Page 27 of Ink and Ashes
Colson
H olland’s article has turned Ember Grove upside down.
It’s calmed down a bit now, but the majority of the past week has been spent responding to various calls from townspeople with concerns about the fires or people claiming they know who the arsonist is.
Our medical team has had double the usual number of calls they get in a week from people going after who they believe could be behind them, and we’ve been called to run interference for PD responding to disturbance calls a handful of times too.
The entire town is up in arms about this whole situation, and the only person to blame for it has been sitting in her room at the bed and breakfast doing God knows what.
Since I confronted Holland last week, I haven’t seen her.
I’m not even sure she knows what the response to the article has been, though I’m sure Cass has filled her in.
Dom and Liv both had a dozen questions about Holland’s past after I impulsively spilled that information last weekend, and I don’t think either of them have spoken to her since.
I admitted that I was acting rashly when I told them; that I did it out of anger toward her.
I also told them that whatever her reason for lying, she does seem like she’s here to help.
Dom agreed that she has good intentions, but I still think it’s going to take him some time to come to terms with her lie.
I understand why he’s pissed. It was one thing for me, someone who’s wanted her gone since day one, to discover she’s been lying.
But Dom’s been working with her for weeks—he trusted her, and finding out that she isn’t who she says was a shock for him.
Even if she has a valid reason for doing so, it doesn’t change that she’s been lying to him.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to find out someone I’ve come to trust has been lying about who they really are.
I haven’t heard from her since I left the inn after the article came out, and I’m glad about that. The less I hear, the more hopeful I am that her investigation is coming up empty.
That said, I’ve spent the past few days taking a deeper look at the files she gave me.
When I confronted her, I hadn’t known that they found two more candle wick tabs at the scene of one of the wildfires, and I’ll admit that it makes me question whether she’s right.
As stupid as it is, plenty of people put candles in barns, so finding one there didn’t surprise me.
For a candle wick tab to be found in the middle of the forest, though, is alarming.
I know campers who have used candles as a form of cooking in areas where they can’t build campfires, but I know better than to assume this isn’t connected to the arsonist.
Knowing that, I’ve also spent the past week preparing the team for the next fire that follows the timeline, just in case she is onto something. And if so, we can expect the next one to happen two days from now, on July first.
Canada Day.
Which only makes matters more stressful. Because despite the chaos currently running through town and protests from FD and PD, Ember Grove’s mayor has persisted that our Canada Day festivities continue.
Every year, the town goes all out for the holiday—like they do every other one.
We have a parade, food and merchandise vendors, live music, and more.
The events start at eight o’clock in the morning and last well into the night, and it’s essentially just one big party.
The whole town comes out for it, and on a normal year, it’s a great time.
But this isn’t a normal year, and with the animosity filling the streets since Holland’s article, I thought for sure he would cancel.
He has not.
Which means we’ve also spent the past week preparing for that. The fire department and the police station will both be part of the parade, and then afterward we’ll be lining the streets to ensure everyone is on their best behaviour.
I’ve been praying to a God I don’t believe in that everything goes smoothly—that we don’t get called to a fire, and everyone has a good time.
I have a feeling I won’t be so lucky.
The Canada Day festivities are in full-swing, and surprisingly, things have been going better than I expected.
The parade ran down Grove Street from ten to eleven a.m., and the crowds were more enthusiastic than ever.
Since then, townspeople have been treating today like any other Ember Grove holiday, laughing with their neighbours, sharing stories, and overall having a great time.
After the chaos that has ensued over the past week, it really feels like we stepped into an alternate reality. I can’t help but wonder if the lack of Holland’s presence has had something to do with that.
I’m a little surprised she hasn’t made an appearance all day.
Not because I was hoping she would, but because she’s inserted herself into every other aspect of this town, and I assumed she would do the same here.
Then again, maybe she figured after the response to her article, it would be best if she stayed away.
Smoke is thick in the air from the fires burning throughout the province, but that hasn’t stopped the hot July sun from beating down on us all day, not a cloud in sight.
It’s mid-afternoon now, and the streets have only gotten busier.
They’re packed full of vendors, and the department set up food tents in the park in front of town hall.
We’re surrounded by kids flying kites and running through the fire hoses while their parents stand by, laughing, eating, and chatting like normal.
Finn is currently giving his daughters and their friends a tour of the fire engine—as if they haven’t seen it a hundred times before—while the rest of the crew leads games and activities and hands out food.
Everyone is having a great time, and it’s as if all of the animosity that’s filled the town for the past week has simply vanished.
We also have yet to receive a call to another fire, and I’ve foolishly gotten my hopes up that we won’t. I know that’s probably not going to be the case, but things have been going so well, I’ve convinced myself once again that the timeline is just a coincidence.
That hasn’t stopped me from keeping an eye out for anything that seems out of the ordinary, though. Almost the entire town is here, which means there’s a very real possibility that whoever is behind the fires is too.
“Looking for something?” Newman asks from beside me. I’m manning the burger station with him, Finn, and Monroe. But judging from the line of people standing in front of our booth, I’ve been preoccupied.
“Or some one ,” Monroe teases, shooting me a knowing look.
“Sorry,” I say as I begin serving people their burgers again. The crowd disperses pretty quickly, and once it does, they turn to look at me.
“You good, boss?” Finn asks, returning from showing a bunch of kids the engine. “You have seemed distracted today.”
I blow out a breath. The three firefighters beside me are some of the most trusted on the team, which is why I don’t hesitate to lower my voice and tell them, “Just keeping an eye on things.”
“You still think an arsonist is behind the fires? Even after that article?” Newman asks.
Not only did said article spark fear in the entire town, it forced Dom and me to fill in the rest of the team on Holland’s investigation. We didn’t tell them everything, but they now know that there’s a strong possibility that this is more than just a theory.
“Yeah. The article was reckless, but there are signs that suggest someone is setting these intentionally.”
“And what if we don’t get called to a wildfire today?”
I grind my teeth together. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
The three volunteers beside me nod, but before any of them can ask more questions, a group of women begins walking toward us.
“Uh oh,” Monroe groans. “Here comes trouble.”
I glance up to find Marcy Blake and her band of fireflies—AKA women who would and have intentionally put themselves in the line of fire just for a chance to sleep with one of us—approaching the table.
“Buckle up, Lieutenant,” Finn says. They’ve all been around the station for years, meaning they were around during the time I was at my lowest. Which was also the time that I decided to give Marcy a chance.
It was only one night, and I made it clear then that I wasn’t looking for a relationship.
At the time, it was true. I was single for the first time in years and looking for a way to blow off some steam.
Even though I haven’t slept around since then, Marcy hasn’t stopped trying to get back into my bed.
“Fuck off,” I mutter just as the girls approach.
“Hi, Lieutenant,” Marcy croons, her eyelashes fluttering. I recoil at the way she calls me Lieutenant . The title coming from her lips sounds like nails on a chalkboard—especially compared to the softness of it on Holland’s tongue.
That thought has me snapping my attention back to the woman standing in front of me. Why the fuck am I thinking about Holland right now?
“Marcy,” I say dryly.
“How are you?” she asks, her eyes raking over my body.
“Busy,” is all I say back. She doesn’t know how to take a fucking hint. “Can I get you something to eat? ”
Her eyes trail over me again, holding on my crotch.
She smirks, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. “I can think of something.”
I cock a brow and open my mouth to respond, but before I get a chance, Monroe bursts out laughing.
“Girl, give it up. You look embarrassingly desperate. It’s been four fucking years—if he hasn’t caved by now, he’s not going to. Move the hell on.”
Marcy scoffs and begins her retort, but I tune out the sound of her voice when my phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket, surprised to see it’s Holland calling. Brows furrowed, I look back up at my crew.
“I gotta take this.” I turn to Marcy and smile politely. “Nice talking to you.”
She pouts, but I pay her no mind as I walk away from the tent. Once I’m out of earshot from the rest of the crew, I swipe my thumb along the bottom of the screen to answer.
“He—” I start, but before I can finish, she interrupts me.
“Colson? I need you at the inn.” She pauses, and I can hear the panic in her voice. “My car is on fire.”