Книга - Firestorm

Firestorm
Kelly Ann Riley


Caring for his traumatized son is widowed FBI agent Luke Tanner's number one priority. But when he becomes temporary fire chief in a small mountain town, a case sparks out of his control.Luke suspects the late former chief of arson and murder–until the man's daughter returns to Pine Lake. Kitty McGuire is determined to prove her father was framed. As they work together, Kitty connects with Luke's troubled family in a way that surprises Luke–and fills him with hope. Maybe they have a chance at happiness after all…until their investigation ignites a firestorm that could engulf them all.









Tanner’s steps slowed and then stopped on the narrow trail zigzagging up the hill.


He turned to face her. “Look, Miss McGuire, I’m sorry I can’t help you. I understand how hard this must be. I’m sorry for your loss, but for your sake, just go home and leave the investigating to the experts.”

“I—I can’t.” A knot rose in Kitty’s throat as she struggled to find her footing on the rocky incline. “What you said about me not being around lately for my dad is true. We had…problems, but he was a good man. He doesn’t deserve to be remembered for a crime he didn’t commit. Besides, this isn’t just about me not wanting his memory tarnished. There’s more at stake.”

Tanner waited, tall and still against a starlit sky.

She bit her lip. How much should she tell this stranger who might hold the key to clearing her father’s name?




KELLY ANN RILEY


couldn’t wait until she got into the first grade so she could learn to read. The introduction of Dick and Jane in those early readers started a love affair with books that has lasted her entire life. She started penning stories at an early age, and received special recognition for her short stories. Later, she became a reporter and the editor for her high school newspaper.

After earning a B.S. in clinical nutrition and an MBA, she worked for several years as a registered dietitian and director of nutritional services, but she never gave up her first love of writing. Before she was published, she was a finalist and placed in numerous writing contests, including winning Best Inspirational Romance in Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart competition.

Kelly Ann is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America and RWA’s Mystery/Suspense and Inspirational chapters. She now lives in Alabama, where she writes her novels and enjoys many adventures as a youth leader in her church, wife to an engineer and mother to two wonderful children. You can contact her through her Web site at www.KellyAnnRiley.com.




Firestorm

Kelly Ann Riley





www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

—1 Peter 1:7


This book is dedicated to Caroline Dunsheath, a true friend and writing companion, who never stopped believing in me. Thank you, Cee, for your cheerful willingness to read and critique anything of mine no matter how many times you’ve seen it before. I’m looking forward to many more writing adventures together.


Special thanks to my family, Rick, Ashlyn and Austin, for their love, support and understanding; my mother, Evonne Leiske, who shares my love of reading, and my father, Larry, who inspired me that with hard work I can succeed in whatever I do; Jacqui Wilson, Nancy Latham and all my writing buddies who make this career journey so special; Kelly Mortimer and Tina James for their encouragement and guidance.




CONTENTS


CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

LETTER TO READER

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION




ONE


The shattering glass broke the stillness of the moonlit forest, startling sleeping birds into flight and scattering grazing deer in the meadow below. As the last tinkling echo faded away, Kitty McGuire studied the hole she’d created in the back door of the mountain cabin.

Tree branches rustled. A twig snapped. Heart pounding, she whirled and pointed the flashlight beam into the woods. Nothing stirred. Then an owl lifted to the air, its wings silhouetted against the full moon. Kitty sighed as the bird soared toward California’s majestic Sierra Mountain range.

The air held a tang of fresh, clean snow from the highest of the Four Sisters’ rugged peaks standing like sentries over the little valley. Her father had loved the Sisters, claiming they brought him good luck. Instead, they’d overshadowed his death.

Kitty blinked back hot, angry tears as she punched out the last triangle of stubborn glass and turned the deadbolt. Her hand hesitated on the doorknob as she fought the urge to jump in her Jeep and race back to L.A. She hadn’t planned to return to Pine Lake two months after the funeral. Only a murder accusation against her father could’ve drawn her back to a place overflowing with aching memories.

Tomorrow she’d hunt down the sheriff and the new fire chief, Luke Tanner, to set the record straight. Her father had died as he’d lived—an honorable public servant—and no one could prove otherwise. Then she could be out of here forever.

With renewed determination, she stepped into the dark kitchen, a blanket of stale air engulfing her. She batted at the filmy web clinging to her forehead.

Spiders.

Kitty shivered and tucked her hair firmly under her baseball cap. Scanning the rafters for any looming creatures, she felt along the wall for the light switch and flipped it. Nothing happened. A fuse must’ve blown, a common occurrence in the cabin’s ancient wiring system.

She yanked open the drawer where her father had kept the spare fuses and stared in dismay at the jumbled pile. She tugged open the next drawer, and then the next. They were all in the same state of chaos. Her fingers sifted through the utensils, matches and other kitchen items. No fuses. Maybe there were extra in the utility box. Slammimg the drawers shut, she turned, and choked back a scream.

A large dog stood in the open doorway, a stream of moonlight gleaming off his fangs. The beast’s nails clicked on the vinyl floor as he stalked toward her. A low growl rumbled from its chest.

“Good dog. It—it’s okay. Stay!” she said hoarsely. The dog stilled, but the rumbling intensified. Kitty snagged a heavy copper canister of flour. If she threw it and distracted the dog, maybe she could dash outside and close the door.

Sweat trickled down her back. She inched along the counter. Almost there. Lifting the canister, she fumbled behind her for the doorknob, but instead of cold metal, her fingers brushed against something damp and warm.

“Got you!” a husky male voice said. His arm wrapped around her neck, slamming her back against him. The canister flew out of her hand, exploding against the rafters. Flour showered down on them. The dog barked. The man coughed, his chest heaving.

Holding her breath, Kitty wrenched free and darted out the door. She tore around the corner toward her Jeep, but the man tackled her and knocked her into a pile of pine needles.

He pinned her flat. “Freeze!”

She froze. His heart pounded against her spine. Even with her nose pressed into the pine needles, she smelled his male scent of sweat and musk.

“You’re not getting away this time,” he said.

She twisted frantically under him. Her nails raked his arms. He grabbed her hands and hauled them over her head, knocking off her cap. Hair spilled over her face.

The massive body stiffened. “Hey, you’re a woman.”

“No kidding.”

“You armed?”

“You’d know it if I were.” He shifted his weight, and she gasped. “Get off me. I can’t breathe.”

He rolled to the side with his fingers clamped on her wrist and pulled her onto her knees. She brushed the hair out of her eyes and glared at her captor. Clad in black jogging shorts and tank top, his damp skin gleamed in the moonlight. Dark eyes scrutinized her from a strong-featured face masked with flour.

“Jack, guard.” He released her arm as the dog sat, his glowing, canine gaze focused on her. “Don’t try anything dumb. The sheriff’s on his way. Just be thankful I’m the one who found you and not someone with a shotgun. People are getting mighty fed up with stealing around here.”

She sucked in the thin air, trying to catch her breath. “Wh-what are you talking about? Who are you?”

He glanced at the cabin and shook his head. “Returning to a crime scene is really stupid, you know?”

Stupid? Her mind seized on a few choice words to call him, but the sound of crunching gravel from the driveway heralded the sheriff’s car. Kitty stifled a groan. She and Stan Johnson shared a tumultuous history, and their relationship wasn’t going to improve when he found out why she’d come back. She watched with growing apprehension as he squeezed his rotund frame out of the car door.

“Arrest this man, Sheriff. He attacked me,” she called out. Sheriff Johnson strode toward them in heavy boots, his fingers tapping his gun holster.

“Trouble here, Tanner?”

Kitty’s mouth dropped open. Luke Tanner? Of all the lousy coincidences. No wonder he hadn’t identified himself.

“I found her ransacking the kitchen again.” Tanner stretched his long body upward.

“Again? He’s crazy.” Kitty scrambled to her feet, ignoring the dog’s warning growl. “I just got here tonight and was only looking for a fuse.”

The sheriff’s cool gaze flickered over her and Tanner. “What’s that white stuff all over you?”

“Flour,” Kitty replied with a lift of her chin, glad more of the fine powder covered Tanner than herself.

Johnson’s thin gray mustache twitched. “Breaking and entering is a serious charge, Miss McGuire. You should know that.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring the implied reference to her past sins. “Give me a break. Since when is it a crime to break into your own place?”

The sheriff’s jaw tightened as he rubbed his evening shadow. “Yeah, well, things have changed around here. This property reverted to the town.”

“What?” Kitty’s voice rose an octave.

Johnson shrugged. “Something to do with funds your father borrowed on behalf of the fire department. Didn’t Pete let you know?”

“No, Pete didn’t let me know!” She hadn’t seen or heard from Pete Roth, her father’s lawyer, since the funeral when he’d informed her Sam had left everything to her. “Okay, maybe Pete tried to contact me, and I never got the message. I’ve been really busy. This whole situation is absurd. I’ll call him right now.”

“Can’t. Pete left with the missus on a Caribbean cruise. Won’t be back for a month.”

“How convenient for the town council,” Kitty said, hands on her hips. “No one around here to argue. They just take what they want. Well, they won’t get away with this.”

The sheriff stared at her without blinking and then slid his attention to Tanner. “I’ll run her down to the station. You want to come in and press charges or wait till morning?”

Charges? Her stomach constricted as she glanced at the shiny handcuffs dangling from the sheriff’s belt.

Tanner shook his head. “Wait a second, let me get this straight. This is Sam McGuire’s daughter, Katherine? The firefighter who lives in Los Angeles?”

“Oh, don’t tell me you didn’t know.” Kitty pointed her finger at Tanner. “And nobody except my mother ever called me Katherine. It’s Kitty. Got it?”

A muscle in Tanner’s cheek tightened as she continued, “I don’t know what scam the town council is trying to pull, but the cabin is mine. I have a key. Something’s wrong with the lock, which is why I broke the back window. The lights wouldn’t come on, so I searched the drawers for a fuse.”

Both men stood, silent. Kitty gritted her teeth to keep from saying more that might get her into further trouble.

“Miss McGuire,” Tanner said. “I can assure you, I didn’t know your identity. The cabin’s been vacant since the funeral. I understand before that, you hadn’t visited for years, which brings up the question—why are you here?”

Johnson’s eyes widened. “Yeah, why now?”

“You know why….” From their blank expressions, they didn’t have a clue. How strange. She looked from one man to the other. What was going on here? “Someone called me last night and said you two had turned up evidence that my father set the Wildcat Ravine Fire, which is totally ridicul—”

“Whoa.” Tanner held up his hand. “Who called you?”

She scowled at his rudeness. “He didn’t say—and before you ask, no, I didn’t recognize the voice.”

The sheriff glanced at Tanner and nodded toward the car. “Wait here,” Johnson said to Kitty as they traipsed away. She wanted to scream. They treated her as if she was a pesky mosquito buzzing around their heads, something to shoo away or, if she got too close, squash. Were they nuts? They’d accused her father of murder. Of course she’d be here. Of course she’d be involved.

She took an experimental step toward the house. The dog, which she could now identify as a black-and-tan German shepherd, rose, the rumble back in his chest.

“Okay, okay, settle down.” Kitty leaned against a tree, frustration vibrating through her. What a waste of time. She only had six vacation days left from the Los Angeles Fire Department and couldn’t afford unpaid leave after inheriting some of Dad’s bills.

The two men conferred for what seemed a year, and then the car’s engine roared to life. Her mouth dropped open as the sheriff drove away. Who would’ve guessed? She wasn’t going to jail after all.

Tanner reappeared from the shadows. “I apologize for the misunderstanding, Miss McGuire.” He snapped his fingers. The growling ceased, and the dog sprang to Luke’s side.

“A misunderstanding?” Kitty sputtered, following them around the corner of the house. “That’s the understatement of the year. Tell me something, Tanner, where in your job description does it say a fire chief is supposed to be out patrolling for burglars, or in this case, jumping defenseless females?”

Tanner paused at the fuse box, then the kitchen flooded with light. “I’m a neighbor. I was out for a run, minding my own business, until you decided to wake the whole forest by smashing a window. File a complaint against me if you wish, but the fact is, you still broke into town property.” His gaze sifted over her, making her skin prickle. “And I wouldn’t call you defenseless either. You managed to get your claws into me, but I guess I can’t blame you for defending yourself.”

He flipped on the porch light and brushed back his black hair, sending up a puff of white before he entered the cabin. “Be careful,” he warned. Glass popped under his shoes. “Jack, stay.”

She stepped cautiously around the dog that had halted in the doorway. The narrow, outdated kitchen looked even worse in the dingy light. Flour coated the countertops and floor like a fine snow. “What’d you mean when you talked about me returning to the scene of the crime? What happened?”

Tanner brushed his hand along the counter, and flour cascaded to the floor like a waterfall. “Someone broke in here yesterday. Third burglary in town this week. Jimmied the back door open, but at least there wasn’t any major damage. Just a few drawers tossed around. I live up the hill, so the town council hired me to oversee this place. I put in deadbolts this afternoon. You may want to check to see if anything’s missing.”

Kitty nodded as the hairs on her arms stood up at the thought of a stranger pawing through her father’s things.

“I filed a report. You would’ve been contacted soon.” Tanner’s military-straight posture exuded self-confidence, even streaked with flour. Kitty’s insides relaxed some. Maybe he wasn’t as incompetent as she first thought. Maybe she could reason with him.

He glanced around the kitchen. “Broom?”

“There used to be one in here.” She opened the closet door and handed it to him. He swept the flour into piles as Kitty scooped up glass fragments with the dustpan.

“Why didn’t the sheriff take me in?” she asked. “Johnson loved to make my life miserable when I was a kid.”

“Since the property is in legal limbo and no real harm occurred, we’ll forget about the incident if you do. I’ll get the window fixed tomorrow, and you can retrieve any personal things you want to take before I lock up. I can ship the rest to you later.”

Kitty bolted upward, dropping the dustpan. “It’s two in the morning. Where am I supposed to sleep? The hotel burned down. Even if I decided to go, I’m not driving seven hours back to L.A. tonight. Besides, I can’t leave until this stupid accusation about my father is cleared up, and I get my cabin back from those thieves on the council.”

Tanner stopped sweeping and scrutinized her. “I suppose there isn’t any harm in you staying here until morning.”

“You’re not listening,” Kitty said with a steely edge to her words. “I’m not leaving Pine Lake until my father is off the suspect list. He’s not an arsonist any more than you are.”

“I’m sorry, but the evidence suggests differently.” The bristles from his broom hit the linoleum with such force, clouds encircled her boots.

“What evidence? I have a right to know!”

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Miss McGuire, go back to L.A. and let us do our jobs.”

“Not when you aren’t doing your job right!” Her frustration boiled over. Tanner eyes narrowed as he towered over her. She fought the compulsion to retreat and lifted her chin to glare at him.

Tanner sighed. “Look, I know it’s difficult, but this isn’t just about your father. Two other people died too. I can’t compromise the case.”

“I already know some of the details. The two construction workers were trapped in the hotel when the firestorm hit, but my dad was miles away and already…gone.” She took several deep breaths, fighting the mental image of her father’s battered body lying at the bottom of Wildcat Falls. “He had nothing to do with it.”

“Even if he was at the fire’s origin before the fire started?”

Kitty gasped. “How do know you that? Everyone just assumed he saw the smoke and went to investigate.”

Tanner turned his back to her. “I’ve said too much already. The details will be available when the investigation is concluded.”

Kitty bit her lip to keep from screaming. “I can’t believe this. He was the fire chief for fifteen years and an honorable man. You of all people should understand what he stood for. He protected this town.”

Tanner spun toward her, a raw emotion resembling anger or maybe pain flicked across his features before the professional mask settled again. “Just because someone wears a badge doesn’t mean they always uphold the vows that go with it,” he said in a low, controlled tone. “If your father was involved, as we suspect, then his being the fire chief for fifteen years doesn’t matter.”

“I’m going to prove you wrong.”

Tanner snorted. “How? Word has it you haven’t been in Pine Lake for more than three years, except for the funeral. What’s motivating you, Miss McGuire? Remorse? Guilt over neglecting your family?”

Kitty’s cheeks flamed. “I don’t have to answer to you or the sheriff. My relationship with my father is none of your business.”

“You’re right. My business is to protect the people in this town. I don’t have time for this nonsense.” Tanner tossed the broom into the closet and the floor shook as he strode to the door. “I’ll nail plywood over the window before I go. There are scraps in the shed.”

“I can do it.”

“Fine. Just make sure you close and lock the door this time.”

“Yes, sir.” Kitty rolled her eyes. As if she’d forget after her encounter with Fangs tonight.

“If you have a cell phone, keep it handy in case there’s trouble. I’ll be back in the morning to fix the window and help you move out.” He issued a command to the dog, and they disappeared into the night.

Kitty ran to the door. As much as she despised the idea, she needed his cooperation. “Tanner,” she called, racing across the moonlit clearing and into the dark woods behind him.

“Wait. I apologize for making you angry.” She gasped, her lungs burning. “And I’m sorry I scratched you, even if it wasn’t exactly my fault. Please wait.”

His steps slowed and then stopped on the narrow trail zigzagging up the hill. He turned to face her. “Look, Miss McGuire, I’m sorry I can’t help you. I understand how hard this must be. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions about you and your father. I’m sorry for your loss, but for your sake, just go home and leave the investigating to the experts.”

“I—I can’t.” A knot rose in her throat as she struggled to find her footing on the rocky incline. “What you said about me not being around lately for my dad is true. We had … problems, but he was a good man. He doesn’t deserve to be remembered for a crime he didn’t commit. Besides, this isn’t just about me not wanting his memory tarnished. There’s more at stake.”

Tanner waited, tall and still against a starlit sky.

She bit her lip. How much should she tell this stranger who might hold the key to clearing her father’s name? People twisted the truth for their own means all the time. She should be cautious until she got all the facts. But when she opened her mouth, the words gushed out like the thaw cascading over Wildcat Falls.

“My grandmother is in a nursing home and the only family I have left in the world. Nana is fragile and Dad’s death threw her into a deep depression. I—I thought I’d lose her too.” She swallowed hard. “As the fire chief, he was a hero in her eyes. Her belief that he went up on that mountain trying to save lives and died honorably in the line of duty gave her comfort. Now you’re claiming he committed arson. Maybe even murder. The shock will kill Nana if she hears that.”

“I’m sorry, but the facts—”

“He didn’t set that fire. I know he didn’t. I feel it in here.” She thumped a fist over her chest as she moved closer to him. “Let me prove it. I’ve taken classes in arson investigation and might provide some insight, unofficially of course. Plus, I grew up here and know this valley like the back of my hand. And despite what the sheriff may have told you about my absence, I still know more about my dad’s habits, his friends and activities than anyone else. I can be very useful to you.”

Her heart thudded in her ears as she stared into his eyes, willing him to believe her. His granite expression softened and he sighed, his breath tickling her lips. She became aware of how close they stood. She stepped away and her boot slipped on the trail’s sheer edge. Arms flailing, she pitched backward.

“Watch it!” Tanner grabbed her shirt and yanked hard. She slammed against him, her lungs letting out a whoosh of air. Stunned, she didn’t move in his embrace. The world stilled as heat radiated off his skin. Chilled with expended adrenaline, she longed to stay enveloped in his sturdy warmth. For a brief moment, she envisioned what it would be like to have someone’s strong arms around her like this, assuring her she wasn’t so alone in the world. Uneasiness rolled over her. She didn’t want to need anyone. After Jordan left, she’d promised herself never to be so vulnerable again.

“You can let go now,” she said, her voice muffled in his shirt, but he didn’t loosen his hold until she stood firmly in the middle of the path.

“Watch your step. I’m not really in the mood to fill out medical paperwork tonight.”

“I’m fine—thank you. Sorry about that…” She stepped farther away, embarrassment heating her cheeks.

She glanced at Tanner. He watched her with an amused tilt to his mouth. “Come by the station in the morning, and we’ll discuss your father’s case. There are questions you may be able to answer.” He turned and resumed his hike up the hill.

“Thanks, Tanner. You won’t regret it.” Her voice bounced off the massive boulders on the hill. His tall profile melted into the shadows as she rubbed her arms in the brisk air. Her heart still thudded painfully, but something told her it wasn’t just from the altitude. This tiny bubble of attraction to the man could be a problem. She should hate his guts for destroying her father’s reputation and memory.

The moonlight shone bright enough she found her way easily down the trail back to the cabin. Heeding Tanner’s advice, she found a plywood plank and nailed it over the broken window. She’d never been afraid to be alone in the cabin before, but tonight the shadows and quiet seemed ominous. After checking all the locks, she wandered into the living room and sank onto the sofa, too weary to attempt a shower. A cricket sang within the ancient log walls. Was it welcoming her home or warning her away?

She leaned back and studied her parents’ portrait over the fireplace. She’d never understood why her father kept the painting after the divorce. But then, she’d never understood a lot of things about Sam McGuire. Like what he’d been doing at Wildcat Ravine before the fire started.

She blinked rapidly as a fresh wave of grief engulfed her. She wasn’t going to cry. Tears didn’t do any good. She needed to concentrate on the case so she could leave the harsh memories behind and return to her real life. Not only would she run out of vacation pay, but she’d lined up job interviews for a position in arson investigation. A breakthrough here might help her chances to move up in rank.

A scratching noise drew her attention to the hole in the corner where her dad had designed a makeshift pet door to the crawl space under the cabin.

“Max?”

A soft meow answered, and the pet door flap lifted, revealing yellow eyes. The cat sprang through the opening and scampered to the couch. Kitty buried her face into the purring white fur. “I’ve missed you.”

The cat’s rough tongue swiped Kitty’s chin. Oh, how she’d wanted to take Max to the city with her after the funeral, but she knew he’d be miserable in a tiny apartment. Max was born a mountain cat and enjoyed roaming the woods. Thankfully, her neighbor Mrs. Oakley lived across the meadow and graciously offered to adopt Max and keep him fed. Apparently, he still liked to visit his old home.

Kitty pulled one of Nana’s knitted afghans over her legs. Max circled in her lap and settled into a vibrating tubby lump. Kitty rested her head on the cushion, but sleep evaded her as troubled thoughts swirled in her mind.

Her reaction toward Tanner disturbed her. Unfortunately, he hadn’t fit the profile of the inept dolt she’d imagined on the long drive up here. This man wouldn’t be easily swayed. His eyes held an unusual intensity and worldly intelligence that intrigued her but also warned her to be cautious. She couldn’t let a physical reaction cloud her judgment. She’d use him just like he’d use her to get the job done. Past experience had taught her well. Rule your life with your brain, not your heart. It was safer that way.



It was a mistake, Luke Tanner told himself for the tenth time as he charged up the steep, rocky hill. No doubt about it, he was slipping. How else could he have let the McGuire woman and her sick grandmother get under his skin so easily?

Three months retired from the Bureau and he’d already lost his objectivity. His research revealed Sam McGuire’s mother still lived in a nursing home, but Kitty, despite her innocent-looking blue eyes, could be lying through her pretty, pink lips. Her eighty-four-year-old grandmother might be senile and not even know McGuire had died. He’d been fooled before, and the process nearly cost him everything he loved.

He sprinted for the steps to his porch and leaned over, his hands on his knees. Living at seven thousand feet above sea level had some disadvantages—like less oxygen. If he hadn’t spent so much time in the Sacramento office the last couple months wrapping up loose ends, maybe he’d be acclimated by now. Jack panted beside him. Luke rubbed the dog’s soft ears. “Come on, let’s check on Michael.”

The dog raced ahead as Luke deactivated the alarm and climbed the stairs to the attic bedroom. The glow from the night-light illuminated the peaceful expression on Michael’s face, so unlike the surly one dominating it most days. Jack sniffed the boy from head to foot, and then lay on the rug, apparently satisfied no harm had come to his young charge.

Luke untangled the quilt from around the lanky ten-year-old body, gently tucking the ends under. “Thank you, God,” he whispered, awe in his voice. Even now, six months after the kidnapping, he found it difficult to believe he had Michael back safe and sound. Well, maybe not sound yet, but in time.

Luke smoothed a wisp of copper-colored hair off the boy’s forehead and then stepped toward the intercom that connected to downstairs and his father’s bedroom. “Dad? I’m back. Any problems?”

“Heard you come in.” His father’s gruff voice erupted from the small, black box on the wall. “Not a peep out of the kid.”

“Thanks for staying up. I didn’t mean to be gone so long.” He flexed his stiffening shoulders. What a night.

“No problem. With this contraption, I can hear a mouse tiptoe across a pile of pillows. It’s been a quiet evening, just what I needed to finish up this book on the John Muir Trail.”

“You thinking of taking a hike?”

James Tanner chuckled. “No, just wishful thinking. You know my old knees wouldn’t last five miles. You, though, work too hard and ought to take a vacation. Take my grandson camping like we used to do. Spend more time with him. A group from the church goes once a month in the summer.”

“I know. I’ll check it out soon.” Luke’s neck muscles knotted tighter. Finding the time for getting active in the church was another reason to get this case wrapped up fast.

“I’d lend you the book, but I need to return it to the library tomorrow.”

Luke smiled. He had a sneaking suspicion his father liked Miss Grant, the town’s kind, silver-haired librarian. When he wasn’t fulfilling his pastor duties at the community church or spending time with Michael, Dad hung around the library. Luke had mixed feelings about this possible romantic development. Logically, he wished his father happiness, but the thought of anyone taking his mother’s place twisted his gut.

First Mom, then Miranda. Too much heartache in the last three years. He didn’t know how he could’ve gone on if he’d lost Michael too.

“Night, Dad.” Luke switched off the intercom. He gestured to the German Shepherd.

“Come.”

The dog followed him down to the kitchen where Luke scooped out dry dog food. Jack stared at the bowl until Luke remembered to give the command to eat, a safety precaution to prevent poisoning. His father had thought Luke overly cautious by purchasing the specially trained dog for Michael’s protection, but having Jack gave Luke more peace of mind. And Lord, you know I need more peace.

Still too keyed up for bed, he trudged onto the long deck that hugged the length of the house. The crisp, mountain air soothed his hot skin. He leaned on the redwood railing and gazed down at the quiet town huddled next to the lakeshore. Pine Lake boasted clean air, good schools, small-town values and even an active church congregation.

After the horror of their last year in Chicago, the secluded valley seemed like the perfect place for Luke and Michael to start a new life. Luke hoped that with love and his grandfather’s spiritual guidance, Michael’s troubled spirit would heal, and the child could learn to trust again.

Jack trotted to the railing and whined. “I know, boy, you feel it too. Things aren’t right.” Luke moved to where he could see the McGuire cabin. Despite the tranquil setting, something sinister brewed in Pine Lake, and he couldn’t shake the feeling Kitty McGuire had bulldozed her way into the middle of the mess surrounding her father. How deeply she was involved, he didn’t know. Someone wanted her to come back. But why?

“Jack, go inside,” Luke said, releasing the dog to his post. Except during school hours and an occasional night run, Jack stuck close to Michael.

Luke moved indoors and caught a whiff of the McGuire woman’s light flowery scent on his arms. Her courage and determined loyalty to her father stirred something inside him. A longing he thought he’d buried with his wife. A longing he didn’t dare indulge in. Not now. Maybe never again.

Luke sighed and locked up the house. As usual, his timing stank. Who would’ve guessed after he’d turned in his badge and moved to Pine Lake, he’d be fighting crime again? When Sheriff Johnson, the only person in Pine Lake other than family who knew Luke was ex-FBI, asked him to temporarily assume the fire chief position to assist in the arson investigation, he couldn’t refuse. If the town wasn’t safe, then neither was Michael. Protecting his son consumed his whole life now.

He headed to the shower. The steamy water washed the intriguing woman’s scent away, but an edgy feeling lingered as he toweled off and crawled between the cool sheets. Exhausted, he tried to sleep, but Kitty’s parting words, “You won’t regret it,” kept echoing through his mind.

Luke groaned, rolled over and punched the pillow flat.

Regret it?

He already did.




TWO


“Land sakes, it’s Kitty McGuire,” a voice boomed over the din of the Monday breakfast crowd at Sarah’s Café. “Come give me a hug, child!”

Kitty stood in the doorway and grinned at Sarah Moore maneuvering through the sea of tables. Despite living in an outdoor sports-oriented town in the rugged California Sierra Mountains, the proprietor of the lakeside restaurant consistently wore fashionable business suits and matching designer pumps.

“It’s great to see you.” Kitty hugged the petite, middle-aged woman and breathed in the familiar spicy scent of Sarah’s perfume mixed with citrus from the oranges she squeezed every morning. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Well, you wouldn’t know it on my end.” Sarah propelled Kitty toward the table by the front window overlooking Main Street and the lake. “Not an e-mail or phone call in months.” Her smile took the edge off the scolding.

“I’m sorry. I meant to call, but I’ve been so busy with work and classes. I finally made it into the arson investigation program.”

“Great news. Your pa would’ve been proud.”

If only that were true. She couldn’t remember the last time Sam McGuire noticed or approved of anything she’d done.

Snagging a coffee pot, Sarah said, “Anyway, never mind my fussing. I know you have your own life. This town isn’t exciting enough for most young people, unless you’re a wilderness enthusiast or ski bum. So, how long are you visiting?”

“A couple days. I have some details to wrap up concerning Dad’s affairs,” Kitty answered, not wanting to discuss her father in such close proximity to so many other ears. She hesitated by the wooden chair her father had claimed every morning during his nineteen years in Pine Lake. She could almost see him sitting there in his worn blue uniform, pager by his plate, drinking coffee while debating local issues with Sarah’s husband, Daniel.

“Are you all right, dear? You’re so pale.”

Kitty’s throat tightened. “It seems so strange not having him here.”

“How thoughtless of me,” Sarah said, her hand pressed over her heart. “Would you like to sit somewhere else?”

“No, no, this is good. I want to sit here.” Kitty eased in the chair. The sooner she learned to deal with the situation calmly and systematically as a professional investigator, the sooner she’d solve this case and leave this town. Permanently.

Sarah poured steaming, fragrant coffee into two mugs and joined Kitty at the table. The older woman sighed and smoothed back a frosted wisp of hair that had escaped her French braid. “Do you know how sorry I am that I wasn’t here for your father’s funeral?”

Kitty’s eyes stung. “Oh, Sarah, please don’t apologize. I got your message and card. You needed to be with your poor sister. Is she any better?”

“Not really, but she’s still able to enjoy the Florida sunshine. That’s something, anyway. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Just tired. I got in after midnight,” Kitty said, almost adding, “and wrestled with the new fire chief,” but preferred to try to wipe the disturbing image from her mind.

“Poor dear, you must be exhausted, and you have to stay in that filthy cabin all alone. Daniel’s been keeping an eye on the cabin for you, but it must be dusty and full of spiders. Why don’t you come stay in my guest room?”

“Thanks, Sarah, but I’m fine in the cabin.”

“Then I’ll send Daniel over with a mop and dust rags. In fact, I’ll go with him to make sure the job’s done properly. It’s the least we can do for you under the circumstances. Clarence is perfectly capable of running things around here.” She nodded toward her part-time cook framed in the kitchen window. “I’ll call Daniel at the hardware store.”

Kitty grabbed Sarah’s hand before she could summon her husband. “Whoa, I appreciate you wanting to help, but I’m not a kid anymore. I can take care of it myself.” She grinned at Sarah’s dubious expression as her gaze swept over Kitty’s faded jeans and blue T-shirt.

“Can you? You’re still way too skinny. I’m going to see that you eat a decent meal.” Before Kitty could protest, Sarah signaled to Clarence. He trundled across the floor and set a plate and a frosty glass of orange juice in front of her. After nodding a solemn hello, he retreated behind the counter.

Kitty smothered a groan as she eyed the mounds of steaming pancakes, scrambled eggs, and Sarah’s famous homemade turkey sausage. “Thank you, but I only stopped in for a quick cup of coffee and toast. I’m on my way to the fire station to pick up Dad’s personal things.”

“That can certainly wait until after breakfast.” She stood. “I’m pretty sure everything got packed up after the new chief took over, but Daniel’s on duty this afternoon. He’ll be glad to help you.”

“Oh, it’ll be okay. I don’t want to cause anyone extra work.” Except for maybe Luke Tanner and the sheriff. Obviously, they needed to start the investigation from scratch. She ran her fingertip around the rim of her coffee mug. Had Tanner sent someone over to fix the broken window yet? “Did you say Daniel has been looking after Dad’s place?”

“Of course, I told you he would when I called you after the funeral,” Sarah replied in an insulted tone.

“But—”

The sound of breaking dishes crashed through the café.

“Oh, that Clarence, now what’s he done?” Sarah said. “He can cook up a storm, but he has such butterfingers. I’d better go see what this will cost me. You eat and I’ll be right back.” She waited until Kitty picked up her fork before marching to the kitchen.

Kitty stabbed at the buckwheat pancakes and took a reluctant bite. The syrupy cake melted on her tongue and despite the knot still in her throat, it slid down, warm and smooth. She sighed and gazed through the lace-edged windows at the sunlight dancing on the deep blue of Pine Lake. She would’ve enjoyed the food and scenery more if her mind wasn’t whirling with disturbing questions.

If the town council had appointed Tanner in charge of the cabin, why did Sarah say Daniel was still looking after it? Didn’t they know the town had repossessed the property? Strange. Sarah hadn’t mentioned the break-ins at the cabin, or elsewhere either. The café was the town gossip hub, and few events escaped Sarah’s knowledge. Maybe she just didn’t want to scare her. Or maybe the council didn’t want anyone to know what they were up to.

The bell on the door jingled. Kitty nearly choked as Tanner entered. His gaze flicked around the crowd, then lingered on her before he strolled across the room and claimed a stool at the counter.

She swallowed her mouthful of eggs, annoyed that her heart thumped faster every time she looked at him. At least Tanner’s entrance affected others besides her. Men exchanged glances and women nearly drooled behind his back as he opened a copy of the local newspaper. Without a word, Sarah shoved a coffee mug in front of him.

Kitty tapped her foot impatiently on the wood floor. Did she dare join him? It’d probably just give him another opportunity to tell her to leave town. She didn’t want to blow her chance of getting into the fire station. Somewhere in there may be a clue as to why her father visited the ravine that fateful day. Maybe he saw something suspicious and decided to check out the area.

She slumped in her chair, drained after the Tanner-induced rush of adrenaline. It wasn’t fair. He certainly appeared fresh and well rested. Her entire body ached, and even though she’d shampooed her hair three times, she still wasn’t sure if she’d gotten out all the flour.

His thick, ebony hair didn’t show a speck of the chalky stuff that turned to paste when water hit it. Brushed back from his wide forehead, the shaggy, unruly waves tumbled down his neck almost to the broad shoulders that strained against the confines of his white T-shirt. The shirt, tucked neatly into black jeans, couldn’t hide the strength in his chest and arms.

Her eyes followed the line of his long legs down to the black boots crossed at the ankles. Nice boots, Kitty thought, tucking her own under the table. Her gaze lifted and collided with Tanner’s dark eyes. He flashed a grin and hoisted his mug in mock salute.

Heat curled in her stomach, and her face flushed. He obviously enjoyed her discomfort at being caught gawking at him. He took a gulp of coffee and raised his eyebrows as if daring her to do something about it.

She stood, ready to wipe the teasing smile off his face with a scathing remark, but her elbow bumped something on the wall. She turned and grabbed a swinging frame.

“Way to go, Kitcat.”

Kitty jumped at the use of her old nickname. Only one person ever called her that. She looked over her shoulder at compelling blue-gray eyes set in a tanned, boyishly attractive face fringed by silvery-blond hair. “Evan Stone, what on earth are you doing here?”

“Eating breakfast?”

Kitty grinned. “No kidding. I meant what are you doing in Pine Lake? Last I heard, you were on assignment in China.”

“Actually, Mongolia, and I left there a year ago.” Evan spun Sarah’s vacated chair around and straddled the seat with his lanky, khaki-clad legs. “So, what do you think?”

“Of Mongolia?”

“No, silly. The photo.”

“This is yours?” She sat and studied the breathtaking shot. Two bald eagles clinging together by their talons, tumbled through the brilliant blue sky above a jagged canyon wall. “What are they doing? Fighting?”

He cleared his throat. “Actually, they’re mating.”

“Yikes. They don’t fall to the ground, do they?”

“Nope. When it gets too risky, they break free of each other. You know, like most relationships.” Bitterness edged his tone, causing Kitty to glance up. He still smiled, but the wariness etching the corners of his eyes hadn’t existed in his younger, carefree days.

She concentrated on the photograph, critiquing it as Evan had taught her when they were kids and Evan was a budding photojournalist. “It’s an awesome shot, well framed, very powerful, but yet a vulnerable feeling comes through.” She raised her head. “When did you start photographing birds? All you ever talked about as a kid was how much you wanted to photograph war zones and other hot pockets in the world.”

“Got tired of living out of a duffel bag.” He shrugged. “Figured I’d try something different.” He tapped the glass on the frame. “I won the Piedmont Award with this one. You’re going to come by my place and see my portfolio, aren’t you? I’d tell you it’s spectacular, except you know how modest I am.”

Kitty laughed with him as she hung the picture back on the wall. She leaned forward on her elbows. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ve missed you.”

“Ditto, kid. I came through L.A. several times but never had time to hook up. I was traveling on location until after your dad’s funeral. Wish I could’ve been here. Don’t know why, but I liked the old grouch. What do you say to dinner tonight? We can catch up.”

The eager tone in his voice caught Kitty by surprise. Was Evan Stone flirting with her? They’d always been just friends, even if her teen-aged heart had yearned for more. What a disaster that relationship would’ve been. She’d learned the hard way how it felt to have her feelings shredded without his help.

“I’d like to visit, but I don’t know if I’ll have time. It all depends on how today goes. I need to get back to L.A.”

“What’s the rush? Your boyfriend waiting for you?” he asked. “Sarah told me about him…”

“Jordan?” She grimaced. “Look, I really don’t want to talk about him. He—”

“Sarah said you’re going to tie the knot.”

Kitty gaped at him. But then why should she expect the gossip to stop just because she’d moved hundreds of miles away. “That was over a year ago. He’s long gone.”

“What happened?”

“It’s boring. Let’s talk about something else.”

“You might as well tell me.” He leaned forward in the chair he still straddled and propped his elbows on the chair back, resting his chin on his hands. “I’m a journalist and I can’t help myself. I won’t stop pestering ’til you spill your guts.”

“Eww, isn’t it considered bad manners to talk about spilling guts in a restaurant?” She tried to joke, but Evan continued to stare owlishly at her. Tenacious as always.

She sighed. “Fine, if you must know. Irreconcilable differences. He wanted kids right away, a picket fence and a wife who wasn’t gone for days pursuing a risky career. He didn’t want to wait for me to go back to school, either.”

“Sounds like a real loser.”

“Told you it was boring. But he wasn’t all bad, or wrong, in fact. People need to be around to make a relationship work. Spend time together. You should know about that.”

“Which is why I stick to my policy of no serious commitments to any woman.”

Kitty rolled her eyes. “I can’t blame Jordan. Look where I came from. Maybe I’m not cut out for marriage. Maybe it’s in my genes. Dad was a workaholic who communicated with me less than my cat, and my mother took off and never looked back. Jordan gave me an ultimatum. Quit the department or quit the relationship. I quit him.”

“Sounds like you made the wise decision.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel better coming from Mr. Love ’Em And Leave ’Em. I can’t believe I’m talking to you about this.”

Evan grinned. “I am what I am. And since we’re both currently unattached, why don’t you accept my invitation to dinner? We can have some fun.”

At her hesitation, he crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. “Surely you still don’t hold the window incident against me.”

“What window?” Kitty asked startled, thinking of the glass she’d broken last night. He glanced at the wide picture window beside them. “Oh! Well, of course I do. It was your fault. You called me a city brat and pulled my pigtails. I only tried to defend myself.”

“Yeah, with a big stick.”

“The stick flew out of my hands by accident. You left me to face Sarah all alone.”

“It takes a smart man to know when to retreat.”

“Or a coward!”

“Now, that hurts. As I recall, I was the one in danger.” He laughed and squeezed her hand. “Ah, Kitcat, despite our shaky—or should I say shattering—beginning, we had good times, didn’t we?”

“Yes, we did.” Kitty sighed. Not many thirteen-year-old boys would’ve paid attention to a skinny, shy eleven-year-old tomboy. Maybe he tolerated her because she was gullible enough to believe the sun rose and set by his adventures, which, unfortunately, landed her in trouble more times than she could count. But no matter the reason for their friendship, she’d cherished every moment. Hanging with Evan had been exciting, and in the process, Kitty learned her way down every back alley and dusty trail in Pine Lake. The knowledge had come in handy numerous times when eluding the sheriff.

“How about this?” Evan asked, glancing at his watch. “Let’s shoot for dinner together sometime this week or whenever you’re free. Call me when you know what your plans are. Deal?”

What could it hurt? Time had patched her cracked heart and made her wiser. “Deal.”

“Great, and while you’re sampling my barbecued steak, I want an interview. If you haven’t heard, I own the Pine Lake Tribune.”

Kitty snorted. “You bought that gossip rag? Why?”

“What can I say? It needed me. Really needed me,” he said with a playful smirk. “I have issues coming out weekly now instead of monthly. And it’s no longer just gossip and recipes. I have serious stories in there, plus, of course, exceptional photographs.”

“McGuire. We need to talk.” Tanner’s tone implied now.

Kitty looked up at Tanner’s flinty expression and extracted her hand from Evan’s as irrational guilt pricked.

“I’ll be at the station in five minutes.” Tanner nodded a greeting at Evan. “Stone.”

Before Evan could reply, Tanner proceeded out the door. After a stunned moment, Kitty stood and slapped some bills on the table. “I’m sorry, but I need to go.”

Evan scowled as Tanner passed the window. “He has some nerve. A flatlander who’s only been here six or seven months but already thinks he owns the town. He speaks and people jump, including you.”

Kitty bristled at his tone. “Hardly. We have an appointment.” She grabbed Evan’s arm and pulled him outside into the pine-drenched air. “Spill. What do you know about him?”

“You interested?” He smirked and nudged her with his elbow.

“Not in the way you mean,” she retorted as Tanner climbed inside his pickup. “It’s strictly business.”

“Right. Business.” He slipped on sunglasses and hid the mischievous glint in his eyes. “Tell you what, I’ll offer a trade.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I already said I’d have dinner with you.”

“Not enough.” He shook his head. “I’ll tell you what I know about Tanner, if you’ll give first dibs on news about the Wildcat Ravine Fire. That’s why you’re here, aren’t you? I heard the rumor the sheriff wants to pin the blame on your dad.”

Her stomach twisted. So, it was common knowledge. “Tanner does, too.”

“I’m not surprised,” he said wryly. “Do we have a deal?”

“All right, just don’t print anything until the investigation’s closed. Johnson would love to throw us in jail just for old time’s sake,” she said as Tanner’s truck rolled around the bend and disappeared. “So what are people saying about the new fire chief?”

“You’re so easy,” he teased, and she slammed her elbow into his ribs. “Ouch. Okay. You know how in this town everyone knows the scoop on people before they’ve even been here a full day? Tanner’s been here for months, and no one knows much about him. Not even me, whose job is to be nosey. But then, we don’t exactly run in the same crowd.”

“In other words, he doesn’t hang out at Harry’s Bar and flirt with girls every night?”

Evan snorted. “You think you know me so well. The girls hit on me these days. What I meant is he has a kid and hangs with the PTA and church crowd. His father’s the pastor of the community church.”

“Oh,” Kitty said, suddenly disgruntled at the thought of Tanner having a wife. She hadn’t noticed a ring on his finger the night before. “I didn’t know he was married.”

“He’s not. Widowed, I think. He’s closed-mouthed about it too, although I can’t blame the man. The hens around town are already setting out traps to snare him for their daughters. I’m not sure, but I think there’s a story there. Something to do with his son. The kid has behavioral problems. Been in detention so many times, he has his own desk.”

“That’s all you got?” Kitty asked with exasperation. “I spent a lot of time in detention too. So did you!”

Evan shrugged. “All I know is that the sheriff was pretty determined to have the town council appoint Tanner as fire chief. Not many people were eager for the position after what happened.” He shot her a contrite look. “Oh… sorry, I didn’t mean to imply your dad didn’t do a great job.”

“He did the best he could,” Kitty said, her face heating. “Thinking he’d resort to arson is ridiculous. What motive would he have?”

“Now see, that’s the big question circulating on the grapevine.” He waited until a couple passed by and entered the café before continuing, “Some say he was furious with the town council for cutting funds to the fire department, and he wanted to prove a point. Others think he dropped one of those awful cigars he always smoked in the wrong place. Oh, and my favorite rumor is the speculation that firemen are closet pyromaniacs just waiting for their chance to—”

“You’ve got to be kidding! Dad didn’t give a hoot what decisions the council made. If the fire department needed something, he found other ways to raise money if he had to. And he respected the environment too much to just drop his cigar butts. Besides, the last time we spoke, he said he’d given them up. As for pyromaniacs posing as firefighters?” She breathed out a disgusted sigh. “Sounds like a bad B movie.”

“Hey, I didn’t say I believed any of it. You asked. I don’t know what evidence they found. The sheriff officially told me to butt out, which means they must have something. That won’t stop me from digging, though. I’ll see if I can get more background on Tanner, and you keep me informed on what you find out about the fire.”

Kitty unlocked the car door and slid onto her seat. “I’ll give you a call, okay?”

“Here, take my card. My cell number is on the back.” The lines on his bronzed forehead deepened. He glanced over his shoulder at the café and leaned closer. “Listen, Kitcat, I wasn’t going to say anything, but you know me, I can’t mind my own business. You dad was a decent guy, but sometimes things aren’t as black and white as they appear. Like with a great photograph, there are layers to everything, depending on what angle you’re looking from.”

“What are you saying?” Kitty asked, outraged. “Do you think my father is guilty?”

“No, of course not, but someone set that fire and…I’m just telling you be careful, okay?” He pushed her door shut and then tapped on the window until she rolled it down. “And keep your guard up around Tanner. My instinct tells me the man’s hiding something.”



The heavy metal door slammed behind Kitty as she strode into Pine Lake’s fire station. She pushed her sunglasses onto her head and blinked until her eyes adjusted to the dusky interior. The large bay appeared deserted. Her boots echoed on the concrete as she followed the path of light to the back office.

“Hello? Tanner?” She stepped around a pile of wet, dirty fire hoses, brushing her shoulder on the side of the nearest fire engine. The sleeve came away black with soot, and the air hung heavy with the acrid scent of smoke.

She glanced up at the truck beds. Someone had packed the engines with fresh hose, but the filthy place was a disgrace to any well-run department and certainly didn’t inspire additional faith in the new fire chief.

“Tanner?” Her voice rang out into the bay. Where was the man? He’d demanded she meet him and then disappeared. She shivered, uneasy being alone in the large, shadowy building, which seemed absurd after spending so much of her youth there.

She reached the office and gasped. The battered gray filing cabinets were open, the drawers empty. She maneuvered around mounds of manila folders and paper. What was going on? If Tanner was trying to hide something, his method worked. Finding anything useful to the investigation would be difficult in this mess.

“Tanner!” she yelled for the third time, but only gurgling from the yellowed coffee machine answered her. She sidled around her father’s hefty desk. The painful knot rose in her throat again. This was the last place she’d seen Sam McGuire alive. The last place they’d spoken face to face. And argued.

Files had fallen behind the chair. She squatted and examined the headings. Her father’s bold handwriting labeled some. The two desk drawers hung ajar. She tugged open the bottom where her father used to store his small, spiral-bound notebooks containing records of his activities, mileage and, most important, notes on daily events. Empty.

She pulled on the top desk drawer, but the railing caught. She yanked harder and something fell with a clunk to the drawer below. She lifted out a gray rock embedded with sparkling minerals.

Fool’s gold. She smiled as she rubbed the gold flakes between her fingers. Her father used to take her up to the waterfall and let her pick out pretty specimens to add to their rock and mineral collection at the cabin. Somehow, this specimen must’ve gotten wedged in between the drawers.

She stood up and smacked into someone behind her. “Oh, sorry.” She spun awkwardly and her boots slid on the discarded files. Steely arms caught her as she stumbled, her cheek landing against a white shirt.

“We really do need to stop meeting like this,” Tanner murmured into her hair, his arms tightening around her.




THREE


Kitty shoved Tanner away, her heart pounding. “Do you always sneak up on people, or is it just me you enjoy scaring?”

Tanner’s amused expression vanished. “Excuse me, but this is my office. If anyone was sneaking, it was you.” He glanced at her fist. “Trying to steal something?”

“What?” Kitty’s mind whirled. His musky aftershave was playing havoc with her already strung-out nerves, but what befuddled her most was that she’d liked being in Tanner’s arms.

“What’s in your hand?”

“Oh.” She uncurled her fingers. “Fool’s gold. And I wasn’t stealing it. There’s tons of this useless stuff around here. You want it?” She tossed the rock to Tanner. “This probably came from my dad’s collection. He had a special liking for pyrite.”

He examined the specimen and handed it back. “Keep it.”

“Thanks.” Kitty shoved pyrite in her back pocket. “Too bad it’s not real gold.”

“I hear there are still gold mines in the mountains. My father likes to research local history.”

“Most of the mines have been abandoned. My great-great-uncle owned a small claim during the gold rush but never made much progress. Dad said the tunnel eventually collapsed.” She glanced around the office. “Why is everything on the floor?”

He cocked a hip on the desk, blocking the exit. “I thought maybe you could tell me.”

The implication of his words hit her, and she sucked in a deep breath. “I didn’t have anything to do with this.”

“You still have a key, don’t you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” She lifted her palms toward the ceiling. “But anyone in the department could get in here.”

“Johnson said you had a temper. Smashed the window at the café.”

“I was eleven. Give me a break. Besides, whoever opened these cabinets must’ve used a crowbar. If I had a key, why would I bother?” She shoved a drawer shut with her knee.

“Don’t touch anything.”

“If the sheriff’s going to look for fingerprints, he already has a copy of mine and no, you don’t need to know why. For the record, Mr. Fire Chief, I stayed in the cabin all night.” Kitty wrapped her arms over her chest. “You seriously don’t think I’d vandalize the office.”

Tanner’s dark eyes studied her, and then he sighed. “It crossed my mind, but no, I don’t. What were you looking for?”

“Just my dad’s personal items from the desk. I know I should’ve picked the stuff up after the funeral, but I had to get back to work.”

“You should’ve asked permission first. This is an open criminal investigation. You have no right being in here, especially without my permission.”

“You invited me, remember?” She mentally counted to ten. “But you’re right. I could’ve waited until you returned.” She forced a bright smile. “Last night you said I could see the evidence you’d found.”

“Nice try, but as I recall, I said you could stop by and answer some questions before you headed for home.”

Kitty leaned toward him, still smiling. “Read my lips, Tanner. I’m not leaving until you drop the case against my dad. You’re stuck with me, so get used to it.”

He studied her for a moment, his eyes dark and unreadable. “Was your dad as stubborn as you?”

“More.”

“That’s hard to believe,” Tanner muttered, moving to the valley wall map. “I consulted with Sheriff Johnson this morning, and he agreed you might provide some useful insight. Think you can handle being objective?”

She squared her shoulders. “I’m Sam’s daughter, bred and trained to be tough.”

He looked unconvinced but proceeded. “Let’s get to it then. I have a lot of work today.” He tapped the map. “As you know, Wildcat Ravine is where the fire started. Your father’s truck was found here in the parking area, singed but luckily not burned. We found kerosene traces in the cargo area.”

“So?” Kitty moved closer so she could see. “That’s not unusual. My father ran a furnace business. People still use kerosene lamps and heaters in the more remote areas. Sometimes he made deliveries while out doing surveillance.”

“We found a canister tossed in the woods.”

“Where, exactly?”

“Top of the falls.” He pointed to the spot where someone had shoved a pushpin.

“Any fingerprints?”

He shook his head. “Burned off.”

“Anyone could’ve left a canister. It might’ve been there before the fire. The Bronco is a department vehicle and used by other personnel.”

“But not everyone smokes cigars.”

Kitty’s stomach clenched, remembering what Evan had mentioned about her dad being careless. “Again, it could’ve been someone else. He was giving up cigars.”

“Apparently not soon enough. DNA from the saliva on the butt matches his. The cigar had fallen among the rocks, near where he….”

“Fell.” She swallowed hard. “But the cigar could’ve been dropped there another time. Wildcat Ravine was a favorite place of his, yet another reason he wouldn’t have started a fire. If he saw smoke he’d go to investigate.”

“No one knew he was up there. There’s no record he called the fire in.”

“Maybe he didn’t have a chance to,” Kitty said with a sinking feeling as she remembered Tanner’s words from the previous evening. The only logical explanation would be that he was up there before the fire started. But…why hadn’t he called in the report on his radio?

She shook off the first tentacles of doubt and crossed her arms. “You don’t have much of a case. There are no witnesses and the cigar is circumstantial evidence. What aren’t you telling me?”

Tanner turned from the map, his gaze meeting hers. “Did your father ever mention belonging to an organization called SOLO?”

“Sounds vaguely familiar. What’s it stand for?”

“Save Our Land Organization. Started as conservational group, but some of its extremist wackos decided the political channels were too bogged down and took matters into their own hands.”

“Go on,” she urged when he grew silent.

“In Colorado last summer, the federal government approved a petition to allow developers to build two new ski resorts in a protected area. When it comes to national forests, the government is allowed to trade acreage across the country as long as the total amount of protected acreage remains the same.” There was sharp edge to his voice. “The Colorado project was well under way when a fire swept through and burned everything to the ground. When they started building again, another fire was set. They caught a couple of the perps, but the leaders are still at large.”

Kitty perched on the desk’s edge and rubbed the goose bumps on her arms. “I remember the fires. Several firefighters died, but I don’t recall any talk about SOLO. Where’d you get your information?”

“I have my sources. The FBI is still investigating, so the media has been kept out of it,” Tanner said. “People touted the Colorado town as the new Aspen, and the ski resorts would’ve brought in a thousand jobs. But after the fires, the developers moved to a less risky area.”

“So now you think this group may have come here because the town is planning to expand the ski resort onto government land? Then, why suspect my father?” Another sickening thud hit her stomach. “You think he’s a SOLO extremist? That’s insane. He may have joined the organization to support their conservation efforts, like I’m sure many people have, but he’d never support the radical fringe.” She groaned in frustration. “Their whole purpose doesn’t make sense. Burn down the forest—kill trees and wildlife so people can’t develop the land? Crazy!”

“Common sense doesn’t stop people like them.” He reached into his back pocket and withdrew a creased index card. “Did your father ever mention any of these individuals?”

She scanned the list. “I recognize some, but I can’t believe any of these guys would be involved. My dad knew almost everyone in Pine Lake. Sure, he opposed the new ski resort in the beginning, but mainly because the runs were expanding into an area he cared about. But he’d never put his own personal beliefs above people’s safety.” She ran her finger over the section of the map where the hotel once stood. “You don’t believe me.”

“I believe in data, and right now the facts conflict.”

Kitty pushed off the desk. “You want data? Fine. Let’s get started then. There must be a clue somewhere in this mess.” She wiped her cold hands on her jeans and scrutinized the piles of paper. “We have a lot to do.”

“We?” He barked out a short, derisive laugh. “I’m sorry, there is no ‘we.’ The sheriff and I are still following up leads. I know it’s hard, but you’re just going to have to trust us to do our jobs.” His tone softened. “Why don’t you just go home to L.A., and I’ll be in touch with you in a couple days.”

She gazed out the window at the giant oak tree her father had refused to cut down to widen the parking area. It would be a relief to leave Pine Lake, but what would she tell her grandmother if they continued to believe her father was an arsonist? Kitty didn’t trust Tanner or Sheriff Johnson to be as thorough as she.

“I’m going to stick around for a while.”

Tanner frowned but didn’t appear surprised. “Well, I can’t force you to leave.” He moved toward the door. “Just be careful.”

“You’re the second person to tell me that today. Do you think I might be in danger?”

“Don’t you find it strange someone would call you about the case against your dad without identifying himself?”

“From this town? Are you kidding?” She laughed. “No offense, but an isolated place like this can attract odd people. You ask the Pine Lake residents why they moved to seven thousand feet where jobs are scarce and the nearest shopping mall is more than a hundred miles away, and you’ll get as many different answers as there are acorns in the oak tree out there.” She nodded meaningfully. “It takes effort to want to survive up here. A lot don’t stick it out through the first winter.”

Kitty scrutinized Tanner’s strong profile as he straightened a stack on his desk. She didn’t have any doubt that if this man wanted to stay in Pine Lake, he’d make it work. What was his story? Was he running away from something too?

“Just the same, watch your step. Don’t give the sheriff a reason to nail you for obstructing justice.”

Kitty grimaced. “Don’t worry, he’s not someone I want to spend time with.” She ran her palm over the scarred desk. “I have a question. Do you know if the stuff in this desk was moved before last night?”

“Whatever wasn’t confiscated as possible evidence is in my garage.” Tanner glanced at his watch. “I didn’t see anything valuable. Mostly paperwork. Letters, newspaper clippings, stuff like that. Why?”

Kitty chewed on her lower lip, debating whether to mention the notebooks, but she really wanted to read them before the sheriff and Tanner did. She shrugged. “You never know what might be useful.”

“I’ll get the boxes for you this afternoon.” He glanced at his watch. “Now, if we’re finished, I have to get to work.”

Kitty hesitated by the dusty window as Tanner’s footsteps faded into the bay. Near her Jeep, a pair of Steller’s jays squabbled over a bug on the concrete. The wind shook the tree branches, and with a burst of dark-blue feathers, the birds flashed by and disappeared.

She sighed, a restless yearning filling her heart. Much as she enjoyed her fast-paced life in Los Angeles, she missed the wild beauty of the Sierras. The sound of the wind in the trees instead of the bustle of traffic. Wildlife consisting of animals rather than human predators on the streets. And sweet air she could breathe with carefree abandon and not have to check the smog levels on the morning news. Not that she’d ever consider moving back. Not after the way they’d treated her. Too many narrow-minded people, some supposedly Christians, who’d snubbed her because of her sullenness and her poor choice of friends.

Maybe she’d deserved their criticism. She’d been confused and hurt after her mother had dumped her in Pine Lake with a father she barely knew. She’d lashed out at her anger and frustration by running wild with the wrong crowd for a few years.

But weren’t Christians supposed to forgive? Ten years spent living in Pine Lake and she’d felt like an outsider. Now, some of the same people were trying to smear her father’s name. But they hadn’t bested him in life, and she wouldn’t let them succeed after his death.

With renewed determination, she marched into the garage. Tanner was dragging a fire hose across the floor to fold the length in half, a tedious routine she knew well. Fire hoses needed to be cleaned, dried and put away after each use.

She trotted to the opposite end, knelt and snapped the upper hose so it stayed aligned with the lower half as Tanner rolled it into a coil larger than a bicycle wheel.

“Thanks,” he grunted. His shoulder bumped hers as the coil reached the brass fittings. He heaved the bundle onto a rack against the wall.

“This place needs a good scrubbing,” she said and grabbed another hose from the pile on the floor.

“We’re short-handed, and two structure fires last week didn’t give us much time to clean up.”

They continued to work in silence. Kitty’s mind wandered. How long ago had Tanner’s wife died? On their last day together, had Luke told his wife he loved her? Or did they part on angry words like she and her father?

She tugged her cell phone from her pocket. No messages. Not even a call from Nana. She glanced at Tanner. Did he ever feel lonely? Probably not, because his son and a father lived with him.

She steered her attention back to the chaos. However competent Tanner might’ve been on past jobs, obviously he was in over his head here.

“You need me.” Her voice echoed off the metal walls. She sat back on her heels, stunned she’d spoken that aloud.

Tanner looked up from examining a dent in a brass coupling. “Excuse me?”

Kitty’s cheeks warmed. “I mean, you could use some assistance.” She sprang to her feet and pushed open the tall bay doors. Sunlight streamed in, exposing even more mud on the floor.

“You need someone to sort through the mess in the office and clean out here. I’m a trained firefighter, so you might as well put me to use.”

“I can’t just let anyone handle those papers. There’s confidential medical information in there.”

She held up a hand. “Don’t worry—I worked here. Because I was just a paid-call employee, I bet Dad never removed me from the books. You can check, assuming you can find the personnel files. I’m legit.”

She yanked on a skinny water hose dangling from a pipe in the ceiling. She aimed the nozzle at the muddy concrete. The water stream hit a puddle of motor oil, and Tanner jumped before it splashed onto his boots and jeans.

“Sorry, but please pay attention.” Kitty released the handle. “Admit it, what I said makes sense. We can help each other.”

“Maybe I don’t want your help.”

She shrugged with indifference even though her pulse raced. “You might as well let me try. Otherwise, I’ll just have to tag around after you until I get what I need.”

“That’s harassment,” he said harshly, but the corners of his mouth twitched.

“Maybe.” She shrugged again and focused on washing ash and sludge off a long, beige hose. After several minutes passed, she blew out an impatient breath, ruffling her bangs. “Well?”

She turned and found herself alone. “Tanner?”

“I guess we could work out something.”

Startled, Kitty looked up to find him standing on the engine bed. He swung down beside her. “You won’t like working for me.”

Yes! She wanted to leap with victory, but she merely nodded. “I’ll survive.”

“I’m going to go fill out the duty roster for next week, and then I have some business in town.” He tossed a dingy sponge at her. “You can wash the engines. That ought to keep you out of trouble until I get back.”

Kitty picked up the sponge and wrinkled her nose as Tanner headed into the office. She would rather sort the files, searching for clues. Scrubbing the three fire engines and the brush truck would take at least two hours to do a proper job, but right now wasn’t the time to rock the boat. She was in. Ironic, though, because a few years ago she’d been dying to get out.

A siren blasted through the station. She ran toward the office in time to hear a female voice from the county Communication Center. “Station 169, Fire Investigation. Smoke reported on the south ridge below Pine Lake. Forest Service has been notified. Please verify.”

Tanner snatched up the radio mic. Kitty turned, raced out the bay doors and jumped into the driver’s seat of the red Bronco parked outside. She fired up the engine.

Tanner tapped on the window. He motioned at her to move, and when she wouldn’t budge, he yanked the door open. “Out!”

“I’m going. You just hired me, remember?”

His jaw tightened.

“I know a back way down the ridge. I can save you fifteen minutes,” she added.

“Move over.” He climbed in, his hard hip assisting her slide across the squeaky vinyl to the passenger side. Flipping on the red lights, he stomped on the pedal. Tires squealed as they shot out of the parking lot. “You’ve been an employee for what? Ten minutes? And you already think you can do whatever you want. I give the orders. You obey if you ever want to set foot inside the station again. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!” Kitty pulled on her seatbelt instead of saluting. He’d probably toss her from the car without bothering to slow down if he knew what she thought about his “orders.”

They sped south of town. Kitty looked out her window to where the ground fell sharply away from the two-lane road before leveling out to a plateau and then plunged down a series of small canyons. A minuscule puff of smoke drifted skyward.

“Stop!” she yelled. Tanner jerked the steering wheel. The truck skidded off the pavement, spewing up a billow of dust. Kitty pointed at the faint haze far below them. “Down there. Smoke’s coming from the Fish Creek area.”

Tanner peered through his binoculars, looking grim. “The campground is supposed to be closed because of the fire danger.” He handed the binoculars to Kitty. Even with the magnification maxed out, she couldn’t pinpoint the source.

“The old logging road is fifty yards up on the right. See the marker lying on the ground?”

“Hang on.” Tanner shifted into four-wheel drive and plowed through brush before landing on the tire tracks that plummeted down the hill. Kitty clamped her rattling teeth together as they bounced over the ruts and washed-out gullies.

After two steep miles, they reached the two metal pipes marking the back entrance to the Fish Creek Camp. The chain gate snaked across the ground, and Tanner drove over it. A bluish haze hung over the clearing, but the small campground appeared deserted. The truck jerked to a stop. Kitty jumped out and ran to where the smoke seemed the thickest. Green pine branches smoldered over hot coals in a fire ring. The pungent smoke billowed about in the breeze, stinging her eyes and nose.

Tanner strode up, speaking into his handheld radio, giving their position to the Forest Service. Kitty scrambled up on a large boulder to get a better view. “Nothing but a campfire,” she reported. “All this will entail is issuing a ticket.”

Tanner snapped the radio into his belt holder. “To who? You see anyone?”

Kitty squinted in the bright sunlight, still scanning the area. “Nope. But they can’t be far. Those branches haven’t been burning long.”

“Of all the stupid, irresponsible things to do. There are signs posted all around here warning against fires. One good wind and the whole mountain could go up in flames unless—”

“Unless that was their intention,” She finished for him, her stomach knotting. Her gaze swept the ridge. No dust clouds betrayed any moving vehicles. “We’re south of town, and the wind’s blowing north.”

“Doesn’t make sense they used the campground. If this were another arson attempt, why build a fire in the fire ring and attract attention by using green wood?”

“Who knows? Maybe they wanted to make it look like an accident. I’ll get the shovel.” Kitty trotted to the Bronco and dug the shovel out from under the piled equipment. She raced back to Tanner, panting in the oxygen-thin air.

She leaned against a tree to catch her breath as Tanner deftly extinguished the flames. Muscles rippled under his white shirt and a sooty shaft of sunlight struck his hair, making the waves gleam like polished black marble. He reminded her of a soldier on a mission. Confident and determined in the face of danger.

“You all right?”

“Huh?” She blinked, mortified that he’d caught her staring at him again. What was wrong with her? She’d come back from L.A. to prove what fools Tanner and the sheriff were being about her father. This man was supposed to be the enemy, but she kept acting like a schoolgirl with a crush.

Tanner frowned, still watching her. “Is the altitude bothering you?”

“Maybe,” she said, although she realized less oxygen wasn’t the only cause of her racing heart. Tanner was dangerous to her in more ways than just destroying her father’s memory.

She nodded in the direction of the campground entrance. “Isn’t the gate supposed to be locked?”

“Someone cut the padlock.” He threw another dirt load and smoke rose in a swirling cloud.

“No signs anyone’s pitched a tent here recently.”

“Most likely it was kids fooling around.” He stomped out the last burning ember. “They like to come down here to party.”

“Yes, I know,” Kitty said. She’d been part of that crowd before she’d smartened up and realized her ticket to freedom and out of Pine Lake wouldn’t come from carousing and landing in jail.

Tanner shot her an assessing glance before scanning the campground again. “We better look around before I call in an all clear.”

They separated and she scouted the east end where giant boulders and dense, thorny chaparral hemmed the campground. The wind had blown most of the heavy smoke from the campfire northward, but a dusky fog floated above a shallow ravine that dropped steeply away from the last campsite. Kitty skidded down the embankment. Gray wisps seeped out of the ground by a fallen log. She dug through the pine needles to discover a small hole. A steady ribbon of smoke streamed out.

Scrambling back up the hill, Kitty shouted, “Tanner, over here.” She waved her arms until he caught sight of her.

“Look at this,” she said after he joined her. She shoved the log over with her boot. Smoke billowed up through crannies in the rocky earth. Tanner used the shovel and unearthed a smoldering pile of twigs and dried leaves.

“Careful,” he warned as Kitty squatted and lifted a tin can out of a small pile of rocks. “Smells like lighter fluid.” She set the cylinder gently to the side.

“The log is soaked with something, too. Pretty clever delay device. Keep an eye on it. I have to go radio the sheriff. I can’t get a signal in the ravine. Here, blow this if you sense any trouble.” He handed her a whistle and climbed to the camp area.

Kitty spent the next several minutes systematically scouting the area as they’d trained her in class. No dropped litter, except a rusty soda can. Not even the baked ground revealed any tracks. No clues at all.

The minutes ticked by, and smoke curled from the log again. Arson. The thought sent alternating waves of fear and excitement through her. The same maniac who set the Wildcat Ravine could’ve struck again, which would prove her father innocent. But it also meant he could still out there, waiting to strike again.

The trees and brush grew too high up on the walls to provide much shade, and hot rays beat down on her head. Wisps of hair escaped her ponytail and stuck to her neck along with gritty dust, making her skin itch. She shooed away the tiny black gnats buzzing around her face as a pebble bounced down on the opposite ravine wall. Then another. Something moved along the ridge.

Clutching the shovel, she climbed the ravine edge, but she still couldn’t see over the dense chaparral thicket. Dry vegetation crunched. Her pulse quickened. Could it be an animal foraging for food? Or…had the arsonist returned to the scene of the crime?

She waved at Tanner, who stood by the truck, still conversing on the radio. He glanced in her direction and held up a finger, indicating he needed a minute. Behind her, the rustling noise grew fainter. She didn’t have a minute, and she couldn’t use the whistle he’d given her. By the time Tanner got here, whoever roamed back there would disappear.

As quietly as possible, Kitty jammed the shovel deep into the thick wall of thorny bush. Leaning forward, she could almost see through the leaves to the other side. Just another six inches and…was that a blue shirt? The shovel jerked, yanking her forward. She pitched over a rock and fell into the bush.





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