Wildfire (18 page)

Jack barked out a harsh laugh. “She was just doing her job,”
he said. “Writing up a story good enough to sell papers.”

“She is a good writer, but I still think there’s some
personal interest.”

“Whatever. I’m not interested.”
Liar, liar pants on fire.
He huffed out an impatient breath.

“Well,” his sister paused for a too-brief moment. “I have to
tell you about this other really interesting conversation I had at the picnic.”

“Who with?”

“Kate Harrington.”

He slumped into a chair. “Should I guess what was said or
are you going to tell me?”

“Well, she had a lot of questions about you,” Annie giggled.
“Like if you were seeing anyone. She’s definitely interested.”

Jack laughed at his sister’s silliness and shook his head.
“Maybe she was just making conversation.”

“Yeah right, she said you’d make a good couple. Both from
old ranching background, both mature, both single.”

“What did you say?”

“I agreed.” She paused. “I hate seeing you waste away all by
your lonesome.”

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I have better things to
do.”

“Like what?” she retorted. “You’re both single. She’s
attractive, classy, intelligent and interested. You could do a lot worse,
especially since this area isn’t exactly hopping with eligible women.”

Jack hesitated. Kate wouldn’t quite fit fun and meaningless
either. And, his heart ranted, she wasn’t Lynn. The memory of their dance broke
to the surface of his thoughts. Jack had felt a shiver of pleasure as soon as
he’d held Lynn in his arms. He recalled the sweet apple aroma of her scent, the
softness of her body, the warmth of her breath.

His jeans tightened. Again. He needed to stop acting like a
hormone-crazed teenager. Get a grip. But how could he stand being in Lynn’s
vicinity without going stark raving mad?
Maybe
Kate would be a good distraction. “You have a point.”

“So you’ll ask her out?”

“I’ll think about it,” he said, ending the call.

Chapter
18

“Phone call! Somebody from the paper,” Jen said, poking her
head in.

Lynn pushed out of the blankets and glanced at the
radio-clock next to her. “At four in the morning? On Sunday?”

“Something about an emergency they need you to cover,” Jen
said, holding out the phone toward her.

A sigh leaked out of Lynn. “I’ll be right there,” she said,
rolling out of bed. One good thing about working in advertising and plugging
away at the never-ending novel— assignments never came this early. She stumbled
to the door, rubbing her eyes, and took the phone.

“Hello?” She mimed out writing. Jen nodded and disappeared.

“I’ve a surprise for you. A special gift.” The deep, dark
voice wrapped around her like a dense shroud, sending a shiver flickering
through her. She stumbled against the door frame and leaned on it for support.

“Who’s this? What do you want?” The questions came in sharp
bursts as she clutched the phone
.

He laughed. A soft, relaxed chuckle. “It’s okay, Lynn,” he
said. “I know what you are and I want to be your friend.” He paused for a
breath. “And more.”

A shadow crossed her mind and she barely suppressed a
shudder. Who the hell was this? What did he know? Had he sent the roses? Was it
Jack? She couldn’t tell. Something seemed to be muffling and distorting the
voice.

Jen returned with pen and paper. She snatched them from her.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Act tough and he’ll
sob out a confession.
Maybe.

“Language, language.” Amusement laced his voice. “You’re a
beautiful woman, you should act like one.”

Lynn swallowed the expletive stomping on her tongue. Fine,
two could play that game. “I don’t have friends without names.”

“In time, you’ll have it. Along with my heart.”

Crazy with a capital C. Lynn’s throat turned cotton-dry. She
swallowed a few times. “Are you the fire-starter?”

“Fire,” he whispered. “You should come see this fire I built
for you. It’s burning so bright.”

Fuck. Lynn dropped the pen, scrambled around on the floor
and found it. “Where— where is it?” Her heart thundered inside her as she
jotted down directions. “I’ll be right there.”

The fire was at the Tavistock ranch. Memory of the outspoken
rancher and his charming wife haunted her.
Please
let them be okay. She gripped the backpack in her lap so hard that her nails
bit into the leather.

“Fucking crazy dragon! He did this to win me? How dare he
use me as a reason?” she seethed as the car jumped forward.

“Crazy dragons don’t need reasons,” Jen said, stepping on
the gas.

Lynn let out a breath. The problem was the man seriously
believed she’d be impressed by arson. So in a roundabout way, she’d caused the
latest fire. Concern for the Tavistocks filled her.
Please, please let them
be okay.

They arrived at the scene at the same time as the fire
department. The firefighters tumbled out of their vehicles and rushed towards
the burning ranch house. Lynn spotted Jack’s truck already parked just outside
the gates. He must have got here earlier. Was he here as a volunteer firefighter?
Or had he been the one to call, the first one on the scene? Doubt made her
heart freeze and shatter into a million shards. Jack. So it was Jack.

Seeing them, Jack emerged from his pickup; he wasn’t in
uniform. His gaze latched onto hers as he stood framed by the house engulfed in
flames.

“Stop right there!” A gunshot echoed into the night,
freezing everybody. Tavistock, dressed formally in a Western tux, a black
Stetson perched on his head, stood on the porch. He lowered his gun from its
raised position and pointed it at the approaching people.

“What the hell?” the fire chief roared.

“This is private property. And you all can’t come in,”
Tavistock replied.

Lynn, following Jen and the firefighters at a discreet
distance, stared. Geez, could the situation get any more screwy? Her cell phone
—a loaner from the
Herald
— rang, earning her glares from all around. She
grabbed it from the backpack and stabbed the button. “I can’t—”

Hernandez bellowed in her ear. “Where are you?”

Lynn bit her lip. Maybe she could use this to her advantage.
Holding the phone to her ear, she stepped further away from the others. “At the
Tavistock ranch.”

“Great, we definitely want this story.”

“Got it.” She clicked off and slipped into the shadows of
the ancient oak grove surrounding the property. Lynn packed away the phone,
then shouldered the backpack. She took a deep breath and broke into a run.
Zigzagging from one dark, warped trunk to another, she circled toward the back
of the house.

Lynn breathed in the musty smell of dew-soaked earth and
rotting leaves, edged with the sharp scent of the new fire. A tremor raced
along her spine as she crept through the patchwork of moonlight and darkness.
The wood smoke clouded her thoughts, stirring the dragon into a frenzy. Keeping
her eyes on the distant glow flickering among the trees, she crept closer.

A whisper of movement from behind rooted her to the spot.
Was someone following her? Jack? The hair on her arms and neck stood to
attention— in warning. She dropped to the ground, into the dark embrace of a
cedar bush and willed herself invisible. Lynn crouched still, barely breathing,
and waited.

Minutes ticked by. Her muscles cramped. She craned her neck
and looked this way and that. Nothing moved. No one there. Then an armadillo
scurried through the leaves inches from her hands. Lynn swallowed her scream
and released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

The cool air carried the arson investigator’s voice. “Amos,
your house is burning down. We are here to help.”

Tavistock’s answer followed, weighed down with a sad
finality. “It’s my property and my responsibility. I tried to put it out and
couldn’t. I guess I’ll go out with it.”

Lynn cringed. Tavistock stood to lose everything he owned
and worked for because of her. No, because a crazy dragon had fixated on her.
Either way, she seemed to be at the root of the problem. Her stomach knotted in
guilt. She had to do something. She straightened and moved forward.

After a moment’s silence, Anderson spoke again. “Amos, did
you set fire to your house?”

“No! My ranch and the house is all I have, I wouldn’t
destroy it,” Tavistock’s voice cracked.

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” the fire chief chimed in.
“We can put out the fire and try to save your house.”

Another gunshot ricocheted in the quiet of the early
morning. “I don’t want to shoot anybody,” Tavistock said. “But I don’t want you
all trespassing either.”

Lynn stopped at the iron fence and gate separating the
backyard from the grove and stared at the blazing house. Hungry flames poured out
of windows and cracks, licking the air, beckoning to her. The dragon lunged
inside, wanting out. Wiping her hands on her jeans, Lynn grasped the cold metal
bars and climbed up and over the gate. She dropped to the dirt and ran toward
the house, stopping inches from it as the radiating heat beat against her.

Invisible or not, her human form didn’t come in asbestos.
Sighing she squinted at the backdoor through the roaring flames. So near, yet
so far. She closed her eyes and willed the dragon.

The fluid shift and stretch of bones, muscles and mass
zinged through her, took her breath away. A warm, caressing heat lapped at her
core and spread. Scales rippled across her skin. Twin billows of steam whooshed
out of her nostrils. Ready or not, here I come.

Lynn lumbered forward, crashing through the door. She
stopped at the threshold of the smoke-filled living area and adjoining kitchen,
and swiveled her head from side to side but couldn’t spot the rancher.

“Into your hands I commend my body and my soul, amen.” The
words floated out of a darkened doorway.

Lynn sniffed at the air. The smell of smoke, age and dust
tickled her nostril. Taking a deep breath, she shifted back into human form and
hurried toward the opening. Good, her invisibility still held. She found the
rancher and Elsie seated on the bed, his bald head touched her silver one. Lynn
squared her shoulders and approached the couple.

“Are you sure about this Elsie?” Tavistock whispered.

Tears streamed down wrinkled cheeks. An unspoken thought
wafted into the room. How long can you live on the edges of life? You’re
nothing but an empty shell of the woman you were.

What the hell? Dragon mindspeak. Lynn tiptoed closer and
glanced at the figures. Were either of them dragon or part dragon?

End it. End it now.

“Yes, this is what I want.” Elsie said. “But you should get
out.”

No, no. He needs to stay. He’s your soul mate.

“You know I’d never leave you,” Tavistock answered. A sob
broke from Elsie as she slumped against her husband.

Holy Sh
— Lynn bit her tongue and glanced around the
room. The whispers came from someone else. Was he inside and invisible like
her? The rogue dragon? She turned and looked behind. Fat fingers of fire
appeared at the door. Heat and smoke poured in. Must save one insane couple
now
.
When she turned back, Elsie lolled in Amos’ arms, passed out.

“Amos,” she called in a half-whisper.

The gray head jerked and jumped, as he searched the room.
“Who?”

“Amos, you need to get out, you need to save Elsie.”

“Who are you?”

“Your guardian angel.” Never in a million years had she
envisioned using her invisibility to play an angel.
Obaa-chan
must be
rolling in her grave and laughing her ass off.

The man slumped across the still form in the bed. Lynn
rushed to him and shook him. “Amos?” No response. Coughing, she searched and
found their pulse. Amos and Elsie Tavistock were out cold. Great. She glanced
at the door. The fire was spreading into the room. No time for subtleties. She
rolled the couple up in the bed cover, leaving an opening for their heads for
them to breath, tied a knot to keep it from coming undone. Then dragged the
bodies to the floor. Would the other dragon try to stop her? She’d deal with
him when she had to.

Once again she willed herself to change. This time the
transformation came slower. Weariness weighed her limbs down. Damn, she’d have
to sleep for a month to recover. Grabbing a mouthful of the covers between her
teeth, she stumbled backwards and dragged the Tavistocks out of the room feet
first. She figured the closer their heads stayed to the ground, the better.

She came up against a wall and pushed back. With a groan the
wall crumbled and crashed at her feet. The movement of air caused the fire to
flare brighter, creating a wall of flames between her and safety.

Her energy wavered, then surged again. Horror filled her as
her invisibility fell away and revealed iridescent blue-green scales reflecting
the fire’s glow. Fortunately, her form blinked out just as quick. Shit. She’d
overdone the changes. How much longer would she be able to hide? Would she have
enough energy to change back to human form before she faced the others? No
matter, she had more important concerns right now.

Lynn’s gaze fell to the inert forms lying lumped together
and hidden by the covers. A memory of her grandmother lying so still on the
warehouse floor careened through her head. She whooshed out another breath and
adjusted her hold. Whatever happened, she had to save Amos and Elsie. Then fanning
out her wings to create a barrier between the Tavistocks and the flames, Lynn
pulled them through the fire.

Her energy flickered again, making her stumble. A dizzying
rush of cold wrapped around her as she fell to the ground in a tumble of bodies
and limbs. Moaning, she curled up in the dirt, inches from a pair of black
boots. Then darkness swallowed her.

Lynn came to surrounded by paramedics. “Where?”

“Lay still ma’am,” said one, checking her pulse. A soft
squeeze of her hand made her turn and find Jen standing next to her.

Soft, heart-breaking sobs from her right made her turn her
head again. She hissed as a sharp pain lanced through her. Her eyes found Amos
leaning against an ambulance.

Anderson let out a breath and placed an arm around the man’s
shaking shoulders. “Crazy old coot,” he muttered as he took Tavistock off the
firefighters’ hands. Jack came and stood on the other side of Tavistock and put
a firm hold on the man as well. Lynn heard him trying to calm the old man down.

Gingerly, she sat up, leaned against Jen for a long while
until the world stopped swimming.

“Maybe you should rest for a bit longer,” Jen whispered.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Just help me up.”

Jen braced Lynn as she stood, supported her weight as she
took her first steps. “You’re lucky I followed your ass and found you, dressed
you
,
and called for help.”

Lynn glanced down at herself. Old sweat pants, a soft
sweater and slip-on canvas shoes from the backpack. Her gaze shifted to Jen’s
familiar black boots. “Thanks.”

They stumbled to the crowd, pushed through. A grim-looking emergency
medical tech jogged up to Anderson and the chief. “Elsie didn’t make it.”

A wave of sadness rippled through Lynn and her throat
tightened. She almost sobbed out loud. She’d failed, failed again.

“Dang sad,” the chief muttered. “She die in the fire?”

The EMT shrugged. “The fire I’m sure contributed.”

Finally, Anderson cleared his throat. “Well, we’ll let the
JP and ME figure out the cause of death,” he said.

He pulled out a cell phone and called the Justice of Peace
on duty to come and perform coroner duties. “The medical examiner needs to be
notified and we’ll need to get the body to him,” he said into the phone. Then
he called the Sheriff’s department and asked them to send a detective from the
Criminal Investigations Division and someone from the Crisis Intervention Unit
to deal with Tavistock.