In addition to all that, I’d been thinking about what Jake told me about being a former arson investigator. Curiosity had me wondering if he worked on Ian’s case. I hadn’t followed the story in the news or anywhere else for that matter. I had a funeral to plan and a wedding to dismantle. Some say I should have gone to the trial, for closure or retribution or something, but I disagreed. What would facing the person who killed Ian prove? It was ruled involuntary manslaughter—a fancy label for an accident. Whoever committed the crime wasn’t aware Ian was in the building.
Still, I wondered if I should ask Jake about the case. So many emotions were conflicting lately as I’d done what I’d done with him, and memories of Ian had returned with a vengeance.
Finding myself aimlessly driving toward my home east of Montpelier, I see Jake as if thoughts of him conjured him up in my small town. He’s standing outside the old firehouse, and I slow to a stop before the ancient brick structure and roll down my window.
“Jake?” I call out in question although it’s definitely him. Slowly, he turns away from looking up at the two-story building.
“Hey,” he says as if shaking himself from deep thought. He steps over to my SUV and angles an arm against the roof.
“What are you doing in my neighborhood?” I tease, noticing my heart fluttering just from seeing him again up close.
“You live around here.” He lifts his head to glance up the street.
“Hampshire is my hometown.”
“Huh.” His sound leaves me stumped.
“Why are you looking at the old firehouse?”
Jake turns back toward the building before responding. “I’m curious about the place. I’d love to see inside.” The building is vacant as the county merged fire departments, building a newer community department outside of town a few years back.
“Hang on.” He steps away from my SUV, and I pull over to park along the curb. Searching for a phone number on my dash, I find who I’m looking for and make a quick call. When I exit my crossover, Jake is still standing in front of the old brick building. Two large bay doors flank the front to accommodate fire trucks, and a bell tower stands on the left side of the structure. It’s charming and a little enchanting.
“Come on,” I say, leading Jake to the front door.
“What are you doing?”
“This place is for sale. I know the realtor and gave her a call.” Once we stand before the main entrance, I lift the security lockbox and enter the code my realtor friend gave me.
As we enter the old lobby, a staircase leads to the second floor. I stand still, watching Jake spin in a slow circle around the entry. Eventually, I follow him up the narrow stairwell to the second floor, where rooms are sectioned off, and an old fireman’s pole leads below.
“Want to ride the pole?” he asks, wiggling his brows. I’m wearing heels with a skirt and a blouse today.
“Not certain how that would work in my present attire.”
“Just wrap your legs around the pole and glide.” He chuckles softly, glancing down at my bare legs exposed beneath the hem of my skirt. “Although, I can’t promise it won’t burn.”
“You just let me worry about where it will burn,” I remark, smirking at him.
Jake goes first, sliding down the old metal cylinder like an expert but the pole wobbles as he descends. When he reaches the bottom, he jiggles it back and forth.
“I don’t know how safe this is,” he hollers up to me. “But I’m liking the view.”
He can’t really see up my skirt from his angle, so I know he’s teasing until he says, “Purple again? It’s my new favorite color.”
Stepping back from the hole for the pole, I take my time to descend the narrow stairs and meet Jake in the large, open garage space. He’s twirling in a circle again, and I’m wondering what he’s thinking.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Someone asked me what I’d want to go my way in my life.” He narrows his eyes at me and gives me a teasing smirk. “And I’ve been thinking about an answer.”
“A firehouse?” This is what he wants?
Jake paces around the pole. “A place to call mine. For the longest time, I thought I wanted out of Vermont. I wanted distance from here. From what happened. From what didn’t.” He bitterly chuckles. “But now that I’m out, I see once