Daniel Read online

  “Mom never should have asked him,” Corrine said. She tilted her head and studied my face for a second. “He did that on purpose, didn’t he?”

  “Smart cookie,” I said, pointing my fork at her before reaching over and taking a chunk of her cake. “Why do you think Harlow didn’t have to go with you?”

  “Those two.” Corrine rolled her eyes. “I swear, if they weren’t related, they’d have run off and eloped by now.”

  “I bet he says the same thing about us.” I laughed. “We’re a close knit bunch. Todd and Sascha have always been really close, too.”

  “Do you think Kyle and Annie sneak off and have play dates?” she teased. “Like the four of you and the four of us each paired off, we just don’t know about them?”

  “I don’t know. Annie and Vivien are really close, and he avoids Viv like she’s a pox.” I shrugged. “You know how Kyle is.”

  “Yeah,” Corrine agreed, smiling mischievously. “But I know how Vivien is, too. He’s not going to be able to avoid her forever.”

  Kyle and Vivien Bennett were practically an inside joke in the Montgomery clan. She’d been goo-goo eyed over him since she moved here at fourteen years old. It was just a cute one-sided crush…until she’d graduated high school and he finally noticed her, too.

  Now, they danced around each other. Her flirting shamelessly and him barely able to make eye contact with her. He thought their age difference was too big a barrier to overcome, and we all thought he was going to die a virgin.

  “Speaking of guys too dumb to know what they have,” Corrine teased. “How’s Abby?”

  “Mind your own business,” I said, forking another piece of her cake.

  “Get your own piece,” she complained. “Hey, after dinner can we go out to the ranch?”

  “Why?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at her abrupt change of topic.

  “Because it’s my birthday and I want to see Jessup.”

  Jessup was our Uncle Bobby’s prize mare, and Corrine had been obsessed with that horse since high school.

  “I suppose,” I agreed with a fake sigh. “It’s my birthday, too, you know?”

  “I know, you can saddle her up for me.” She beamed at me and I smiled back. I was wrapped around her finger, just like half the other men in town, and she knew it, too.

  ****

  “Surprise!”

  I glared at Corrine as she laughed, taking my wrist in her hand and dragging me inside the barn full of our family and friends.

  “I can’t believe you pulled this off,” I said to her, rolling my eyes. “You are the worst secret keeper on the planet.”

  “Obviously not!” she chirped happily. “Were you really surprised?”

  “Honestly stunned,” I promised.

  The inside of the barn had been decorated with Christmas lights and balloons, music started up as soon the surprise had gone off, and there were people everywhere.

  “Happy birthday brother!” David said, hugging me and slapping my back a few times.

  “Thank you,” I said. I looked around. “Did you do this?”

  “Nah, I’m shit at stuff like this.” He shrugged. “Some of the ladies put their heads together and got it done.”

  I looked around, searching for a specific lady, but I didn’t see her anywhere.

  “Abby had to work tonight,” David said softly. “But she was one of the organizers.”

  “Daniel!” Todd and Kyle rushed me, hugging me between them.

  “Let the poor man breathe,” my mom chastised, pushing them both away and pulling me into a hug. “Happy birthday, Daniel.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Where’s Dad?”

  “He’s covering the phones at Rescue,” Mom said, shaking her head. “Retirement isn’t suiting him well. I’m about to send him back to work with you all.”

  “No, thank you.” I shook my head. “Last time he came back, he rearranged everything and him and Kyle fought so often about who was driving the cruiser, that David became their chauffer.” I laughed. “Dad can keep his ass at home with you.”

  “Spoil sport,” she teased. “Do you want—”

  Her words were cut off of a massive explosion. The sound was deafening and it took a minute for anyone to realize what had happened. Once I smelled the smoke, the fire began to register and en masse, everyone jumped into action.

  Todd, Kyle, David and I rushed toward the back of the barn, into the fire, dragging people out and trusting the others to get them to safety. The entire back wall was gone and the fire was growing quickly, eating up the hay bales stacked to the ceiling along the walls.

  “Corrine!” David screamed, running back into the flames while I stood with my heart in my throat until he reappeared, carrying the unconscious body of our cousin.

  “Get her in my truck!” I screamed, pushing a path through the crowd and bursting out the doors, opening the passenger side before jumping the hood and getting behind the wheel.

  He strapped her in, slammed the door, and I took off at full speed. The entire left side of her body was black, clothes burned away, and her head lolled to the side as I bounced over back county roads toward the hospital.

  Reaching over and placing my fingers to her throat, I swallowed back a sob at the feel of a steady heartbeat. She’d probably passed out from the pain, which would be a blessing for her for now. Nothing hurts like a burn, and she’d been lit up badly.

  When I got my hands on this fire bug, I might end up in prison for murder.

  Chapter Four

  ~Abby~

  “Priority two!” A voice yelled over the E.R. loudspeaker. “Category two, burn victim coming in. Civilian truck incoming, t-minus two minutes.”

  The trauma staff ran toward the E.R. loading dock while the surgical staff began to ready a room. My heart was pounding in my chest at the thought that there had been another fire. Another victim.

  Daniel’s truck screeched to a halt in front of us and I had to blink back tears at the sight of Corrine Montgomery’s body being lifted gently out of the passenger side and laid on a gurney.

  “I’ve got to get back,” Daniel said urgently. “Her parents are probably two minutes behind me.”

  I looked to Daniel for a moment, trying to convey that I loved him, that I was sorry, that I would fix it if I could. He gave me a half smile, which was enough for me to know he got it, then I ran off after Corrine, determined to keep that silent promise.

  The doctor shouted orders and we complied. Wet blankets, tools, bandages, medications. In the E.R. it was easy to compartmentalize. Corrine wasn’t family right now. She was a patient that needed our help, and we were going to do everything we could for her.

  Two hours later, she was stabilized and in a medicated sleep. The pain would be at it’s worst for the first few days, and with the extent of her burns, it was better to keep her sedated through it.

  “Daniel’s back in the waiting room,” Katy, one of our other trauma nurses, whispered to me. “There’s actually quite a few Montgomerys out there right now.”

  “I’d heard they brought more victims in,” I said, nodding. “Do you know if…” I couldn’t finish the sentence.

  “Corrine was the worst of it,” Katy laid a hand on my arm. “Go see the family. Doc said you could let them know about her status.”

  I washed my face and changed my scrubs in the locker room before heading out to the waiting room. Katy hadn’t been kidding, the room was full of Montgomery’s.

  Daniel stood and walked over to me, taking my hands in his and looking into my eyes, as if searching for silent news about his cousin.

  “She’s okay,” I whispered.

  He visibly sagged with relief, then pulled me over to the rest of the family.

  “Corrine is going to be fine,” I told them, tearing up as they all hugged and cried and sighed together. “She’ll have some scarring, mostly down her left side. It’s pretty bad around the shoulder, so she’ll have physical therapy to deal with. But you got to her in time.”


  I watched Todd slap David hard on the back and smiled.

  “She’s sedated.” I turned to Debbie and Thom, her parents, who were sitting with Corrine’s sisters. “You two can be with her if you want. But we want to limit the number of people who are with her. She’s in a clean room, because we can’t cover the burns yet. They’ll heal rapidly over the next twenty-four hours, and we don’t want bandages sticking.”

  “How long will you keep her sedated?” Debbie asked, already getting to her feet.

  “A few days,” I admitted. “Burns are incredibly painful. And the extent of Corrine’s are bad. It’s best to keep her unconscious for a while. Doctor Greengrass is the lead on her case, and he’ll be available to you twenty-four hours.” I stepped forward, letting go of Daniel’s hand so I could hand Debbie the doctor’s card. “His cell is on the back. If he’s not in the hospital, he can be back in ten minutes if you need him.”

  “Thank you, Abby.” Debbie hugged me first, then Thom drew me into his chest for a moment. I had to blink back tears at their gratitude.

  “Thank Dr. Greengrass,” I corrected them. “Katy will take you back to Corrine whenever you’re ready.”

  I turned to the rest of the group. “I’ve been assured everyone else involved is okay. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want, but I really do suggest you all get some sleep. You’ve had a pretty traumatic night, and I’d rather not bog down the E.R. staff with your stubborn asses when you all collapse from exhaustion.”

  Debbie and Thom went straight for Katy, who had been leaning against the intake desk waiting for them. Corrine’s sisters stayed where they were, which didn’t surprise me in the least. But the majority of the Montgomerys stood and dispersed.

  When the crowd cleared, I saw that Todd and his fiancée Sarra were sitting with Corrine’s sisters. David and Kyle were whispering to each other a few rows over. And Daniel was standing right where I’d left him when I’d been talking to Corrine’s parents.

  I walked back over to him and took his hand again.

  “You okay?” I asked softly.

  “What time do you get off tonight?” he asked, rubbing his finger over the back of my hand.

  “Not for another hour,” I admitted. “But it’s quieted down, I could see if I could go.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “You should stay. I’m fine. Honest.”

  I reached up and touched his cheek.

  “You don’t always have to be so strong,” I promised him. “It’s been a hard night for all of us.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “The nights are getting harder and harder, aren’t they?” He pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “I’m gonna drag David and Kyle back to the office for a while. I’ll see you.”

  He walked away and I watched him gather the guys. Todd joined them and they all walked out together.

  “Hey ladies,” I said, walking over to Sarra, Sascha, Annie and Harlow. “Come on, I’ll put you in one of the family rooms and get you some food.”

  They followed me back and I got them settled. Sarra followed me back out, stopping me in the hallway.

  “Is she really going to be okay?” she asked softly.

  “She is,” I promised, smiling. “I learned a long time ago not to lie to the Montgomery’s. There’s really no need. They’re the toughest people I’ve ever met in my life.” I blew out a sigh. “The scarring will be bad though. I don’t know if they realize what that might do to Corrine.”

  “That’s what Todd said,” Sarra agreed, her tone sad. “That people don’t understand what burn scars can do to a person.”

  “He would know.” I bit my lip and looked down at the floor.

  Todd was the fire chief and had seen more than his fair share of fire injuries. We’d probably been fortunate, this far, that no one had been killed by this arsonist. But if they didn’t catch the person soon, I was terrified the injuries were going to get worse before it was over.

  “I’m going to get back to the girls,” Sarra said, laying a comforting hand on my arm. “You might want to check in on Daniel. Not that I guess I had to tell you that.” She rolled her eyes. “Sorry. It’s been a long night.”

  “Don’t worry,” I assured her. “I’m glad other people think about him as much as I do.”

  I knew that wasn’t exactly true. No one thought about Daniel as much as I thought about him. But knowing there were other people in town who worried about his well-being made my heart skip a beat with happiness.

  My last hour was spent making rounds and cleaning up. I clocked out, then stopped by to check on Corrine one more time. Debbie and Thom were in their special suits, sitting side by side with their gloved hands clasped next to Corrine’s bed.

  I couldn’t even imagine what they were going through. Daniel and I hadn’t even talked about kids before our divorce, and now I just knew they weren’t in the cards. Daniel was the only man I’d ever been with, and I was pretty sure I was still his only as well. I knew for sure that I’d never let another man touch me, so the odds of babies were not in my favor.

  Shaking my head, I headed for home. I needed a shower, a pizza and some sleep.

  Chapter Five

  ~Daniel~

  “I’m going to have to bring someone in,” Kyle said, his tone angry.

  We were sitting in the Rescue office, staring at the white board full of seemingly unconnected locations the fire bug had hit over the past few months. We had no suspects, so leads, and no fucking clue where the asshole might strike next.

  “What the hell do you think a Statie is going to find that we haven’t?” Todd complained, crossing his arms and glaring at his brother. “We aren’t inept, you know.”

  “I know that,” Kyle snarled. “But what the hell do you expect me to do? Corrine could have died. You almost died. Next time, it may not be almost.” He scrubbed his hand over his face and growled. “I can’t keep risking my family like this. We need fresh eyes, damnit.”

  “Okay, well arguing isn’t getting us anywhere,” David interjected. “Look, we shouldn’t even be here. It’s been a long night. We’re tired, we’re angry and we’re frustrated. Go home. All of you.” He looked pointedly at Dad who was still sitting in the corner, trying to be inconspicuous. “We’ll meet back up in the morning and run through everything again.”

  “Sounds good,” Dad said, getting to his feet and stretching. “See you boys at nine.”

  “We start at seven,” I said, putting a hand on his chest and stopping him from leaving. “And you are not in this.”

  “Young man, I ran this office for twenty years,” he said, puffing up.

  “And now you’re retired,” David said sternly. “Dad, we appreciate your help tonight. But you are not involved in this. We don’t want you involved in this.”

  “I’m not an old man,” Dad argued.

  “Didn’t say you were,” I clarified. “But our insurance doesn’t cover you.”

  “Speaking as someone who lost their dad to this place,” Kyle said softly. “Your boys are right. Go home. We’ve got this.”

  Dad clapped Kyle on the shoulder, then turned and nodded at Todd. He left and the minute the door closed behind him all four of us let out audible sighs of relief.

  “Your dad’s…something,” Todd said with a laugh.

  “It’s hard handing over the reins.” I shrugged. “I’m heading home. See you in the morning.”

  ****

  I stopped and picked up a pizza, then somehow my truck took me to Abby’s house instead of my own. I had just sat on her porch, when her headlights swept the front yard.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, though she sounded pleased to see me. Or maybe that happiness was directed to the box I held in my hand.

  “Just ended up here.” I shrugged as I followed her inside.

  “I need a shower,” she said, wrinkling her nose as she looked down at herself. “Give me ten minutes?”

  I nodded, taking the pizza to the kitche
n and getting plates and waters while she cleaned up. I sat at the table and sighed, looking around the house that used to be ours.

  We’d spent so many nights at this table. Talking, fighting…making up. I didn’t come over often anymore. Usually just swinging by to pick up any mail that had been misdirect, or to fix little things around the place for her. The house just held too many bad memories for me, and I avoided it when I could.

  Abby came back in the kitchen, wearing pajama shorts and a tank top and slid into the seat across from me.

  I flipped open the pizza box and we ate in silence for a while.

  “Not that I’m not happy to see you,” she said after a while. “But why are you here?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I was driving home from the office, but ended up here instead. I can go.”

  “No,” she said quickly, a blush creeping up her cheeks. “I mean, I’m glad you’re here. I was just wondering if you’re okay.”

  “I didn’t come here to avoid drinking,” I explained. “I’m fine. Just…I didn’t want to be alone.”

  “Corrine is going to be fine,” she promised, reaching across the table to take my hand.

  “How bad are the burns?” I asked.

  “Pretty bad up the left side of her torso,” she explained. “But nothing on her face. Her shoulder is a mess as well. She’s going to have some muscle damage to work through. But she’ll be okay.”

  I blew out a sigh of relief. My cousin was a beautiful girl, and to be honest a little vain. If she’d had scarring on her face, she would have been devastated.

  “Thank God David got to her so quickly.”

  “Daniel, what happened tonight?” Abby bit her lip and gazed at me with wide eyes.

  “We don’t know much,” I admitted. “Todd found Tannerite canisters behind the barn, and busted glass everywhere. Most likely, someone got themselves a rifle and a Molotov cocktail and blew the back wall from a distance.”

  “Jesus,” Abby hissed. “So, any asshole can walk into a sporting goods store and wreak havoc?”