Page 46 of Her Ohio Old Flame

“Mrs. Zanetti, hands down,” Saxon said without hesitation. “She teaches English lit. I have dyslexia and always struggled with reading. I never enjoyed books, but she got me into audiobooks and books with those special fonts. Made it so I could actually enjoy stories and not feel stupid. She’s the reason I graduated.”

“Wow,” Zane said, genuinely impressed. “That’s incredible.”

Saxon nodded. “Yeah, she’s awesome.”

“And the worst?” Lou prompted, his eyes sharp.

Saxon’s expression darkened as he growled, “MacCready.”

The name hit the room like a thunderclap. Zane straightened, frowning as he exchanged a glance with Lou. The kid’s tone carried a weight that couldn’t be ignored.

“MacCready?” Zane inquired. “What makes you say that?”

Saxon’s jaw tightened, his fingers curling into fists on the table. “He’s not what he seems,” he said, his voice low and strained.

“Latoya, do you know anything about the fires?”

Latoya nodded hesitantly, her sobs growing louder. “It was Saxon,” she admitted with downcast eyes. “We were camping… we had a fire going, but it got out of hand. When Saxon tried to douse it by kicking it, the embers spread. Suddenly, there were fires everywhere, and it turned into the wildfire.”

Asha’s heart clenched as Latoya’s body shook with guilt. “I was horrified, but Saxon… he was fascinated. He said it was like watching the world burn.”

Maddy’s brow furrowed as she leaned closer. “Latoya, does Saxon know about what Mr. MacCready did to you?”

Latoya hesitated, her tears slowing as her gaze flicked between Maddy and Asha. After a few seconds, she nodded. “Yes. I told him. I told him everything.”

Unease prickled Asha’s spine. She glanced at Maddy, the gravity of the situation settling heavily between them. “Latoya, we’re going to help you, but we need to know everything if we’re going to stop this.”

As Saxon Wetherby’s expression darkened, Zane shifted in his chair. The teenager’s easygoing demeanor, present moments ago as he talked about his girlfriend and his plans to apprentice at Mark Quinn’s shop, had vanished. Lou must have caught the shift as well, as he narrowed his eyes as he leaned back against the desk, letting the room settle into silence for a moment.

Lou broke the tension with his usual calm ease. “MacCready? That’s a strong reaction, son. Care to tell us why?”

Saxon tightened his jaw, his fingers now clenching and unclenching on his chair’s armrest. For a moment, Zane thought he might bolt. Instead, the young man exhaled and his shoulders sagged as though the weight of his words was too much for him to hold himself straight.

“He’s not who you think he is,” Saxon said. “Everyone thinks he’s this great guy, always helping kids, pushing them to do better, but it’s all an act.”

Zane exchanged a glance with Lou, his gut tightening. “What do you mean by that?” Striving to keep his tone neutral, Zane forced himself to keep his hands from balling into fists.

Saxon hesitated, flicking his gaze between them. Then, he shook his head, anger flashing in his dark eyes. “He messes with people. Gets in their heads, makes you feel like you owe him something. But it’s not just that.”

Lou urged, “Go on, Saxon. What’s not just that?”

Saxon’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. “He… he goes after people. Kids. Girls mostly, but…” His fists tightened. “He tried something with my girl. She told me what he did to her. What he’s done to others. I couldn’t just let that slide.”

Zane grew cold as Saxon’s words sank in. He clenched his jaw, memories of his own admiration for MacCready swirling like a bitter cloud. Beside him, Lou remained outwardly calm, though the tightening of his grip on his pen betrayed his feelings.

“What did your girlfriend tell you?” Lou asked carefully, as though he didn’t want to spook the boy.

Saxon’s hands trembled, but his answer was steady. “She told me what happened after finals. How he said he was proud of her, that she was special. But then he locked the door and… and…” Saxon’s voice cracked, and he looked away, his jaw working furiously as he tried to maintain his composure.

Zane wanted to reach across the table, to tell the kid it was okay to feel angry, to feel hurt, but he stayed silent, letting Lou handle it.

“Saxon,” Lou said kindly, “did your girlfriend tell you about anyone else?”

The young man shook his head. “No, but I know she’s not the only one. I’ve seen how he looks at people. How he acts around them.”

Zane’s stomach churned, his anger bubbling just beneath the surface. “Is that why you set the fires?”

Saxon snapped up his head, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and defiance. “I didn’t set the fires,” he said quickly, his voice rising in pitch. “I swear. I did… I was… The wildfire—that was my fault, but it was an accident. We were camping, and it got out of hand. But the dumpster and his car? That wasn’t me.”

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