Page 76 of Sunkissed Colorado
“That’s why you’re here, right? To fill in for Callum?”
Russ appeared, joining our huddle. “Any updates?”
“I don’t even know what’s going on,” I said loudly, my anxiety rising. I felt Russ and Winnie staring, plus some regulars at the bar.
But I wasn’t feeling calm and collected at the moment.
As I got a rundown of the fire up on Copper Road on the west side of town, my dread only grew. “Started as a grass fire earlier this afternoon,” Winnie said.
Russ cursed. “Red flag warning today.”
She nodded, flipping her blond locks over her shoulder. “Yeah, high winds. It’s not threatening homes yet, but the situation could change fast if they don’t get it contained. That’s where Callum is.”
The volunteer firefighters had gotten called to the fire. He wasin danger.
“I didn’t get any notifications on my phone,” I said, pulling it out to check. Nausea swirled in my gut. I couldn’t believe all this had been going on, and I didn’t know.
Why hadn’t Callum told me the emergency was afireand he was heading toward it?
Because was a fighter. A warrior. A flipping hero, and that was just what he did.
“There’s an app you can download,” Winnie said. “I’ll show you. But a lot of the updates are on group texts with my neighbors, you know? The Silver Ridge gossip grapevine.”
As the evening wore on, there was no real news. Not what I wanted to hear, anyway. That all the firefighters were completely safe and everything would be fine.
“Hey Zandra, you sure you’re okay to finish up without me?” Winnie asked after closing, grabbing her purse. She’d already told me she had a date tonight.
“Yeah, go. I’ll be fine,” I assured her, though my voice sounded steadier than I felt.
I went through the familiar routine of wiping down the bar, running the dishwasher, counting the till. The tasks helped keep my mind occupied, but every few minutes I found myself checking my phone for updates about the fire.
In the kitchen, the last staff members finished up their work and said goodnight, one by one.
Finally, I locked the doors and headed for the back parking lot. It was a cool summer night, and without the warmth and high energy of the brewpub around me, I shivered in my short-sleeved top.
Main Street and the surrounding neighborhood were quiet. Calm. A couple of bright lights shone over the parking lot, so there was no reason for me to feel nervous.
Maybe it was knowing Callum was risking his life right now. It made everything feel more fragile, more uncertain. I knew what it was like to lose someone who mattered to me.
Oh. The realization dawned.Oh, wow.
Callum mattered to me a lot. He wasn’t my best friend like Jessa had been, yet the thought of anything happening to him was enough to steal my breath from my lungs.
Somehow, I had to see him tonight. Had to make sure he was okay.
I was halfway to my car when I saw movement near the far end of the lot. Smelled tobacco smoke. There was someone standing beside a dark sedan, just lurking there in the shadows. The end of a cigarette glowed red.
My steps slowed.
The figure turned, and I recognized him. Thinning hair, sunken eyes. A harsh smirk. His athlete’s build had gotten softer over the years, but he was still tall and broad.
Tommy Pickering.
“Hey, Zandra. Heard you were back in Silver Ridge.” The words were harsh. Sarcastic. “Seen you working the bar.” He flicked his cigarette butt to the ground.
I crossed my arms over my chest, gripping my keys in my hand. “What’re you still doing here, Tommy?” I tried to keep my voice light, casual. “We closed a while ago.”
He shrugged, not moving away from the car. “Didn’t have anyplace better to go.”
