She laughed, relieved that it was out in the open. “It’s not like that. I mean…we had one date, that wasn’t even really a date, and…”
A trickle of black smoke was the only warning they got. The oven door jumped as a fireball exploded to life, a boom followed by a raging, roaring blaze.
The kitchen exploded with screams. She felt a body pummel into hers. It was Damien, shielding her body with his.
“Get out of the kitchen,” he yelled. Turning to his father, he shouted, “Get them out of the kitchen. ”
Edith pulled the faucet hose from the sink, and Damien pushed away from Sorrow to grab the woman’s hand. “No! No water!”
“What the hell, boy?” Bear muscled across the room, grabbing for the faucet.
“It’s grease. ” Flames licked up the back wall, the fire no longer contained in the oven. Damien squinted at the blaze, covering his nose and mouth with his hand, and barked out orders. “Call 911. Sorrow, fire extinguisher. ”
Everyone fled the kitchen, and Sorrow was across the room and back in an instant with the extinguisher. Damien snatched it from her and sprayed. Black smoke filled the kitchen as the fire alarm keened shrilly.
Coughs racked her, and Damien shot her an angry look. “Get out of here. ”
She shook her head. Struggling for breath, she grabbed their restaurant-sized bag of baking soda, but by that time the fire was out. She dumped it on the stovetop anyway, her body shaking with adrenaline.
Damien scooped her in his arms and half walked, half carried her to the dining area. They saw everyone standing in a cluster outside, shivering and talking a blue streak. He stopped her. “I need a minute. ”
“You and me both. ” Through the window, her dad’s expression was as black as the smoke had been. “Guess who’s going to get the blame for this. ”
Damien tipped her chin to face him. “I’ll talk to him. ” He smudged soot from her cheek. “See, I’m good to have around, right?”
She went on alert—she’d need to tread carefully here. “I never said you weren’t. ”
Damien’s voice was husky as he slowly leaned down, bringing his face to hers. “So can I get you to come to your senses?”
Apparently he hadn’t gotten the original message after all. Sorrow put a gentle hand on his chest and stepped back. “Damien, I’m sorry. It’s still over. ”
“C’mon, Bailey. You know we’re good together. ” He chucked her chin, as though she were being willingly unruly. “You need me, huh? Just a little?” His voice was teasing and light, and he wore his trademark grin, but now she saw how it masked something—Damien Simmons wasn’t as confident as he made himself appear.
“I need you,” she said. “As my friend. ”
His eyes shuttered. “You’ve already hooked up with Billy, haven’t you?”
“Hooked up?” She prayed her voice hadn’t squeaked.
As though in answer, Billy stormed through the door. The lights on his SUV were a red and blue strobe flashing on the tavern walls. His gaze went from Sorrow, to Damien, to Damien’s hands on her shoulders.
At that moment, the sheriff looked eager to address Damien’s question with his fists.
Twenty-nine
When the call went out over the radio—fire at the Thirsty Bear Tavern—fear exploded in Billy’s chest. A horrific picture came to him—a bloodied body lying in the dirt, lovely limbs broken and twisted. His heart pounded, so hard he felt it slamming in his throat, choking him. Because, instead of seeing Keri’s face like all those other times, this time he saw Sorrow’s.
He’d suspected the depth of his feelings for her, but such a blast of panic and longing galvanized those feelings, illuminating the truth as bright as a lighting flash. He loved her.
He sped dangerously fast, beating the volunteer fire department to the punch. He had to get to her. They’d called only for the fire truck, not the ambulance, but he had to see for himself that she was safe.
It was clear now. Someone was terrorizing the Bailey family. She was in danger—they all were. If a fire didn’t make Bear see the truth, he didn’t know what would.
But when he charged in and found Sorrow’s ex holding her, fear turned to fury.
He wanted to tear the guy’s hands off her. Wanted to scoop her up and carry her from harm, away from this other man. He had to take her and have her to himself, someplace safe where he’d peel off every layer of her clothing to make sure every inch of her was unharmed.
Urgency boiled his blood, so powerful the desire to show Sorrow how much he wanted her, needed her. She’d snuck up on him, breathed life back into him, until the urge to tell her he loved her blinded him to all else.