Rodrigo opened the refrigerator. “Now that’s what I’m talking about,” he announced as he grabbed the chilled bottle of beer.
“Hell, yeah, I’m talking about that too.” TJ stuck his head into the fridge, shoving contents around. “Hey, where’s the beer?”
“Only one bottle, dude.”
“Fuck. Give me some of that.”
Rodrigo tipped back the bottle and chugged, wiping his lip after he’d drained every last drop. “Ah, hits the spot.”
TJ lunged at him, and Rodrigo caught him by the front of his shirt and swung around to slam him hard against the counter. TJ’s head rapped solidly against the upper cabinet. “Don’t ever think you can take me on, or you’re a dead man.”
Something about his tone must have communicated that he didn’t give a shit whether TJ was dead or alive, because the fucker nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed convulsively.
Rodrigo released him, then left the kitchen for the master bedroom that he remembered was to the left and down a long hall. Once there, he pulled out dresser drawers and dumped their contents, ruffling through Garrett Morgan’s clothing. He peeled off the prison-orange turnout gear and pulled on a pair of jeans. They were too long and gapped at the waist. Jack’s big brother must have put on a gut since Rodrigo had known him. He searched the drawers, and then the closet until he found a belt and a clean t-shirt to replace the sweat-stained one he wore.
The jeans TJ pulled on were an even worse fit on his short, wiry frame. Rodrigo threw him a belt, then continued to search the room. In a drawer by the bed, he found a stack of twenties that he jammed in his pocket. He kept pulling open drawers until they’d ransacked the entire room, but he didn’t find what he was looking for.
He opened doors down the hall to reveal bedrooms obviously belonging to girls. In the last room set up as an office, he swore ripely when he saw the tall metal gun cabinet. Any self-respecting rancher would have some sort of firearms, but dickhead Garrett Morgan kept his behind a heavy-duty lock and key. TJ came in behind him. “Look through all the drawers and cabinets, we’re looking for any weapons that aren’t locked up.”
In the end he had to give up; all they’d found was a folding hunting knife that Rodrigo pocketed, but no firearms. That pissed him off royally. “We need to get out of here before pork belly calls the cavalry after us.”
“I’m hungry. There was some peanut butter in the cupboard. We can at least make a sandwich.”
“You slow me down and I’ll leave you behind.”
TJ griped, but he followed Rodrigo out of the house. Under the shelter of the eaves, Rodrigo studied the scene. He’d been on enough fire crews to be able to read a fire, and while it still burnt ferociously, this beast was staying in the forest and wasn’t going to take the Circle M.
He’d fix that. Rodrigo handed TJ the book of matches he’d found in the kitchen, nodding toward the barn. “Bet you could find a fuel can full of gas in that barn, and with the hay they keep in there, that barn would go up in a flash.”
“Hell, yeah.” TJ took off for the barn, holding up his pants as he ran like a lunatic because apparently he didn’t know how to use a belt.
Rodrigo picked up the Pulaski where he’d left it inside the now-doorless entry and considered the best course of action.
Ranches usually had utility vehicles around, and almost always the keys were left in the ignition so any ranch hand who needed to use it could get in and go. If the Circle M didn’t have a pickup sitting around, then the Broken Arrow would. He needed wheels.
Rodrigo caught sight of Jack’s black and white vehicle and stepped back into the shadow of the house. It continued moving down the road toward the narrow highway that snaked through the valley. Damn, he would have liked to take on Jack, maybe surprise him with an axe blow to the back of the head. But that was okay. Now he had time to plan. He’d get Jack, for sure, and he’d get Dory. He’d get the whole fucking town.
Chapter Ten
“You need to listen to Gran, Adrian.”
Her son’s quiet voice carried over the line. “But I’m worried about you, Mom. I don’t want you to get burned in the fire.”
“I’m at the fairgrounds, not anywhere near the fire. I unloaded two horses from the Circle M.” Phone to her ear, she secured the lock on the trailer, then rounded the back to stand next to the driver’s door.
“When are you going to come get me?” Her boy’s voice was more than a little whiny. She didn’t have the heart to call him on it. The entire town felt like it was on edge, waiting to see where the fire would burn next. There’d been a steady stream of people coming into the fairgrounds, some pulling trailers, others bringing dogs, cats, even goats and sheep to the temporary shelter. She’d met up with Garrett Morgan and he’d taken charge of the horses she’d brought, with profusive thanks for her help. A call to Gwen MacElvoy assured Dory that all horses from the Broken Arrow were already safely at the fairgrounds.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes, baby.”
“Okay. Bye, Mom.”
Adrian’s anxiety brought back memories of the time when she’d had Rodrigo served with divorce papers, and he’d retaliated by attacking her. She’d never felt safer than when Jack had put handcuffs on her soon-to-be ex-husband and taken him to the police station to lock him in a cell. But Adrian hadn’t felt safe, and he’d dealt with his anxiety by being hyper-vigilant, behaving like it was his responsibility to protect his mother. Her six-year-old son had insisted on checking the locks at night and refused to go to sleep if a window was left open. Even worse, she still wasn’t sure how he’d come to the conclusion, but Adrian had also decided it was his fault Rodrigo had attacked her. Adrian hadn’t witnessed that awful event, thank god, and she hadn’t told him all the horrible details. It still made her shiver when she remembered how she, Emma, and Maddy had been at the pub for a girls’ night out.
Their fun evening had blown up when Rodrigo had grabbed her in the parking lot of the local brew pub, but Emma and Maddy had come to her aid until Brad and Logan had shown up to take Rodrigo down, with Jack hauling him to the police station. When she’d explained to Adrian that Rodrigo had hurt her but that she was okay, and his father was behind bars, he’d somehow decided that he was to blame.
She paused for a moment, thinking about what she’d overheard Adrian saying to Jack. Even now it brought a pain to her stomach when she thought about Rodrigo hurting her baby and threatening to hurt Dory if Adrian told her. Somehow Jack had gotten Adrian to reveal more than he had in all the time he’d spent with a therapist. So while her son had shouldered the blame for Rodrigo’s behavior, Dory knew exactly where that responsibility lay. She’d made the choice to stay with an abusive husband. Fault lay with her, and her alone.
Dory shoved her phone in her back pocket, shaking her head to clear it. She’d go to her parents’ house and pick up Adrian, but what about Jack? A glance to the south showed the enormous smoke cloud, and flecks of ash covered the vehicles parked around her. Fretful thoughts chased around her brain. Had Jack safely released the cattle ahead of the fire? Was the Circle M burning? Was Jack safe? What had that kiss meant? She pulled herself up into the cab of the truck and turned the key.
She and Jack hadn’t made any arrangements to meet up, but damned if she was going to sit and worry about him. Pulling out her cell once again, she tapped out his number from memory. The phone rang four times and there was that moment when her heart leapt at the sound of his voice before she realized that for the second time that day she’d gotten his voicemail. She spoke quickly. “Jack, it’s Dory.” All the confusion she’d been feeling welled up, and she had to clear her throat. After a too-long pause where she found her heart beating heavily in her chest, she ended up by saying simply, “Call me so I know you’re safe.”
Damn, that sounded like she cared. A lot. She didn’t want him to get the wrong idea, like maybe she had a thing for him. But the problem was, ever since that kiss on the night of the F
ourth, she’d begun to get a thing for him. Somehow the knowledge that he thought of her as more than that person he had to tolerate because they belonged to the same friend group had unlocked emotions she hadn’t even been aware she’d put behind bars.
Even after her divorce, when she’d instituted a moratorium on dating, she’d secretly acknowledged to herself that Jack Morgan was hot, super-hot in fact. That hotness factor had ratcheted up ever since that kiss when fireworks had literally exploded. But it wasn’t simply his hotness that made her wild and want to lick him all over. The fact that he was a really decent human being made him even more sexy.
For a long time, she’d buried deep the memories of those occasions when Rodrigo had lost control and the neighbors had called the police. More often than not, Jack had been the responding officer. He’d treated her with such incredible compassion. Every now and then the feelings crept back. Her embarrassment that Jack knew Rodrigo beat her had added to the shame that she had stayed with him, that she allowed herself to be beaten. She was a strong woman, so how had she stayed with someone who treated her so badly? And worse, how could she have convinced herself that Rodrigo was leaving Adrian alone, that Adrian wasn’t aware of the abuse? Sometimes she still struggled to assure herself that though it had taken her awhile, she and Adrian had not only survived, but were thriving.
Dory drove carefully, mindful that she was pulling a trailer, taking the turn onto the long, asphalt driveway that led to the home where she’d grown up. The house came into view and, as always, brought a dose of comfort. Maybe a stranger would see it as a hodgepodge of not-always-matching add-ons, but to her it was the rambling home of her heart. She knew her parents had wished for more children, but they’d lived happily as a cozy family of three. Her father had built on to the structure as he’d seen the need, adding a mudroom off the kitchen, and a workshop between the house and the detached garage. He’d connected the structures with a covered breezeway that allowed him to move between home and shop easily when the snow piled up in the winter.
She parked the truck and trailer beside the garage, spotting Adrian as he darted through the screen door at the side of the house. She tucked the keys in her pocket as she got out of the vehicle, grabbing Adrian in a hug when he trotted up to greet her.
“I’m glad you’re here, Mom. I was worried.”
She hugged him tighter. “I don’t want you to worry, baby. Where’s Pops?” She dropped a kiss on his forehead before letting him go.
“He went to help with the evacuations.”
The screen door opened again as Rosa Morales joined them. With her role often being that of moderator between her equally strong-willed husband and daughter, Dory always thought of her mother as the glue that kept the family tight. Dory bent her head for her mother’s habitual hug-and-kiss greeting.
“Adrian says Dad is helping with evacuations?”
“The Red Cross is setting up at the middle school for all the evacuees, so your dad’s over there doing what he can. They’re already using the high school as base camp for the fire crews.”
“Who’s been evacuated so far?”
“All the folks up in South Valley. The campground up there has been burned, and the Circle M, the Broken Arrow, and all the homes up there are now under mandatory evacuation orders.”
“The stables and corrals at the fairgrounds are full of horses from the ranches. I left Jack at the Circle M. He’s going to open up the pastures so the cattle have a chance to run from the fire.” She couldn’t keep the worry from her voice.
“Those poor animals.” Rosa patted her arm. “And Jack is a smart man, he’ll be fine.”
“How many people are they expecting at the evacuation shelter?”
“Over two hundred if you count both the mandatory and voluntary evacuation zones. I’ll be heading over to the middle school in a bit to help at the medical tent.” She turned to her grandson. “Adrian, come help me clean up from the cookies we were baking so you can go with your mother.”
The sound of an approaching vehicle had them all turning their heads. The knot of worry in Dory’s stomach eased at the sight of the ash-covered black and white SUV, the Hangman’s Loss Police Department insignia on the door. Jack stepped out and unbuckled his cop belt, locking it inside the cruiser. Rosa waved before taking Adrian with her into the house as Jack approached.
His face was smudged with soot, his skin lighter where the mask had covered around his mouth. The sleeve of his dark t-shirt was ripped, and twin gashes on his arm oozed blood. Ash in his hair made it look like he had a bad case of dandruff. She’d never been happier to see anyone in her life.
He stood in front of her. “Hi.” His eyes burned like he was saying much more.
“Hi back.”
“Got your message. I’m safe.”
“I’m glad.” Emotion swelled, making her light-headed. Trying to break the intensity of the moment, she lifted the fabric of his t-shirt from where it stuck to the cuts.
“Ow.” He hissed out a breath.
“What’s this from?”
“Barbed wire. I couldn’t get to the gate in the high pasture so I ended up cutting the fence in a couple of places. At least the cattle will have a chance if the fire gets that far.”
“That doesn’t explain how you got hurt.”
He shrugged. “Big-ass bull decided he didn’t want to wait until I had the wire cut and tried to push me out of the way.”
She pulled the material the rest of the way from the cuts.
“Hey, careful with the injury. Can’t you see I’m bleeding?”
“Don’t be a baby. You can’t have your shirt sticking to it. You need to have this cleaned and a Band-Aid put on it.”
“Not by you,” he said. “You’re not gentle.”
“Aw, pobrecito. You should come in. Mom’s the retired nurse, she’ll take care of you. She might even give you a lollipop if you don’t cry too much.”
“Your mom’s nicer than you, so okay,” Jack grumbled. Then he had Dory’s heart tripping when he took her hand and twined his fingers with hers as they walked to the house.
They stepped inside, the aroma of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies unmistakable. Adrian was using a sudsy sponge to wash a baking tray while Rosa directed Jack to the downstairs bathroom to wash. When he returned, she had him sit at the kitchen table.
Dory used the bathroom next. Her hair looked as ashy as Jack’s. She couldn’t do anything about that, but she did rinse her face, hands, and arms, then gathered the first aid supplies her mother wanted and brought them to the kitchen.
Rosa cleaned the cuts on Jack’s arm with Betadine and pressed on a large nonstick pad. “You don’t need stitches, but you’ll probably have a scar.” She narrowed her eyes at her patient even as she smoothed down the tape. “How long has it been since you had a tetanus shot, Jackson?”
“Not sure, been a while.”
“Then you’re getting one today.”
“I am?”
Dory snickered at the alarmed expression on Jack’s face. He sent her a quelling look but smiled when Rosa laid a small hand on his cheek.
“Yes, you are. We don’t want your big handsome self sidelined by a preventable case of lockjaw, now do we?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Dory’s going to make you a sandwich, then you’re going to the Red Cross evacuation center at the middle school. The emergency plan for the city detailed that there would be tetanus vaccines on site for those who need one like you do.” She gave him a severe look. “Don’t make me come looking for you, because I will.”
Jack looked pained. “Okay. But needles aren’t my favorite thing.”
Dory raised a brow at Adrian when he approached the table, busily munching on a cookie.
“They’re not my favorite thing, either. I hate shots,” Adrian said, then glanced hastily at his mother. He knew he wasn’t supposed to eat cookies before lunch.
Rosa gently patted Jack’s shoulder. “Needles aren’t
anyone’s favorite thing. Isadora,” she turned to her daughter, “there’s some sliced roast beef in the fridge. Make sandwiches for you and Jackson. I’ve got to get going or your father is going to call wondering where I am.”
“How come I have to make him a sandwich?”
“Because he’s sitting at our table. Mind your manners.”
Adrian let out a whooping laugh. “Good one, Gran.”
Dory ducked her head at the scolding, then reached for Adrian, who scrambled out of range of his mother’s tickling. Seeing that Adrian had shed some of his worry made her happy.
“Will you make me a sandwich, too, Mom? Please?”
“That boy had a sandwich an hour ago. He’s a bottomless pit.”
“But I’m your favorite bottomless pit, aren’t I, Gran?”
“You bet you are. Give Jackson a few of those cookies.”
She bustled out of the kitchen, and Jack sighed. “I love your mother.”
Adrian piled cookies on a napkin and brought them to the table while Dory pulled items from the refrigerator. She began assembling sandwiches, listening to Adrian peppering Jack with questions about living on a ranch. She let the sound of Jack’s deep voice and Adrian’s higher-pitched one wash over her. Even with the danger of the fire, they needed these few minutes of breathing space before dealing with whatever came next.
It occurred to her that she didn’t know why Jack had come to her parents’ home. He was on duty, but he’d come to where she was, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
She lay a hand on her belly to settle the sudden fluttering. She glanced at Jack to find his gaze doing its laser tracking thing, because she was suddenly unable to look anywhere else. Then Adrian made a comment that broke the tension, and Dory drew in a careful breath when Jack gave her son his attention. She cut the sandwiches in half with a not-quite-steady hand.
Jack Morgan had as much as said he’d been biding his time and was done with that. He’d put the ball firmly in her court. He was letting her know he was still interested, but the next move was hers if she wanted their relationship to develop to the next level.
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