Set the Night on Fire

by Jennifer Bernard

  Sean swallowed convulsively. That night in jail, he’d released years’ worth of anger within those four walls. Becker had let him vent. Brought him a glass of water. Told him he’d get through it. Even though his jaw was swollen from Sean’s punch, he’d treated him fairly.

  He could trust this man.

  “Fine,” he said in a hoarse voice. “What issues do I have?”

  Becker squinted at him. “Do I look like a therapist?”

  “Is that some sort of game? You want me to say what my issues are? Well, fine, I don’t think I have any. I’m my own person, and I’m nothing like my father. Duty, integrity, respect.” He emphasized the words by pounding one fist into the opposite palm. “That’s the hotshot motto, that’s what I live by. It’s the opposite of how Jesse lived. He lived for himself, and he wanted his family to be his fan club. Follow him everywhere. Laugh at his jokes. Like the things he liked. He didn’t love us. He didn’t love me. He just wanted a slave.”

  He stopped, breathing hard. He slid a glance at Becker, but like that night Sean had spent in jail, the man was just letting him vent.

  “Jesse never listened to me. I told him he wasn’t cut out to be a pilot. He barely had enough flight hours to get his license, let alone fly other people around. If he’d listened to me, just once, just one fucking time in his whole life, maybe he wouldn’t have crashed. Unless he crashed on purpose, because he didn’t want to go to j—”

  The chief watched closely as Sean fought to get a grip on his emotions. When Sean said nothing more, Becker walked to his desk and picked up a fat olive-drab file folder.

  “I took a look at the bank statements you gave me. Interesting stuff. I’ve had a detective digging around and our guess is there’s money hidden somewhere. Not in here, though.”

  Sean frowned, not understanding.

  “There’s nothing in these accounts that would have sent Jesse Marcus to jail. And the crash wasn’t his fault.”

  “What? Of course it was.” Sean had never once questioned that. A momentary lapse in attention, a detail left unattended to, a desire to show off for his wife on their anniversary. He couldn’t say exactly how it had happened, but he knew it had to be Jessie’s doing.

  “I gotta admit, I assumed it was, too, knowing Jesse Marcus. But after Brad White got the investigation reopened, I assigned one of my best detectives to it. He found a report from the NTSB that never got made public. Several fishermen reported unpredictable winds that day. They said it kept changing direction. The conditions weren’t bad enough to ground a plane. But there’s a good chance that wind shear brought it down. Investigators were leaning toward that conclusion, but didn’t have enough evidence to make the call. So they left the final cause undetermined.”

  “They think it was wind shear?” Sean had been inside the school gym playing basketball when the crash happened, not monitoring the weather. He didn’t remember anything about the wind conditions.

  “Yeah, it’s a sudden change in the direction of the wind—”

  “I know. I know what it is.”

  “From what I’ve heard, it can happen to anyone,” Becker added. “Not much he could have done.”

  Sean nodded slowly. Hotshots dealt with gusty, unpredictable winds all the time. They were a fact of life. If you got caught on the wrong side of a sudden change, you could pay with your life. None of this was news to him.

  The possibility that a force of nature had taken his parents’ lives and not some bad decision on Jesse’s part?

  Yeah, that actually was news.

  “It’s like anything,” Becker was saying. “You do what you love and you take your chances.”

  “Uh-huh.” Sean cleared his throat. He needed to think this through. For thirteen years he’d pinned the blame on his father. And no matter what had caused the crash, it didn’t change anything. Jesse was still a selfish, controlling husband and father.

  But maybe it did change things. Maybe Jesse wasn’t as reckless as he’d thought. And maybe he could move forward now that he knew the truth.

  “And listen, Sean. It says a lot that you brought this evidence in even though you didn’t know how it would turn out. I respect that, son. You earned a lot of goodwill around here, for that and for everything else.”

  Respect. The word entered his bloodstream like a shot of B-12. Respect. That was all he’d ever wanted.

  “So…anything else you wanted to discuss? You can take this file if you want. I told you the highlights but you might find it interesting. Seems the plane was perfectly maintained and mechanically sound. I was going to pass this on to the newspaper to see if they wanted to do one more write-up on the crash. Put all the rumors to rest. But if you want to look through it first, have at it.”

  Sean automatically took the folder. He imagined wading through all those reports in there, all those interviews and photographs and transcripts.

  No. He had work to do, a crew to run—a future to claim.

  He handed it back. “Think I’ll pass. I appreciate it though. Thanks for filling me in.”

  “You got it. So what are you going to do with that piece of property? The old airstrip?”

  “Brad White wants to buy it.”

  Becker nodded. “My gut tells me there’s a reason for that. I wouldn’t let him near it, if I were you.”

  Sean shoved his hands in his pockets. The same thought had occurred to him. Why had Brad wanted to blackmail him into selling it? There had be something going on under the surface. “Yeah, I think I’ll hang on to it a while longer.”

  “Good. So, Marcus—I don’t want to rush you, but if you want to catch Evie before Officer Blaine picks her up for dinner at the Seaview, you’d better run.” Becker gave him a ghost of a wink.

  “Officer Blaine, huh?” Sean’s eyes narrowed. “What’s his story?”

  “Ninety percent clearance rate. Never married. Keeps a picture of his nephews on his desk. Even-tempered, methodical. That’s about all I can tell you.”

  For no real reason, Sean already hated the guy. He didn’t have an embarrassing divorce in his background, he was into kids. Even-tempered…Evie could also be described as even-tempered. She and Officer Blaine were probably a perfect match.

  He reached the truck and realized he didn’t even remember saying goodbye to Becker.

  In the sky above, long streaks of blood orange and apricot lit up the underside of the clouds. A beautiful Jupiter Point sunset. The terrace at the Seaview Inn was probably jam-packed with honeymooners sipping cocktails and holding hands.

  Maybe Evie was already there with Officer Blaine. He pictured her sitting at one of the Inn’s white-linen-covered tables, the candlelight turning her eyes silver. She’d be listening to Blaine’s police work stories with her full attention, in that way of hers. Blaine was probably telling her—methodically—how beautiful she was and how much he loved children.

  Evie.

  He wanted her. More than he’d ever wanted anything or anyone in his life. And he was a stubborn jackass for not admitting it until now.

  32

  Sean drove back to the base in a fog. The first person he laid eyes on was Josh, who was busy setting up the new gas grill they’d just acquired.

  “Magneto, where the hell have you been? We’re thinking cookout to kick off the season.”

  Sean suddenly remembered that he hated Josh. He strode up to him, chest to chest. “Why’d you take Evie out, you asshole?”

  Josh held up a spatula in self-defense. “I didn’t. She took me out.”

  “What is that supposed to mean? Why would she take you out?”

  Josh stepped behind the grill, so it separated them. “You seem upset, Sean.” His teasing tone made Sean want to inflict actual damage on him. “The last I heard, you and Evie were through. What’s it to you who she goes out with?”

  The look on Sean’s face, which must have been terrifying, made him raise the spatula again, this time in surrender.

  “I helped Evie out with som
e stuff for her mother. She needed a new ramp for the back porch but none of them are all that handy with power tools. When we were done, we went for a bite to eat. There was something I wanted to talk to her about.”

  “What?” The pit in Sean’s stomach made no sense. Why would it matter to him what Josh and Evie talked about? As long as it didn’t involve kissing…or touching…or… “What did you talk about?”

  “It’s personal.” The unusually serious look on his friend’s face made Sean even more worried.

  “We’re like brothers, man. What can you talk about with Evie that you can’t tell me?”

  “Look, asshole.” Josh stopped hiding behind the grill and came around to face Sean. “I’m only going to tell you this because you clearly have it bad for Evie and don’t know what the hell to do about it. But you can’t say anything. Not one word, not to anyone. I was talking to Evie about her cousin. That’s it. That’s all I’m saying.”

  “Her cousin?” Feeling slow-witted, Sean searched his mind for the other time Suzanne’s name had come up that day. “The one who just got engaged?”

  With a scathing look, Josh turned back to the grill and pressed the primer button.

  Oh. Ohhh. Josh had a thing for Suzanne? Sheer relief made Sean let out a laugh. He was an idiot. Of course his brother in arms wouldn’t stab him in the back and go after Evie. That wasn’t Josh’s style. He was getting paranoid. He really needed to get a grip on himself. He couldn’t keep acting crazy like this.

  Josh released the button and a flame ignited in the depths of the grill. “Sean, did it ever occur to you that if you want Evie, you actually need to go get her? And if you don’t, someone else probably will?”

  “You can go back to worrying about your own love life,” Sean grumbled. “I’m good now.”

  “Yeah, but is she? She told me that her whole attitude is different now. Now that she’s broken away from the whole Brad situation, she’s ready and eager to see what’s out there.”

  “I’ll tell her exactly what’s out there—” He glanced up at the hills where the Seaview was located. A halo of reddish light glowed above the darkening slopes. He squinted, trying to bring it into focus.

  Josh followed his glance. “Sunset glow?”

  “It’s about the same color. Maybe it’s reflecting off the clouds.”

  “Yeah.” Both of them fell silent, watching the light. If it was a refraction of the fading rays of the sun, it would die out very soon. It was nearly night already. If it was more than that…

  “Maybe I should call Littleton,” Sean said uneasily. “At least check with dispatch. Keep an eye on it, would you?”

  Josh nodded as Sean jogged toward fire dispatch, which was staffed twenty-four hours a day. If it was an early brushfire, the Jupiter Point FD would check it out first, then call it in if they needed more resources.

  Just in case, he put a call in to Chief Littleton to let him know the hotshots stood ready.

  * * *

  Evie dragged a steamed mussel through the pool of white wine and butter sauce on her plate. She was determined to wring every ounce of enjoyment out of this dinner. If it had to come from the deliciousness of the food rather than the man across the table, so be it. She’d take what she could get.

  “So this guy, after I collared him, he started yelling, ‘I want my nanny.’ I thought he meant Mommy, but that wasn’t it. He wanted his damn nanny.”

  Evie frowned at Danny Blaine, who was so clean-cut he could have been chiseled from a bar of soap. “I don’t understand. Was he still a kid? Why did he have a nanny?”

  “Got me.”

  “You never asked what he meant?”

  “Nope. It sounded like a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ kind of situation, if you know what I mean.”

  Evie nodded wisely, even though she really didn’t see the point of the story. Where was the payoff? Whatever. It didn’t matter. She was dating. She was getting out there. This was what Brianna, Suzanne and Merry had meant when they’d all met at the Venus and Mars Cafe the other day.

  “It doesn’t matter if it’s fun,” Brianna had insisted. “Think of it as shaking the rust off.”

  “Kind of like WD-40,” Suzanne agreed. “Like we used to use on our bicycle chains.”

  “I refuse to think of a man as a can of WD-40.” Evie had to draw the line somewhere.

  Brianna snickered. “I’m trying so hard not to say the word ‘lubricate’ right now.”

  Everyone groaned and Suzanne pretended to throttle her. “That’s a terrible comparison anyway,” said Merry. “I like to treat dates like research. It’s all about observation. You seek out all the little details that tell you who a person really is.”

  “No, no, no. Your approach is all wrong, Merry, which is probably why you’re still single.” Suzanne shifted her right hand so her engagement ring caught the light. She’d been doing that nonstop since she and Logan had announced their engagement. “Evie’s not writing an article, she’s trying to find her soul mate.”

  “I thought you didn’t believe in soul mates,” said Evie. “That’s why you got engaged to Logan.”

  “Ohh, burn.” Brianna, wide-eyed, sucked down half her iced latte.

  “No no, she’s right. I don’t believe in soul mates—for me. I’m more practical. I’m marrying Logan because he’s exactly what I’ve always wanted in a husband.” Suzanne turned to Evie. “But you’re a different kind of person. Really, you’re a romantic at heart, Evie.”

  Everyone had agreed with that, no matter how much Evie protested. Since when was she a romantic? She’d just spent the past thirteen years avoiding close relationships. She was the opposite of romantic.

  Now, gazing across the table at Danny Blaine’s warm brown eyes, she tried to think like Merry. Details. Research. She made mental notes on what she’d noticed about him so far. He was very organized. He’d given the waiter a rough schedule of when the main course should arrive and how long they should wait before dessert.

  Well organized. That was good. She appreciated a well-organized person. Although insisting on finishing every bite of steak before moving on to the potatoes seemed a little rigid.

  “Can I ask you something, Evie?” Danny asked.

  “Of course.”

  “Why did you finally say yes to me? I kept a running tally of how many times I asked you out. I was up to eight. I was honestly pretty shocked when you called me back.”

  That was definitely true, based on the lengthy silence that had greeted her call. “Well, I guess I was focusing on other areas of my life.”

  “And that’s one of the qualities I find appealing about you. You’re a successful businesswoman. That takes discipline and perseverance. You’re living your dream because of all your hard work. Hard work is the key to success.”

  Hard-working.

  “Mm, hmmm.” She popped another mussel in her mouth and savored the flavor. “Actually, owning the gallery was never my dream. I had a different dream. I wanted to travel the world and take photographs everywhere I went.”

  “Is that right?” He made a little face that showed he didn’t think much of that idea. “I think you made the right choice. The only reason to travel is that it makes you appreciate how good we have it here.”

  Unimaginative. She imagined writing that down in a little notebook like one of Merry’s. “Well, I guess I wouldn’t know. I haven’t been anywhere besides Jupiter Point.”

  “And that’s another thing I like about you. You stayed close to home, close to your roots. That’s how it should be. Family first, don’t you agree?”

  “To be honest, I think it depends. Everyone’s different. My brother would have gone crazy if he’d stayed here.” Not to mention Sean Marcus. If he’d stayed…

  Stop thinking about Sean.

  Evie pushed her mussel shells to the side of her plate. Everything she hated about dating came rushing back to her. The tedium of stilted conversation. Biding her time until she could gracefully leave. Fear of hu
rting someone’s feelings by revealing her lack of interest.

  “Some people are more different than others.” Danny smoothed his neatly trimmed moustache. “Me, I like to stick with what I know. Jupiter Point, born and bred, no plans to go anywhere else. Although if you pushed me, I might make an exception for a cruise.”

  She smiled sweetly at him. “You mean those cruises where you eat all your meals onboard and only get off to pick up some souvenirs?”

  “Yes, that sounds about right. Now that, to me, is a nice honeymoon. Relaxing, stress-free, clean. Everyone speaks English. I heard you can get anything you want on those cruise ships. All the food you can eat, games, shows…” As he rattled on about the glorious features of cruises, Evie cast a desperate glance around the restaurant.

  Wasn’t there anyone here who could rescue her? She hadn’t set up an escape call this time, because her friends had accused her of not giving her dates a chance. Well, she was giving Danny a chance and he was droning on about Princess versus Norwegian Cruise Lines, and how a Caribbean cruise was on his bucket list.

  You know what was on her bucket list? Getting out of here with her sanity intact! Maybe she could make a call. Or pretend to get a call. Or throw herself through the plate-glass picture window that looked out on the terrace. If only something would save her, anything…

  The terrace…something was going on out there. She squinted past the reflections moving across the glass. Everyone was crowded to one side of the terrace and pointing toward the hills. She craned her neck to see what they were looking at, but couldn’t get a good angle on it.

  Danny’s phone beeped. “This only rings for emergencies,” he told her as he pulled out his cell phone. A frown gathered on his square forehead. “Yeah, I’m here at the Seaview. What’s going on?” He listened, nodding, to the rapid-fire voice on the other end.

  When he hung up, he was all business. “We have to evacuate the Seaview. There’s a brushfire one hill over.”

  “Oh my gosh.” Suddenly, her desire to end the date suddenly seemed trivial compared to an emergency. “How can I help?”