by Melody Anne
“We have to find this person. He needs to be punished,” Owen told her.
“I promise you we will. We won’t rest until whoever is doing this is behind bars,” she said, fury rising in her voice.
They stood that way for a long while. Owen was thinking of the people who’d been injured in this fire, and Eden was lost as to what to do next. The strange thing was, though, that she felt safe where she was, felt like she could figure it out. She’d always felt that way when she was in Owen’s arms. She most likely always would.
“I’m sorry, Owen,” she told him, hating that she didn’t have more to offer.
“Me too,” he said.
She wondered if they were apologizing for more than just the current situation. Maybe when this was over, the two of them could figure that out.
“We can’t stay here. We aren’t going to know anything for a while.”
“What do you want to do?” she asked.
He shook his head, and she saw determination enter his eyes. He’d leaned on her for only a brief moment, and now he was drawing back, gathering his strength. His need to be the savior, to be the one to sacrifice, was so ingrained in him that he needed to take care of her instead of letting her take care of him.
She hated that she wanted him to do just that.
The chief approached them. “They want us to clear out of the ER. There’s too many of us in here. Why don’t you get out of here? I promise to let you know as soon as I hear anything,” Eric said.
“I feel like a traitor for leaving,” Owen told him.
“Go get some food. You need to keep your strength up. We’re going to need you,” Eric told him. Owen didn’t say anything, and Eden felt her stomach turn at the thought of food.
“I don’t think I can eat,” she said. Especially after smelling charred flesh. She trembled as a new wave of nausea hit her.
Eric looked as if he completely empathized with her, but she knew Owen had to get out of there, that he wouldn’t go unless he thought it was for her.
“I won’t eat if you don’t, and I’m hoping to get back on that mountain soon, so I need the energy,” he said. He was obviously trying to guilt her into taking care of herself. It worked. It seemed they wanted to take care of each other.
“Okay, let’s go,” Eden told him. She let him take her hand as they left the hospital. She was almost grateful for the breath of smoke-filled air she took once outside the tragic ER. It might be irritating her throat, but it was a hell of a lot better than the taste that had been in the hospital air.
This would be her last fire investigation. She knew that for damn sure. It was too emotional, and she’d had her quota filled of what she could handle. She knew when to give herself a much-needed break.
Owen held the truck door for her, and they drove away much more slowly and quietly than how they’d arrived. Both of them were lost in their thoughts. She couldn’t help but think of the woman who’d been crying in the ER.
That had to be the young firefighter’s wife. She was most likely going to lose her husband. Eden couldn’t imagine how she was feeling. She cast a sideways glance at Owen.
Eden knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she wouldn’t be able to handle another loss in her life. What would she have done had it been Owen on that table? A shudder passed through her.
She’d been willing to let him go when she’d realized he wasn’t coming back to her. It had nearly killed her, but she’d had no other choice. Could she possibly let him back into her life only to lose him again?
Closing her eyes, she knew that wasn’t something she could handle. A person could only go through so much before they couldn’t take any more pain. She’d hit her quota a long time ago.
As much as she loved this man, the distance between them gave her a sense of protection around her fragile emotions. If she let him all the way back in, she was afraid the glass walls barely surrounding her would shatter into a million pieces. She’d never be the same again.
It was time to make some solid decisions in her life. She just wasn’t sure what those decisions had to be.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Owen was somber as he drove Eden to a small diner in town. Food was the last thing he wanted after what he’d witnessed in the hospital, but he needed to make sure Eden was being taken care of. They were both running on empty at this point.
Owen parked the truck and was glad when Eden waited for him to come around and open her door. He wasn’t sure if she was allowing him to be a gentleman, or if she was just so tired she didn’t have the energy to reach out and push the handle to release the door. Either way, it was something he’d always done for her, something his mother had taught him was essential if he wanted to earn a woman’s respect, so he was glad to do it. The small act helped him keep his feet planted on the ground.
They walked into the café, the place scarcely populated with the lunch rush gone and the dinner rush not yet there. He was glad. He didn’t want to run into people who knew him, and that was difficult to accomplish in a small town. The waitress wasn’t around, so Owen led Eden to a corner table with a large window offering them a view of the mountains.
“So much has changed since I left and came back,” Owen said. He instantly wondered if he shouldn’t speak about his departure. But what good did it do either of them to pretend it hadn’t happened? Maybe it was better to face it, talk it out, and see if the two of them still had a future. Their talk earlier hadn’t gone nearly as badly as he’d thought it would. He knew she was still processing what he’d told her, but at least things were getting laid bare. At least these shadows that had been hanging over them for too long were finally receiving a little light.
“Not a lot has really changed,” she told him. “Maybe the decor has improved, and maybe some new businesses have arrived, but at the end of the day, it’s still Edmonds. It’s still a beautiful place to raise a family.”
There was a small hitch in her voice, and he wondered if she was thinking about their past dreams of raising their own children in this town. They’d both been so young and naive back then. They hadn’t made any other plans than to be together and have a family.
Right now that dream sounded just about perfect.
Angela Lincoln approached their table, a big smile on her lips. “Owen, it’s great to see you,” she said before turning to Eden with a pointed stare. “You’ve been avoiding me,” she said.
Angela worked for Arden part-time, and apparently was also working at the café. Owen knew his brother had offered her raises, but she was a woman determined to prove herself, especially as a single mother, and she’d told Arden she’d only accept raises in appropriate amounts—that her son was now in school, and she could work two jobs. What amused all the brothers was how much her stubbornness seemed to bother their oldest brother, Declan. Owen was waiting for the fireworks to start up between the two of them. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to be waiting long.
“I’m sorry,” Eden told her. “I’ve been sort of reclusive lately.”
“Sort of?” Angela said with a raised eyebrow.
“Okay, I’ve been very reclusive . . . ,” she admitted with a long pause. “But I’m out now,” she added with a smile, hopeful that all would be forgiven.
“I miss you,” Angela said. Owen noticed the stress around Angela’s eyes. Maybe he’d have to talk to his brother and find out if everything was okay with her. Angela was a good woman, and she worked for one of his family members, so that meant they had to keep an eye out for her, especially since there was something that had made her run away from wherever she’d lived before.
“I’m truly sorry,” Eden said. It sounded like she meant it. “I’ve been dealing with a lot, and I thought retreat would be best.”
Angela shook her head. “Trust me, I get that,” she said, a knowing look in her eyes. “But don’t underestimate your friends.”
Owen wondered if she realized she should be taking the same advice. He decided now wasn’t the time to tell her that.
>
The bell on the door clanged, and a group of men walked in, their laughter preceding them.
“I better get your order and rush it in. These guys come in every Friday, and they order big,” Angela warned.
“I’ll have fish and chips,” Owen said.
“How about a bowl of clam chowder?” Eden asked.
“Perfect,” Angela said before walking away and slipping their order to the chef before she greeted the new group.
Eden was quiet as she watched Angela interact with the men. Owen enjoyed doing nothing more than sitting with Eden while he tried to figure out exactly what it was that went through her mind.
“You sort of got in trouble,” he pointed out after a few moments.
She turned her attention back to him with a slight turning of her lips. “Yeah, I guess I did,” she said.
“So I’m not the only person you’re holding at bay.”
“I guess not,” she told him with a shrug. She wasn’t offering anything more.
“Angela is pretty stubborn. I don’t know why she’s working two jobs when my brother has offered her a raise,” Owen grumbled.
He must’ve said the wrong thing, because Eden’s shoulders stiffened as her eyes narrowed. She took a drink of water before replying. He thought it might be best to just wait to hear what she was going to say.
“Not all women are damsels in need of rescuing. Maybe some of us want to save ourselves,” she finally said.
“And maybe sometimes it takes a stronger person to admit they can’t do it alone,” he quickly replied.
They sat there in a standoff for a few moments, neither willing to back down. What was wrong with wanting to help someone you cared about? He didn’t get it. Before he could open his mouth and put his other foot in it, the door clanged again, and Owen automatically turned to see who’d come in. It was Eric.
He spotted them and quickly weaved through the tables as he approached. The man looked as if he’d aged ten years in the past two weeks. Not only had he lost men, but his town was on the verge of being overtaken by fire. He wasn’t a man who’d go down without one hell of a fight. He was that captain that wouldn’t abandon ship.
“I’m glad I found you,” Eric said as he pulled out a chair and sat.
“Have you eaten?” Owen asked.
He waved his hand as if he couldn’t be bothered with such a task as shoving food in his mouth. When it came to his men, Eric always made sure they were taken care of, but when it came to himself, he obviously wasn’t as concerned. Maybe the guys needed to have an intervention with the man before he ran himself too ragged. It was close as it was.
“I have news,” Eric said before they could try to talk him into eating.
Owen tensed. “What news?”
Angela appeared right then, setting down their orders. She also placed a sandwich and fries in front of Eric, and he looked at her in confusion.
“I saw you come in, and I stole this from one of the guys. I know club sandwiches are your favorite, and that group can wait. You look as if you could be blown over by a stiff wind,” she said, her voice firm.
Eric looked down at the food and cleared his throat before looking back at Angela with a soft smile that shocked Owen. The chief never smiled.
“I don’t know how our town got so lucky as to earn you and your sweet boy, but I’m glad we have you,” Eric said as he picked up a fry and took a bite. It appeared it had to be a pretty woman offering the food before the chief would eat. That was a mental note Owen stored for later.
“I just know a person in need when I see one,” Angela said with a smile. “Now, I’ll leave you guys alone to eat.” She disappeared before they could talk her into joining them.
Owen turned back to the chief. “What did you want to share?” he asked.
The chief held his sandwich without much interest, taking a bite and looking as if he wasn’t even tasting it. He washed it down with some water before responding.
“We had some tests run where that explosion took place,” Eric said, his face seeming to go even more ashen. “There was a special fertilizer used.” He shook his head, seeming to age a few more years right before their eyes.
“That’s good. It’ll help us narrow our list of suspects,” Eden broke in.
Owen was studying the chief, dread filling him. He’d known Eric his entire life and knew he wasn’t a man to hesitate over anything. The chief was reluctant to share this news with Eden, which meant only one thing . . .
“Say it, Eric,” Owen said, giving him permission. Eden looked confused.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she set down her spoon. It appeared as if they’d all lost their appetites.
“The Forbeses use a special blend for their fields . . .” The chief’s voice trailed off. Owen watched Eden’s face. It didn’t take her long to figure out what wasn’t being said.
“And the tests show that’s what was used to essentially make a bomb with gasoline and fertilizer,” Eden concluded. When fertilizer was mixed with gas, it was literally explosive.
“Yep,” the chief said. He looked downcast. “I know this doesn’t look good for Owen, who’s on your suspect list, but you need to know those are my men out there getting hurt, and I’d trust this man with my life and the lives of all the firefighters in this department. Someone’s trying to set him up,” Eric said, his fist hitting the table.
Eden turned and looked at Owen in a way that didn’t tell him what she was thinking. All he knew for sure was that someone out there didn’t like him. Not only that, but someone was trying to make sure he spent the rest of his life behind bars.
He might not only lose the girl. He might lose his freedom as well.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Eden lost any hint of an appetite as Chief Eric’s words sank in. There was now evidence pointing at the Forbes family. She had no doubt that Owen was innocent.
But the person doing this was coming after Owen. Her time on the case was running out. What if another investigator came in and didn’t look closely enough, and Owen got convicted of a crime he didn’t commit? She was frustrated.
“I’m done eating,” she said as she pushed her plate aside. She had a feeling she’d never have an appetite again.
“Maybe we should take a break from all of this,” Owen suggested. She noticed he seemed to be leery of her.
“I don’t think you did it,” she told him. She needed to give him that—put his mind at ease.
“Thank you,” he said, the words rushing out.
“Atta girl,” Chief Eric told her. He stood, his food gone. He’d been far hungrier than he’d either known or been willing to admit. He tossed a twenty on the table, said goodbye, and walked out just as quickly as he’d come in. He had a fire to fight.
“It was petty and foolish of me to think anything else,” she told him.
“We’ve called a truce,” he reminded her. “I need some things from home, and you’re stuck in my truck, so let’s take another ride. Hopefully this one won’t be as stressful.”
Eden was afraid of going to his house with him, afraid of herself, afraid she’d take one look at his kitchen and either fall apart or attack him. Neither option was acceptable. Of course, she could always just avoid the damn kitchen.
“Why don’t you drop me off back at my car instead,” she offered. He was shaking his head before she got a chance to finish the sentence.
“There’s someone out there who burned down your house and who obviously has a vendetta against me. I’d feel better having you close,” he said. She opened her mouth to argue as he held up a hand. “Remember, we all need someone at certain times in our lives. Even if you can’t admit you need me right now, maybe you can admit I need you.”
His words were a direct hit. She loved that he was always the hero, loved that he was more than willing to rescue anyone who needed it. But he was giving her the chance to save him, even if it was only for the briefest of moments. She couldn’t possibly resist that
. Not when he never asked to be saved by anyone.
“I’ll ride along with you, but only because I don’t ever remember you asking for help before,” she finally said. She took out her wallet and added two more twenties to the one the chief had thrown down. She glared at Owen, daring him to say a word. She loved how uncomfortable he looked with her buying him a meal. It improved her mood greatly.
He stood there as if not knowing what to do. She wondered if a woman had ever paid for him. She highly doubted it. But his discomfort at the situation made her feel a whole lot better.
She stood and waited, making sure he wasn’t going to try to grab the money and slip it into her purse while throwing out his own. After another silent moment, he turned and practically stomped from the café, looking like a toddler who hadn’t gotten his way.
She smiled—a real smile—a smile she had only ever used when she’d been with Owen.
There was more silence as Owen held open her truck door and waited for her to climb inside. She took her time, needing to feel empowered. She knew he’d be looking at her ass as she leaned over, brushing dust from his seat before she sat.
There was already too much fire in this area, and she was certainly playing with it, but she didn’t care. It was getting her mind off her worries, off her stress, off everything.
They listened to music on the way out to his place, and Eden found herself comfortable. She didn’t mind silence with Owen. Maybe it gave her too much time to create scenarios within her own mind, but there had been a time she’d enjoyed doing even that.
Eden absolutely didn’t want to go to that place that led to her dreaming of a happily ever after with this man. She’d been there, done that. It was time to move on, but maybe the two of them could be friends. That’s the way they’d started out, and maybe that’s the way they were meant to end.
They arrived at his house, and as she looked at the massive walls, she felt her nerves return. It would be just the two of them in there. Of course he took them around back, leaving them no choice but to enter through the back door that led straight to the kitchen.
