12-Alarm Cowboys

by Cora Seton

  “Excuse me.” She shoved Jacob aside and rushed past him inside. A glance told her Chris was busy arguing with several of the other men, pointing to the steaks. She found Adam in the kitchen staring at her calendar. “What are you doing?”

  “Looking around. Something’s going on here. I can’t figure out what quite yet. But I will, Brynn. I promise you.”

  She shrugged. “Whatever you say, Adam.” He looked good in his uniform. Masculine. Sexy. She knew if she touched his arm, his muscles would ripple beneath her fingers. Adam had been ripped since high school and she wondered why no woman had ever snared him. Had he just not met the right one?

  Was he waiting for someone in particular?

  She wished he would wait for her. Just until Thursday night at midnight. Just until this nightmare was over. That was a pipe dream, though. Adam had watched her make a life with Chris. He wouldn’t want her now. She steeled herself to say what had to be said.

  “Take your friends and go home. The show’s over.”

  “That’s right, Carter. Time to pack up and leave.” Chris came to stand by her. Brynn’s eyebrows pinched together. Damn it, wouldn’t he leave her alone? When she realized Adam was watching her closely, she forced herself to be calm.

  Adam leaned forward. “Chris, tell me honestly. Did you set that fire on purpose?”

  That got Chris’s back up. “Did you see me out there cooking those steaks? That fire was Brynn’s fault, from start to finish.”

  “All right, then. Brynn, I need you to come back to town with me. The chief has some questions to ask you. I think the county sheriff is going to want a word, too.”

  Brynn’s eyes widened. The sheriff? “Why?”

  “Because that’s three fires in less than a week. It’s procedure. Grab your purse and let’s go.”

  Chris was fuming. “I’ll be waiting for you when you get home, Brynn. Don’t think I won’t.”

  “You’ll be waiting a while,” Adam said and ushered her out the door.

  Chapter Four

  ‡

  Fear. That had been fear in Brynn’s eyes when Chris got close to her and it had made him want to pulverize the man. He thought back to what he’d seen on Brynn’s calendar when he’d removed it from the kitchen wall and tilted it just so in the light—until he could make out the letters that she’d tried to blot out.

  Free.

  He’d been right. She was going to make her move tomorrow. He had a feeling Brynn would set all the fires it took to keep her plan on course.

  But why fires? Why drag the fire department out to her house over and over again? Why not just walk away.

  Did Chris have some kind of hold over her? Was she trying to tell them what it was?

  He shook his head. If she wanted them to understand, she’d have to make it more clear.

  He brought Brynn to Ed’s office when they arrived at the fire house and shut the door on her while he pulled Ed into the hallway to talk. After filling him in on what he knew, he said, “Now what?”

  “I’ll ask her some questions. Go ahead and call Cab over if you think it will help.”

  Cab Johnson was the county sheriff. Adam knew the man would understand the situation once it had been explained to him. He might be able to help, too.

  “I’ll do that. Meanwhile, see if you can use your grandfatherly charm to lure an explanation out of her.”

  “Grandfatherly charm? Just for that I’m docking you a week’s pay.” But Ed disappeared into his office and Adam knew he had as good a chance as anyone to get Brynn to talk.

  He found a quiet space and called Cab on his cell.

  “Adam! I was just thinking about you.”

  Adam cocked his head. “Really? What for?”

  “Tomorrow’s the fifth anniversary of the fire that took out the Five and Dime, remember? That was a hell of a night.”

  Adam knew it had been in the early weeks of Cab’s ascension to office as the county sheriff. As young as he was, it had been a hell of a burden on him to try to bring order to the chaotic scene. He’d led the investigation into the arson, but had never unearthed anything. Adam wondered if that sat heavy on the man’s conscience.

  “That was a hell of a night.” Adam had just turned eighteen and had been new to the fire hall. It still counted as the biggest blaze he’d ever responded to. The fire hit at night and no one had been in the store, but the damage to the structure and its neighbors ran into the millions. “Wait a minute, the anniversary is tomorrow?”

  “That’s right. Five years. We’re getting old, man.”

  “Holy shit. I mean—” Adam thought fast. “Speak for yourself. Hey listen, I just wanted to let you know there was another fire at the Price place tonight. Nothing major, everything’s fine. Could you keep an eye on Chris Price the next few days, though? Something’s going on between him and Brynn. I’m hoping it will blow over soon.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll make sure we do some extra drive-bys, that kind of thing.”

  Adam rang off and thought over what he’d discovered. He hadn’t asked Cab to come by because he didn’t want the man to ask Brynn any questions. Not after what he’d said. Adam had already figured out what Brynn was up to, and he needed to protect her from herself. She was calling attention to the crime she had committed the only way she knew how, and soon the rest of the fire department would figure it out too.

  It was Brynn who had set the Five and Dime fire five years ago. Whether as a prank or a way of acting out, he didn’t know. When it got out of hand, she’d panicked. She must have hated herself for the damage she’d done—enough to punish herself for years with a marriage to Chris.

  Now the statute of limitations was almost up on her crime and she still didn’t feel like she’d paid the price. She was practically shouting it from the rooftops—here I am, a firebug! Come get me! Come lock me up!

  What the hell should he do now? She was sitting in the Chief’s office, probably spilling the beans even as he stood there. How much time would she serve for her crime? How much longer would he have to wait to be with her?

  He strode back to the office, knocked twice on the door and barged in. Ed straightened from where he’d been leaning over the desk, his hands splayed on the faux-wood surface. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Brynn, it’s…” He fumbled for an explanation. How could he get Brynn out of here without Ed figuring out what he knew? “It’s your sister. She’s come back. Cab just saw her downtown.”

  Brynn was on her feet in an instant. Netta was back? In town? Hope squeezed her chest at the thought of seeing her again, replaced immediately by terror. Netta couldn’t be back. Not for another twenty-four hours.

  She headed for the door, ignoring Ed’s raised voice.

  “I’ll keep an eye on her,” she heard Adam say and then his hand was on her arm, hustling her out of the firehouse and to his truck.

  “Get in.” He wrenched the door open and barely waited for her to climb in before circling around to his own side, climbing in and starting the engine. They’d only driven a minute or two when she realized they were going the wrong way.

  “Wait—turn around!”

  “She’s not in town. Netta’s not here, I just made that up.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing. I’m going to take you somewhere private and you’re going to tell me what the hell is going on.”

  “But she’s—”

  “I just told you I was lying, Brynn.”

  “She’s right there!”

  Adam slammed on the brakes, shocked that his lie had somehow become true. A young woman with auburn hair darted across the street as Brynn flung open the door. “Get in, quick!” No sooner had Netta climbed in beside her then Brynn turned to him. “Drive. Drive!”

  Adam drove.

  Brynn turned on her sister. “Twenty-four hours. You couldn’t wait twenty-four hours?”

  “It’s five years! The statute of limitations is up!” Netta said. “I couldn’t wait to
come home and catch up on everything with you. I just stopped in town to grab a bite to eat before I went to Mom and Dad’s place. But look—you’re married to Adam.” Her eyes were shining as she shook her glossy curls away from her head and fingered the ring on Brynn’s hand. “I always thought you two would be great together. I’m so glad everything turned out!”

  “Turned out?” Brynn’s voice cracked on a high note. “It hasn’t turned out at all! I’m not married to Adam—I’m married to Chris. Chris Price.”

  Netta pulled back. Cast a questioning glance at Adam. “Why on earth did you marry Chris Price?”

  “Because he saw,” Brynn hissed.

  Netta went still. “Brynn—” Her shocked tone said it all. Adam felt like he’d been hit with a two by four. Chris knew that Brynn had set the fire? He tried to puzzle out the implications and remembered that Brynn said she wouldn’t be married to him for long. Was that because the statute of limitations on her crime was nearly up? Had Chris forced Brynn to marry him in exchange for his silence? Forced her to—

  Adam felt sick to his stomach.

  “And it’s all for nothing if—” Brynn looked at Adam and broke off. “One more day, Netta. That’s all you had to wait!”

  “But if you count from when it happened—”

  “One more day!” Brynn covered her face with her hands. “Damn it. Adam, where can she hide?”

  Adam didn’t ask from what. If people saw Netta now, they’d ask about her sudden departure. They’d stir up talk about that time and who knew what would happen. Maybe Netta was somehow involved. Maybe it was her flight that drove Brynn to set the Five and Dime fire. Had Brynn been so furious about her sister abandoning her that she committed arson?

  “I know a place.”

  Chapter Five

  ‡

  Brynn shivered as they walked up the pathway to the empty rental house Adam had driven them to. Located in Silver Falls, the next town over, it apparently belonged to Adam’s uncle. When Adam took out a key and unlocked the door, she raised an eyebrow. He had obviously figured out the connection between Netta and all the fires Brynn had been setting. Why hadn’t he turned her in yet?

  “I help my uncle keep an eye on the place,” Adam said and let them in. “Don’t turn on any lights,” he told Netta. “Here’s the food we picked up. The water should be on. Don’t touch the curtains, don’t turn up the volume on the radio or television.”

  “I understand.” Netta was subdued, her earlier ebullience gone. “I promise, I’ll be as still as a mouse.”

  “You’d better be.” Brynn’s heart squeezed. This wasn’t the happy reunion she’d pictured with her sister. In truth, she’d envisioned having to go after Netta and hunt her down to let her know she was free from any consequences from her crime. In her darker moments, she’d pictured taking a photograph and walking through the seedier streets of Los Angeles until she found Netta holed up in a crumbling apartment, subsisting on a pittance she scraped together working several part-time jobs. She’d pictured herself as the savior—like she’d been all this time, keeping Chris from spilling her secret.

  But Netta wasn’t starving, or holed up in a ratty flop house, or subsisting on table scraps. She was healthy, glossy, tan and gorgeous. On the drive from Chance Creek, she’d explained she’d gone to work for a temp agency the minute she reached Los Angeles, and had worked her way up to being an executive assistant to a casting director. She’d met dozens of actors and actresses along the way, gone to exclusive parties, eaten at the best restaurants.

  She hadn’t suffered at all.

  Brynn couldn’t translate the uncomfortable tightness in her chest. Jealousy?

  Anger?

  Was she actually angry that her plan to save Netta had worked? That Netta had made a new life for herself? A fantastic life?

  “I’m sorry,” Netta whispered as Brynn turned to leave. “I didn’t know. I thought it best to keep my distance.”

  Brynn shrugged. “I’ve got to get back before Chris flips his lid. I’ll come get you when it’s safe.” She knew Adam would have plenty of questions for her too when they were alone.

  “Thank you, Brynn. For everything.” Netta hugged her hard and Brynn forced herself to hug her back. She loved her sister. She was happy for her.

  Really.

  Chapter Six

  ‡

  Adam kept quiet as they drove back to Brynn’s house, but after ten minutes of silence he couldn’t take it anymore. Brynn obviously didn’t mean to confess, so he’d have to pull the truth out of her. “It must be good to see your sister again.”

  Brynn made a noise he couldn’t decipher. “I guess.”

  “Were you mad when she left town?” He was still trying to understand why she’d done what she’d done. A certain number of kids and teenagers set small fires out of sheer boredom or because they were angry at their parents. What had spurred Brynn to set the Five and Dime on fire, though?

  “No. Of course not.” She turned to him in surprise. “I put her on that bus. I gave her all my money.”

  Adam frowned. “Why?”

  She stared at him. “Because I wanted her to be safe. She had a good reason for what she did.” She shook her head. “Not for what she did, but for being so angry.”

  “Wait a minute. Hold up. What she did? What did she do?”

  Brynn blinked. “You must have figured it out by now.”

  Adam let up on the accelerator. “She’s the one that started the fire? Netta did?”

  Silence greeted his words. Then Brynn sputtered, “You thought I did it?”

  “You married Chris. You had the date marked on your calendar.”

  She nodded. “That’s what you were doing in my kitchen. Yes, I married Chris. Because he saw Netta and he came after me. He told me exactly what he wanted and I agreed to it. I had no choice.”

  Anger burned through him at the thought of what she’d agreed to. The number of years she’d spent with a man who didn’t love her.

  Who’d used her in the worst of ways.

  “Why on earth did Netta start that fire?”

  Brynn sighed. “Henry Delaford raped her in the back room of the Five and Dime.”

  “Son of a bitch.” Adam jerked the truck to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes. Now it all made sense. Henry Delaford had never rebuilt his store after the fire, and he’d been warned to get out of town and not look back a few years ago, after another young woman made a similar allegation against him. She had refused to go to trial, not wanting the public humiliation, but Adam had heard through the grapevine that Cab believed what she said and he’d put the fear of God into the man. “So you put up with five years of Chris doing to you what Henry did to your sister just to make sure she didn’t serve any jail time?”

  She shook her head. “Chris never touched me—not until last week. He wanted money, not sex. He got that elsewhere.”

  Adam couldn’t keep up. “Are you telling me your marriage hasn’t been consummated?”

  “No, it hasn’t. And in twenty-four hours I plan to file for an annulment. I’m pretty sure Chris knows that, and what’s more—I think he wants to file for alimony. I’ve been supporting him for five years. That isn’t enough for him, though. I don’t know if he thinks sleeping with me will prove we’re really man and wife, or if he just wants to eke every last bit he can out of the situation.”

  Hope swirled through Adam’s chest. Brynn hadn’t slept with Chris. Her marriage was a sham. In less than a day she’d be free from the shackles that had tied her to him.

  But first they had to get through the next twenty-four hours. “Let me guess, if you don’t come home soon, he’s going to spill the beans to someone, isn’t he?”

  Brynn nodded.

  “So we have to get you back there, but we have to keep him from touching you, too. Do I have that right?”

  She nodded again. “He’s not going to take no for an answer—not today. And the second he thinks we’re trying to get one ove
r on him, he’ll make that phone call.”

  “You’re only with him because you had to be?”

  “Do you think I’d be with him for any other reason? Adam—” She bit back whatever she’d meant to say, but Adam felt another surge of hope. Maybe he had a chance with her after all.

  He tapped his finger on the wheel. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

  She wasn’t in the house more than ten minutes before Chris made his move. She had started to scrub down the counters in the little kitchen, nervous energy keeping her moving. She hoped that if she kept up her pace he would keep away from her, but that wasn’t how it worked out. Instead, he came up behind her, slid his hands into her back pockets and squeezed her ass.

  “You’re never going to get away from me, Brynn. It’s you and me forever, you know that, right?”

  “Of course I know that,” she forced herself to say.

  “So why don’t you get off your high horse and admit you want this, too. There’s no reason for you to go without for so long when I’m right here ready and willing to take care of you.”

  She made a face. She couldn’t help herself. “I’m the one who takes care of everything.”

  “I’m the one who keeps his mouth shut.” He yanked her back against him, pulled his hands out of her pockets and grabbed her hips. He ground against her as he spoke, leaving her no doubt of what he was after. “I could be charged as an accessory to a crime for keeping quiet.”

  “I appreciate what you’ve done for me. I just wish you’d show some appreciation for all I’ve done for you over the years.” Maybe she could start a fight and get his mind off of sex.

  “I appreciate you, baby. Let me show you how much.” He reached around, undid the button of her jeans and unzipped the fly. Brynn tried to pull away from him, but he easily held her in place.

  “Damn it, Chris! Turn out the lights if you’re going to molest me in the kitchen. The whole county can see what you’re doing.”