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“Parker. Right,” I nodded, before I went on, “So, Parker. If you’re not a tourist… what brings you out here?”

“Mostly being an idiot? I think?” Parker lightly chuckled. “I came out here because I wanted to try something different, hence the dry cabin. I’ve been camping before. Hell, I thought I’d roughed it before, really. But this was supposed to be a new challenge. Something different that would’ve really pushed me past my limits.”

Parker’s gaze turned toward another wall in the room. “But instead… nature had other plans for me. Plans that included my cabin burning down and me going home with my tail between my legs.”

“Better that than being burned alive.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised.” Parker let out a lifeless laugh. “When I have to explain what happened tonight, it’s going to feel like I’m being burned alive, regardless.”

“But it wasn’t your fault,” I pressed. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Parker.”

“Sure. Of course.” Parker seemed to smirk at the suggestion. He then snapped before playfully pointing over toward me. “Anyway, enough about me. What’s your deal, Nicholas?”

“My deal?”

“Do you have a habit of saving people from fires and then taking them to bars?” He smirked again. “Or did you just take pity on me because I seemed extra sad about the whole almost dying thing?”

“I’m actually not big on people,” I quietly admitted. “I usually keep to myself. I don’t know. Most people aren’t interesting.”

“So, you’re saying I’m interesting?”

“I’m saying that not much happens in this town,” I corrected, with a small grin. “You’re the most interesting thing that’s happened here in a while, Parker Evans.”

“I’m going to choose to take that as a compliment.” Parker casually knocked his shot glass against my own. “But if you’re not big on people, doesn’t that mean I’ll need to figure out a motel situation or something for tonight? I wouldn’t want to invade your space or whatever. I know how introverts get about guarding their dragon dens.”

“Who said anything about me being an introvert?”

“You did. When you said you’re not big on people.” Parker flashed a smile. “Or is there another word for that these days?”

“Well, either way, there’s no use trying to get a motel tonight,” I replied. “Places around here don’t really do 24 hour check-ins. You’d either be standing out in the cold all night or trying to wake someone up out of their REM cycle. Both are bad news. You might as well just stay put for now.”

“Really? You’d let me stay at your place?”

“As long as you’re not an axe murderer, sure. Or an asshole.”

“The first one, definitely not. The second one… well, there’s been some debate,” Parker joked, as he sipped his drink.

“Un-huh. We can figure out what to do with you in the morning,” I joked back. “Seriously, though. We can go to the cabin tomorrow morning. I can tell my guys to leave it as is, if you prefer, so you can look through your stuff, pick out whatever’s left.”

“Wait. You’re saying it’s not all burned up?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” I shrugged. “Fires are their own kind of mystery?—”

“Get off me, Kirk! I’m not going home with you tonight!”

Our conversation was interrupted by a woman’s voice rising throughout the room. I looked over and spotted her near the other end of the bar, her back leaning against the wood, her tank top featuring the logo of the bar itself across it.

Sadie.

I’d seen her around before, usually on the other side, offering up drinks and conversation as a bartender.

But since she was standing on the customer side, she must’ve been off the clock.

And then, there was the matter of Kirk. I was much less familiar with him, maybe seeing him hanging around the bar a few times here and there. He looked like he might’ve played football in high school, his build imposing like a linebacker. He was an out-of-towner who, judging by the current situation unfolding in front of me, may have only been coming into town to see Sadie.

“Don’t be like that, Sadie,” Kirk started, his words slurred. He was inching closer to her, almost crowding her against the bar. “You know that she meant nothing to me. I would never do anything to hurt you?—”

“Too late. You already did.” Sadie let out a bitter laugh as she spoke. “Now, get the hell out of here.”

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