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

EIGHT

A melia’s words echoed in his ears. The breakfast tasted sour in his mouth, and a few of the others shot him glances. He knew she’d gone outside.

Kane nudged him. “You aren’t going to figure it out unless you talk to her.”

They’d gone over the entire relationship in the past few days. Kane knew more than anyone, because his cousin was his best friend and more like a brother. Even when he’d “lost” him when Kane had supposedly been killed in action, he hadn’t let the other man go. They’d found a way to communicate.

“I know. Thanks.” Ridge pushed his chair back and went to the entrance. Did thanks even cover it? Thank You.

Sandra, at the front desk, pointed to the door. “She went outside.”

Ridge went that way, not sure how this would go. Amelia was mad, and there was nothing he could do about it when he was part of the problem. It could seem more like rubbing salt in the wound.

He pushed open the door and heard an odd, muffled cry. She was on the ground with two guys on her. “Amelia!” Before the door closed, Ridge yelled, “Call 911!”

He ran for the two men on top of Amelia, who were holding her down. “Hey!”

He kicked at one, who stumbled back. The other guy dragged his buddy to his feet.

The door behind Ridge swept open and more than one person ran out, their footsteps pounding on the concrete.

The two assailants turned and ran.

A group of firefighters—and Kane—chased them. Ridge raced over to Amelia, who was already trying to get up. “Stay where you are. Don’t get up.” He touched her shoulder and crouched. “Let Trace check you out.”

He wanted to pick her up in his arms and carry her inside. Did she need the ambulance to take her to the hospital?

Ridge looked at her face. She had flushed cheeks, and her gaze didn’t quite focus on him. Her breaths came fast. “Where are you hurt?”

“I’m not.” She took a breath. “I just got knocked over.”

He frowned.

Amelia reached up and pushed hair back from her face, got some small pieces of gravel off her hand, and brushed off her palms. He spotted a tiny wince.

“Trace and Kianna are going to check you out anyway. Whether you’re injured or not.”

Amelia pinned him with a stare. “Is that an order, Lieutenant?”

“It’s an order from your chief.” Macon stood behind her, his arms folded across that massive chest. The guy looked like a battleship standing like that.

Ridge felt like a tugboat being pushed out to sea. She didn’t want him to help her. Or she was so stubborn, so unwilling for anyone to see her as less than a hundred percent capable, that she refused to admit weakness. Or injury.

Amelia flinched, her shoulders curled in a little and her expression blank.

Ridge didn’t know what it meant, but it sure wasn’t nothing. He couldn’t ask because Trace dumped a duffel beside Amelia and crouched. “Make some room.”

Ridge got out of the way and wound up pacing a few steps. He spotted Kane and a couple of the others coming back, looking disappointed.

Kane shook his head. “They jumped in their car and took off.”

“Your bro here nearly jumped on the hood to stop them.” Eddie grinned.

“I did not.”

Eddie lifted his chin. “You thought about it.”

Kane didn’t deny that. Instead, he said, “Is she okay?”

Ridge made a face because he didn’t know. It was the same thing he’d been dealing with for months. Amelia’s inability to admit when things were less than optimal. Or that she had any kind of problem. Or that she had any kind of personal life whatsoever.

He’d thought he was making inroads a couple of years ago when she agreed to dinner and a couple of other dates. Now that he looked back, it was more as if she’d been testing the waters. Testing him. Seeing if she was comfortable. Baby steps.

As if she’d been hurt in the past and wasn’t confident enough to open up and risk it happening again.

Now that he’d seen a little more over the past week, he thought it might be something far worse. Whatever it was could very well be the reason it seemed like Truck 14 was suddenly the target of attacks. Or even Amelia herself.

If she hadn’t been demoted, he would probably have never seen beneath the surface. She’d cracked a little the last few days, and he didn’t like it. He wanted to help her. But Ridge couldn’t try to swoop in and be her savior. That was the Lord’s job. Help me figure out what to do. How to help her.

Kane stepped close and spoke low. “What did you see?”

“Two guys.” Ridge folded his arms. A few of the others had gathered around. Bryce and Eddie, Della and their chief, Macon. “They had her on the ground. One of them spoke to her, but I don’t know what he said. She was pretty freaked.”

Macon said, “The cops are sending a couple of officers. I’ll go check the security feeds and see what we can see.”

Bryce nodded. “I’ll meet the cops, and we’ll find you. What are we doing about Truck? They still have eight hours on their shift.”

“I’ll call and get a floater to replace Amelia for the rest of the shift. She’s done for today.” Macon wandered off, looking as unhappy about this as Ridge.

The others dispersed.

Kane didn’t move. “She’s in danger?”

“You were looking for a job.”

Kane grinned. “Protection detail? Turns out I’ve got plenty of experience with that.”

“She’s never gonna go for it.”

“Maybe she doesn’t have to know.”

Ridge winced. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Maybe you don’t have to know.”

“I know.”

“You do? I’m leaving.” Kane clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll see you later, maybe. Gotta do a thing. See a guy…about the thing. Find my girl. Hang out.”

Right. “I know what you’re going to do.”

Namely, sit in his car until Amelia left for the day, and then follow her so he could watch out for her. Gather intel on Ridge’s coworker. The woman he’d had a thing for all this time. For far too long.

Ridge shook his head. “Maybe I should’ve given up the idea of me and Amelia a long time ago. Hanging on like this isn’t healthy. I’m spinning in circles, putting my life on hold for a woman.”

“Hmm. Turns out I know what that’s like as well.” Kane stuck his hands in his jeans pockets, his elbows splayed out. “Hanging on, friends for years. Working together. Wanting more but knowing it’s not the right time.”

Ridge said, “I know you do.”

“‘I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.’”

“I’m not waiting for Him,” Ridge pointed out. “I’m waiting for Amelia.”

Kane smiled. “But where is your hope? Is it in her, or is it in Jesus?”

“Ouch. Fine.” Ridge blew out a breath. “Do whatever you’re gonna do. I need to finish my shift.”

Bryce walked over from the curb with Anthony Thomas, a local PD officer, and Olivia Tazwell.

“Don’t worry, I will do whatever I’m gonna do.”

Ridge wasn’t sure it was the best plan, but there had to be a reason he had all these resources in his life. Trained former-military soldiers. Operators. Spies. Investigators. Why not use what God had given him?

He had a feeling that before this situation was over, they might need all the help they could get.

“Hey.” Officer Thomas held his hand out, and Ridge shook with him. He would’ve introduced his cousin, but Kane had slipped away, remaining anonymous. “Tazwell is going to speak with Patterson. I’d like you to run through what you saw happen.”

Bryce said, “They took Amelia to the Truck lieutenant’s office, so you can use mine.”

“Thanks.” Ridge showed Officer Thomas the way. By the time they were done talking, Amelia had already left. He found Zack in the kitchen, cleaning up. “Is Trace around?”

“The ambulance got called out. The floater is here, in case Truck 14 gets a call.”

“Thanks.” Ridge didn’t care what the implication was, he just spat out the question. “How was Amelia?”

“Shaken up, not that she’d ever admit that.” Zack tossed the wipe he’d used on the counter in the trash and washed his hands. “Bruises. Trace didn’t give a lot of detail, but he wasn’t happy. No one was. Probably because it happened right under our noses.”

“What about surveillance? The chief said he was going to check the cameras.”

“Can’t see their faces. But there were two guys, and they shoved her down.” Zack got two water bottles from the fridge and tossed one to Ridge as he came over. “Let’s hit the gym. You look like you need to bench-press something heavy.”

“I really do.”

Ridge worked off his frustration with the barbell, focusing on the physical strength he needed for this job until his shift ended.

He ignored his phone, prayed for Amelia, and then set aside everything his mind wanted to go around and around on.

When the twenty-four-hour shift ended, he walked outside to his truck and checked his phone once he was in the driver’s seat.

A text from Kane came first.

Kane

Dude. Followed her to her house. Du

de.

A series of GIFs followed it, images of rich people in their houses. Lying by a pool. Wearing fancy clothes and drinking cocktails.

Ridge called his cousin and pulled out of his space, onto the street. When Kane answered, Ridge said, “What are you telling me?”

“I’m going to send you the address.”

Ridge hit the turn signal. “Why would I need it?”

“Because you’re gonna come over and talk to her.”

“Why—”

Maria cut him off. “Ridge, she has a piece of particleboard. She’s trying to board up a broken window, but she keeps having to put it down so she can clutch her side, like she’s in pain.”

And they didn’t want her to know they were watching her, so they hadn’t gone to help.

“Fine. Send me the address.” They had to be exaggerating about the fancy house. That didn’t fit Amelia at all. He highly doubted she lived in some rich neighborhood.

“Good,” Maria said. “She needs help, even if she won’t admit it.”

“She won’t like me showing up.” He pulled up to a stoplight and tapped the address, which opened the app for directions. “She might send me packing and never speak to me again.”

“So be charming,” Kane suggested.

Ridge frowned. “I’d rather hear from Maria what worked for her.”

He heard Kane’s girlfriend chuckle quietly. “Well, Kane is very charming.”

“Thank you.”

Ridge smiled, heading for Amelia’s neighborhood. He knew that area but didn’t go there much. It was on the edge of the coverage area for Eastside Firehouse.

Maria said, “He stuck with me. We were friends for two years, and I can’t imagine spending that much time with anyone else. When it came to falling in love, it just seemed…inevitable.”

“Is that how you feel about Amelia?” Kane asked.

“The question is how she feels about me.” Ridge already knew how he felt about her.

That wasn’t the issue here. Nor was the fact that staying in Last Chance County because she gave him a reason to would solve the twins’ problems as well as his.

So not the issue. Seemed like it would work out great for everyone.

But was him—and the twins—sticking around the best thing for Amelia?

“If she lets you help her,” Kane said, “then we’ll take off. But we’ll stick around a bit just in case she kicks you out.”

“Thanks, guys.” He didn’t want them to put their lives on hold to help him, but he was grateful they’d given up one day to make sure Amelia was safe. “I appreciate it.”

“Bro, we’re family.” Kane hung up the phone.

Ridge spotted his cousin’s car but drove by and pulled into the driveway for Amelia’s house.

Scratch that.

Amelia’s mansion .

His foot slipped off the gas halfway down the long drive, and the car slowed while he gaped at the stone structure.

This house had belonged to the former chief who had terrorized the town.

This place was where high school kids came to cause trouble, daring each other to sneak in after dark.

As if the house might actually be haunted or something ridiculous like that.

What was Amelia doing living here?