Never Let Go

by Elizabeth Goddard

  “I’m Tim Colton.”

  Austin released his hand. “She’s very important to me. And without you, she wouldn’t be here today.” He wasn’t sure he enjoyed repeating the words—it just drove home the point of what she still meant to him after two years. Maybe it would always be that way. Why had he let her go in the first place? He swallowed against the sudden thickness in his throat.

  Tim studied him. “You’re welcome. It’s just part of the job.”

  “Oh, come on, it’s more than a job to you. It’s in your blood.” It was worth the guess to get him talking.

  Tim smiled, his eyes warming. “Yeah, my dad and his dad before him were firemen. Both retired now. How did you know?”

  “It takes a special person to do what you do. My dad was a firefighter.” Though only part-time and until Mom died in a fire. Then his drinking ramped up. Austin thought he was stronger than his father, but he’d left his job with the FBI because he couldn’t get over his own failure. He had the same weakness in his blood. Stuff like that—the good and the bad—it ran in the blood.

  “Where about?”

  “Grayback, Wyoming, up around Bridger-Teton National Forest. Jackson Hole area. He died four years ago, but I understand the sacrifice it takes. I guess I can recognize when something runs deep.”

  “But fighting fires is not in your blood,” Tim said matter-of-factly.

  Sharp man. “You’re right. I didn’t follow in my father’s footsteps. I served in the air force.” That’s all he wanted to say. His story was long and complicated, and not easy for him to tell.

  Respect shone in Tim’s eyes. “Then you’ve made your sacrifice, and now let me thank you.”

  He shook Austin’s hand again. The man seemed to understand Austin didn’t want to say more about his own life. Tim was on the clock anyway. Austin would draw this conversation to a conclusion. Get the information he needed. “I know Willow will want to thank you when she’s feeling better.”

  Tim’s expression turned serious. “I’m glad we could help.”

  “Listen.” Austin scratched his nose. “She overheard some of the guys talking just before they put her in the ambulance. Someone said something about arson. She’s kind of freaked out over that. I told her I would come over and thank you but also find out if it was arson or not. If it wasn’t, then I can give her that peace of mind, and if it was, then I want to keep her safe from whoever did this. Understand?” He counted on the connection he had made with Tim.

  Tim stiffened. He might clam up too.

  “She’s scared, and, frankly, so am I,” Austin continued. “Should she be worried that someone burned down her house and almost killed her?”

  Tim appeared to measure his words, then something behind his eyes shifted. Austin had made a friend. The man would tell him what he needed to know.

  “It didn’t act like a normal house fire. Far from it. As first responders, it’s our job to notice these things and report them. So the chief is over there now. He’ll call in additional arson investigators if necessary. Some of the evidence of arson could have burned up in the fire, but what we saw made us suspicious.”

  “Why do you say it didn’t burn like a normal fire?”

  “It burned much faster. Flashes and explosions almost kept us from getting in to search. A neighbor told us they’d seen the woman come home and believed she was still inside.”

  Austin would talk to the neighbors and ask if they’d seen anyone skulking around the house. He cleared his throat. Nodded. Tried not to get thrown from the roller coaster.

  “Some of the flames were white. They put off thick black smoke.”

  “What does that mean?” he asked.

  “Gasoline could have been the accelerant.”

  Okay. He’d heard enough. Why hadn’t Willow smelled gasoline? Or maybe she’d been sound asleep when the arsonist had done his work, which could mean the person was inside her house while she slept. The thought slammed into his gut. Austin thanked Tim again and headed back to his car.

  Inside the vehicle he thought through their conversation. Looked like he wasn’t going to walk away from Willow after all, no matter that Dana didn’t want him near her friend. Even if Willow agreed with Dana, Austin would at least share the information he’d found out so she would be warned. He wanted to help her, to protect her. JT would ask that of him if he were still alive. However, it would be much better if someone else took his place protecting Willow.

  The police would investigate the arson. But would they keep Willow safe? Believe that someone had tried to kill her? Austin didn’t know. He couldn’t count on them.

  And something equally ominous gnawed at the back of his mind. JT had died in a hit-and-run. Now his house had been burned down. Had his death truly been an accident?

  Chapter nine

  TUESDAY, 4:35 P.M.

  DANA COOPER’S HOME

  SEATTLE SUBURB

  Willow stared at the new clothes hanging in the closet. While she had slept in the guest bedroom in Dana’s bungalow-style home, Dana had purchased pretty T-shirts, relaxed-fit jeans, and comfy shorts and sweats for Willow at the nearest discount department store. Willow chose a white T-shirt and gray sweats to go with her mood and changed out of Dana’s too-big clothes. Who would go to the trouble to buy her a selection of new clothes except a close friend or relative—a mom or a sister? No doubt about it. Dana was much more than her late grandfather’s assistant. The woman really was a friend to take Willow into her home for the time being until she could get her head together. Call the insurance company and figure out where she would live. What she would do with her life. She almost felt like a Phoenix at the moment, with so much of her life taken from her, burned up with the house. This was her chance to start afresh if she would take it. But not yet.

  No. Not yet.

  JT’s words, hidden in some distant moment from the past, floated through her mind now.

  “You’re alive, Willow, and that counts for something. Use the time and the gifts God gave you.”

  She could hear his voice in her head as if he were standing right behind her. That was both a blessing and a curse.

  Somehow she would gather her strength and hold it together.

  She wasn’t alone in this house and would not let herself crumble repeatedly in front of Dana and her family, though deep inside she wanted to. Oh, she really wanted to let herself fall apart. But she was JT’s granddaughter, and she would inevitably pull herself together and move forward. The man had modeled that for her all her life.

  But she hadn’t imagined it would be so hard. Losing JT was one thing, but losing the house—all her belongings and memories—in one fell swoop? All the times she’d heard about a family losing their home to a fire, she’d never understood the soul-piercing, utter devastation. From now on, she’d be more deliberate about finding a way to give back to those who’d lived through a catastrophic fire. But one step, one day at a time. For now she’d face what was left of her own tragedy.

  Nothing.

  Everything was gone.

  Including Austin. Once again he’d walked out of her life. She wished he hadn’t come to her hospital room to begin with. Her throat constricted. Even in the aftermath of her near-death experience, his presence had sparked embers she’d believed were long cold. His offer of assistance had merely kindled false hope. No. She couldn’t count on his help or seeing him again. That was for the best. Time to ignore the way her heart beat when she was near him. She wouldn’t think about him. She couldn’t afford to. It would destroy her resolve to pick up the pieces.

  Besides, she wasn’t the only person to ever lose something precious. Mrs. Mason had lost her daughter the day she’d been born. Willow’s first step would be to climb out of the despondency she was quickly sinking into. She could do that by focusing on helping someone else. In this case, she wouldn’t actually be helping Mrs. Mason but freeing her to find another investigator. Willow couldn’t search for her daughter.

  A sof
t knock came at the door. “Willow, it’s me. Can I come in?” Dana asked.

  Willow opened the door and let her friend in.

  Dana’s eyes flashed over Willow and she smiled. “They fit you perfectly.”

  Just sweats and a T-shirt. What could go wrong? “I can’t thank you enough”—Willow gestured at her clothes and the bedroom—“for this, for everything.”

  “Oh, please stop.” Dana hugged her. “We’re practically family. In fact, I want you to think of us as your family if you don’t already. No need to thank me as though I’m doing anything more than I would do for my own daughter or little sis. You’re welcome here as long as you need.” Dana handed over a box. “Stan stopped home at lunch. He got you a cheap cell phone to use just until you can replace your iPhone.”

  Willow took the box and held it against her chest. Do not cry. Do not cry. “That was thoughtful. Please thank him for me.”

  “You’re very welcome.” Dana lingered at the door. “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll start working on dinner. Stan should be home from work in a bit.”

  “I’ve been resting all day. I think I’m done for now.”

  “Oh?”

  On the one hand, she appreciated Dana opening up her home more than anything in the world, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to be treated like a child. Willow sagged. Dana was only trying to help. “I was thinking about Mrs. Mason. I need to call her and let her know what’s happened.”

  “Oh, honey, are you sure you want to do that right now? The fire was just last night.”

  “She’s on borrowed time, with what, less than two months to live now if her doctors can be believed. I need to tell her so she can find someone else to continue the search for her daughter before it’s too late.”

  The doorbell rang. “I’ll leave you to it then. Let me know if you need anything at all. Oh, don’t you need her number?”

  “That would be nice.”

  “I’m sure I have it on my computer downstairs. I’ll just get that for you after I see who’s at the door.”

  Dana left Willow. When she opened the box, she saw that Stan had gone to the trouble to charge the phone. What would she do without Dana and Stan?

  “Use the time and the gifts God gave you.”

  Willow gathered her composure, pushed aside the trauma of last night to the best of her ability, and opened the door. She headed downstairs. Maybe she could work on Dana’s computer and log in to the Anderson Consulting system.

  Working would do her soul good, and closing down Anderson Consulting might be even better. She would start over, and slowly time would heal these deep wounds. Willow was a survivor. JT had made sure of that.

  Voices spoke in low tones and drifted up the staircase. Dana’s voice along with a man’s. Recognizing the voice, Willow slowed on the last step.

  Austin. She hadn’t expected to see him again. She’d read his exit from her hospital room completely wrong. Now what should she do? A vortex of conflicting emotions swirled inside.

  “She’s resting right now.” Dana’s tone held firm, her intention clear.

  “Please have her call me as soon as possible. It’s important.” Unease edged his voice.

  Willow crept forward to stand behind Dana. His attention shifted from the sentinel barring the monster’s entrance to Willow. An unreadable emotion flashed in his eyes.

  “It’s okay, Dana,” Willow said. “I can talk to Austin.”

  Dana turned to look at Willow, disapproval apparent in her features.

  “That is, if it’s okay with you if he comes in.” Willow offered her a teasing grin.

  Soft worry lines grew in Dana’s forehead. “Of course it’s okay. I can’t make your decisions for you.”

  Glad you understand that. Dana was only trying to protect her, but she might need to have a talk with her about her attitude toward Austin. What had happened between them before hadn’t been Austin’s fault alone.

  “Come on in.” Dana opened the door wide.

  When he stepped into the foyer, his well-toned form and broad shoulders made the entrance feel much smaller. A hint of his familiar woodsy cologne wafted around her. Her heart tried to jump free though she held it firmly in place. She wanted to reconsider her decision to let him in.

  “Why don’t you talk in the living room?” Dana led them deeper into her eclectic arts-and-crafts-decorated home. “Would you like something to drink, Austin? Willow?”

  “No, I’m fine.” He never took his eyes from Willow.

  “I’m good, Dana, thanks.”

  “I’ll give you two some privacy.” She disappeared.

  “What is it?” Willow asked.

  “Why don’t you sit?” He gestured to the sofa, then took a seat in the closest plush chair, drumming his fingers on the armrests.

  Willow eased onto the edge of the sofa. “Okay, I’m sitting. What did you find out?” The last time she’d seen him, before he’d walked out of her room and, she’d thought, out of her life again, he’d been planning to make a call and ask about the fire. Was it arson? She’d left those worries behind for another day. Let the firefighters and police officers figure it out. What could she do about it if someone had deliberately burned down her house?

  “I stopped by and talked to the firemen who were at the house last night. I thanked them for you. I hope that’s okay. Thanked Tim, the fireman who carried you out of the house.”

  “That was thoughtful of you.” She ran a hand over her hair and realized that, once again, she probably looked like a wreck. Then again, why did she care how Austin saw her? “I appreciate it. I need to write them a thank-you note. Did they tell you anything?”

  “They didn’t specifically tell me it was arson. It’s not their place to say one way or another. But what they said confirmed to me that it was. The way the fire burned. The color of the smoke. The fire chief is investigating now. The police are on the scene too. I stopped by the house, or what was left of it.” Though he kept his tone gentle, she didn’t miss the rage he contained.

  Willow eased back on the sofa. “Why would someone intentionally burn down JT’s house?” She had enough to deal with without heaping this on top.

  Austin sighed. “There’s more.”

  Please, no. I can’t take any more.

  Dana entered the living room and set a tray on the coffee table. “I brought some coffee and scones.” She took one look at Willow’s face. “What’s happened? Willow, what is it?”

  Then glared at Austin as if to ask . . . What did you do? Willow grabbed Dana’s hand and pulled her down onto the sofa next to her, mostly for support, but also because she feared Dana might actually kick the man out of her house. That talk would have to come soon. “Austin spoke to the firemen and confirmed they believe it was arson.”

  Dana drew in a breath to speak, but Willow interrupted her.

  “You said there’s more, Austin. I want to hear it.”

  He hung his head.

  What? What could be so bad? Her pulse kicked up.

  “It’s about JT’s hit-and-run. The so-called accident.”

  Dread crept up her spine. “What about it?”

  “After stopping at the house and getting rebuffed by law enforcement there, I canvassed the neighborhood to ask if anyone saw someone skulking around last night. I ended up talking to your neighbor at the end of the street. She saw the accident. She saw everything.”

  “What did she see?” Willow held her breath.

  “She was taking video of her terrier chasing a duck near the pond. Heard a car revving its engine, accelerating too fast for the neighborhood. She whirled around to capture the offender on camera and caught the car swerving toward your grandfather.”

  Oh, that. “I know about the video. I didn’t want to see it. Couldn’t watch.”

  “She believes the driver deliberately swerved toward your grandfather.” His words came out in even, measured tones, but that didn’t hide his struggle to speak them.

  Willow ha
dn’t heard that part. Why hadn’t she been told? “Do the police know?”

  “I called a friend I’ve worked with in the Seattle PD. I asked him to keep me updated on the arson status, and I also asked about the hit-and-run. If they had any leads on the vehicle or the driver. As of this morning, they had recovered the vehicle. It had been stolen, which makes JT’s death suspect.”

  Willow stood up and rubbed her arms. “Are you saying someone stole a car and then deliberately hit my grandfather? That he was killed on purpose? He was mur . . . murdered?” Without waiting for his answer, she paced the room. “Someone murdered JT. It was deliberate.” The words wouldn’t sink in. How could that be? Fury exploded in the tears she’d held back but now let free. “I want justice. Do you hear me, Austin? I want this person found. Why don’t the police do something?”

  “They are. The police initially disagreed with the witness’s assessment of the accident. They’re still looking for the driver. I’m sure a detective will be by to ask you questions about why someone would want to kill JT.”

  “You’ve been busy today.” Dana rose from the sofa. “Are you trying to make a case? Give yourself a reason to stay in Willow’s life? Nobody asked you to do this.”

  “Dana, please,” Willow said.

  “I can’t listen to this.” Dana fled the room.

  “I’m sorry about Dana,” Willow said. “She means well. I think she might be under pressure because she feels responsible for me somehow. Protective.”

  “I know.” His gray eyes never missed a thing.

  “I appreciate all the legwork you’ve done. But I have no idea what to do with this information. What should I do, Austin?”

  He pushed himself from the chair and approached until he stood entirely too close. He lifted his hand and gently swiped a stray hair from her face, touching her skin in the process. Willow ignored the tingling sensation his touch created. The way her breath caught in her throat.

  “You can close the case JT was working on, for starters.”

  His words surprised her, breaking the spell his nearness cast, and she took the chance to move away from him. She walked the room and studied Dana’s decorating skills without actually seeing. She retrieved the cell from her pocket and stared at it. “I was going to call Mrs. Mason before you came by. Dana was getting me her number. I was going to tell her about everything and that I couldn’t do this. But this news changes everything. If this is at all related to Mrs. Mason’s case and this person wanted to stop Anderson Consulting, if they thought burning down the house would stop me, then they’re dead wrong. I’m going to call her and tell her what’s happened, and that I’ll do everything in my power to find her daughter.”