Restore My Heart by Cheryl Norman Read Free Book Online Page A

concrete floor. Landing on her elbow forced all air from her lungs.
    Joe abandoned the fire extinguisher, then stooped beside her. “Sally? Are you hurt?”
    She shook her head, unable to talk, both the smoke and fall robbing her of breath. Gingerly, she pushed herself from the concrete, then tested her breathing. Her ribs ached from the impact, but nothing seemed broken.
    Joe reached for her, then hesitated. “Let me help you up?”
    She smiled in spite of the trauma of the fire. Most men would take charge of a woman in distress. Give orders. Not Joe. He asked. “Yes,” she managed.
    Joe snaked one arm under her and lifted, pulling her against him as he stood with her. “Okay?”
    She nodded. “Help me turn on the lights.”
    With Joe’s support, she negotiated the distance to the wall switch. The dozen fluorescent bulbs flickered and hummed to life, flooding the garage with light. She zeroed in on the heap of ashes and foam.
    “The Darrin! Joe, is the Darrin all right?” Leaning against Joe, she scuttled over to examine the fire’s remains. Fortunately, the flames had not reached the Darrin, but had left a filmy layer of soot. “Thank God. These old gas tanks aren’t sealed the way new ones are. A minute or two more and—”
    “Sally, this was deliberately set.”
    She followed his gaze to the burnt rubble. Sniffing, she caught the odor of lighter fluid. She shuddered. “And only in the last few minutes. But, why?”
    “Good question. I’m calling the cops.” He started toward her office, then faltered. “You want to go with me?”
    The concern in Joe’s eyes chipped away a little more at her defenses. “No, I’ll be fine after I let this smoke out.”
    He hesitated. “I’ll be right back.”
    She waved him on. “I’m not going anywhere.”
    “Uh, Sally? I wouldn’t touch anything that might be evidence.”
    Until Joe mentioned evidence, the reality hadn’t sunk in. Someone had been in her garage. Someone had deliberately set a fire close to the gas tank in such a way that the Darrin would combust. If she hadn’t come back tonight, her entire business and Joe’s Darrin would have been destroyed. Which had been the target?
    Sally propped open the entrance door. Cool evening air flushed away much of the smoke. She ignored the stinging pain in her leg as she traversed the distance to her work stool. She sank onto the seat, then tried massaging her tight leg muscles. Knowing she had pushed herself lately in her workouts, she planned a nice soak in the rehab center hot tub the next morning. She’d never achieve her goal of walking normally if she injured her good muscles, too.
    “The police are on their way.” Joe’s gentle voice echoed from the cavernous garage. “How are you holding up?”
    She tried to smile. “I’m fine. But I think I’m going to be sore.”
    Joe stood beside the stool where she perched. “You must be running on pure adrenalin, Sally. You lifted that fire extinguisher like it was Styrofoam and that sucker weighs a ton.”
    She curled her arm. “Muscles, Joe. I work out.”
    His fingers wrapped around her upper arm. “Hard to tell through this thick material.”
    “Wait. I’ll show you.” She slipped out of her blazer, then curled her arm again. “See?”
    “I’m impressed.” Joe’s grip became a caress—or was that her overactive imagination again?—as he massaged her arm muscle. “Guys were admiring you tonight at the restaurant.”
    “Get out of town.” She tried to ignore the movement of his fingers.
    “Didn’t you notice?”
    “You’re high on cocaine.” And she was high on arousal. Her breasts tingled, and he’d only touched her arm.
    “I beg your pardon?” He continued to knead the muscle in her arm.
    “If men stare at me it’s because of my limp. Didn’t you do just that at the Universal Joint?” She glared at him. “Thought I was drunk, remember?”
    “Guilty as charged.” He released her arm. “But that wasn’t the case tonight.