Page 32

M y guess was right. It did take Eli and me most of the afternoon to unpack all the supplies.

In that time, I hadn’t heard from Papa, which meant he was still out there on the mountainside somewhere battling the fire up at the mill. He would have texted otherwise, because he knew how much Mom and I both worried until he texted he was okay.

“You seem distracted,” Kara observed as she returned with a tray of empty dishes.

“Yeah, just waiting on a text from my dad. He got called in for a fire.”

“Ouch, that sucks. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? I’ve handled the dinner rush before. Eli and I have your back.”

I shook my head. That sounded like the worst thing possible at the moment. There was no way I’d feel any better sitting alone in my apartment with nothing to distract me. “I mean, I’m already here. I might as well stay and do something useful.”

She snorted, her nose piercing reflecting the light. “You act like you live so far away instead of just upstairs.”

My eyes caught on some unfamiliar people sitting at a booth by one of the front windows. They were certainly from out of town. I knew everyone here, from great grandparents to great grandbabies. I hadn’t seen the two men before today.

I nodded in their direction. “Did Stillwind actually manage to wrangle in some tourists?”

Kara glanced their way. “Oh, yeah. I was surprised too, especially considering they’re not even from the United States. It’s an awfully brave choice to venture all the way up here when you’re not from this country.”

My brows furrowed. International tourists? That was definitely unheard of. In fact, I didn’t ever recall having someone from another country visit here.

“Do you know where they’re from?” I asked, jumping in to help her fill some beverages.

“They’re Asian.”

“What? Based on how they look?” I demanded with my nose wrinkled. The Sprite had overflowed when I turned to eyeball the two customers for myself. I shook the sugary liquid from my hand.

“No, because one couldn’t speak English at all and had his friend order for them. If I had to place money, I would say they’re Chinese. They have the biggest population.”

From China, huh? I mused to myself. The thought of introducing myself to them crossed my mind before I stomped it down. If Kara’s betting the odds turned out fruitful, it might not be the best idea. People from China were a proud group. They might not like the attention it would draw.

Since they’d already been served and were eating while in a deep discussion, I shrugged and wrote it off as a lost cause. They wouldn’t remain here for more than a day—no traveler did—so I’d missed the opportunity to speak Mandarin to someone other than my mom.

My phone rang in my apron pocket, and I scrambled to get it, ignoring the knowing grins from the customers on stools at the counter in front of me.

“Papa?” I asked, going through the revolving door and through the kitchen to the back alley for some privacy. “Papa? Is that you?”

I hadn’t even checked the caller ID before I’d connected the call.

Luckily, it was him. Relief washed over me before melting away just as fast. His voice sounded old and tired. “Yeah, it’s me, Sashka .”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. We got the fire stopped. There weren’t any casualties. Hannover is running the evidence we gathered, but from what we can tell, it was a normal fire.”

I leaned against the café’s back wall. “You don’t sound too sure about that.”

“Yeah, no. I don’t know. I’m tired. I need to head home and sleep for a while. I should be able to think more clearly tomorrow.”

“Okay. That sounds good. If you can’t make it home, stop by the café, and I can drive you the rest of the way.”

That triggered a laugh from him. “Little lion, it’s the same distance home as it is to your café. Besides, I would be without a truck come morning. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be fine.”

“Just be careful on the curve around Dead Man’s Pike. It’ll be getting dark soon, and it can be—”

“I know, Sasha Li. I’ve lived here longer than you have, daughter. Believe me, I know.”

I sighed. “Right, Papa. I’m sorry. I’m just—”

“Worried. I understand. I’ll be home in no time. You can call your mother later to verify if you want.”

“I just might do that.”

He huffed, grumbling about cheeky, pushy daughters before he ended the call. My grin faded as I stared at the mountain he’d had to drive so far up.

With a sigh, I headed back inside to keep myself busy.

“Was that yer daddy?” one of the patrons asked as he saw me return. The other solo diners tuned into the conversation as well. Most of them were old widows who always showed up and sat at the counter to socialize. They all knew how I got when my dad was out on call.

“Yes, he said they got the fire stopped.”

The one that had posed the question in the first place nodded decisively. “Good. That’s good to hear. He’s a good man, yer daddy. I’d hate to hear about anything bad happening to him.”

“Thanks, Hank.” I sent him a warm smile that had the tips of his ears blushing as he gulped down some tea to hide his discomfort.

“What’s with all the fires, anyhow, hun?” another inquired. He always called me hun.

“They’re not sure.”

“Hmph. I reckon we got ourselves a fire starter round these parts. Probably one o’ them teenagers that keep leaving the poop sacks on my front door.”

The old man beside him laughed and clapped him on the back. “Harold, they leave those bags of shit on your porch because you’re an angry old codger. Maybe if you lightened up and saw the good in people, they wouldn’t pull so many pranks on you.”

Their conversation devolved into either teasing Harold or theorizing why there were so many fires this season in Stillwind. At least the conversation was elevated from bunions and hemorrhoid cream.

I tuned them out for the most part and rang up orders. When Kara returned, I asked her again, “Are you sure you don’t want to go home?”

“I’m sure. You’ve worked every day this week, even when I’m here. Take some ‘me time,’ Sash. You look like you could use it.”

“If you’re sure…”

“Please, if Eli and I set the place on fire, you’ll know. The smoke will drift up to you first. Then you can come crashing down here in your firefighter getup like I’ve been begging you to do for ages.”

I tapped her on the nose. “I’ve told you this before. That stuff isn’t just mine. It’s the fire department’s. It all stays there. So don’t go starting any fires on purpose thinking I’ll bust down here like some superhero.”

“Meh, outfit or not. If you come busting down here like some superhero, it’ll be hot either way. Now get your pretty ass up to your apartment and reeelaaax.”

I rolled my eyes at her flirting. She flirted with anyone that caught her fancy and wasn’t picky about it.

“Watch it, Kara. I’m still your boss.”

“Ooh! You can boss me any day.”

I raised my hands in the air and made my way toward the kitchens. “I give. You win. I’m gone.”

Most of the diners at the counter bid me goodnight except for grumpy old Harold.

Eli looked up from the griddle when I pushed through the swinging door. “Calling it a night?”

“Yes. Kara made me take the night off.”

He chuckled. “Take the night off? It’s after seven. We close in two hours. Most people wouldn’t consider that taking the night off.”

“I would.”

“Of course you would. You’re a workaholic.”

“I am n—” I stopped myself at his raised brow. This was a conversation we’d had numerous times before. He’d win, hands down. He loved to bring my volunteer firefighter status into the equation and skew the perspective in his favor.

His lips curled at the corners.

“I’m going upstairs now. And I know Kara was just joking around earlier—at least I’m ninety percent sure she was joking—but don’t burn down the restaurant.”

He clicked his heels together and gave an exaggerated salute. “You got it, boss.”

“I don’t pay myself enough to deal with these two,” I grumbled as I beelined for the door that housed the stairs to my apartment.

“I heard that!” His voice followed me up the dark space.

“You were supposed to,” I hollered back at the landing. I took out my keys to unlock the door. It wasn’t necessary. No one could slip past with Eli prowling the kitchen, but old habits died hard, and I was a single woman living on my own. At a young age, Papa had ingrained in me that no matter how much I trusted the people of Stillwind, I would always take this precaution if I moved out.

I entered the apartment.

I let out a sigh at the warm, floral scent that greeted me. It felt good to be home before dark for once. Kara had been right to force me up here for some relaxation.

A small bowl carved from pine held my keys, but that was about as organized as my personal life got. It was hard enough juggling all the responsibilities of a restaurant with two employees. My orange Converse sneakers were toed off halfway down the entryway, my sweater landed haphazardly over the back of the worn, tattered sofa, and my hair pins ended up strewn across the kitchen island.

I scratched my scalp with my nails as I collapsed back onto the couch.

“This is heaven,” I groaned as all the tension melted away.

I reached for the remote to turn on the TV, not to watch, but for the ambience, when a loud noise caught my attention.

My apartment consisted of a combined kitchen and living room, and two bedrooms with a shared bathroom, so it wasn’t hard to pinpoint where the sound had come from.

I stared down the darkened hall that led to the three rooms I hadn’t been to yet.

My heart raced as I crossed over to the coat rack that never got used and grabbed a Cookie Monster umbrella. I wielded it like a weapon as I approached the hall that seemed to stretch an impossible distance, considering it only had three doors.

I chickened out before entering, slipping to the side and leaning back against the wall. “Come on, get a grip,” I whispered.

It crossed my mind to phone for help or, hell, go downstairs and grab Eli to investigate.

“No, Sasha. Papa’s had a long enough day, as have the rest of the fire department, and Eli will never let you hear the end of it if it turned out to be something stupid.” I gave myself a pep talk, squared my shoulders, and entered the hallway, the Sesame Street umbrella held aloft and ready to take on any attackers.

The bathroom door was open already, so a quick reach in had the lights turning on and robbing my night vision. I blinked and squinted, easily able to tell no one was hiding in there unless they were squatting in the bathtub behind the kitty and butterfly shower curtain.

I adjusted my sweaty grip on the umbrella.

“One down, two to go.”

Deciding to check the guest room next, since it would be a lot neater than my bedroom, I crossed the hall and eased that door open. It creaked like it was auditioning for a part in a cliché horror movie, not helping my nerves at all. I was so jumpy that I leaped into the room and knocked my knee against the wall in my haste to scramble for the light switch.

My eyes ran over the bare walls, the double bed covered in a Looney Tunes bedspread, and the empty nightstand. No one jumped out to stab me, so I figured I was in the clear.

After checking the closet, I trudged back to the hallway and faced the door to my room.

“This is it, Sasha. You can do it. C’mon. And now. Now. And… now.” My feet remained rooted firmly in place.

I shook my head at my overreaction.

“This is stupid,” I declared and decided to return the umbrella to the stand.

In the middle of turning, something loud crashed to the ground behind my bedroom door.

“Fuck!” I cried and bolted for the stairs, fleeing the apartment.

I burst through the door, panting and out of breath, immediately drawing Eli’s attention.

He dropped the plate and spatula to the counter when he read my fear. “What’s wrong?” he demanded, pushing his sleeves up to his elbows and marching my way.

“Up-upstairs. Loud noises. In my bedroom. Some sort of monster, I think.”

Without another word, he took me by the shoulders, pushed me aside, and took the stairs three at a time.

I bit my lip in indecision, wondering if I should call the police.

The revolving door swung open, and Kara stuck her head through. “Hey, Eli, where’s the food? Mrs. Carson and her henpecked husband are getting antsy—Sasha?” Her eyes scanned me up and down, then she peeked out at the diners before stepping fully into the kitchen. “What’s wrong?”

“I went upstairs to relax like you said, and there were these loud noises, and—”

Kara held her hand up. “Whoa, slow down there, Earnhardt Jr. Try that last sentence again, but maybe take breaths between phrases so I can understand it this time.”

I repeated my words, noting the sheepish look that stole over her face. She glanced down at her foot as she toed the cabinet she’d stopped beside.

My eyes narrowed into slits.

“What did you do?” I demanded.

She glanced up, heaving in a big breath to confess to whatever sin she’d committed, but she didn’t get the chance to finish.

Lumbering footsteps descended the stairs, drawing my attention. I turned back to the doorway in time to see Eli exit, cradling a little ball of fluff tucked into one of his elbows.

“I found your terrifying monster,” he rumbled, barely holding back his mirth.

The little black fluff sat up and blinked. Only then did I realize that it had eyes and could move and… had been in my apartment!

I whirled on Kara, pointing my finger in accusation. “This was your doing, wasn’t it?” I demanded, and her half-hearted smile spoke volumes. “Why did you put a dog in my apartment? Wait, how did you get into my apartment? I had it locked!”

“Fun fact,” Kara started, going for a joke. “Did you know that if you jiggle the handle to your apartment enough that the door just, poof, pops on open?”

I folded my arms. “No, I didn’t know that fun little fact, but I’ll be remedying that in the future. I don’t even want to know how you figured that out. All I care about is the dog that nearly gave me a heart attack. Explain. Now.”

“Don’t get mad—”

“Does anyone ever not get mad when someone starts a sentence that way?” Eli asked in amusement, chuckling as the little black ball of fluff jumped to lick his chin.

Kara tilted her head. “You know, that’s a good question—”

“That I don’t care about,” I interrupted. “Talk before Stillwind finds itself missing an art student.”

She let out a nervous laugh. “Well, you see… remember how I was complaining about needing more money, but you said you couldn’t give me any more hours?”

“You better not be trying to blame whatever this is on me,” I cautioned, folding my arms and tapping my foot that I just realized was clad only in a sock. I’d been so scared, I hadn’t bothered with shoes.

“I’m not! Well, not really—just, I asked another student from my painting class if he’d like to move in and split rent with me. It solved my money issue. I didn’t have to get a second job, and you didn’t have to take out another mortgage on the café to pay for more hours.”

“I hadn’t planned to,” I deadpanned. “I’m still failing to see how this all connects to a dog.”

“His name is Terry the Terror,” she supplied rather unhelpfully.

Eli hefted the bread loaf sized dog up with a small laugh. “I think you mean Terry the Terrier.”

Kara scowled at him and opened her mouth before pausing. She nodded as her eyes flicked my way. “Yes, I did mean terrier. Slip of the tongue.”

“I don’t care if you call him the Duke of Earl. What’s he doing in my apartment?”

“Right, well, you see, it turns out that my roommate is allergic to dogs. Who would have figured? And—”

It was my turn to hold up a hand. “No, wait, let me guess. This roommate of yours is really cute, and you don’t want to find a different one.”

“Exactly! I’m glad you understand.”

I shook my head, feeling exhausted. “How long will he be staying?”

“Who? Nolan? Forever, I hope.”

I blinked twice before slapping my forehead. “No! The dog, Terry. How long will he be staying with me?”

“Oh, just until I find someone to adopt him,” she assured me in a rush.

“I’m going to regret this,” I muttered, heading toward Eli to scoop the menace out of his arms.

He snickered at my expression. “Without a doubt.”

“I’m going upstairs now. Unless there’s a fire—and that’s not a challenge, Kara—don’t disturb me.”

I trudged back up the steps, putting the dog on the ground. He gazed up at me with soulful brown eyes as I stared back.

I snorted. “I’m having a staring contest with a dog. Listen here, Terry the Terrier, we need to get one thing straight. I’m the alpha around here. The second you upset me, I’ll have you out schmoozing it up with the alley cats out back faster than you can say bacon strips. Got it?”

At my pause, his jaw bobbed up and down as he chirped a high-pitched bark.

I nodded. “Good, so long as we agree.”

After a more thorough search, I found that Kara had oh so helpfully brought along all his toys, bedding, and food. I filled the dishes up, placed his bed out of the way in the corner of the living room, threatened him with life as a stray if he got any slick ideas about sleeping somewhere else, and finally headed to get ready for bed. It was only seven-thirty, but I needed it.

As I washed my hands and brushed my teeth, my reflection in the bathroom mirror startled me.

I knew I looked decent. I had a symmetrical face, fine features, and the brightest aquamarine eyes of anyone in Stillwind. All of that was framed with lush, chestnut locks that glowed with a golden hue in the right lighting. I was pretty enough to make someone like gruff Hank blush on a regular basis, anyway.

Still, my face was sallow and sunken. My eyes were dulled from lack of sleep and cushioned by crescents of black bruising underneath.

“No wonder Kara put her foot down and sent you home. You look awful,” I criticized my reflection.

There was a reason I’d fallen asleep in the ten-minute car ride from the local grocery store back to the café—most of that travel time spent at the incongruously long traffic light.

I’d been having nightmares more frequently. They hadn’t been this bad since I was eight.

Running a hand through my hair, I sighed wearily and headed to bed.

As I turned off the lamp, I stared up at the ceiling and whispered, “Please don’t let me dream tonight.”