Page 39 of Annika's Aurora

“To family,” Logan added.

“Hear! Hear!” Jansen shouted as they clinked glasses. They spent another hour at the table talking. Catching up. Reminiscing. Then a flicker of light caught Logan’s eye outside. He bolted to the front door before the rest of the family knew what he was doing. Ripping open the door, he found his truck on fire.

“Shit! Call nine-one-one!” He called to no one in particular, then dashed to the pantry to grab the fire extinguisher. He sprayed his truck until the damn thing ran out. Then he grabbed the shovel he’d left on the porch yesterday and started shoveling snow on top of it.

“Shit,” he swore again, remembering he’d left the supplies Graham had just given him in the back. He started to climb into the bed of the truck, but Annika grabbed him.

“Logan! No!”

“It’s fine. I’ve got to grab my pack!”

“Logan!” It was the panic he heard in her voice that stopped him. “Please,” she begged. He looked into her eyes and saw her fear. He hadn’t thought. He’d only reacted. Car fire. Of course, Annika would be scared for him. He hopped down and gathered her into his arms, backing them both a safe distance away as the sirens grew closer. He held her as the fire engine arrived, and they got to work dousing the flames. He held her until Deputy Ian McClintock walked over to get their statement.

“Ian,” Logan shook the deputy’s hand. They’d worked a few jobs together, so they knew each other pretty well.

“Sorry about this, Logan. She looked like a damn fine truck.”

“It’s just stuff,” he said, reaching for Annika’s hand. He introduced Annika and her parents to Ian and told him everything he knew.

“Heard you had an issue with Petersen last night. Think he’s capable of something like this?” Ian asked.

“Christ, I hope not. Maybe if he was drunk enough, but I’m not pointing fingers. The guy has been through enough. So has his daughter. The last thing she needs right now is to watch her daddy be thrown in jail.”

“All right. I’ll discretely look into him and find out his whereabouts for tonight.”

“Thanks, man,” Logan said, shaking his hand again. When the deputy left, Logan called Graham.

“Got a problem,” he began.

“What’s up,” Graham asked.

“Someone torched my truck tonight.”

“You call Ian?”

“Yeah, he just left.”

“Think it’s Petersen?”

Logan sighed. “I don’t know what to think. Ian is going to poke around a bit.”

“Good. I’ll step up the security around here. You take care of yourself and that girl of yours. Natalie really liked her. She even Googled her. I’m sorry for what she went through.”

“Thanks.”

“What,” he said to someone Logan couldn’t hear. “Natalie wants to have you two over for dinner. Let her know when you’re available.”

“Will do. Tell her thanks.”

“Sure thing. And Logan … watch your six.”

“Copy that.” Logan hung up with Graham and went to join the Northrups at the table again. They had taken a tub of ice cream out of the freezer and were eating it directly from the carton. Annika handed him a spoon, and he dug in, feeling overwhelmed with memories of the three of them doing this exact thing in this exact spot that last summer before the accident.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Annika said to him. “But remember … It’s a happy memory.”

He reached over and squeezed her hand. “You’re right. It is.”

“What is?” Johanna asked.

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