by Marnee Blake
Maisie’s too-knowing stare turned to him. “An errand, huh?”
He shrugged, desperate to keep his face free of any expression. This was Maisie, though. He hadn’t been good at hiding things from her years ago, and now he was out of practice.
“Right. An errand.” He patted her arm. “Besides, I thought you two could get to know each other.”
She smirked at him. “That’s altruistic of you.”
Dak had no idea what she’d guessed, but he didn’t want to talk about any of it in front of Heidi, so he backed away, calling as he reached the door. “This shouldn’t take long. Heidi, see you in a few?”
She didn’t look thrilled about being abandoned, but her mouth firmed, and she nodded. “Sure. See you later.”
Outside, he hustled through the parking lot. No doubt Maisie was watching through the window.
Might as well get it over with.
Warm Springs wasn’t that big, so it didn’t take him long to walk the short distance to one of the only mechanic shops on the reservation. There was no sign out front. The place didn’t even have a name as far as he knew, but everyone in town called it Slick’s, because the current owner’s father’s nickname had been Slick.
There were only two garage bays, and the right one was open. He trudged up, seeing the back fender of a fifteen-year-old Chrysler. “Anyone here?”
A muffled reply came from under the car, and the person lying on a dolly scooted out, revealing the face of Dak’s younger brother, Mike.
Dak watched the parade of emotions as they crossed his brother’s face. Surprise, frustration, maybe even a little anger. Finally, he snorted, pushing back under the car. “Wondered how long it would take you to find your way here.”
“You could’ve called me too, you know.”
“Well, I’m not the one who went anywhere. Seems to me that if you’re returning, it was your responsibility to let me know you were back.”
Dak had no desire to stand there and argue with his brother about who should call who first. He folded his arms over his chest. “How’s Mom?”
“Not like you care.”
Dak clenched his jaw, stopping himself from rising to the bait. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with her since I got back but all my calls go unanswered and all my letters are returned.”
“Phone disconnected a few years ago. We all went to cell only.”
Of course. “The letters?”
“Dunno. Maybe she’s remembering all those years before this. Seems a little too little too late, doesn’t it?” His brother reeked of smugness. Also appeared he’d been taking lessons on how to twist facts from their father. Somehow, him being kicked out of the house when still a minor was his fault now.
“Maybe. Or maybe Dad is keeping her from me.”
Mikey remained tucked under the car and said nothing. Dak glanced toward the sky, praying for patience. “Just tell me.”
“She’s fine.” His brother pushed back out, shifted to sit and reached for a rag. “You actually just missed her. She stopped in earlier to drop me off some dinner.”
A stab of envy laced through Dak’s stomach, and he bit back a response. Most of the things in his head were nasty, and the situation wouldn’t be helped by more animosity. Besides, he didn’t want to talk to his brother about their mother. Mikey couldn’t be trusted to be honest, but if Mom was driving, she must be well enough. That lessened some of the crippling concern he’d been struggling with the past few weeks. Maisie had assured him on the phone that she was getting around, but admitted that she didn’t know the details, only that she’d heard that she’d been in and out of the hospital a few times.
“What do you know about the arsons on the reservation?”
His brother finished wiping his hands and tossed the rag onto a shelf. “Get right to the point, huh?”
Dak only crossed his arms, waiting. His brother chuckled. “I’ve heard a little bit.”
“Anything you feel like sharing?” When Mikey didn’t offer any more, Dak prodded. “Come on, Mikey. This is a small community.”
“Why would I tell you anything?” Mikey yanked a drawer in the tool box open, scanned the contents, grabbed a wrench, and slammed it closed again. “You’ve been gone for years. You have no idea what goes on here anymore.”
That was true enough. Though there was no way that something like an arsonist happened in Warm Springs without someone at the bar or restaurant having some theory. He had been gone a long time and he’d left under unusual circumstances—circumstances he was sure everyone knew. Many would see his twelve-year absence as an admission of guilt, proof that he’d mistreated his family and was ashamed. Even Maisie hadn’t opened up immediately, and she’d practically been a second mother to him. His access to the gossip mill was limited.
Maybe coming there had been a bad idea.
“Arson is arson, right? You found the wrong crowd when we were living in Washington. I can’t imagine you’ve avoided it here.” He immediately regretted the accusation. Even if he suspected Mikey was involved, starting with him on the defensive wasn’t productive.
Talk of Washington definitely poked a sore spot.
Mikey’s hand clenched around the wrench. “You know what, Dak—”
Shouting erupted outside, and Dak wondered what direction the conversation would have gone.
Hurrying to the bay door, he scanned in the direction of the general store, his first thoughts of Heidi. He didn’t want to investigate why he was so relieved to find it quiet that way. Didn’t have the time, anyway. Because smoke billowed from the opposite direction.
* * * *
Heidi set her mug on the counter, shifting off the stool. She didn’t want to overstay her welcome. “Thanks for the coffee. I really appreciate it.” Even after only spending a half an hour with Maisie, she could tell that the other woman knew what Dak had done, leaving her there to get the scoop. Maisie could have clammed up, but she hadn’t. However Maisie had judged her, she had been deemed worthy of information.
Maisie’s willingness to help wasn’t as confusing as Dak’s. Why had he brought her there? When he stopped by, offering to buy her a cup of coffee on the reservation, she didn’t know what to expect. If the roles were reversed, after the way she treated him yesterday, she wouldn’t have gone out of her way to help him.
Apparently, he was a bigger person than she was.
Or he had his own motives. She couldn’t tell and wondering if she could trust him when every instinct she had said she could, well, it made her uneasy.
“My pleasure.” Maisie retrieved Heidi’s used mug, leveling her with one of her all-knowing stares. Heidi forced herself to remain motionless under the scrutiny. Finally, Maisie nodded. “You know, Dak Parrish is a good boy. He hasn’t been around for a long time, and some in the community might tell you different. But don’t listen to tales about him or his family. He’s the real thing.”
“Tales about him or his family?” What did that mean?
“You’ve met Lyle Parrish.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes.”
“Well, Dak’s mom and brother are here, too.” Maisie glanced out the window in the direction Dak had gone. “His mother was sick last year. If she hadn’t been, Dak wouldn’t be back in Oregon. You can take that to the bank.”
“Is she better?” Poor Dak. She and her mother were close, even though her mother had retired to Florida after her father’s passing ten years ago. They didn’t see each other often, but they talked almost every day.
Maisie shrugged. “I see her around, but she doesn’t say much.”
“But she’s okay?”
The older woman’s eyes saddened. “You should probably ask Lyle Parrish.”
The statement said so many things and all of them bothered Heidi. “Right. Maybe I’ll do that.”
Maisie grinne
d, squeezing Heidi’s arm. It was as if she’d passed some test. “You should come again soon.”
Heidi exhaled, smiling. “I would love to.”
“Tomorrow.” Maisie dropped her dirty mug into the small sink behind the counter.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes. I’ll invite Jesse Broadridge. I think you and he might have a couple of things to talk about.” Maisie leaned back against the counter. “Jesse works for the police department. I hear that Kirk and Dak’s father aren’t making things easy for you. They don’t like outsiders much. Suspicious of things they don’t know. Small minds and all. But Jesse? He’s different.”
That was exactly what she needed. As much as Heidi wanted to think that she could do it by herself, she couldn’t. Small towns kept secrets close. She needed someone on the inside.
Maisie was that inside asset and Dak had made sure she had access to it. She’d have to be sure to thank him.
“Absolutely.” Heidi pulled one of her cards from her pocket, and pushed it across the counter to Maisie. “This has all my numbers on it. Just let me know what time. I can come whenever.”
Maisie nodded, smiling. “Sounds good. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Waving, Heidi stepped outside, the cheery bell signaling her exit.
On the street, though, everything changed. There, she was transported back in time.
Sirens split the air, close by. Their wail sent icicles streaking along her spine. For a moment, she was paralyzed, dragged down in memories she had hoped were long forgotten. The smell of smoke amplified the shouts and the sirens and stole her breath.
History slammed into her. She was a year in the past, back to the night everything had exploded in her life.
Except, it wasn’t the same. There was no pain and she was still whole. Shaking her head, she forced herself to remain in the present. Things were different now. She had gotten through that nightmare. She wasn’t in DC.
She was also no longer married and definitely not pregnant. Not anymore.
More important, she wasn’t helpless. She could move, she could think.
Where was Dak? It had probably been fifteen minutes since he left, but in that time a fire had started. That couldn’t be a coincidence, could it?
Was he okay? She’d only met him two days ago and she hated how much she already worried about him.
She glanced up and down the street. A crowd gathered down the road and she hurried to join them.
As she turned the corner, the entire scene came into stark, panoramic view. Flames erupted from a dumpster next to a huge building. The sign in front said it was a casino. As this was the center of Warm Springs, the fire department was only a few streets over, so they had already arrived. Firefighters spilled from an engine in the parking lot.
The screaming and the running—it froze her again.
No. She had to get moving. This wasn’t who she was any longer.
Inhaling slowly, she forced herself to think past the panic and slip back into her old, investigative habits. Like stepping into a worn-in pair of shoes, she scanned the scene, checking for danger. There was nothing except the fire raging nearby.
Running in a crouch, she checked between the parked cars, searching for victims. She moved so quickly, she almost ran past the man lying on the ground between two SUVs. She scurried to his side.
“I’m Heidi Sinclair. I work…” She was going to say that she worked for the DEA, but that wasn’t true anymore. She was disoriented with the noise and the fire raging. “I’m with the Forest Services. Can I help you?”
He clutched his knee. “I was running. I tripped.”
This she could do. The chaos in her head? Not so much.
“Of course.” She stooped next to him, examining his leg. DEA training included basic first aid, and she had enough knowledge to recognize that this was probably a twisted knee or ankle. Right now, it was more important that she get him away from danger. The dumpster wasn’t far, and the fire personnel were organizing, preparing to fight it. If this man didn’t move, he’d be in the way. “Let me help you up.”
“Up?”
“You need to get out of here. There’s a fire.” That should be obvious enough. It was burning less than twenty yards away.
“Right.” He nodded, holding her eyes, as if he was avoiding looking at the blaze. His eagerness and easy agreement, he was in shock. “I should go.”
“Yeah. Good idea.” She reached under his arm, shifting him up. Pressing her shoulder into his armpit, she bore the weight he couldn’t put on his foot. They tripped a few steps before she caught her balance. “Come on.”
They stumbled together away from the cars. Around her, the shouts, the smells…. She tried to block out the flashbacks and focus on this man who needed her help. Inhaling through her nose, she tried to calm her breathing, but her heart still kicked up, beating loud in her ears.
When she’d gotten him far enough from the fray, she helped him to sit on the grass, turning away from the fire. Her back ached from the strain of carrying him. “I’ll find you a paramedic,” she said, gasping.
The man continued nodding, his eyes ahead. “Yes. A paramedic. That’s a good idea.”
“I think so, too.” Around her, emergency personnel were in motion. “Hey!” she called to a paramedic, waving her arm. The man spun, wearing the mask of urgency and purpose she attributed to life-threatening scenes. “This man. He hurt his leg.”
The responder grabbed a duffel, hurried over to them. As he assessed the hurt man, he asked Heidi, “Ma’am. You’re with the Forest Services, correct? What happened? Are you all right?”
She nodded. Except she wasn’t. Though she fought it, the noises distorted, twisting into a ringing that filled her mind. She pressed her hand against her chest, desperate to slow her heart, to calm her breathing. It didn’t work. There was nothing to focus on, nothing to anchor her, only the fear and the fire and the noise swirling around her.
On the sidewalk, with the man in shock next to her, she could only watch as the movement blurred around her.
Then, Dak appeared, out of the smoke. Unlike her, he didn’t look panicked. His jaw was set, his brows low, determined. When he caught sight of her, he broke into a run.
Like he’d been looking for her.
Relief burst through her. Its intensity scared her, but still, it remained. As she watched him come toward her, she lost consciousness.
Chapter 5
“Put her here.” Maisie gestured to the chair in her cluttered office, concern written in her low, furrowed brow. Apparently the half an hour Heidi had known her was long enough for Maisie to adopt her.
“I’m fine, really. Maybe the smoke made me lightheaded.” It was a weak excuse. It hadn’t been that smoky, and she hadn’t been that close to the fire.
Dak must’ve agreed, because his scowl deepened. She could see him ticking through all the possible reasons for loss of consciousness, like the firefighter he was.
Maisie was in full caretaker mode. “Can I get you something? Water, maybe some juice. Do you have low blood sugar?”
Her embarrassment hit a new high. When had she become this damsel in distress? “No. Really, it’s fine.”
Maisie’s mouth thinned. She glanced between Heidi and Dak. “I’m going to get her juice.” Heidi didn’t even have a chance to stop her before she was gone.
“I’m fine. Seriously.” Why did her voice sound wispy? Why did she feel so weak?
This wasn’t who she was. She’d worked too hard to be independent to fall apart after one run-in with an emergency. Pathetic.
“I’m fine,” she repeated. It sounded stronger this time and she nodded, satisfied.
Dak glanced over his shoulder, as if making sure Maisie couldn’t hear him. “What happened out there?” Concern lit his features, and he leaned closer, one hand on the armrest
next to her. “Were you hurt? If so, I’ll go get a paramedic.”
She’d already told him that she was fine a few times. Obviously he wasn’t buying it. Not that she blamed him. She’d passed out. People didn’t just pass out. Except, how did she explain how hard it had been to breathe out there?
Sitting that close to him gave her a similar effect, except for a different reason. His sheer mass overwhelmed her. But she wasn’t afraid. Out in the casino parking lot she’d been afraid. Here, surrounded by him, she was safe. And breathless.
As she gazed up at him, she folded her hands in her lap, shifting forward, stalling. She didn’t want to lie. She hadn’t known him for long, but he’d helped her. He’d introduced her to Maisie, had stayed with her yesterday during her investigation even when she hadn’t exactly been nice to him.
Now this.
When she came to, he’d been carrying her across the parking lot at the casino. Except, it wasn’t only that he was carrying her, it was how. He’d tucked her head under his chin, cradled her against his body. This wasn’t a mode of transportation. He’d held her as if she was something precious, to be protected.
He deserved some of the truth.
“I just—the sounds of the fire…they reminded me of something that happened.” She tilted her head, swallowing, trying to get a grip. “When I was out there today, it sounded so similar to—” Oh, God, why was it so hard to say the words?
“Is this something that happened the reason you left Washington?” His voice was low, private. How had he figured that out? This man was too observant. Maybe that’s why he scared her so much, because he paid attention to her. He must have pieced it together, that something had driven her from Washington.
If she refused to answer, he’d back off. She was certain of it. Did she want him to? She wasn’t sure which scared her more: his observation or her desire to connect with him this way. Glancing away, she shrugged. “Partly. Not entirely.”
She was saved by Maisie returning with an orange juice bottle in hand. “I usually prefer apple juice in these sorts of circumstances, but orange juice is all we have right now.”