by Hebby Roman
“I thought of that, but you know your parents. They were already gone.”
“This has to be another one of your jokes.” She raised her head, locking onto his gaze. His somber stare spoke volumes. “I can’t believe this. It’s too much to process. Oh Lord, don’t tell me you rigged my job too?”
“I don’t understand why you’re so upset. I didn’t trick you. I just mailed a flyer.” He folded his arms across his chest. “And you got the job strictly on your own. The fact Miranda was hiring just happened to be good timing. Or fate.”
“Fate?” She scoffed, shaking her head. Prickles of awareness needled beneath her skin. Once again she’d been played for a fool. “You lied to me. I have to go. I have to get out of here.”
“No, Please don’t.” He held his arm out to stop her. “Let’s talk this out. I didn’t lie. I simply sent the notice. Everything else you did of your own accord, which tells me you wanted to come home too. I thought maybe if you came back, you’d fall in love with this place again, with me, and want to stay.”
Feeling betrayed, she heard the words, but was beyond the point of believing anything he said. Was everything a lie? She brushed his hand away as tears blurred her vision, threatening to spill at a moment’s notice. “Your plan backfired. Part of it did, anyway. I did fall in love with you. I’ve always loved you. But you blew that. I can’t stay. Not now.”
Kristen grabbed the mail and clutched it to her chest. With shaky legs, she somehow managed to make it to the exit. Without a second thought, she raced out of the room, determined never to look back.
Chapter Sixteen
As soon as Kristen walked in the door, she was assaulted by a spunky black Labrador. “Whoa. When did we get a dog?”
Her sister, snuggled up on the couch with a glass of wine simply shrugged her shoulders. “I won his heart too. Whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean.”
“Hmm.” Kristen walked over to the coffee table and picked up a half empty bottle. “Are we celebrating or wallowing in self-pity?”
“Pity,” Laney confessed.
“Good. Then I came to the right party. I even brought a tree to decorate.”
“You’re kidding. As in a Christmas tree?”
Kristen didn’t reply, simply nodded her hand.
“I didn’t think we were the decorating kind. You don’t have any candy canes by chance?”
“No. Is that what you put on trees?”
Laney heaved her shoulders upward again. “Hell if I know. But the dog likes to eat them.” She pointed toward the Lab. “That’s why Nick named him Cane. What on earth made you get a Christmas tree anyway?”
“The stupid argument I just had.”
“Was it with the credit card company?” Laney shuffled through the stack of bills Kristen tossed on the coffee table. “Huh. This one looks interesting.” She held up an envelope, then tore it open with the tip of her fingernail.
“The only thing I’m interested in tonight is the other bottle of Merlot I have stashed in the kitchen.” Kristen left the room, returning a moment later with another bottle of wine and a glass. She filled hers and then topped off her sister’s.
Laney glanced up from the letter, hazel eyes wide with shock. “It’s from mom. I guess they moved to Billings to be closer to us.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Kristen snatched the paper out of her sister’s grasp. Recognizing her mother’s handwriting, she quickly scanned the letter. “I’ll be damned. Say’s they were giving us space, but wanted to be close by if we needed them.”
“Yeah, right. It would’ve been nice just to know where they were,” Laney grumbled.
“Also says their moving back to Thompson Falls and we should call. They miss us.”
“Miss us, my ass. I know what it says. I read it too, remember? At least we now have their phone number. You can call if you like. I’ll pass. I have nothing to say.”
Kristen glanced at her sister. That made two of them. Talking to her mother would only make matters worse and after her fight with Cole, she simply couldn’t stomach it. First of all, she’d have to apologize for the things she’d said, and quite frankly, Kristen felt anything but apologetic at the moment.
“So what was the argument about?” Laney asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“With mom? Or the one I had with Cole? Both sucked. Ironically, the timing couldn’t have been better. Especially considering this letter.” She tossed the paper on the coffee table. “He’s the one who sent me the foreclosure notice.”
“How inconsiderate,” Laney replied drolly, then downed the rest of her wine in one gulp. She placed the glass on the table and stood, circling the tree.
“Don’t defend him. He purposely lied to me. At least Nick didn’t go out of his way to deceive you.” Kristen scowled. She poured more wine into her sister’s glass and then topped off hers, emptying the bottle.
“No,” Laney argued. “Nick didn’t do a damn thing wrong. I did. Yet, good ‘ole St. Nick apologized anyway. As far what Cole did, I think it was kind of sweet.”
“Sweet?” She swirled the red liquid and then gulped down a large swallow. “He literally tricked me into coming home. And if Nick apologized when you were the one acting crazy, I’d say he’s a keeper.”
“If that’s the case, then he’ll be apologizing a lot. I’m done with the Nick subject. After my dance-off turned brawl with Candy I’m too embarrassed to even think about him right now. That being said, I don’t know why I’m being punished for you and Cole’s fight. You actually bought a damn Christmas tree? Plus, somehow managed to talk me into helping you decorate the damn thing?” Laney pursed her lips, holding up a tangled strand of lights. “I can’t find the end or the beginning,” she complained before finally giving up and tossing the lights on the table, then plopping onto the couch.
Kristen grabbed the nest of lights and began to untangle them. “I couldn’t help myself. When we decorated his tree…I don’t know, I felt all warm inside. He had all these homemade decorations. It was nice.”
“Like the Christmas we never had? Call it a Christmas miracle, but that is exactly what you’ve always wanted. Someone to share holidays with. A partner to help you work on things like this house. And roots. Rock solid roots.
Hell, Cole is everything you ever wanted in a man. You were looking for a reason to return and he gave you one. Now, you have a reason to stay. Lord knows you would’ve never come back here without seeing the flyer first.
You were too concerned about my welfare. You know how hard that was on me? Knowing you were sticking around simply to make sure I was okay? And now, I find out mom and dad were doing the same thing. Great. Just great.”
She pulled her gaze from the tangle of lights and turned to her sister. There was no need to defend her actions. Laney was right. Kristen had only stayed as long as she had because the girl had been so miserable. Once she realized Laney had no intention of leaving “Tex” she couldn’t stick around any longer.
The truth was she couldn’t wait to get out of Billings. She’d hated the big city, longing for the slower pace of a small town. In fact, she couldn’t leave fast enough. Any excuse would’ve done.
However, leaving Laney behind was tough and returning home should’ve been her idea. Not something Cole tricked her into doing. On the other hand, how much influence did Cole really have in her decision? All he did was mail a stupid flyer. And she didn’t even know he’d done that until a couple of hours ago.
“I’d love if a man thought about me like he does you. At least I have Cane here.” Laney patted the head of the large black Lab pup. “You love me, don’t you boy?”
Laney leaned forward, retrieving the bowl of potato chips on the coffee table. Grabbing a handful, she gave one to the dog and then continued, “I think your memories about Cole are completely distorted. Sure he teased you. And granted he was relentless. Called you cute little nicknames, tried to hold your hand, and kiss you, but
he was never malicious. He did things boys do to girls they like.”
As painful as Laney’s words were, Kristen need to hear them. However, such blatant honesty came at a price. Mortified, she realized she may have overreacted. Her stomach turned, upset by the guilt coursing through her veins.
Apparently, her mother wasn’t the only one she owed an apology. Needing the distraction, she plugged the lights into a socket to make sure all of the bulbs worked. The room was immediately illuminated in red, green, and gold.
“Those are supposed to go on the tree,” Laney quipped smartly.
“I know,” Kristen rebutted, unplugging the lights.
“Just making sure. I only recall us having a few trees as kids. Another reason our classmates made fun of us. Speaking of which, do you remember Hank Olsen? The punk who called us gypsy vagrants? Cole beat the tar out of him.”
“I remember.” Kristen nodded as a vision of Hank popped up and she scowled. Olsen was notorious for saying mean, hateful things. One of many. Cole had always come to her defense.
“Did I mention he wants kids? Lots of them. With me,” Kristen said thoughtfully as she wrapped one end of the string around the top of the tree and continued down. She plugged in the lights again and then plopped down beside her sister on the couch. “Says his house is lonely. Too quiet.”
“Nice job by the way. And as far as kids go, so do you.” Laney shrugged. “With him. Sounds like a match made in heaven. And if his tree looks half as pretty as this one then you two are definitely meant to be.”
“Thanks,” Kristen agreed, admiring her creation, but the sight only made her miss Cole even more. A heavy sigh escaped her. She glanced at the clock, then reached for her glass again. A fleeting thought to call and apologize niggled at her but she blinked it away as the lure of a catnap beckoned. At the moment, all she wanted was to close her eyes.
Though it was still early, the wine made her drowsy, and considering they’d finished the entire bottle, she’d had more than her fill. Leaning forward, she returned the wine to the coffee table. “I’m going to bed,” Kristen said, hoping a couple of hours of sleep would solve her problems. At the very least, it might stop the room from spinning. “I can’t deal with this right now.”
“Yeah, me too,” Laney said. “I’m pretty much over this day. Should we leave the lights on?”
“Why not?” Kristen returned, rising to her feet. The effort cost her. Off balance, she grasped the arm of the couch to steady herself. “Whoa. No more wine for me.”
“Consider yourself officially cut off.” Giggling, Laney rose to put more wood in the woodstove. The large pup followed close on her heels. Stoking the fire, she paused, sniffing the air. “Smell anything weird?”
“Like what? Smoke?” Pausing, Kristen snorted. “I may be a little tipsy, but you are putting wood in a woodstove. It’s probably the fire, dork.”
“I was talking to my new best friend, but you may be right.” Laney glanced at the log in her hand and chuckled again. She tossed in the wood and closed the door on the stove, then locked the latch. Standing, she neared Kristen’s side and folded her arm in hers. “Let’s get you tucked in bed, sis.”
Once in the room, Kristen welcomed the soft cushion of her bed. The weight on the mattress shifted and she glanced over to see Laney cuddled on the other side, spooning the oversized pup. A steady stream of even breaths followed by a low gravelly snore, indicating both her sister, and the dog, had fallen asleep.
Freeing the comforter from underneath Laney, she covered them both, and pulled the blanket up to her chin. A scent of musk wavered in the air. Cole.
Fumbling for her cell, she found the phone in her pocket and dialed his number. Even though he didn’t answer, her heart rate accelerated as the deep baritone of his voice requested she leave a message at the beep.
“I’m sorry. Stupid fight. We should’ve talked…it out. With my tree. I’m a fool,” she slurred into the receiver, the apology both humbling and somewhat healing. “A fool in love who wants a team of lions, a stove that doesn’t smoke, and wine. So. Much. More. Wine.”
She inhaled a deep breath, embracing the comforting fragrance and hung up, burrowing deeper into her cocoon as a future family and decorating Christmas trees with Cole lured her to sleep.
* * *
Acrid smoke burned her throat, waking Kristen from a deep sleep. She opened her eyes and couldn’t see a thing. Enveloped in the heavy smog, she coughed unable to catch her breath as her mind tried to make sense of what was happening. The effects of the wine still clouded her thoughts, except one. The house was on fire.
“Laney,” she managed. Jumping out of bed, she raced to her sister’s side and yanked her arm until she woke. “Get up. We have to get out of here.”
For a split second, Kristen contemplated escaping through the window, but some fool had nailed it shut. One of the many projects, she’d meant to get to. She could shatter it, but, considering the room was sparsely decorated, there was little that would break the glass.
She rushed to the door, but a wall of heat stopped her as flames from the other side licked at the frame and the space lining the floor underneath. Suddenly the window shattered, the loud noise followed by a beautiful chiming sound as the splinters of glass fell to the floor.
Kristen jumped, whirling around to see the dark shadow of her sister as brisk cool air filled the space.
“I broke it with my cowboy boot,” Laney confessed. “Now we have a way out. Cane first. He won’t go without us.”
Somehow, her sister managed to trick the dog into jumping out the window by mentioning something about the animal’s favorite toy. Kristen followed, stepping up onto the seat with shaky legs.
A sickening crack splintered through the air. Suddenly, a large beam fell, pinning Laney to the floor and scattering fiery embers across the floor. Screaming Laney’s name, Kristen jumped down, rushing to her sister’s side.
The girl lay motionless, unresponsive to her cries. A swirl of dark thoughts bombarded her at once. Unless, she could free Laney, they were trapped. Using all the strength she could muster, Kristen attempted to push the heavy beam off. All to no avail. The damn thing wouldn’t budge.
Struggling to breathe, Kristen pulled off her over-shirt and somehow managed to tear it into two strips. She tied one half over her sister’s face like a bandana, then the other over hers, to help fend off the smoke.
She glanced back toward the door as her mind ran with thoughts of escape. If she could find a stick of some kind, she could possibly use leverage to lift the beam. Or perhaps escape out the window for help? But that would mean leaving Laney behind. Overwhelmed and exhausted, she slumped down beside her sister and grabbed her hand.
Images of decorating Christmas trees filtered in and she held onto the happy thought. Cole would come. He had to. This wasn’t the way she was going to die. Not with so much to live for.
Chapter Seventeen
“What the hell?” Cole glanced at his phone, confused by the voicemail. He pressed play to hear it again as the memory of his argument with Kristen erupted for the thousandth time. Throwing himself into work hadn’t erased the fight or the sight of her running from his house.
From him.
And now this message? A team of lions. A stove that doesn’t smoke? And what the hell did a talk with a tree mean? It hardly made any sense. He glanced in the direction of Kristen’s house. A faint ribbon of grey spiraled along the darkening skyline drawing his attention. The stove appeared to be smoking just fine. Good. At least she had a fire to keep her warm tonight.
He tucked the phone back into his pocket as relief quickened to annoyance. Apparently she wasn’t doing so badly without him. Grasping his work glove, he pulled the soft leather over his cold fingers, then spared another glance up. The thin stream had thickened, coiling into a serpent-like cloud. Within seconds, the snake darkened to black, consuming a large portion of the lilac sky.
Immediate
ly, a cold sweat dampened his skin. Something wasn’t right. That amount of smoke usually meant a fire. His heart hammered in his chest, a rapid drumbeat keeping time with his chaotic thoughts. Kristen.
“Call 911,” he shouted over his shoulder to Denny. He quickly spurred his horse into a gallop toward Kristen’s house, casting aside a fleeting thought to stop for his truck. Pushing Macy to her limit, he made it to the road in less than five minutes.
Slowing in case of ongoing traffic, he pulled back on the reins. The scent of burnt wood drifted in the air, stinging his nostrils. Cole dug his heels into the horse’s side urging the mare forward. As he reached the drive, glimpses of orange and red flickered through the trees confirming his worst fear.
Cole raced down the long driveway until Kristen’s house came into view. Engulfed in flames, the front end of the house was barely recognizable. Dread built, spiking his insides. Quickly, he dismounted, shouting her name, as Macy bolted back toward his ranch.
He neared the entrance, as heat scorched his skin and flames licked hungrily at the door, blocking admittance. A blood-curling scream fueled his panic into desperation. He yelled back, but the words were lost in the crackling noise of the fire. Rushing to the back of the house, he swiftly found the door.
Without a second thought, he kicked at the wooden barrier but the door refused to budge more than an inch. A large object blocked further entrance and he remembered the washing machine Kristen had said she’d get to removing one day. Damn it. He should’ve just taken matters into his own hand and gotten rid of the thing himself.
He peeked through the slit as flames lit the smoke filled hall, the combination making it impossible to see. Despair filtered in, crippling him with a brutal honesty. There wasn’t a damn thing he could do to save the woman he loved.
He was too late.
* * *
A shadow appeared at the window. Though slightly darker than the inky sky, she knew it was Cole.
