by Stacy Finz
“Hi, Deputy McBride.” The McCreedy boys came running up.
Dana mouthed, Deputy?
“Deputy fire marshal. It’s my official title,” he told her. “But you can just call me Aidan . . . or lover boy.”
“Hey, fellows.” He ruffled Cody’s hair. “You know Dana Calloway?”
They stuck out their hands like teenage gentlemen and greeted her. The older one, Justin, looked just like his dad and had to be at least sixteen.
“When are you boys starting at the firehouse?” Aidan asked.
“Tomorrow,” Cody said. “Justin can only come for a few hours because he has Junior Rodeo practice. Will you be there?”
“Not until Tuesday, but maybe I’ll drop by. See how you’re doing. Sean and his brother, Seth, coming too?”
“No, sir,” Justin said and left it at that.
“You two bowling?” Dana asked.
Cody pointed a few lanes away, where Clay and his wife, Emily, sat, eating a plate of nachos. They waved and Dana waved back.
When the boys rushed back to their game, Aidan asked, “Who’s the woman?”
“Clay’s wife.”
“I thought she was dead.”
“That was the first wife. She died in a car accident with her lover.” Carol had told Dana the whole sordid story. “The second wife’s child was kidnapped close to five years ago, when she was with her first husband, living in the Bay Area. They never found her.”
“Whoa, seriously? That’s horrible,” Aidan said.
“God-awful. I don’t know her, but people say that she and Clay are very much in love. It’s good they have each other, don’t you think?”
“Sure. It can’t hurt.”
Spoken like a true guy, Dana thought. They found their lane, traded their shoes for ugly rubber ones, and tried to figure out the scoring system.
“Haven’t you ever done this before?” Dana asked because she didn’t know the first thing about bowling but had always wanted to try. Never having excelled at sports, she wondered how hard rolling a ball down a wooden lane could be.
With Tim, she’d told herself the same thing about golf. It had looked ridiculously easy hitting the ball into a hole, until she’d tried it.
“I haven’t been bowling since I was a kid,” Aidan said. “It wasn’t the kind of thing Sue was in to.”
“How come?” To Dana, it looked fun. Not serious or competitive, like tennis. Or strenuous, like mountain biking. And it didn’t involve short white skirts or spandex.
He let out a humorless laugh. “Too working class. The closest we ever came was a game of bocce ball at a winery on a vacation in Napa.”
“Was that a problem for you?” She shouldn’t have asked. Soon, he’d be crying in their pitcher of lemonade about how much he missed Sue. Griffin had had a few of those moments. Instead of running for the hills, Dana had given him her shoulder. That had certainly worked out well.
“The vacation in Napa? I’m not much of a wine drinker, and that’s about all there is to do there. She liked it, though. The working-class thing? No . . . yes . . . I don’t know. We were different. But different can be good . . . exciting . . . sexy. My folks loved her.” He scrubbed his hands through his hair. “I don’t know why I just told you that. Let’s practice for a while. Hopefully the scoring will come back to me.”
She didn’t know why he’d told her that either. It would’ve crushed her if not for the fact that Aidan remained completely attentive. He laughed when her ball bounced down the lane and headed straight for the gutter. Lifted her into the air and kissed her when she got a strike. And danced with her when he got one. They’d become quite a spectacle, and although she didn’t like being the center of everyone’s attention, she liked being the center of his.
They played two frames before they realized the scoring was automatic, which was pretty stupid because it flashed up on an overhead screen. Dana supposed they’d been too distracted by each other to notice.
The McCreedy boys stopped at their lane on their way to the snack bar and talked to Aidan some more. They wanted to know about being a firefighter. Were the fire engines hard to drive? Were there really poles to slide down at the firehouse? And had Aidan ever saved anyone?
He answered all their questions and asked them what grades they were in, and asked Justin about Junior Rodeo.
“How do you rope a steer?”
“I can show you,” Justin said. “Just come over to the ranch.”
“I’d enjoy that.” They came up with a date and the boys ran off.
“Kids love you, don’t they?” Dana pulled a ball out of the return machine. “At first I thought you just bribed them with Otter Pops. But they genuinely like you.”
“Of course they do. Everyone likes me.” He said it teasingly, but it was true.
She wondered why a popular guy like him would like a wallflower like her. “I don’t think kids like me that much.”
“All you have to do is make an effort and they’ll like you. Kids are pretty easy that way.”
She flung the ball down the lane, watching it bounce, swerve right, and take down two pins. “Why do you like me?”
Aidan sat next to her on the bench. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“No. I’m not generally insecure.” On second thought, maybe she was when it came to relationships. But as far as her professional life, she was damned proud of her accomplishments. She was smart, enterprising, and self-sufficient. A lot of women—and men—couldn’t say the same. “You’re just so outgoing and I’m a loner.”
“I don’t think you’re a loner,” he said. “I think you’re shy. You’re also clever, interesting, beautiful, sexy, and a tremendous businesswoman. All part of the reasons I like you, but not the biggest reason.”
“What’s the biggest reason?”
“You make me feel like I light you up from the inside out.”
She sat there for a while, taking that in. That’s how he made her feel, like she was perfect the way she was, regardless of their differences. Not second but first.
He nuzzled her ear. “Let’s go home.”
They changed back into their real shoes, brought the pitcher back to the snack bar, and walked to Aidan’s truck, holding hands in the balmy night air.
“If I had a pool, we could go for a swim.” She tossed him a salacious grin. That night at her parents’ had been the most erotic of her life.
“We could sneak into the pool at Sierra Heights. Naked.” Aidan sounded serious.
“I didn’t realize you were an exhibitionist. Sorry, bucko, I like privacy.”
“Do you now? Then we’ll go straight home.” He kissed her, letting his hands wander over her body before she climbed into his Expedition. Inside the cab, he continued his exploration over her clothes, making her nipples pebble against the soft cotton of her blouse. “I don’t know if I’ll make it.”
“You’ll make it.” She laughed.
He took her hand and guided it over the giant bulge in his pants. “I don’t think so.”
“What are you suggesting?” She let her hand linger on his crotch.
“That we do it right here. It’s dark; no one will see us.”
“You’re crazy.” But his eagerness turned her on. No one had ever made her feel this hot or this sexual. She reached over and started to undo his belt, hearing him suck in a breath. Then she got down on her knees on the floor in front of the seat.
And his phone rang.
Chapter 18
Talk about bad timing. Aidan looked at the caller ID and muttered a curse.
“McBride here.”
“Dangburnit! We’ve got another one,” Captain Johnson said, and Aidan pivoted his head so he could take in the whole square. No flames, no smoke.
“Where is it?”
Johnson told him, and Aidan looked over at Dana. “Shit.”
“How quick can you get here?”
“I just have to drop my date home. No more than ten minutes.”
; “Bust a move, then.”
He put his phone away and Dana asked, “Another fire?”
“Yep.” He got on the road, headed for home. “Don’t freak out, but this one’s at your real estate office.”
“Oh God.” She fumbled inside her purse for her phone. “I’ve got to call Carol. Wait, where are you going?”
“To drop you off so I can go.”
“Take me with you.”
“Honey, it’s a fire, quite possibly a crime scene. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you get near that.”
“Fine, as soon as you drop me home, I’ll get in my car and drive there myself.”
“Jesus, Dana, not now. At least wait until they have the fire contained.”
“It’s my office, Aidan . . . my papers, records, computer . . . do you really expect me to sit home? I can assure you that as soon as I call Carol, she’ll jump in her car.”
He huffed out a breath. “You promise to stay back, not get underfoot, and for God’s sake not do anything that’ll put you in danger? I’m not fooling around here, Dana.”
“I promise. How bad is it?”
“I don’t know.” But when they drove up, it looked bad.
The back half of the building was enveloped in flames. Aidan saw Kurtis and Hutch take their hoses to the throat of the dragon. A lot of guys working this one. In Chicago they called it an all-hands fire. Aidan didn’t have his turn outs, but he figured Johnson had called him in to investigate.
Dana covered her mouth. “Oh boy.”
“Stay here.” Aidan started to get out of the truck as Dana grabbed for his arm.
“Be careful. And, um, Aidan, close your pants.”
Shit, he’d forgotten about that. “Don’t get out of the truck, you hear me?”
She nodded and he left, joining the captain and Rhys, who were huddled next to one of the engines.
“It’s a worker,” Johnson called.
“I can see that.”
“They’ll get it knocked down fairly quickly.” Johnson got distracted and swiveled toward a couple of the guys. “Duke, what the hell are you doing?”
Aidan watched as Duke fussed with his hose nozzle, clearly oblivious that he had his back to the flames.
“Jesus Christ, the guy’s junk. He’s gotta have a high-up relative in Cal Fire somewhere.”
Aidan wanted to sniff around the perimeter before the fire was extinguished. He borrowed gear from one of the engines and hurriedly dressed, sticking a helmet over his head. Staying out of the way, he made his way around the building, smelling and trying to discover the fire’s origin, not an easy job in the chaos. But timing was everything. When he could get closer, he’d use a portable hydrocarbon sniffer, a handheld device that would help him determine if and where ignitable liquid residues could be found.
“Anything?” Rhys came up behind him.
“I smell gasoline.” He pointed to an area near the building’s back door. “I think the fire started outside, right about there. See how the bottom of the door has the most charring?”
“It’s hard to see anything with everyone running around.” Firefighters were now cutting into an exterior wall with their axes. They’d already opened the roof for ventilation. “I guess you’ve got a trained eye.”
Aidan let out a breath. “Too soon to say for sure, but this doesn’t look like an accident.” From shreds of burned debris on the ground, it looked like someone had used a pile of garbage to ignite the building.
“Why suddenly on this side of town?”
Aidan hitched his shoulders. “Dunno.”
It concerned him that it was Dana’s place of business. If this was a vengeance thing directed at him by Rigsby, it would make sense that he’d go for something personal. It was no secret that he and Dana lived together. He didn’t know how the sporting goods store and the Bun Boy fit in, unless they were just for practice.
“It seems to be escalating,” Aidan said. “The first one was nothing. The second a little bigger. This one . . .”
“It’s pissing me off,” Rhys said. “What the hell is in it for this guy?”
Aidan couldn’t rule out money, which was the usual motive for arson. “Who owns this building?”
“Carol Spartan, not Thurston. There goes your theory on Trevor.”
“He could be trying to throw us off.” But it seemed far-fetched. “You get anything back on Rigsby’s shirt?”
“Not yet. The sheriff’s department promises it’ll be this week.”
A car pulled into the lot, the driver ignoring the yellow tape. Dana jumped out of Aidan’s truck and he gritted his teeth. Why couldn’t she do what he’d asked her to and stay put?
“Carol,” Rhys said, obviously recognizing the car.
A few minutes later, both Dana and Carol approached. “When can I get inside?” Carol asked.
For the most part the flames had been extinguished. Aidan watched Hutch and Kurtis check for hot spots.
“Not for a couple of hours,” he said, wanting time to comb the site for clues and take samples near the origin that would later be analyzed by a chemist for the presence of an accelerant. “It looks like it was mostly the back of the building.” From what Aidan remembered of the office, the back housed the bathroom, a small kitchen area, and a conference room.
“I’m worried about files,” Carol said. “Not everything was on the computer.”
“Where did you keep ’em?”
“Toward the back, behind my desk.”
“I’ll be going in soon,” he said. “I’ll try to text Dana with a damage update, but I have to focus on my investigation.”
“I understand,” Carol said, her face ashen. “Whatever you could tell us we’d appreciate.” Dana nodded.
“I’ll do my best.” Most of his focus, however, would be on the outside of the building. From what he’d seen so far, the arsonist hadn’t broken in, just set the fire at the back door. “How did you get word of the fire?”
“Dana called me,” Carol answered, and Dana gave him an odd look, as if to say, You know I called her.
“Where were you when you got the call?”
Carol pulled back, clearly offended by the question. “You think I set my own building on fire?”
“I have to ask,” he said. “I know where Dana was.”
“If you must know, I was at Sierra Heights. The couple who made an offer on a home there yesterday is still in town and wanted to take some measurements. Griffin can vouch for me, and of course I could put you in touch with the couple.”
Aidan held up his hands. “Not necessary.” There was no reason to suspect Carol. No one burned down their office when business was booming. “I just have to be thorough.”
With that, she appeared to lose some of her pique. “You must think the fire was intentional.”
Oh yeah, he thought. “Jury is still out.”
Dana caught his eye and held his gaze, dubious. He hadn’t fooled her.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” He hooked his arm in hers and walked her to his truck. “I thought I asked you to wait in the Expedition.”
“The fire is out,” she huffed.
“The only reason you’ve been allowed to stay inside the yellow tape is because you came with me. I don’t want you in harm’s way, you understand?”
“Carol gets to stay.”
“Carol owns the property. I can’t focus on my job and worry about you at the same time. In fact, why don’t you take the truck and go home? I’ll text you when it’s safe to come back.”
“I thought you said you’d let us know how bad it is when you go inside.”
“Will you promise to go home?”
She took some time to consider and finally nodded. He swiped the helmet off his head and kissed her.
“I’ll let you know,” he said. “I left the keys in the ignition.”
“Okay. You’ll be careful, right?”
“I’ll be careful.”
As soon as she drove away he c
alled his sister, who he knew was off duty. “You hear about the fire at Nugget Realty?”
“Yep. I volunteered to come in, but Rhys said he had it under control. Is this related to the other two?”
“I think so, but I’m not sure yet. Do me a giant solid, would you? Dana just went home. I don’t want her there alone.”
“Sure. But why?” Sloane asked. “Are you being abundantly cautious because it was her office?”
“Yes. I don’t have time to go into it now. I’ll talk to you later.” He clicked off before she could pelt him with a million questions. More than likely he was overreacting, but when it came to Dana he wasn’t taking any chances.
“Hey,” Rhys called to him from the back door of the realty office. “Take a look at this.”
Aidan trotted over. On the ground was a melted blob of bright orange plastic, possibly a lighter. Next to it was a large boot print similar to the one he’d seen at the sporting goods store. He hunkered down to examine both. There were words on the plastic—Aidan suspected a company name and address—which, for the most part, had been obliterated by heat. The font, still decipherable, rang a bell, though. He scrutinized them until his eyes went blurry.
“I know where this came from,” he said.
* * *
Dana and Carol spent much of the next day cleaning up the mess. Although they hadn’t lost their files—they’d remained protected in metal cabinets that had turned out to be fireproof—their kitchen, bathroom, and conference room had been destroyed. And they now had a sunroof where the firefighters had opened up the ceiling for ventilation.
Carol glanced up. “I hope it doesn’t rain.”
“Pat’s sending a crew over to at least cover the roof.” First her house, now this, Dana thought to herself. At least they could salvage much of the front of the office, which had suffered significant water damage and was covered in ash and filth. “We’ll have to replace the carpet and some of the furniture up here.”
“I always wanted to do hardwood anyway,” Carol said. “Vance is on his way to Reno to buy the new computers. Thank God we backed everything up. What the heck is taking the cleaning team so long?”
