Page 32 of Burning For You

The Lancasters, they were a bit more social.

Even if some of the kids they’d adopted or fostered weren’t.

“I don’t go in too often. Normally just get my marching papers from Corbin or Jim via text, then send off my hours worked and get my check deposited in my account. Life is much easier now than it used to be.”

“Tell me about it. Not having to go into an office now is pretty great, but it’s easy to get lost in being a loner.”

She’d never been this chatty before, but he was going to take advantage of it. “How about a drink while you wait for your food?”

“It should only be five minutes,” she said. “I got here early. And I’m not much of a beer drinker.”

“Then a soda,” he urged. “Rather than stand here alone.” She looked as if she was considering it, so he nudged her arm. “Be a pal. Then I won’t be the loser alone with his beer.”

She laughed, the sound something he hadn’t heard in ages.

Long before her parents died.

Long before he’d heard the rumors of what was going on in her house.

“I don’t think anyone has ever thought you were a loser, but sure. A soda won’t kill me.” She got the attention of the woman behind the counter waiting on pickup orders and pointed to the bar, then followed Ash there.

“What do you want? Shirley Temple?”

“You know, that sounds good. I’ll take one.”

“You heard the lady, Will. Load her up.”

“So, I saw you at the fire on Halloween. Both of them.”

“Yep, you did. I saw you at both of them too. Seems like you got your story.”

He’d been watching for it, knowing it’d be up the next day. Even got it in the Times Union an hour away in Albany. It was now making the news. Not just the two car fires in one night, but four in a little over three weeks.

Nothing in almost a week and maybe he was hoping this was the end of it.

That there were a lot of eyes watching out for things.

“Yeah. Was the electric one really an accident?” Skye asked. “Be honest. I won’t tell anyone.”

He was lost in her eyes as she leaned closer to him.

The last thing he wanted to do was think he was being used. He didn’t think so, but wasn’t sure.

Either way, he wouldn’t put his job on the line. Not even for his best friend’s sister.

Not over a question.

“That’s what the inspector ruled,” he said evenly. “Those things happen.”

And it was a bitch to put out. The wind blowing the flames closer to the house than anyone was comfortable with, blocking off most of the street for fear they’d have a bigger blaze on their hands.

Skye studied him for a beat, then nodded. “Fair enough.”

Will slid her drink across the bar, bright red and fizzy.

She lifted it. “To not working tonight.”

Ash raised his beer. “I’ll drink to that.”