Falling Star (Combustible Book 2) Read online

  A little boy came out of the house across the street. His flaming red hair shone in the sunlight. He smiled and pulled the pant leg of the guy with him.

  “I’m coming, Blaze. Calm yourself, little man,” a deep timbre rumbled in amusement. Her stupid heart fluttered when she recognized the voice from the night before at the grocery store.

  Trent turned around. His gaze locked on hers as a smile stretched across his face. He moved both cases of pop under one arm, took the boy’s hand, and whispered something she had no hope of hearing.

  Yeah, Trent was gorgeous and adorable with the little boy beside him. “Fancy seeing you here,” he called. Trent looked both ways. “Come on, kiddo.” He hurried across the street, pulling Blaze along.

  The boy stopped before her and looked up with a shy smile. “You’re pretty.”

  Trent’s eyes sparkled as they met hers. “She is, isn’t she?”

  Ella blushed. “Who’s your friend?” She winked at the boy.

  “Blaze. He’s my nephew. And Blaze, meet Ella, my new neighbor.”

  She glanced at Trent and back at the boy. “Hello, you’re a handsome young man.”

  He giggled. “Aw, you’re sweet. But I have a girlfriend.”

  Trent laughed out loud. “Don’t let Kyle hear you say that.”

  Blaze pouted. “I know. He says no boyfriends until she’s eighty-two.”

  Ella couldn’t help laughing. “Here’s a secret. Be her friend. Don’t claim to be her boyfriend, and you’ll have a chance.”

  Thinking about Kyle’s advice to him, Trent’s brow cocked as Ella met his gaze, he mouthed, Is that a hint?

  Smirking, she shook her head and turned toward Mila’s house.

  Trent caught up. “Sorry. Can’t help flirting when you smile like that. Besides, you’re a lot more relaxed today.”

  Warmth rolled through her, trailed by excitement. “I don’t mind. And last night I was jittery from driving all day in unfamiliar territory. Guess I was on edge.”

  “If I’d been watching where I was going, you wouldn’t have run into me.” He winked.

  “Oh, that was all me. I walked into you.” Shrugging, she laughed softly. “Sorry.”

  “No harm, no foul. Now, let me get the door for you.” He dipped his head and scooted past her, opening the door and ushering her in with a flourish of one hand.

  Blaze slipped inside and ran through the house.

  Trent chuckled. “He’s excited to see his friend.” He winked.

  Smiling, she entered and Mila met her, bouncing tiny Valor gently in both arms. “There you are. And I see Trent and Blaze followed.” Mila’s brow arched over Ella’s shoulder.

  Trent responded. “A pleasant coincidence. You did say five o’clock. We’re on time and since we were coming from the same direction…” His words trailed off.

  Mila nodded in amusement. “Kyle’s out back. He could use a hand.”

  Trent took the cases of pop to the counter and slipped outside while Mila shut the door.

  Ella watched Trent leave. He had a nice firm ass hugged in all the right places by faded denim.

  Mila sighed. “Like I said, window shopping never hurt.”

  Giggling, Ella nodded. “You have a point. The man is a work of art.”

  “Don’t tell Kyle, but I can’t help admiring him either.” Winking, Mila walked to the kitchen. Ella followed, leaving the cake dish on the counter.

  Ella looked out the window. Trent was talking to Kyle, who she recognized from pictures. “Oh, I see what you like about Kyle. No wonder you have two beautiful children.”

  “Thank you.” Mila nudged Ella. “Remember, Trent has a heart of gold, but he has a reputation for getting around.”

  “Not looking to hook up with anyone,” Ella pointed out, mostly to remind herself.

  A single brow arched and Mila smirked. “I saw the way you were watching him.”

  Ella shrugged as she joined Mila at the counter. She made a conscious effort not to look out the window and prove Mila right. “Seeing an attractive man is not enough to drop my panties. I’m used to being around masculine perfection twenty-four/seven, remember?”

  Mila took a serious tone. “I never said you were ready, or you should be. But you told me last night you’re planning to stay here. Don’t write him off just yet. Get to know him before you decide.”

  And there lay the problem. “What about when he starts asking normal questions like what I did for a living?” Ella shook her head. “Or where I came from? My history? I can’t tell him anything without everything getting out.”

  “If you trust him, you can.”

  “Yeah, but that’s a long way off. Right now, I’m all about finding myself again. I don’t want to be the person everyone expects me to be.”

  Mila hugged Ella and whispered. “I never saw you as anyone but you. Everyone else will too.”

  * * * *

  Kyle glanced up from the grill and nodded at Trent. “Hey, you’re right on time. Blaze is already running around with the girls.”

  “Where’s Cadence and Gavin?” Trent asked.

  “They’re on the way. Jenny spent the night so they could go out last night.”

  Trent nodded.

  “How’s Blaze holding up? Does he know where his grandparents are?”

  “Yeah. He didn’t want to go. Says his mom makes him too sad.”

  Kyle’s brow pinched. “Sad?”

  “When sober, Tina thinks about Randy. Piece of… trash.” He looked around to make sure the kids weren’t around. “Punk was never worth her time. He dragged her down with him, and she never completely crawled out of that hole. But she says she’s finally letting him go. I hope it’s the truth.”

  “That’s grim.”

  “Only good thing he ever did was create that little boy.” Trent lifted his head to find Blaze chasing Cherish and Jenny around the yard. Their laughter filled the area.

  Kyle groaned. “If I didn’t like Blaze so much, I’d warn him about the way he flirts with my baby girl.”

  Trent laughed out loud. “They’re seven. How much trouble can they really get into?”

  “She’s my princess,” he answered with a narrowed gaze.

  “They still think kissing is gross. We can worry about that if the crush lasts longer than a year.”

  “We’ll see.” Kyle glanced inside and smiled. “So, you walked over with Ella?”

  Trent shrugged. “She lives across the street from me. I’m not chasing. We happened to walk out the door at the same time. That’s all. Nothing more. Besides, I’m not hitting on a woman with Blaze in tow. What kind of example would that set?” Maybe he was doing some mild flirting, but he wasn’t pursuing her… yet. He couldn’t help it if he was intrigued and wanted to get to know her, but no one said he couldn’t be her friend.

  A snort escaped Kyle. “When has that boy ever stopped you from flirting?”

  Smirking, Trent stole a peek inside to find Ella and Mila coming through the back door. Blue-green eyes locked on his as the corners of her mouth turned up. She glanced away when a blush colored her cheeks.

  Mila introduced Ella to Kyle. Trent didn’t catch a word because he was too busy staring. Soft denim hugged her shapely legs, and a t-shirt draped her curves in the most tantalizing way. He closed his eyes and breathed deep, trying to get his mind off the fantasies traipsing through his head.

  When he opened them, he found Ella’s head cocked to the side. “What’s that look for?” she asked in a shy voice.

  “Swear to God, there is something familiar about you, Ella.” He shook his head. “Can’t put my finger on why, but I must have seen you somewhere.”

  Mila laughed nervously as Ella stood there, her gaze falling to the ground.

  The sweet tone Mila used didn’t match the warning glare she shot him. “She’s never been here in her life. Not sure how you could have run into her when you rarely venture out of town.”

  Trent shrugged sheepishly. “Is it so bad I
find Ella familiar?”

  Mila shot him another glare.

  Kyle cleared his throat. “Ella, would you prefer steak, burgers or bratwurst? There are hot dogs even.”

  “Steak, please. Medium rare,” Ella answered, a hopeful smile lifting the corners of her full mouth.

  Trent strangled back a groan. He was trying hard not to be an ass and failing if Mila’s silent warning was any indication.

  Ella’s brow arched at Mila, then she laughed as amusement danced through her eyes. “He’s not hurting anyone. Everyone has a doppelganger.”

  Trent nodded. “That must be it. Sorry, Ella, I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable.”

  “Nah, I’m flattered.” Their eyes locked and the air seemed to sizzle.

  Cadence and Gavin came around the side of the house, shattering the moment… or saving it.

  Cadence lit up. “Hey, I’m Cadence.” She stopped in front of Ella with a grin and nodded to her husband. “This is Gavin. And if you haven’t met her, the little blond running around is our Jenny.”

  “A pleasure,” Ella replied. “I’m Ella.”

  Gavin nodded to her. “Welcome to the neighborhood. If you need anything, let one of us know. We’re always happy to help.”

  “Thanks. I’ll remember that. Now, I know the guys are all firemen, but what do you do, Cadence?”

  “Interior design. If you’re looking to decorate, I’m your gal.”

  “Just homes? Or businesses as well?”

  “Both. Why?”

  “I’m opening a boutique, but I haven’t come up with a name yet.”

  “As in clothing?”

  Ella nodded. “And accessories.”

  “Ah, I’ll help,” Mila promised.

  Ella grinned at Mila and Trent’s heart damn near stopped. What he wouldn’t give to have that smile swing his way.

  “I know you will,” Ella admitted.

  Trent tried to ignore the building curiosity. Shit, I need to get her out of my head before Kyle strangles me for Mila.

  * * * *

  Ella set her empty cup down and glanced across the table. Trent’s baby blue eyes connected with hers and a tingle ran through her body. He didn’t say a word. Honestly, he didn’t need to as his eyes held her attention.

  Trent’s focus dropped to the fork gripped tightly in his hand. She had to wonder what Mila had told him because he seemed to be holding his tongue while catching a quick glance at her every so often.

  If her world weren’t such a mess, she would be all for exploring the attraction between them.

  Too many lies made any relationship, more than casual friends, dangerous. Not only to her. She wasn’t sure how far the asshole who took her was willing to go. And when she thought about it that way, she considered packing up her belongings and disappearing again where no one knew her.

  Though, by some miracle, the media hadn’t uncovered her birth name. And so far, they hadn’t found her changed name either. Seemed like she’d been keeping secrets since she hopped on a bus to LA the day after graduation.

  “So, what do you do for a living, Ella?” Cadence asked.

  “Oh, this and that. I’m a bit of a free spirit.”

  Mila nodded. “Yeah. Ella was always the most spontaneous person I knew in school. She called a couple weeks ago to tell me she wanted to move out here.”

  “It was a split-second decision. I wanted a fresh start.”

  “Bad relationship?” Trent asked casually.

  Ella snorted. “No. Was too busy to date too much.”

  His head tipped to the side. “Where did you move from?”

  “Hours away.”

  Trent frowned and Mila pegged him with a glare.

  Cadence changed the subject. “I say we have some of that gorgeous cake now. I could use some chocolate.”

  Trent hopped up. “Let me.”

  Mila leaned over to whisper in her ear. “You okay?”

  “Fine, drop it,” she said quietly.

  Sitting back, Mila nodded.

  Ella didn’t buy it for a second. Her friend wouldn’t let it go that easily.

  However, Trent came back with the cake and all his prying questions had evaporated as he sliced the chocolate goodness and passed dessert to each of them.

  Casual conversation continued. Ella learned a few mundane, but refreshing, details about Lakeridge and the surrounding areas.

  Completely out of her element, Ella’s mind wandered to reasons to go home. As much as they pulled her into their circle of friends, she needed some time alone.

  Ella covered her yawn as the sun dipped below the horizon. Standing, she stretched and Trent’s gaze settled on her. Instead of nervous energy, she found herself craving his attention. Not that she planned to admit it anytime soon. Especially after Mila’s reminder that she had secrets. She didn’t want to be involved with someone who didn’t know her story. Until she got to know him, she didn’t want her past to cloud his judgment.

  It didn’t help that she had answered all their questions with obviously vague answers. Guilt threaded through her, ridiculous as that seemed. She didn’t owe anyone an explanation, yet she wanted to offer one.

  She needed to escape so she could figure out what she was doing there. Nodding to the fence between their houses, Ella grabbed the travel dish. “I’m going to head home. Thank you for the wonderful evening. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you all soon.”

  Mila stood and hugged her tight. She whispered in her ear, “Everything okay?”

  Leaning back, Ella smiled. “Very. Thank you for welcoming me into the group. Maybe next time I’ll do more than a ribbon cake.”

  “I vote for more cake,” Trent said with a grin.

  Blaze nodded beside him.

  Mila laughed. “Seems your cake has fans.”

  Ella backed toward the gate. “Ribbon cake, and maybe something else to go with it.”

  Trent’s eyes sparkled as he watched her leave.

  Blaze ran up to her and hugged her legs. “Good to meet you, Ella.”

  She ruffled his hair with a smile. “You too, Blaze. You know, your name is fitting. You light everyone up with that smile of yours.”

  Blushing, he backed up. “Remember what I told you.” He tipped his head toward Cherish. Ella had to laugh.

  “I remember.” She walked to the gate and Trent rushed past her to open it. “Thanks,” she murmured, wondering if he was only being polite or if he had other motives.

  “Good night, Ella.” He stared into her eyes, keeping his hands to himself. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”

  And she felt like shit again. There were too many things she felt the need to hide. “Thanks. Good night, Trent.” She slipped past him and smiled over her shoulder.

  He brought his eyes up from her ass with a wicked smirk. “Can’t help myself, but I’m just looking.”

  She giggled. “I don’t mind.” She hurried across her yard and stepped inside. After resetting the alarm, Ella climbed the stairs to take a nice hot bath. Maybe she could relax and forget about her concerns. It had been far too long since she’d had a restful night’s sleep.

  Chapter 7

  Trent turned back to the group once Ella was safely inside. He couldn’t help wanting to go over there and make sure her house was secured. Unsure what had come over him, he shook his head. I’m not a damned cop.

  Ella was a strange combination of sassy, confident, and altogether too nervous. She had a bright, bubbly personality until anyone got too close to her personal life. Then she clammed up tight, hardly saying a word, not bothering to meet anyone’s gaze. Mila stuck right next to her, playing safety.

  Trent wandered back to the table while his thoughts were still entangled in the mystery of who exactly Ella Cross was.

  Mila had watched him cautiously, studying his every move the whole night. Now she looked torn. “Please don’t push Ella. She’s been through hell no one should have to. Let her come to you if she decides she’s interested. O
kay?”

  Trent nodded, trying to squelch his curiosity. “Yes, ma’am. Though I was only looking, not touching, and hardly flirting. I could have been so much worse.”

  Her brow arched. “Oh, I’ve seen you chase mercilessly, then lose interest after a few weeks. I don’t want to see her hurt.”

  “Can you name one woman I hurt when I broke things off?” he asked honestly.

  “You pissed off Rene.”

  Trent sighed heavily and slid his hands into his pockets. “She doesn’t count. I flat out turned her down.”

  She sighed and shook her head. “First time I met you, she was in your lap, hanging all over you.”

  He held his hands up in surrender with an amused laugh. “I didn’t sleep with her. Kyle told me about that whole mess at an earlier barbecue, so I thought letting her hang on me was better than her starting a scene.”

  Her brow arched, clearly not believing him.

  Gavin nodded. “I got to hear all about how Trent denied her. My sister would have turned the whole night into a dramafest if Trent had turned her completely down before leaving.”

  Mila frowned. “All right. Just wait until Ella is ready at least.”

  The kids ran over, joining the adults at the table.

  Cherish bubbled up, “Mommy, Daddy, can I go to Jenny’s tonight?”

  Mila looked to Kyle, and he nodded. Then she looked to Cadence.

  Cadence grinned. “Sure, punkin, if your parents say it’s okay.”

  “Please, please, please,” Jenny and Cherish begged.

  “Yeah, that’s okay, sweetheart,” Mila answered. “Go pack.”

  Blaze smiled at Jenny. “Good night, Jenny.” Then he turned to Cherish and his face brightened even more. “Good night, Cherish.”

  “Night, Blaze,” Cherish answered in her sweetest voice.

  Trent shook his head with a laugh. “Well, I better get you home, Blaze.” He patted his nephew on the back. “Nana and Pop are picking you up in the morning.”

  Blaze turned to Mila and Kyle. “Thank you for having me over.”