The woman let out a frustrated growl.
Before she burned her hand completely off,Ibit the tip of my glove and pulled it off with my teeth, grabbed the hotdog, and dropped it neatly into the bun.
Wide eyes met mine in a flash as she whipped around and stared at me as ifIhad done something insane.
Our radios chirped. “Allclear out front.”
WhileDrewtried to talk the trespasser into leaving,Istepped away and keyed in my radio. “Sourceof the smoke identified.”
“Need assistance?” the chief clipped.
“Nah.Anderson’sgot it handled.”
“Meet you back at the truck.”
A heavy hand clapped on my shoulder asDrewcame up behind me and nudged me back toward the road.
“Look’s like you’ve got a new neighbor,” he said as we trudged through the tall grass.
Thanks toDrew, the embers in the grill had been snuffed out with a bucket of ocean water, and the tiny grill had been moved a respectable distance from the house.
“What the hell are you talking about?”Isaid asIglanced over my shoulder and spotted the woman sitting cross-legged on the ground, with the plate on her lap, munching on chips.
There was something about her posture that seemed heavy.Hershoulders were hunched over her lap, like she was bracing for impact.Thickhair in bronze waves was tucked behind her ear.Thesleeve of intricate tattoos on her left arm made her look tough, but there was vulnerability there too.
She stared at the house as she ate, as if she was seeing something no one else could.Itwas clear that she was completely unconcerned with the firefighters milling about.
Drew cracked a smile and bumped me with his elbow as we loaded back into the engine. “She’shot.Don’tbe surprised whenIshow up at your place, pretending to be your roommate soIcan be neighborly.”
“Who the hell is she?”Iasked asIcraned my head toward the window to steal one last peek at the house.
“JuniperWhitlock’sgreat-niece.”
That wasn’t whatIhad expected at all.
Drew sensed my surprise and kept going. “Apparentlyshe’s here to renovate the place so she can put it on the market.”
“Is she some kind of wizard who can clone herself by snapping her fingers?Itwould take a whole crew months to get it market-ready.”
Drew just shrugged. “Maybeshe hired a construction company to come out to the house and she’s just here to supervise.”
That was the best-case scenario, but there was something about her that lingered in my mind.
I had never seen someone look haunted.
“Bro.Don’teven go there.”
I blinked out of the daze. “What?”
Drew punched my shoulder. “Hookingup with a summertimer is fun at the time, but you always turn into a broody bastard when they leave.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Whenwas the last timeIhooked up with a summertimer?”DrewandIhad our fair share of flings with seasonal tourists, but the frequency of my escapades had tapered off over the years.
“I’m just looking out for you,” he said. “Besides, if you don’t hook up with her, that meansIcan.”
I punched him in the shoulder.
“Children,”Chiefgroaned. “Knockit off orI’mgoing to have to change the schedule back to you two idiots being on separate shifts.”
