by Stone, Piper
“Last night? What prompted that out of the blue ?”
“The accident. He came home and said he wanted to move forward. Something about life being too short .”
Shannon thought about the words. “He’s right. So, you came here to brag ?”
“Exactly. Goofball, I came to ask you to come with me to buy a wedding dress .”
“Now?” Her mind drifted to the concept of a wedding. A white dress, lots of people, too much money spent. Never .
“He wants to get married before Christmas.” Jessica grinned and rose to a standing position. “A Christmas bride .”
“Oh, shit. Then there’s no time .”
“See? I need help. I have no clue how to do this .”
“Let me grab my purse. I know the best place in town .”
* * *
S hannon sat in the puffy velvet chair, swinging her crossed leg and about as uncomfortable as she could be. Even the second glass of complimentary champagne hadn’t soothed her nerves. She’d had not just one or two but six people comment on the newscast, almost cooing over her hug with Landen. This wouldn’t bode well for working tonight. She hissed and took another swig of the cheap bubbly .
“What do you think?” Jessica moved through the material flanked entrance, standing on the small pedestal, her face pinched .
“Do you want the truth ?”
“Only if you want to live .”
“You look like a giant marshmallow.” The words left Shannon’s mouth before she could stop them. She held her breath, waiting for Jessica’s wrath. When the girl laughed, almost doubling over, she joined in .
“I’m so glad you said that. Six dresses and they all look like I should be in Better Homes and Gardens .”
Shannon rose to her feet. “This isn’t you. You might have a fairytale relationship, but this isn’t the kind of dress you would ever wear for any reason .”
“Then what?” Jessica swirled back and forth, a frown on her face .
“What would Stoker expect you to wear ?”
Jessica thought about the question. “Let me look around again. I have an idea .”
“Good thought.” She surveyed the store, watching as two other brides, their mothers in tow, searched for the perfect dress, the one that everyone in society would talk about well into the future and long after they lost their figures to too many bon bons. A moment of clarity rushed into her system. She was never getting married. She’d never have the white picket fence with the perfect cozy house, the golden retriever and two adorable children waiting for daddy to come home. That life wasn’t for her .
“More champagne?” the attendant asked, her long eyelashes covered in glitter .
“You bet. Keep them coming.” Shannon held out her glass, almost impatient to have the fake crystal filled. When the girl walked away, actually singing to the rent-a-romantic-song booming through the stereo system, she took a huge gulp. She walked toward the closest rack of dresses, yanking first one then another out. When she found one that was reasonably acceptable and not throw up material, she walked toward the mirror, holding the dress up to her shoulders .
“Beautiful. You’ll make a gorgeous bride,” the woman said from behind her .
Shannon darted her eyes in the woman’s direction. Although the smile seemed sincere, she almost spewed a volley of nasty words. “Not me. Not now. Not ever.” She expected the woman to be appalled, race away to a corner, cowering from such a nasty woman .
The woman’s smile grew bigger and she gripped Shannon’s hand. “Never say never, my dear. Trust me. I know .”
She blinked several times, knowing somewhere in her mind that this was an apparition. When the woman nodded and walked away, she almost tossed the dress back onto the rack, scuttling backward. This experience was horrific. Terrible. Ugh. And why? Landen. One sexy smokejumper .
“What do you think ?”
Jumping, champagne sloshed out the side. Shannon turned, ready for another bantering comment and was floored. Flat out floored. “I have no words .”
“That bad?” Jessica groaned .
She took a step forward, then another until she twirled her finger. “Honey, you are gorgeous. This is the dress. Oh. My. God.” In fact, she’d never seen anything so stunning before. The slender high sheen silk fit Jessica like a glove, but instead of the usual flowery lace or bits of satin, there was a single adornment, a jewel at the dipping ‘V’ point of the bodice .
“I don’t look too bad .”
“You truly are stunning. You must buy that. Right now. Don’t wait. Please, don’t wait.” The words seemed to tumble out of Shannon’s mouth and she was flushed all over, beads of perspiration trickling down the back of her neck. She polished off the remainder of the champagne and struggled to find a place to put the glass .
“Are you okay?” Jessica asked as she stepped off the platform. “You look white as a ghost .”
“I’m fine. Just dandy.” But she knew she wasn’t. “Pay for that. No, I’ll buy that dress for you and I’ll buy lunch. Yes, lunch.” My God, she was almost disoriented. “I’ll drop off my credit card at the counter and just be outside for some air .”
“Uh-huh. I know what’s going on here .”
“What? What did you say ?”
Jessica chuckled. “I’ll be right back .”
Shannon couldn’t have gotten outside fast enough. She stood huddled against the building, gulping in air. Her reaction was unfathomable, but in her mind, she could almost see herself in the dress. She jerked out her sunglasses, hopeful they’d keep other gawkers and well-wishers from paying any attention to her. The words of Billy Idol’s famous song came to mind and within seconds, she was whistling the tune .
She needed a damn CAT scan. Exhaling, she controlled her breathing and tried to think about anything else. Puppies. Rainbows. Unicorns. Smokejumpers. Yeah, this was going to work. Shifting, she looked up the street, concentrating on the way the quaint area of town had changed just since she’d moved to Missoula. Gone were the abandoned buildings and for rent signs. Shops of every variety, restaurants and even jazz clubs replaced the once blighted areas. Ziggy’s was within walking distance and brought in a lunch crowd. The area was booming, providing jobs and boosting the economy .
Oddly enough, the group of investors who’d been responsible for funding the significant changes wasn’t well liked. Jeffries Development. That much she knew. Hmm… She hadn’t cared about business, other than her own, since moving here. But all eyes were drawn to the recent fires, rumors of thwarted building codes. She’d heard the chatter at Ziggy’s. The town’s dirty little secrets .
“Now, you’re going to fess up .”
She smiled, hearing Jessica’s near accusation in her voice. “I’m not keeping anything from you .”
Jessica held out the credit card. “I can pay for my own dress, but thank you .”
Snagging the card, she slipped it into her purse. “Let’s grab some lunch .”
“Then you’re going to tell me everything .”
“What’s there to tell ?”
“Why you’ve found the perfect man and you refuse to give him the time of day.” Linking arms, Jessica tugged her up the sidewalk. “And I won’t take no for an answer. There’s a perfect little bistro just around the corner, one perfect for confessing all your sins .”
Shannon grumbled all the way inside. When they were comfortable at a table by the window, a glass of wine in front of them, she eased back. “Yes, he spent the night. Then he left. He just left without saying a word. So typical of a man .”
“Hmm…” Jessica swirled her finger around the rim of her glass. “Did you know that Landen drove in from New York City the day you met him ?”
“Kind of .”
“Did you know he was required to be at the hanger at six in the morning the next day after that fire ?”
“He didn’t tell me that .”
“Did you know he’s on probation?” Jessica leaned over the table .
“Maybe he said something.” Had he? She wasn’t entirely certain .
She lowered her voice. “Do you understand at all about smokejumpers or firefighters in that they have a code between them. They will live and die for each other, but they must be a cohesive team. If they don’t work like a well-oiled machine, they could die or victims could die. Landen did something that went against the rules, the most basic training. He risked everything, including his respect with the jumpers, his team mind you, in order to save a life.” She allowed the words to linger .
“But he saved a life, much like he saved more than one last night. I’m proud of him.” Shannon realized she was indeed very proud of him .
“And you should be. What I’m saying is, respect and following the rules means everything to them. That was a very hard lesson for me to learn with Stoker. Landen had to leave that morning. That wasn’t about or against the time you spent tougher. He reacted like they all do, with pride and a strict regime. Give the man a break .”
Shannon sat back and looked out the picture window as the sun glimmered down from an almost pristine sky. People milled about, packages in hand and she’d been living here long enough to be able to tell the tourists from the locals. Yet, every one of them had a smile on their face, laughing and talking, sharing a wonderful moment together. Right now. At this very moment, she’d never felt so alone in her life. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Crystal, walking with two men. “Do you recognize those guys ?”
Jessica peered out, narrowing her eyes. “No, should I ?”
“Aren’t they city council members ?”
“Could be. Is this important ?”
“Just curious.” She huffed as her thoughts turned back to Landen. “Do you really think that’s why I pushed him away ?”
“Honestly? No. I know you better. You have a conviction about something from your past that you refuse to share. I get it. I don’t want to talk about my abusive father and what he did to me. I moved here with joy in my heart, starting over again. Stoker gave me the courage, but only after I allowed him inside. He was able to see past the hurting girl and the ugly mask I wore. I’m forever grateful but I have a long way to go. I still have nightmares. I haven’t told Stoker, and don’t you dare.” Jessica sighed. “We all have demons. You know ?”
Shannon thought about her friend’s frank words and the girl was right. “No one knows this but I’m actually from Chicago. I was born and raised there. My parents were working people. Dad was a cop and mom a schoolteacher.” She continued to stare out the window, as if garnering courage. “They were hard working and instilled so many wonderful values in my brother and me from day one. Everything was special to them. God, they were so much in love .”
“I didn’t know you had a brother .”
Nodding, she thought about the little tyke and the way he used to fawn all over her, following her everywhere she went. “He was the light of my parents’ life. The little boy was so bubbly and full of energy. He was almost eleven years younger than me. Mama told me once that he was a happy accident. Of course, no one ever told Ziggy that .”
“The name of the bar .”
“Yeah. I named it after him in honor.” As tears tried to form, she pushed them aside. “Anyway, my parents died in a car accident when I was just twenty-two. Ziggy was barely eleven years old. We had no other family anywhere close. Both my parents were only children and only one set of grandparents were alive. They lived in California. They tried to take us in, but they were different people. We’ll leave it at that.” She laughed and reached for her wine, her hand shaking. “I was able to convince the state I was fit to be Ziggy’s guardian. We tried. I left college in my senior year and managed to get a decent paying job, but times were tough .”
“Jesus, girl. You gave up so much .”
“And I’d do it again. He was special .”
“Was?” Jessica’s eyes opened wide .
“He was intelligent and very talented as an artist, but he got in with the wrong crowd. That led to drugs and he was arrested when he was seventeen. I was lucky because I knew the prosecutor to some degree, just because of the work I did as a paralegal. He would have been charged as an adult, but Ziggy got off with a slap on the wrist. In one week, he was back with that damn crowd. I went nuts and knew I was going to lose him. I found a job in Oregon and within a week after that, sold almost everything we owned, and we moved .”
“To Oregon ?”
“You bet.” Shannon was able to laugh easily, the memories sweet. “He loved it there. I thought for certain he’d hate me for the rest of my life. I was wrong. He was a natural with the wildlife and after a time, became interested in joining the volunteer firefighting group. My God, the kid excelled. He was offered at only twenty years old to join the smokejumpers. They were elite, well known and heroes in town. Against everything I believed in, I said yes. He loved the training, worked so damn hard and was first in his class .”
“But?” Jessica whispered .
“No buts. He was good at everything so naturally, he was going to become the best damn smokejumper in the world.” She held up her wine, gazing at the way the dark color hung in strings on the sides of the glass as she swirled the liquid. “They went on some routine fires, but every time I worried. By then he had an apartment and a girlfriend. I was happy, and we loved Oregon .”
“Do I want to know ?”
Shannon looked over the edge of her glass. “A huge fire occurred in Washington State the next summer. Arson. Some dickhead wanted to burn everything around him. The fire had taken almost one thousand acres before the Oregon team was called in. Terrible fire. The area was so dry that year and almost two hundred homes, at least two dozen lives had been lost. They were trained and ready. Two teams went out .”
“And?” Jessica gripped her wine, her lower lip quivering .
She hesitated, seeing his beautiful eyes, the excitement in them and the way he talked about his career. “Only one came back .”
Jessica sucked in her breath and reached across the table, taking Shannon’s hand. “I’m so sorry .”
Sniffing back another set of tears, she attempted to smile. “At least he didn’t suffer. The helicopter they were in got too close. A flash fire or something. I heard the details maybe ten times, but I never concentrated on them. I just knew my brother was gone. Dead. He died a hero. He was given a hero’s funeral, but I have his ashes. One day I’m going to do a special memorial here. He’d love Montana. I know that about him .”
“That’s a wonderful idea. Beautiful .”
“You think so? Really?” Shannon’s throat closed as she struggled to say the words .
“Absolutely. Honoring him is exactly what you should do. I understand, honey. I won’t bug you but I’m going to say this. Ziggy would have wanted you to go on. Being a smokejumper wasn’t what killed him, not really. The damn madman was the reason. However, I truly believe that when your time is up, life will end. Time for you to live your life the way you want. If you’ve fallen for Landen, then give him a chance. Give both of you a chance. Don’t allow this wonderful moment to pass you by. They only come around once. They really do .”
Shannon frowned and looked back out the window. Maybe Jessica was right, but how could she tell anyone the rest of the story? There were no words, no manner of comfort to take away this kind of pain. Fear gripped every ounce of her heart yet for the first time, she could feel the shell cracking, forcing its way inside, forging a fire. She closed her eyes, remembering the very last time she’d seen Ziggy’s happy face, smiling and ready to take on the world .
If only she could do the same .
* * *
“G oddamn, son of a bitch!” Landen tossed the wrench onto the tile floor. Given the force, the entire ancient floor should have broken into a thousand pieces. When the metal tool flipped over twice, landing and nicking the wall board, he could only laugh. So much for his skills as a plumber. At least he’d fixed the leak in the t
oilet. The shower? Well, that might be for another day .
He rubbed his shoulder as he stood and glanced at his watch. Yeah, time for a beer. The entire day certainly hadn’t gone as expected. However, he’d found several pieces of information at the local government office on recent developments around Missoula as well as other parts of the state. From what he’d been able to tell, the documentation was thorough, highlighting discussions held during public meetings, including meeting minutes. He’d discovered the identities of development owners and those seated on many of the Boards of Directors on the various parcels for several of the resorts. He’d take the time later to sort through it, determine if there was anything of use to the investigation into the hotel fire .
He’d been surprised when so many of the government workers had asked him why he was looking for the information, as if they were hiding a secret. Between that and the way some of the employees as well as a few customers reached out, as if he was a hero, the anticipated thirty minutes had turned into almost three hours. While he didn’t own a television at this point, he’d heard enough chatter to realize the accident was the talk of the town, his name splashed on every channel. Notoriety he didn’t need or want .
The idea of a ruse burned in the back of his mind, prompting him to continue his investigation online. What he found had been eye opening, if not damning, but the reports were suspiciously veiled and hiding the real truths, at least in his opinion. He was no fool. If the Jeffries Development Corporation was behind some rather sinister activities, there were dozens of overpaid minions who’d support the cover up. Perhaps Investigator Nelson knew more than he was telling. Perhaps. Nothing was going to get solved tonight and not without some form of help .
As he walked toward the kitchen, he noticed his phone laying exactly where he’d left it on the counter. How many times had he almost called Shannon? Two? No, five. At least. He pressed the on button, hoping to see if anyone had tried to call him. Nothing. He was a nobody in nowhere land. After grabbing a beer out of the refrigerator, he walked out to the front porch .
