Mike woke to screaming. He jumped out of bed and followed the screams up the stairs. He didn't even think as he opened the door and rushed to Maribelle. She was thrashing in her bed and screaming. No words were coming out, but it was as if she were trying to call for help. He gathered her in his arms and placed his cheek on hers and whispered over and over.

"Hush, you're all right, hush..."

Her body was rigid but didn't fight him. He felt her relax just before the sobbing started and caused her body to shake. Through his concern he realized she was wearing only a thin t-shirt. He ran his hand down her hair over and over much the way he often consoled Anna. His finger grazed her right cheek, and he felt uneven skin and instantly knew that the hood was hiding physical scars. He was certain that her nightmare was directly related to those scars.

He continued to hold her when the sobs subsided and he whispered quietly. "I used to have nightmares too. I was trapped, and I had nightmares afterwards."

Her voice was muffled because her face was buried in his chest as she clung to him. "How did they stop?"

"Time and because I had to get back on the horse."

"Horse? You had nightmares about a horse?" Her voice sounded husky.

He continued to hold her and ran his hand down her hair. He was afraid that at any moment she would realize who he was and that she wasn't wearing her hood. He didn't want to let go of her yet. He ran his hand over her back and realized she wore nothing under the thin cotton. He felt his blood flow rush south but told himself that he was a professional caring for a person in crisis. As an EMT and firefighter, he had cared for individuals in crisis and shock. He suspected that Maribelle was both.

"No, just a phrase. I was trapped in a fire."

He felt her body go rigid again. "How? What do you mean by the horse?"

He tightened his hold and kissed the top of her head telling himself he was consoling her as he would Anna but knowing it was a lie. "I couldn't avoid walking back into burning structures. It's my job. I am good at it and truthfully not qualified to do anything else."

She pulled away from him and faced him wide-eyed. "You're a fireman?"

He nodded, but he was too busy looking at her uncovered face for the first time. The light was dim, just from a nightlight, but she was beautiful. He knew she was but her high cheekbones and gorgeous, golden brown hair added to her beauty. He could see the shiny pink mark of a burn down the right side of her face. It was faint and did nothing to change her overall beauty. She must have thought it ugly because she had been hiding her face.

He nodded and pulled her back into him. He wanted to continue holding her. "Did you get burned?"

"No, I had my protective gear, but I remember the heat and all I could think of was my daughter. I couldn't leave her."

"Just your daughter?"

Her question surprised him, but he answered honestly. "Yes, it was ten years ago, so I was divorced. If I had more time I might have thought of my mother and father but..."

"They rescued you."

"Yes, I was rescued through a window by my best friend." He thought of how much he owed Bryan and now he had taken Anna in. "What happened? You can tell me. You know I'll understand."

She shook her head against his chest. He put his hands on either side of her face and made her look at him. "You can trust me."

She shut her eyes as if she was debating with herself. He kissed her forehead and before he could stop himself her left a trail of kisses down her scarred side of her face and neck noticing that her burns had misshapen her ear. When he looked at her face, he saw tears leaking through her closed lids.

"It's okay. You're not alone."

She finally sobbed. "Fire... window stuck..."

He didn't need to know more. He could imagine her fear and the pain that would have gone with recovering from burns like that. He had seen worse.

Maribelle couldn't stop crying. Normally she would wake up and walk to the slider to let cold air calm her, but Mike came to her before she fully woke. It had been so long since she had anyone hold her, so she just crumbled. It had been a while since she had to struggle to gain control after a nightmare. Still in the midst of her crisis, she felt his kisses. Had he really kissed her grotesque scars? He must have seen her ear, and he was still being nice. She couldn't understand why he didn't run away. She tried to tell him what happened but couldn't. It was too difficult.

He hadn't let go as he whispered, "It's okay. I have you."

"Don't go! Just hold me."

He didn't hesitate as he settled in beside her. He was practically a stranger, but she had pleaded with him to stay in her bed. The fact that he did so readily told her he was a good guy somehow she trusted him completely.

The light shone through the edge of her shades when she woke. At first she was confused and thought of Charlie when she felt the soft breath on her neck and the heavy arm around her waist. Instantly, she remembered that Charlie had left her. Then she remembered her nightmare and the man in her bed. She wanted to slip out and put on her hoodie but when she moved, he tightened his hold on her. She closed her eyes to avoid the humiliation when he saw her in the daylight. It was dark with only a nightlight on the night before but the room wasn't dark anymore.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you for being there."

"What do you do when you're alone?"

"I get up and open the door the cold air seems to help."

"Like my first night here?"

"Yes."

"But you didn't call out that night. I would have heard you."

"No, I don't always. I really need to get up."

She slid off the bed before he could answer and grabbed her hoodie and ran to the bathroom. When she returned to her room, he was gone. She resisted the urge to go downstairs instead she took some time to savor the memory of the physical contact. By isolating herself, she was depriving herself of the touch of others.

It surprised her when she heard him call out her name. She walked down the stairs with some trepidation. She was convinced he would tell her he felt obligated but hadn't wanted to hold her.

When she stepped onto the landing, he was smiling up at her with two coffee cups in his hand. He had gone to The Landing and bought her a coffee. She couldn't imagine that he would smile like that for her. Perhaps she was right because when she followed him into the kitchen he frowned at her.

She froze when he stepped toward her and reached his hands out. "You don't have to hide from me anymore." He gently pulled off her hood.

She wanted to run but his eyes were caressing her face and he showed no sign of disgust.

"You're beautiful and shouldn't be hiding inside that hood."

"My scars."

"Are faint, although I can only imagine the pain you had while they were healing."

She nodded, remembering the agonizing pain both physically and emotionally. Her father came but couldn't stay. He visited most weekends, but she was in the burn unit for months.

"My ear."

"Is damaged but it should be your badge of courage. You survived. Your hair covers it nicely." He touched her hair. "Why was the window stuck?"

He was asking as a man who took fire safety seriously. She tried to answer without giving too much away. "I lived in Atlanta. They had painted it shut, and I didn't know because of the central air."

"Someone was negligent. Were they held accountable?"

She felt the tears. "I don't want to talk about it."

He sighed and looked at his watch. "I should go. Anna will wonder what's keeping me."

"She'll be at the door any minute." Maribelle laughed.

He looked serious. "Thanks for sharing with me."

Before she could respond he leaned in and kissed her scarred cheek. Then he flashed his gorgeous smile and left. Maribelle stood looking at the door with her hand on her cheek. Was he really not disgusted by her?

She thought of the way her belly flipped when he kissed her. She hadn't felt like that since Charlie. She had been certain they would be together forever. Forever ended when the fire disfigured her and he discovered he didn't love her enough. His position required a beautiful woman on his arm and so while she was recovering, he chose her best friend to be his plus one socially and apparently in his bed.

It was a new home and a new bed since the one they had shared had burned to the ground. Maribelle didn't answer Mike because her boyfriend who had supposedly loved her had owned the house that nearly killed her. He had hired the painters that ensure the windows couldn't open. He had neglected to replace the smoke detector batteries, so Maribelle had slept through the early stages of the fire. He had escaped at the first flames his discarded cigar had caused.

It was a disgusting practice, but he and his friends thought if was fun to smoke expensive cigars even though none of them were smokers. She had gone to bed early with a headache and had woken up to an inferno.

She had passed out and was close to dead when a fireman found her and carried her out to the waiting ambulance. How many people had Mike saved? Even after he had been saved, he must have saved others. He was a hero.

She could have sued Charlie but Ruby wouldn't allow it. He came from a prominent Atlanta family and Ruby was too concerned with appearances. Maribelle didn't care. His insurance paid for her hospital bills and she disappeared to Maine. He had gone on with his life and she wondered if he had ever loved her or if she had just been a good match.

If only she hadn't been foolish enough to love him. For the first time, she was thinking about another man's kiss - on her cheek. Still, it came from a man with more integrity in his pinky finger than Charlie had. If only that perfect man didn't live in Ohio.