I’d wanted to wait until the last possible moment to show up so the barbecue was pretty much over. But the grandstands were nearly full. Some folks sat listening to the band, and others danced, all while waiting for night to fully descend and the fireworks show to begin.
I parked my SUV off the road next to the fire truck, and Cleaver, who’d dutifully followed us back and forth today, pulled in behind us.
I turned off the car and twisted in my seat to take in Maisey. She was staring out the windshield, watching the sky turn from burnt umber to teal to black above the lake. She tugged at her hair that she’d let loose from its braids after an afternoon spent tangled in bed. The nerves had returned, and I hated seeing them.
Feeling the weight of my stare, she turned, green eyes hitting mine with a sadness I wanted to wipe away. I took her left hand in mine and caressed thetoi et moiring. Two becoming one. The truth was, we’d never had tobecomeone. We’d just always been one.
“There’s a piece of me that still hopes I’m wrong.”
She wasn’t. As soon as she’d said it to Wylee this morning, I’d known she was right.
I couldn’t lie to her, couldn’t reassure her that the worst hadn’t happened to her family, so I did my best to soothe her in other ways. I leaned toward her, put a hand on the back of her neck, and kissed her before resting my forehead against hers. “Whatever happens, whatever way the chips fall, there’s one thing I’m certain of—you and me are together, forever.”
Her hand caressed my cheek, throat bobbing and eyes swimming. Then she gave me a weak smile and reached for the door handle. I climbed out and joined her around the hood of the car, twining my fingers with hers.
Heads turned in our direction, proving we’d continued to be the center of our small-town rumor mill, maybe even more so with the talk of her dad’s death.
Vader trailed us with his leash in Maisey’s hand. His tail was up, on alert. The emotions he’d sensed bleeding from us for two days were keeping him on edge just like us.
When we reached the bleachers, we drew to a halt, watching people dance to Watery Reflection. The band members may be in their fifties, but you’d never know it from their energy on stage. The eclectic mix of rock and pop and folk meant their songs had something for every type of music lover.
All I wanted to do was swing Maisey into my arms, dance with her, and kiss her under the fireworks. I promised myself, next year, things would be different. If I got the fire chief position, I’d be here, supporting my crew, but I wouldn’t have to stand watch. I’d be able to tuck Maisey up against me and make sure she and the whole damn town knew just how permanent we were.
Cleaver eased up next to us, and I asked, “What’s the news from the sheriff?”
“The movie set broke up two days ago, and the cast headed back to LA. But they aren’t picking up filming there until after the holiday weekend. No one knows where Chelsea and Gavin are staying, and the Helmers’ place is empty. We have a deputy sitting on it, but he may get pulled away if things get hectic downtown.”
I thought about our chat with Chelsea at the mall. She’d said they were on a break from filming but were due back. It wasn’t a lie. It matched this story, but she’d made it sound like they were still filming here in the mountains.
“What’s next?” I asked.
“We’ve got an APB out on Gavin’s car and are running their credit cards, but we have to find them before we can question them.”
Every time we talked with the sheriff’s department, we got a wait-and-see kind of answer, and I had to clamp my teeth to stop myself from biting out an angry retort.
“Maisey!” a voice called from the bleachers, and we whirled around to see Andie waving at her to come join them.
Maisey squeezed my hand and then let it go, heading toward the stairs.
“Don’t go anywhere,” I called after her.
“I won’t,” she said.
I looked down at Vader. “Protect Maisey. Go with Maisey, boy.” He barked, accepting his task, or maybe he was just as much in love with her as I was. All I cared about was that he went after her, adding another layer of protection.
I shot Cleaver my deadliest look. “Anything happens to her on your watch, I’m holding you responsible.”
He started to respond, but I didn’t wait to hear it. Instead, I headed for the engine and my crew, who were all waiting for me in their turnout gear.They shifted on their feet in discomfort, but it was Tejas who asked the question.
“How are you and Maisey holding up?”
“We’re okay. We’ll be better once the sheriff catches the person responsible, and we’re hoping that happens tonight. Right now, I need to concentrate on getting this done so I can get back to her.”
I handed out assignments, ensuring we’d be spread out as wide as possible to catch any ember that sparked, before returning my attention to the grandstands.
Maisey was sitting with Andie and some of the other staff from the resort. She was safe, with Vader lying devotedly at her feet and Cleaver watching her from the foot of the bleachers, and yet my gut was screaming at me in warning.
Was it Cleaver I didn’t trust or just the entire situation? Maybe it was simply not having her next to me, where I could step between her and her enemies if need be.