Page 41 of Wildfire
Well, fuck.
I eat my food, whack off, and go to bed.
The following day, Renée and Zoe come by for coffee and say they are going into town before Renée heads to work. Mom had to meet with some of the planning committee members to finalize the details of the opening night, so they are getting a late start.
I spend the day reading more emails from the community. Two were interesting, one was bizarre, but most were dead ends.
One of the two that might lead to something is from the busboy at Sam's Grill. He said that he saw someone lingering in the alley when he was taking the trash out back. When they noticed he was standing there, they ran off. It was night, so he didn't get any details, but they dropped a lighter when they ran. He snapped a photo of it, and there is some detailing of a sticker wrapped partially around the lighter. The visible part has markings that look like a match of the logo from the last two fires. That makes two lighters left behind.
I decided to follow up with him today. I go to the restaurant, and we have a chat. The person he saw was of average height and build. Nothing stands out. Then he led me to the lighter out back, which was still there. I call the Sheriff, who tells me to leave it until an officer can come and pick it up for evidence and take a statement. But in a county like ours, I doubt there are any resources to process the "evidence," so I use a pair of tongs from the restaurant to pick it up and look at it beforethe officer arrives. Just as I suspected, the other side of it had the same damn logo stuck to it.
This thing is driving me crazy. Where have I seen that logo before? Is it just my imagination playing with me?
I stop by city hall in the late afternoon to try to catch Serena, but she is busy with festival support, so I send her a text and a picture of the logo to see if she recognizes it. Then I return to the station to finish my shift and keep my mind off Renée.
The hardest task of them all.
Chapter Twenty: Renée
The next two days are a blur. I barely see Cole except in passing every morning. He still leaves out the most delicious breakfasts, and then Zoe and I work, grab takeout for dinner, and pass out at night. I have band practice and work on my songs on the deck to try and catch another glimpse of him, but Cole seems to leave early and come home late.
As much as I know it is for the best, I ache when I see him in the fleeting morning moments he's finishing up coffee as we come in. Our eyes meet over the top of a mug, maybe they linger a second, and then the moment is gone. And each time, I feel a pinch in my chest.
Friday comes, and Callie surprises me with a small box wrapped in shiny paper with raffia string.
"Just something to remember me by."
"How could I forget you?" I start to tear up as I reach out for a hug. "You've taught me so much in only two weeks, fed me lunch daily, and been…Callie, thank you."
She squeezes me tight before releasing me and pointing at the gift. "You gonna open it or what?"
I carefully pull at the string. I don't want to wreck anything about this gift. I haven't had something so carefully given since my mom died.
When I tug at the paper, it reveals a wooden box. The top is hand-carved, depicting a lake surrounded by trees and a bird flying in the distance.
"Is this—"
"The view from right here. Best view in the world if you ask me. But maybe you prefer the view next door better?" Her eyes are twinkling.
"I love it, Callie. Thank you. I will cherish this forever."
I hug her again and let her squeeze me tight. I am going to miss her hugs.
"You better get cleaned up and down to the Grange. Your debut is in a couple of hours."
I nod and push back the tears that are threatening to form. There is no way I will let my feelings get the better of me today. This is my day. My big moment.
"By the way, the rest of your pay is inside the box. Hope it helps you get settled into your new life."
"Thank you, Callie. See you tonight?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
I walk home and find myself alone again, so I stroll to the water and sit on the edge of the dock. Caleb promised my car would be ready by tomorrow afternoon. I'll stay one last night and then leave Sunday morning.
It's crazy that I've only been here two weeks, and it feels like months. Time has moved differently lately. It's been slow, but not in a bad way. Not in the way it does when you can't wait for something good to happen and the clock moves like molasses.
I kick off my boots and roll up my pants to dip my feet in the water. I am going to miss this place and the view. Callie is right— it is the best view in the world that I've seen so far. But I'm not like Zoe. I can't stay here just because I love the forest and the hills. I have to try to make it in L.A.
