Love & Liberty: Independence Day (Holidays In Hallbrook Book 6)

by Elsie Davis

  “Are you sure I can’t talk you out of this?” he asked, shooting her one of his big-brother frowns.

  “No. And now that you’re here, I should tell you something else.” They got back in the car, and Ashley put the car in reverse, easing out of the parking space. “Better from me than on the news.” She winced, knowing his reaction wouldn’t be a good one. She turned in the direction of the park, intent on seeing this through.

  “Oh, no, what did you do?” Trent asked, his voice sterner than she’d heard in a long time.

  “A few locals joined me this morning in a protest at the burn site. It started peacefully and ended peacefully, so don’t go getting all cranked up and crazy on me. It’s just when the news media showed up, we stayed a little longer to tell our side of the story.”

  “Good grief, Ashley. You’ve gone too far, this time.” Trent shook his head, frustration evident in every line of his face.

  She turned back to watch the road, hating that her brother was upset with her, but knowing it had been the right thing to do. They’d only wanted to express their opinions—and they hadn’t gotten in the way. Where was the harm in that?

  “It wasn’t so bad, and it ended well after the sheriff showed up. So, you have nothing to worry about.”

  “The sheriff?” Trent asked, his voice tight with tension. “You do realize I’m dating the judge’s daughter? And that you had me call in a favor for that injunction. This is not going to look good. You need to stop involving me in your plans. This is the last time; do you hear me? I’m done with this craziness. You need to let it go.”

  Ashley knew she’d pushed him too far, and he was probably right. “Or maybe, you just need to stop worrying so much.”

  “Maybe I could if you’d figure out how to stay out of trouble. Between fending off boyfriends, making sure you finished high school, having you run off to California and marry and divorce some jerk, worry is my middle name. And now, you’re back in Hallbrook with no job, and from what I can tell, limited resources. At what point do you think I can stop worrying?”

  Put like that, it sounded terrible. But not everyone’s life was quiet and uneventful like his. Or how his might have been until she’d come back to town. “Nobody asked you to worry.” Ashley stiffened, taking offense at the idea his protective streak was something he resented.

  “After dad died, I did.” Trent nodded. “Mom told me once I would have to be the man of the house. It stuck, and I did everything I could to make her happy. I hated that she was hurt and alone.” His voice had grown raw with emotion, and Ashley didn’t have to look at him to see the pain.

  “I’m sorry. That’s a heavy load, especially when you were only fourteen. What did you mean about driving off my boyfriends? It’s not like I dated much.” Ashley pulled into the South Summit entrance and parked, ignoring the roadblock and simply driving around it. What the fire department didn’t know wouldn’t hurt anyone.

  “Forget I said that,” Trent said, snapping out of the dark place he’d gone.

  “No, what did you mean? I didn’t know you’d interfered in my love life. I would’ve had a few things to say about that if I’d known. You had no right.” Ashley frowned. Trent didn’t say a word about the roadblock, leading her to believe wherever he’d gone mentally had blocked out everything else around him temporarily.

  “Maybe not, but it was my job as your big brother and the father figure in the house,” Trent insisted, getting out of the car and following her to the trailhead.

  “Exactly how many boyfriends did you run off? I don’t remember too many boys even showing interest.” Ashley stopped walking, determined to know the truth. It was her life, and clearly, he’d interfered.

  “Just one, as it turns out.” Trent shrugged and kept walking, avoiding her gaze.

  “And who was he? Randy Thompson? I thought he was going to ask me to the prom senior year, but that never happened. Did you get to him first?” she persisted, her anger simmering just below a boil. It shouldn’t matter, as it was ages ago, but it did. After David’s betrayal, Randy’s sudden lack of interest had hurt more than she cared to admit.

  Trent stopped, turning back to look at her. He let out a deep breath. “You don’t want to know. It was a long time ago, and it doesn’t matter now. You should just forget I even let it slip.”

  “Who, Trent?” She grabbed his arm, determined not to let him walk away this time.

  He glanced down to where she held him and then looked back at her. “David.”

  That one word had the power to shock her to the very core of her being. It was the last name she’d expected to hear. “I don’t understand. He was your best friend. Why would you run him off?” It was impossible. Her brother’s confession meant David ditching her hadn’t been his decision.

  “When I found out the two of you were more than friends, it drove me crazy. I was the typical big brother who didn’t want anyone with his little sister, especially not his best friend. I knew exactly how Dad must have felt watching you grow up and worrying about you dating. I saw how controlling he was with you, but I understood. Besides, David has relationship issues. I’ve known him a long time, and he isn’t the committing type. Not then, and not now. I wasn’t going to let him stick around to break your heart. And he’s proven me right. After all these years, he still hasn’t settled down with anyone.” Trent raised his chin just a notch, but enough to let her know he felt justified, and that sent her over the top.

  “How dare you! He broke my heart, and now I find out it was all your fault. How could you do this to me?” Ashley’s chest clenched, her heart agonizing as old wounds resurfaced.

  Some of Trent’s other comments filtered through her brain. Trent was responsible for David dumping her, that was clear. But David was the one who’d allowed her brother to push him around and dictate their relationship, not bothering to fight for her. He’d seen it as an opportunity to run. She was angry with her brother, but after several deep breaths, she tried to rein it in. It wasn’t important anymore. And knowing the truth made it easier to put an end to any fanciful notions she had about David every time he walked into the room.

  “I did it for your own good. Like I said, water under the bridge. Let it go. And nothing’s changed. I don’t want to see you get your heart broken again. Stay away from him, Ashley.”

  “You have nothing to fear on that score. Come on, we need to get a move on.” She pulled out the map and checked her coordinates along the way, heading in the same direction she’d seen bird last fly off.

  They spent the next hour searching deeper into the gridded area she’d highlighted. Ashley stopped to rub her neck, lifting her hair. The cool breeze felt good against the sweat on her neck. The smell of smoke was faint in the air, reminding her that not far from here, David and the fire department were hard at work. Now more than ever, she was grateful he’d agreed to move the perimeter lines.

  She and Trent continued to search, and it was like old times when the two of them used to pal around together. Pushing aside their differences, she started to relax, enjoying her time with Trent. Her brother had a big heart, something she needed to remember. Anything he’d done, he’d done out of love, even if he’d been mistaken.

  “Look over there.” Trent pointed up at the sky behind them, and the air of fun dissipated and was replaced by concern. “It looks like some of the smoke is blowing in this direction. I hadn’t noticed that before.”

  “Neither did I. The wind is blowing in a southerly direction, toward us. Earlier, it was blowing in the opposite direction.” Wisps of gray smoke flitted through the trees and across the skyline.

  “With the fire department burning upwind of us, the smoke could get thicker. Maybe we should head back now to play it safe.” Trent was the voice of reason, and Ashley was almost inclined to agree.

  Almost.

  The change in wind direction would not be good news for the fire department. David had repeatedly told her that details and timing were critical in a contr
olled burn. She couldn’t imagine they’d planned for shifting winds, not to mention the wind speed seemed to have picked up. “Let’s keep looking a bit longer. There’s a ridge just a little way from here. We’ll turn around there and head back.”

  “First sensible thing I’ve heard you say all day,” Trent said, his boyish grin took the sting out of the words.

  Chapter Fifteen

  David watched as his guys set the mini fires, each person knowing exactly what to do. They needed to work together as a team. The burn was systematically managed, and as they moved forward, they checked and rechecked to make sure everything stayed under control.

  “Watch that backline, Bart,” David called out. One of the fires wasn’t dying down as quickly as expected. It was best to keep everything low and tight, using the gentle wind to move the blaze northward in the direction planned.

  “Ten-four, Chief Beckett,” Bart answered through the headset they all wore for communication.

  A bird flew overhead. David glanced up as much for himself as for Ashley. If he spotted an eagle, he’d call the burn off in a heartbeat. The bird flew closer, and David recognized it as a vulture.

  He returned his focus to the fire as the heat grew more intense. David opened his jacket a little to let more air in and then used the bandana around his neck to wipe the sweat off his brow.

  “How’s it look from your side, Chief Beckett?” Captain James asked over the headset.

  “Looking good. It seems the breeze has picked up, but it’s moving the fire in the right direction, and everything’s still manageable. Wouldn’t hurt to check with NOAA for an updated weather report.” David glanced up at the treetops, reconfirming his assessment.

  “Will do,” Captain James answered.

  David stayed ahead of the crew, checking the twenty-foot wide path cleared at the perimeter to control sparks from jumping the original line, setting off unintended burns that could quickly get out of control. The newest section of freshly cleared ground wasn’t as deep as he would have liked it since the change was only implemented yesterday, but at least there was no brush, and there should be adequate protection.

  The chatter in the headset continued as the crew worked together to control the burn.

  “Chief Beckett,” Captain James broke in over the airway. “I just got the update from NOAA, and it’s not good. The winds have increased to twelve miles per hour and are expected to rise to fifteen. There’s a front headed this way.”

  David frowned. “What do you mean headed this way?”

  “Two pressure systems collided and changed the rotation, and now the stronger front is moving toward the south and bringing southerly winds with it.” The captain knew as well as he did the changing winds and high speeds were the kiss of death when it came to a controlled burn.

  It looked like Ashley was going to get her wish after all.

  “You heard Captain James, guys. Weather conditions have changed, and I’ve got no choice but to shut this burn down. We need to start getting water on those backfires to extinguish them.”

  Murmurs of agreement piped across the airwaves as the firefighters all checked in, acknowledging the change in plans.

  David moved off to the left, trying to get a good look at the area and assess how things stood as the men started to extinguish the fire. A huge gust of wind blew across the open field, fanning the flames in the southeast corner. The smoke made it difficult to see what was happening, and David moved in the general direction determined to check it out.

  “Captain Beckett, sparks from the fire just flew right over the burn line with that last gust of wind, and they’re igniting all over the place,” one of the men hollered into the headset.

  “All hands to the burn line. Let’s get on this and shut it down. Fast,” David urged. A wildfire was the worst thing that could happen, and David prayed they’d get it under control.

  “Ten-four, Chief Beckett.” Captain James moved men into place from his side of the fire, and David listened to get a better feel for what was happening.

  David started shoveling, trying to make the burn line wider as a precaution. Sweat poured down his face as the smoke grew thicker, the heat from the fire blowing in his direction.

  “Chief Beckett, it’s moving faster. You need to get out of there. Stat,” Captain James directed.

  “We’ve got to get this under control before the winds turn this into a wildfire.” David coughed, the smoke making it harder to breathe. He couldn’t let anything go wrong—not on his watch.

  If it hadn’t been for Ashley and the delay, they wouldn’t be in this position. He took a deep breath, trying to think. David knew he couldn’t blame her. Ashley may have changed the dates, but she certainly didn’t have control over Mother Nature. Another truth—he’d never stopped caring for her and the growing attraction between them now had been reignited and was just as dangerous as the fire he faced now.

  Another gust of wind fanned the flames in front of him. Split seconds counted and now wasn’t the time to be thinking about Ashley. David looked around to assess the situation, not liking what he saw. The smoke was now so thick he couldn’t see twenty feet in front of him. A wall of flames stood between him and the rest of the team. David stepped back and spun around in search of his exit.

  “I’ve got zero visibility through the smoke and I’m not sure which way is out. Can someone get some water and try to get me a clear path of sight?” David asked, not letting his concern show in his voice. Firefighters always needed to maintain level-headed control.

  “Ten-four, Chief Beckett. We’re on it,” Captain James responded. The sound of voices, even if only in the headset, was reassuring help wasn’t far away.

  David pulled out the extra fire blanket and pulled it over his head as a precaution. He sucked in several deep breaths, choking on the smoky air as it filled his lungs. An image of his father trapped in a burning house flashed before his eyes, reminding him of what was at stake. His mother had barely survived his father dying. He didn’t want to think of the agony he’d put her through if anything happened to him.

  Lord, please give me the strength and courage to face this situation in a manner that honors my father’s legacy and help guide me out safely And I pray you’ll take care of my mother and Ashley if this doesn’t end well.

  David moved off in the direction he felt was correct, trusting and hoping that his team would get to him in time because, without a doubt, he was in trouble.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The sound of voices came racing across the wind, and Ashley stopped to figure out what she was hearing. “Trent, listen.”

  “I hear it. That’s an awful lot of shouting. I wonder what’s going on?” Trent frowned. “We need to get out of here.”

  “I totally agree. Although the voices are getting closer, so I’m pretty sure we’re about to find out what’s happening, whether we want to or not.” Ashley watched as several firefighters came charging toward them.

  “Trent? What are you two doing out here? This area is closed. You need to get out of here. Stat,” one of the firefighters ordered.

  “Sorry, I didn’t see the sign, Captain James.” Trent shot her a dirty look. “What’s going on?”

  “Fire department business. Scott, can you escort them back to their vehicle and see that they leave the area,” Captain James ordered, the urgency in his voice unmistakable.

  Ashley dug in her heels, not willing to leave until she knew what was happening. David was out there, and with the smoke blowing this way, her worry button was short-circuiting. “We know there’s a controlled burn going on. And Trent and I are friends of David Beckett. Surely you can tell us something.”

  He nodded, a grim look on his face. “I know exactly who you are. Ashley Stanton. The woman who decided the picket line and media show was a good thing for the fire department to wake up to this morning.” Captain James’s opinion of her couldn’t be more clear. “Trent, you need to get your sister out of here.”

 
; “I’ll do that.” Trent nodded. “But the only way I’m going to get her to budge is if you tell us what’s going on. Please. I know my sister all too well.” Good for Trent, standing up to the man. It was his best friend out there and he wanted answers just as much as she did.

  The two firefighters looked back and forth between each other. “Get going, Scott. The others are already arriving, and I’ll be right behind you after I take care of these two.” The man ran ahead into the woods, and Captain James turned back to them. “The winds changed speed and direction. The fire line circled back, and one of our firefighters is currently trapped. We are trying to get to him through this side. Now leave, please.” Several other firefighters came running in their direction, Kojak leading the way.

  “Which firefighter?” Ashley demanded.

  “Chief Beckett.” Two words that had the power to gut Ashley, her heart lodging somewhere in the vicinity of her throat.

  “Come on, Ashley. We need to get out of here and let them do their job. For David’s sake.” Trent pulled her by the arm, urging her to go.

  Ashley went with him, but she wasn’t leaving. Not the way they thought she would. The parking lot would be a safe place to watch, but she wasn’t going farther than that. She jerked her arm out of his hand, turning back to watch Kojak and the men disappear. She closed her eyes, hoping to fight back the sudden rush of tears.

  Trent pulled her in his arms. “He’ll be okay, Ashley. It’s David. He’s one of the toughest guys I know, and he’ll be fine. And Kojak’s one of the best fire dogs I’ve ever seen. He won’t let anything happen to David.”

  Ashley raised her head and frowned, trying to pull herself together to be strong. “And exactly how many fire dogs have you seen in your life?”

  “One.” He frowned. “Come on, I promised Captain James we’d leave.” Ashley gave in, and the two of them trekked back to the parking lot in silence.