It was distracting him, so he grabbed her by her hand and guided her back next to him so that he could concentrate.
“I’m not sure, to tell you the truth. But she’s thinking Kim had something to do with it.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Lana shot back up, hands on her hips, standing in front of him.
“How in the hell could she even do something like that? She’s under house arrest. If she had left outside curfew, she would’ve been arrested within five minutes!”
“I know. That’s why I think Paula is a little off center with this one, but you never can say never. After all, she did get her techie friends to mess with my Instagram again. She’s stupid, but not dumb,” he hypothesized.
Lana paced around the room as the words settled into her mind. She turned to him, at a loss for words, shocked that they were even having the conversation. She was even more shocked that he didn’t seem as upset as she was.
“So, what now? Is the house completely gone?”
“No, just the downstairs was destroyed. Mostly the living room and kitchen. Upstairs is OK except for smoke damage, but the lower level will have to be completely gutted.”
The conversation reminded her of the text she received earlier, and she reached for her phone on the bedside table.
“Earlier, I got a text asking me what it would take to get rid of me. I know it was her.”
“What?” Kayden asked, standing over her shoulder as she scrolled the messages. It was gone.
“I swear, Kayden. I’m not crazy, I got a message and that’s what it said,” she explained.
“I believe you. I saw the look on your face, but are you sure it was her?” he asked.
“Who else would it be? You see why I want a break from all of this?”
Lana slapped her hands to her sides in frustration and threw the phone on the bed. Kayden grabbed her hands and wrapped her arms around his waist, staring intensely into her eyes.
“We don’t know it was her. And I don’t want to jump to conclusions. I’d hate to think there was someone out there willing to help her commit arson. And that message could’ve been a wrong number.”
“I believe it. If Paula thinks it’s her, then it was her,” she retorted.
Kayden groaned out of frustration, but it sounded sexy as hell and distracted her for a moment, but only a moment.
“What time is your flight tomorrow?” he asked, a pained look in his eyes.
He looked so sexy with his pouty face and disheveled hair.
“I have to be at the airport by three PM,” Lana replied.
“And I have to be there by four, so I guess we’ll be traveling together in a sense,” he replied.
Lana wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes, resting her lips on his, kissing him sweetly and gently. She pulled back, placing another warm peck from her full lips over his, then pressed her forehead into his.
“Everything between us will be fine. I have no doubt about that, Kayden. Three months will pass in the blink of an eye. I’ll be back home in Hamby before you know it.”
Kayden nodded and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. He led her to the bed, where he kissed her gently and removed the distracting nightgown.
16
what’s left in the ashes
The acrid, gag-inducing smell of wet ash, melted plastic, and something sour hit Paula the moment she stepped past the threshold. She inspected the charred remains of where her beautiful, airy living room once stood. Joshua Hartwell was with her, along with the chief fire inspector, Mason Jones.
Josh walked about, noting every inch of the space with his clipboard, his boots crunching on gritty debris. He was assessing the damage, trying to determine if the structure was still sound, but Paula couldn't help but notice the smug, barely-there grin that flickered on his face as he took it all in. She had never liked him, and she understood very well how much he loathed her entire family. He was, no doubt, savoring every moment of this. He started for the stairs when she called out, her voice flat and cold.
“The upstairs is fine. It was just the lower half,” she deadpanned.
