Page 5 of Burning For You

She wouldn’t want that. She never did.

“Wow. I didn’t know you were a fireman. What can you tell me about this car fire?”

Her phone got shoved in his face.

“Sorry,” he said, keeping his grin in place. “Take that up with my boss. I’m just a worker bee.”

He laughed, turned and walked away, fighting the urge to stay where he was.

To get lost in her cheerful voice, happy eyes, and relaxed stance.

It’d been a long time since he’d witnessed any of that from her.

Long before she went to live with the Lancasters.

Maybe elementary school.

They grew up together. He always had his eye on her in their small town, but she never had it back.

Nothing more than friends early on.

Then things changed with her as she got older. Her laughter was less. Her wariness grew.

He’d heard the rumors. That things weren’t great in her house.

They probably never were.

But it’d never been his place to ask. To question. To offer help even when he wanted to.

He did in his own way. By trying to make her laugh, like he did to everyone.

“Get anything from Tate?” Bruce asked. Bruce and he had been on the same crew for years.

“Nah. You know how it goes.”

“I’m betting anything this is like the other one. Which isn’t good,” Bruce said, looking at the charred remains of the car.

“Yeah. Tell me about it.”

The last thing they needed was an arsonist in the area. Someone going around starting cars on fire.

Last week, it was paper in the hood of a car, shoved through the grille.

If the same info came about this one, they were going to have their hands full and panic on top of it.

“Pull it in, everyone.”

Ash and Bruce turned, climbed back onto the truck and took off for the station, his mind still on the girl he’d once wished was his.

“Burn, baby, burn,” he murmured, the words breathed out like a prayer.

He’d hoped for more this time. Something louder, brighter, something that answered him. A spectacle of sorts. Maybe a bang. A nice, huge one!

This place was usually loud with noise and action, yet people here minded their own business. They looked away. They pretended they didn’t see what didn’t concern them.

Apparently not today.

Sirens had wailed in the distance faster than he’d expected. He smiled anyway. That was fine. It still gave him time. Time to watch.