Page 19 of Burning For You

“Not that I know of. I read the same article as you this morning.”

Because he’d been looking for it.

Not to see an update on the crime itself, but to see if Skye got anything else.

She had gotten little more other than verifying what she’d loosely put out the day before.

“Do you think it’s going to be an issue?” his father asked.

He shrugged. “I don’t want to guess. Could just be kids being punks.”

“Or adults being punks,” Ford said. “Like they’ve got nothing else better to do than cause trouble.”

“Could be. With any luck, it will end. The more it happens, the more eyes that are out there. Both cars have been older, not even running.”

“Oh,” her mother said. “I hadn’t realized that.”

“The first one, the car had died there a few days prior. The owner just left it. He’d been questioned to see if he’d done it for the insurance money.”

The car was eight years old. Not that old, but needed more work than the owner could afford to put into it.

Normally that was the first person suspected.

But the second car, he’d heard the neighbors talking that it’d been there weeks and barely moved prior. It’d been nothing more than an eyesore and many were happy to see it gone.

“Here’s hoping you have a quiet day at work tomorrow,” his mother said.

Reenie came in a few minutes later, moved into the living room and gave Ford a kiss. Meredith followed and did the same for Clay.

“It was busier than I thought it’d be today,” Reenie said. “But I’m sure it will slow down soon.”

“Does that mean there weren’t a lot of leftovers for me?” Ash asked.

“Look at that pout on your face,” Gale said. “Just like when you were a kid and didn’t get what you wanted.”

He picked a pillow up and chucked it. “Brat.”

“Enough, children,” his mother scolded. “Even as adults you never change.”

“I brought you fifteen donuts,” Reenie said. “To bring to the firehouse. The last of them. Plus, there might be two cookies and a muffin in another bag.”

“You’re the best. How come you don’t have a sister?”

“Because if I had a sister, I’d tell her to stay far away from you,” Reenie said. “Unless she just wanted to have a good time.”

He rolled his eyes. “Someone has to be the fun one.”

And it seemed it’d be a title he’d never outgrow, no matter how much he wanted what everyone else in this room had.

6

DONE HER WELL IN LIFE

On Wednesday afternoon, Skye finished loading her groceries. She was still getting used to not having to run to the store every few days again.

Though it was a nice excuse to get out of her apartment.

She shut the trunk with her four reusable bags in, then climbed into the driver’s seat, buckled up and started the engine.