Page 11 of Into the Fire

Emery jumped a little. “Shit, sorry. That’s my alarm to go pick up June.”

Levi pushed back from the counter, putting his plate into the sink. “Right. Work’s not gonna finish itself, either.”

They both stood there for a moment, suddenly unsure of how close was too close now with that slight shift in the air between them.

Their hands brushed briefly as he handed her the keys she’d left on the counter.

He lingered a second too long.

And then Emery gave him a small smile.

“See you soon, cowboy.”

And just like that, she was gone, leaving Levi standing in the middle of his kitchen, wondering how the hell this woman, who hadn’t even been part of their lives a week ago, was suddenly under his skin.

5

Levi tugged off his gloves and slipped them into his black pocket as he stepped onto the porch, the hot afternoon sun glaring behind him. Dust clung to his boots, and sweat lined the brim of his hat. He rolled his neck, sore from pounding fence posts, then pushed open the front door and froze.

“What the hell…”

Toys were everywhere. Buckets overturned, books scattered, a rogue doll dangling upside down off the coffee table. Couch cushions were tossed, the shoe bin dumped, and it looked like someone had pulled everything from the hallway closet into the living room.

His gut tightened. “June?” he barked out,stepping forward, scanning wildly. “Emery?”

No answer.

He lunged for his phone and hit Emery's name.

Emery answered on the second ring, cheerful and clueless. “Hey! I’m in the pickup line and then was thinking—”

“Get June,” Levi snapped. “Now. And come straight back to the house.”

“What? Why? Is everything okay?”

“No,” he bit out. “Just get back. Now.”

He didn’t wait for her reply before hanging up. His pulse was hammering, heart in his throat. He thumbed over to his brother’s number next.

“What's up?” Jess answered lazily.

“Someone broke in.”

That got Jess’s attention. “Shit. You sure?”

Levi swept his eyes over the chaos again. “The house is trashed. I don’t know what they were after. June and Emery weren’t here, thank God.”

“I’m on my way.”

Levi called Gage Carter next, the town's sheriff.

10 minutes later, both Jess and Gage had pulled up. Levi was pacing the front porch, jaw clenched and fists twitchy.

Gage walked in, eyes scanning. “Damn,” he muttered. “Looks like a storm blew through.”

Jess whistled low. “Someone musta been pissed.”

Levi barely grunted, pacing past the mess. “I don’t see anything gone. But it’s all tossed. Whoever it was, they musta been lookin’ for somethin’.”