by K. C. Crowne
“Leah!” Piper shouted, her voice much louder than I’d ever heard. She stumbled out of the car, and Grant caught her before she fell to the ground. “I was worried about you.”
I had the briefest of seconds to catch Grant checking Piper out as she stumbled toward me. He was checking out her ass. My brother was checking out my best friend.
I was in shock. I’d never noticed it before.
“Grant was kind enough to keep me company,” Piper slurred. “Since you weren’t answering.”
“Yeah, she messaged me, worried about you,” Grant said, running a hand through his dark hair. “Where were you? I went by your house.”
“I, well, we can talk about that later.” My cheeks flushed red.
I guess it’s only fair that he was checking out my best friend since I’d just slept with his. I knew Grant wouldn’t do anything while Piper was drunk, it just surprised me that he was into her.
“What’s going on, Piper?” I asked, staring into her big, wide eyes. “You okay, sweetheart? I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”
“I’m fine now,” she said, hiccupping and then giggling. “But yeah, I was pretty bummed about what happened today. You know my landlord decided to sell to the developer, right? It costs too much to repair the damage from the fire, he said.” As she spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks. Her cheerfulness was gone in a flash.
“Oh honey,” I said, taking my best friend into my arms. “I’m so sorry. We’ll think of something, okay?”
“My business is gone, Leah. I don’t know what I’m gonna do now.”
“We’ll find you a new building.”
“Where?” she asked. “There isn’t anywhere else for it, not downtown. Not that I can afford.”
Grant spoke up from behind us. “We’ll think of something. You’re not alone, Piper.”
Piper fell into my arms, and I hugged her tightly. She was sobbing into my shoulder, and it broke my heart. I looked past her at Grant, who looked pained and confused about what to do. My brother was a fixer - he always wanted to fix whatever was broken. Piper wasn’t an air conditioner or a roof, and this was far outside of his wheelhouse.
He scratched his beard and stared at us both, helplessly.
“Go on home,” I told him. “I’ve got this.”
I had more experience with Piper than he did. I also understood female feelings and emotions more than him. Grant was a good guy, but he was clueless when it came to women.
He hesitated, but Piper lifted her head and spoke to him. “It’s okay, Grant. Leah will take care of me now.”
He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Fine, but I want to see that the two of you get home safely. It’s late.”
“I’ll take Piper to my place. She can sleep there for the night. Follow me.”
Grant got into his pickup, and I helped Piper get settled into my car. I waved at my brother as we pulled out, and he was behind us - following us home. He didn’t have to do that, but he always looked out for me.
Come to think of it, he’d always looked out for both of us. Why hadn’t I noticed the way he cared about Piper before? Had she noticed? I guess we’d have to wait and find out, after she sobered up a bit more.
Chapter 15
Kellen
I awoke with a start. The sun streamed through the windows, drenching me in warmth. I was covered in sweat, and my heart was racing. I had gone back to bed in my jeans after Leah left, too tired to get undressed again. The room felt stuffy and hotter than it really was.
At first, I thought I’d woken to Matilda crying again, but the baby monitor was silent. Rolling over, I looked at the clock - it was just after six in the morning. Why was I awake? I rolled back over and closed my eyes, hoping to get another hour or so of sleep.
The memory of the nightmare came rushing back as soon as I tried. A fire, smoke, and ash surrounded me. Just like the day I’d lost Henry, but this time, Henry wasn’t the person I was trying to save.
It was Matilda and Leah.
A voice had echoed through my head as the ceiling caved in, blocking my way.
Stay away from her, Wade’s voice screamed at me. Stay away from Leah or lose everything.
Matilda.
I sat up, breathing heavily, and jumped from the bed. I ran across the hall to her nursery, needing to make sure she was okay.
She was fast asleep in her bed, her breathing soft and calm. She looked like a little angel. I’d heard people say that about babies before, but until I had her, I didn’t realize how true it was. Her cherubic cheeks and wispy dark hair only added to the imagery. She was perfection, and she was mine to take care of.
I reminded myself that Wade was behind bars and couldn’t hurt us.
Someone was still setting fires, though. Someone was still out there causing mayhem.
Were they after me? I couldn’t be sure. I doubted it, but you never know. I was a firefighter; fires would be one way to send a message. Or it could be a coincidence.
I didn’t like coincidences. They were out of my control.
Even if Wade hadn’t been starting the fires, he still made it clear he was after me. I needed to be more careful, for Matilda’s sake.
He was in jail, though, and no longer a threat. But for how long?
If he was only being charged with vandalism, that meant he could be out on bail. If he was as rich and successful as Leah had made him out to be, he might never see another day in jail.
My mouth was suddenly parched, but I couldn’t bear to leave Matilda’s side after that horrible dream. My phone was in the pocket of my jeans, so I reached for it, ignoring the time.
Teddy picked up on the first ring.
“Don’t you ever sleep?” I asked.
“Don’t you? You’re the one calling me, not the other way around.”
I chuckled. He had a point.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I had a question, about Wade. Has he posted bail yet?”
Teddy sighed. “Not yet, but he has a bail hearing this afternoon, and he’s assured me he has the cash ready.”
“Damn. Is there anything we can do?”
“Well, considering it’s just vandalism charges—”
“I know,” I mumbled. “No need to say anymore.”
“I’m sorry, Kellen. I’d love to keep that asshole locked away, but unfortunately, we have bigger fish to fry.”
“Any clue as to who’s starting the fires?”
“Not yet. We can’t get a positive ID from the video. No one seems to recognize him, but we’re working on it still.”
Not the answer I’d wanted to hear. “Any ideas about motives?”
“Not yet,” Teddy said. “I mean, who would go after a daycare, of all places? It boggles my mind.”
“Mine too. Makes me think this is personal.”
“Maybe so, but right now, we’re at a dead end.”
Damn.
I got off the phone with Teddy and stared down at Matilda. Until we knew for sure who was behind all of this, I needed to make her my priority. It sounded crazy, but maybe Wade had connections, people who could be acting on his behalf. Anything was possible.
And until we knew what was going on, I knew what I had to do.
I’d have to stay away from Leah to keep both of them safe.
I wasn’t about to leave Leah high and dry; this person could go after who too. She needed to know what was going on, and she needed to be careful. I cared about her more than I should, more than I was comfortable with. Matilda was my top priority, but I wouldn’t let anyone hurt Leah either.
I called the only other person I trusted in Liberty - Grant. And surprisingly, he also answered on the first ring.
“Don’t people sleep in around here?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothin’,” I said. “I just wanted to let you know Wade is going to be released later today. I’m going to keep my distance from Leah and the hotel, for her safety, but someone ne
eds to keep an eye on her.”
“Already on it,” he said. He hesitated for a second, then asked, “Why do you care so much about my sister’s safety?”
I flinched. I wasn’t ready to talk about my feelings for Leah, even with Grant. Especially with him since he was her brother. “I don’t want anyone else dying on my watch, you know?”
“Yeah, I get it. I understand all too well. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll head over to Leah’s now.”
“Good.”
I ended the call feeling a little better. I trusted Grant. He loved Leah and would protect his sister at all costs. Now I could focus on the person who needed me the most.
Speaking of the devil - err, angel? - Matilda let out a soft cry, her eyes opening and staring up at me as her face scrunched up into a look of annoyance.
“Time for breakfast, huh?” My own stomach growled as I picked her up. I’d gone to bed without dinner, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d ate. Not that it mattered then. Matilda’s breakfast would come first. I’d eat once she was happy and fed.
I carried her down the hallway, into the kitchen, thinking about the night before with Leah. She was so good with her, a natural. She’d make a good mother someday.
I had to stop myself before thinking further than that. It’s one thing to think she’d make a good mom; it’s another to imagine her being the mother to Matilda.
It was too soon for all that. Even if that’s what my heart felt was right, I knew that sometimes, the heart lied.
Too soon, I reminded myself, making up Matilda’s bottle, way too fucking soon.
Ooo000ooo
I had nothing in the fridge for me; I needed to do some shopping. With my stomach still growling, I decided to run into town to grab a bite to eat at Felicity’s cafe. I parked down the street from the cafe - not taking up two spots in the parking lot so Leah would be happy. I noticed a crowd of people gathered outside a building I’d never paid much attention to before, many of them with signs.
Keep Shady Developers Out of Liberty.
Big Corporations Don’t Belong In Our Small Town.
Leah was among them, and when she saw me, she smiled and rushed toward me. My heart jumped in my chest. She also carried a sign that said, Greed Breeds: Keep The Menace Out.
“Kellen!” she called out to me. “Are you here for the meeting?”
“I didn’t know about any meeting,” I said, averting my gaze.
“Oh yeah? Well, some asshat named Donovan Russo is trying to buy up all the small businesses in town, and we’re here to protest it. He’s putting on a presentation for city council, and we want to make it clear that he’s not welcome here.”
“I can see that,” I muttered, scratching my beard. “I have to go. Just wanted to grab a bite to eat and get back home.”
I searched the area for Grant, who was supposed to be keeping an eye on her. I was also looking for anyone that might be suspicious, who might be connected with Wade.
Grant was there, several feet away with Piper. His eyes were on Leah, and he nodded when he saw me looking at him. Piper looked like she was about to get sick, but she was standing tall and protesting with the rest of them.
“Grab something to eat and join us,” Leah said with a smile. “You’re part of this town too now.”
“I—I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
I continued searching the crowd, and my eyes landed on a man entering the building. It wasn’t Wade, but something didn’t seem right with him. I’d seen him before but couldn’t remember where. My guard was up instantly.
“Why not?” Leah sounded hurt, and when the man entered the building, I turned back to her. Her face had fallen. It killed me to see her so sad.
“Because Wade could be released any minute,” I reminded her. “He had a bail hearing this afternoon.”
“So?”
“So? He sent a very clear message, Leah. I need to stay away from you.”
“Are you gonna let that asshole scare you? He’s got nothing on you,” she argued.
“It’s not about what he could do to me, Leah. It’s about what he could do to you or Matilda. Listen, we still don’t know who started the fires, and—”
“That has nothing to do with Wade.”
“You sure about that? You sure he doesn’t have cronies doing work for him? Because you were also sure he wasn’t the one damaging my truck.”
Leah’s jaw dropped. “I was wrong about that. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well, you could be wrong about this too. I can’t take the chance, Leah. I have to look out for Matilda, so for now, I need to keep my distance.”
She barely held back the tears in her eyes, but she managed. She nodded and looked away. “I understand.”
I respected her even more for that and wanted to say “Fuck it” and give her a kiss to let her know I still cared about her. But not there, not with people around who could see us. I needed to stay away.
The man who went into the building was still on my mind. Who was he? And why did he give me a bad feeling? I looked toward the city hall doors. I was starving, but the need to know was stronger than my hunger. I pushed past Leah and walked toward the building.
“Where are you going?” she asked. “I thought you needed to stay away.”
“I do need to stay away from you,” I retorted, a little more harshly than necessary. “But I need to see about something. Just keep your distance from me and stay with Grant. Alright?”
I left Leah in the crowd as I walked up the steps to City Hall. I didn’t even look back to see her response. I couldn’t look at her. If she was hurt or crying, I didn’t want to see it. I felt weak when it came to her. The only other person alive that made me feel that way was cradled against my chest, fast asleep and safe.
I pulled open the big, heavy door to the building and stepped inside. There were signs pointing to the meeting location, and I followed them. I had no other clues where to look and figured whoever it was might be there for the same reasons as everyone else.
I found the room, and there were only two people inside talking. One of them was a tall, large man with jet black hair cut close to his head. He had a trimmed beard with hints of grey but a young face - too young for any grey hairs.
He had a hardened, tough look on his face, and he didn’t look pleased about something.
I’d seen this man before too, and it took me a second to remember. I’d never seen him in person but on some pamphlets about the town and the city website. He was the mayor, Jeremiah Jenkins. And he was talking to the man I was looking for, who I still didn’t recognize fully.
Jeremiah turned his gaze toward me and put on a friendly smile. “The meeting will begin in a few minutes,” he said, nodding towards the chairs. “You can have a seat.”
My gaze never left the other man. When he turned toward me, it clicked.
I’d seen him outside the daycare the day of the fire. I’d also seen him in Felicity’s cafe before that. Something about him made me think he wasn’t from around here. Perhaps it was the tailored business suit or the clean-shaven face, or the fact that he just oozed money. Even when people had money in Liberty, and some of them did, they were more modest about showing it. Hell, I had money too, but I didn’t flaunt it. This man, with a face that reminded me of a rat, did just that.
He also smiled at me after giving me a once over. His smile didn’t feel as friendly as Jeremiah’s though.
I knew I shouldn’t stay, should have left and let Leah attend her meeting and protest. But I couldn’t budge. I needed to stay and find out who he was, and if him being at both sites where a fire was started was a coincidence or something else entirely.
I took a seat in the last row just as more people began filtering in. When Leah, Grant, and Piper stepped into the room, I motioned for them to keep walking. Grant took the women to the front of the room, and they sat together. Leah turned around to look at me, but I fixed my gaze on the front of the room, where Jeremiah was mes
sing with the microphone and preparing to speak.
Every seat was taken, and people were standing in the back of the room. I offered my seat to an older woman who resisted at first since I had a baby, but I insisted. I was a big, strong man. I could stand, even with a baby in a carrier across my chest.
I didn’t know Liberty had this many people, so it was amazing to see everyone gathered together in one room. Many such meetings in bigger cities had less of a turnout, but people cared about their community.
Jeremiah cleared his throat to gain the attention of the audience. “Welcome, everyone, and thank you for coming. As you know, Mr. Donovan Russo with Russo Development is interested in working with Liberty, but we know you have your concerns, and we want to listen to them. Mr. Russo is here to talk about his plans and to answer any questions. As your mayor, I have yet to make any decisions. I want to do what’s best for our community, and I can only do that with your input. So, without further ado, please welcome Mr. Donovan Russo.”
The room fell silent. There was no clapping, nothing. Just some folks clearing their throats and a cough coming from the front of the room.
Jeremiah stepped away, letting the man from earlier take center stage. So he was the developer Leah and friends were angry about. No wonder he had a sinister vibe about him and felt like he didn’t belong. Developers rarely made friends in small communities like this; they simply had different goals. Not that I blamed the locals. I thought Liberty was fine as it was. It didn’t need a Starbucks when it had Smothered in Love Cafe or a Ritz Carlton when it had Leah’s hotel.
I leaned against the back wall as Mr. Russo brought up a slideshow presentation showing off some of his past work. All of it in cities at least five times the size of Liberty. Made you wonder what brought him to our little town.
He soon answered that question.
“You may wonder why I’m interested in Liberty, and here’s the answer. Liberty has potential to be the next big vacation destination. Think about the tourist money a ski resort would bring in.”