Page 54 of Beehives and Broken Heroes

“Allie,” Brandon called after her. “I’m trying to protect you.”

“Seems to me you’re trying to protect yourself.” She opened her door and hopped in. “Honey, come!”

Honey ran for the truck, jumping in Allie’s door and over her lap. Tears ran down her cheeks in streams now, her entire body shaking. She slammed her door, put her truck into reverse, and sped out of the driveway like a NASCAR driver at Daytona, expertly swerving around a bigger truck in her retreat.

Brandon watched her go—half in shock and half in awe. They’d only been dating a couple of months now, yet the hole she’d just ripped through him was bigger, more painful, and more unassailable than the one his brother and sister-in-law had made. That was measly by comparison. Why had it been so easy for her to shove him aside? So easy, just like it’d been for Maryanne.

Just then, his phone started singing “Bad Liar,” and his stomach roiled. That was it: he was changing Zoey’s ringtone. He didn’t bother looking at the text. He just didn’t have it in him.

The other truck parked, and Andy got out. He looked after Allie’s truck. “Someone was in a hurry.” He came up to Brandon. “What’s wrong? You look like you just swallowed a grenade.”

He felt like he’d just swallowed a grenade. He clenched his jaw and pushed back the fight. He couldn’t deal with this right now. Couldn’t deal with Allie and her out-of-control emotions. If she didn’t want to trust him, he wasn’t going to force her. He’d give her time to calm down and think. Besides, he had important things to do. Like catching an arsonist and killer before he could hurt anyone else.

He’d just have to deal with the crater-sized hole in his chest later.

* * *

Brandon filled Andy in on the details of the fire and of his conversation with Alana that morning.

“So we only have a week to catch this guy before she sends in the troops?” Andy asked.

Brandon nodded.

“It took us six months to catch him last time,” Andy said. “And he’s since had eight years to plan his revenge.”

“Yes, but he didn’t know I’d be moving,” Brandon said. “He would’ve planned all of this at my family farms, not here. So we have an advantage there, at least.”

“I think you’re using the word advantage in the wrong way—to me, it sounds more like disadvantage.”

Brandon ignored the comment and led the way to the barn, struggling to keep his mind off Allie and their fight. A headache started to form between his brows. “Let’s look around and see if there’s any evidence the cops and firemen might have missed.”

Andy furrowed his brow at him but agreed. They went to the burned-out wiring where the fire had started. Back by the doorway to David Ward’s office sat the couch from what would’ve been his den. They must have dropped it there when the fire started. He hoped it wasn’t damaged, for Allie’s sake.

Andy said something.

“Yep,” Brandon said. He thought of the way Allie’s frame had quaked as she’d yelled at him, of the way her voice had trembled, and of the ice in her stare.

“Brandon!” Andy clapped his hands in front of Brandon’s face.

Brandon looked at him. “What?”

“You’re not paying attention. What’s going on?”

“I’m paying attention,” he said.

Andy folded his arms and nailed him a look through near-black irises. “I just said the sky was purple, and you said ‘yep.’ Seriously, I haven’t seen you this out of it since Maryanne. I take that back: you were more focused after Maryanne—now you’re not even here. What’s going on?”

Brandon pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do you remember Allie?”

Andy grinned. “The cute redhead who wanted to cut her hair?”

“That’s the one,” Brandon said. “We’ve been dating.”

Andy clapped him on the shoulder. “I knew it. I knew you had a thing for her. That’s great! I’m so happy for you. It’s been long enough.”

Brandon turned from his friend and marched outside. “Well, don’t be. I’ve ruined it.”

“What happened?”

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