it didn’t. Relax.”
“Sure.” Caleb grimaced over her at Tricia. “We’ll never worry about you when panic fills your voice. Fires are everyday occurrences.”
“You can’t protect everyone.” Even as she said the words, Tricia knew he wouldn’t accept them.
“You believe that?” He rolled his eyes. “Sure. That’s why you’re a prosecutor.”
“Someone has to do it.” Tricia grinned at him. She’d had a lifetime to perfect the art of poking his weak spots. Tell Caleb he couldn’t take care of everyone, and he bristled like a porcupine. Good thing she was a pro at sidestepping his quills.
“All right, you two. You can bicker all you want inside. I want to get out of this yard before we trample the Johnsons’ grass. You know how fastidious George is.” Mom tugged his sleeve until Caleb joined her.
A couple of firefighters turned the corner from the backyard into the front. One pulled off his helmet and ran a hand through smooshed hair, sweat streaking his face. He caught Tricia’s glance and grimaced. Her heart stopped, and she took a shuddering breath. Noah Brust. In the flesh, and looking even better in his turnout coat with soot on his face than he had the last time she’d seen him in the courtroom.
“Mrs. Randol?” His voice was low, with a rich timbre to it. It tickled her senses, and her stomach tightened, even though the man ignored her.
“Yes,” her mother answered.
“I’m Noah Brust with the Lincoln Fire Department. We’ve contained the fire. The shed will be a total loss, but we kept it from the house.”
Mom put a trembling hand to her mouth, then nodded. “Thank you. We’ll replace the things in the shed. Frank will probably enjoy the excuse to buy more tools.”
“Investigator Caleb Jamison, LPD.” Caleb extended his hand, and the firefighter shook it. “This is my sister, Tricia Jamison.”
Noah turned a blank expression her way. “We’ve met.”
Tricia nodded, searching for a hint of emotion on his face. Even anger seemed better than the nothingness he registered when looking at her. Instead, he wore a look of schooled indifference. This from the rugged fireman who’d almost swept her off her feet when she’d prepped him for his testimony during the Lincoln Life fire trial a year before. Despite the attraction that zinged between them, he’d made it clear at the close of his testimony that he wanted nothing to do with her.
She stifled the urge to grab his collar and force him to acknowledge her. Mom threw her a questioning look, and Tricia shook her head. Now was not the time to explain.
“Any clues on how the fire started?” Caleb pulled her attention back to the fire.
Noah focused on Caleb. “The captain will likely call in the fire investigation team. Until they work their magic I can guess at a cause, but that’s it. We’ll keep an eye on the fire while we clean up. We’ll leave only when we’re sure the fire’s out, but it’s safe to go inside your home now.”
“Thank you.” Mom pulled the collar of her jacket tight around her throat against the October wind as she hurried toward the house.
Heat climbed Tricia’s face, and she turned to find Noah watching her. “Thanks for helping Mom.”
“You’re welcome.”
She fought the urge to rub her arms, try to generate some warmth against the chill emanating from him. “You’re still angry about the Lincoln Life case? I did everything the law allowed.”
His blue eyes, which had so captured her attention before, had frosted over. Noah snorted and shook his head. “Thanks to you, I read a dozen articles accusing my father—one of the best firefighters I’ve ever known—of negligence in his duties.” His voice rose with each word. “He died a hero, but you didn’t raise a finger to stop them from slandering him at the trial.”
She looked around for a way to escape the barrage of angry words. “I’m sorry you don’t appreciate the rules of court and their limitations. And don’t forget, we won.” Tricia turned at the sound of more cars pulling into the cul-de-sac. The Channel 13 Jeep jerked into park as Caleb reappeared at her shoulder.
“You okay, sis?” Caleb furrowed his brow until the eyebrows merged.
“Fine. I’ll be there in a minute, Caleb.” She turned to Firefighter Brust and twisted her lips into what she hoped passed for a smile. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more to protect you and your father. Now, if you don’t want to create another scene worthy of the papers, let me pass. The media have arrived.” She tipped her chin, pushed past him and marched to Caleb’s side. “Let’s go inside now, please.”
Tricia refused to look back as Caleb hurried her into the house. She tried to ignore the tremble in her limbs when she sat on the couch next to her mother.
“Anything you need to tell me?” Caleb stood in front of her in full big brother mode.
“An unpleasant reminder of a case from last year.”
“Looked like more.”
“No.” Tricia shook her head. “He thinks I didn’t do my job. There’s nothing I can do to change his mind. If I’m lucky, I won’t run into him again.”
Today had been a fluke. That’s all.
Then why did the pain hiding in his cold eyes cut so?
Noah watched the media park on the cul-de-sac. He stood straight and prepared for the onslaught. “The vultures descend.”
Graham Jackson groaned and yanked his helmet off. “Come on, man. Hold it together.”
“You’re right.” Noah frowned and ran a hand over his face. Some days he felt so tired, he wondered how long he’d keep up with the job. Fighting through the lingering impact of the knee he’d injured in the Lincoln Life fire seemed impossible. He tried to hide it on the job, but rarely succeeded. “So I lost my composure.”
“Yep.” Graham climbed onto the fire truck, tossing his helmet onto the seat next to him. He grabbed two bottles of water and tossed one to Noah. “Fortunately, the press arrived late and didn’t see your show. What was that all about, anyway? I’ve never seen you that worked up around a woman.”
Noah unscrewed the lid and sat opposite Graham. He forced the image of Tricia’s face from his mind. She looked as beautiful as she had when he’d met her the year before. He’d been instantly smitten with the spunky lawyer…but couldn’t let himself think about that now. Not after the way she’d let him down. “Hope you’re right about the media.” He swiped the cool bottle against his forehead, ignoring Graham’s stare. “I keep waiting for it to get easier. You’d think it would after a year.”
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
“She was the attorney on the Lincoln Life case.”
Graham looked toward the house. “She’s cute.”
“I’d hoped she was more.” Much more. “But I was wrong.”
“Don’t push so hard. This was a simple outbuilding fire, and you barked orders like flames were engulfing the Cornhusker Hotel.”
“I acted crazy. She brings that out in me.” Noah ran his fingers through his hair and grimaced.
“No. A little overzealous, but it’s okay. Temper it. That’s all I’m saying.”
An hour later, the firefighters cleared the scene and headed back to the fire station. The rest of the shift dragged as Noah tried to focus on the paperwork in front of him, rather than Tricia Jamison.
That night, long after he should have been asleep, Noah lay in bed and couldn’t stop thinking about the prosecutor