Page 19 of Colton’s Inferno

“Don’t blame yourself,” said Aiden. “There were a lot of people at the fair. Games. Music. Rides. I wouldn’t have heard my phone if it rang, either.”

Rusty let out a long breath. “Lucy is all that I’ve got. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her, too.”

Being a Colton meant having family around at all times. He tried to imagine the heartbreak if almost everyone in his life was gone. His chest ached. “I saw her a few minutes ago,” he said. “She looks good. I think they’ll release her soon.”

Rusty nodded.

Aiden said, “The barn she was in had two rooms. One that has access to the front doors. And one that’s connected to the first.”

“That’s right.”

“Tell me about the door that separates the two rooms.”

“It’s just a door,” said Rusty. “What do you want to know?”

“Tell me about the handle. The locks. Anything that might help me figure out why it got stuck.”

“That door swings back and forth,” said the older man. “It has a metal ring on both sides as a handle, but no latch or lock per se. There’s a hasp near the top, and we used to use a pin to keep it closed. But I haven’t locked that door in a decade or two. Heck, it’s been longer than that.”

“Excuse me, Aiden.” Bella stood at the edge of the seating area. She held two paper cups. “Your father asked me to bring you something for your headache. It’s ibuprofen and some water.”

He held out his hand. “Thanks.”

Bella dumped the medication into his palm. Aiden popped the pills into his mouth and then accepted the tiny cup of water. He washed down the meds with a single swallow.

“Do you need anything else?” Bella asked.

Rusty asked, “When will my granddaughter, Lucy Harris, be released?”

“The doctor was going over the paperwork with her orders, so she won’t be long now.”

Bella turned to go. She opened the door that led to the emergency room, and Lucy emerged. For a moment, her gaze locked with Aiden’s. She wore the same plaid shirt as before, along with jeans. Her blond hair tumbled over her shoulders. Just seeing her was like the first warm breath of spring after a brutally cold winter. He rose from his seat.

“Hey,” he said, his headache suddenly gone.

“Hey, yourself,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting you to still be here.”

“I was just talking to your grandpa,” he said, “seeing what he knew about the fire. Trying to figure out what happened.”

Rusty stood slowly. “Don’t let him lie to you,” he said. “He didn’t ask me anything that he didn’t already know. He was here for one reason.”

Aiden’s pulse took a stutter step. Had it really been that obvious that he was hanging around just to see Lucy one more time?

“Oh yeah.” Putting one hand on her side, Lucy stuck out her hip. The pose accentuated her womanly curves. “What reason is that?”

“He’s nice enough to keep an old man company,” said Rusty.

Aiden let out a long breath. So, he hadn’t been busted, after all. “I really do need to talk to you,” he said, “and I have some more questions. But since Lucy’s ready to leave, we can chat in the morning. I’ll be by the ranch first thing.”

“I’ll go get the truck,” said Rusty, walking toward the exit, “and pick you up by the door.”

Aiden watched the old man walk away. Then, it was just him and Lucy. Funny how he wanted to see her again. And now that they were alone, he didn’t know what to say.

“You don’t have to wait with me,” she said, breaking the silence. “Grandpa Rusty is a good man. But he’s slowed down over the years. It’ll take him a few minutes to get the truck.”

“How about if I walk you out,” said Aiden.

“That would be nice. Thanks.”