On Matt’s lunch break, he took a ride to his grandparents’ house up on Cherry Valley Lane. Their house was an old Shaker style with sage green siding and many yellow windowpanes—that Matt painstakingly helped paint. Rows of stacked rocks outlined the flower beds surrounding the house. It was only a matter of time before the tulips would be in full bloom.
He thought of how the pink flowers brightened the yard, then his mind immediately shifted to Shay and how she brightened any room she walked into. He smiled, thinking of their conversation the night before. The slight crimson that started at her neck and spread across her cheeks, the way her eyes bore into his, making his pants tighten and his brain think of all the ways he wanted to touch her, remembering how she once reacted so easily to his caress.
Then his smile faltered, remembering how the night ended. She was so damn stubborn, and it drove him nuts. If she would have set the alarm before going to the theater, or if she would just put up cameras, it all could have ended. Instead, he was on edge, hoping and praying that she wasn’t being targeted and if she was by who? What did it all mean? And was this intruder done with the games or just getting started? Was a few knocked over chairs and a dozen destroyed cupcakes as far as they would take it? Or were they more dangerous than that? Matt wasn’t stepping away until he had answers.
He raised his hand to knock on his grandparents’ door when he heard mumbled profanities coming from behind the house. With a laugh, Matt changed direction and found his grandfather having an argument with a tractor.
“You stupid, good for nothing—”
“Need some help?” Matt asked as he walked toward his grandfather.
“Only if you have a tow truck and you can get this hunk of metal off my lawn.”
His grandfather was getting cranky in his old age. He used to love to tinker, but when things didn’t go the way he hoped, he quickly got agitated and gave up. Four months ago, it was a fifteen-foot fishing boat that he swore he would trailer to Lake Winnipesaukee when the weather got warmer. Instead, after a month of not being able to figure out what was wrong with it, he sold it to the Larson kid down the road for fifty bucks.
Matt and the rest of the family were actually relieved. To think of his eighty-two-year-old grandfather out in the middle of the lake by himself, worried them all. What if something happened? The man was notorious for his hate of cell phones, and if he was on the water, Matt wouldn’t be able to reach him as easily as he normally could if something went wrong. No, Matt preferred his grandfather on solid land where he’d be able to get to him if there was ever an emergency.
“Why don’t you let me take a look,” Matt said before agreeing with his grandfather to throw in the towel. Growing up on a farm, Matt knew a thing or five about tractors. He knew how they were built, how they ran, and what was usually wrong with them if they broke down.
This one, however, was older than Matt. Basically an antique in its own right. Probably should’ve been in some fancy showroom in a museum if it was cleaned up and restored.
Nobody understood why Harold was so insistent on having this piece of machinery, but Matt did. This tractor reminded him of his prime when he worked his own crops and could do as he pleased without his body or mind stopping him. It was a way for him to try to recapture the youth that had slipped away from him quickly and unexpectedly.
The boat was the same thing. Matt still remembered long days out on the lake with his grandfather when Matt was just a boy before his brothers were born. How Grandma would pack a cooler full of food and drinks and lather him repeatedly with sunscreen. Matt would jump off the bow of the boat and swim for hours. Other times it was just the boys. He, his grandfather, and his dad, would go out for a day of fishing while Mom and Grandma spent the day doing things with Kate and Hadley. The summer days out on his grandfather’s boat were some of his fondest memories. So, while the others might not have grasped the bigger picture to their grandfather’s crazy obsession with fixing the old tractor, Matt did, and it was something he could appreciate.
“What seems to be the problem?” Matt asked.
“The dang thing won’t start.”
“Does it have gas in it?”
Harold narrowed his eyes and looked like he might smack Matt upside the head. “I’m old not an idiot.”
Matt held his hands up. “You’d be surprised at how often that is the problem. There might be gas in there, but if there isn’t enough, it’s not going to do you any good.”
“I filled it this morning. Try again, Einstein.”
“Let’s make sure it has spark. Do you have a volt tester?”
“Yes, and I did that already.”
“Can you just humor me?” Matt was sure his grandfather had checked all the basics, but it didn’t hurt to check again in case he’d missed something.
His grandfather turned around to a makeshift table made out of old crates and firewood and handed Matt what he had asked for. Matt hooked it up to the ground connection of the battery, then checked to make sure the points in the distributor were opening and closing properly. “Do me a favor and turn the key. When I tell you, press the starter.”
Harold turned the key and the tool lit up.
“Okay hit the starter.” The light flashed, which was exactly what should happen.
Matt continued to troubleshoot while Harold stood over his shoulder. Every time Matt would do something, Harold would chime in with, “I already did that.”
Fifteen minutes later, Matt determined it was the coil. “You can go down to Charlie’s Garage and see if he can order you one. I’ll put it in when you get it,” Matt said.
“I can handle it,” Harold grumbled.
“Then I’ll come over and assist.” Harold might have been capable once upon a time, but Matt wasn’t so sure anymore. The older his grandfather got, the more forgetful he became. The simplest things turned into projects, and while it broke Matt’s heart to see his once vibrant, smart as a tack grandfather deteriorating, he was happy he got to spend as much time with him as he could.
The only regret Matt had was that his children, if he was ever lucky enough to have them, might not ever meet the man who had helped raise him. The man who helped teach him all the things he knew about tractors, boats, fishing, cars and girls, taught him kindness and respect, and helped turn a boy into a man.
A vision of a boy and a girl running through his grandmother’s tulips popped into his head. He smiled at the image of the little guy with the trademark Hayes boy’s shade of green eyes. His were darker, almost brown like his brother Mason’s. The little girl’s dark brown hair was braided into two pigtails. Her hazel eyes sat perfectly symmetrical above a cute little nose. She looked just like Shay.
The thought completely threw Matt. He had always wanted kids, and back when he and Shay were young and naïve they’d talked about having a family together, but that was ages ago. Things had changed. She’d left. He’d stayed. But she was back now. Things could easily change again if she was willing to take a risk on a small-town Sheriff, who could never give her the fancy city life she was used to, but who would love her with every ounce of his being? Who would stay up late helping her frost cupcakes so she didn’t miss a deadline? Carry her to bed when her feet hurt from being on them all day? Who would wipe her tears when she was sad and laugh with her for no reason? Protect her from any harm and always be there for her until their dying day?
She had left New York and come back. Maybe this was their second chance. Maybe she didn’t need all the luxuries of that life anymore. Maybe she would be content sitting on the porch of his log cabin and looking out to the quaint lake behind his house while sipping a glass of wine, wrapped in his arms.
Maybe being with him would be enough this time.
Matt’s radio went off, and Martha’s voice boomed across the quiet afternoon. “Smoke detected down at the abandoned barn on Chestnut. Sam is on his way. He’s about ten minutes out.”
Dread landed deep in Matt’s gut. The last time he was at the barn, he was escorting kids out of the decrepit structure, and he never did go back and replace the lock. He hoped like hell there was nobody there. Matt took a deep breath, clearing his mind and focusing on his next move.
“Tell Sam I’m on my way,” Matt said into his radio. “Have to go, Grandpa. Call me when you get the part.”
His grandfather nodded. “Be safe.”
“Always am.”
“And watch out for Sam.” Sam was Matt’s best friend since grade school and was also Red Maple Falls fire chief. Growing up, Sam had practically lived at the Hayes’ house, avoiding his shitty home life and becoming as much a part of the Hayes’ family as a blood relative.
“Always do.” Matt jumped into his car. Matt was about eight minutes away and would probably get there at the same time as Sam.
Matt continued down the dirt road his grandparents lived on and took the first right that would bring him toward Chestnut. As he got closer, he could see ugly, dark smoke rising into the blue sky. Definitely a fire. He hoped like hell that the place was currently vacant.
The air grew thicker with smoke the closer he got, and by the time he pulled up, he could see flames shooting out the right side of the structure.
He scanned the property, and spotted Carrie Fleming off to the side, but still way too close for comfort, bent over and coughing in uncontrollable fits.
He got to her side, resting his hand on her back. “Are you okay?” he asked, taking in the black soot on her face, the sweat beaded across her forehead.
She looked up, her eyes bloodshot and frantic as she grabbed Matt’s arm. “He’s still in there. Please you have to help him!”
“Who?” Matt asked, keeping his voice calm so not to contribute to her panic.
“Jake. He’s still in there. Please. You have to do something.” Desperation and heartache consumed her tone, but Matt pushed aside the emotions and focused on what he needed to do.
He looked to the barn, flames shot out the roof, but it looked like it was contained to the right side. If that was the case, then there was hope.
“I need you to go stand by my car,” he said. “Help is on the way.” He went to run and Carrie grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his flesh.
Her hands trembled as she looked him straight in the eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “You need to save him. You can’t let him die in there.”
“I won’t,” Matt assured her and took off, praying he didn’t just make a promise he wouldn’t be able to keep.
Matt ran back to the barn and looked to see if he could find an entry point that wouldn’t put him in immediate danger. The broken lock sitting at his feet was an awful reminder that he’d never replaced it. He ignored the guilt bubbling inside him, and was about to enter the barn when a loud explosion caused him to dive to the ground. Flames shot out a broken window and Carrie let out a blood curdling scream.
The explosion could have been anything, but if Matt had to guess, it would be an old gas can that had been left behind. The smoke grew thicker, his throat and eyes burned.
Just then the Red Maple Falls fire truck pulled onto the property, and Sam and his crew jumped out. Sam pulled on his fire coat and yelled to his crew to get the hoses ready.
“What do you got?” Sam asked as he ran toward Matt.
Matt rubbed at his eyes. “There’s a kid in there. Jake Johns. Seventeen.”
Sam didn’t hesitate. He took off into the barn without a second’s pause before Matt could even say another word. Crazy bastard. Matt understood it was their job to protect, and he would always honor that commitment, but he’d also protect himself in the process.
Matt’s heart slammed against his chest as he let the fireman take over, and he prayed like crazy that if Sam did have a death wish, this wasn’t the time to cash it in. Time moved like molasses dripping from a tree, slow and thick.
A loud bang followed by a crackle echoed through the air. The smoke wrapped around the barn like a black death grip as the flames became larger and more terrifying.
There weren’t many fires in Red Maple Falls, but when there was, it never got easier for Matt when Sam disappeared into the darkness. He was afraid that one day he wouldn’t come out with that stupid smirk on his face and that no big deal attitude.
Matt was about to go in after Sam when he emerged with Jake Johns, arm draped over his shoulder. Sam removed his mask as they moved away from the fire. Both were covered in ash, sweat pouring down their foreheads.
“Jake!” Carrie cried out and went running toward them. Matt was able to grab her before she got any closer to the fire. Besides, Jake looked unsteady on his feet, and Matt wasn’t sure if he needed medical attention yet. One of the other firemen ran over to help carry Jake to safety.
An ambulance pulled up, and Cynthia and Devin, the local EMTs, jumped out and rushed to their sides.
“He needs oxygen,” Sam said, nodding toward Jake.
“What about you?” Cynthia asked as they lowered Jake onto the back of the ambulance.
Sam smiled. “I’ll be fine once I get this fire out,” he said as he ran over to his crew and started yelling commands.
Matt let go of Carrie and she ran over to Jake, taking his face in her hands then falling against him, sobbing into his chest. Even though it looked like it took all the energy Jake had, he held her.
“What happened?” Matt asked as Cynthia dodged Carrie to place an oxygen mask over Jake’s nose and mouth.
“I don’t know,” Carrie said. “We were just hanging out, and by the time we smelled smoke, the fire had already spread.”
“We’re going to take you down to the hospital to make sure everything is okay,” Devin said to Jake.
Matt saw the death grip Carrie had on Jake and looked at Devin. “She should get checked too,” he said, nodding to Carrie.
Jake’s eyes met Matt’s, and though he didn’t say anything, Matt saw the gratitude. He also saw himself. Poor kid so damn in love. Matt just hoped things worked out better for Jake than they had for him.
Matt helped Carrie climb into the ambulance, and then shut the door behind them, giving a wave as they pulled away.
He watched as the black smoke turned gray to white, until the big billowing clouds dissolved into the air.
Once the fire was out, Sam came over and removed his helmet, revealing the dark hair that was prematurely going gray in the front. It had been that way for the past couple of years, and while it would’ve bothered most guys, Sam didn’t care. Girls go crazy over George Clooney, he’d say, and I’m better looking. Matt always laughed him off—not because he was lying, since Sam never had a problem getting a girl—because of his arrogance.
Sam swiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. “Want to grab a beer later?”
“I have to go let the parents know where their kids are.”
“Better you than me.”
Matt smirked in agreement. “I’ll probably head up to the hospital to check on them after. How about tomorrow?”
“Told my mom I’d help Rick install a new dishwasher after work. It shouldn’t take long, but you know how that shit goes.”
“Raincheck then?”
“Sounds good. I’ll talk to you later,” Sam said, giving Matt a pat on the shoulder before heading back to his crew to finish up.
***
Shay pulled up to the hospital to visit her grandparents’ neighbor just as her cell rang. She reached for the phone, expecting to see her mother’s name flashing on the screen, so she was elated when her dad’s office number appeared.
She loved her father with all her heart, who unlike her mother, was kind and loving. Shay had wrapped him around her finger at a young age, and he would do almost anything to ensure her happiness. The one thing he refused to do, was to stand up to his wife, and it drove Shay crazy to witness a cutthroat business man turn into a coward where her mother was concerned.
While he would give Shay the world on a silver platter, it wouldn’t matter as long as her mother had anything to say about it. Her father would always bow down to her mother.
In high school, Shay would stop by her father’s office after school once a week and lie to her mom about attending an extracurricular activity just so she could have time with her dad untainted by the likes of her mother.
For those couple hours, Shay was happy.
She didn’t hesitate as she brought the phone to her ear. “Daddy!”
“Hi princess. How’s the bakery?”
“Good. Really good actually. I’m turning a profit and managed to cut my costs by three percent this quarter without sacrificing quality.”
“That’s fantastic.”
Hearing his enthusiastic tone made her heart swell. She always wanted to please her parents, but with her dad it was different. It wasn’t about feeling the need to perform to his standards like it was with her mother. It was a genuine desire to make him proud. And even though she was miles away in a place that he never much cared for, she knew without him saying it that he was proud of her.
As much as Shay hoped this was simply a call to check-in, she wasn’t an idiot.
“What’s going on, Dad?”
He was silent for a second before letting out a loud breath. “Why aren’t you taking your mother’s calls?”
Shay closed her eyes in annoyance. There were a lot of things she didn’t like about her mother, but the thing she despised most was when she used her father to get at her. It was a cheap move and completely unfair.
“Did she tell you to call?” Shay asked not even attempting to keep the hostility from her voice.
“Actually, this call is entirely on me.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“You know how much I hate getting involved in whatever is going on between the two of you, but your mother is upset.”
“I bet she is,” Shay mumbled under her breath.
“I know she’s not always the easiest person.”
Shay choked on a laugh. “That’s an understatement.”
“She is still your mother.”
Whether Shay liked her mother or not, she was her mother and Shay, despite her own reservations, loved her. “I know,” Shay said, her voice so small she wasn’t even sure if her dad heard her. “I’ll answer the next time she calls.”
“Thank you. I have to get back to work now.”
“What you really need is a vacation.” Shay had always been a hard worker, but her father put her to shame, working into all hours of the night.
“Your mother goes on enough vacations for the both of us,” he said with a laugh, but Shay didn’t find it funny. She hated that her mother reaped the benefits of her dad’s hard work without ever lifting a finger. It was frustrating, but not her place to say anything, so she kept her comments to herself.
“It was good talking to you, Princess.”
“You too, Daddy.”
“I’ll email you soon. Love you,” he said before hanging up.
Shay took a second to gather herself. Talking to her dad was the only time she missed New York. With a deep breath, she grabbed the sugar free cupcakes off her passenger seat and headed toward the hospital.
She reached the door just as Matt walked out. He stopped, looking down at her. His eyes were dark and red rimmed. Black spots marked his usual fresh clean face and he wreaked of a bonfire. Tired and run down, he’d never looked sexier.
“Rough day?” she asked.
He ran a hand over his face, smearing one of the black marks. “You could say that.” He nodded to the container of cupcakes in her hand. “Dropping off?”
“Sort of. I’m visiting Mae.”
“I didn’t know she was sick.”
“She’s not. She had her other hip replaced. I’m bringing her some sugar-free cupcakes, but don’t tell her that.”
“Sugar-free? I’m sure she’ll be able to figure it out on her own.”
Shay smiled. “Not the way I make them.”
Mr. Fleming, a customer of Shay’s who always ordered the key lime cupcake, pushed open the door. With his face set in a scowl, Shay decided it wasn’t a good time to say hello, so she stepped aside to let him through.
“Daddy, please. I just want to make sure he’s okay,” his daughter, Carrie, who Shay now realized he was holding by the wrist, pleaded. She also had black marks on her face and clothes.
“I told you to stay away from that boy. He’s nothing but trouble and today’s events proves that!” Mr. Fleming barked as he continued.
Carrie planted her foot in the ground. “I’m not leaving until I see him.”
Mr. Fleming turned to her, leveling his gaze. “If you go back in that hospital, you can say goodbye to prom and your summer vacation.”
She sucked in a startled breath. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me,” he said.
Carrie let out a frustrated screech, stomped her foot then B-lined it to the car.
Shay watched in confusion and disbelief. She’d never seen Mr. Fleming without a smile on his face. She turned to Matt, wondering if his rough day had anything to do with whatever that was she just witnessed. “What the heck was that about?”
Matt’s jaw ticked, eyes narrowed. “History repeating itself,” he muttered before storming away, leaving her more confused than ever.