Page 11 of Wild Fires

“It's been dry all week. There's nothing that we've been able to find.”

He walked around and then bent over and picked up a black feather and held it up.

“It's Ravenden. There's going to be feathers everywhere.”

“But you said to keep an open mind—about everything.”

Was he actually flirting with me?

“We can bag it for evidence,” I said.

It was best if we kept this strictly professional.

I liked to play with fire, but I knew that if we continued down this route, I was going to get burned.

“How about the other sites? Can we see those too?”

“Sure. If we're done here, I can drive us over. We'll go in reverse order.”

“Okay, but can we fly instead?”

Fly with Ryan Davenport?

“No. Why would we? I've got my Jeep.”

“Because it's safer,” he muttered.

I glared at him. “I'm a good driver, and I've never been in an accident before.”

“Miracles do happen.”

I punched him in the arm. I wasn't sure what had come over me, but I just hauled back and hit him. It seemed to shock us both. And I desperately struggled to keep the sensations it caused at bay.

“Come on,” I said, and this time he didn't argue with me or mention flying again.

*****

The drive to our next site behind his sister's diner should have been awkward. Neither of us spoke, yet there was something comfortable in the silence. That probably unnerved me more than the tension would have.

He frowned when I pulled to a stop and got out.

“What's wrong?” I asked before I could stop myself.

He looked back at The Diner and I knew what he was thinking before he even opened his mouth. It hadn't even been a full year since a kitchen fire had nearly burned the place down and here we were investigating possible arson just a few yards away.

“Nothing happened,” I assured him.

“I know. It's just a bit too close for comfort.”

“It's over here,” I said, not really knowing how to handle the vulnerability I sensed in him.

He quietly followed me toward the site. In the center of the field was a ring of ash about three feet wide.

Ryan was stoic as he looked around.

“This entire field should have burned.”

“Yeah, it should have. There were signs of wet ground around the burn site. It hasn't rained, so we assume he did it.”

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