Page 30 of Burning For You

Too many houses were close by. A newer car. Could have been tons of witnesses with people out with their kids.

Kids and parents who were being held back by the police as the firefighters battled the blaze that didn’t want to be contained, worried it might catch the house on fire.

Another truck came on the scene five minutes later as backup for the homes in the area.

She watched Ash at work. His body tense, but in control at all times. His focus on the job at hand.

She took pictures of the fire. Then pictures of the crowd, just like she’d done at the last two fires, then followed it with a video.

Maybe she’d get lucky and see if there was anyone who was the same at both.

When she turned back around, she noticed Alan again.

He was looking at her, just as she was him.

The drive over was less than two minutes and she was trying to figure out if it was possible for one person to get from the last location to this one and then have it called in.

She just didn’t know, but she was going to damn well find out.

9

GOT YOUR STORY

The following Friday, Ash walked into Fire Mission, placed an order for takeout since he was craving barbecue and went to the bar for a beer to wait.

“What can I get you, Ash?”

He scanned the beers on tap on the wall over the bar. “Number three looks good.”

“Order your dinner for the night?”

“I did. Thought I’d chill for twenty minutes while it’s getting ready and chat with you. How’s it going, Will?”

He did this often, getting himself out of the house, not cooking, but not sitting here all night either.

Long gone were his days at the bar looking for action, or having some fun.

He worked too many damn hours for that now.

Instead, he was placing his dinner order at four, having his beer and would be back to his place around four thirty, eating alone with his feet up and channel surfing.

“Been a bit slow lately,” Will said. “It’s like less and less are coming out now. Lunch crowd is barely half, even on a Friday.”

It’d been like that for years and it broke his heart that so many businesses couldn’t make it.

“Maybe people are just getting ready to spend money on the holidays.”

“That’s still seven weeks or more off,” Will said.

“Have you thought about delivery?” Ash said. “Not that I don’t enjoy coming in for a beer and some conversation, but you know, this time of year or come the winter, not as many want to get out. Just sign up for DoorDash or something.”

“I guess so,” Will said. “I just always thought, get them in here for the beer.”

“The beer is good,” he said, putting it to his lips. “But the food is a plus.”

“Probably right. That chick was in here last week with a regular. Haven’t seen her before but looks like the food brought her back.”

He turned his head to the front counter for pickup, the grin filling his face, until he remembered Will said Skye had been in with a regular.