When your dream burns to the ground, isn’t that the universe telling you to get out?
I could go back to LA so Lara can be close to her father and his family. Work for someone else for a change, instead of doing it all myself.
And be absolutely miserable.
I make my way along Whispering Pines’ main drag toward the house I rented for Lara and I. It’s not far from her school. She can ride her bike to the shops. She’s already picked out a few girls she wants to become friends with. She’s gaga about starting T-ball.
I pass Pines Diner. Bev always puts extra marshmallows in Lara’s hot chocolate. And, boy, does that make her happy.
I’ve got no choice but to make it work in Whispering Pines. I don’t know how I’m going to do it. But for Lara’s sake, I have to.
Chapter Two
Eveningstarsdottheviolet sky above Bearclaw Lake. The inspection crew has finished setting up searchlights around the section of the burned out B&B where the fire started.
Jesse and I walk the lakeside portion of the property. He and his guys are doing the night shift. Around us hangs the dull stench of wet bonfire. I'm betting the fire has lost its legs. “You ready for some overnight babysitting?” I ask.
“You're giving us the easy part, Crusher.” He’s the only young guy in the firehouse who uses my baseball nickname. Of course, Chief and the other guys have been calling me Crusher since the day I was a newbie.
I shake my head. “Nothing easy about it. The place is huge. And it’s tricky. We haven’t had a chance to do any overhaul. Just have to wait for the full demolition tomorrow. One of the excavators is supposed to arrive around daybreak.”
Jesse surveys the B&B’s charred exterior and the heavy-duty searchlights where Dec, the fire inspector, is piecing togetherthe fire’s course. “We have anything definitive about whether it’s arson?”
“Not yet.”
“Sheesh,” Jesse murmurs. “If Dec’s set up for a long night, then he’s suspicious.”
Dec is thorough as fuck on a good day. On a day when he smells something’s off, and we’ve got a demolition scheduled in twelve hours, he’s not leaving any stone unturned.
Who would burn down a B&B? Or a digital detox retreat?
People are insane.
I keep seeing the shocked, devastated look on the owner Samantha's face when I told her about the B&B.
She’s…. Wow. I should’ve been more focused on gently breaking the news about her property. But, damn, I couldn’t stop looking. Dark hair that hangs around her shoulders and deep blue eyes. Fit and athletic, not crazy skinny. Tall and confident. My ideal.
I swear I detected the same jolt of attraction from her. But that was probably me being hopeful. I’m sure she’s married with kids and money to burn on digital detox retreats.
“You grew up here, right?”
Jesse nods. “Born and raised. Never left.”
“Don't blame you one bit.” We make our way toward the Fire Authority vehicles. “What do you know about the owner of this place? Samantha? She seemed pretty upset about the fire.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I know I've given myself up.
“Why, you interested?” he asks, not missing a beat.
I snarl at him. “She just had her business burned to the ground. I’m concerned in a neighborly way.”
Jesse looks at me like I’m full of shit. “Sammy’s been through a lot. Got divorced a few years ago. I heard it was bad. She moved back to Whispering Pines to start the digital detox retreat. She’s got a daughter, Lara.”
Sheesh.Divorced and a single mom. Then her business goes up in flames. She may be single, but I need to back off. Which is a real gut punch. I haven’t felt that level of attraction since I don’t know when.
It’s pretty much everything I hope to feel when I find my someone. I understand it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes there needs to be a little buildup before the spark takes hold. That’s the logic I’ve been using while cruising through the dating pool.
Jesse and I reach the wildland truck. “Chief will send in replacements in the morning,” I say as I get in the front seat. “Hope you guys brought the coffee.”
“You know we did.”
