by Meghan March
“And I will. We will. You’re coming with me. This world could be headed straight for hell, but I wouldn’t let it stop me from delivering that car on time. Especially not after I talked to Boone tonight and told him it’s ready to go.”
“But what about Cody?”
Logan thinks for a few moments before responding. “Whatever questions they have aren’t going to change the fact that I have a job to do. They’ll get to the bottom of it, and I’ll clean up the mess. But my business isn’t gonna be worth much if I can’t deliver on my word to Boone Thrasher.”
“This timing sucks.”
“Sure does, but there’s not a damn thing we can do about it.”
I lay my head on his chest, the acrid scent of smoke now clinging to both of us. “I’m sorry.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. You and I are both okay, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. Everything else can be replaced with money. There’s no way in hell I could ever replace you, Banner.” He pauses. “I’ve never felt fear as blinding as I did when I saw those flames from over the post office. In my gut, I knew it was coming from my shop, and I thought my worst nightmare was coming true.”
I don’t have to ask what his worst nightmare is because I already know. Losing me.
“I thought I was going to die when Julianne told me you were inside.”
He brings me close to his chest again. “Like I’d ever leave you without a fight. Never.”
“What are we going to do now?” I ask.
“For now, we wait. Tomorrow, we’re driving to Nashville to deliver this car before anything else can happen.”
Chapter 35
Logan
It’s a long night of waiting in the parking lot. Emmy Harris sets up a buffet on the sidewalk out in front of Home Cookin’ to feed the firefighters as they continue to battle flare-ups. I’ve listened to Granger talk about putting out fires before, and I’ve even ridden along on a few training calls to watch, but it’s nothing like watching them fight the blaze in my shop.
Before Banner, I would have said that I lost everything that mattered in there. But not anymore. As long as I have her, I’ve got everything I need. Everything else is replaceable.
I don’t have a clue how long it’s going to take me to rebuild, or how much money I’m going to lose, but knowing what I could have lost puts it all in perspective.
John Grove, the owner of the gas station that was connected to my shop, has been standing out front yelling at firemen since he got here. He’s been an absentee owner for years, paying managers to work the station while he sits back and collects money. His retirement just went up in flames, and he’s not handling it well at all.
Gossip is already spreading all over the place, and it doesn’t help that Memphis Lockwood filmed a segment standing in the road in front of what used to be my business. The top three choices of speculation I’ve heard are that I burned it down for insurance money, or someone burned it down because they heard I was helping her, or it was an accident.
I know it wasn’t the first option, and I have no idea which to pick out of the other two choices. Police Chief Timmons also made an appearance, shooing gawkers back from the perimeter and telling people to go home.
The residents of Gold Haven rarely have anything this exciting happen, and several brought coolers and lawn chairs to watch the spectacle rather than follow directions and go home.
Life in a small town, I suppose.
The lumberyard brought enough plywood to board up the busted or cracked windows of the post office, the hair salon, and the pharmacy. The fact that my business caused this kind of collateral damage is giving me heartburn, but Julianne at least has said that she’s not going to hold it against me.
Even if she did, there’s not a thing I could do about it.
I rack my brain to figure out the cause, but come up blank. What Julianne told me right before she left, about Memphis telling people I helped her out with the investigation, keeps running through my mind.
It’s an unsettling thought, but someone might have tried to kill me. I can’t say anything to Banner because she’ll freak the fuck out, and probably try to hire security for me or something.
The townspeople start to drift away after Emmy closes up the buffet and the fire is finally out. It’s been almost six hours.
Banner and I sit on a bench in front of the post office, watching but not speaking. There’s not much to say.
Granger crosses the road and ducks under the yellow police tape set up as a perimeter. “Hey, I think we finally got it all. I’m going to take a look inside. If you want to suit up, you can come too.”
I rise from the bench. “Stay here, babe. Or better yet, go inside with Julianne for a bit.”
“But—”
“You’re not setting foot in that shop, Banner.”
“Damn right she’s not,” Granger adds. “It’s too dangerous for her.”
Banner shuts her mouth, even though I know she wants to argue the point. “Fine. I’ll go inside.”
I press another kiss to her forehead and wait for her to slip into Cut a Bitch before I follow Granger to the fire truck and suit up in the extra set of gear. Once I’m finished, he waves me toward the building and we step through what used to be the door.
The steel beams that comprised the building are exposed now that the drywall is completely burned away. The waiting room is indistinguishable as we slosh through foamy insulation and metal shards into the shop area.
Granger points to a corner near the back door to the shop. The old-as-hell porcelain toilet is cracked but recognizable. “Looks like it started in the bathroom. The burn marks tell me it was chemical.”
“What the hell? The bathroom?”
We skirt through the skeletons of two burned-out customer cars and the remains of my hydraulic lifts to get there.
Granger crouches to the floor and feels around. “I know you’re not going to want to hear this, but it’s got all the markings of a meth-lab fire. I gotta tell Cody and notify the state so they can send investigators out. We shouldn’t be in here.”
I follow him back through the path of destruction out what used to be one of the overhead doors. Once outside, I rip off my mask.
“That’s fucking impossible. Neither Jock nor Rick was cookin’ meth in my bathroom, and I sure as fuck wasn’t either.”
Granger shrugs. “I gotta be unbiased here, so I’m telling you what my training says. The signs are all there; they were just buried under the rest of the chemical elements you had present.”
“Then someone set this up. It’s no fucking accident.”
Granger’s mouth settles into a grim line. “I think you’re right. It might not be an accident, but it was definitely some kind of setup, if you truly don’t believe it was Jock or Rick.”
“I’d bet my life on it.”
“Well, buddy, then you’ve made an enemy who wants to make it look like you’re cookin’ meth.”
Cody cuts through the crowd to stand beside Granger. “What do you think? Timmons is up my ass, wanting information.”
Granger tells him everything he just said to me, including the fact that this doesn’t look like it was an accident.
“This shit is escalating. We need someone with means, motive, and opportunity.”
I’m racking my brain to figure that out. “Julianne was there, but there’s no way it was her.”
“I don’t think we should be ruling anyone out at this point,” Cody replies.
“I’ll go give Timmons a report,” Granger interjects. “It’ll get him off your ass at least, and let him know I’m making a call to the state. They’ll be down tomorrow morning to take a look and start their investigation.”
“I know you said not to leave town, but everything I’ve got left of my business is riding on me delivering that car to Boone Thrasher in Nashville. It’s not something I’m pawning off to anyone else either.”
Cody meet
s my stare. “I’m telling you not to leave town, Logan, but what you do with that order is up to you.”
“Stop being a hard-ass, Cody. You know you’d do the same,” Granger argues.
“If Chief Timmons comes looking for you tomorrow and can’t find you, that’s not on me.”
“Like he works on Fridays or weekends if he can help it. He’s too busy drinking, and sleeping his way through the women in this town.”
I jerk my gaze to Granger. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Cody’s expression hardens. “I’d watch what you say. Spreading rumors like that isn’t going to win you any friends.”
“The mayor is the only one who can fire me, so Timmons can go fuck himself. Everyone knows he’s off screwing someone different every week.” With that, Granger Ryan turns away to go deliver his report to the man, and I’m left with more questions than I have answers.
“Who the hell would do this?” I ask Cody. “You’re the cop. You gotta have some kind of lead.”
“You know I can’t give you details about an ongoing investigation.”
“Now that I’m part of the investigation, I’ve got a vested interest in you coming up with something right the fuck now.”
He gives me a hard look. “I’m working on it. I’ve got leads. I’m hoping to have answers soon.”
A car door slams, and we watch Memphis Lockwood and her cameraman drive away from the Four Corners in the direction of the Sleep Over.
“If you don’t, my money says she will.”
* * *
My phone rings as I pull the Olds 442 into my driveway an hour later. Banner looks over at me when I pull it out of my pocket.
“Boone Thrasher.”
“I bet he’s heard.” She reaches for the door handle. “I’ll get out of your way. I need a shower.”
“I’ll meet you inside.”
I answer the phone. “Hey, Thrasher.”
“Tell me that my car didn’t go up in flames, man. One of the roadies sent me the link to a story that your shop blew up tonight. What the fuck?”
“I’m sitting in it right now. She’s fine, not a scratch on her.”
“How the fuck is that possible?”
“By the grace of God, I guess.”
I fill Boone in on what happened and what I know, which isn’t much, but he’s relieved all the same.
“The cops going to hassle you for leaving to bring the car? I can’t come get it, and honestly, I don’t fucking trust anyone enough to take my truck and get it. The only other guy who drove my last one rolled it. Big mess.”
“It won’t be a problem. Your car will be there tomorrow. The cops won’t keep me from delivering it.”
“Only if you’re sure, man. This shit is unbelievable.”
“You’re telling me.”
“Well, I appreciate that my ride is safe and no one was hurt.”
“Me too, man. Me too.”
We hang up, and I climb out of the car and head into the house. I hear the sound of the shower as I make my way down the hall toward the bedroom.
What a fucking nightmare. This town is falling apart, and now the only thing that was keeping me locked down in Gold Haven is a pile of charred rubble.
I’ve got a whole lot of decisions to make now.
I step into the bathroom to see Banner naked in the shower. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve thanked every force above that she was clear of the shop when it blew. A few minutes later and she might have been right in the blast zone.
She turns and wipes away the fog from the glass so she can meet my gaze. Her reddened eyes and tearstained face twist my gut. I hate seeing her cry.
But she isn’t focused on herself. Even now, she’s focused on me and my problems.
“Everything okay with Boone?”
I nod. “Yeah. He heard the news. Wanted to make sure the car was okay.”
“Screw the car.” She sniffles. “I know I’m not supposed to say that, but . . .” Her face turns into a mask of pain as her eyes fill with tears again. “I thought I was going to die right along with you.”
I strip off my clothes, needing her in my arms. Needing to make her feel safe again. I pull open the door, step into the shower, and wrap my arms around her.
“I got you, baby. I’m right here. There’s no way I’m leaving this Earth when I’ve got you here waiting for me.”
“You can’t promise that. Bad things happen.”
“I can promise I’ll do everything in my power to make sure I end every night with you by my side.”
She hiccups, pressing her forehead to my chest. “I really fucking love you, Logan. Don’t ever scare me like that again.”
“I really fucking love you too, Banner Regent.”
She releases a long breath, and I squeeze her tighter.
My thoughts from earlier come back. The rest of my life might be falling to shit, but with her in my arms, I’ve got everything that matters.
Banner lifts her head and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling my lips down to hers. “I need you. I need to feel you. To know this is real. Please.”
“You don’t even have to ask.”
I pour everything I have into our kiss, and only when Banner is writhing against me do I push inside her.
She’s right. We both need this. I lift her up and press her against the wall, fucking into her over and over while I whisper her name like a prayer.
I drop my head against the wall of the shower as we come together.
She’s my everything. I will not lose her.
Chapter 36
Banner
The next day, we’re two hours late leaving Gold Haven with Boone Thrasher’s car in a trailer towed behind Logan’s truck. By some miracle, Logan’s truck didn’t even have a bubble on the paint, even though it was only twenty feet away from the blaze. Something about wind direction and hand-of-God type stuff.
Logan dealt with insurance people all morning before he could finally get away and load up the car with Jock and Rick’s help. Both of them swore on the graves of their respective ancestors that neither was making meth in the bathroom, and Logan believes them.
They’ve both been questioned by Cody Reeves too, so now all that’s left is to figure out who would set up Logan like this.
He isn’t the kind of guy who goes around racking up enemies. He’s a good guy. The kind who doesn’t hesitate to help his neighbors or do a favor for a friend.
I saw Julianne this morning, standing out in front of her salon and directing the glass people as they measured for a new window. Her expression was hard.
“This shit is personal now. I’m gonna figure it out if the cops and that reporter can’t.”
From the determination in her tone, I believe she will. I just hope someone does before there are any more “accidents.”
The entire town seems to be walking on eggshells, and it makes me wonder what Gold Haven was like before all of its residents looked at each other with suspicion in their eyes.
I ask Logan the question, and he spends an hour telling me stories about different people in town and how it used to be.
“Do you think things will ever go back to normal?” I ask.
In the driver’s seat, his posture stiffens. “I sure as fuck hope so. But now I’ve got decisions to make.”
“What do you mean?”
“The insurance money will let me rebuild somewhere else if I want. It won’t be as much as if I rebuild the structure that was lost, but now’s my chance to leave Gold Haven, if that’s what I wanted to do.”
“You want to leave Gold Haven?”
He glances over at me. “The town hasn’t been all that welcoming to you, and that alone makes me think about it.”
I’m touched that he’s even considering it, but I hate the idea of being the reason he leaves his home.
“But it’s your town. Where else would you go?”
Logan shrugs. “I could start over. Maybe Nashville. I hear some
people really like it there. You’d have an actual city. Starbucks and all that shit you’re missing.”
I raise a hand. “Whoa. Just hold on. If I wanted a Starbucks on every corner, I could go back to New York to get my fix.”
Logan’s expression blanks. “You want to go back to New York?”
“I want to be where you are, Logan. But I don’t want you deciding to move your entire life because you think it’s something I want. Sure, some of the women in Gold Haven could win awards for epic bitches of the century, but I’ve handled most of them. I mean, I’m going to have the whole retiree contingent wanting to be my best friend because I’ve got the good dick.” I wink at him. “Besides, I’m not going to let the Tricias or Emmys of this town run me out. I’ve got pride too, you know.”
“So, what are you saying? You’d be happy to stay there? Run your business there?”
“Not for every day of the year. I know with your business there it would be our home base, but I’d like to spend a little time in New York, maybe travel some too. But ultimately, I’ve gotten used to the idea of living there. I like your house. I like going to Pints and Pins, although I might need to take some street-fighter lessons before we go back again. Unless you really want to leave, I say we stay.”
Logan is quiet for a few miles before he finally answers. “Then we stay. I’ll rebuild. You need an office that’s not a kitchen counter, so that means we add on to the house, or you can rent space somewhere else if you don’t want to work at home.”
“Okay. Let me give it some thought, and I’ll get back to you on that.” I reach across the center console and squeeze his hand.
Everything is going to work out.
I hope.
* * *
One thing I don’t miss about living in the city is the ridiculous traffic. As we slow on the highway, I look over at Logan.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t realize how big of a pain in the ass it would be to maneuver this big-ass trailer through Manhattan.”
He shoots me a smile. “It was worth it, babe. More than worth it.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, because I would’ve wanted to strangle me for being so clueless.”