Facing the Fire Read online

  When Clint had inherited the house he'd done a quick walk-through of it, but he hadn't been focused much on Jay's property. Not at the time. Not with everything else he had going on. But there had been fresh drywall in two thirds of the house, at least.

  It still needed painted. Maggie would be able to pick the colors she wanted.

  He’d have to have her stay at the inn while he handled that. Just to avoid the fumes.

  The floors had all been replaced with kid friendly laminate by his own brother. It wasn't exactly the color or the style Clint would've chosen, but it would work for the time being. They could change it out when the kids were all a bit older.

  They had a roof over their head, they had a house to live in, and they would have what they needed for his kids. Clint would see to that. He would swing into town and grab a crib for Violet. He’d need two cribs, come to think of it. He had two nurseries to set up now.

  There were dressers and rocking chairs at the other place. They’d need cleaned up and painted or sanded and stained. It might take him a few days, but he could get it all done.

  He had one more stop to make in town, and that was with Joel Masterson and Rex.

  There were going to be questions now. Lots of them. On both sides of the conversation.

  He and Barratt grabbed the rest of the groceries—it looked like Marin had bought out the entire IGA—and carried them inside.

  Barratt was a talker, more so than Clint was used to, but he was a very intelligent man.

  Clint had to say that he liked the man, once he accepted that Barratt had no romantic interest in Maggie at all.

  For a moment or two, he thought the man was interested in Marin, but after a few minutes, he revised that assessment. No, Barratt just seemed to be comfortable in the other woman's company, the same way he was Maggie's.

  He also had a hard edge about him Clint hadn’t yet figured out, but made him respect the younger man.

  Barratt wasn't a pushover. It was in the way he spoke of his business plans. The man was rather tunnel visioned on building his own empire.

  Clint just hoped the man didn't burn himself out.

  Then again, Clint understood that fire. At one time, he wanted to make something of himself to. With the WHP and the Wyoming DCI. His plans had changed, but his determination was no less than it had been then.

  Only now, his focus was on being the husband and father that Maggie and the babies deserved. He wanted nothing more than that for the rest of his days.

  As soon as he convinced Maggie that he was the man meant for her.

  But first… It was time he went hunting.

  He and Barratt got the last of the groceries. Maggie was disconnecting the call on the new cell phone that had been in the bag of things Marin had purchased with Rex.

  She looked up at him and smiled. “Augie is coming by. She and Junie are going to watch Violet this afternoon at their place, while Marin, Brandt, and I make a list of everything we need. And get started.”

  "That sounds like a good idea." Clint looked at Marin and Brandt. "You'll stay with her until I get back? I have to go speak with Joel Masterson about what happened, and swing by the electric company to have power switched over to this address. I’ll stop off and get some lumber for the porch and fuel for the generator. Then I'll be back."

  "Don't worry, big guy. I'm not going to leave Maggie alone. No matter what," Marin said, a somber look on her face. “She has me.”

  One day, Clint would probably figure her out. But for now, he was just glad Marin was there for Maggie when Maggie needed her. Marin had earned his undying loyalty for that.

  Clint nodded. He kissed Violet on the forehead, then took a bold risk. He leaned down to kiss Maggie.

  It thrilled him when she tilted her head back instinctively, and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him right back.

  He thought about what it meant, her willingness, on the way to town. Because something had certainly changed with Maggie.

  He just couldn't figure out what it was.

  54

  Clint hadn’t seen his stepfather since the day he’d driven his fist into the man’s face out there on Wreck Curve Road. Seeing him in the jail’s visiting center wasn't exactly something he wanted to do. But…

  Clive could have the answers Clint needed.

  Clive kept his eyes on Clint the entire time. He didn't even look at the two other men next to Clint. Even Joel Masterson.

  "Son, what are you doing here?"

  Clint gritted his teeth, wanting to yell at the man that he was not his son and never had been. A father didn’t treat a child the way Clive had treated him—or Jay.

  Had Clive been a better father, Jay would most likely still be alive. Pip and Perci Tyler wouldn’t have nearly died, either.

  But he contained himself.

  Protecting Maggie depended on it. Rex pulled out a chair first. Joel and Clint followed suit.

  "Someone's causing trouble. They burned down my house last night. I almost didn't get my family out in time. You know anything about that?”

  Clive's face tightened. He looked at Clint, an odd expression on his face. "I'm sorry about that. I heard you were involved with someone recently. Tyler girl, right?"

  "Maggie. Martin Tyler’s younger sister." He leveled a look at his stepfather. He didn’t question how Clive knew about her—Clint understood how jailhouse rumors went. "She's eight months pregnant. It’s a boy. My son. Someone broke in a few days ago, too. Maggie was there alone. That man knocked her down and hurt her. Terrified her. He said he was looking for something of yours. One of your case files, we think. I suspect it’s the same man. Who have you pissed off enough that they would do this? They could have killed Maggie and Violet last night. And the new baby."

  Clive just stared at him for the longest time. Then he rattled off a number. Rex wrote it down immediately. “That’s the case file you’re looking for. I suspect there are copies spread around. If you want to go lookin’.” Clive looked at Joel Masterson. "How's that girl? The nurse."

  It was the first thing he had said other than to greet Clint. First time he even looked at Joel.

  "She's fine. Has recovered from what you did to her. She and Nate are happy." Joel said, a clear warning in his tone.

  "That's good. Never truly did mean to hurt her. Never meant to hurt anybody, even before. Not really. Just…things got away from me. Lost control of myself."

  Joel’s face and fists tightened. Clint understood. He would never forget the sight of Perci Tyler’s blood there that day. Ever. She had the same eyes as Maggie. He’d seen the fear in Perci’s eyes that day, too.

  But he had other things to worry about now. "Clive, what's that case have to do with you?"

  Clive just smirked. "Go to your granddaddy’s place, in the dining room. You take out the heat vent. Search around a bit, there will be a lockbox back there. No bigger than a book. You'll find your answer then. Then, you speak to Jasper Grady and that assistant of his. Tommy Basroni. That’s where you’ll find your answers. Seems Grady has some secrets he wants hidden. Me, I don’t care no more. I don’t care about much at all any longer. But…that baby of yours is your mama’s grandbaby. You happy about the new one? I don’t like someone messing around with you. You are all I got left—you and your kids. So…you ask Grady about his secrets, that will clear all of this right up. Guy’s harmless, mostly. Doubt he’s ever hurt anybody. He always was too soft. Just wants to keep his secrets kept. But don’t we all?”

  "Blackmail?" Rex asked. Clint thought that was where Clive was heading. The man never would come out and say something. He liked leading people around. Making them work for it. Toying with them.

  "Grady was involved in that case, just because he held his tongue when I told him to. And he never did anything against the law. Not really. But pretty boy Grady won’t want any taint of it associated with him. Not with his plans. Real problem is his assistant. Basroni is the one yanking the mayor’s chain now. Both came to see me, too
. The younger one was cackling about his plan to get revenge for the past. Seems to think Grady could have done more than what he did. But what happened was an accident. I’m almost sure of it. I gave Grady the runaround, told him to go here. Go there. Playing with him. Grady never could handle that. Figured he’d finally put it together that it’s Basroni pulling his chain. Handle it from there. Grady didn’t do nothing that night. But maybe that’s what Basroni’s beef is—Grady didn’t do anything to stop what happened to Basroni’s mother. Didn't mean for them to cause you trouble, son. That was the last thing I'd want for your mama’s grandbabies. I should've been better to you. To that girl of yours, too. You have any pictures? I’d love to see what she looks like now. That assistant of Grady’s, he's been toying with him, enjoying himself, too. Have to admit, I can understand that. Some people just ask for it. He has been driving Grady a bit mad. I know mad when I see it. Basroni’s flirting up Grady's youngest girl, just so he can get close to Grady. Don’t know what Basroni is planning, but it’ll be big. He always has wanted revenge for what happened to his mother. It was all that Art Talley’s fault. All the trouble Grady ever faced was because of Art Talley. Well, Art…and that crush Grady had on Art’s sister-in-law. Always knew trouble would come that way.”

  Clint stood.

  He wasn’t about to spend even a minute longer listening to Clive ramble. He had the names he’d been looking for. Now it was time to finish this and get home to Maggie.

  Where he belonged. “Thanks.”

  That was all he owed the man in front of him.

  “Son? You got any pictures? You and that kid of yours are all the family I have left.”

  He thought about telling him to go screw himself. He did. But Clint pulled out his phone. Pulled up a recent photo of Violet in Maggie’s arms. “She’s almost sixteen months now. Just started walking this week.”

  Clint knew what it was like to feel all alone in the world. And he couldn’t ever do that to another living soul. Clive took the phone for a moment, stared at Violet. Ran one trembling finger over the screen as Rex and Joel headed for the door.

  “Thank you. They are beautiful, Clint. Take care of them forever. They are far more precious than you can ever know.”

  55

  Maggie waited until the Grady sisters had left before turning to Marin and Brandt. Clancy and Cloe had brought enough baby clothes for Violet now, and had given her a good start on things for a newborn boy. She was starting to feel a bit more in control. "I think this place will do nicely, but there are some things we need from the other place. It's twenty minutes up the road."

  It wasn't the ranch house they’d lived in before, but it could be something new for the two of them. Someplace without the memories that had confused her so much. Today, this house, them—it could be a fresh start.

  "You're staying with him," Brandt said. It wasn't a question. No one thought it was. Cloe and Clancy had just assumed she was involved with Clint. Maggie hadn't corrected them—because she was.

  No more lying to herself. "Yes."

  "Good." Brandt sent her a beautiful smile. "It's obvious the two of you have the potential to be as annoying as Houghton and Mel. Just give it time."

  Maggie liked the sound of that. She took another look around the large living room. When the house was built, "open-concept" hadn't really existed. But the size of the room belied that. It was huge and the drywall was fresh, ready to be painted just the right color.

  There was a formal dining room next to the kitchen. It had stacks of stuff piled in it that would have to be moved, but that was a minor thing.

  Most of it looked like stuff straight from the 1980s. She would have someone move it to a spare bedroom—then she'd pick through it. See what could be sold online. That money could go into savings for the babies. The baby kicked, reminding her of their priorities. A formal dining room wasn't needed at the moment—but two safe nurseries were. Violet would need her space as soon as possible. "Let's get upstairs. I want to get Violet’s room ready for her. We'll need to paint—"

  "Not you," Marin said. "But I can recruit a Talley paint crew within a matter of hours."

  "Good idea," Brandt said. "Because I think I stepped back into 1977 here."

  "More like 1877," Maggie said, running one hand over the oak trim around one window. She half-suspected it was hand-hewn. Beautiful—it could be a beautiful place with some work. They could fix it…and it would be loved again. So much of the Gundersons of Masterson County had been unloved for too long. She knew how that had affected him. Well—Maggie was going to change all that. "Clint told me this place has been in his family that long. I'm not sure which property was built first. There used to be a small town here on this property, but when the Gunderson family started to die out and the wars came and all of that, it dwindled. Got forgotten."

  "Well, you and Clint can get started building it back up," Marin said. "He still planning to do the other two houses out here?"

  "Probably. He wants to fix them and rent them out. That was what he intended for this place, but...Plans change." This house was close to thirty-five hundred square feet. And she thought there would be an attic and a basement—but she wasn't going to check them out yet. She'd leave that for Clint, thank you very much. "So...Violet’s room."

  Maggie had a notepad. She made a list of everything that would have to be done to turn the fifteen by twenty space right across the hall from the master room into a room a little girl could be proud of. It needed new carpet—what was in there was thin and old, though it appeared reasonably clean. The walls needed a good wipe-down, just to get rid of the dust that had accumulated in the months between Jay hanging the drywall—he'd actually been pretty good at home repair and could have made a living at it, according to what Clint had said—and today.

  That was easy enough.

  The walls had been primed for painting. She'd have to get Clint to pick up some light pink or lavender paint. Probably lavender. That would be pretty. She'd told him to find white furniture, if possible. But that wasn't entirely necessary. They'd need to get some type of child-appropriate artwork on the walls. And Clint could build some bookshelves—he liked to build things, she knew that. He could build bookshelves for both of the babies.

  She was running through the list as Marin and Brandt got started wiping down the walls and the two windows. Even without the paint, they could set up Violet's crib and a dresser. The Grady sisters had brought donated clothes that would fit. They'd been laundered and folded and were just waiting for a dresser to put them in. They'd also brought a bag of baby toys. She'd thought she'd seen a toy chest in the smallest room at the end of the hallway.

  The toys had been in storage, so would have to be wiped down, but they could have Violet in a new room by bedtime. She said as much as she looked at Brandt expectantly. Within moments, he had been given clear instructions of what she wanted. "First, we need a lift to the second house."

  There were other things, for both babies’ rooms, that she wanted. She might be able to find them at the other house. Clint had said there was furniture left there.

  Brandt obliged, like she knew he would, driving her and Marin to the house that had been Clint’s grandparents’. Maggie took a long look around the yard. She could just see the roof of the house Clint had inherited from his brother in the distance. This one had a smaller front yard area, and it was a bit hillier and rockier than she'd like. And there was a pond too close to the back yard for her peace of mind. At least until the children were older.

  That just reaffirmed what she and Clint had discussed earlier.

  Jay's house was better for a family. Safer. But there were more modern supplies inside this one. Jay’s house was mostly empty, with a few pieces of antique furniture and almost two thirds of the house hung with new drywall. That still needed painted. Even the windows had been updated with energy-efficient, safer windows.

  It was an empty shell—full of possibilities.

  She was determined; the fi
re wasn’t going to stop them from building a life for their children. She wasn’t going to let it.

  She made another list; this one of things she and Clint would need too.

  They needed a bed frame and headboard. A sturdy one. For the master bedroom. Clint was a big man—he'd need a big bed. A small smile hit her lips. She was going to enjoy that bed with him, too.

  She sent him a quick text, telling him where they were—and that he needed to order a king-sized mattress to be delivered tomorrow.

  That meant... "I think we'll be spending one more night at the inn, after all. There isn't a master bed ready." Maggie was determined—she wanted to sleep with his arms around her tonight. He wasn't getting away from her again. "We'll need to see what we have going on in there, see if we need to paint or anything. If nothing else, I'll recruit the Tylers and Talleys of Masterson County. Have a painting party. I’m sure we can get Darcey and Martin to be in the same room long enough to get some things done without killing each other."

  She was almost looking forward to it. While she had loved the way Clint had redecorated the ranch after the shooting, it had been his and Amy's house. She was going to turn Jay's former house into their house. For both of them. Where they could start fresh. Together. Just them, and their children.

  Marin shot her a wicked look. "Making plans for what you want to go on in there?"

  "You'd better believe it." Maggie unlocked the door and pushed it open. "He isn't getting away now."

  She pushed open the door.

  Marin screamed. “Maggie, no! Don’t go in!”

  The Maggie heard the gunshot.

  56