No Getting Over You

by Shirleen Davies

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I was supposed to call Cassie tonight. All this with Pops...”

  Troy stared at Matt, his eyes narrowing. “Are you two back together?”

  Shaking his head, he regretted saying anything. He and Cassie had agreed to keep it low-key until they felt firm. His reservations were few, but they still clung to him, like dampness on a cold, foggy evening. They just needed time without any interference from family, no matter how good the intentions.

  “We’re talking about it. Please don’t say anything to Pops or her family.”

  “No worries, bro. It’s got to be tough with her in Colorado and you here.” He clamped a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “If you’re interested, I hope you make it this time.”

  “Thanks, Troy. So do I.”

  Climbing into the truck, he checked the time, deciding two in the morning was too late to call her. He’d wait until after the angiogram, hoping there’d be good news to report. He had no doubt she’d understand and would probably want to fly out to check on Seth herself.

  He wouldn’t let her. Seth would need his rest, and Matt wanted to spend time with Troy. They saw each other on holidays and a couple other times a year, but it wasn’t enough. Matt glanced over at Troy, who scrolled through the screen on his phone, laughing at one of the posts.

  “You did say no one knows about you and Cassie, right?” Troy stared at an image posted by a high school friend to one of the social media sites.

  “We both agreed to keep it between us. Why?” Matt pulled into the drive, turning off the engine.

  “Take a look.”

  He grabbed Troy’s phone, his eyes widening at the image of Cassie and him, their arms around each other at the airport before flying to Seattle. Cursing, he glanced at the name of the friend who posted the picture, then handed the phone back. “I’m going to strangle that guy,” he groaned, sliding out of the truck and slamming the door.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Cold Creek, Colorado

  “You haven’t heard from Matt at all?” Janie checked out the new restaurant while they waited for Skye to join them. “Have you tried calling him?”

  “Not yet. He’s supposed to fly in tomorrow morning, so I’ll wait. I’m sure he’s buried with work.” Cassie scrolled through her emails, noticing a post she’d missed from a friend. Opening it, her jaw dropped. “Oh no…”

  “What is it?” Janie leaned forward, taking the phone from Cassie’s hand. “It appears your secret is out. I assume you know this guy.”

  “I knew him in high school. He’s a year or two younger, a friend of Matt’s brother, Troy. For some reason, we’ve kept in touch.”

  “You didn’t see him in Washington?” She handed the phone back, spotting Skye walking toward them.

  “No. Maybe Matt did.” She cringed, guessing he might have already seen this. “Do you think this is why he hasn’t called me?”

  “Hi, girls. Sorry I’m late, but I got a call from one of the rodeo committees. What are you drinking?” Skye sank into a chair between the two.

  “Um…I have a margarita.” Cassie slid the phone into her purse, wondering how many people had seen it and if Matt was one of them.

  “Are you okay, Cassie? You look a little pale.”

  “I’m fine. A little tired after the last couple weeks.”

  “And last weekend.” Skye winked at her, a smile curving the corners of her mouth.

  “Last weekend?” Cassie tried to keep her face neutral. Janie’s laugh didn’t help.

  “Oh, come on. I know you and Matt flew to Seattle for the weekend. Is it a secret?”

  Cassie sank back into her chair, wishing she were a better liar. “Not so much a secret as we’re still trying to figure it out ourselves. We decided to keep it quiet until we’re certain of how we feel.”

  “The way you two look at each other, I think it’s pretty obvious.” Skye leaned over and squeezed Cassie’s arm. “So I shouldn’t be talking about it to Mitch or Sean or—”

  “Especially not family. They’d get these expectations and feel compelled to ask us about it.”

  “I assume Janie knows. Anyone else?” Skye glanced at Janie, tilting her drink toward her.

  “Just you. At least that’s what I hope.” Hearing her phone, Cassie grabbed it, seeing Matt’s image appear. “I need to take this.” She moved away, trying to find a quiet spot in the noisy restaurant. “Hi, Matt. I hope you can hear me. I’m at dinner with Janie and Skye.”

  “Should I call back?”

  “No, now is good. Are you still coming tomorrow?” She held her breath, hoping he hadn’t changed his mind.

  “That’s why I called. Pops is in the hospital. Troy is here, but I don’t think I should leave. Sorry about this.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about. What happened?” Cassie could hear the despair in Matt’s voice and wished she could be there with him.

  “Troy and I brought him in last night. By the time we left, it was about two in the morning. That’s why I didn’t call. They ran a bunch of tests on him today, but haven’t found anything specific. When they decided to keep him another night, I had to make a decision.”

  “I understand. Do you want me to fly out?”

  “No. It’s best if Troy and I deal with whatever is going on. Hopefully, we’ll be able to bring Pops home tomorrow. The doctor said the angiogram showed nothing…the same as the other tests. Keeping him another night is a precaution.” He let out a breath. “I was looking forward to seeing you.”

  “Same here, but Seth needs you. Are you certain you don’t want me there?”

  He didn’t answer right away, and she wondered if she’d pushed too hard.

  “Let’s plan on next weekend. I’ll try to fly out Friday and stay until Monday morning.”

  “Sure, Matt. Whatever works best for you.” She thought of the image on her phone. “Did you happen to see a photo of us online?”

  “You mean the one at the airport? Yeah, I saw it and I’m going to call him about removing it. He came up to me after you flew out, but never mentioned taking a picture of us. I still can’t believe he posted it.”

  “It’s not a huge deal. He probably thought we were back together and decided it would be fun to post the photo.” She waited a moment, not getting a response from Matt. “Are you still there?”

  “I’m still here. Are we back together, Cass, or are we still figuring it out?” He felt tired, way too tired to have this conversation.

  “I know what I want. I’m just not sure about you. I’d hoped we could talk about it this weekend.” She turned away from the noise, moving into a hallway.

  “Let me be clear. I want this to work. This isn’t a game to me, it’s serious…real serious. Unless you tell me otherwise, we’re together, Cassie.”

  The pounding of her heart added to the noise from the crowd, but she heard every word.

  “We’re together, Matt. No doubt in my mind.” She smiled, wishing she could jump into his arms. Instead, she leaned against a wall, relief washing away the stress of the last few days.

  “It’s good to get that settled. I’d better get going. I want to see Pops once more before they kick us out.”

  “Call me tomorrow and let me know how he’s doing.”

  “You know I will.”

  ******

  “Kurt, there’s a call for the arson investigator. Jerrod isn’t here. Do you want to take it?”

  “Sure.” He took the phone from his fellow firefighter’s hand. “This is Kurt Dobson.”

  “Where’s Jerrod James?”

  Kurt focused on the voice, unable to tell if it belonged to a male or female. “He’s not here right now, but I work with him. What can I do for you?”

  “This message is for Jerrod only. Can you pass it along?”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  “Ten-fifty Lake Drive. That’s all he needs to know.”

  “Did you say—” He stopped when the line went dead. Cu
rsing, he took off out the door toward the parking lot, punching Jerrod’s number into his phone. “Jerrod, it’s Kurt. Call me as soon as you get this message. We need to talk.”

  Jumping into his car, he wasted no time. Located in a rundown neighborhood of dilapidated buildings a few miles from the station, Lake Drive had been the site of a fire a few months before the arsonist started his activities. They’d lost the building.

  Parking, Kurt grabbed a flashlight and notepad, then scanned the area, looking for movement, sniffing the air for signs of a fire before walking toward the building. Broken glass littered the sidewalk in front and parking area on the side. As expected, the front door was locked, as were the windows. Walking to the side, he tried two other doors, then moved to the back, surprised at the size of the building. Glancing around at the sound of crunching gravel, he turned in a circle, scanning the area, seeing no one.

  The structure seemed to go on forever. From the front wall to the back had to be at least three hundred feet, about the length of a football field, making it one of the biggest industrial buildings in Cold Creek.

  Resuming his search, he tried the back door. Unlocked. Pushing the door open, he pointed the flashlight inside, revealing a dark interior strewn with trash and torn sleeping bags. Cringing, remembering the deaths of the two young men weeks before, he stepped further inside.

  Kurt searched three empty offices before returning to the room where he’d entered, a few feet inside the back door. Spotting another door in the room, he set his notebook against the wall, then turned the knob, exposing what appeared to be a large storeroom with a few windows up high and no exterior door. Boxes lined the walls, which seemed odd given the building had been abandoned for years. Setting the flashlight on the floor, Kurt picked up a box and placed it on the floor in front of him. Using a knife, he slipped it across the tape, searching the contents. Nothing except wadded up newspaper. Trying two more, he found the same crumpled paper in each.

  Settling fisted hands on his hips, he took one more look around, then picked up the flashlight, deciding to take one more look through the warehouse before leaving. Approaching the door, Kurt heard a loud crash a moment before the door to the storeroom slammed shut.

  ******

  “All right, Skye. I’ve fessed up about Matt and me. It’s your turn to tell us about Gage.” Cassie looked over the rim of her glass, eyes sparkling.

  Skye tilted her head, a frown drawing down the corners of her mouth. “What about Gage?”

  “It’s obvious something is going on between you two. He insisted you ride back to the motel with him. Spill.”

  Janie’s eyes widened a little, although she kept her thoughts to herself. She’d seen Gage and Skye together a couple times, returning from lunch or when she delivered sales data Kade requested for their meeting. Even she noticed the connection.

  “It’s not at all what you think. He didn’t insist I ride with him. He offered to take me since we’re staying at the same motel.” Skye squared her shoulders, deciding the best defense was to deny everything. “Gage is a business partner. I’d be a fool to start anything with him.”

  “But you’d like to,” Cassie added.

  “Who wouldn’t? He’s handsome, intelligent, and from what I understand, available. Even so, nothing is going to happen between us.”

  At the sound of her phone, Janie reached behind her for the purse slung over the back of her chair. “Hello?”

  “Janie, it’s Jerrod. Kurt left me a message to call, but I can’t reach him. Is he with you?”

  “No. As far as I know, he’s at the station. Have you tried there?”

  “They said he took off about the same time he left the message for me. Well, guess I’ll wait until he tries back. Hold on a moment.” Janie could hear Jerrod talking to others before he came back on the line. “I’ve got to go. Another fire has been reported. Sorry to bother you.” Jerrod hung up, leaving Janie with a knot building in her stomach.

  “What is it?” Cassie asked.

  “Jerrod is trying to find Kurt. He thought maybe he was with me.” She swallowed. Something wasn’t right. Holding her phone, she texted Kurt, then Jerrod, asking him to let her know as soon as Kurt got a hold of him. She glanced up, seeing her friends staring at her. “Then he got a call about another fire and hung up. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  “Do you want to drive to the station or swing by his place?” Skye asked, signaling the waitress for their check.

  “No. He’s probably at one of the sports bars with a buddy. It’s his way of unwinding.”

  Walking outside, Janie heard her phone again. “Hello?”

  “It’s Jerrod. We found Kurt’s car at the scene of the fire. We can’t find him, Janie.”

  “Where are you?”

  “It’s not wise for you to come here. Let us do our job and I’ll call you.”

  “Where…are…you?” she demanded. If he didn’t tell her, she’d drive around town until she found it.

  “Ten-fifty Lake Drive. But Janie—”

  She turned toward Cassie and Skye, her stomach churning. “They found Kurt’s car. It’s at the scene of the fire, but they can’t find him.”

  “I’ll drive while you give me directions,” Cassie said, sprinting toward her truck.

  ******

  Not deterred by the road block, Cassie turned around, driving down the next street. Parking, Janie grabbed bottles of water as they jumped from the truck, handing one to each of her friends as they dashed between buildings and toward the fire. Coming to a stop at a fence about eight feet high, Cassie ran from one end to the other.

  “Down here,” she shouted, already pulling back loose fencing. “If we can open this wide enough, we might be able to squeeze through.”

  It took several tugs before they could shimmy through the opening, coming to a halt at the back of the building. What they saw stopped them. The building was so large the firefighters hadn’t even reached the back yet. Smoke billowed from broken windows as firefighters worked to knock down the flames at the front of the building.

  Seeing a door ajar, Janie took a couple steps toward it, stopping when Cassie gripped her arm, tugging her back.

  “You can’t go closer, Janie. Let them do their job.”

  “Let go of me.” She wrenched her arm free, dashing toward the open door, oblivious to the danger. “I have to find him before the flames reach the back.”

  “Janie, stop! The smoke will get you before you get ten feet inside,” Skye called, running after her, followed by Cassie.

  “Dammit, Janie. Stop!” Cassie yelled as Janie disappeared inside, pouring the bottle of water over her head. “Skye, let the firefighters know about Janie. I’m going to try and stop her.”

  “Are you crazy? Don’t you dare go in there.” Skye glanced around, seeing no one at the back. Everyone seemed to be clustered at the front, trying to stop the fire from spreading. “I’ll find someone and be right back. Promise you won’t go in there.”

  Cassie nodded, waiting until Skye disappeared, then removed her blouse, soaking it with the bottled water. Placing it over her face, she dashed inside, staying low.

  “Janie!”

  “Here,” Janie choked out. “Help me get this door open.”

  Cassie took a breath through the soaked cloth, then handed it to Janie. “Get out of here. We need to wait for help.”

  “He’s in here. I’m certain of it.” She pointed to a notebook leaning against the wall. On her hands and knees, she bent lower, trying to get a breath of fresh air. “I can’t leave him.”

  Before Cassie could reply, a roaring sound came from above them a moment before the ceiling gave way, crashing down around them.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “You’re certain Janie went inside?” Jerrod asked, running toward the back of the building with Skye, the fire chief, and several firefighters.

  “Positive. We tried to stop her, but…” Rounding the corner, her chest constricted when she didn’t spot
Cassie.

  Grabbing Skye’s arm, Jerrod pulled her away from the back entrance. “You’ve got to get back to the front or behind that fence. You can’t stay here.”

  “Part of the ceiling caved in. Let’s get to work,” the chief shouted, pointing toward the door.

  “Cassie!” Skye’s gaze darted from one side of the building to another, looking for any sign of her cousin. “She must have followed Janie inside. Cassie!” she shouted again, trying to hear over the sounds of the fire, sirens, and onlookers.

  “Did you hear something?” Jerrod turned toward the other men. “Inside. I’m certain I heard someone.”

  “Clear the opening.” The chief turned toward Skye. “You have to leave. Now. If they’re inside, we’ll get them out.” When Skye hesitated, he grabbed her by the shoulders. “Do I need to escort you?”

  Her frightened gaze latched onto the chief’s, fear pounding through her body. “No. I’ll get back.” She didn’t head toward the front. Instead, she took a position at the fence, arms crossed as she paced, praying they’d find them in time.

  “There, Chief,” one of the men pointed. “They’re no more than five feet inside, against a doorway.”

  Working quickly, they had the debris cleared before Skye had a chance to dash back to the building.

  “I told you to stay back.” Jerrod glowered, pointing toward the fence, stopping Skye midway. Shaking her head, she backed up, not shifting her gaze away from the building.

  In less than a minute, one of the men carried Janie outside, another carrying Cassie, both coughing…both alive. Skye sagged with relief, ignoring orders to stay away as she ran to Cassie, hearing the chief bark orders into his phone. Seconds passed before shouts drew her attention to the paramedics racing toward them.

  Jerrod crouched next to Janie, brushing hair from her face, his hand supporting her back as her coughing eased. Gripping his arm, Janie tried to stand up.

  “Hold on, Janie. The paramedics are just about here.”

  “Kurt…he’s inside that last room. You’ve got to get him.” The panic in her face, her wild-looking eyes, had Jerrod dashing to the doorway.