by Kim Redford
“Oh no. Still, she’s well aware that Bert’s hell-bent on catching her. If he comes on too strong, she wants us there so the situation doesn’t become socially awkward.”
“That’s smart.”
“That’s Hedy. She’s always thinking ahead.”
As Sydney drew near the van, Hedy pulled ahead, drove to the house that dominated a rise on the ranch, and stopped her vehicle.
“Wow,” Dune said. “I hadn’t expected to see a mansion.”
“The Holloways were originally from the South like a lot of folks who settled in Texas. I know their house looks unusual here on a ranch instead of perched on a cliff overlooking the Mississippi River or on a rise above the Gulf Coast. It’s such a beautiful sight. I think the style is called Colonial Revival from the antebellum period.”
“Sounds about right.”
She pulled up beside Hedy’s van and stopped Celeste. She sat still for a moment, admiring the large white two-story house with black shutters on the floor-to-ceiling windows that were overshadowed by the covered portico that ran the length of the front with tall columns holding up the roof. Redbrick chimneys rose majestically on each end of the house from ground to high above the roofline. A redbrick path meandered from the lane up to the house through a golden manicured lawn with neatly trimmed bushes and ancient, leafless oak trees.
Hedy lowered her motorized wheelchair out the side door of her van just as Bert and Bert Two walked out the double front doors of their house. They quickly moved down the wide path in unison, wearing their usual rancher suits, cowboy boots, and Stetsons.
“Guess it’s time to see the bluebirds.” Dune opened his door and stepped out of the car.
Sydney hooked the handle of her retro purse over her arm, got out of her car, and quickly walked over to Hedy. She gave her friend a big hug before she turned to greet the Holloways.
“Welcome to our humble abode.” Bert threw wide his arms with a big, white grin on his face. “Hedy, you look lovely as always. You too, Sydney.”
“Thanks,” Hedy said, smiling around the group. “But we all know not to trust a smooth-talking, sharp-dressing man.”
Bert Two laughed and gave his dad a playful punch on his arm. “She’s got you there.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, Hedy dear.” Bert gestured to one side of his expansive home. “If you’ll follow the redbrick path, you’ll come to my bluebird house.”
“You’ve got an entire house for your collection?” Hedy asked, giving him an amazed look. “I didn’t know I’d sold you that many bluebirds.”
“If you’ll think back, it’s been a while,” Bert said. “Years, in fact.”
“Well, I guess I should thank you for your business.” Hedy appeared a little flustered at how often he’d shopped in her store.
“No need.” Bert gave her a gentle smile. “You thank me every time I buy a bluebird.”
“Anyway,” Bert Two interrupted in an obvious attempt to get everyone past the awkward moment. “It’s more of a gazebo than a house, but you still must see it to believe it.”
“I’m more than ready to see the home of my pretty bluebirds,” Hedy said, recovering her aplomb.
“Good.” Bert Two started walking along the redbrick path. “If everyone will follow me, you can all see for yourselves just how devoted Dad has been to his bluebirds.”
Sydney shrugged at Dune, not knowing what to expect now. She got in line behind Hedy, and she was followed by Dune and Bert as they all headed down the walkway. She shaded her eyes with one hand against the bright sunlight that swept across them as the sun dipped toward the western horizon.
Soon they came to an extensive back garden with stone benches, gurgling fountains, trimmed hedges and rosebushes, manicured lawn, flagstone patio with colorful, plush cushions on redwood furniture, and an infinity swimming pool and hot tub. Blue-and-silver rope lights outlined the house’s roofline while clusters of pale-pink amaryllis in large green ceramic containers adorned the patio.
And yet all of that beautiful luxury paled in comparison to Bert’s bluebird house. For in the center of the garden, a glass-walled gazebo in a hexagonal shape rose as a delicate work of art into the sky, glowing blue fire where the brilliant rays of the sun struck the multitude of bluebirds inside.
“Oh, Bert,” Hedy said with a touch of awe in her voice as she held out her hand to him.
“Do you like my tribute to your radiant beauty, my dear?” Bert asked as he grasped her hand and knelt beside her.
“It’s absolutely stunning.” Hedy glanced up at Sydney. “Can you imagine such a thing?”
“No.” She couldn’t begin to describe how she felt, because it was almost as if Christmas had come early to Wildcat Bluff on the wings of bluebirds.
“Come inside.” Bert stood up, walked over, and opened the glass door to the gazebo.
Hedy went first, followed by Sydney, Dune, Bert Two, and finally Bert, who closed the door behind them.
Sydney simply looked around in amazement, turning in a complete circle as she gazed at the clear sky-blue glass bluebirds in a variety of sizes from small to large but all in the same smooth bird shape. Bert had placed them on clear glass shelves around the walls to better catch the rays of the sun. And for Christmas, he’d added decorations in the form of silver tinsel scarves around necks or gold foil hats on heads or red-and-white candy canes at beaks.
“Oh Bert, you’ve simply outdone yourself.” Hedy glanced around the group with tears in her eyes. “It’s just so beautiful—and it’s absolutely inspirational for Christmas.”
Bert knelt beside her again. “Hedy, I did it all for you.”
“Thank you so much.” Hedy reached out and clasped Bert’s hand in both her own hands.
In that instant, Sydney knew it was time to leave the two lovebirds alone so they could enjoy their newfound happiness. It was obviously a tender moment that they could treasure for a lifetime. She caught Bert Two’s gaze and nodded toward the door before she put her fingers around Dune’s arm. They all walked out of the gazebo together.
Bert Two quietly shut the door behind them. He cleared his throat and gestured toward the fountain with a rearing horse in its center. “Let me show you more of the garden.”
“Thank you. It’s lovely here,” Sydney said in appreciation.
As she walked into the beautiful garden, she hesitated and glanced back. Bert leaned forward and gave Hedy a gentle kiss on her lips inside the blue-fire gazebo. Sydney felt a powerful rush of happiness, because Hedy deserved a man’s devoted love just as much as she deserved being able to ride a horse again. She was one lucky lady, but then again, Hedy had worked hard all her life and given more than she’d gotten, so now it was time for her to receive.
Sydney turned away from the touching sight, granting Hedy and Bert privacy as they reached out to each other. She walked over to the horse fountain where Dune and Bert watched cascading water sparkle in the sunlight. She clasped Dune’s large hand, feeling contentment and hope for the future that she hadn’t felt in many a long year.
Dune squeezed her hand and gave her a smile that tugged up one corner of his full lips.
“Finally.” Bert Two gestured with his head toward the gazebo. “I don’t know how much longer Dad could’ve held out.”
“If that wonderful gazebo is any indication,” Sydney said, “I don’t think much longer.”
“I don’t either,” Bert Two agreed. “If Hedy’ll give him a chance, she’ll make him the happiest man in the world.”
“From the look of things, I think he’ll make her the happiest woman in the world.” Sydney leaned into Dune’s strong, warm body.
“Appears to me,” Bert Two said, “that Hedy’s not the only one giving a guy a chance.”
“It’s Christmas.” Dune draped an arm around Sydney’s shoulders and tugged her closer. “Miracl
es do happen.”
Bert Two nodded in agreement as he gave them a big grin. He leaned down and plucked several dry leaves out of the fountain’s swirling water. As he straightened up, his cell phone chimed to announce a text message.
Dune’s phone alerted him a millisecond later, and Sydney’s cell in her purse wasn’t far behind with another jarring ringtone.
They looked at each other in alarm as they grabbed their phones to check on what was happening in the county.
“This can’t help but be bad,” Bert Two said.
“You know it,” Sydney agreed as she started to read her message.
“Firefighters!” Hedy called as she zipped out of the gazebo, followed closely by Bert. “The old Perkins farmhouse is ablaze.”
Chapter 32
The last thing Dune would’ve ever thought to do in relation to fighting a fire was to arrive on the scene in a 1959 pink Cadillac convertible. Still, some days that was just the way the cookie crumbled, so he bit his tongue and stayed quiet as a mouse at a cat convention while Sydney barreled down Wildcat Road toward the Perkins farmhouse.
Sundown—that slash of time between day and night when prey hopefully found safe havens and played hide while predators came out of cozy nooks and played seek—gave firefighters a window of opportunity to get the lay of the land before darkness masked potentially dangerous problems. He hoped no critters were caught in the conflagration. Barn owls in the attic or feral cats and possums in or under the house were all vulnerable. They would use an empty structure for shelter in winter. He figured people wouldn’t be caught there, but nothing was ever sure in a fire situation.
From his perch in Celeste, he could see red-orange flames lick upward into the rapidly darkening sky and white-gray smoke buffeted one direction then another by erratic south winds. This late in the game, he figured they’d lose the house, but what they couldn’t do was allow the wind to whip out and spread the blaze across pastures to endanger livestock and other homes. Out of control was their enemy. Control was their friend.
“You know,” he finally said, “you really shouldn’t get this car anywhere near a fire.”
“I know,” Sydney agreed, “but it’s just the way it worked out. We’re near the Perkins farm, and to go into Wildcat Bluff would take too much time.”
“We could’ve ridden with the Holloways. They aren’t firefighters, but it’s their property, and they’re right behind us.”
“I don’t blame them for wanting to see what’s going on, but they need to stay out of our way.”
“Hedy’s in her van, taking up the rear of our little caravan, so she’ll keep an eye on them.”
Sydney drummed her fingertips on the steering wheel. “I wish we didn’t have all these vehicles descending on the place, but if something unexpected happens, we might need them to send for help or go ourselves.”
“I doubt if we’ll need them. Kent and Morning Glory are on their way in one booster. Trey and Slade are in the other. Plus, we’re here to help, too. That ought to be enough to stop this fire in its tracks.”
“Hope so.”
“One thing you’d better not do is drive these pricey whitewalls over that broken glass we found in the entry to the Perkins place.”
“Bert Two said he’d had a load of gravel spread over it.”
“That’s good. I’d hate to see anything happen to Celeste.”
“You and me both.” She pointed down the road. “Look, there’s Sheriff Calhoun. I’ll park right behind his vehicle on the side of the road. Bert and Hedy can pull in behind us. We should all be safe enough out here.”
“Good idea. I’m glad the sheriff’s been checking on the farmhouse more often since the break-in or we’d be in worse trouble, what with this wind whipping around like a wild mustang.”
“Maybe it’ll settle down pretty quick.”
“I wouldn’t count on it, but I hope so.”
As Sydney slowed down, she raised her arm and pointed toward the shoulder of the road, indicating parking spaces to those behind her. She carefully edged in behind Sheriff Calhoun while Bert stopped near Celeste’s bumper and Hedy eased in back of his pickup.
“Go ahead,” Sydney said. “I’ll leave the keys in the ignition just in case somebody needs to move this car fast and I’m at the fire.”
“Sounds good.” Dune got out and took long strides over to where the sheriff had just exited his vehicle.
They met on the near side of the wide gravel entry into the farm and stopped to watch the conflagration that was quickly engulfing the entire house. Soon the wind whipped around and sent smoke billowing in their direction.
“Do you smell accelerant?” Sheriff Calhoun asked, sniffing the air. He wore his usual tan police uniform with holstered revolver on one hip, black cowboy boots, and beige Stetson. He carried a large metal flashlight that could be used for illumination or confrontation.
“I hate to say till I get nearer the house, but it smells as if it might be gasoline.” Dune made note of the layout of the house and the land around it. He glanced upward, glad to see a utility pole with a security light on top that would come on to illuminate the area as soon as night fell or the smoke got thicker.
“Yeah,” Sheriff Calhoun agreed. “It’s best not to jump to conclusions simply because the arsonist has used the same technique every time we’ve responded to one of these fires.”
“But it pays to be alert to old patterns,” Dune said.
“Right.”
Sydney walked over to them, stepping carefully across gravel on the side of the road in her soft-soled moccasins. “Do I smell gasoline?”
“That’s exactly what’s on our minds,” Sheriff Calhoun agreed, slapping the flashlight against his leg.
Bert Two jogged up to them. “Dad’s going to try to talk Hedy into staying back here with him. It’s rough down there for a wheelchair.”
“I agree. I’ve checked out the place,” Sheriff Calhoun said. “It’s overgrown and rocky with plenty of creepy crawlers.”
“I wouldn’t let Hedy hear you suggest she might not go down there because of a few creepy crawlers,” Sydney warned with a touch of humor in her voice.
Sheriff Calhoun gave a low chuckle. “True enough. I don’t want to get on Hedy’s bad side.”
“That’s for sure,” Dune agreed with a smile at the joke, because everybody knew it’d be hard to find a bad side to Hedy.
“What can I do to help?” Bert Two asked. “From here, it looks as if the place will be a total loss.”
“I regret to say it, but you’re probably right,” Sydney agreed. “There’s not much you can do at this point except to let firefighters contain it.”
“It’s a shame.” Bert Two sighed as he looked at the blaze. “That was a classic 1930s farmhouse with a big attic and a porch with a swing. We were about to restore it, then rent or sell it.”
“You’ve got insurance on the house, don’t you?” Sheriff Calhoun asked.
“Yes,” Bert Two agreed. “But you can’t replace an original vintage structure like that. It’s a crying shame.”
“It’s that, all right,” Sheriff Calhoun said, “but I’m more concerned that this will turn out to be arson again.”
“There’s one good thing about the fire,” Hedy called as she motored up to them in her wheelchair with Bert walking by her side.
“What’s that?” Sheriff Calhoun asked.
“Sydney, Dune, and I were with Bert and Bert Two at their house when this fire started, accidental or intentional,” Hedy stated in a no-nonsense voice.
Sheriff Calhoun thoughtfully rubbed his clean-shaven chin. “Good point, except it doesn’t hold water. Bert, Bert Two, I hate to say it, but even if you were with somebody at the time of the fire—”
“I know,” Bert interrupted him. “We could’ve hired an arsonist so we’d appear innoc
ent.”
“They’d never do it.” Hedy sounded incensed as she glared at the sheriff.
“Thanks, dear.” Bert put a hand on her shoulder. “I appreciate the support, but the sheriff has to look at facts, not theories.”
“There’s nothing I want more than to clear your names and stop these fires in my county,” Sheriff Calhoun said. “I’m frustrated as all get-out.”
“We all are,” Dune agreed. “But right now we need to focus on containing this blaze as soon as the rigs get here.”
Hedy patted Bert’s hand on her shoulder. “We’ll catch that arsonist, never you fear.”
“Thanks.” Bert glanced around the group. “I still can’t imagine who’d want to do this to us.”
“Or why,” Bert Two added.
“No telling,” Sheriff Calhoun said. “Folks have a way of letting their minds get twisted into pretzels over something as little as an anthill or as big as a mountain. There’s no telling what’ll trigger them or what they’ll think benefits them. Best thing we can do is stay on alert.”
“We sure do appreciate the fact that you saw this fire early,” Bert said. “You’re always a true professional.”
“Wish I’d been here soon enough to catch the culprit, but at least the blaze won’t spread too far.”
“It sure won’t now.” Sydney pointed down the road. “Here comes our rescue team.”
Dune heard sirens blaring as he saw the two red boosters, one behind the other, race toward them from the direction of Wildcat Bluff. Finally, they could get started on the flames, although it’d felt like it’d been forever since he’d gotten the message from the fire-rescue station. But it always felt that way—seconds stretched into minutes while minutes stretched into hours—because adrenaline was flowing and distorting everything as they put their lives on the line and fought against time to extinguish or contain a fire.
When the first rig pulled into the open entryway, Slade lowered the window and stuck his head outside. “We’re ready to pump and roll, so we’ll get this fire knocked back in no time. And Sydney, Storm is with Mom and Granny, so she’s just fine.”