Stay Forever

by Darcy Schroeder

  “How are you feeling?” Isabelle asked. She got out and walked around to the driver’s door. “Andrew, can you come out here and let me take a look at your eyes?”

  He opened his door, but shook his head. “I know what just happened. You probably think I’m crazy, but I’m not. It was just easier for me to slip into soldier mode. Sorry.”

  Andrew thought back to the words that had come out of his mouth. He had felt like he was back in Afghanistan. It was something that happened every now and then. He had talked to a therapist about the episodes, and she had promised that, in time, they would disappear.

  His head hung low, and for the first time in fifteen years, he could feel the warm sting of tears on his cheeks as he pulled Isabelle close. “I’m so sorry. When I saw all of you standing in the middle of the fire, I must have just reverted to one of the operations.”

  Isabelle touched his cheek. “You were amazing. Thank you. You saved our lives. We didn’t know what to do. We were all very scared.”

  The rest of his family got out of the truck and wrapped their arms around one another.

  “Thank you, Andrew,” his mother said as they stood in the middle of the street, letting the adrenaline fade.

  Andrew finally looked up. “I’m really sorry for everything I’ve done and said over the past few weeks.”

  His Mom embraced him. “We love you, Andrew. Thank you for coming to our rescue. I really thought we were trapped. You are our hero.”

  Miles patted Andrew’s arm, “I agree. I didn’t think driving down the driveway was even possible. Everywhere we looked, there were flames. You were awesome, brother.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Any idea what happened?” Miles asked.

  “No. I was roaming around town, looking for Isabelle, and then I ran into this strange girl who I’ve seen a few times, and she noticed the orange glow in the sky.”

  “What girl?” Isabelle asked.

  “I don’t know. This teenager who keeps popping up around town. I don’t think she has any parents.”

  “And you keep talking to her?”

  “Um, not like I talk to you.” Andrew grabbed both of her hands as he realized why she’d become defensive. “She’s just this girl named Lucy who keeps popping up.”

  “You’ve met Lucy?” Isabelle cocked her head.

  “Yes. Who is she?”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Isabelle looked over at Andrew. “We can talk about her later. She’s just a girl in town, but she is connected to someone you know, or I guess I should say…recently encountered.”

  Miles held up his hand and shook his head. “You guys will have to talk later about Lucy.”

  “Why?” Isabelle asked defiantly. “I think it’s important for us to have this conversation.”

  “You ladies need to take this truck and drive it to my house. There, you can open a bottle of wine and relax,” Miles said. “Andrew and I need to go and talk with the fire department, to get a better idea of what happened and how bad the damage is going to be.”

  “Do you think the truck is safe to drive?” Isabelle asked.

  “It’ll get you to my house. We’ll probably have to get rid of it afterward. I’m not sure how extensive the fire damage is,” Miles said.

  “I can stay too,” their mom said in a shaky but hopeful voice. “I need to know my home is okay. It has everything in it. My life. Everything.”

  Andrew and Miles both wrapped their arms around their mom and held her as she sobbed.

  “Mom, you need to go with Isabelle and Anne.” Andrew cleared his throat. “Miles is right. You guys go to his house and let things calm down. We’ll be there in a little bit.”

  Andrew threw his keys to Isabelle. She stared at him briefly before climbing into the truck’s cab. The other two women followed. All three stared back at the Montgomery brothers, their eyes silently questioning. Andrew knew that only disappointment would be part of any answer they heard. He had seen the hot flames licking at the asphalt driveway. It had been only a matter of seconds before they burned everything in their path, including the Montgomery family home.

  Miles and Andrew watched as the truck disappeared before walking back down the road. Another fire truck was parked several feet away. Firefighters were yelling to one another as they disappeared into the thick smoke. Andrew instinctively raised his arm to cover his mouth as he began to cough.

  “Do you know what happened?” Andrew asked Miles as they both stood watching the action in front of them.

  “No. I was pretty pissed off at you and had gotten another beer. I went up to my room to think. I wasn’t there for more than a few minutes before I started to smell smoke. At first, I thought it was Mom doing something in the kitchen, so I didn’t really react, but then it kept getting stronger and stronger. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know there was a fire outside, and I definitely didn’t know Isabelle was at the house.”

  “I must have passed her and not realized it,” Andrew said.

  “Yeah. Everything happened so quickly. The fire accelerated quicker than I’ve ever seen.”

  “I’m sorry about what I said to you earlier. I’m glad you managed to get me to come home.”

  “Me too,” Miles said.

  “Have you talked to Dad?”

  “No, but I should probably give him a call. He’ll be upset if he hears from someone else before us,” Miles said, pulling out his cell phone.

  Their father must have answered, because suddenly the serious expression on Miles’s face turned to a look of sadness, and then tears silently streamed down his cheeks.

  Andrew grabbed the phone. “Dad?”

  “Andrew? What’s going on? I just had a supervisor call and tell me there’s a fire in town.”

  “There is a fire. I think the house is gone.”

  “What? The fire is on our property?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure? Is everyone okay?”

  “Yes, but you should probably call Mom.”

  “I’ll be there in a little bit. Tell everyone I’m headed back,” Wayne Montgomery said in a serious voice.

  “Will do, sir, but please call Mom,” Andrew said, hoping his dad would actually listen.

  There was a pause on the other end of the phone, before his father took in a deep breath. “Okay.”

  “Dad? What’s going on?”

  “Nothing, son. It’s just been a long day.”

  “Bullshit. Stop treating me like I’m still twelve. It’s time you start telling us what’s going on. Why don’t you meet with me and Miles when you get back to town, and then we can go find Mom?”

  “Okay. I’m leaving right now.”

  Andrew ended the call. “He’s on his way.”

  “Good,” Miles responded. “This is where he needs to be right now. He keeps taking business trips when he should be here.”

  “She can take care of herself. She’s a tough woman.”

  “Brother, Dad doesn’t need to go on these trips. He has other people who can do it for him, but he keeps insisting.”

  “I’m sure there’s more you probably need to tell me,” Andrew said as he turned back toward the smoke. A soft gray haze encircled the Montgomery bothers as they stood silently next to each another.

  Two more firefighters ran past. One stopped and turned to look back at them. “You guys need to get out of here! We don’t have time to deal with you if you get injured or breathe in too much smoke.”

  “Can you tell us what happened?” Andrew asked.

  “Nope, but this one is definitely burning. Now get out of here! We can answer questions later.”

  Andrew ran his hand through his hair. Maybe the firefighter was right. They really shouldn’t be standing so close. “I guess we should walk back a bit. It’s getting pretty strong.”

  Just as they turned, a large black plume of smoke shot into the air.

  “I think the house is gone,” Miles said matter-of-factly, but those words hit Andrew ha
rd in the gut. This had really been the only home he’d ever known. “Shit,” Miles continued. “I never saw this happening.”

  They walked in silence for several minutes, letting the events of the past hour sink in. It felt surreal that one minute they’d all been laughing and the next they’d been running for their lives.

  “Miles, things have been a little off since I returned. We need to have a chat when Dad gets here. I’m tired of both of you leaving me in the dark.”

  “Brother, I wish I could tell you what’s going on, but I’ve been asking the same questions for the past few years, and Dad just isn’t willing to give any answers.”

  “Well, maybe this will change things.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  Just as they turned the corner, a familiar sheriff’s car pulled up next to them.

  “What in the hell happened, Montgomery?” Pete asked.

  “We don't know.” Miles shook his head, looking Pete squarely in the eyes.

  Pete swung open the driver’s side door and pointed in Andrew’s direction. “I want your brother to leave. He killed one of my sisters and put the other in harm’s way. If you don’t leave this town, and my family, then you’ll definitely pay the price.”

  “Shut up, Pete,” Andrew mumbled. “I’m not leaving.”

  “You’re messing with the wrong family,” Pete said as he climbed back into his car and sped off into the smoke.

  Miles patted Andrew on the shoulder. “Let’s go get a drink and wait for Dad. You’re right. He needs to start providing us with some answers.”

  Andrew clicked his tongue. “You think all of this craziness has something to do with my return?”

  “Not sure. It just seems like the past few weeks have been different. There’s been a lot more action in town, and the only thing that has changed recently is that you’ve come home.”

  “I can go.”

  “Don’t.”

  “I’m not here to cause trouble.”

  “We know. Besides, I saw the look on Mom’s face tonight. It was as if some of the deep wrinkles near her eyes disappeared by having you back. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her so happy.”

  Andrew paused as he thought about his brother’s words. The sound of another fire engine could be heard in the distance.

  “Miles, is there anyone who might want to cause harm to Montgomery Industries?”

  Miles let out a soft chuckle. “Oh, I’m sure we’ve managed to make a few enemies over the years. It’s not like everyone loves all of our businesses. Even Pete doesn’t seem to like us, but I think that’s more of a recent personal issue.”

  “Anything specific you can think of besides Pete? I don’t think he has the balls to set this sort of fire. He’s just not capable of doing this sort of thing.”

  “A couple of things, but I really can’t imagine that anyone would want to destroy our home and possibly kill us by setting our property on fire. It just doesn’t make sense.”

  “These things never do.”

  “We may just be jumping to a bad conclusion. This fire may have been an accident.”

  “Maybe,” Andrew said, but he doubted it. The fire had spread too quickly.

  Miles looked over at his brother. “You don’t think it was an accident, do you?”

  “No.”

  “Then what was it? Do you really think someone wanted to kill us?”

  “I don’t know, but hopefully we’ll be able to figure it out soon.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The cold beer went down easily. Andrew knew he should probably pace himself, since they’d already had a few, but he was still too amped from what had just happened. All he could think about were the flames that had surrounded, and probably destroyed, his parents’ house. He could still feel the heat of them on his skin.

  If he hadn’t run into Lucy, he might not have noticed the orange glow, and he wouldn’t have decided to drive to his family home. The idea that he could have lost his family and Isabelle caused a sickening feeling in his stomach, but he had been able to rescue all of them because of Lucy. She had warned him and saved their lives.

  He took another gulp and looked over at his brother. Two empty beer bottles sat in front of Miles. The waitress didn’t hesitate to bring over two more.

  “Just keep them coming.” Miles leaned his head down on the table.

  The young waitress paused by their table. “I heard about the fire. Is that why you guys are in here tonight? What happened?”

  “Yes, and not sure, but we’d like to find out.” Miles looked up. His eyes were glassy, probably from the beer, but also because of the smoke.

  “My boyfriend is a firefighter, and he says it’s really bad out there. It sounds like the fire has scorched a large amount of land. He told me they would be out there all night—which really sucks.”

  “What else is he saying?” Andrew asked, suddenly interested in what the young waitress had to say. She didn’t look a day over seventeen, but he assumed she had to be older, since she was working at a bar. Her brownish-red hair was pulled up into a ponytail, showing off her thin, pointy features.

  “He says it’s one of the biggest fires he’s ever worked. He says it’s bad. Really bad.”

  “Yeah, it’s definitely not pretty out there right now,” Andrew said. “Did he happen to mention if any homes had been destroyed?”

  “No. He just said he would be working late tonight.”

  Just as Andrew was about to ask her another question, he saw the familiar silhouette of his father standing in the doorway.

  “Something told me I would find the two of you here,” Wayne Montgomery said as he sat down beside them.

  Wayne Montgomery grabbed one of the newly delivered beer bottles and took a gulp. The three of them sat silently around the table as the waitress finally excused herself and walked back to the bar.

  Minutes later, Warren threw open the door. Andrew had no doubt he was looking for them. The minute their eyes connected, he walked over.

  “What in the hell happened?” He plopped down next to Andrew. Warren’s eyes looked wild and his normally meticulous salesman attire was more disheveled this evening.

  “No clue. We just know everyone was able to get out okay,” Miles responded, without even looking at their new guest.

  “Oh good,” Warren said. “I was out at my lease when I saw the smoke and came rushing back into town. It looks ugly out there. Really ugly.”

  “You could see it from way out there?” Miles asked.

  “Hell yes. It is a big mother,” Warren said, but then hesitated.

  “Shit.” Miles looked down at the table and then turned to their father. Wayne had said very little since his arrival. “I’m sorry, Dad. We have no clue what happened. One minute we were eating dinner, and the next there were flames everywhere.”

  Wayne Montgomery sat there stoically. “I know. I’m just glad my family is safe. Tomorrow, I’ll figure out what happened and find out who will pay.”

  “We think the house is gone,” Andrew said, unsure how his father would respond. It was a horrible feeling to know that everything you’d ever known had been destroyed.

  “I know it is. The fire marshal called me on my way back into town and gave me a little bit of an update. He also says he thinks the fire was intentionally set. It spread too quickly.” The Montgomery patriarch’s lips closed into a tight thin line.

  Andrew knew his father was beyond mad, and he couldn’t blame him. “We thought the same thing,” he said. “Don’t worry, Dad. I’m back and I have no intention of letting this slide.”

  Andrew’s gaze caught his father’s. He hoped his dad could see that he was serious about protecting the family and getting revenge, if necessary.

  Wayne Montgomery finished his beer and nodded to Andrew. “Thank you, son.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Warren dropped them off at Miles’s house. The fire marshal had met them at the bar an hour ago and told them what the
y’d already known—the house had been destroyed. It was gone. Everything they’d loved and cherished was now just a big pile of ash.

  It had been tough to hear the words. Andrew had grown up in that house. It was the place of so many memories from his childhood. What would happen now? How would his family recover from such a blow? It was mind boggling, but also sad.

  The fire marshal had also told them that there were too many hot spots, and they wouldn’t be able to get back on the property for awhile.

  They’d stayed at the bar until close to midnight, when reality sunk in and none of them had any more to say. Andrew had talked to Isabelle several times. Miles had called their mom and Anne to check in and let them know where they were. The women had declined to come to the bar. Finally, the Montgomery men knew it was time to go somewhere to sleep away their depressing thoughts.

  “You guys can stay here tonight. I have plenty of beds. We’ll figure something out in the morning,” Miles said as he walked toward his bedroom, his shoulders slumped.

  “Good night, boys,” Wayne said. “See you in the morning.” He didn’t look back as he headed to one of Miles’s guest rooms.

  Andrew knew there was no way he would be sleeping tonight. There were too many thoughts and questions racing through his mind. He returned to Miles’s front porch.

  The night air was warm and sticky. Andrew walked to the large wicker bench and sat down. The smell of fire lingered in the air. They were several miles from his parents’ house, but it was still present.

  He leaned his head back and listened to the sound of crickets. He was home, but obviously things had changed over the years and his family had made some enemies. He looked out across the field. One day, this would be a working vineyard. That’s what Miles hoped to do with the property. Andrew could see his brother had a good vision. The space was beautiful, and perfect for a new business.

  Over the years, he’d thought about several ventures he’d wanted to get into, but he’d never acted. Instead, he’d continued serving in the Marines, but the Montgomery family drive to be a business owner had never completely escaped him. His father had raised them with the expectation they’d own not just one, but several businesses. That’s what they did.