Like orgasms, then multiple orgasms. After a while, the sparks fizzled. I had priorities in other places. He had Whispering Pines. We moved on, and now we’re friends.
Brady and I get to start and finish as friends. What could be better than that?
Hot sex with a hot fireman who seems to like listening to you?
Not in this lifetime.
Lara tugs Brady and I to some empty chairs at the dining room table. Gunnar and his wife are crazy talented. They have us singing along and clapping and cheering. Brady gets us another round of beers, and we drink while couples get up to dance.
Lara drags me to the center of the room for a line dance I’ve never seen before. “Get over here,” I mouth at Brady, gesturing for him to join us. He’s one of the few people in the room still sitting.
He finishes his beer and comes over to where Lara and I are dancing. Gunnar and his wife break into Cotton-Eyed Joe and everyone scream-sings along.
Brady and I dance and sing at the top of our lungs. Daphne takes Lara’s hands, and the two of them spin around while my beautiful daughter squeals with delight.
We’re safe and happy, and there’s so much joy around us and within us.
“This is a blast,” I yell to Brady, trying to make myself heard above the riot.
“Sure is.” He’s grinning ear to ear.
This is why we came to Whispering Pines.
And it’s why we’re staying. Despite the arson and the constant, low-level gossip and the forced politeness that’s tiresome and annoying, I’m going to make this work.
Chapter Four
Onthesmartscreenin the fire station conference room, a grainy black and white video shows a dark figure moving outside the B&B.
My leg shakes with a surge of anger. This is the guy who destroyed Sammy’s property and threw her life into chaos.
“That's all we got,” Dec says, leaning back in his chair. “The B&B security cameras were old. That was the only one still working What do you say, Jasper?”
Sheriff Jasper faces the dozen of us around the conference table. “All we can say for sure is he's somewhere between five and a half and six feet. My impression, based on what we can see of the perpetrator’s movement, is that we’re dealing with a targeted crime. The movements in the video are hasty. The head movement suggests fear and uncertainty. None of those you get with a serial arsonist.”
“You’re saying the B&B was the target?” I ask while Jasper takes a sip of water.
He places the bottle back on the table. “That’s unclear. The way the fire was planned, it was meant for total destruction. In the right winds, it would have spread quickly to the surrounding properties. We’d have had a major disaster.
"I’d say we’re either we're dealing with someone who was targeting the B&B and wasn’t concerned with the impact the fire could cause beyond the B&B. Or we’re dealing with someone who knew the B&B was empty. That made it a convenient starting point for a fire that would obliterate a number of properties and have massive environmental impact.”
“And this guy is still out there,” Dec says. He lets out a long exhale. “I don’t like that he got a taste of success in taking down the B&B.”
“Agreed,” Jasper says. “The fire didn't result in loss of life. No one got injured. My sense is the arsonist was driven by the rage-filled agenda. That rage has found an outlet. This fire might not have been enough. The arsonist might be motivated to strike again.”
I sit forward. “What if the owner, Sammy Lane, was the target? What about her house? She has a daughter. What if this guy tries something in town?”
Jasper nods. “No one wants anything to happen to Sammy and her daughter. She should take practical safety measures. I bet she could stay with her parents for a while. We should talk to her.”
“I’ll talk to her,” I say before anyone else can volunteer. “I’m coaching her daughter in T-ball.”
“Sounds good,” says Dec and hands me his tablet. “Take this. See if she recognizes anything in the video.”
“Will do.”
It’s four-fifty when I turn onto Sammy’s driveway. A little early for the five o’clock meeting.
The house sits on a couple acres right outside of town. It’s got the appearance of a converted barn with windows shaped to complement the sloped roof. For two people, it seems big, and the windows aren’t shaded. It's almost dark, and from the outside, it’s easy to observe movement between the lit rooms on the first floor.
