Page 44 of Fire and Icing (The Firemen of Waterford TN #1)

Dustin

I would travel to the ends of the earth to find you,

because you’re a part of me now …

~ S. M. Soto

I never thought I’d see the day I was riding an ATV, herding cattle.

Patrick, Greyson and I showed up at dawn on our day off to help Cody and his family move the herd to the summer pasture.

We sorted the cattle, and now we’re riding along, flanking the herd as the animals meander at a pace that makes me wonder why I’m on anything with a motor.

It’s slow. The sun is high and we’re about to break for lunch.

Two cowhands stay with the grazing herd.

We dismount from our ATVs and meet Cody’s mom when she pulls up in a pickup towing a trailer. She sets out a meal and we dig in.

“Dustin?” Patrick pulls me aside.

“Yeah?”

“I think you should share your big news with Grey and Cody.”

“I don’t know.”

He nods, indicating he’s sure I should. Then he tips his chin in the direction where Cody and Greyson are leaned back against the side of the pickup eating their sandwiches.

I walk over toward them, still unsure about whether or how to insert myself into their conversation.

“Dustin’s got some news, guys,” Patrick says from behind me.

So much for uncertainty.

“Yeah? What is it?” Cody asks.

“Well, after the gig a few weeks ago, a guy from Nashville approached me. We talked. He wants me to come record a demo.”

“What?” Cody says loudly. “You’re kidding! That’s incredible!” Then he whoops and steps in to hug me and clap me on the back. “Well, remember us little people when you’re hitting the big time.”

“It’s just a demo,” I say.

“Good job, Rookie,” Greyson says. “You’ve got what it takes. Congratulations.”

“Thanks, Greyson.”

“So, tell us everything,” Cody says. “Man, oh man. This is huge. How did you not talk about this sooner?”

“I’ve been … getting used to the idea.”

“Heck, yeah,” Cody says. “Dustin Reed. Remember that name, boys.”

“We’ll remember it because we see it every day on the roster at the station,” Greyson says.

“Nah,” Cody’s beaming. “When he hits it big, he’s not going to be fighting fires. Are you, Dustin?”

“I don’t really know yet.”

“I do,” Cody insists. “You’re going places. You’ve got one of those voices that people want to hear over and over. And you’ve got a way of handling yourself on stage.”

“Well, thanks,” I say.

“Don’t thank me. Just get me backstage passes,” Cody laughs, but I can tell he’s not joking.

“Okay. I will.”

The cowhands whistle the signal that the cattle are getting restless.

We finish our sandwiches and are back on the ATVs for another few hours until the whole herd is relocated and secured behind the gate in their new pasture.

I can’t shake the way Cody reacted to my news. Even Greyson, in his own stoic way, was proud of me. Excited for me to have this opportunity.

They’ve got nothing to lose if I pursue a career in music. Very little, anyway. They can get another rookie.

We park the ATVs in one of the barns and then we say our goodbyes. Patrick hops up into the front passenger seat of my truck and Greyson slides into the back.

The afternoon is cooler than it has been all day.

A few storm clouds gather on the horizon.

I breathe out a long sigh as we pass grassy ranchland on a road flanked by fencing.

It’s peaceful out here. The only place that ever gave me this same feeling was the private beach on Marbella.

The resort beach is always clotted with tourists.

But the beaches on the North Shore are mainly for the residents.

Sometimes no one’s out there and you have the whole ocean to yourself, or at least that’s how it felt to me.

Patrick says something and I blink. I almost forgot the guys were in my truck.

“Did you get to talk to Emberleigh?”

Greyson just studies me in the rearview mirror.

“Yeah. I did.” I pause and glance over at Patrick. My face must tell the rest of the story. “She’s processing things.”

“That bad?”

“You know a bit about her past?” I ask.

I glance into the rearview again. Greyson nods once.

“We know everything there is to know,” Patrick says. “At least the broad brushstrokes. We’ve lived less than six miles apart our whole lives. Greyson and I are a few years older than the two of you, but we know Emberleigh. We knew Drew. We knew her parents.”

“Well, let’s just say the idea of me potentially leaving didn’t hit a harmonious chord.”

“Makes sense,” Patrick says. “After three of the most important people in your life take off and leave you, well, you don’t do well with people spreading their wings. Especially not people who matter.”

“I guess the good news out of all that is that I matter to her.”

“Obviously,” Greyson says.

The way he says that one word gives me a spark of hope.

I matter to her. This might not be easy, and it’s definitely not what I wanted to put us through so soon after we started dating.

But you don’t get to schedule when a music industry rep reaches out to you.

And this kind of opportunity might never come again.

“Give her time, Dustin,” Patrick says. “And a little bit of space.”

Greyson adds, “But not too much.”

“Yeah. That’s the plan. I’m just going to keep showing up. She’ll see my intention. Leaving her is not an option. Not even remotely.”

Patrick claps me on the shoulder. “You know, we could have gotten a different rookie. The position was posted to anyone who qualified. I’m glad it was you.”

Greyson nods once from the back seat.

I could have ended up at any station. But I landed here. And I’m glad I did. These guys have quickly become my friends.

“Me too,” I say, looking each of them in the eyes.

Nothing else needs to be said. We ride the rest of the way into town in silence. I put on the radio just before we turn toward Patrick’s neighborhood. And I can’t help myself. I sing along when Luke Bryan and Jordan Davis start singing Buy Dirt .

“They should have you sing that one,” Patrick says. “I’d pay good money to hear you sing that again.”

“Thanks, man.” Emberleigh’s face fills my thoughts—the way she looked when I told her about Gavin’s offer. “We’ll see.”

Patrick hops out and waves goodbye. Greyson stays in the back. I drop him at his place, and then I drive back to Mrs. Holt’s.

I’ve been dirty before in my life. Right now my dirt’s got dirt. I feel like a guy in a laundry detergent commercial, so I sneak through the back door and straight down into the basement to clean up.

Once I’m showered and dressed, I feel like a new man.

And I want to see Emberleigh—need to see her.

This is her day off. She should be here.

I walk through the kitchen, into the front room.

She’s not down here. Then I check the porches—front and side screened-in porch.

I can’t find her or Mrs. Holt. Maybe they’re out running errands.

A smarter man would text Emberleigh, but I’m not one to use my phone much.

Besides, I need to see her. She’s probably upstairs resting.

I take the staircase, gripping the banister and climbing like her room is on fire.

When I reach the top, I knock on her bedroom door. She doesn’t answer. I knock again.

When she doesn’t answer again, I try the knob. “Emberleigh?”

I say her name softly in case she’s napping. But loud enough to give her notice that I’m coming in.

The door pops open.

What I see takes my breath away.

All her stuff is gone. The room looks as if no one ever occupied it.

I run down the stairs two at a time. Mrs. Holt is just coming in the front door. I nearly run into her. I have to brace my hands on the wall over the door to stop myself.

“Whoa, Dustin. Goodness me.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Holt. I’m looking for Emberleigh. Do you know where she is?”

“Yes. I do. She got the call that her house is finished being repaired. She moved back home earlier today.”

My face contorts. I can feel my brow wrinkle.

She left without telling me? Is this her pulling away before I can hurt her more deeply?

Then again, I was out on the ranch all day. I wasn’t easy to reach. Still, she could have texted me.

“I thought she’d tell you,” Mrs. Holt says, shaking her head lightly.

“I’m sure she’s planning on telling me.”

“You’re right. You’ve been gone all day. I’m sure she just wanted to tell you in person.”

“Well, thanks,” I say. Then without wasting another minute, I squeeze past Mrs. Holt and head to my truck.

I’ll probably find her at the bakery. Yes. It’s her day off. But I know Emberleigh. If she’s emotional, she’s going to bake. And she’ll want to be around Syd. She usually pops in there on her days off anyway.

I pull up into one of the open spots and basically run through the door into the bakery.

Syd looks up from where she’s helping a customer.

“Dustin? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine. Just … is Emberleigh here?”

“No. She was. She left a while ago.”

“Okay. Thanks.” I turn and dart out the door as quickly as I entered.

Am I acting a little unhinged? Maybe. She’s here.

In town. She’ll always be here. I just have to find her—see her, maybe even hold her.

She has no idea how I feel right now. We’ll get through this.

I don’t know what the solution will be, but we have to find one.

And I don’t only need to see her for me.

I know she needs to see me as much, or more, than I need to see her.

She might have her arms crossed over her chest, but behind that she’s reaching out for me, hoping I don’t reissue the wounds others left on her heart.

I get it. I know her. And I love her.

I’m not like them. She’ll see that, in time.