She knew he was trying to be funny, but she couldn’t laugh. She walked up to her father, jerked the hose from him. “Dad, why are you doing this?”
He took the hose back, pressed his thumb against the nozzle, sending a jet of water onto the roof. “It didn’t burn in 1878, and I can’t let it burn now.”
“Dad, you could be hurt—or killed. How do you think Kendra, Britta, and I would feel if the Inn survived, but we lost you?”
He kept spraying. “I promised your mama when they lowered her into her grave that I would pass the Inn onto you and your sister or die trying.”
“You stubborn bastard!” Kendra looked both angry—and hurt.
She had always been jealous of Lexi’s mother’s memory.
“I owe this to my daughters.”
Tears filling her eyes, Lexi touched a hand to her father’s arm. “No, you don’t. Mom wouldn’t want this either. She’d want you to be safe.”
“You go on, Lexi. Take that sweet baby girl with you. I’ll be fine.”
“Hey, Bob!” Rose called from across the street. “I’m about to take off. Since you’re staying, can you spray down my shop, too, make sure it doesn’t burn?”
Lexi’s father turned around and sprayed Rose with the hose, soaking her while she screamed. “You want to save your shop? Stay, and spray it yourself!”
“Come on, Dad. Let’s go. I can’t just leave—” Lexi’s phone buzzed.
It was Rick Sutherland, Austin’s boss.
“Hey, Lexi, have you heard from Austin?”
“No. I sent a few texts but haven’t heard back. He told me he was staffing a barricade.”
Silence.
Lexi’s pulse skipped. “Is something wrong?”
“He asked for permission to head out to Bear’s place on Haley Preserve. Radio contact out there isn’t good. We lost touch with him a while ago.”
Across the street, a furious Rose was shouting at Lexi’s father.
“I’m sure he’ll contact you as soon as he can.”
“Haley Preserve burned over ten minutes ago. We don’t know for certain he was there when it did. That’s why we’re calling around.”
“Wh-what?” Lexi’s heart seemed to stop, her mind struggling to understand what Rick had just told her.
“I hate to say it, but the fire moved through there ten minutes ago.”
She managed a single word. “N-no.”
Chapter 11
Vicki helpedRico put a day’s worth of prep into the walk-in fridge, her thoughts on Eric. He’d texted her not long ago, so she knew he was safe. Still, her heart hurt for him.
Today was turning out to be the worst day of his life.
He had warned people this might happen. He had tried to thin the forest west of town. He had tried to get mountain homeowners to create defensible spaces around their homes. Very few had listened. And now it looked like the worst might come to pass.
Every house that burned, every person who was injured, every pet that was lost or killed, even dead wildlife—it would weigh on him.
Rico put a big hand on her shoulder. “He’s going to be okay.”