Page 93 of Burning For You

“Yeah,” Tate said. “It doesn’t. I can fix that.”

Ash ground his teeth. “If you do that, then Skye has to give Alan’s name. I’ve known this guy for years. I don’t see it. The car fire on Halloween wasn’t far from where he was out trick-or-treating. He brought his kid home, heard it on the scanner and walked over. The car catching the house on fire, was he there, Skye? Did you see him? No. Because he was fighting it right by me, so he couldn’t have been there watching it.”

“Ash has a point,” Tate said. “How quickly did he get there?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I wasn’t paying attention, but he came in on a truck with others. I busted his ass about that, being at the fire and not tucked in bed, but the truth is, if I wasn’t working, I would have raced there too when the call went out. It’s our job.”

“And the building fire last week?” Keegan asked. “He was there?”

Her brother was looking at her. “Yes. He didn’t look happy and talked to Ash when it was done.”

“I asked what he was doing there,” he said. “He’s looking for answers like the rest of us and thought maybe he could see if there was anyone in the crowd that was always there also. He was up with a cranky kid and I got the feeling he was just as happy to hand him off.”

“I won’t say anything,” Tate said. “But I’ll be watching and if I see him at the next fire, if I’m working, I’ll be talking to him.”

“You can bet your ass I will be too,” Keegan said.

At least someone was listening to her.

But by that happening, she’d just pissed off her boyfriend.

24

STICKING BY HER SIDE

“Skye’s coming later for dinner?” Clay asked the following weekend.

Ash was in the barn helping set up for a small wedding. A brunch wedding, which still felt strange as hell to him. He’d never been to one before. Not that he cared much. It meant it would wrap up early, stay tame, and be done before most people even thought about cocktails or getting drunk.

“She said she is,” he said. “She’s meeting me here.”

Reenie, his mother, and Meredith were arranging tables near the far wall. About forty guests, maybe. Intimate. Simple. The ceremony would happen at eleven under the arch at the end of the barn. Family-style brunch after. Clean, quiet, and done by three.

Dinner was scheduled for five at the farmhouse.

That his mother was catering a wedding and cooking dinner later should have been insane. But no one told Brooke Ridgeway how much was too much.

Not if they valued their lives.

She had lots of help now, so Ash kept his mouth shut and his arms uncrossed.

Everyone said he was the favorite, being the baby, but he felt it had more to do with letting everyone else be the bad guy.

“Mom’s been looking forward to it,” Clay said.

He snorted softly. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. You never cared who I dated before.”

Clay’s expression sobered. “This isn’t about who you’re dating. It’s about who she is.” He lowered his voice. “And the fact that she might be in danger. Do you know what you’re doing?”

There it was.

Big brother mode. Protector mode. The look that said: I need to fix this before it goes wrong.

Just what he didn’t need.

Someone else to fight his battles or come marching in to save the day.

Even if Clay had been instrumental in helping everyone in the family.