When Zane joined them again, his expression held a measure of urgency. Mabel knew he didn’t want to scare anybody, but she could tell it was serious.
“Is it bad?” Carolina asked.
He gave a curt nod, already taking steps toward the trail.
August stepped in front of him. “Everybody move off the trail,” he said in a booming voice. “The fire chief needs to get through.”
As the crowd peeled back on either side, he added, “The fire is far enough away that there is no risk to anyone here at this moment. That being said, I recommend you all go home and check social media for more information as it becomes available.”
Mabel grasped Styles’s hand. “He can come with me.” Her gaze burned into Zane. There would be time for questions later.
Zane swallowed hard, grasping the crook of her elbow. “Thank you. I’m not on call, but, obviously, I have to go. Would you be able to take him to my place? All of his stuff is there. I was planning to make him a bed on the couch since Lorelei’s working the night shift.” He glanced around, and it was clear his mind was going a mile a minute. Already, his phone seemed to be ringing non-stop.
“Sure. And I’ll take Chief too.”
He whispered a thanks and was gone. Mabel blinked away a tear from her stinging eyes. Why was she crying? He had fires to attend to on a regular basis. This was his job, and he was going to be okay. Right?
And Carolina showing up? That didn’t necessarily mean anything.
Except Mabel’s stomach turned, and she felt the sick overtake her limbs. What had happened on Saturday night? He’d been so quiet since he went. Had Carolina taken up his thoughts since then?
She glanced over at Ruby and Weston, who were in an embrace, staying put right as everyone was heading down the mountain in whichever direction they came. “Styles, let’s go say hi to the happy couple, okay?”
She directed Styles and Chief to the clearing off the trail. The ring glittered on Ruby’s hand, which was pressed against the back of Weston’s neck.
“Sorry about this madness, guys,” Mabel said as other members of KNO joined them. She couldn’t stop herself from glancing in Carolina’s direction, and she saw her lift a Styrofoam cooler in both hands before following everyone down the trail. Had they been picnicking earlier?
So weird.
Ruby finished hugging a few well-wishers before they left. “I’m just happy. It’s like my brain can’t register anything right now beyond the fact that he asked me to marry him.”
“And I can’t think of anything except that she said yes,” Weston said.
“Dude, you still asked her, even after her brother interrupted?” Mack asked. “We missed everything!”
“There was no way I was leaving this mountain without putting a ring on her finger.” He lifted Ruby’s hand and kissed her ring finger.
After everyone had admired it and offered congratulations, the KNO members started heading down the trail, each man taking his turn carrying Styles on their shoulders. He kept trying to grab at the highest leaves on the trees he could reach.
His laughter was the best thing for Mabel right now, because dread filled her as her mind picked through her thoughts like a rat in a garbage can. Her cheeks grew hot.
Rejection. Seeing Carolina felt like he was rejecting her all over again.
She saw the plumes of smoke in the distance just southwest of town proper.
This was not good. And Zane was heading straight for it.
Would he think of Mabel as he fought the fire? Or would Carolina be the image spurring him on?
Chapter 23
Zane’s throat was sore. His limbs ached, and sweat stung his eyes.
They’d set up a perimeter around the fire with as many firefighters as they had. Nineteen men and women from Silver Plum were joined by ten or more from neighboring towns. The blare of sirens and the gritty feel of ash in the air was second nature to him, but they’d never had a fire this close to town before.
Half the firefighters were on the side closest to town, and they’d contained that end better than Zane had expected.
The other half brought up the rear, and Zane joined them now.
