Page 98 of Burning For You

“Thanks,” Rory said. “I don’t know if Rocco would have ever been caught if I hadn’t come into town and run into Gale.”

Gale rubbed her knuckles across her chest. “I do have that effect on things.”

“Put a lid on it,” Blaze said. “It’s good to see you again, though I’m not sure you remember me much.”

“A little,” she said. “My sister is a nurse at the hospital. She’s filled in in the ER before. Brenna Lancaster.”

“Yep,” Blaze said. “I remember her. And this is, Arden, and her daughter, Gracie.”

Skye shook everyone’s hands and then took a seat next to Ash.

This old farmhouse was big but not as big or open as her parents’ house, everyone almost squished in but still comfortable.

“Ash asked us not to talk about everything that is going on right now,” Gale said. “I’m going to start so we can get it out there and over with.”

Ash snorted. “Figures you’d do that.”

“You asked Rory a favor, I’m clearing the way.”

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“First,” Ford said. “I’m up to date on things, between Ash and Keegan letting me know. You know you can reach out to me just as easily as the GFPD. I mean that.”

“Thanks. I’m hoping not to have to reach out to anyone. This person has been quiet. Maybe he’s just going away.”

“They never go away,” Clay said.

Meredith’s foot kicked her husband’s boot. “That’s not nice.”

“Clay is never nice,” Ash said.

“I’m not trying to be nice, but realistic. Trying to pretend it’s going away won’t make it happen. Right, Meredith?”

Meredith put her head on her husband’s shoulder. “You had me, so I was good.”

“I’m not pretending,” Skye argued. “I just hope whoever it is makes a mistake and is caught and there isn’t any more damage. I’m not sure I’ve got what it takes to keep running after news all the time. I mean, geez, I could write a book on each one of your stories in this room for inspiration. It’s not like I need it from doing what I was. And I’m sure Ash told you all that, right?”

He’d told her he’d explain why she was back in town and working two jobs when she didn’t need to.

Three if she counted the book she’d started, but it wasn’t like she was being paid for that.

“He did,” Gale said. “You know what all of us do, right?”

“Yeah, I think. Ash didn’t say what Arden does exactly, but she’s at the hospital and I don’t know about Rory.”

“Rory is a writer,” Ash said. “Crime fiction also.”

“Oh,” she said. “That’s great. I haven’t finished anything, well, that’s a lie. I’ve got a few early drafts of things but nothing I was happy with. It’s like I couldn’t get there. But now I almost feel like I can. I’ve got an outline when I haven’t done that before. I feel as if I’ve got this drive to do this now. Maybe it’s being home.”

Something she’d put more thought in.

That if she just hadn’t rushed to think she had to do it all.

That if she could prove she could be this person no one even expected that she’d find some happiness.

Some satisfaction in her life.

But in the over a month she’d been home, she realized, she didn’t need all the extras to take the next step.