She nodded, then leaned in and kissed him again, contradicting him and unravelling that last string ofresistance.
Could he rebuild? Couldthey?
* * *
Why didhe have to be so utterlyhot?
That smoky kiss, the tang of his tongue, the rasp of his beard shadow, and most of all, the intense focus, the grit and godawful sexiness of a man stretching himself to the limit fighting for his family, his home, fighting an evil greater thanhimself.
How could she fight against it? And yet, he was the cause of the greatest pain in her life, her most abject failure, her deepestregret.
She shouldn’t be kissing him, comforting him, and baring her soul to him. But she couldn’t helpit.
She was the hapless moth banging herself against Grady Hart’s fiery but impenetrable light. He didn’t need her, didn’t even want her, but she’d make him feel her pain, acknowledge it, and then, maybe she could finally moveon.
The wallop of a siren shutting off jolted Grady’s lips from hers, and she stepped back in time to spot Todd and his deputy exit the police cruiser and head down the driveway to the smoldering remains of thefire.
“See ya,” Grady grunt and jumped into the cab of his pickup to take Cait to the hospital, while Linx’s twin sisters sidled up toher.
“That must have been some kiss,” Joey said, putting an arm around her. “Best be glad Todd’s working the crime scene and not throwing Grady out oftown.”
“Cr-crime scene?” Linx snapped her gaze to her sister. “What happened? Is someonehurt?”
“Scott says the fire spread way too fast to be a cooking fire. Cait’s husband, Brian, has experience investigating arson, and he says someone doused gasoline over theporch.”
“But who? Why?” Linx’s hand flew to hermouth.
“We Colsons are the only ones who want to run Grady out of town,” Joey said. “But we all have alibis. Especially you. If this was a mystery novel, I’d be asking who’s been trying to keep Grady away from herdog.”
“Oh, stop it.” Linx gave her sister a light shove. Joey was always the one who spouted insane theories—an attention getting tactic in her large family. “This isn’t a joke. Besides, this isn’t Grady’s cabin. It belongs to hisparents.”
“Maybe someone doesn’t want competition for the wedding business.” Joey poked Vivi. “Weren’t you thinking of having a bridal shop at the generalstore?”
“I could say it was you, Joey,” Vivi retorted. “Cait bakes a mean cupcake and you want to add a bakery to that diner ofyours.”
“Come off it.” Linx swiped her forehead. “We all love Cait and Brian, and no one would want to hurt them. This has to do with Grady Hart. Whoever burned down the cabin thinks it’ll hurt Grady and drive him from thetown.”
Both twins trained their eyes onto her. “That would lead right back toyou.”
“Or Todd.” An icy shiver spread its web over Linx’sshoulders.
Todd had been late to the family fish fry, and he’d been especially vehement in denouncingGrady.
But no, Todd was a lawman. He would never break the law, wouldhe?
Which meant it was down to her again. Except her idea of burning Grady was burning up the sheets withhim.
