Page 100 of Wish You Were Mine

He stomped over and removed the helmet. Yeah, that was quite a glare. Too bad I was too shaky for it to have its full effect.

“You should have let us get your goddamn cat,” he growled, tucking the helmet under his arm. “I don’t care if you’re used to fires. You’re not geared up, and you haven’t been trained to handle them. Don’t do it again.”

I ducked my head, still cuddling Cookie. “I won’t.”

Parks nodded toward the cat. “I’m glad she’s all right.”

Two cars skidded to a halt on the road beside my property. Liam spilled from the driver’s seat of the front one, and other Braddocks emerged from within. Liam raced over to us, his eyes wide.

“What happened?” he asked, breathless.

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

He put his hands on his hips and watched as our colleagues doused the last of the flames. “Did you leave an appliance going? The oven, perhaps?”

“No. Nothing.” I was absolutely certain of that. As a result of my job, I was ridiculously conscious of fire safety.

Parks grimaced.

“What?” I asked, noticing the expression.

He sighed and smeared a soot-blackened hand down his face. “I could be wrong, but the burn pattern makes me think an accelerant was used. The fire concentrated in very specific areas.”

“Shit.” It seemed like Summer was right. Someone was out to get me.

“We’ll get an arson investigator in,” he said, and looked at someone behind me. I turned and saw Nate striding toward us. “Possible arson. Joint investigation?”

Nate nodded. “You got it. Any casualties?”

“None that we’re aware of.” Parks’s phrasing reminded me that there was always a possibility that whoever had done this had gotten themselves injured in the process.

“Asher?”

I stiffened. That was my mum’s voice. I spun around and, sure enough, she and Dad were hurrying along the fence line. Deep lines of worry creased her face, and she moved faster than I’d ever seen, opening her arms and dragging me into an embrace that knocked the air from my lungs.

“My baby!” she cried, releasing me so she could check my body for damage. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay.” I tried to smile, but my lower lip wobbled. I leaned over and kissed her cheek to cover my distress.

“What happened?” Dad asked, echoing Liam’s earlier question.

“That’s what Parks and I need to figure out,” Nate said, saving me from having to answer.

Mum paled. “Are you saying you don’t know what caused the fire?”

“Not yet,” I admitted. Summer pressed against my side, and I dipped my head to murmur in her ear. “I’m beginning to think you might be onto something.”

47

SUMMER

Brenda Heaton turned startled eyes on Asher and me.

“What’s going on here?” she asked, waving her hand at us, her brow furrowed.

I stiffened. It hadn’t occurred to me before I’d wrapped myself around Asher that we’d yet to tell his family we were together. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be mad at me for jumping the gun.

“We’re dating,” Asher said, staring blankly at the charred front of his home. “We were going to tell you later today.”

---