Page 22 of Rescued Dreams (Last Chance Fire and Rescue #8)

TWENTY-TWO

R idge wedged the last pizza box into the trash, finally done cleaning up the town house. He eased over to the couch, slumped down on what would be his bed for the night, and let out a long sigh.

The doorbell rang.

He groaned and got up again. Given the state of things lately, he checked the app on his phone and saw it was Kane and Maria at the door. They’d missed pizza, but they were here now? Who was watching the house?

“Hey.” He stepped back, opening the door all the way so they could come in. As usual, the twins had upped the temperature in the house because it was chilly outside. They didn’t know he set it to lower dramatically overnight and then kick back on and warm the town house an hour before they woke up.

Maria came in first, then Kane. “Hey.”

“I thought you guys were supposed to be watching the house.”

Kane offered him a fist bump. When Ridge tapped it, Kane said, “Cameras are set. We’ll get alerts if anyone tries again, but we searched the place top to bottom. There’s no money to find.”

Ridge said, “And the other night?”

“We scared them off. If we’re elsewhere, we’ll get more information. The cops can use the camera feeds as evidence to make arrests.”

Ridge knew how to put out fire, save lives, and protect property. He didn’t know how police investigations worked or even have a clue what skills Kane and Maria had between them.

“Maria is gonna stay here.” Kane stood in his entryway. “We’re going out.”

“I’m so tired I’m about ready to fall asleep,” Ridge said. “Where are we going?”

“Out. Get changed.” Kane waved at him. “You need to look…rough. Being tired will help. You’ll look like you’ve been on a three-day bender.”

“Great.” Ridge probably had something older at the back of his closet—a checkered shirt he should’ve thrown out years ago and jeans he wore when he worked on his truck. “I’ll be back in a sec.”

He trailed down the hall and eased open the door to his room. The center of his bed had a lump, a form smaller than his, covered in enough blankets that there was only a small section of blonde hair visible.

She’d gone to bed shortly after they’d arrived, after just enough time to eat half a slice of pizza and tell the twins she would have more for breakfast. Apparently “everyone” knew pizza tasted better cold the next day?

Ridge wasn’t sure he believed that. She was exhausted from everything though, and rest would help her recover better than anything.

Ridge padded to his closet, through the bathroom. He changed quickly into a couple of things from the back, behind what he normally wore, and retrieved a pair of boots he’d had for years that he used when the weather was bad. He carried those back to the hall where he quietly shut the door.

Having Amelia in his bed like this wasn’t something he’d contemplated much before. Thoughts like that just got a red-blooded male into trouble he didn’t need to get into. Especially when he was living God’s way right now.

It wasn’t the scenario he’d ever envisioned, and she wouldn’t be here long. No matter what happened, he’d be on the couch until there was a wedding band on her finger.

Right now, his focus needed to be on making sure she wasn’t in any more danger, not thinking too much about kissing her again.

He knocked on the twins’ door.

“Yeah.”

Ridge stuck his head in. “I’m going out with Kane. Maria is here.”

Maddie’s expression lit up. “Sweet!” Both girls got up and came out with him.

Kane drove, which was fine by Ridge. The guy had a nice car. But Ridge still didn’t know what they were doing. “Where are we going?”

This wasn’t just about hanging out. There was something else his cousin had in mind.

“The cops have suspects, but they can’t move on them until there’s enough probable cause to get an arrest warrant.” Kane headed for the highway, a couple of miles over from Ridge’s neighborhood. “So we’re gonna see if we can’t get them some intel to run on.”

“You’re friends with cops now?” Ridge glanced over at his cousin, a notoriously solitary guy. Kane was the kind of person who had a small number of super-deep friendships. Once a person was “in,” they were there for life, and that connection was soul deep.

Ridge was the same way because it was who they were. It was also who Grandpa had been.

Kane chuckled. “I commiserated with them over the red tape they’re under. Kind of like military rules. Suggested I might be able to provide some assistance.”

“You’re a confidential informant now?” Ridge shook his head. “I thought you were gonna be a firefighter?”

Kane drummed his hands against the steering wheel. “I’m waiting for God to show us what we’re supposed to be doing. We have options, but what’s the answer?”

“Maybe it’s not so much what you’re doing but who you are. Could be there are plenty of paths, and there might not be one that’s the most perfect life you could live.”

Kane shrugged. “So focus on who I am, not who I’m supposed to be? At least that gives me something to do while I’m waiting.”

“That could be the entire point of waiting.”

“Even though we don’t like it.”

Ridge chuckled. “I’m glad it’s not just me.”

“You seem like you’re making headway. I mean, she’s staying at your house and not in that shed she lives in.”

Ridge had to admit that was true. “I hope it sticks. It feels…fragile. And there’s nothing about Amelia that’s fragile. But I’m just hoping I don’t do anything to mess it up.”

“Making sure she’s safe is going to help. So that’s what we’re gonna do. Plus, it’ll make you feel better.” Kane pulled into the parking lot of a roadhouse with a line of motorcycles in front. More motorcycles than Ridge had seen in the dealership the one time he’d gone to look.

With the twins in his life, he didn’t want to take that risk. But one day he was going to get one.

Now he wanted to know what Amelia thought of bikes.

“Coming here will make me feel better?”

Kane said, “Let’s go. Quit being terrified that something is going to happen to her. She’s protected right now. We need to see if her brother is in there and ask a few of his friends where to find him if he isn’t.”

Ridge got out of the car without telling Kane he was right.

Fact was, he’d hit the nail on the head with that one.

Despite being exhausted, Ridge would likely have lain on the couch, worrying what was going to happen to Amelia next instead of sleeping.

Either way, he’d wind up more exhausted. So they may as well do something.

A couple spilled out of the front door of the roadhouse, their boots clicking on the worn wood beams. The stumbling pair both wore jeans and button-down shirts.

The woman had tucked her fitted shirt into tight jeans.

She giggled, hanging on to the man, whose shirt remained untucked.

He grinned, barely noticing Ridge and Kane coming in.

After sidestepping the two, who continued on down the porch steps, Ridge and Kane went inside.

Music blared from speakers set high on the walls, an old classic rock song no one could argue with.

The place was packed, an ocean of denim and leather.

The sound of clinking glasses rang around him, and patches of floor were sticky when he stepped on them.

Kane headed for the bar, and Ridge followed him. He knew they looked similar enough to be mistaken for brothers, and that was fine by him. Kane ordered two beers, and they grabbed stools at the bar.

Kane turned slightly toward Ridge. “If I sit like this, I can see all the way from the front door to the pool tables.”

“I can see the hallway to the restroom and who is coming and going. Who are we watching for?”

Kane unlocked his phone and showed Ridge a photo. “This is the prison-system image the police have. Truth is, they don’t know what he looks like now. He could have a beard, and different clothes can be a disguise of their own.”

“Elam Hilden.”

Long blond hair about the same length as Amelia’s fell over the man’s shoulders, but that was where their similarities ended.

Amelia’s eyes had life in them. She knew how to hope and that dreams could be rescued from where they were buried and brought back to life.

He kept praying she would one day understand that it was the power of God that resurrected things, but she hadn’t embraced it yet.

“He could’ve cut his hair easily enough, but he’s kept it this long.” Ridge studied the image and the man’s dead eyes. The set of his jaw and what looked like the corner of a tattoo at his collar. “Why do you think he’ll be here?”

“It would take too long to explain. He might be. It’s not a sure thing until it is.” Kane took a sip of his drink.

Ridge did the same because they’d stick out if they didn’t actually drink what they’d bought.

An hour later, a group of guys came in the front door. Friends all chatting and joking around, each of them the kind of kid who’d be found behind the sports storage sheds at school, smoking weed and trying to convince girls to skip class.

Four or five of them, and Elam was in the center. Like a man recently released from prison with a new lease on life.

One of Elam’s friends collided with a guy on the way to the pool table. The guy spun around, about to give him what for. He spotted who it was in the center of the group and changed his mind.

Kane muttered, “Now, isn’t that interesting.”

“Maybe he’s hiring and you can get in the group. Go undercover.”

Kane said, “Why don’t you?”

“Because I’m not the superhero.”

Kane’s attention shifted from the men across the room back to Ridge.

Ridge could see them in the mirrors behind the bar, shoving people off a pool table and taking over the game.

His cousin said, “What’s that?”

“I’m not ex-military.” Ridge shrugged. “I’m not some bigshot, trained, kill-you-with-my-thumb guy. Even your fiancée is scarier than I am.”

Kane’s lips twitched around the top of the bottle as he drank.

“I need to keep the twins safe so they can make poor choices and never replace the toilet roll in the bathroom because they know they’re loved no matter what. No conditions.”

“You’re doing an amazing job.”

“I’m not the undercover guy or the save-the-world guy like you are.”

“That isn’t a bad thing. Knowing who you aren’t can be as powerful as knowing who you are.” Kane tapped the top of his bottle against Ridge’s. “You’re a humble guy living life, making his community a better place. People are alive because of you.”

He could say the same about Kane, but that happened on a much larger scale. Or it had, until he’d been cut loose into retirement. Kane needed a job in civilian life now. At least until next year’s fire season started.

“You don’t need to be something you aren’t. That’s not the guy Amelia is into.”

Ridge took a drink, one eye on the glass mirror. “They’re settling into their game.”

“Then it’s time to make our approach.” Kane slid off the stool, taking his drink with him.

Ridge left cash on the bar and followed his cousin, hanging back while Kane approached the crew that included Amelia’s brother.

Elam had his head down, his concentration on his shot.

Right before he hit the ball Kane said, “You probably didn’t play much pool in prison.”

Elam broke off from the shot and strode over, holding the pool cue by his shoulder. All of his guys shifted. He waved them back and stopped in front of Kane. “You think you can beat me? Otherwise, why mouth off when it only ends in a world of hurt for you?”

“We could put a wager on a game.”

Elam’s lips curled up in a sneer. “I’m gonna enjoy taking your money.”

“I don’t want money if I win,” Kane said. “I want information.”

Ridge kept part of his attention on Elam’s friends, just in case this went sideways. Who knew if the guy would actually go through with what he’d said. Ridge didn’t trust any of these guys. One of them could be the person who’d entered the training house and nearly killed Amelia.

“Let me guess.” Elam lifted his chin. “You wanna know about my sister.”