Page 39 of Dream Weaver

My shoulder brushed Vic’s as the truck swung around two successive left turns. Then we creaked to a stop at the firehouse, and everyone piled out, weary yet elated. The sun was setting, and I stopped in the driveway, taking it all in.

Then a car pulled in, and before I even recognized its occupants, my heart lifted.

“Cooper! You’re back!” Claire waved gleefully from the window of Abby’s Ford. The moment Abby parked, Claire leaped out and hugged me.

Well, she hugged my legs. I leaned over, patting her back, grinning. The only thing better than coming home from a successful firefight was having someone to welcome you back.

“Nice to see you too, kiddo.”

I smiled at Abby, who had exited the car and stepped closer.

“Sorry. She insisted,” Abby said, crossing her arms tightly.

Her eyes shone, though. Mine did too, judging by the warmth pooling there.

Nice to see you,my bear hummed happily.

Nice to see you too,I sensed her think, if not say. It showed in the shine of her eyes, the quiver of her lips.

“Heya, Abby.” Rich waved.

Abby gazed at me a second longer, then turned to him with a little jolt. “Oh. Hi, Rich. I heard you stopped the fire before it got to Sunset Ridge. Good job.”

Your average citizen remained blissfully unaware of wildfires, unless one raged on their doorstep. But Abby had obviously been following this one. Closely. That wasn’t hard if you knew where to find the information. But you had to care enough to do so.

Abby cares,my grizzly assured me.

The glow in her eyes confirmed it. Or was that just a side effect of the sunset?

Claire looked up from my legs. “You smell like Grandpa.”

Right. The firefighting grandfather she’d mentioned.

“Like smoke, huh?” I asked.

Claire nodded. “Like the woods. Like dirt too.”

Like magic?I wondered.

“I bet you smell a lot better,” I said, and we both chuckled.

If only communicating with Abby were as easy.

“You must be tired, so we won’t keep you,” Abby said. “We were just driving by and couldn’t help saying hi.”

Heavy Metal Sedona was on the main strip. The firehouse lay on a long dead end. So, I kind of doubted they’d been driving by.

“I’m glad you did.” Really, really glad.

And miracle of miracles, Abby treated me to a shy smile. Just a tiny one hidden in the corners of her mouth, but definitely there.

My stomach chose exactly that moment to rumble.

Claire patted my leg. “I’m hungry too. Can we go have pizza, Mom? Please? Oh! Can we invite Cooper?”

Abby stiffened, and I did too. Not before my heart gave a hopeful leap, though.

“I think Cooper probably needs to unwind, sweetie. He just got back from a fire.”

---