, but shed never started her own business from the ground up. She was a mass of insecurities.
The quality of her sleep had deteriorated still more, because she couldnt get the feel of Tonys embrace out of her mindnor the way hed looked into her eyes just before releasing her.
But she had to. Getting involved with a sexy firefighteror any man, for that matterwasnt in her plans.
An older man in a suit approached her and she pointed to the clipboard sitting on the bar. Fill out your name, address and phone there and Ill assign you a number.
Im not here to buy, Ms. Polk.
She looked up sharply, alarmed by his stern tone. Then what can I help you with?
He held up a badge for her to see. Im the fire marshal. Theres a strict limit of one hundred people for these premises, in terms of fire safety, and youve already exceeded that limit.
A hundred? Surely that was wrong. The number seemed very low to her. Her building wasnt huge, but it wasnt a broom closet, either. Are you sure?
Its posted by the door. This old building is a historic landmark, which means we take extra care. Have you had the sprinkler system inspected?
Ill be doing a complete renovation, and fire safety will be my number one priority, she assured him. But for the auction, I cant just go kicking people out whove already registered.
Im afraid youll have to, maam. Unless you want me to do it. But then Id have to charge you a hefty fine.
Julie was steaming. The firefighters were behind this, she was sure of it. Theyd probably been searching for some way to foil her auctionand theyd found it. Maybe the maximum occupancy was a hundred, but she doubted it had ever been enforced until now.
She supposed she had no choice but to comply with the fire marshals order. The auction was starting in fifteen minutes.
So she went to the auctioneers microphone, turned it on and announced that all those who hadnt registered, plus those with numbers higher than ninety-seven, would have to leave because of the fire code. Including herself, Belinda and the auctioneer, that made one hundred. Her announcement produced lots of grumbling, but everyone complied. Once the extras had left, there was plenty of room in the bar. She smelled a rat, especially when the fire marshal shot her a victorious smile.
He parked himself at the door, keeping careful count of all those who came in and those who left.
As the auction progressed, Julie was increasingly disappointed in the results. Shed been to a few similar events before, and usually there was heated bidding, at least over some of the items. But with her auction, once someone bid, the rest of the crowd stayed maddeningly silent. Shed put modest reserve prices on the more valuable things, and most of these did not achieve the minimum bid and so remained unsold.
The auctioneer was sweating, talking up individual items, sharing the stories Julie had written down for him. Finally, though, he shrugged his shoulders and shot her a bewildered glance, validating her own feelings that this was an aberration.
Was it fixed? She took a closer look at the predominantly male, casually dressed crowd, and an awful realization occurred.
They were firefighters. Cops and firefighters. Every single blasted one of them. And they were cooperating, to ensure she did not succeed.
Her face grew hot. How could they be so hateful? Such bad sports? Couldnt they accept that Bradys was gone now and leave her alone? How could anyone get so riled up over a stupid old bar, even if it was a historic landmark?
She caught the eye of one man whod bid on the wooden Indian and gotten it for a hundred dollars when she knew it was worth a lot more. But shed purposely set her minimum bids low because she wanted this stuff gone. He gave her a potent, malevolent look, confirming her suspicions.
There wasnt a thing she could do. It was probably illegal for a group of people to get together and refuse to bid against each other, but who was she going to call? The cops? Theyd arrived early and gotten in line, ensuring they would fill in all the low-numbered slots, and the fire marshal had done the rest of the work to keep out legitimate collectors and antiques dealers.
The auction was over in less than two hours, and she watched dejectedly as items from Bradys went out the doorthe neon lights, the rickety tables and chairs, the dartboards and pool tables, the TVs, even the liquor. A bottle of aged scotch was the one thing that had elicited spirited bidding.
Clem, the auctioneer, approached Julie with a sheepish look. Im really sorry, Ms. Polk. I dont know what happened. I gave it my best shot, but these folks just werent in a bidding mood.
She patted his arm. Its okay, Clem. I know you did your best. Just bad luck. And some conniving firefighters.
Chapter Four
The fire marshal had gone, and a woman entered the bar, heading straight for Julie. She was about Julies age and very beautiful, with light brown hair subtly highlighted with gold and a complexion that indicated she took care of her skin.
Her clothes were good quality, too. Lord knew, Julie could spot such things. The woman also looked vaguely familiar. Shed probably shopped in the department store or eaten in the tearoom.
Are you Julie? the woman asked.
Yes, thats me. Julie held out her hand, and the woman shook it in a businesslike fashion.
Priscilla Garner. I understand a number of your items didnt meet their reserve prices.
Julie mentally snapped her fingers. Priscilla Garner, of course! Julie should have recognized her. Her parents were friends of the Davidsons. Yes, thats right.
Ill take them off your hands.
Youll pay the reserve?
Well, no. But Ill give you something for them.
Julie figured she couldnt afford to be on her high horse. Maybe shed set those reserve prices too high. She and Priscilla did some horse trading, and in the end they reached an agreement. Julie would be getting a little more than half what shed hoped for, but it was better than nothing.
The one thing she hadnt sold was the carved wooden bar, and she was secretly glad about that. No one was willing to pay the steep price shed put on it, and she wasnt about to take less. Once shed polished it, it was pretty impressive. She could incorporate it into the design of the tearoom. Shed already decided she would play up the historic-landmark angle. With the money shed raisedquite a bit less than shed planned onshe didnt have many options but to make lemonade from the lemons she was stuck with.
The place was almost deserted. Clem had taken off, Belinda had gone to her waitress job and only a few of the bidders remained, working out how to transport and pack some of the larger items theyd bought.
.
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Kara Lennox
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: Can He Save The Day?The firefighters of Firehouse 59 can′t help but wonder when Brady′s Tavern, the local hangout, will reopen after the owner passes away. Cute Julie Polk doesn′t seem the type to run a bar, but hey, she′s better looking than Brady ever was! Needless to say, they′re stunned when Julie decides to convert the place into a… tearoom!Determined not to let that happen, the firefighters elect Tony Veracruz, the resident Casanova, to sweet-talk the blonde into changing her mind. Brady′s Tavern should be back in no time! But as Tony gets closer to Julie and realizes he wants more than just a fling, he′s not sure where his loyalties lie….