Brink of Danger

by Christy Barritt

  “That doesn’t mean guys haven’t noticed you.”

  “I suppose . . .”

  Silence stretched between them.

  “Are you going to go see your mom?” Kit asked before taking a sip of her coffee.

  Ansley’s jaw tightened “No, I have no desire to see her. Besides, she’s okay. She didn’t come to dad’s funeral, so I feel no obligation to her.”

  “My sister died a couple of years ago, you know. It’s a hard thing to go through, losing a family member like that. I still miss her every day.”

  “I’m sorry, Kit.” Ansley looked over at her. “I had no idea.”

  “I don’t like to talk about it. But I just wanted to let you know that I understand your grief. If there’s anything I can do . . .”

  “I appreciate it.”

  Kit stared at her cup of coffee a minute, almost as if lost in thought.

  “By the way, shouldn’t you be at the bookstore?” Ansley asked.

  “You didn’t hear?”

  “Hear what?”

  “They’re probably going to evacuate Fog Lake later today. The fire jumped a ridge and the wind shifted. It’s headed this way.”

  Ansley’s muscles stiffened “What? Luke just told me it had spread, not that . . .”

  Kit shrugged. “It’s not official yet, but it’s the talk of the town. I came back so I could pack a few things. I don’t want to take any chances. You too, right? You’re going to leave?”

  Ansley’s heart pounded as she thought about what Kit was saying. There was no way her brothers would let her stay. Yet there was another part of her that felt too protective of this town to leave.

  She glanced back at Kit, knowing her roommate was waiting for an answer. “If they ask me to leave, what choice will I have?”

  “So you’ll evacuate?”

  Ansley nodded. “I guess so.”

  But even as Ansley said the words, she knew something inside her was rebelling. If there was one thing her dad had taught her, it was not to run from problems. Evacuating felt an awful lot like running.

  Ansley didn’t need to share that thought with anyone, though, because she knew how it would be perceived—badly.

  Chapter Forty

  The air in the fire station felt electrified as Ryan’s guys prepared to leave. They’d gotten the call they’d been waiting for, and now the majority of his crew—both career and volunteer— were headed out to help.

  Ryan wouldn’t be on the front lines himself. Instead, he’d man the Fog Lake Command Center.

  He knew with certainty that this fire would challenge everything they were made of, and he prayed they would pass the test.

  As Ryan worked in the garage, he looked up in time to see Ansley rush into the station. She looked breathless as her gaze met his.

  “I heard about the fire,” she rushed. “Is it true?”

  Ryan wanted nothing more than to give her a proper greeting, to show her that last night’s kiss hadn’t been done in the heat of the moment. He wanted Ansley to know he really cared.

  But this wasn’t the time or the place. There was too much on the line right now.

  He hurried toward another set of gear to make sure everything was inspected properly. Ansley followed him.

  “The town is probably going to be evacuated, starting in a couple hours,” he said. “We’re at level 2, and we’re just waiting for the official announcement from the town council.”

  Ansley followed behind him. “It’s that bad?”

  “It’s that bad. The wind shifted overnight, and the blaze is headed this way. We have to be safe. You can already feel it in the air, can’t you? It’s like the atmosphere is alive.”

  As if on cue, Ansley coughed. Was it the smoke? An oncoming cold? Ansley didn’t know. “I don’t want to leave.”

  “You have to—at least, you will have to in a couple hours. Evacuation will be mandatory. If you stay here, you risk your own life.”

  “But—”

  Ryan paused from what he was doing. “There’s no buts about this.”

  “I want to help. I want to fight.”

  He tilted his head. “Ansley, I love that you want to get involved. But not only are your wrist and leg still hurt, but you haven’t been to any of the trainings. We can’t just put people out there. It’s too risky.”

  “But—”

  He stopped in front of her, and they locked gazes. “There are no buts about this. You can’t go help fight the fire. The best thing you can do is go somewhere safe.”

  She frowned but said nothing. Ryan turned back to the gear, having no time to waste.

  “I’d love to talk to you longer, Ansley. But I have to get going.”

  She nodded solemnly. “I know. Did you hear anything about your SUV?”

  He grabbed some oxygen tanks, still moving, still working. “The brake line was definitely cut. Last I heard, there are no leads as to who did it.”

  “Jonathan?”

  “No one has found him.” Ryan shoved the equipment into a firetruck. “Your brother was still looking. I’m sure all of that is on hold now.”

  Ansley took a step back. “Okay, if there’s anything I can do . . .”

  “I’ll let you know.” He paused again, trying to express with his gaze just how much she meant to him. “Thanks, Ansley.”

  She nodded and scooted backward, averting her gaze.

  Had she misread him?

  Ryan didn’t know.

  But before he could stop her, she fled from the station.

  Under other circumstances, Ryan would go after her. But he couldn’t.

  Not right now.

  Not when the entire town was on the line.

  Ansley stepped back outside, disappointment biting deep. She desperately wanted to help, to do something.

  But as she stood there on the sidewalk, the smoke felt overwhelming, like it could claim her breath at any minute, just like it was consuming the town.

  As she glanced toward the mountains, she halfway expected to see the fire. But she didn’t.

  On Main Street, cars pulled away as tourists fled from town.

  There was little that could be done to prepare for a wildfire. During a hurricane, windows could be boarded and anything lightweight brought inside.

  For a fire? Once the flames touched something, it was usually all over. There was no saving it.

  Heaviness lingered in her chest.

  What about her mom? Were they evacuating people from the hospital? That had to be the case. It was the only thing that made sense.

  Ansley still couldn’t bring herself to go visit. So why was she even thinking about that situation? It didn’t matter.

  But if that was true, Ansley wouldn’t be agonizing over this.

  If fire touched this town, it might not ever be the same.

  “Ansley?” someone said.

  She looked up and saw Thickie walking toward her. Her muscles tightened. Had he been looking for her?

  “What’s going on?” Ansley shoved her hands into her pockets and tried to remain cool.

  “I know they’re going to evacuate soon. I don’t want things to be weird between us.”

  “Weird between us?” she echoed, trying to buy some time.

  He shrugged, almost looking embarrassed. He tugged his hat from his head, smoothed his hair back, and then replaced the cap. “I don’t know what’s going on here in this town. But I didn’t try to hurt you, Ansley. You know that, right.”

  “Of course.” Even as she said the words, she knew she was mostly trying to lose him, to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

  “I hope . . . maybe when this is over.” He shrugged again. “I don’t know. That we can hang out. Be friends.”

  “We’ll definitely talk once this is over, Thickie. Right now, I think we both have a lot of other things we need to do.”

  He shrugged, and something in his gaze changed as if he’d been doused with reality. “Oh, yeah, yeah. Of course. Be safe,
Ansley.”

  “You too.”

  But as he walked away, an uncomfortable feeling remained in Ansley’s gut. That was weird. Too weird.

  Ansley had promised she would get out of here, and she intended to honor that promise. Thankfully, she hadn’t taken any pain medication in more than twenty-four hours, so she was safe to drive.

  She headed back to her apartment, ready to pack what she’d take along.

  But she couldn’t deny her heart was heavy—in so many different ways.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Ansley opened her door just as Kit was stepping out. They both jumped back, obviously lost in their own thoughts and not expecting to see the other.

  “Ansley! I’m so glad you’re here,” Kit said. “You’re leaving, right?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I just need to grab a few things.”

  “Great. I didn’t want to leave without knowing that. I’d say we should ride together, but I guess we both want to take our cars, right?”

  “I didn’t take my pain medication, so I should be okay.”

  “Great.” Kit paused. “Listen, I know this is bad timing. But I’d be stupid not to mention it.”

  “What’s going on?” Ansley asked.

  “I saw Danny Axon creeping around outside our place last night. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was just walking off some steam. But considering everything that’s happened . . .”

  Ansley’s stomach clenched. She’d never liked that man. Did she think he might be behind this? Not really. But she needed to keep her eyes wide open.

  “Thank you, Kit. That’s good to know.”

  Kit grabbed her suitcase and gave Ansley a quick hug. “Let’s make sure to connect with each other once we’re out of town. Do you know where you’re going?”

  “I thought about heading to Knoxville and getting a hotel room there.”

  “Me too.”

  “How about if we share a room?”

  “That would be perfect.”

  “I’ll call you. I’m going to run into town and grab a new phone before I leave. I need to be able to stay in touch with people.”

  “Good idea. And Ansley? Be safe.”

  People kept saying that. “I will be. You too.”

  With one last hug, Kit was gone.

  Ansley stepped into her apartment, ready to grab just what she needed.

  Her thoughts went back to Ryan . . . He was staying here to fight. What if something happened to him? She could barely stomach the thought of it. She’d just found him, and now she felt she could lose him.

  Could she really handle losing someone else? Was love worth it? Was it worth the pain?

  She wanted to say yes . . . but fear tried to control her thoughts.

  A knock sounded at the door. She rushed toward it and threw it open, unsure who she was expecting to see. Ryan stood there in his fire gear.

  His gaze searched hers out until she felt like they’d had hours of conversation with just one glance.

  “I didn’t want you to leave without saying goodbye—and making sure you’re really leaving.” Ryan’s voice sounded gravelly and deep.

  Ansley’s heart felt like it melted a little. She held up her bag. “I’m getting packed now.”

  He stared at her a moment, not saying anything. Ansley gave him time to find his words.

  Finally, he said, “I had to see you again before I left, Ansley.”

  “I’m glad. Please be careful out there, Ryan.” Her voice cracked as she said the words.

  Ansley resisted the urge to beg him to stay. It would sound pathetic. The two of them weren’t even in that point in their relationship. But she wanted to get there. She really did.

  Ryan paused in the doorway. Before she even realized what was happening, he tugged her closer and planted a kiss on her lips. His lips moved expertly against hers until her bones turned to gelatin.

  “Ryan—” Images of the firefighter who died in Philly, the one Ryan had told her about, filled her thoughts. Tears wanted to rush to her eyes, but she stopped them.

  Everyone she’d cared about . . . she’d lost. Her mom. Her dad.

  Why was she setting herself up to lose someone else?

  Ryan saw something change in Ansley’s gaze.

  What was it? What was going through her mind right now?

  He had no idea. But she was withdrawing, wasn’t she?

  He reached for her, squeezing her arm. “I’m going to be okay, Ansley.”

  Her fist pressed into her lips as she stared at him. “You can’t know that.”

  “I’ll be back,” Ryan told her, his voice raspy. “And we’re going to have a real date. Dinner. A romantic walk. Flowers. The works.”

  She nodded, her eyes glazed.

  Before he could say anything else, his radio beeped.

  His men needed him. He had to go.

  “Ansley . . .”

  Tears glistened in her eyes as she stepped back. “Go. Do your thing. I’m leaving.”

  “We’ll talk later. Okay?”

  With a touch of hesitation, Ansley nodded. “Okay.”

  He waved and gave her one last, long look before stepping out the door.

  For some reason . . . he felt like he was walking away from forever.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  As soon as Ryan was out of sight, Ansley’s heart sagged with a heaviness she hadn’t felt in a long time.

  He was running toward the fire while everyone else was running away. It just didn’t seem right.

  Lord, be with him. Be with us all.

  Right now, she had to evacuate, just as she promised.

  Ten minutes later, she stepped outside, suitcase in hand, when she remembered her pain pills. She hadn’t taken one today and her body ached. She was dealing with the pain okay—for now.

  But the accident yesterday had caused some new issues. She should bring her medicine, just in case things got worse. They had a tendency to do that the day after an accident like that.

  She rushed into the bathroom to grab the bottle and paused.

  She didn’t want to take any more of these pills. They made her feel so tired all the time. Yet her wrist was throbbing right now.

  She glanced at the label again before opening it and dumping a few pills into her hand.

  Funny, she’d never given much thought to them before. But a small TEM was on the side of the pill.

  Ansley knew this was the worst time to do this, but she walked over to her computer and pulled up her internet browser. She typed in the information on the bottle and the pill and then sat back.

  The bottle was labeled correctly, but these weren’t pain pills inside.

  These were sleeping pills.

  She double-checked to make sure she wasn’t mistaken.

  She wasn’t.

  Who had gotten these for her?

  Ryan.

  Would he have switched them out? Kit had mentioned that none of this started to happen until he moved here.

  No. Ansley shook her head. Ryan would never do this.

  What sense would that make? None.

  Yet these pills clearly weren’t right.

  A bad feeling brewed in Ansley’s gut. She’d only skimmed the surface of this crime, she realized. And there was so much she still didn’t know.

  Ansley’s stomach churned with unease. She’d just left the pharmacy. She’d bought and activated a temporary phone. It was all she had time to do for now.

  But what bothered her was her conversation with the pharmacy tech there. She’d confirmed that Ansley hadn’t been taking pain relievers—she’d been taking sleeping pills. The tech had insisted that the mistake wasn’t on their end.

  How had that mix-up happened? Had someone switched the pills after they’d been picked up?

  She reviewed who had access to the pills. Ryan had picked them up for her. Someone had broken into her apartment once. Who was to say they hadn’t broken in before that also?

  Another thought hit he
r. The autopsy had revealed that Dustin had a sleeping pill in his system before he died. Was that a coincidence?

  Ansley didn’t know, but she doubted it.

  She pulled away from Fog Lake, hating the unsettled feeling in her stomach. Hating the fact that she had to leave. Hating . . . all of this.

  As she glanced over at the lake, she saw the fog there.

  Or was that smoke?

  The thought gripped her stomach.

  Fire couldn’t devour this town. It just couldn’t.

  A piece of paper sticking out from her suitcase caught her eye. As she came to a stop behind a line of cars, she plucked it out and squinted.

  It was a picture of Ryan with a woman and two young boys. On the back of the photo were the words, “What Ryan Left Behind.”

  What did that mean? Was someone trying to hint that Ryan had a girlfriend and children back in Philly?

  Ansley remembered the whispered conversation she’d overheard him having. She remembered the tension she’d seen in his gaze. Was that why?

  She shook her head. No, she couldn’t believe that.

  But someone wanted her to believe that was the truth. Why?

  She sucked in a breath.

  She knew why. Because Ryan was still a target. And this wasn’t over.

  The person behind these attacks had failed when they’d sabotaged his brake lines. But this wasn’t the end. In fact, the fire would be the perfect time to commit a crime and cover it up. It fit the killer’s MO.

  Ansley glanced in the rearview mirror behind her.

  Ryan was back there, ready to put his life on the line for this town. He had no idea the danger he was still in.

  Making a split-second decision, she turned her car into a scenic pull-off lane across the street.

  Everyone else was leaving town.

  She was going to head back.

  Maybe.

  First, she was going to try to call Ryan and warn him. It made the most sense to try that first.

  She only hoped she wasn’t too late.

  Chapter Forty-Three