Page 2 of Rescued Dreams (Last Chance Fire and Rescue #8)

TWO

R idge dug his axe into the drywall and tore out a piece, confirming the fire wasn’t in the walls.

The fact that the axe had embedded a little harder than it should have was…

unsurprising. She’d dumped him, and there was nothing he could do about it.

What was the point in going around and around and never making progress?

Spinning his wheels because she wasn’t about to change her mind.

He keyed his radio. “I think we’re clear. The fire is out in the living room.”

“Copy that,” Bryce responded. “Same here. Let’s clear out and work on cleanup.”

“Meet me by the gas valve outside,” Eddie said over the radio. “Got something to show you, Lieutenants. ”

Ridge grinned, but on the open comms channel, he’d have to hope Amelia hadn’t heard that, or maybe she’d figure Eddie had misspoken.

Ridge had passed the test a couple of weeks ago and gained the rank of lieutenant.

But considering there were currently no open lieutenant spots with Last Chance Fire Department, it was almost a moot point.

He hadn’t even told the other firefighters outside rescue squad.

He and Amelia were technically the same rank now. They no longer worked on the same engine, and he was no longer her subordinate.

Another situation that had a resolution, at least partially. He could’ve used it a year ago, when she’d been open to a relationship—for a hot second—until she’d realized he wanted her to let him into her life. Then she’d shut it down, and he was out in the cold. Figuratively.

“You coming?” Bryce shoved his shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah, Lieutenant. ”

Bryce grinned. Ridge followed him out, peeling off the helmet and face mask as they went.

Life had always frustrated him. He’d never gotten what he wanted.

After this series of disappointments, he’d thought finally dating Amelia would help him amass some hope in his heart so he could start to believe things might be different.

It had been a year since that failed attempt at dating.

He just hoped going for a lieutenant spot wasn’t going to end the same way.

After years of being officially “dead,” living under the radar, his cousin Kane had been able to resurface. Not that they’d never communicated. Kane had figured out how to stay in touch the whole time.

Kane, his girlfriend Maria, and his Delta Force buddies had been wildland firefighters for two summers, but now the Trouble Boys had resolved the reason their Delta Force team had been forced to go underground.

Kane and Maria were headed here so they could all spend some time together.

In fact, Ridge was expecting them later today.

So what he’d figured he would gain from a relationship with Amelia had, in fact, come from Kane showing back up in the land of the living.

Hope, but still it was wrapped in disappointment.

Probably written all over his face.

“Seriously, bro.” Eddie shot him a look, his dark eyes flashing.

Ridge and Bryce were supposed to have met him by the shutoff valve, but Eddie had met them just outside the front door instead.

In time to catch the look on Ridge’s face that Bryce had missed.

“I suppose I have every reason to be thankful. It’s a beautiful day.

The sun is shining. No one was seriously hurt.

” Ridge shot Eddie a look, then pointed at him.

“You’re dating a movie star. Bryce is engaged.

Zack and Naya got married, and now they’re having a baby in a few months. ”

“And Ridge is still single.” Bryce clapped Eddie on the back of the head. “Have a little compassion, bro. He’s the last domino to fall.”

Eddie shrugged. “Okay, but he’s so sad. He’s bringin’ down the mood.”

Ridge walked away, not toward the other firefighters on the grass. He carried his SCBA face mask under his arm and set his helmet back on his head. His hair probably stuck out everywhere, but he didn’t care enough to fix it. He went to the valve, and the others gathered around.

Eddie said, “The gas was on when I got to it.”

And he’d shut it off, from the look of this. “Let’s go find out what happened.” Ridge swung around in time to see both Eddie and Bryce snap a salute.

“Yes, Lieutenant.” Both of them spoke at the same time.

Ridge rolled his eyes, but it was pretty funny. They were proud of him. His boys, his team. Zack was over with the others, crouched by Della Nixon. Ridge tried not to look at Amelia, but he scanned all of them. She looked tired—and frustrated. Join the club, honey.

Probably not frustrated about the same things he was though.

He hung back and let Bryce take the lead. The rescue squad lieutenant held out his hand and helped Amelia to her feet. Bryce said, “You guys shut the gas off?”

“I did.” Izan got to his feet, holding his hand out for Zoe. Della sat on the grass, sipping from a water bottle. The EMT was packing up his gear.

Ridge caught Amelia’s gaze. “You good?”

“Just got the wind knocked out of me when that guy ran out of the apartment.” Amelia looked around, and he followed her gaze, seeing a black-and-white police car pull onto the street.

Ridge saw her swallow, an indication she was nervous. Interesting. “Izan, did you see anyone in there?”

“The gas was off when I went in.” Izan rubbed a hand through his thick black hair. “I was about to start with the foam when someone knocked me out. They came from the hallway. Maybe they ran out in time to slam into you?”

Amelia shrugged. “I didn’t get a good look at his face.”

“The door was cracked,” Ridge said. “I figured it was you guys that opened it.”

Amelia’s dark-blonde brows drew together. “Someone deliberately targeted us. Or the apartment.”

“I’ll go fill in the cops. Get them to talk to witnesses and see if anyone saw anything.” Bryce wandered off toward the officers on crowd control.

Ridge said, “I’m going to walk through the apartment.”

“I’ll go with you.” Amelia peeled off her gloves and left them with her helmet and SCBA on the grass.

That left her in turnout pants and a T-shirt, suspenders over her shoulders.

Hair pulled back in a low bun so it didn’t get caught in anything.

Wisps of blonde that had come free hung on the sides of her face.

She was gorgeous, and half the men in the fire department had been in love with her at one point or another.

Too bad she was so determined to succeed in Last Chance County that she didn’t notice the attention.

But her determination made her an incredible officer.

He wanted to be as good a lieutenant as she was.

It was a large part of what had driven him in his training and studying to pass the test.

Not only that, but his life had changed in the last year, and he needed a greater income now that he had two mouths to feed at home.

Ridge went into the apartment first, then stepped aside and let her pass so she could go into the kitchen. She hit the living room instead.

Amelia stood in the middle of the room, now a bunch of black, scorched furniture surrounded by black walls. She stared at the fireplace, her hands on her hips. “The gas must’ve built up and then blown.”

“The pilot light probably caught with the fire.” He went over and crouched in front of the fireplace unit.

“There isn’t much that comes out to make the flames in a fake-wood unit like this, but if the gas built up behind the face plate…

” He looked at the switch on the wall—where it was supposed to be, anyway.

“I wonder if whoever shoved Izan turned the fire on and opened the valve. These things have safety features. They’re not supposed to just blow. ”

“Gas doesn’t turn itself back on, and there’s no question Izan turned it off if he says he did.”

“So our conclusion is that whoever was in here messed with it and deliberately caused the accident.” He blew out a breath. The same person had knocked her down. “Thank God no one was badly hurt.”

His faith was new, or old, depending on how he looked at it. But all his conversations with Kane the past couple of months had led him to dig his Bible out of the back of a cupboard in his town house and even darken the doors of a church a few times.

Amelia said, “Mmm.”

Whatever that meant. Ridge wandered to the kitchen to look around.

“Hey, listen. I didn’t really come with you so we could look at the scene. I need to talk to you.”

He turned. “What about?”

She stood in the kitchen doorway—what was left of it. Amelia lifted a hand and brushed hair back from her face, tucking the errant strands behind one ear. “I got a call. From the Benson Fire Department. A guy I used to work with—Julio Espinoza-Vasquez—called me.”

“Coda.” Ridge nodded. “We met him when we went to Benson last year to help them out after that huge fire downtown.” They’d been scheduled to go there for training as a collaboration between the two departments, but given what had been going on, they’d quickly switched to pitching in.

“He asked me to provide a reference on a prospective applicant.” She kept her expression blank, making her face unreadable. “You made lieutenant?”

“A couple of weeks ago.”

Hurt flashed in her eyes, but it disappeared quickly. “And you applied to BFD?”

“There are no open lieutenant spots in Last Chance County.” He shrugged. And they’d broken up—so what reason did he have to stay? Even his sisters were on board with the idea. Tentatively. “And they have a few positions. I’m still deciding.”

“Julio was nice about it, but he told me you should put someone else’s name on your application.” She winced. “I didn’t leave Benson under the best circumstances. To be honest, I have zero credibility there.”

“They asked who my former superior officers were. That’s all.” Nothing personal—just the way she liked it. Ridge was trying not to get cynical, but it was hard. “Sorry you got dragged into it.”

“I just wanted you to know why my opinion won’t help you in Benson. But I’m sure Crawford gave you a glowing reference.”

Ridge took a couple of steps toward her. “What happened to you there? Why’d you leave Benson?”

She shrugged, but the weight on her shoulders didn’t move. “I needed a fresh start. Fire is fire. Doesn’t matter where you fight it.”

“You’ve said that to me before.” Now it seemed a little too rehearsed. “But I’ve lived in Last Chance my whole life. Maybe it would be a good change to go live somewhere else. The Benson FD seemed like some really solid people. It could be good.” He stopped before he repeated himself again.

She said, “They’re solid now.”

“Now that you’re gone?”

She flinched. “I wasn’t the toxic one.”

He took another step toward her. “What happened?”

“I left. That’s what happened.”

“Why?”

“I wanted a change. Why are you interrogating me?”

“Because if I keep doing it, eventually you’ll tell me the truth.”

Her eyes flared. “What does it matter?”

She already knew the answer to that, so Ridge just stared at her. Wordlessly willing her to figure it out on her own.

“Whatever. Leave.” She shrugged. “See if I care.”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t go to Benson?”

“Not anymore.”

Ridge dipped his head and tried to catch her gaze. “If you don’t want me to go, then ask me to stay.”

She twisted to face him. “Do whatever you want.”

Then she whirled around and walked out.

Ridge watched her go, trying to figure out why it amused him to rile her up. Probably he just enjoyed torturing himself with what he couldn’t have.

Bryce appeared in the doorway. “That went well.”

“Swing and a miss.” Ridge mimicked holding a baseball bat.

Bryce chuckled. “Pressing her buttons isn’t exactly the tactic I’d have gone with.”

“I don’t need any more advice.” Ridge swiped at his forehead and realized too late he still had his gloves on. “Just tell me that the truck crew aren’t in danger. That they aren’t being personally targeted. Then there’s a hope I’ll be able to get some sleep tonight.”

Bryce said, “I guess we should figure it out. I happen to know a private investigator.”

“Fine, call your girl. Tell her we’ll pay whatever she charges.” He needed to know if their friends were at risk.

Because if Amelia’s life was in danger, there was no way he would leave Last Chance County.

She might have given him up. But he wasn’t going to lose her.