Raising The Stakes (Heartwarming Romance) (13 page)

Voices came across the radio on his belt. He listened for a mandatory evacuation order or a worsening of the blaze and heard neither. It wouldn’t hurt to indulge Vivie a little now that Jinx and the other animals were safe. Speaking of which...

“I found Jinx.”

She dropped her shovel, spun and threw her arms around him. “Thank you. Where is she?”

He laced his fingers behind his back, striving not return her embrace. Her silky hair brushed his chin, her hug the best thing he’d felt in a long time. Still, she reacted in the moment. Wouldn’t get this close to him if her thinking wasn’t muddled.

When he forced himself away, a hurt, then confused expression crossed her face. “In my car. Ready to go when we are.”

“I’m not ready.” He wasn’t surprised to hear her say it.

“I’ll get a shovel.” He pointed to her toolshed. The sooner they got this over with, the faster he’d get her to safety. “In there?”

She nodded and returned to her digging, her cheeks pinker than before. Was she embarrassed she’d hugged him? Mad at herself? Both? Either way, he couldn’t dwell on it.

An emptiness drummed inside him at the thought. Despite his resolve not to get attached, he had. The more time they were together, the less appealing his move seemed. But his growing feelings would only make him feel trapped. Plus, she’d made it clear she wasn’t interested.

He shook off the unwelcome thoughts, grabbed a shovel and joined her. Time to work, not think. And doubting himself wouldn’t help anything. He’d made the decision to leave and he’d follow through.

An hour later, they’d nearly dug around the entire backyard and halfway along the sides. With any luck, the fire would follow that trail and bypass her home. He eyed the tall trees. A spark from one of them, landing in the enclosure or on Vivie’s roof, would render all of this pointless.

“We did it,” she gasped, leaning on her shovel. Dirt and sweat streaked her face, yet she was more beautiful than ever. She was a survivor, capable of a lot more than she gave herself credit for.

“Ready to go?” He shoved his damp baseball cap into his back pocket.

“Almost. I want to wet all of this down.”

He glanced up at the slate sky, knowing ash, not clouds, blotted the sun. “Not a bad idea. Where’s your hose?”

“I’ve got one on either side of the house.” She headed to the left before he could respond.

“Mandatory evacuations called for all areas—” He shut off his radio. After watching her work doggedly, without complaining, she deserved every chance he could give her. Mandatory usually meant they still had thirty minutes or so and he’d give it to her.

He raced to his car, got a quick update from the station to ensure the time window was right and returned to find her dragging the hose across her backyard. He hurried to take it from her, pulling it the rest of the way, before running for his. When he returned, she aimed the nozzle at Button’s enclosure, wetting the area down. He aimed his water at the ground before the firebreak, working his way carefully along the line, saturating it so that the dirt squished up, muddy and thick, around his boots.

When he glanced at his watch, it shocked him that almost an hour had gone by. The fire smelled closer than ever and the forest crackled faintly around them. Were they too late to get out? If he’d put Vivie in danger, he’d never forgive himself.

He joined her by the house and aimed his hose with hers at the roof. Water soaked the shingles, dripping off the edges and running down the sides. Another jet across the toolshed soaked it, as well, and he clicked off the latch, stopping the stream.

“Time to go, Vivie.”

Her arm fell to her side and she wove on her feet. “Is it enough?”

A plane flew low overhead, dumping orange powder not far from the property. He shivered. The blaze was almost on them.

“It has to be.”

She nodded and the hose dropped to the ground. He led her to the SUV, opened the passenger door, and helped her inside. Her head flopped back and rested against the upholstery. “What about my pickup? I should drive it.”

“Not this tired and with emergency vehicles all over the road. Your insurance will cover the truck if it comes to that.”

He jogged around the front and slid in the driver’s seat. More fire trucks roared by and stopped a few hundred yards up the road. His gut tightened. This was it. Showtime. If he stayed here a moment longer, Vivie would witness her home, and everything she held safe and dear, crash around her.

He wouldn’t let that happen. But before he could reverse, a flame, orange and bright appeared on the northwest corner of her property.

“There it is!” she screamed, pointing. Jinx leapt on her lap and pushed her head under the hem of Vivie’s shirt. “Please, no—”

He turned on the engine and backed away from the encroaching fire. If the blaze reached the other side of the road, they could be penned in.

“I want to watch!” she cried, but he accelerated onto the road, roaring away from the fire and all of the misery it would leave in its wake. Vivie might not agree, but it was for the best.

When he pulled up in front of Maggie’s house, he struggled to speak. How could he express feelings he didn’t understand? He and Vivie had fought hard together, their common purpose tightening the bond they shared. She was a warrior and his heart somersaulted as he glanced at her stoic face, her strength and spirit beautiful. If only he could hold her. Kiss her. Reassure her that she would get through this. She wasn’t alone because he’d stand by her.

Suddenly her friend ran outside and yanked open the door on Vivie’s side of the SUV.

“I heard about the fire and tried reaching you. When you didn’t pick up, I drove out there but some fireman turned me away.” She pulled Vivie into her arms, lavishing her with the affection Liam denied himself. “I was scared to death. I’m so glad you came here. You’re going to stay, right?”

The woman held Jinx and guided Vivie away, leaving Liam to stare after them. He ached to follow. Make sure she’d be okay. But he had to check in on the responders. See what he could do to lend a hand. He’d helped Vivie, and now he’d turn his attention to others in need.

Before they reached the stoop, Vivie ducked out of Maggie’s arms and raced back to the truck. His pulse sped when she stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his cheek through his open window.

“Thank you, Liam.”

He touched his face, marveling at the sensations washing through him. “I only did what anyone would do to help.”

Her eyes searched his and he struggled to breathe under her scrutiny.

“No. You always go above and beyond. And you’re not just ‘anyone,’ either, Liam. Not to me.”

Before he could respond, she bolted back to Maggie and disappeared into the house. For a few moments, his truck idled in the driveway as he sat, lost in thought. His chest swelled when he replayed her words. In his large family it’d been hard to stand out, especially as a twin. Being a marine had taught him the value of blending in, working as part of a team, not an individual.

Vivie, however, noticed him. Made him feel unique. Not the kind of person who slipped in and out of people’s lives without making an impression or leaving one. For once, he wondered if he might be missed when he left for his new job. Strange that, instead of the thought making him want to bolt, it had the opposite effect.

He backed onto the subdivision’s road and decided he’d head out toward Wendy and Steve’s place after he’d worked with the fire department. They’d probably settled Button into the small holding enclosure, but he needed to be sure everything had gone smoothly and that the fire wasn’t a threat. Vivie would want that. Plus he needed to get Scooter and bring him to his owner.

Another excuse to see Vivie?

Maybe.

It was growing harder to stay away. So much so, that he was over fighting it. He wanted to be around her as much as possible before leaving. If his time with her didn’t have an expiration date, would he be so willing to give in to his feelings? Probably not.

Luckily, he wouldn’t find out.

The ties that pulled him to Vivie were strong and undeniable. When he moved across the country, he’d have the space he needed to break them. She didn’t welcome his advances and he shouldn’t be making them.

Simple.

He glanced at the empty seat beside him, imagining Vivie there. Who was he kidding?

There was nothing simple about him and Vivie.

CHAPTER TWELVE

A
FEW
DAYS
LATER
, Vivie stood on the edge of her charred property, her spirit as fractured as the destruction she surveyed. Why had this happened? How? She and Liam had worked so hard. They’d done everything possible and it still hadn’t been enough.

A broad hand settled on her shoulder and she leaned back against Liam’s solid comfort. For once, her internal alarm didn’t shriek at a man’s touch. Liam had proved he was more than just any man. He’d fought by her side and respected her wish not to evacuate until they’d had no other choice. It had restored some of the trust she’d lost after her attack. All men wouldn’t force their will on her. Not Liam—this incredible person she’d come to care about deeply.

“You can rebuild.” His gruff voice sounded a breath away from her ear, sending shivers of awareness through her. If she could muster the courage, she’d turn and slip her arms around his waist. Bury her head in his chest and hope for his embrace in return. But what if she panicked? Rejected him again as she had the day they’d gone berry picking? It wasn’t fair to send mixed signals. His tender concern made her wonder if maybe, just maybe, he cared for her, too—ugly secrets, phobias and all.

“It’s all gone,” she said, unnecessarily, studying the skeletal remains of her burned-out farmhouse. The roof and sides had collapsed into the foundation. As for Button’s enclosure, it’d been decimated. Its tree resembled a charcoal drawing of itself, minus many of its limbs. A giant hand seemed to have twisted the metal fence and tossed it to the ground...proof that the world could marshal forces far stronger than she could stop.

Her insides quivered as she absorbed the implication. After the attack, she’d thought that if she changed her life, made it insular and secure, she’d protect herself and those she loved. Now she saw that safety was an illusion. For the first time in years, she felt scared. Vulnerable. Exposed. She tried repeating her survivor-not-victim mantra but the thought fizzled and died.

“You haven’t lost everything.” Liam rested his chin on top of her head and his arms encircled her. She waited for the familiar fright to take hold, but relief filled her instead. His touch silenced the screams within.

“What do I have left? Look at this place.” She gestured at the remnants of her garage, the scarred forest around her property. It was a graveyard.

Liam’s grip tightened and she snuggled against him, inhaling his clean male scent rather than the acrid air.

“You still have Button, Scooter and Jinx. They’re okay.”

True. She breathed easier as she pictured them secure in their temporary homes. But where would they go next?

“And you still have your diner. Maggie.”

The blanket smothering her spirits lifted slightly. Liam was right. She still had her accomplishments, her pet family and her best friend. Could she also count Liam in the mix? As a friend, mentor, or something else? She wished it could be more, but the scars crisscrossing her heart went too deep. He deserved more than she could ever give.

Maybe a friendship with him would be enough. “I still have you, too.”

Liam turned her in his arms and his eyes blazed. “Yes, Vivie. You do. You have from the day we met. I know this isn’t the right time to tell you, but—”

She put a finger to his mouth, stopping words he might regret saying later, thoughts she shouldn’t know. They’d torment her whenever she considered all of the might-have-beens between her and Liam.

“There’s a lot to figure out.” She forced herself to leave the warm circle of his arms and pick her way across her front yard.

His hand cupped her elbow when she tripped over a burned piece of siding. “Your insurance will cover this,” he said, his voice low.

She glanced up and noticed he’d taken on a guarded expression. Had she hurt him by not letting him speak? His bleak eyes suggested it. Her heart squeezed. She could barely accept her own feelings. Hearing his, whatever they were, would be too much. Especially when her entire life lay in rubble and ash.

“But it won’t be the same.” She reached down and picked up the bent picture frame of last year’s Christmas pet photo. Amazing that the picture, although scorched on the edges, had somehow remained intact. She studied her pets as they antagonized the Santa. Would Button be in next year’s picture? It seemed possible given her jaw hadn’t healed straight. They’d have to take the snapshot at home...wherever that’d be. Where could she live that would make her feel safe again?

Her lungs burned as she examined the area. She couldn’t shield herself from all the evils in the world.

If she rebuilt, another fire could sweep it all away. A flood might do the same. An ice storm had severe outcomes, too. She’d once believed danger lurked mainly on dark city streets. Now she saw that it flourished in the country as well. No escape.

“Do you want to go through it? See if there’s anything salvageable?” Liam’s concerned eyes searched hers.

“No. There’s nothing left for me here.”

Liam nodded. “Are you ready to go?”

Her eyes stung. “Go where?”

“Back to Maggie’s? The diner? The rehabilitation center?”

“You know what I mean.”

They considered each other, his expression thoughtful. “I’m sorry, Vivie. I know this is hard.”

A bitter laugh escaped her. “No one knows how it feels to lose everything until it happens to them. Have you ever lost it all?”

He lowered his eyes. “That’s a story for another day. This is about you.”

Instantly, she regretted her accusatory question. So much about Liam remained a mystery. What had he suffered? Survived? And how had he gotten through it? She filed her questions away. She’d ask him later—when white noise didn’t fill her buzzing mind.

“What place would accommodate Button and me? And if I can’t find one, what will happen to her?” Surely they were beyond Liam’s threats to put the young bear down...Button had made such progress. Was happy living with Vivie and spending time with her and Liam in the forest.

Liam tapped his chin. “Bill Bisso’s selling his farm. Wants to move to Florida to be with his grandkids. He might consider renting it to you until he has a buyer. With some modifications, his barn could hold Button until she’s let go.”

The thought of another loss knocked Vivie flat. Not after all this. “She’s not being released this fall. Not with her jaw the way it is. She’ll need until next spring—at least—to fully learn how to compensate for it.”

Liam blew out a breath and adjusted his hat. “Let’s not dwell on that now. Would you like to see the Bisso place?”

She followed him back to the SUV. “Did the fire go near it?”

“Not this time, Vivie.” He reached for her hand, holding it gently as he stared at her beneath the brim of his hat. She knew what he wanted her to understand.

Only she didn’t need the reminder. Catastrophes weren’t isolated events. They struck without rhyme or reason and she could do nothing to safeguard herself against them.

* * *

“I’
M
REALLY
GLAD
we’re doing this. Thanks for inviting me.”

Liam returned Maggie’s smile as they hiked then glanced back at Vivie, who trailed behind. Her rounded shoulders and jerky gait made her resemble a sleepwalker, and lately that was how she had behaved.

“Mount Marcy’s been on my list. I want to climb all forty-six high peaks someday,” Vivie’s talkative friend chattered. All signs of wildlife had fled the area, warned away by Maggie’s nonstop conversation. Funny how the quiet he and Vivie normally shared packed more meaning than this small talk.

“I heard this is your forty-fourth. Congratulations.” Maggie retied the leather string beneath her canvas hat and smiled again.

“Thanks.” Liam gestured to her pack. “If that’s getting too heavy, I can take more. Same for you, Vivie,” he called.

Vivie’s head rose but her eyes focused on something over his shoulder. “I’m fine,” she said, looking anything but.

If Maggie hadn’t been there, he would have pressed the issue. Gotten Vivie to open up about how she was dealing with losing her home and moving into a new one. Given her monosyllabic answers and hermit-like existence these past two weeks, he knew she suffered. Since she’d stopped wanting to take Button out, both she and the bear had seemed listless.

But he needed Maggie along. Asking her to join them had convinced Vivie to agree to this overnight camping trip. Now, how could he get Vivie to relax and remember her experience on Poke-O-Moonshine’s summit? She’d been exhilarated there. Hopefully this trip would help her recapture that feeling. Remember that life held joy as well as sorrow. You couldn’t have one without the other. And hiding away from it, as she did, wasn’t living at all. “How much longer before we reach the campsite?” Maggie leaped over a couple of stones.

“We should get to the dam soon. We’ll have time to set up camp and make dinner before nightfall.” He glanced back and noticed Vivie had fallen farther behind. “Let’s slow up a bit, Maggie.”

She followed his gaze then shot him a concerned look. “Okay.”

He propped his foot against a tree, fiddling with his laces while waiting for Vivie. What could he do to make things better? To take her pain away? Time was running out and he still hadn’t told her about his move for fear of upsetting her further. In six weeks he’d be across the country, leaving her on her own without even Button to comfort her.

When he imagined how she’d hate him for the bear’s release, he winced. He’d give anything not to be the bad guy in Vivie’s life. But what other role could he play? Not hero. Especially not a romantic one.

He’d come close, the day they’d viewed her burned house, to confessing his feelings. If she hadn’t stopped him, he would have opened the door to a future together. One he couldn’t guarantee.

She passed him without turning her head, her limp hair obscuring her face. Clearly she wished she hadn’t come, and it stung. Still, he had to think of her. What was in her best interests rather than what he wanted. A no-strings-attached, short-lived relationship wouldn’t give Vivie the security she deserved. He didn’t trust that his feelings for anyone, even someone as amazing as Vivie, could quash his inevitable need to move on.

“Wait up, Vivie.” In two strides, he’d reached her side. “I’ll come by Friday to fix the dripping shower. Will that work?”

She shook her head. “Rowdy did it.”

He reached ahead and pushed a branch aside for her. “How about the circuit breakers?”

“He replaced them.”

“So you’re all set on the farm then?”

“Yep.”

He sped up, passed her, then stopped, blocking her way. “Vivie, I’m trying here.”

For the first time since morning, her eyes met his and he flinched at the pain in them. “I’m done trying, Liam. I wish you would, too. With me, anyway.”

She angled around him and marched up the trail, her gray shirt disappearing around a bend.

Did she think he’d quit that easily? He’d get through to her. For Button’s sake as well as hers. The bear wasn’t neglected, but Button clearly missed her lively companion. As did he.

He shouldered his slipping pack and followed Vivie. Somehow, tonight, he’d find a way.

* * *

T
HE
CAMPFIRE
CRACKLED
and sparked beneath the diamond-studded sky. Liam stretched out on his back, one ankle crossed over the opposite knee. He listened to Maggie explain the nuances of obtaining a golden versus a burned marshmallow and heard Vivie’s occasional “Uh-huh.” Was Maggie fooled into thinking Vivie listened? Or did she suspect, as he did, that she’d tuned everything out...even those close to her.

A full moon crested Mount Marcy, its pale reflection glimmering on the calmer waters downstream of Marcy Dam. A steady rush of water mingled with the sound of frogs and the faint laughter and guitar strumming from distant campsites. For a moment, his fingers itched to play—a phantom ache from another life. Tonight, the mood was festive, the evening expectant. Yet instead of enjoying himself, he felt restless and stifled. Vivie had shut him out and he wanted in.

He’d grown used to knowing what was on her mind, in her heart. What she planned and what she worried about. Now he’d been left in the dark and was groping for a way to help. But he couldn’t do that if she wouldn’t open up.

At long last, Maggie quieted and stood with a yawn. “The hike wore me out. I’m turning in. Won’t be able to climb that beast tomorrow if I don’t get my rest. Night.”

She raised an eyebrow and scrutinized him over Vivie’s head, as if to say, “Now go for it, fool,” then turned and disappeared inside the tent she and Vivie shared.

He sat up and stared at Vivie, who sat expressionless. Flame-cast shadows pooled beneath her gaunt cheeks and sunken eyes. She’d lost weight since the fire and he noticed an uneaten s’more on a napkin beside her. Was she remembering to take care of herself? Guilt pinched. He should have asserted himself sooner instead of giving her space.

“You asked me once about things I’ve lost,” he began without preamble, watching with satisfaction when her head turned sharply. He had her attention now. As tough as this would be to relay, if it helped her, it was worth reliving.

“Yes.” She wrapped her arms around her knees and leaned forward to face him.

“I’ve mentioned that my father died when I was seventeen. My mother’s Alzheimer’s worsened after that and in a sense, I lost her, too.”

Vivie moved closer and her leg brushed his. “Does she remember you?”

He squinted at the dark sky, the glittering spots of light brighter than Manhattan. “Sometimes. Though mostly she thinks I’m my twin, Niall. Or even my dad.” He’d be seeing his mom next week for Mary Ann’s wedding. Would she recognize him this time?

Vivie’s small hand twined in his and a deep tenderness took hold. How was it possible that she felt both fragile and strong?

“That’s hard. I’m sorry, Liam.”

Her face looked otherworldly in the golden flicker of the campfire, the silvery moonlight crowning her brow.

He tightened his fingers in hers, glad for every moment she didn’t pull away. “You mentioned you and your mother weren’t close.”