by Mary Burton
From across the street, Kelsey could see the fire through the first-floor windows of the house. The blaze had consumed the downstairs and had snaked up the stairs. A first-floor windowpane exploded from the heat.
"It happened so fast," she said, her gaze mesmerized by the flames.
Mitch stood and helped her to her feet. "Most fires move fast."
She noticed a spray of cuts across his forearm. Blood trickled down his arm over his hand. "You're cut."
He glanced down at his arm. "Yeah."
The sirens grew louder and within seconds two ladder trucks raced around the corner and down Ruth's street. No one said anything as the trucks parked and firemen went to work. Minutes later, a steady stream of water pummeled the house. The flames hissed and spit.
The fire chief came up to Mitch. "Sheriff."
Mitch nodded. "Walt."
"What do you think caused it?" the chief asked.
"I don't know. We were up in the attic and the fire seemed to explode around us."
"Mitch needs a paramedic," Kelsey said. "He cut his arm breaking a window so we could get out."
Walt nodded. "Let's get you both over to the medic. I want him to look you both over."
Kelsey fell into step beside Mitch. The adrenaline had vanished. Her legs felt like rubber and her head swam. By the time they reached the back of the rescue truck, she feared she'd collapse.
Mitch glanced down at her. "You're as white as a ghost."
"I'm okay," she lied.
Immediately, he cupped his hand under her elbow and guided her toward the truck. She sat down on the back bumper. A medic took one look at her, pressed an oxygen mask to her face and wrapped a blood pressure cup around her arm.
Slowly her head began to clear. Mitch sat beside her, an oxygen mask on his face as the medic started to bandage his arm.
"You're not going to need stitches, Sheriff," the medic said.
"Good," Mitch said.
The medic's news eased Kelsey's mind and allowed her to shift her focus to the house. The fireman's hoses had doused the basement-level fire but the second floor and attic still burned. The attic filled with all those papers would be lost.
Sadness tightened around her heart. She yanked off her mask. "For years, I've told myself I didn't care about Donna, her past or even who my father was. It wasn't until tonight that I realized I was kidding myself. There are so many unanswered questions about Donna and the answers were right at my fingertips."
Mitch pulled off his mask and wrapped his soot covered hand over hers. "It's not over yet, Kelsey."
The warmth of his hand seeped into her. "Everything is lost!"
"Now is not the time to talk about it," he said. "Let's get you out of here."
"Everything I owned was in the house. My wallet, my camera, my clothes." Her hand slid to her waistband where her cell phone remained clipped. She shook her head, smiling at the irony.
"What's so funny?"
"Figures my cell phone would make it out. My friends have always given me grief about my phone because I'm never without it."
He leaned toward her so that his shoulder brushed hers. "There's nothing wrong with that."
Tears filled her eyes as she stared up at the dying flames. "You know why I've always had a phone?"
His thumb rubbed the inside of her palm as he stared down at her. "Why?"
"So Donna could reach me. I always figured if I had a phone, she could find me." A tear escaped down her cheek and she swiped it away. "Dumb, huh?"
"Not at all." He rose and pulled her with him. "Let's get out of here."
"Where are we going?"
"To my place."
Chapter 12
Kelsey laid her head back against the seat of Mitch's car and closed her eyes. She was vaguely aware of the ride over to Mitch's house, but couldn't tell what streets he took. Her mind was numb, and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion overtook her.
"We're here," he said, shutting off the engine.
Her head snapped up. She'd drifted off to sleep. "Where are we?"
"My house." He opened his door and the dome light came on.
She squinted against the brightness. Her vision cleared. He leaned toward her, one hand resting on the steering wheel and one on the seat. His presence filled the cab. As she looked into his eyes, she found a softness there that touched her heart. It would be so easy to lose herself in him. So dangerous.
Back at Ruth's, she'd not questioned the decision to come to his house—she'd only wanted to get away from the fire trucks and the ruins of Ruth's house. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I can stay at a motel."
"We'll talk about that in the morning. Right now, you need a hot shower and a good night's sleep." He got out of the car and came around to her door. He opened it.
She climbed out and stared up at the white two-story Victorian. The house was huge by most standards but the idea of sharing it with him made it seem very, very small. "This is your house?"
"I've been restoring it for the last couple of years. The first and third floors are still rough, but the second floor is done." Then, as if reading her thoughts, he said, "Five separate bedrooms."
He led her up the stairs to the massive front door, painted in black lacquer, and opened it. Inside the entryway, he turned on the light. The first floor looked like a construction zone. Tarps, paint cans and ladders littered it.
"It gets better," he said.
He guided her up the wide, well-lit hallway to the second floor. The upstairs hallway was painted in a pale yellow, the wood trim a glossy white. The wood floors had been sanded and varnished. The faint smell of paint hung in the air. She could see his attention to detail in the crisp lines of the dentil molding above and the gleam in the hardwood floors. The restoration was a labor of love for him.
Mitch walked her to a door at the end of the hallway and opened it. He flipped on the light. The room had a large four-poster bed with a canopy. The bed had sheets and blankets on it, but the wood floors were bare. The windows had simple white shades, but no curtains.
"I've left the decorating to Mom," he said. "She said something about white iolite—whatever that is— and lots of pillows. For now, though, it's kinda bare."
"It's great."
"There's also a bath through that door." He crossed the room and switched on the light. "Again, no frills but it's completely refurbished with plenty of towels."
She didn't bother to look. "I'm sure it's perfect." She stared at the massive bed that dominated the room. "You live here alone?"
"Yep." He moved to the threshold and paused. "No need to be nervous."
"I'm not nervous," she said a little too quickly.
"Then that makes one of us."
His honesty tipped her off balance. She blushed and remained silent, fearing her voice would reveal her feelings.
"I guess I should be flattered." His hand lingered on the crystal door knob.
She cleared her throat. "What do you mean?"
His gaze locked on hers. "I can still get under your skin."
Her jaw dropped open and then she snapped it closed. "You do not."
"It's okay," he said. His voice sounded soft, seductive. "Because you still get under mine."
"Still?" A simple word that spoke volumes about their past relationship.
He shoved out a sigh. "I had a thing for you the first time I saw you in the dive shop."
It took real effort to keep the emotion out of her voice. "Back in the day, that's not the impression you left me with."
"When you said the L word, I got spooked. I was too young. I came by your house the next day looking for you, but you'd already taken off."
She'd never known that. She'd called Ruth two days after she'd left so that her aunt wouldn't worry. Her aunt had never mentioned that Mitch had come back. Her aunt's deliberate omission stoked her anger but she caught herself. She had to let go of the past or it would kill her. "We were both young."
Still, Mitch wasn't t
alking about the L word now and she was smart to remember that. She backed away. "It's been a long day."
He nodded. "See you in the morning. Sleep tight." She closed the door and leaned against it. Sleep tight. What a joke.
Kelsey awoke to bright sunshine streaming into her room. Disoriented, she sat up in bed and pushed her hair off her face. She'd lived in so many places that she'd become accustomed to waking up and not knowing exactly where she was. The sensation no longer made her panic.
As expected, her mind cleared. Mitch's house. Remembering her location didn't make her feel comfortable. In fact, she felt edgy.
She rose and padded into the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and grimaced. Though she'd showered and washed her hair, the faint scent of smoke hung in the air. She sniffed her T-shirt. Smoke. She slipped on her pants, which also reeked of smoke.
The first order of business today would be to get to a bank and have funds from her account wired to her. With luck, she could figure out how to get her credit card reissued and could buy a few new clothes.
She opened her door and found a pile of clean clothes, a pair of tan sandals and toiletries. Mitch. "Bless you."
Disappearing back into her bathroom, she showered again, taking extra time to scrub her skin and hair. By the time she emerged, she'd erased the smoky smell.
She examined the clothes Mitch had left for her. He'd chosen a pink sundress with matching sandals; a bra and panties. All still had the sales tags on them. He must have gone to the department store and gotten them early this morning. She smiled as she pictured him in the women's section buying a bra for her.
She dressed, amazed at how well everything fit, and combed her hair and brushed her teeth. Refreshed, she walked out into the hallway. The faint smell of coffee and bacon teased her nose and lured her to the steps.
Last night, she'd been too exhausted to really notice the house. Now as she moved down the stairs, she could see where the line of renovation stopped. The front rooms of the downstairs hadn't been touched. Mitch clearly didn't put a premium on entertaining. She moved down the long center hallway toward the kitchen.
Like the upstairs, the kitchen was completely renovated. Sleek black appliances complemented gray countertops, a double stainless steel sink and a tile floor.
She found Mitch standing next to French doors that faced out onto a wooded backyard. He was talking on the phone. By the looks of his frown, the conversation wasn't going well. He caught sight of her and nodded.
"Let me know if you find out anything else," he said, clicking the phone off. His gaze traveled up and down her body surveying the dress and sandals. "You look nice."
She glanced down at the sundress. "Not exactly my style."
"Sorry. Mom went shopping this morning and that's what she came back with."
"Your mom shopped for me?" She was oddly touched by the news.
"She'd heard about the fire and called this morning. She'd offered and I didn't want to leave you alone."
"I appreciate the thought."
His eyes held hers a beat longer. "Coffee?"
"Yes. Yes. Yes."
He chuckled and moved to the cabinet by the coffeemaker. He pulled down a white mug from a mismatched collection of cups in the cupboard. He filled it and handed it to her. "As I remember, you take it black."
The coffee felt warm under her fingers. She sipped it, amazed at how good it tasted. "So who got you so riled on the phone?"
He hesitated, as if he wouldn't answer, and then thought better of it. "That was the fire chief on the phone. He was calling from your aunt's house."
"And?"
"The fire wasn't an accident. It was arson."
"What?"
"They found burn patterns around the fuse box in the basement and traces of accelerant—gasoline."
She felt sick. "Gasoline?"
"The fire was set while we were in the attic."
She felt light-headed. Mitch took hold of her coffee from her and guided her toward a kitchen chair. "I knew someone wanted me gone, but I never expected this."
The intensity in his eyes threw her off guard. It would be easy to believe he cared about her. She cleared her throat. "So, is there anything that might suggest who burned down Ruth's house?"
"None. There was no sign of forced entry and whoever did this was very meticulous and detail-oriented. They didn't leave any evidence."
"That explains why the front door was locked."
"Yep."
"Great. I've got an efficient killer after me."
Mitch stood. "We've only begun our investigation. Something else might show up."
"I'm not counting on it."
Kelsey rose and walked to the counter. She picked up her coffee and tried to concentrate on the taste. "Well, I'm not waiting around for this jerk to strike again."
He tensed. "What do you plan to do?"
"I'm going to Richmond."
"Fiji I'd have expected, but Richmond?"
"I'm going to try and track down my father. I'm going to start with the attorney Donna hired to handle my adoption."
"I only glanced at the letter. I don't know where he is."
"William Cranston. 701 Main Street," she said.
He looked impressed. "You remembered that?"
She tapped the side of her head. "Mind like a steel trap."
He didn't smile. "You may have a name and address, Kelsey, but that doesn't mean this Cranston guy is going to be there."
She walked to his phone. "May I?"
He nodded.
She punched 411 and waited for the operator. "Richmond. William Cranston. Main Street. He's an attorney." Seconds later, she had his phone number.
He waited until she hung up the phone. "It's been twenty-Five years and he may not know anything."
"Where's the Mitch with the can-do attitude?"
"He's here. But he doesn't want you to get your hopes up."
She ignored the concern in his voice. "I have to try. The last ten years, I've done of good job of pretending that there weren't any problems or issues in my life. But I've got them in spades. I never stay in one place more than a couple of months and my friendships are surface at best. The time has come to face who Donna was and what secrets she had. I need to get on with my life."
"You've done a damn fine job of surviving and prevailing."
"Thanks." She didn't need Mitch's approval, but it was nice. "But I've got to find out more about my past, not only for my emotional well-being but for my physical one as well. Someone tried to kill us last night."
He stared at her a long moment. "Give me twenty minutes. I'll shower and change and we can go together."
"You don't have to do this."
"I know you can make the trip by yourself, but this is for me as much as you. Someone tried to kill me last night, too. I have a tendency to take that kind of stuff personally."
"It's only a day trip. I'll be back by supper and will report in to you."
"We'll be back by supper." He dropped his hands to her shoulders and pulled her close to him. The heat of his body mingled with his masculine scent. She stood frozen, unable to take her eyes off his. There'd been a time when her love for Mitch had kept her going through some of the darkest moments in her life.
"Mitch," she said, "why are you being so nice to me?"
"I care about you."
"You didn't before."
They both knew what she meant.
He traced circles on the bare skin of her shoulder with his thumb. Her pulse beat faster. Her heart slammed against her chest. "I cared."
"But it wasn't the same."
"Given the same situation today, I'd handle it very differently."
She felt herself melting. "It was no accident that I chose the other side of the world to live. Driving you from my mind and heart was a full-time job for a while. I can't go through that again."
"I'm not the kid I was."
So tempting. Still, she pulled back.
He smiled
. "I'll be down and ready to go in twenty minutes."
Freshly showered, Mitch had changed into khakis and a white-collar shirt. He grabbed his wallet and headed downstairs. He'd hurried because he half expected Kelsey to take off without him. It was a ten-mile walk to town to her car, but he didn't put it past her. She had a stubborn streak in her wider than the Blue Ridge Mountains.
He grinned as he started down the steps. In truth, he wouldn't have her any other way. Her tenacity had been one of the things that had attracted him to her all those years ago. He remembered the day he'd first met her. She'd just turned eighteen and was overseeing the delivery of refilled air tanks Stu had needed for a big dive expedition. The delivery driver was giving Kelsey a hard time. He'd expected Stu to be at the store and he'd refused to deal with a kid. She stood toe to toe with the six-foot-plus man, threatening to sue if he didn't release the tanks. The driver had laughed at her. Mitch had offered his assistance, but she'd told him to butt out.
Kelsey hadn't backed down. In fact, by the time she was done with the guy, he'd not only let her sign for the equipment but he'd apologized for questioning her.
Mitch walked into his kitchen and found Kelsey standing in front of the refrigerator. She was staring at her reflection. Her head turned lightly, an indication she'd heard him. "I feel like I belong on top of a cake."
He chuckled, amazed how quickly she could bury her emotions. "The stores in town won't open for a few hours but we can stop at one when we get to Richmond."
Grinning, she faced him. "Bless you. I also need to get money from the bank and another charger for my cell phone."
"Consider it done." He liked the way her face lit up when she smiled. If he had his way, they wouldn't go to Richmond but back upstairs. They'd spend the day in his bed making love.
He resisted the urge to speak his mind. "Let's get on the road."
"What about your job? Don't you have to work today?"
He snatched up his keys and cell phone. "The festival is over and the town's quiet. And I'd planned to take the day off anyway."
She waited on the porch as he locked the front door. "Some day off—you're tracking down leads that are over twenty-five years old."
He grinned. "I'd planned to sand floors in the third-floor hallway."
