Mia Found (Starting Fires Book 3) Read online

  Minutes later, when I crawled into bed, my painting stared back at me and I sighed.

  The woman was only visible from the waist down—her arm outstretched holding a man’s hand. The colors had blended over their outlines beautifully.

  I heard Fiona’s cackle in the living room, and put my earbuds in. The last thing I saw before falling asleep was my canvas—Paul’s hand reaching out to hold mine.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  A MONTH PASSED. I was at my brother’s house, but he was working. Marlowe and I were painting their music room and it was about time. The sad, faded cream had seen better days. She’d picked a new color of sea foam green. I didn’t like it either, but didn’t want to offend her.

  I was happy for Marlowe and Lucas. He was more driven with her in his life. More focused. And Marlowe…well she didn’t seem sad anymore. That was the first thing I remember thinking when I’d met her. Why is this girl so sad? Lucas’s love had helped her, too.

  We’d painted half the room when Marlowe stepped back, examined it, and said, “I don’t like this color.”

  “Thank, god,” I said, groaning to the ceiling. “I didn’t want to say anything.”

  “Geez, Mia. Why didn’t you? It would have saved us the trouble.”

  “Because I’m not rude.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Come on. Help me pick out another one.”

  I followed her into the kitchen where an array of paint samples adorned the peninsula. I noticed Marlowe kept pulling out shades of red or yellow. I had another vision in mind. Brown. Deep brown. With one wall painted a bright turquoise. I put my favorite colors off to the side in case she asked my opinion.

  Her phone rang while we were looking and she peeked at the display. Whoever was calling made her smile. She glanced at me and bit her lip mischievously.

  “What?” I asked.

  Without answering me, she took the call, putting it on speaker. “Hey, Paul,” she said and my face reddened.

  “Hey, what are you doing?”

  “Painting one of our rooms.”

  As they talked, I gazed at her phone longingly. His warm, steady voice seeped into my senses. Gosh, this crush was miserable. The way I ached for him was becoming pathetic.

  “When are you leaving?” Marlowe asked him, and I realized I hadn’t even been listening to their conversation.

  “In just a few days. That’s why I called. Do you think you could watch my dog while I’m gone?”

  “Oh,” she said. “Well…your dog is huge. I don’t think Lucas would like that very much.”

  He sighed. “I understand. I’m having a hard time finding someone and I don’t trust those kennels.”

  My eyes went big and to get Marlowe’s attention, I flailed my arms around wildly. Me, I mouthed. What about me?

  “Uh, how about Mia?” she said.

  “Mia?” Paul said followed by silence. I crossed my fingers. “I, uh, I don’t know…I wouldn’t want to trouble her.”

  I don’t mind, I mouthed.

  “She wouldn’t mind,” Marlowe said with a grin, getting a kick out of this.

  Paul made a noncommittal sound, unconvinced.

  “Here,” Marlowe said. “She’s sitting right next to me. Ask her.”

  My eyebrows shot up and my stomach knotted as she handed me the phone. I took it off speaker and put it to my ear. “Hey, Paul,” I said.

  “Hey, Mia,” he said with a soft chuckle.

  “Hey,” I said again, laughing nervously.

  “You really wouldn’t mind?”

  “Not at all. When would you need me?”

  “I’m leaving on Wednesday and will be back late Saturday night.”

  That was two days from now. “I can do that,” I said.

  “Thank you. This helps tremendously.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said.

  Finally, a whole year after we met, he asked for my number. With my cheeks burning from a powerful smile, I gave it to him.

  “I’ll have to drop him off Tuesday night. Is that okay?”

  “It’s fine. Totally fine.”

  “Okay. See you then.” He was smiling, too. I heard it in his voice. Maybe he was excited to see me again.

  “See you,” I said.

  When I handed the phone back to Marlowe, I let out a mirthful sigh, and then, unable to contain it, brought a fist in and said, “Yesss!”

  “You’re welcome,” she said, finding my excitement amusing.

  She grabbed the colors I’d chosen. “I like these,” she said. “Let’s go to the store.”

  By Tuesday, I’d thoroughly cleaned my apartment, scrubbing every room. Even though I’d warned Fiona, I knew she’d gripe the entire time the dog was here, pretending he was the reason our place was a mess instead of admitting the truth—she was a slob.

  At seven that night, I was standing in my living room waiting for the knock on my door. Paul had texted me ten minutes ago to tell me he was on his way. I kept looking down at myself, making sure I was presentable. Shorts and a white top. The shirt had a wide neck and hung off one of my shoulders. I was fussing with my hair, putting it over my shoulders, and then behind my shoulders, and then up in a ponytail.

  I was looking in one of our mirrors, holding it up, trying to see if I liked it when he knocked. Giddy, I pranced over to the door and opened it. Paul’s eyebrows shot up when he saw me. “Hey, uh, hey,” he said. “Wow. I mean…you look pretty.”

  “Thank you,” I said, leaning into the frame. I let myself enjoy the sight of Paul standing at my door, but then realized he didn’t have a dog with him. “Where’s your dog?”

  “In the car,” he said. “I wanted to make sure we had a space for his kennel before I brought him up.”

  “Oh, okay. Come in.”

  He stepped into my living room and frowned. “Mia…”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “This is really small.”

  “I know,” I said. “But it’s not so bad. It’s plenty of room for me.”

  “My dog is as big as your love seat.” He was frustrated, taking a hand to his hair while he thought about his options.

  “We can make it work,” I said. “It’s only a few days.”

  “He’d destroy everything. Do you…” He looked down to his feet, up to my eyes, and then back to his feet again. “Would you mind staying at my place?”

  His place? Hell no, I didn’t mind!

  “That would be fine,” I said, unable to stop my grin. “I mean, I’d love to. I mean, yes. Yes, I can do that.”

  He grabbed a pen and envelope from my end table. “Here’s my address. Take your time getting your stuff together and meet me there.”

  “Sure,” I said. “I won’t be long.”

  As soon as he left, I dashed to my room and grabbed everything I’d need. I’m going to be in his home. I didn’t care that it was as a favor. Maybe this would open things up for more.

  I left Fiona a note, and dragged my bag down to the car. Smiling, I drove away.

  Paul lived in a townhouse smashed in the middle of two others. Its shutters were red, its door blue. He came outside before I made it up the sidewalk and rushed to help with my bag.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I would have met you at your car.”

  “It isn’t heavy.”

  “Let me take it anyway.”

  Oh, I like that. His dress shirt was pushed up to his elbow and I sighed when his muscles flexed under my bag’s weight. By the time he opened the door for me, I was swooning.

  For a townhouse, his place was large. A big living room as soon as you walked in. A dining and kitchen past it. High ceilings and a balcony above us.

  “There are two rooms upstairs,” he said. “You can sleep in the extra one. I’ll have to go to bed early. My flight leaves at 4 a.m.”

  “That’s awful,” I said.

  “Yeah.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Panama City.”

  “Florida? Why?”

/>   “The firm has a sister office there. I’m thinking of relocating.”

  “Oh.” Oh. “Uh…when would you be doing that?”

  “Not sure if I am. Right now, I’m just helping them out.”

  I would have asked further questions but a large, shaggy horse came down the stairs. “Is that...?”

  “Ferdinand,” he said. “He’s an Irish Wolfhound. See why I said your place was too small?”

  “Uh, yeah. He wouldn’t even be able to turn around in my living room! Hey Ferdinand,” I said, bending over to give his head a rub. He was excited, his tail wagging fiercely behind him. A soft whine came out of his mouth as he licked my hand.

  Paul smiled. “He likes you.”

  “Well, that’s good. We’ll be spending a lot of time together over the next few days.”

  It was just after eight and Paul quickly showed me around his home. He left me a list of everything I’d need to know about caring for Ferdinand on the kitchen counter. Upstairs, Paul’s bedroom door was closed and he didn’t show me what was inside. The room I was sleeping in was across the hall.

  “Feel free to watch TV or use the internet, but I need go to bed. It’ll be a long day tomorrow.”

  “Yeah. Sure. Uh, I hope your flight goes well.”

  He smiled and surprised me with a full hug. My hands landed on his back and I smiled into his chest.

  “Thank you for doing this,” he said, looking down at me.

  “Anything you ever need,” I said and rubbed my hands down his back.

  He immediately stepped away and opened his bedroom door. “I’ll text you when I land in Florida. Good night.” The door closed before I could respond.

  He was such a conundrum. One minute he looked at me like I was a glass of ice cold water and he was a man dying of thirst. The next, he could barely stand to look at me at all.

  Feeling frustrated I went to my room and changed clothes. I left the bedroom door open, thinking maybe he’d come to me in the middle of the night. It was such an outlandish fantasy. And I knew better than to hope.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  WHEN I WOKE THE next morning, a large, hairy weight was pressing in on my side and I rolled over to see Ferdinand beside me. “Hey boy,” I said. He whined, his tail whacking my leg. “Ouch,” I laughed and pushed the covers back. I had class the first half of the day, work the next. In between, I’d have to stop by Paul’s to take Ferdinand for a walk. Downstairs, I went to the kitchen to make breakfast, letting out a girly gasp when I walked in the room.

  On the counter was a single flower. I wasn’t even sure what kind it was. The petals were a pretty purple. It sat atop a note that said, Thank you, Mia. I’ll see you Saturday.

  I smiled and gave it a whiff. He must have picked it from one of the gardens outside his townhouse.

  Ferdinand had followed me into the kitchen and I reviewed Paul’s instructions. The big dog ate his food quickly and then I took him for a walk around the neighborhood. Several of Paul’s neighbors stopped and stared, probably wondering who I was.

  Ferdinand was a recognizable breed. One wouldn’t forget seeing this mammoth strut down the street. I liked letting them wonder. Maybe some of them believed I was Paul’s new girlfriend. The thought alone made me blush.

  “What do you think, boy?” I asked the dog. “Do you want me to date your dad? I promise to love you like my own.” I smiled at him and he barked. “That’s a yes, isn’t it?” I crouched down as he wagged his tail and showered my face with kisses. “I thought so. Ready to go home?” His tongue hung out of his mouth and he put his large paw up on my shoulder. “Come on, boy.”

  Ferdinand dutifully followed me back to the townhouse and I unleashed him. Immediately, he ran to the couch and sprawled out on it. The clock on the wall told me I had just fifteen minutes to make it to my class. Rushing, I readied myself and dashed out the door.

  “Be good, Ferdinand,” I called, locking the door behind me.

  By noon, I’d finished all of my classes and was in my car outside of Paul’s home. Fiona had called wondering who I was dog sitting for.

  “So is this just some random guy?” she asked.

  “No,” I said. “I’ve told you about him.” At least I thought I had. “Remember, I met him at your sister’s last year—when we babysat.”

  “Please. Like I remember anything from a year ago. Well…what’s he like?”

  “Uh…” I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell her about him. Even if neither of us said it, a rivalry existed between us. In the past, if I expressed interest in a man, she saw it as a challenge to win him first. Usually she did—she was much more forward than I was.

  When she inevitably took him, we both lost interest. Paul didn’t seem like her type and she certainly wasn’t his, but still…he was special to me. Not just a passing crush. It would hurt if she tried any of her usual antics. Worse if he accepted them.

  She was lucky my rivalry was strictly professional. But she tended to win there too.

  “He’s an accountant,” I said as if that was all she needed to know.

  “Blah,” she said. “Boring.” Good. Yes. It’s completely boring. “When will you be home?”

  “Saturday night.”

  “Ok. See you then.”

  She hung up and I walked to the house. Paul had texted me just after 9 a.m. to tell me he’d landed. I’d responded Great! Have a good time. Talk to you soon, with a kissy face emoticon.

  He hadn’t replied.

  As I looked at our messages and saw he’d read the last one, I felt a bit embarrassed. Maybe I should take a step back. The kissy face might have overstepped.

  In a little over an hour, I had to be at work and planned to watch TV with Ferdinand curled up on my lap. I opened the door ready to receive him, but let out a gasp. Puffs of white cotton littered the floor and stairs. A lamp was overturned. Paul’s couch cushions were ripped, their insides spilling out. A hand came to my mouth.

  “Oh, no!” I said. What did I do? Should I tell Paul? Would I have to buy him another couch?

  Ferdinand was nowhere in sight and I began searching. Downstairs was clear.

  I dashed up the stairs and found him lying against Paul’s bedroom door. He whined when he saw me, his tail beating. “Are you all right?” I asked. He whined again, putting a paw up to Paul’s door. “He’s not there,” I told him sweetly, but he didn’t relent. Ferdinand whined louder and began scratching. “See for yourself,” I said, opening the door.

  Ferdinand burst in, searching the master bath and closets before whining some more. He circled the large king sized bed and then made his way to the doggy steps on the side, falling on top of the covers. He rolled and kicked until comfortable then settled, his face resting on Paul’s pillow.

  “Poor boy,” I said. He missed Paul.

  Ferdinand seemed placated for the moment and I went downstairs to clean the mess. The cushions weren’t too badly damaged, only small tears here and there. They might be salvageable. I stuffed the excess cushion pieces into a bag.

  When I finished, it was nearly time for me to head into work, but I texted Paul. Need to talk to you. Let me know when you’ll be free.

  Before I left, I checked on Ferdinand again. “Let’s make a deal,” I told him. “I’ll let you stay in here if you promise not to destroy anything else.” His sad eyes shifted over to me, but he didn’t move. “I’m off tomorrow,” I said, giving his ear a rub. “I’ll take you to the park. Promise.”

  Paul texted an hour later asking if something was wrong. I asked if it was okay if I called him when I got off. When he agreed, I became excited, eager to talk to him on the phone, but he was concerned, afraid something bad might have happened.

  Is Ferdinand all right? Are you all right?

  Yes! I said. Don’t get too worried, but we had a little accident today.

  A few minutes passed when he responded, Did he destroy something?

  Maybe…

  It happens. Call me later. :)

  T
he rest of the day was torture as I waited for the chance to speak with him. I couldn’t close the store fast enough, and sped back to his house, wanting to make sure nothing else had been destroyed before I called.

  It was in relatively the same shape as I’d left and I rewarded Ferdinand with a treat. After we went for our walk, I called Paul while sitting on the arm of his destroyed sofa.

  “Hey,” he said, sounding happy to hear from me.

  “Hey,” I said. “How was your day?”

  “I’m exhausted.” Paul yawned, emphasizing his fatigue. “But I’m sure it was better than yours.” His chuckle was deep, a low rumble in his chest. “What did he destroy?”

  “Your couch cushions,” I said. “I’m sorry. Was I supposed to do something? Could I have prevented this?”

  “No,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. I forgot to tell you to leave my bedroom door open. He has some separation anxiety, but usually does okay.”

  “That’s actually kind of cute,” I said, smiling.

  “Until he rips up your couch.”

  “I’ll try to get it fixed.”

  “No, no,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it when I come home.”

  “I don’t mind.” Quiet. Longing. Let me help you.

  He gave another soft chuckle. “You’re sweet, Mia.”

  Hopefully he meant sweet as in I want to kiss you and not let me ruffle your hair and buy you an ice cream cone.

  “Is Florida nice this time of year?” I hoped it wasn’t. I hoped it was hot and sticky and awful, and he’d run home and realize he wanted to stay right here.

  “The beaches are,” he said. “Do you like the ocean?”

  “It’s been so long since I’ve gone,” I said. “I should go this summer.”

  “Maybe we could go–I mean…Yeah, you should.”

  Did he want me to go to the beach with him? As I promised I’d do with Paul, I went for it. “Well, if you go again, maybe I can come with you.”

  Awkward, dense silence.

  “But then who would watch Ferdinand?” he asked.