She pressed her left hand over his and pinned it to her chest.
“I’m a pop star. I love the music, but hate the fame. I have brown hair and plan to keep it that way. I own two properties. One is a house outside Los Angeles. One is a tiny cabin in Aspen Cove. I prefer Aspen Cove. I have a million dollars. Not on me but invested or in the bank. In fact, I have several, but it doesn’t have the value that your love does. I don’t know where all this will lead, but I’d like to find out.”
She crawled across his body and straddled his lap. What they didn’t finish on the couch, they completed in the bedroom. Exhausted, Samantha fell asleep naked in his arms. He wondered how he’d gotten so lucky. It was funny how luck came packaged as trouble. Samantha was that, but she was so much more.
He’d dozed off when the acrid smell of smoke filled the air. He was certain he’d banked the fire. His confidence faltered when the fire alarm rang through the silence.
He jumped out of his bed and into his jeans. He tugged on his boots and shook Samantha awake.
“Sweetheart, you need to get up. Get dressed.”
She groaned and buried her head under the pillow.
“Samantha,” he roared. “Get up. There’s a fire.”
That was one word that could wake anyone from a deep sleep. She stumbled out of bed and struggled to get her clothes on. Dalton ran through his house but saw nothing. The fire alarms wailed in the distance.
When he stepped onto his porch, he saw Samantha’s cabin engulfed in flames. He called it in. They had a phone tree for the volunteer firefighters, which included every able-bodied man in Aspen Cove.
Minutes later, while the wood of her cabin crackled and splintered under the heat, dozens of men donned whatever protective gear they had and went to work dousing the flames. Sage and Katie ran to get to Samantha, while Cannon and Bowie jumped into the melee. Even Doc Parker was there, beating back the fire so it didn’t spread. In minutes, Samantha’s car was set ablaze. As Bobby Williams raced with the hose to douse the new flames, it exploded, sending him back a dozen feet.
Dalton wanted to race to his friend, but Doc was already headed in that direction. The flames were out of control in the house. If they didn’t get them under control, everyone nearby would lose their homes, including him.
The fire was already licking at the siding of his cabin. The freshly sandblasted section didn’t stand a chance. Phillip Butler showed up with a case of bottled water from his Corner Store, and his wife carried boxes of snacks. It was a welcome gift for the firefighters.
The Dawson’s only son and Lawyer Frank Arden showed up minutes later. They took charge of a hose and kept a steady stream of water where Dalton’s siding had turned black.
He looked around for Samantha. He found her standing near Bowie and Katie’s cabin with a look of horror on her face. He followed her line of sight to where Bobby laid on the ground with flames licking at his already burned skin. Dalton raced toward his friend to get him as far away from the smoke and flames as possible.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Samantha screamed. The scene was pure chaos as Doc rushed forward to provide care to Bobby, who only moments ago was on fire. Were it not for his quick actions, he would now be engulfed in flames.
Bowie rushed over and told Katie to pack up Sahara and go to Ben and Maisey’s. Sage went straight into nurse mode. Samantha stood out of the way and knew this was all her fault. Dave Belton’s words would haunt her for the rest of her life. “Stay here, and I’ll make sure everything you have goes up in flames.”
Doc asked Sage to call for an ambulance. He stood up and looked through the fog of black smoke. His hand went to his chest, and he hit the floor like a felled tree. Samantha raced over to help. She and Sage pulled Doc across the street. When he came to, he wasn’t the same cantankerous old man she knew him to be. He was pale and quiet, and his breath wheezed from his chest.
Dalton carried Bobby Williams across the street and laid him down. “Call Louise and tell her he’s hurt.”
“I’ll be okay,” Bobby said. “Louise needs to be with the kids. I don’t want her anywhere near this.” Samantha recognized the man as the guy in the diner with the pregnant wife and seven children. Her heart broke. Holes burned through his jeans to show blistering and charred skin.
A loud crash drew their attention. The roof of Samantha’s cabin gave way, collapsing into the house. Hot embers floated through the air.
“Go to my place and get as much ice and cold water as you can. There are baggies in the pantry. We need to stop the heat,” Sage said.
Samantha took off like a sprinter toward the bed and breakfast. Because Sage often had guests, she was stocked with bags of ice. Samantha made quick work of gathering supplies and carried half her body weight in ice back to Sage.
“Get Doc to drink some water.” Sage filled bags with ice and water and laid the cold packs on Bobby’s legs.
Five minutes later, a hysterical Louise arrived. She dropped to her knees in front of her husband. “Don’t you leave me, Bobby Williams. I can’t raise eight kids by myself.”
He raised a burned hand to her cheek. “Louise, I’m not going anywhere. We still have babies to make.” The shrill of the sirens broke through the noise of the fire. Who would have thought a blaze could be so loud? It was almost deafening.
When the paramedics arrived, they praised Sage for her quick thinking by placing the ice packs on Bobby’s burns and keeping Doc calm and quiet. He had a reputation for being a fighter, so to see him in such a sorry state shocked everyone.
Forty minutes later, two fire engines from Copper Creek came to put out what the volunteer force couldn’t with their limited equipment.
Samantha couldn’t believe that the town of Aspen Cove didn’t have its own fire department. Then again, Aspen Cove didn’t have much.
The sun was rising when the last of the volunteers left. Cannon opened the bar for drinks, and Dalton told everyone he’d cook them breakfast if they gave him an hour.
Samantha sat across the street and looked at the utter devastation. Even Abby’s bees had suffered. The ones that couldn’t escape were devoured by the flames.
Her cabin had been reduced to a pile of smoke and ashes. Dalton’s place stood, but the charred siding was sooty and black.
Sheriff Cooper took off, lights flashing and sirens wailing. She overheard Mark Bancroft tell everyone the arson case in Copper Creek had been solved. Turns out it wasn’t arson after all. The house around the lake had burned down because of faulty wiring. Only Samantha’s house was burned to the ground on purpose.
Dave Belton was caught racing out of town with enough accelerant to burn down the state of Colorado. He was always a man of his word. He’d made sure that she had only one option left, and that was to leave.
“Sweetheart?”
“I’m okay.” She looked at what was left of her cabin. Among the ashes stood the fireplace. How funny that Dalton had accused her of trying to burn down the house, and it burned down anyway.
“I’m sure your insurance will rebuild the cabin. It will be better than before.” Dalton squatted in front of her. His face was covered in soot and grime, but he was as sexy as ever. “It will turn out okay. It’s all over.”
He was right. It was over, but it would never be okay. She had to leave before another person suffered because of her. The problem was, Dalton would never let her go. He didn’t blame her, despite the news of Dave’s setting the fire spreading faster than the flames themselves. She blamed herself.
“This is all my fault.”
“No. It’s not. You didn’t light the match, he did.”
“I lit the match by pissing him off. I turned an ember into a blaze. You were right, I should have pressed charges. Had I done that, Bobby and Doc wouldn’t be hurt. Bobby has seven kids and one on the way. I could have orphaned them all.” Tears raced down her cheeks.
Dalton pulled her to standing and wrapped his strong arms around her. He smelled so g
ood, like pine trees and pure man.
“Bobby will be fine. His burns will heal. Louise will take care of him. Doc has smoke inhalation. Some burning in his lungs. He’s too ornery to stay down long. I’m worried about you. You look exhausted. Let’s get you home and to bed.”
She breathed him in, trying to save the smell and feel of him into her memory. There was only one thing left to do, and that was to leave. She’d make sure Aspen Cove and its people were cared for. When she first arrived, Katie told her that Aspen Cove took care of its own. Part of taking care of the ones you loved was protecting them. She was a liability.
Dave would no longer be a threat, but what about the next crazy person like Todd, or an overzealous paparazzo who would do anything to get the next sale-worthy photo? She couldn’t risk it. She couldn’t risk them.
“I am tired.” Exhausted didn’t begin to describe how she felt. She was devastated and hollowed out. Conflicted about what she wanted and what was best. Her heart told her to go to the diner and help Dalton serve the men who helped save the neighborhood. Without them, Samantha’s house wouldn’t have been the only one to burn. It would have spread down the line to Dalton’s, Katie’s, and Sage’s. She owed them. Her payment would be her absence. She’d set up a fund to pay for Bobby’s and Doc’s medical bills. She’d make sure the town had the equipment they needed even if she had to build a firehouse. She’d ensure any lost wages were replaced. It was the least she could do. It was the easy thing to do. The hardest thing would be kissing Dalton goodbye and knowing it was for forever.
While Dalton took a shower, she gathered the few belongings she had and raced to the bed when she heard the shower turn off. Dalton appeared with droplets of water running down his chest and a towel tied around his waist. All she wanted to do was pull him into bed and ask him to hold her, but that would make it harder to leave, so she closed her eyes when he entered the room and pretended she was asleep. After he dressed, he kissed her and said, “I love you.”
She fought the urge to respond. The minute the front door closed, she jumped from the bed, called a car service in Copper Creek, and arranged for transportation.
An hour later, Samantha slipped out of Dalton’s cabin and into a black town car. She made a quick stop at the bakery to tack her wishes onto the board. Only one was for her, the rest were for those she cared about.
She wished for Doc’s quick recovery.
That Bobby Williams would be home soon with his family.
For Sage and Cannon to have the perfect wedding.
That Katie would have the boy she dreamed of having.
For Lydia to find a job.
That Cannon and Bowie would be there for Dalton.
And that Dalton would forgive her for everything.
Finally, it looked like luck was on her side because only Ben was present when she tacked the notes to the board. She bought a muffin for her driver. It was Thursday, and the poppy seed muffins couldn’t be ignored. When she climbed into the back of the car, she curled into a tight ball and cried for the entire three-hour drive to Denver.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Dalton’s ass was dragging when he entered the cabin. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed next to Samantha and hold her in his arms.
Though during the fire he appeared to be in control the whole time, he hadn’t been. That asshole Dave could have killed them both. If they’d been in her cabin, who knows what could have happened? The dried wood and log siding burned like a grassfire. It went up so fast, there might not have been time to escape. It twisted his insides to see how close he came to losing his newfound love and happiness.
Samantha felt responsible, but she wasn’t. Not once during breakfast did anyone say anything negative about her. They talked about the age of the house. That no one knew she was famous. That went a long way in her favor because weren’t they all just people? Mostly the townsfolk talked about the idiot who thought bullying her could drive her away.
He toed off his boots at the door and took a deep breath. The air smelled like her under the lingering scent of smoke and fire. She was flowers and happiness and sunshine. He hurried down the hallway, and turned into the bedroom, only to find it dark, gloomy and empty.
He knew right away that she’d left him. Dave had won. There wasn’t a trace of her around. Her phone was gone. She always tossed her bag and shoes in the corner, but the space was vacant. The only thing that remained was a note left on his pillow.
Dalton,
These are the hardest words I’ll ever write. How do I tell the person I’m in love with goodbye? It would be impossible unless I knew that leaving was the right thing to do. I’m so sorry that I brought so much hurt to you and Aspen Cove. I will always love this town and the people who made it feel like home. I will always love you.
No matter where our lives lead us, please know that your name will be tattooed on my heart forever.
I am Samantha White.
You are Dalton Black.
The beauty of us will always lie in the gray.
Love
Samantha
Watermarks from her fallen tears marred the paper.
“She free-birded me and never intends to come back.” He crumbled the page and tossed it across the room. “That’s bullshit, and it’s not going to happen.”
Dalton started a pot of coffee. Outside of her new cell number, he had no way of contacting her. No way of knowing where she’d gone.
He dialed her number and was crushed when it went directly to voicemail.
A week later, he was still reaching out to her fan site. Sending letters to her record label and leaving messages with her assistant. He followed her on social media. Bought every one of her albums. Listening to her sing brought both joy and sorrow. He loved and hated the videos he found online where she talked to her fans about never giving up and finding your purpose.
He wanted to call her a liar. She’d given up on them. Then again, she’d sacrificed her own happiness out of some misplaced need to protect him.
When the demolition company arrived to remove the debris, Dalton felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe she would rebuild her cabin and return to rebuild their relationship. That dream was dashed when the following week, a for sale sign went up on the land.
He sat in front of the Wishing Wall one day, eating carrot cake muffins. Katie came out of the back with a stack of notes in her hand. Every few weeks, she’d sit down at a table and grant wishes.
“You need anything?”
“Yes. I need Samantha to come back to me.”
She tossed a baggie of notes on the table and went to get a cup of decaf coffee. It was always decaf. She joked about Bowie being the only stimulation her heart needed.
“You love her?”
“Yes. Isn’t it obvious?”
She sat down and placed the wishes into piles. He knew the routine. Had seen it many times. Knew that she put them into piles of yes, no, and maybe. This time, she had a fourth pile.
“Why are you here? If you love her that much, go and get her.”
“Like that’s so easy. I don’t even know where she is. She won’t answer my calls. I’ve sent dozens of flowers to every Samantha White I can find in the Greater Los Angeles Area. I’ve got quite a fan club of my own now.”
Katie laughed. “You know where she’ll be next week.”
He knew. She’d be at the concert to benefit victims of domestic violence. “I’m glad they didn’t cancel the concert.” Maybe her leaving him was good after all. At least the venue would be full and the money would go to a good cause.
She slid a pile of sticky notes to him. “I think these fall in your lane.”
Dalton raised his brow in confusion. “I’m not the wish granter.”
“Today you are, and if you decide you want to go after what’s important, I can help. I used to be a Middleton, and that still holds some influence.”
Dalton leaned back in his seat. The metal design cut into his back. He opened the first n
ote in the pile. It was dated the day after Samantha arrived. A kiss from Dalton Black would be nice. In his mind, he said, Granted. The second note written in her precise tiny handwriting said, Is it silly to wish for love?
“No.”
Katie looked up from her pile. “Excuse me?”
Dalton shook his head. “Nothing, I was thinking out loud.”
She sipped her coffee. “Then say, yes.”
“But it’s not silly for her to wish for love.”
“No, but it’s silly for her to think she doesn’t deserve it.”
He agreed, but how could he convince her that she was worthy if he couldn’t get in the same time zone as her?
He opened the other notes that had wishes from the press leaving him alone to her wish for him to forgive her.
He pulled out his phone and dialed his parole officer.
“You better not be in jail,” she said. He could hear the whinny of a horse in the background.
“Hell, no.” Thankfully, there was no paper trail of him getting detained weeks ago. If Lucy thought he’d been in trouble, she’d never allow him to leave the state. “I’m leaving the state for a short period. Thought I’d check in.”
“You asking permission?”
Was he? The truth was, no. He’d be leaving whether or not she said it was okay.
“I’m not asking for your permission. I’m following your advice. I fell in love, and I’m making sure she knows it. She can run and hide, but I’ll find her, and I’ll bring her back. We’ve got memories and babies to make.”
“Hmm, I didn’t hear you right. Sounded like you were going to stalk and kidnap someone, but what I think you really meant was, you were going to travel somewhere to tell your woman you love her. That’s what I heard, right?”
He laughed. “Yes, that’s what I said.”
She cleared her throat but still sounded like she’d smoked a pack that day. “Call me when you get back.”
“Will do.” Dalton ended the call and picked up the notes. He opened his wallet and slid them inside. “Now all I need is a way into the concert and a ticket to California.”
One Hundred Wishes Page 19
