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And utterly wonderful.
She was going to be a doctor again. She was going to own a building and run a business. It was terrifying. And again, it was wonderful.
By the time the guys trickled in from working with their clients, she was ready to do something other than stare at a screen. She shut down the laptop when Joe pulled up another chair alongside hers. He leaned over to kiss her. “How was your day?”
“Productive.”
He grinned. “What did you get done?”
Lia tapped her laptop. “With help from Tessa and Josie, I have chosen and ordered enough equipment to outfit Doc’s with everything from exam tables to tongue depressors to soap dispensers.”
His eyes widened. “Wow.”
“I know. I can hear my bank account groaning from shock and I’m thrilled.”
He laughed and kissed her again. “Congratulations, Dr. Moreno, you’re almost in business.”
“Thanks. It’s exciting and I’m only slightly terrified.” At his raised eyebrow, she amended. “Okay, I’m a hundred percent terrified, but it’s still exciting.”
“It is. And I asked you to put that off for me today, so I wouldn’t panic about you. Sorry about that.”
She brought her hand up to his jaw. “No apology necessary. I tend to have tunnel vision when I have a goal in mind. In surgery, that’s a good thing. But I’m realizing in life, it’s maybe not. At least not all the time. There’s no rush. I can’t see patients until my equipment comes in. With everyone’s help, we got so much done before some idiot ruined things. It’ll get there. I think I might be learning how to relax.”
“I have many, many ideas on how to help you relax.” His cheesy grin and eyebrow waggle had her laughing again.
She gave him a loud, smacking kiss and grinned. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being the one to walk into my OR that day, for helping me realize I’m still a whole person, and for supporting me in doing something so far outside my comfort zone. I’d have never done any of this alone.”
Joe’s face softened and he leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead. “You would have found your way, Lia. You’re one of the strongest people I know.” Then he leaned back enough to see her face. His eyes were serious. “I need to tell you, Lia. I—”
Flynn burst out of the lodge. “There’s a fire at Doc’s and the saloon. Let’s go.”
Fire?
Lia’s heart jumped and her brain went from falling in love to absolute panic.
Joe was already moving, tugging her out of the chair and into the lodge to grab keys and to stow her laptop.
And then they were running for the trail.
Chapter 14
Smoking Gun
Joe paced the area in the back of Doc’s and the saloon. With the building facing onto the street, the back wasn’t as visible to pedestrians and people going about their business.
The original saloon had been built on a side street with nothing behind it. Eventually another street had been built, but with a large enough stretch of land to make a good sized parking lot behind the building. Behind that was an empty lot and then a quiet street with some homes.
Easy access for assholes looking to cause problems. Like a fire set on the back stoop of Doc’s. Maybe not the brightest of attacks with Mitch’s new firehall being so close, but still an attack.
Lia and Marcus walked up and waited for Joe to reach them. He took Lia’s hand and tugged her close. “Any clues?”
Marcus shook his head. “Not yet. Looks like someone took some of the old lumber scraps and set them by the back door. Bella said the person used gasoline as an accelerant.”
Easy to find, easy to use.
