Page 20 of Dream Weaver

If Pippa were here with Ingo, she would have hugged him the same way.

My arms tightened around…emptiness.

“Call the minute you have news,” I called out.

Nash drove off, leaving a cloud of dust that rose then slowly scattered.

Erin and I watched him go, then split up reluctantly. Whatever had happened out there was over now, and we had jobs to get to.

I took one last, long look around, then headed inside. Another day was starting. I wondered what clarity the rising sun would bring, if any.

Chapter Seven

COOPER

At five to nine the next morning, I found myself staring at the rear entrance of Heavy Metal Sedona. When Walt rolled up the doors, he looked surprised to see me back.

Hell, I was surprised too.

“Good morning. Good to have you back.”

“Good to be here,” I murmured, more polite than honest.

I’d left the previous day one hundred percent resolved to give Rich an ultimatum. Either he let me prepare for the season with the rest of the team, or I would find a different crew to work for.

And yet, here I was, back at the metal shop. Why?

Well, I’d never been a quitter, and one stubborn, antisocial blacksmith wasn’t going to make one of me.

Also, because a midnight ramble in bear form had given me a million reasons to spend a season exploring this fascinating landscape. How did such tiny, fragrant flowers spring up from such arid, lifeless ground? What would their honey taste like? How many intriguing little hideaways lay out there in that red, rocky landscape, waiting to be discovered?

When I returned, I’d had a good, long look at the picture hanging on the west wall of the firehouse. The one of Kevin, who’d been killed a few years ago. It blurred, though, with a similar picture hanging on the wall back at my home station in Wyoming.

Kevin had died four seasons ago, and the Yavapai Hotshots hadn’t had a major mishap since. Not with the lucky ax crafted by Abby.

Intrigued? Yes, I was, in spite of my aversion to witches and witchcraft.

So, I’d decided to give Abby one more day. I could always deliver that ultimatum later.

“Morning.” Bob filed in, followed by Matt and Pablo.

“Good morning,” Pablo mumbled.

“Not sure it is,” Matt groaned between sips of steaming coffee.

Walt came over and assigned me a locker. Had he been holding out to see if I would survive my first day with Abby?

Probably.

Pablo clapped me on the shoulder. “Congratulations! You get your own locker and everything.”

Yeah, that would make up for working with Miss Grouchy Arizona. Still, it was nice to be accepted — by some people anyway.

I swapped my jacket for a thick leather apron. Wishful thinking, maybe, since Abby hadn’t let me anywhere near her precious project.

Yet.

She ran in at five past nine, clearly flustered. Late to dropping Claire off at school, maybe?

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