Ignited

by Suzannah Daniels

  And Gracie was hungry.

  I pulled up her address, which I had saved in my phone, and set the GPS. Driving along the back roads, it only took me ten minutes to get there. I pulled into her gravel driveway and sat idly a moment, my headlights illuminating the front of the small, dilapidated duplex. The cedar siding had faded until the dark brown stain mimicked the transparency of watercolor. The old green wooden shutters were missing slats, and one shutter hung crookedly, having long before lost some of the screws holding it in place.

  As if on cue, a gray cat jumped onto the windowsill, gazing out the window at me as if she knew the reason that I was here. Her eyes glowed alien green in the headlights, and she cocked her head. Turning off the ignition, I stepped out of my vehicle and pulled the key to her home from my pocket. Gravel crunched under my feet as I walked to the front door. After unlocking it, I pushed it open, flipped on the light, and peered inside.

  The room was sparsely furnished, and while the carpet was clean, it was an outdated shade of blue. Once I entered the house, Gracie leapt from the windowsill and rocketed toward me, meowing loudly.

  “Hey, Gracie,” I said, hoping a verbal greeting would be enough as I made my way to the kitchen.

  Gracie trotted in front of me, rubbing against my pant leg as she passed me. As I entered the kitchen, I spotted her sitting patiently beside the cabinet that held the cat food. When I leaned down to open the cabinet, she wasted no time dragging her entire body along the length of my arm. I sneezed in response.

  She meowed loudly again as my eyes watered viciously.

  After squeezing them shut to squeegee away the tears that blurred my vision, I cracked them open and snatched the bag of cat food.

  I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my palm and squinted as I gazed around the kitchen in search of the food bowl. Locating it by the back door, I hurried over, dumping in enough food to last Gracie a couple of days.

  After filling her water bowl, I hurried toward the front door. Surprised that Gracie followed me instead of staying behind to eat, I paused with one hand on the doorknob. She looked pitiful as she gazed up at me.

  “What is it?”

  She meowed.

  “Are you lonely?”

  She meowed again.

  “Shit,” I mumbled under my breath as I bent down and picked her up. “Fine, I’m going to give you some love, but I want you to know that it’s probably going to cost me my vision.”

  Gracie closed her eyes and flattened her ears as I rubbed the top of her head. I turned my head away from her and sneezed.

  She purred as she pushed against my hand, not wanting me to stop.

  My eyes burned, but I just squinched them shut and kept petting the cat. I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her, knowing that Amber wouldn’t be here tonight to care for her.

  Lowering her to the ground, I spoke softly to her, “Sorry, kitty, but I’ve got to go.”

  I took one last glance at Gracie, who looked at me as if I were abandoning her, and then I flicked off the light switch and rushed out the front door.

  I needed to head back to the hospital to check on her owner, but first I was going to stop by Whiskey Nights, the local bar, and grab a beer. That should give enough time to make sure that she had been processed through the emergency room and had been settled in a room.

  Driving with my windows down, I hoped the cool September air would blow away any remnants of Gracie’s dander. By the time I pulled into the parking lot, my eyes felt slightly better, but I was still squinting.

  I made a beeline for the bathroom, wanting to wash away every last trace of Gracie. After rinsing my face with cool water, I blotted it dry and applied the eye drops.

  Feeling some semblance of normalcy, I made my way to the bar and sat by Cade. Mason Cambridge, my longtime friend and co-owner of Whiskey Nights, acknowledged me with a discreet wave while he helped another customer.

  “It’s been one helluva day, huh?” Cade asked.

  “Ain’t that the truth,” I responded as I leaned my elbows on the bar and smoothed my palms along my eyes, hoping the irritation would stop soon. “It’s not every day I win a bet, and you owe me a beer.”

  “Hell, I done forgot about that.”

  “How convenient,” I noted sarcastically.

  He leaned back and pulled money from his pocket. Waving the cash in the air, he called to Mason, “Bring us a beer and put it on my tab.”

  Mason spun coasters at us. “I’ll bring y’all a beer, but it’s on the house.”

  Cade slapped his palm to his heart. “Do you have a fever? If Lexi finds out you’re giving away free beer....”

  Lexi Swafford, the other co-owner of Whiskey Nights, was also Mason’s girlfriend.

  “Hey, don’t you worry about me and Lexi,” Mason said as he approached us, a beer in each hand. “I’ve got that girl wrapped around my pinky. If either of you ever need chick advice....”

  “What did you just say?” a feminine voice rang out from behind Mason.

  He spun around, coming face to face with Lexi. “I was just saying….”

  “Yeah, I heard.” Her laughter floated in the air. She peered around his shoulder and spoke to us, “Don’t believe everything you hear, guys.”

  “Now, love,” Mason said, “you know it’s true.”

  “I know no such thing.” She took the beers from his hands, walked toward us, and set them on the coasters.

  “If you ever need girl advice, ask me, not him.” She thumbed over her shoulder toward Mason.

  As she gazed in my direction, Lexi’s jaw gaped, and a shocked expression washed over her face. “What’s wrong, Hawk?”

  Her attention caused Cade and Mason to focus on me.

  “Nothing,” I assured her. “I’m just allergic to cats.” I took a swig of beer.

  “You rescued Seren and her friend and you rescued a cat?” Mason asked. “And all this on your day off?”

  “How’d you know about Seren?” I asked.

  Mason shot me a grin. “I’m a bartender. I know everything.”

  “Seren called me as soon as she got home,” Lexi explained, glancing between Cade and me, and then it all made sense. Lexi and Seren had been friends since elementary school.

  Lexi continued, “I’m so glad that y’all were nearby. She was a nervous wreck.”

  “It could’ve been a lot worse,” Cade said. He turned to me. “Have you heard anything about the other girl?”

  “Amber?” I shook my head. “Not yet, but I’m going to the hospital when I leave here. That’s where I’ve been. Checking on her cat.”

  “Oh, man,” Cade said, “I wish you would’ve said something. I would’ve done that.”

  “I know you would’ve, but since I promised her, I wanted to do it myself.”

  “Well, good job, guys,” Mason said. He pointed at Cade. “And before you accused me of suffering from fever, I was trying to tell you that the beers were on the house because we appreciate what y’all did today.” He pulled Lexi to him and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “My girl would’ve been devastated if something happened to her bestie.”

  She nodded in agreement as she threaded her fingers through her long, dark hair, pushing it away from her forehead. “We’re very grateful. Can we get y’all something to eat?”

  “I’m good,” Cade said. “I ate before I came.”

  “I think I’ll take a burger with fries,” I said, realizing that I hadn’t eaten all day. “I’ll take one to go, too, for Amber. She may have already missed supper at the hospital, and hospital food typically sucks, anyway. ”

  “That’s very thoughtful,” Lexi said, her deep red lips curving into a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

  “So,” Mason drawled as he wiped down the counter, “Cade was telling me that y’all have been practicing your archery. You going hunting with him when bow season starts?”

  I looked at him and grunted. “You know me better than that.”

  Mason leaned against the cou
nter. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

  “I’m trained to save lives. I have no desire to take them, even if it is a deer.”

  “It’s a damn shame, too,” Cade added. “Someone who can sink the arrow in the bull’s-eye virtually every time should be using that skill for something besides winning a beer.”

  “We could have Mason stand against the wall, and I could shoot an apple off his head,” I suggested.

  “Like hell you can,” Mason countered, his wide grin revealing his dimples. “I happen to like my head.”

  “Glad somebody does,” Cade muttered.

  “Lexi likes it, too,” Mason added.

  “What do I like?” Lexi asked as she brought me my food. “I’ll have your to-go order ready in a few minutes,” she told me. She turned back around and looked at Mason, waiting for him to answer her.

  “Hawk had the bright idea to shoot an apple off my head with a bow and arrow. I informed him that I liked my head, and so do you.”

  She smiled at me. “There isn’t an arrow on the entire planet strong enough to penetrate his hard head.”

  Mason started twisting a bar towel. “You know what they say about paybacks.” He flicked his wrist, and a loud crack rent the air as the towel popped her on the butt.

  “Ow!” she screeched as she whipped around and glared at him, rubbing her rear.

  “Be nice to me, woman,” he teased her.

  She pointed at him. “I’ll deal with you later.”

  “I’s just messing with ya, love.” He shot her a grin.

  She turned back to me. “I’ll be back with your to-go order. Tell Amber we all hope that she feels better soon.”

  “I will,” I promised her.

  Lexi was a sweet girl, and I had found it a bit surprising how well she and Mason complemented one another.

  “So how’s everything with the bar going?” I asked Mason as I popped a French fry in my mouth. He and Lexi had purchased it together a few weeks ago.

  “It’s going great. Lexi just finished our month-end reports, and we made a decent profit. I have to give her credit. She knows her stuff, and she has everything under control in the office.”

  “Well, we’re definitely here to support you,” Cade assured him, holding his beer in the air.

  Mason grabbed us each another beer. “That means a lot to us.”

  By the time Lexi got back with the to-go order, I had finished eating. I pulled money out of my wallet, but Mason quickly stopped me. “It’s all on the house,” he assured me.

  “That’s not necessary.”

  He held his hands up, making it clear that he had no intentions of accepting any money. “After what you and Cade did today, the least we can do is offer you dinner.”

  “We only did what anyone else would have done but thanks,” I told him, closing my wallet and tucking it back in my pocket. I looked at Cade. “You, however, still owe me a beer.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” he muttered. “I know.”

  It was a short drive from Whiskey Nights to the hospital. Carrying the bag that held Amber’s food, I walked into the brightly lit interior of Creekview Medical Center. I stopped at the information desk to see whether she had been admitted to a room. Once the elderly gentleman behind the desk gave me her room number, I rode the elevator and navigated my way along the sterile white halls until I stood outside her door.

  I knocked softly.

  “Come in,” she called in a meek voice.

  I eased the door open until I could see her propped up in bed, her honey-red hair spilling around her shoulders in disarray.

  She smiled. “Hawk.”

  “Hey, Amber.” Closing the door behind me, I approached the bed.

  “Is Gracie okay? Did you feed her?”

  “Gracie’s good. I’m sure she’s ready for you to be home, but she has food and fresh water.”

  “Thank you. I was worried about her.”

  “How’re you feeling?”

  “Strange.” Her eyes focused on my face, her expression remaining serious.

  “How so?”

  “I don’t know.” She cast her eyes downward and fiddled with the sheet that pooled at her lap. “I wasn’t having a very good day, and now that I’m sobering up, I’m questioning my judgment, as well as my sanity. I mean I gave my house key to a perfect stranger.” Her eyes flew to my face. “No offense. I appreciate you looking after Gracie.”

  In an effort to reassure her, I smiled. “None taken.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “Although, I’ve got to say that your willingness to stay in a burning car might be a little more insane than giving your key to a stranger.”

  She lowered her eyes again. The need to know why she was so unhappy burned within me, but she offered no explanations. I held the bag out to her. “I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you a burger and fries. You want me to get you something to drink?”

  “The nurse brought me some water.”

  Opening the bag, I put her food on the overbed table and rolled it until the tray was positioned directly in front of her. I moved the small plastic mug filled with ice water from the bedside table to the tray.

  “You like ketchup?”

  She nodded, and I squeezed the contents of three ketchup packets over her fries.

  “Thank you.” She picked up a fry. “I’ll pay you back when I get paid on Friday.”

  “The food’s a gift from Lexi Swafford and Mason Cambridge. They’re friends with Seren, who was driving you home, and it just so happens they own Whiskey Nights, a little bar in town. They wanted me to tell you that they hope you feel better soon.”

  “That’s sweet of them to do that for someone they don’t even know.”

  I nodded. “There’re a lot of good people in Creekview.”

  “I haven’t been in town long, but that’s good to hear.” She took a small bite of the burger and delicately wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

  “So you don’t have any family in Creekview?”

  She shook her head.

  “And no friends here?”

  “Not really. I’ve talked to the lady who lives beside me a few times. Her daughter comes over and plays with Gracie. And I’m starting to know a few people at work.”

  “Where do you work?”

  “Boone’s Pharmacy.”

  “Oh, you work at Boone’s? I go in there every once in a while. That pharmacy’s been there forever.”

  “I’ve only been there a couple of weeks.”

  “So why Creekview?”

  “It’s quiet. Out of the way.” She dabbed another French fry in ketchup.

  For someone as young as Amber, that seemed like an odd answer. Why would someone her age be looking for somewhere quiet and out of the way? I wondered if Amber Lawson was even her real name. Maybe she was a fugitive.

  “Well, I guess I should head out and leave you in peace.” I motioned toward the door. “Did the doc say you’ll go home tomorrow?”

  “Most likely. They just wanted to keep me overnight for observation.”

  “That’s good news.” I laid her house key on the tray. “Here’s your key.”

  “Thanks again for taking care of Gracie,” she said quietly.

  “No problem. I’m happy I could help.” I rubbed my palms together. “Are you going to have a way home tomorrow?”

  She shrugged her narrow shoulders, the hospital gown appearing baggy on her thin frame. “It’s not far. I can walk.”

  “Walk?” I asked in surprise. “My mother would have my head if she thought I’d let someone who’d been discharged from a hospital walk home. I’ll pick you up.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind walking.”

  “Nonsense.” I walked over to her bedside table and wrote my number on a scratchpad. “There’s my number. Call me when you’re discharged, and I’ll come pick you up.”

  “I’m sure you have better things to do than to fool with me.”

  “No,” I told her. “I don’t. I’m off work, an
d I’ll be waiting on your phone call.” I raised my brows at her. “So you’ll call me?”

  She gave me a slight nod. “I’ll call you. Thank you, Hawk.”

  “See you tomorrow.”

  As I walked to my vehicle, my imagination went wild trying to figure out what had led her here. She didn’t seem willing to elaborate, but then again, she was probably exhausted from an eventful day.

  Maybe she would open up tomorrow.

  Chapter 3

  Mayday

  Amber

  After waiting all morning, the doctor finally released me shortly after lunch. Reluctantly, I dialed Hawk’s number.

  “Hello.”

  I hadn’t expected him to answer immediately. In fact, part of me had hoped that he wouldn’t answer at all.

  “Hello?” his deep, smooth voice beckoned me.

  “Hawk?”

  “Amber.” He said my name like we’d been friends a long time, sounding almost happy to hear from me despite the fact that he didn’t know me at all. “Are you ready for me to pick you up?”

  “Yes, if you’re sure I’m not putting you to too much trouble.”

  “It’s no trouble. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you.”

  I laid the handset back down in its cradle, suddenly nervous that a total stranger would be giving me a ride home. Since I’d only had the set of clothes that I had worn in, I didn’t have much to gather—just a small bag with some random things given to me by the hospital. Walking into the bathroom, I checked my reflection in the mirror. I hated the dark circles under my eyes, and I lightly touched my fingertips to them. Even though I didn’t have any visible lacerations other than the knot on my forehead, my cheekbone was sore. I wasn’t sure what had happened during the accident, but somehow I’d hit it. Whether it was from the force of the airbag or something else, I had no idea.

  I smoothed my unkempt hair back away from my face, wishing I had a brush to tame my disheveled locks and makeup to cover my sallow complexion. I supposed it didn’t really matter.

  Walking out of the bathroom, I sat down in the chair next to the bed and waited. The longer I waited, the more my nerves became frazzled. I’d avoided people for the last few months, but something told me that it would be harder to avoid Hawk than most.