Page 35 of Ink and Ashes

Colson

W e’re about a week out from the next expected fire, so all our free time at the station has been spent preparing for that.

The whole team has been in over the past few days, taking shifts out at the locations we know are more prone to fires and making sure everything’s looking good.

Those of us at the station have been testing all the equipment to make sure it’s all in working order and doing everything we can to ensure we don’t have any surprises at the next call.

Thankfully, July tends to be a quieter time of year for naturally caused fires because we get the most precipitation.

It’s been raining for what feels like a week straight at this point, and while it gives me hope that the next arsonist-caused fire won’t burn long, I also know the weather patterns for this area.

After a spell of rain, the forests always dry up quick, which often leads to another spike in holdover fires.

Which means whenever the rain does end, I’m expecting us to have to split resources between multiple fires.

It’s hard to know exactly where will be hit, so I’ve just been hoping that the rain continues to fuck with the arsonist’s timeline and throws him off enough to make a mistake.

Anything to get us another step closer to catching the bastard who’s been terrorizing our jurisdiction for months.

I blow out a breath and focus my attention back on the clipboard in my hands. My team and I are doing inventory today, making sure we have enough supplies and that it’s all working properly, while Beau and his guys are out surveying the Monashee Mountains.

“Everything’s looking good, Lieutenant,” Finn says, placing the Jaws of Life back on the quint.

“Great,” I say, checking the list on the clipboard in front of me. “Clean up here and then we’ll move over to the engine.”

The guys do as they’re told, and I take a moment to examine the vehicle to make sure there are no visible problems. Dom will do a full workup of it later since he’s our apparatus engineer, but I always do a quick once-over for anything that might be alarming so I can point it out to him. Four eyes are better than two.

The guys head over to the engine to get started there when the clicking of heels on the app floor pulls my attention. I glance up to find Holland walking toward me, and for some reason unbeknownst to me, a smile fills my face at the sight of her.

I pass the inventory list to Hart, then make my way over to her.

“Hey. What are you doing here?” I ask.

She shrugs, a light smile filling her face too. “Needed a change of scenery.”

“How’d you get over here?” I ask, knowing her car is still stuck at Jimmy’s. Thankfully, it is fixable, but it’s going to take some time for that to happen.

“Mary gave me a ride over.” She shifts her weight from one foot to the other. “Any chance I can work up in the conference room for a bit?”

I chuckle. “Sure. Follow me.”

I lead the way up the stairs with Holland’s heels clicking behind me. When we get there, I swing the door open and flick on the light .

“This work okay?”

She glances up at me. “It’s perfect. Thanks.”

She makes her way inside, setting her bag down and pulling out her laptop and all the evidence we’ve found so far. I take a moment to admire her from the doorway, appreciating her organization.

“Have you found anything new this morning?” I ask, unable to help myself.

She exhales. “Yes and no. I heard back from the gas station late last night, and they sent the footage over. It confirmed that Tony was in Enderby last weekend and on the night of the barn fire, so he’s definitely cleared.

And the footage from the street camera outside the inn during the time my car caught fire was somehow erased, which tells me we’re dealing with someone who’s technologically advanced too. ”

I drop my shoulders, but the footage being erased gives me pause. It makes me wonder if maybe someone down at the police station could have something to do with this.

“Where does that leave us?” I ask.

She looks up at me. “I have a few more leads I’m following. Hopefully something will stand out.”

“Alright, well I’ll let you get to it. Let me know if you need anything, yeah?”

“I will. Thanks, Colson.”

My heart rate picks up at the sound of my name on her lips. After another moment of watching her, I knock on the doorframe, then turn and head back downstairs.

When I turn the corner, Chief Whitlock calls out to me from the bottom of the stairs.

“Caldwell.”

I make my way down to him. “Yeah, Chief?”

He jerks his head in the direction of the conference room. “Was that the journalist?”

“Yeah. She asked if she could do some work here for a bit. Hope that’s okay.”

“No problem. Anything new on the investigation?”

I let out a sigh and fill him in on everything with Tony and Liam.

“Damn. Watkins would’ve been my top suspect.

” His eyes shift to the conference room window, Holland’s silhouette visible through the window.

His brows are pulled tight, and the look on his face is like a lion looking at his prey.

It doesn’t surprise me—Holland is a beautiful woman, and it’s the same way all the guys have looked at her over the past few weeks.

But that doesn’t stop my annoyance from flaring each time they do.

Holland isn’t mine, but I don’t want her to be anyone else’s either.

“Keep me posted on Parillo,” he adds, pulling my attention back to our conversation.

I flex my jaw. “You got it, Chief,” I tell him, shoving the unwanted jealousy down.

He pats me on the shoulder, turning to head back to his office. I join the guys doing inventory again, stealing glances up at Holland once in a while.

And every so often, I feel her eyes on me too.

A few hours pass before Beau and his team return to the station for lunch. It’s Newman’s day to cook, which means a meal none of us like to miss. His food never disappoints.

“How’d it go out there?” I ask Beau as we make our way to the kitchen.

“Good. Everything’s drenched right now from the rain, so fingers crossed it stays that way. Lines are holding well too.”

I grin. That’s the best news we’ve had in weeks.

The guys all gather in the kitchen, but I continue to the conference room to invite Holland to eat with us.

“Hey,” I say, knocking on the door. “Lunch is served. Come join us.”

She looks up from her laptop, her cheeks flushing pink. “You sure it’s okay? ”

I nod.

“Okay.” She stands from the table, and together we make our way back to the kitchen.

No one bats an eye at Holland’s presence, everyone continuing on as usual.

Adler jokes about thinking she’d left town, and I introduce her to the rest of the crew, since she has yet to meet everyone.

I make us each a plate, then take a seat next to Langley.

She takes the seat across from me, wedged between Cass and Dom.

The room fills with chatter while we eat, and it’s the most relaxed I’ve felt in ages.

Holland tosses jokes back and forth with the crew, and through the whole meal, I can’t tear my eyes away from her.

The last thing I expected when she arrived six weeks ago was for my feelings toward her to shift so drastically.

I’d all but sworn off relationships of any kind before I met her, and I never thought someone would change that.

I had my person, and I lost her. In my mind, I’d never get that chance again.

Yet, as I watch her banter with my best friends as if she’s always belonged here, I can’t help but wonder if she does. We’ve grown closer in the ten days of living under the same roof at the inn, and every time she’s around, I feel like I can breathe again.

But she’s leaving once this is all said and done.

She’s made it clear that Ember Grove is just a pitstop for her.

That her ultimate goal is to return to her old life—or try to, anyway.

Which means no matter how badly I may want it to, nothing can happen between us.

She’s already broken some of my walls down, and I know if I let her in all the way, I’m never going to want to let her go.

I tear my gaze from her, trying to focus on the conversation around me. Ace is telling a story about the time Langley had a condom fall off inside a girl—a classic and one we’ve all heard countless times before.

“Let me guess. You bought extra-large to make her think you had it, when you really should’ve been wearing a small,” Holland jokes, her brows raised in Langley’s direction.

The room erupts in a laugh.

“Why don’t you come find out for yourself?” Langley teases, and another flash of jealousy sparks through me. I bite my tongue to keep from telling him to shut the fuck up, but Holland beats me to it.

“Oh, Ethan. It’s cute that you think you could handle me,” she purrs, leaning forward. Her gaze is seductive, and with a quick glance around the room, I know every man in here is fighting a hard-on right now.

Myself included.

I’m not even sure she realizes the effect she has on men. I know she doesn’t realize the effect she has on me. But fuck if I don’t want to show her.

Langley laughs the rejection off and the conversation shifts.

“So, Holland,” Chief Whitlock starts. “What’s your story?”

Holland’s cheeks flush a light shade of pink, her confidence from a moment ago evaporating. She pushes some food around on her plate, then looks up at the group.

“Don’t really have one. I was a pretty successful journalist in Toronto, but I needed a change of scenery, so I came here. Not sure where I’ll end up next.”

The reminder that she’s leaving feels like a bucket of ice water being dumped on me.

“What’s Toronto like?” Finn asks. “I’ve always wanted to visit.”

“Busy. Coming here was a shock to my system, to say the least.” Holland huffs a laugh. “But it can be nice. There are some neat places to go. I’d definitely suggest visiting, if you ever get the chance.”

Finn smiles, and she promises to make him a list of the best places to go.

Mickey pipes up next. “What kinds of things did you investigate back home?”

Holland doesn’t miss a beat. “Mostly politics. I grew up in a political family, so it was what called to me.”

“Who’s your family?” Chief asks.

I glance at Dom who stares back at me.

“No one you’d know,” Holland lies easily. If she gave them the truth, they’d all learn she’s lying about her identity, and nothing good would come from that.

“Arson’s a big shift from politics. You sure you know what you’re doing?” Morgan asks then. The room goes silent at the accusation in his tone. She’s already proven she does, so for him to suggest otherwise is a bold move.

Holland narrows her gaze on him, but she keeps her cool. “I’m sure.”

Morgan huffs, returning his attention to his food.

The conversation dwindles after that, and Holland stays quiet for the rest of the meal, her gaze scanning between each of the crew members around the table.

I can see the wheels turning in her brain, and I make a mental note to ask her about it when we get back to the inn later.

We finish the meal and tidy up, Holland heading back to the conference room to collect her things. When she comes down to the bay, she makes her way over to me.

“I’m gonna head out,” she says as she approaches.

My brows pull together. “How are you getting back?”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m gonna walk. It’s only fifteen minutes.”

She’s right that it’s not too far, but the idea of her walking alone puts me on edge.

I glance down at my watch to see it’s just after three, meaning there are about three hours left in shift. But it’s been an uneventful day, so I’m sure Chief Whitlock won’t mind if I cut out for a few minutes.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

I run off in the direction of Chief’s office before she has a chance to respond. I ask him if he minds if I drive Holland home, to which he gives me the go ahead with a quick nod.

I thank him before returning to where Holland is in the bay.

“Come on,” I tell her. “I’ll drive you.”

She huffs a laugh, shaking her head, but easily agrees. We walk out of the bay and make our way to my truck, then I drive her back to the inn.

“Thanks for letting me stay for lunch. Caleb is a good cook,” she says, making small talk. I want nothing more than to ask her about what she found today, but I have to return to work after I drop her off, so it’ll be better if I wait until I get home tonight.

“He is. I’ll let him know you said so,” I return.

When I pull into the lot at the inn a few minutes later, Holland turns to me with a smile on her face.

“See you when you get back?”

I smile back. “See you later, Rhodes.”

She exits the vehicle, then I head back to work. The rest of the shift is uneventful, and when six o’clock rolls around, I can’t get out of there fast enough. I’m eager to talk to Holland about what she found today.

Hell, I’m eager just to see her.

It’s only been a week and a half since I finally gave in to trusting her, but in that time—and even before, if I’m being honest with myself—she’s wedged herself under my skin. My mind is full of thoughts of her.

“See you later,” I say to the guys as I hop into my truck. They wave goodbye back, then I drive away in the direction of the inn.

Holland is eating dinner with Mary and Emmett when I arrive, so I take a quick shower then join them for the remainder of the meal.

When we finish eating, Mary and Emmett excuse themselves to clean up, and I waste no time turning to Holland.

Her expression during lunch told me she knows something, and I can’t wait any longer to learn what it is.

“Did you find anything new today?” I ask.

She swallows. “Yeah, actually. I do have another theory about who the arsonist could be…” she trails off, as if she’s unsure about this one. But something is better than nothing, and every lead is worth following at this point.

“What is it?”

She meets my gaze, a war waging in her chocolate eyes. “I have to warn you… I don’t think you’re gonna like it.”

That sentence makes me wonder if she had the same idea I did. That maybe this could be a cop. Which is why I say, “Rhodes, I don’t like any of this very much. I can handle whatever it is.”

She rolls her lips together, fidgeting with her fingers. I place my hand over hers, letting my thumb rub soft circles over it. She inhales sharply at the contact, but she stops fidgeting.

“What is it?” I repeat when she turns her attention on me.

She blows out a breath, then after another beat of silence, she spits it out.

And the words shock me to my core.

“What if the arsonist is a firefighter?”