Page 47 of Single Mom’s Undoing (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems #1)
TASSIA
A s the minutes go by and we wait for the firefighters to put out the blaze and assess the damage, I sink into Lucas’s armchair and try to wrap my head around everything that just happened.
“How are you feeling?” he asks as he brings me a glass of water.
Tyler and Mitch hover nearby, glancing out the window then back at me.
“As good as I can, I suppose,” I reply, then take a long sip.
The cold liquid is a huge relief as it rolls down my sore throat, but it will take a while for the smoke smell to leave my nostrils.
“I called Tim,” Tyler announces. “He’s on vacation with his wife and their little girl, but they’re flying back early.”
“It was supposed to be their last trip before Danica has their second baby,” I say. “Damn, I guess I ruined their holiday.”
“You didn’t ruin anything,” Mitch assures me. “Things happen, completely unplanned.” He pauses and gives me a small smile, his brown eyes filled with curious amusement. “I just realized this is the first time we’ve actually spoken.”
I look at him shyly, then take another sip of water.
The three of them are so different yet so much alike.
Lucas is the tallest, broad-shouldered and muscular, with dark hair and smoky blue eyes.
Tyler has the build of a linebacker, not as lean but still agile enough to move quickly, his hair the color of sand, eyes a beautiful hazel green.
Mitch is stocky and massive, with brown hair and reassuring brown eyes, notes of silver in his closely-trimmed beard.
“I keep to myself, mostly.”
“How long have you been living in Frost Valley?” Lucas asks.
“Almost a year now,” I reply.
“And you’ve been working in our evidence room, right?” Tyler asks.
“Yes. Like I said, I keep to myself.”
“I get that, but you haven’t stopped by once for so much as a cup of sugar,” Mitch teases. “That’s not very neighborly.”
“I don’t like sugar.”
Dumb reply, Tassia. That’s why you’ve always been a curvy girl. What you don’t like is getting too close to cops after everything you’ve been through.
“But you’re right,” I add with an apologetic smile. “I could’ve been more sociable.”
“We all have our thing,” Lucas shrugs, casually sitting down on the sofa. He’s still shirtless, and it’s becoming hard to focus. “For what it’s worth, your work in the evidence room has been nothing short of stellar.”
“Thank you. And I haven’t gotten the chance to say this before, but I appreciate you giving me a chance.”
“No need to thank me. We trust Timothy. He’s one of the best guys in Frost Valley, and we’re aware of the incredible work he’s done in Social Services over the years. So when he vouches for someone in the New Beginnings program, I don’t doubt him.”
The New Beginnings program. My shot at redemption for a new life after crimes I didn’t commit. Lucas knows what’s in my file; now is not the time for me to share my side of the story.
“So, the three of you live together,” I say.
“We do,” Mitch replies.
“And you served together?”
“We did. Army Rangers.”
“‘Rangers lead the way.’ That’s your motto, right?”
Tyler nods. “It is.”
“And now you work together.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Tyler chuckles softly.
“We’re brothers bound by sacrifice,” Lucas says. “We’ve known each other since we were kids. Few people understand the depth of our bond, but it’s what kept us alive in the service, and it’s what keeps us alive in law enforcement now.”
“Well, I think it’s incredible that you trust each other so much,” I reply with a bitter smile. “My experience has taught me you can’t trust anyone, not even the person you marry, but then again, maybe I drew the short straw.”
“You’re clearly competing for the top spot on God’s strongest warrior list,” Mitch quips.
I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, I guess you can say that again.” I pause to look out the window. “It looks like they got the fire out.” I sigh heavily. “All my stuff. Everything I had was in there.”
“I’m sorry,” Lucas says earnestly. “Like we said earlier, these cabins are great to live in, but if they’re not properly taken care of and upgraded?—”
“They become tinder boxes. Case in point.” I nod at the smoking mess outside what used to be my home. “I didn’t have much to begin with, but it was still mine.”
My books. My clothes. The handful of trinkets I got at the autumn fair last year. The little bit of décor on the walls. My vibrator… damn, I’m gonna miss that little guy, which is such a pathetic thing to think about in the particular circumstances.
“Objects can be replaced,” Lucas says. “What matters is that you’re alive.”
“Thank God you were so quick to react,” I respond, remembering the moment before he got me out of the house. I was about to run back upstairs thinking a small fire extinguisher would do the trick.
“We smelled the smoke, then spotted the flames. We were pretty certain you were home, so I had to do something.”
“I can’t thank you enough, really.”
“You have nothing to thank me for, Tassia. I was only doing the right thing. Not only as a law enforcement officer, but as a human being.”
He’s being humble. The man rushed into my cabin and saved my life.
A knock on the door brings the conversation to a halt. I wrap the blanket tighter around myself as Tyler gets up and lets the fire captain in.
“It’s not looking good,” the captain says as soon as he sees me, streaks of soot on his face, hands, and neck. “The blaze spread quickly and was very destructive.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, my heart breaking all over again because deep down I already know the answer.
“My guys are sifting through the wreckage as we speak, but right now, I can’t render the cabin habitable again,” he replies.
“No…”
“I’m sorry. It’s just not safe. It’s going to need partial rebuilding—wall reinforcement, new floors and windows upstairs, all of the electrical will need to be rewired, and the entire staircase needs to be replaced.
The foundation is good, but the walls and the structure pillars were compromised,” he says.
“I’ll talk to Tim and recommend a couple of builders for the job. We help each other out around here.”
Clearly, but who’s going to help me? I’m more or less homeless now.
“Ok,” I say quietly. “Does anyone have a recommendation of where I can stay? Tim and Danica don’t have any extra room with their daughter and another baby on the way, which is why he let me rent the cabin from him.”
“The Lilac Motel is nice,” the captain suggests.
“Nonsense,” Lucas shakes his head. “You’re staying here, Tassia.”
My mind draws a complete blank as I look up at him. “What?”
“You’ve got nowhere else to go, right?” he asks.
I shake my head slowly in response. It’s the truth, albeit a hard pill to swallow.
“Then you’re staying here. We’ve got a spare bedroom and there’s plenty of space so we won’t trip over one another.
Until Tim gets your place fixed up, consider yourself our new roommate. ”
“I couldn’t possibly?—”
“You could, and you should,” Tyler interjects. “Let’s just say you’d be staying in the safest place in Frost Valley,” he adds with a wink.
I want to laugh, I really do. It’s a good break in the seriousness of the situation, but I’m still baffled by how quickly my life is changing, literally in the blink of an eye.
“Do we know what started the fire?” I ask the captain.
He frowns. “Not yet, but one of my lieutenants will investigate. Once the interior of the cabin has cooled, you can go in to see if any of your personal items are salvageable. But I advise against going in there on your own.”
“She won’t be going in alone,” Mitch confirms. “And don’t worry about the police report. We’ll file it, first thing in the morning.”
“Thanks for that, Mitch.”
“No sweat, Paul. You guys were amazing to get here so fast,” he replies, shaking the captain’s hand.
“It’s our job,” Paul says, then gives me an apologetic nod. “Again, I’m sorry this happened to you. But you’re alive and well, and that’s all that matters.”
By the time evening settles in, I’m much calmer.
Cleaner and drier, too, courtesy of the ensuite in my guestroom.
I’m wearing one of Lucas’s white tees and a pair of Frost Valley grey sweatpants, which stretch a bit more around my butt and thighs than they probably do around his, but I like the feel of the soft cotton against my skin. It’s a much-needed comfort.
“Can I come in?” Lucas’s voice reverberates from the hallway.
I’m staring at myself in the wall mounted mirror next to an antique wooden dresser.
My blonde hair is pulled into a loose bun, several wet locks stuck to the back of my neck.
I don’t have any energy left to do a proper blow-dry, and besides, I doubt the guys even own a blow dryer. Mine is now a pile of ashes.
“Sure,” I reply.
He pokes his head through the door. “Everything okay?”
“Thank you, yes.” I slowly turn around to face him. “Thank you for the clothes, too. Maybe we can find something left at my place.”
“We’ll go in the morning and check.” He brings a tray in, which he sets on the chest of drawers next to the door. “I brought you a little something to eat. Figured you could use some carbs after everything that’s happened.”
“That’s so thoughtful,” I tell him.
My mouth is already watering at the sight of maple-syrup-glazed pastries and a bowl of fresh fruit, next to a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice. Lucas takes a moment to look at me.
“It’s weird, I know,” he says.
“What’s weird?”
“Having to share a space with strangers. But the situation demands it. And I’m sure you’re aware that you can trust us with your safety.”
“I never had a doubt.”