IN FLAMES
by Jessica Jayne
Publication Date: July 23, 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Standalone
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SYNOPSIS
Gracelyn Riley married a firefighter and knew that came with risks. But she never imagined herself widowed in her early thirties with two children to care for on her own. Even though her marriage to Chad Riley had its difficulties, dealing with the last year without him has not been easy. Her brother-in-law, Matt, has been the rock that has kept her from collapsing or imploding.
As a fireman, Matt Riley had been at the scene when his brother, Chad, was killed. For the last year, Matt has suffered from survivor’s guilt and drank himself into oblivion. His sister-in-law, Gracelyn, supported him, lending him a shoulder to cry on. Her friendship has pulled him through time and time again until he finally sobered.
With the year anniversary of Chad’s death upon them, Gracelyn and Matt turn to each for support and comfort. What they didn’t expect was to realize that their feelings for each other go beyond the solid friendship they share. Can they overcome the guilt and the scrutiny of their family and friends to find love together?
The
epiphany that had smacked Gracelyn on the forehead last night while sipping her
wine and listening to Coldplay was what had brought her to the station this
morning. Matt couldn’t just ignore her. They’d been through too much and had
known each other for too long. He didn’t get to play decision-maker on this
because how they handled the situation affected her, too. They were adults. It
was about damn time they acted like grownups.
She
inhaled a deep breath of crisp autumn air as she approached the entrance to the
station house. Even though she’d convinced herself that this needed to be done,
it didn’t make coming here any easier.
She
heard the laughter of the guys from inside, and she smiled. This firehouse had
its fill of shenanigans. The team had struggled greatly with the loss of Chad,
so it was nice to hear the joviality behind the door. She used to stop in
regularly during Chad’s shifts, but since his death, she’d only swung by a
couple of times to drop things off. The building held many memories, too many.
Facing them and the guys who had been like brothers to her husband had seemed
like too much. Until now.
She
knocked on the door, then twisted the handle and stuck her head around the
corner. The smell of sausage, eggs, onions, and peppers assaulted her. Someone
was cooking a hearty breakfast for the crew.
Four
men stood in the kitchen. All eyes turned in her direction.
Matt
leaned against the far countertop, holding a cup of coffee, his smile fading at
the sight of her. He pursed his lips and tensed his jaw when his gaze met hers.
Her skin tingled from his penetrating stare.
“Gracelyn,”
Drew Anderson said with a smile. His voice broke the silence she’d dropped on
the group.
Drew
stood at the gas stove, flipping what appeared to be sausage patties. He’d been
with the department for over ten years and had been one of Chad’s closest
buddies. They’d played softball together and cards on some nights. As diehard
Cleveland Browns fans, they’d commiserated every football season. He’d been a
big part of Gracelyn’s and Matt’s support system after Chad’s death. For
several months afterwards, he and his wife, Stacey, cooked meals and stopped by
the house to visit, despite how hard Chad’s passing had been on Drew, as well.
“Come
on in.” Drew waved her in with the spatula.
She
stepped through the door and into the lounge area in front of the kitchen. On
one side, a long, wooden table stretched with chairs haphazardly pushed in
under it. Paper plates, napkins, and silverware sat in piles atop the table,
waiting for the breakfast sizzling in the pans.
“Hey,
Drew. Tim.” She nodded her head in Tim O’Leary’s direction before closing the
door behind her.
“What
brings you here on a Monday morning?” Tim asked. The toaster popped, and Tim
plucked out two pieces of toast and set them on a plate.
“I
need to see Matt.” She’d chosen her words carefully. If she’d said “wanted” instead of “needed” she feared Matt would find a way around it. Despite their
current situation, he would never deny her what she needed.
“Lucky
bastard,” the unfamiliar blond guy said. He must have been one of the new
recruits or candidates, as they were often called. He was young, probably in
his mid-twenties, with shaggy blond hair, blue eyes, and the hard body of
someone who worked out daily. He’d fit in quite well with the crew at the Mason
Ridge Fire Department.
“That’s
his sister-in-law, you asshat.” Tim slapped the guy on the head. “Gracelyn,
this is our new candidate, Kevin Thompson. He’s training with us. Maybe he’ll
even get to stay if we can housebreak him and teach him some manners.”
Drew
chuckled. Matt’s tense face even cracked with a smile at Tim’s comment. When an
emergency broke, these men were serious and organized. However, during their
downtime, horseplay and hazing ran rampant. Giving the candidates a hard time
was a favorite pastime of the veterans. Appeared to be Kevin’s turn at the
roasting spit.
“Hi,
Kevin.” She walked over to him and held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“The
pleasure is all mine.” He grasped her outstretched hand and brought it to his
lips, pressing a slight kiss to her fingers. “All mine.” He winked at her. His
gaze roamed over her slowly while he kept her hand in his. A flush washed over
her at being so intimately perused in front of the men that had considered her
husband their brother. “It’s good to know you’re single.”
“Let
her go,” Matt barked, setting his cup down hard on the counter. All eyes turned
to him. He flexed his hands at his sides. A flush crept from his neck to his
cheeks. He glared at the back of Kevin’s head before meeting Gracelyn’s gaze.
Something flashed behind his eyes. Jealousy? Whatever it was, she’d never seen
the emotion on his face in the past.
Kevin
dropped Gracelyn’s hand. Then Tim popped him on the side of the head again.
Everyone but Matt puffed out a laugh.
ABOUT JESSICA JAYNE
Jessica is a born and raised small town Ohio girl, who moved to the Sunshine State after graduating from college. She graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in English. What college major could possibly be better than one that makes you read novels and write about them! Now she is thrilled to be able to share all the stories floating around in her head!
Jessica loves to travel and travel often! She’s a huge sports fan, especially college football and the Ohio State Buckeyes! She’s a wine-making (and wine-tasting) aficionado. She loves all music. And nothing is better than sunset at the beach!
In the journey of life, she also married a wonderful man and had three beautiful (and sometimes crazy) children. Life is always an adventure.
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