by Leigh Bale
“Of course. It’s been fun to have you visit with us,” Katie said. Her voice sounded neutral, with no indication that she might miss him.
“Would you... Would you ever consider moving to Reno?” he asked, trying to feel his way through this discussion without upsetting her.
“No,” she answered quickly. “Minoa is my home. Chrissy and I will stay here. Anyway, I could never leave Dad. He needs me to help run the motel.”
“Ah, I see.” But a part of Reese wished things could be different.
She told him about Charlie making her a full partner in the business. “You probably think running a quiet little motel is boring stuff.”
She watched him carefully, as if awaiting his comment.
“Not for you and Charlie,” he said. “It’s not the kind of work I would choose for myself, though. You’re a great asset to him. Really, I mean it.”
And he did. He realized he could never ask her to leave Charlie. Her dad was getting older. If Reese couldn’t stay and Katie wouldn’t leave, then that left them nowhere.
“What about college? I thought you wanted to go to medical school.” He couldn’t help asking the question.
“I do. I am. I mean, I’ve already taken a couple of online classes, but I’m majoring in business. I think that will be better for my work at the motel.” She gave a little laugh. “Isn’t it funny how life changes our priorities?”
“Yeah. Two months ago, I never would have believed I would quit fighting fires.”
She startled him by reaching out to squeeze his hand and give him an understanding smile. “It’s okay. I had hoped that time might change your mind. It’d be ideal if you could stay here in Minoa. Then you could see Chrissy anytime you like.”
A low kaboom sounded and he jerked his head up as white fireworks sprayed the night sky. The same kind of sounds he’d experienced on the fire line when giant trees exploded into flame. A chill swept down his spine.
Katie shivered, too, and he swept his jacket over her shoulders.
“Is that better?” he asked.
She nodded. “How did you survive the fire?”
Her question took him off guard. He stared at her for a few moments, then blinked. “I was on my way up the mountain to relieve our lookout when it happened.”
“So you weren’t with your crew at the time?”
He shook his head, letting the memories rush over him like an icy rain. He spoke softly and she leaned forward to hear him better.
“The wind changed so suddenly, the air growing hotter,” he said. “By the time I got up high enough to see what was going on, the fire was raging across the area I’d been working in just minutes before. I never did find Logan.”
“Logan?”
“Our lookout. He was supposed to alert us to any changes in the fire, but he never did. At the time, I didn’t know why. When I saw the danger, I radioed the crew as fast as I could, but it was too late. I...I stood on that promontory and watched my entire crew die, and I couldn’t do a single thing to save them.”
“I’m so sorry, Reese. You know it wasn’t your fault, right?” Her voice sounded soft with compassion.
He realized tears were running down his cheeks. He brushed them away with an impatient swipe of his hand, feeling embarrassed by this show of emotion. One of the things he’d learned from living with his father was never to cry, because his dad had exploited that weakness.
“It’s okay to be sad. Your crew is safe now. God has a plan in mind for each of us. He sees the big picture. Your friends are with Him now.” Katie’s soft voice soothed his hurt.
“I can almost believe you.” He wanted to believe her. He really did.
“The fire investigators found Logan’s body hours later,” he said. “They believe he fell asleep on the job and didn’t wake up in time to warn the crew. He died of smoke inhalation. Because I’d been on my way up the mountain at the time, I was out of the way of the blaze. I’m not a hero at all. I was just doing my job and happened to be the one who survived.”
“You’re wrong, Reese. You put your life on the line, saving other people’s lives and property. You were prepared to take whatever came your way. That makes you a hero in my eyes.”
She rested her hand on his arm. Her eyes were filled with warmth and caring. Her words meant so much to him.
More fireworks flashed in the night sky. Reese inwardly flinched with each crackling boom. He’d had no idea the fireworks might affect him this way. Nor did he know why he’d told Katie about the wildfire. And yet it felt good to let it go. To finally get it off his chest and confide in her. He couldn’t help wondering if she was right about God loving him. And if that was true, then anything seemed possible. Anything.
He faced her. She sat close beside him and their eyes locked. He felt mesmerized, pulled in by her compassion. As though nothing else mattered but her and making her happy. Before he knew what he was doing, he leaned in and kissed her. Softly. A feathery caress that deepened for several moments. She tasted sweet, like the watermelon they’d eaten an hour earlier. And then she pressed a hand against his chest.
“Reese, I can’t.” Her voice trembled.
He drew back, embarrassed by what he’d done. He’d felt lost in the moment. What had he been thinking? He was leaving in a few days. He had no right to kiss her.
“Your story is so full of feeling. You should let me write about it,” she said.
“No. It won’t bring my crew back.”
“But it might help other people heal from their own losses,” she argued.
“No, I don’t want Logan’s name dragged through the mud any more than it already has been. They blamed him for the deaths of the crew and I don’t believe that’s fair. The command team kept us on the fire line way too long. We’d gone over seventy-two hours without sleep and were exhausted. They couldn’t flee in time to save their lives. They were all done in.”
She sat back and folded her arms. “I’m sorry that happened. To be honest, I should tell you that I’ve already been writing about you, but I won’t publish your story if you don’t want me to.”
He widened his eyes and a surge of doubt rose up inside him. He’d thought he could trust her. That she wasn’t angling to get a story out of him.
“Don’t worry, Reese. I’d never publish anything without your permission. I promise.” She met his eyes without flinching.
He relaxed, trusting that she would keep her word. “I appreciate that.”
They turned as another loud reverberation shook the air. “I wonder where Chrissy and Charlie are. They’re missing the fireworks.”
Reese was glad they’d had this talk. It hadn’t resolved much, but he felt better. At least they’d agreed that he could come home often for visits. It wasn’t as if he was walking out of their lives forever. He’d still get to see Chrissy and Katie now and then. So why did he have such an empty ache deep inside his heart?
Charlie and Chrissy arrived, carrying melting ice cream cones for each of them.
“We were about to give up on the two of you,” Reese said as Chrissy handed him a drippy cone.
“We had to stand in line for hours,” she exclaimed dramatically.
Charlie chuckled as he sat in his chair and pulled Chrissy onto his lap. “Not quite hours, but the line was pretty long. But I don’t mind getting cotton candy and a little ice cream for my granddaughter.”
They licked their cones and enjoyed the rest of the evening. When the fireworks ended, they didn’t rush to their car. Charlie couldn’t move fast, the park was overly crowded and the traffic would be too congested. Instead, they were content to wait until it eased a bit.
As he listened to the happy chatter of his daughter, Reese felt like he belonged here. This was his family. He could no longer think of himself without them. But Katie had her life and he had his. He would visit often
, but that wasn’t enough anymore. Not for him. He would have told her how he felt, but what good would that do? If he had to leave, it was best to do so without telling her what was in his heart, which would only make things worse.
Chapter Fourteen
Two days later, Katie left the newspaper office and got into her car to drive over to the diner. She’d promised Charlie that she’d bring him some lunch. Chrissy was playing at Caleb and June Marshall’s house and Katie would stop and pick her up on her way home.
She’d just had a quarrelsome talk with her editor. Although she’d finished her article on Reese, she was determined not to publish the touching story without his permission. And of course, Tom Klarch hadn’t liked that. He’d wheedled and cajoled, trying to convince her to let him print it while the topic was still a current event, but she’d refused. Reese deserved her respect. She didn’t want to lose his trust. And Tom had finally agreed to abide by her wishes.
The summer sun glowed brightly as she pulled into the parking lot of the diner. Glancing around, she noticed numerous vehicles and figured the restaurant was busy today. Good thing she’d called ahead to place an order to go.
The bell tinkled above the door as she stepped inside. The pungent scent of chicken curry filled the air along with the conversations of people sitting at tables to eat their lunch.
“Hi, Katie. Your order will be ready in just a few minutes.” Cathy Morton waved from behind the cash register.
Knowing that Megan was at home with their children, Katie wasn’t surprised to see Cathy waiting tables today. The woman had recently gotten engaged to Rich Wilcox and Megan was planning to cater the wedding.
“I’m not in a big hurry,” Katie said.
She sat at the counter to wait, wondering what Reese was doing today. Since he was leaving town tomorrow, he’d spent the last two afternoons with Chrissy, joining them for supper each evening. Tonight would be no different and Katie was planning to prepare something special.
A man walked into the restaurant, bringing Katie out of her thoughts. A short, stocky man wearing a rumpled suit, with dark, shrewd eyes. He held a thick cigar clenched between his teeth. The stinky smoke surrounded her and she waved a hand in front of her face to clear the air.
Katie wasn’t sure, but she thought he was the same man she’d seen several weeks ago, his blue sedan parked across the street from Mrs. Watkins’s house when Reese had been cleaning up her yard. If that was the case, this was Bruce Miller, the reporter from the National News Registry. He’d been dogging Reese’s heels since he came to town. And that made Katie feel defensive.
“You wanting lunch?” Cathy called to Bruce.
“Nope, I’m not buying anything but information,” he said, puffing on the cigar. A fog of gray smoke filtered through the air. Several people sitting nearby coughed and glared in disapproval.
Cathy came to stand in front of him, looking stern as she placed her hands on her waist. “You’re not from Nevada, are you?” she said.
“Nope, I’m from Colorado. Why do you ask?”
“Because if you were from Nevada, you’d know better than to smoke in a public place. It’s against the law. Before I can give you anything, I’m gonna have to ask you to put that cigar out.” She pointed at a sign on the wall that read No Smoking!
“Sorry.” He dropped the stogie onto the floor and crushed it out with the sole of his shoe.
Cathy’s eyes widened with outrage. Reaching over to a canister on the counter, she whipped out a couple napkins and handed them to him. “Clean that up, please.”
The man rolled his eyes and pursed his fat lips. From his demeanor, he looked like he was about to refuse. But Cathy glared a hole right through him, so he bent down and cleaned up the mess. When he was done, Cathy shot out her hand to take the blackened napkins before tossing them into the trash.
“Now, what do you want?” she asked in a brittle tone.
Whew! If Bruce Miller wanted information, he was going about it the wrong way.
Katie hid a smile of amusement. Cathy was always easygoing and polite. But this reporter had been nothing but rude since he walked through the door.
“Anyone here know Reese Hartnett?” Bruce called to the room.
Everyone turned to look at him and Katie stiffened. No one said a word, their dark glares speaking volumes.
“What do you want with Reese?” Frank, the cook, came out from behind the kitchen partition, drying his burly hands on a clean dish towel.
“I just want to ask him a few questions, that’s all. I was wondering where he’s staying.” Bruce’s voice sounded a tad wheedling.
Cathy leaned against the counter. “Who are you, and what business do you have with Reese?”
“I work for the National News Registry. I just want to meet and talk with him,” Bruce said.
“So, you’re a reporter.” Cathy spoke as if she’d just said a dirty word.
“Yes, and I’d like to interview Mr. Hartnett.”
A deathly silence filled the restaurant. In the past, Reese had a bad reputation. He’d been a hoodlum who had caused a lot of trouble in town. But since his return, he’d done nothing but good works. He’d tried to undo his wrongs and everyone had been talking about him. Now Reese was a member of their community. They were protective of him.
“I don’t think any of us has anything to say to you about Reese,” Katie said.
A subtle sneer curved the man’s lips, reminding Katie of a slithering snake.
“There might be something in it for you, too,” he said.
She turned away, repulsed by the stench of cigar smoke. “No, thanks.”
“If you’re not gonna buy something, I’ll have to ask you to leave,” Cathy said.
Bruce stood there, looking around the room, searching the customers for one friendly face. But there weren’t any. They scowled at him until he finally turned and walked out.
“Whew! I’m glad that stink is gone.” Cathy waved a hand.
Katie wasn’t so sure Reese was out of trouble, though. Standing up, she peered out the wide, sparkling windows. Bruce stood in the parking lot, speaking to a teenage girl. When she pointed toward Cove Mountain, Katie knew the jig was up. Most everyone knew by now that Reese was staying at their cabin, but she hadn’t seen Bruce around town for a couple weeks. Maybe he had just recently returned. She had little doubt the teenage girl had just told him where Reese was staying.
“Here you go, honey.” Cathy handed Katie a brown bag with her sandwiches inside.
“Thanks.” She handed over some bills to pay for her food, then zipped out the door. Thankfully, she was driving Charlie’s truck. Hopping inside, she tossed the bag of food onto the seat and dialed Reese’s cell number. No answer. Not surprising if he was up at the cabin, where he wouldn’t have reception. She had a mission right now. Something more important than eating lunch. She planned to race over to Megan’s house, pick up Chrissy from her playdate and then hightail it up to Cove Mountain. Hopefully Reese was there and she could warn him. Just one thought occupied her mind. She had to get to the cabin and warn Reese before Bruce Miller obtained a truck or attempted to drive up the mountain with his car.
* * *
Reese stood at the gas station on Main Street, pumping fuel into the old wood truck he’d borrowed from Charlie. He was leaving tomorrow and wanted to return the vehicle with a full tank.
Wiping his brow, he missed his baseball cap. The reporters had stopped bothering him, so he’d let down his guard. He’d forgotten the cap that morning when he’d gone over to the Shurtzes’ place to rebuild their chicken coop. He’d finished the chore and planned to head over to the diner for a little lunch and a cold drink. Then he was going to the motel. If he had to leave tomorrow, he wanted to make the most of this afternoon. As a new employee, he didn’t know yet when he’d get a couple days off work and was going t
o miss his family more than he could say.
The gas hose clicked off and Reese went inside to pay his bill. Bill Olson, the owner of the gas station, shook his hand. “You’re a good man. I’m sorry I misjudged you,” he said.
Reese stared in confusion. He’d never wronged this man. Maybe he’d been listening to gossip.
At the cash register, Reese picked up a copy of the Minoa Daily News. The headline immediately caught his eye: Local Hero is the Lone Survivor.
A sick feeling settled over him as his gaze darted to the byline.
Katie Ashmore.
He scanned the words, reading the article. It discussed the wildfire that had killed his hotshot crew and included numerous private details he had shared with Katie. He had no doubt she’d written the story.
With an angry huff, he wadded the paper with his hands, then thought better of it. Spreading out the creases, he paid for it and his gas, then walked out to his truck and tossed the paper onto the seat.
He never saw this coming. In a rush, everything he’d told Katie came back to him with vivid details. Their special conversation during the fireworks when he’d confided in her. The numerous moments when they’d laughed as they watched their daughter do something funny. The overwhelming love he’d felt toward both of them.
Yes, he realized it now. He loved them all. Katie, Chrissy and Charlie. He wanted to be with Katie. But right now, he felt so betrayed. So used. He’d thought he could trust her. After all, she was the mother of his child. They were more than friends. Weren’t they?
Apparently not. What a fool he’d been, telling her such personal things. Asking her not to publish the story she’d written. The night of the fireworks, she’d promised not to. He didn’t need this. Long ago, he’d had his fill of lies and suspicion. His father had taught him not to trust. To keep his feelings bottled up inside. But Reese had let down his guard. He was done with this one-dog town for good. When he left, he was never coming back.