Trace’s Fire
**Trace’s Fire is the sweet and clean version of Ignite my Heart by Loni Ree. The author has removed all bad language and sexual situations to give you a sweet and entirely wholesome read. The content has changed slightly and the book has been re-edited.**
It only takes a spark to ignite a fire…
Trace
I’m used to the quiet life a place like Juniper offers. As a fire captain, I save a cat from its own bad luck once or twice a week and, on occasion, deal with a real fire emergency.
But when a little firecracker named Paige Reilly moves in, her whirlwind energy wakes up our sleepy small town and sets my blood on fire right along with it.
Now all I want is a life filled with her…
Paige
There comes a point in everyone’s life when they decide it’s time to settle down. To me, the sleepy little town of Juniper, Colorado looked like the perfect place.
Turns out, Juniper is anything but sleepy. The moment I arrive, the hottest guy I’ve ever seen shows up to give me advice on how to fit into the town and neighborhood.
I appreciate the Fire Captain’s effort and we hit it off like a house on fire. Then an incident occurs that leaves me without a place to stay. Lucky for me, Trace is a kind neighbor. He opens his home, and his heart to me. I just hope he can deal with the trail of destruction that seems to follow me…
This over-the-top quick read is just what you're looking for if you like sweet, clean, insta-love romance with a little bit of humor.
Contents
Chapter 1
Trace
Chapter 2
Trace
Chapter 3
Paige
Chapter 4
Paige
Chapter 5
Trace
Chapter 6
Trace
Chapter 7
Trace
Chapter 8
Paige
Chapter 9
Paige
Chapter 10
Trace
Chapter 11
Paige
Epilogue One
Epilogue Two
About the Author
Also by L. Ree
Also by Loni Ree
Also by M. Marie Clark
Chapter One
Trace
“Oh, Mr. Mayor, Mr. I Bought the Biggest House in Juniper Glenn and Everyone Thinks I’m So Important.” As my brother sings through the station, I look up at the ceiling and wonder why I never suffocated Rory in the middle of the night years ago. “You get to go and handle the d-e-l-i-c-a-t-e situation between the Jacobs and their gorgeous new neighbor.”
Rory sticks his head around my door and wiggles his eyebrows. Logan and Adam are standing behind my brother, holding in their laughter. Acting like the only adult in the firehouse, I remind the moron, “I’m not the mayor. I’m your captain and the head of the Homeowner’s Association.” Some days, I wish I’d moved far away from our small hometown after graduating from college, and from the looks on these three idiots’ faces, today is going to be one of those days. “Don’t mess around. Just tell me what happened.”
The three of them almost trip over each other in an effort to get into my office. Martha, our dispatcher, walks by, and the glee on her round face tells me she already knows the whole story. I’m sure the town grapevine is hard at work. Mrs. Jacobs is the eyes and ears of Juniper, Colorado. As the saying goes, “Telegraph, telephone, tell-a-Louise.” Louise is Louise Jacobs, and she’s faster than any internet speed known to man.
“Look, I’ve had a horrible day. Mrs. Webster’s cat got stuck on her neighbor’s treehouse roof and sang the song of his people for two hours until we rescued him. He didn’t appreciate my rescue efforts, and I’m sporting an armful of scratches and a couple of splinters that need removing.” I pull up my sleeve and show them the angry red welts running down my arm. “At this point, I want to get the rest of my twenty-four-hour shift over so I can go home, have a beer, and sit by the pool. So, just spit it out and get out of here.” The headache behind my eyes is becoming a full-blown migraine, and I’m warning the three scrooges before they cause me to lose my mind.
Rory realizes I’m not in the mood for fun and games and sighs. “This is funny, no matter how you spin it.” He shrugs and holds his hands up in surrender when a growl rumbles from my chest. “Okay, okay. Well, you know the grapevine has been buzzing with the news that a hot, young thing moved in behind the Jacobs. Today, she decided to sunbathe out on her back deck and caused a major problem.”
That’s it? Surely, there’s more to the story. I look between the two sitting in front of my desk and Adam standing behind them, and they all look like they’re about to burst into laughter. Knowing I’m going to regret it, I ask, “What kind of problem?”
“Mr. Jacobs’ heart couldn’t take her beauty,” Martha answers from the doorway, and all four of us turn to stare at her.
As the trio erupts in laughter, I run my hand down my face. “Please explain yourself,” I groan.
Logan, the most mature of the three, finally speaks up, “Mr. Jacobs hid in the attic and spied on his new neighbor while she enjoyed the afternoon rays. His poor ticker couldn’t handle the excitement and gave out. Luckily, Rory and Adam were able to get him going again before the helicopter landed. He’s on his way to Swedish Medical Center, and Mrs. Jacobs is out for blood. She’s holding the cutie next door responsible for Mr. Jacobs’ little incident.”
Looking around the room, I wonder out loud, “And what am I supposed to do?”
Logan shrugs. “Jude Kenney stopped us. He asked if you’d have a talk with your new neighbor and ask her to cover up a little more when sunbathing.” Why does this fall onto my shoulders? Jude lives two doors down from the woman. He could stop by and talk to her himself.
Knowing I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t act, I decide to deal with the situation right this minute. After looking at my watch, I figure I’ll run by there and then grab dinner on my way back to the station. “Get out of here so I can take care of this mess. I’ll get China Garden on my way back.” I glare a the trying trio before following them out the door.
“Get me an extra Crab Rangoon. Oh, and I want an update on how hot she really is,” my brother calls as they walk toward the day room.
Without answering him, I walk by Martha’s desk and let her know, “Don’t spread any of this until I figure out what is going on.” As she smiles and gives me a thumbs-up, I realize there’s very little chance Martha is going to listen to a word I’ve said. This story is going to keep on moving right through Juniper’s grapevine.
Our new neighbor has put a ton of work into the house. The previous owners got transferred to the east coast last summer, and the home sat vacant for close to a year before she moved into it a few weeks ago. Someone has power-washed the tan brick and white siding front of the two-story home. There are new rose bushes in front of the windows and flower beds around the trees. The sidewalk is now lined with neat rows of purple flowers, and the trees have little flowerbeds surrounding their bases.