Page 11 of Caden

“That bastard,” I growl.

As we pile out of the engine, I see Ruby standing on the curb, Gram at her heel. Pink toes catch the light because of course she’s not wearing any fucking shoes. But I’m too relieved she’s not harmed to be irritated about it. All I want to do is run up to her and hold her tight, but I force myself to focus on eliminating the danger first. It’s what I’m trained to do. I snap into action with the rest of the crew.

7

RUBY

I’m so fuckingmad right now, I could scream.

But I’m also incredibly relieved Gram woke me up and alerted me to the fire in my backyard garden before it had a chance to spread to the house. “You’re such a good boy, Gram.” My legs finally give out and I crumble onto the grass beside the front curb, tugging Gram into my lap. “You’re getting all the treats. All the time. I don’t care what Marshall says.”

The fire is out within minutes.

I don’t have the energy or desire to see the ruins of a garden Grandma Judy has cultivated for decades. I’ll face that horror show in the morning.

“Ms. McCray?” Nathan Walker, the police chief, approaches.

“Hey, Chief.” Knox, the fire chief, is close behind him. “And Chief.” In another set of circumstances, maybe that’d be funny. I guess I let out something resembling a laugh, because both men look at me funny. “What’s up?”

“Do you know how the fire started?” Nathan asks.

“I think?—”

“I know who did this.” My heart stalls at the sound of Caden’s deep voice as he joins the group.

“You think someonesetthe fire?” Knox asks, eyebrows drawn in challenge.

“I do too,” I agree, knowing in my gut this wasn’t some freak accident. I hadn’t been in the backyard tonight to use the fire pit or even light a citronella candle. Because I have Gram, who tends to get the zoomies when he’s over, I purposely avoided anything with flames.

I try to stand, but my legs are wobbly. Caden holds me up by the elbow, and I don’t shrug away his touch despite the audience. I’m too tired to pretend I don’t find his protectiveness comforting, but I barely manage not to fall into his arms and sob. I do, however, experience a full body shiver that my thin t-shirt does little to ward against.

Caden pulls off his jacket and drapes it over my shoulders, escorting me to the fire engine. I collapse on a metal step as the group of men gathers around me. Gram stays close by my side, and I stroke his fur while I fill the crew in about my ex showing up unexpectedly at the bar and how not pleased he was to be eighty-sixed.

“What makes you think he’d start your garden on fire?” Nathan asks.

“I used to work for Anthony’s parents at their landscaping business in the city,” I explain, annoyed and exhausted that my past has followed me to my hometown. “He knows how much I love my garden, and he’s pissed that I turned down his job offer.”

“He ever do something like this before?” Nathan asks.

I can feel the weight of Caden’s gaze, but I keep my eyes fixed on the loveable furball who’s pressing all his weight against my legs. Gram’s way of offering comfort. “Nothing this crazy,” I admit. “But I can’t say that I’m surprised. He tends to throw tantrums when he doesn’t get his way.” Judging by the size of his offer, I’m guessing Mommy and Daddy told him not to come back without me. Anthony probably undid all my hard work and ran that place into the ground.

“Christ,” Caden mutters under his breath. For Anthony’s sake, it’s probably a good thing he ran off. I suspect an arrest would be the kindest thing that could befall him right now. If Caden was to find him before the police chief…

“Do you have any cameras or anything?” Knox asks.

“Actually, yeah.”

“Can you show me?” Nathan asks.

I’m wiped, and I know if I asked, he’d allowed me to wait until tomorrow to retrieve the footage. But it’s not as though I’ll sleep tonight anyway. With the ass wipe still out there, it’s not wise to let down my guard. I always considered Anthony mostly harmless. But I’ve seen his unhinged side a time or two. And I suspect he’s feeling some pressure from his parents about right now, making it even worse. I feel sick for not recognizing this for what it was earlier. “Yeah, I can get the footage.”

Because Nathan is summoned by his dispatcher the moment I stand up, Caden volunteers to accompany me inside. Any other time, I’d turn him down. I’m not some weak damsel in distress who needs protecting. But I’d be lying to myself if I said his protective presence wasn’t comforting right now. It’s all I can do not to beg for a hug.

“I’m sorry about all this,” I say to him once we’re inside.

“Sorry about what?” he asks, following behind me as I lead him down the hall to my office. I cringe, realizing he’s about to discover my unorganized side. My gardens thrive on my carefully planned organization and symmetry. My administrative skills? Not so much.

“I’m sorry my ex showed up and?—”

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