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“I know,” he said. “It’s not important, though. Those are only things and things can be replaced. You’re alive. You’re safe. That’s all that matters right now.”
Because of her, his children had lost everything. The sobering thought kicked her in the teeth. She shook her head, determined to leave him out of this nightmare from now on. Plus, his former parents-in-law had threatened to fight him for custody of the girls once. How would this play out once they found out what happened here? He’d brought someone into his family’s home who threatened their safety. Even though she would never do anything to put the girls in harm’s way on purpose, reality seemed to have a mind of its own.
“Me being here puts your girls at risk,” she said as sirens pierced through the fog in her brain.
In the next half hour, the fire was out and Reese was in the back of an ambulance on her way to the hospital. A deputy was supposed to meet them there to get statements. Darren’s SUV hadn’t sustained any damage and a neighbor volunteered to call in his construction crew to at least seal off the premises best as they could. Reese had an oxygen mask strapped to her face but was breathing fine. Her body was starting to ache, but nothing was broken based on the field exam. There would be bruising, no doubt. That wasn’t anything she couldn’t get over in a couple of days or a week depending on how bad it got. There would most definitely be a huge bruise on her right hip.
Thinking about leaving Darren caused her chest to squeeze, but it would have to be done for the sake of his family. She needed to lure whoever was trying to kill her away from the Pierce family. A thought struck. Darren would follow her if she tried to leave.
She would bang her head against the wall if it didn’t hurt so much already. As it was, her brain felt like it might split in two from pain. Her hands fisted as she thought about the bastard who was after her. Had she opened a can of worms with digging into Camree Lynn’s disappearance? That was the only explanation that made any sense. Why else would someone try to kill her? And then what? Make it look random? Or like she’d come across poachers yesterday?
Her thoughts shifted to Darren and the kiss that would now be the benchmark for all future kisses. He’d held the record since high school and had somehow bested himself. The grown-man version of Darren caused all kinds of sensations in her body—sensations she didn’t need to focus on, considering there was no outlet for them no matter how much they sparked.
By the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Reese felt much better. She would argue about checking in but figured it might not hurt to have a doctor give her the all-clear just in case.
Darren’s cell had been inside the house, which was now roped off as a crime scene. Or at least what was left of it. The thought of him losing everything gutted her. There had to be so many memories locked inside those walls. Memories of the girls in the form of pictures and toys. Memories of their mother. Memories of the short time they’d spent there as a family.
She was being sentimental, but those things mattered when people were building a life together. They took on a new importance when one of those people was gone. Thinking about all those little keepsakes going up in flames or being damaged by water when the firemen put out the fire, made her sick to her stomach.
The bastard responsible needed to pay.
Reese took in a deep breath as the doors opened. A few seconds later, she was being wheeled out of the ambulance and into the automatic glass doors of the ER. She went straight into a room, where Darren found her almost immediately. The look on his face was a mix of desperation, frustration and concern.
“I’m okay,” she said after lifting the oxygen mask enough to speak. “I feel better already.”
In the next second, he was by her side, reaching for her hand. The minute they made physical contact, she breathed a little easier. He was a lifeline in this chaos.
“I’ve been thinking that I must have been investigating Camree Lynn’s disappearance on my way down,” she said. “It’s the only thing that makes sense to me as to why someone would target me.”
“Just rest, okay?” He brought his free hand up to touch her face. The way he looked at her with such admiration hit her in the center of her chest.
“I almost got you killed,” she said. “Why aren’t you mad at me?”
“Because it wasn’t your fault,” he said. “Even if you were digging into Camree Lynn’s disappearance. There’s no way you could have known any of this would happen. You’re not the bad guy here. And I know without a shadow of a doubt that there’s no way you would have brought this to my doorstep.” He stopped for a second and bit down on his lower lips. Then, he seemed to say “what the hell” because he opened his mouth to speak. “I think it’s safe to say that I’m the last person you wanted to see when you headed back toward Cider Creek.”
“That’s not exactly true,” she responded. “I’ve wanted to reach out to you for years to apologize. But I didn’t think you’d give me the time of day. And I didn’t deserve it after the way I handled things, so I did you a favor and stayed away.”
He stood there for a long moment, as though deciding for himself if he could believe her. Then, he gave a small nod of agreement.
“You’re here now,” he said after a long pause. “We’ve grown up. You have an important job. I have my girls and the family ranch to take care of.”
“Speaking of which, will you be able to stay there now that your home is unlivable?” she asked, redirecting the conversation before he could give her a free pass.
“That’s the plan,” he said.
“Why don’t you live there now?” she asked. “If you don’t mind my asking.”
“It was always my folks’ place,” he said. “This might not make any sense, but their memory is preserved there. I check in on the house every day while I’m on site. There’s always food stocked in the kitchen, at least enough for lunches and the occasional dinner when I’m working late.”
“It makes sense to me,” she reassured him. “Maybe it’s time to fill it again and still preserve their memory.”
“A fresh start,” he said.
“I think they would have enjoyed you and the girls living there and filling the halls with laughter again,” she pointed out.
Could the two of them start over, too?
DARRENLIKEDTHEidea of his girls growing up around his mother’s things. He could add a few touches of his own to make the place feel like home to them. His own home would take time to fix, even if insurance acted fast. He could fix it up and sell it, which would give him some breathing room with his finances. “It’s time.”
