Page 48 of Slow Burn
“No.” Cole moved along the bar, grabbing a glass to fill with Henry’s beer of choice.
“Edith said Jocelyn was with you.”
Cole’s gaze sliced up to meet Henry’s. “Yep.”
The other man opened his mouth, shut it. Tried again. “Do you think the fire’ll affect the Fest?”
“Doubt it. Look around you. Intrigue is good for business.” Cole set the glass before Henry and gave him a hard stare.
The man took the hint, gave a curt nod, and squeezed back out through the crowd, pulling Cole’s gaze with him.
It’s how he managed to spot Lydia Abbott in a booth across the room. Natasha was with her, face creased into worry. Bodies slid back together, blocking his view. But not his determination.
He slapped his hand on the bar and pushed away, ignoring Terra’s questioning look.
It was hell trying to make it through the throng, but he pushed his way through soon enough. Natasha was missing by the time he made it over.
“Sorry about this noise, Miz Abbott. Anything I can get you?”
Her perfectly painted mouth was tipped down. “It’s not your fault, Cole, but thank you for asking. Natasha went to take care of the drinks since we’ve been waiting to even order food.”
“Sorry about that.” The freshness of the fire, the frustration from his interactions with Jocelyn, and the suspicion she’d planted in his mind brought the topic to his tongue. “Sad business, this fire.”
Lydia’s expression didn’t budge. “Yes. I’ve heard they’ve got it out by now, though.”
“Some speculation’s goin’ around that it wasn’t an accident.”
Her eyes tightened. “It’s worth investigating every possibility, just to be sure.”
He squared his stance, folding his arms. “Sure. Probably just talk anyhow.”
The smile she gave him was almost painful. “It’s a favorite pastime around here. There’s always someone stirring things up, someone knocking on doors that ought to stay shut.”
That felt a bit like a dig. “I’ll hear facts myself when I check in with Heath,” he said, measuring her. “Figure I can help him and Sally Anne when things clear out.”
“Mercy, Cole, I don’t know how you keep up,” Lydia said, the first sign of a bite in her voice. “Stepping in to help, just like your daddy. But then y’all have always been known for taking on… strays.”
He stiffened. Definitely a dig. When she scooted out of her seat, it forced him to step back.
“Taken care of, Mama,” Natasha said breezily as she joined them. “Hey, Cole. Sorry, but we paid for our drinks and will try another day for a meal. This is… madness.”
He nodded in her direction, but his eyes didn’t leave Lydia. “Next one’s on me, ladies.”
“Mighty kind of you, Cole,” Natasha said, her tone uncertain as she looked between them. Wasn’t the first time her mama had ruffled feathers, though she tended to be more subtle about it.
“You take care, now,” he said, tearing his gaze from the mother to give her daughter a quick smile.
The women made it to the door, and he tracked their progress until they were gone, something sitting in his belly he couldn’t quite name. No surprise Lydia’d be bothered by Jocelyn’spresence. Probably even felt betrayed by anyone who offered her kindness.
Everything about this new fire sat wrong, stirred the suspicion that wasn’t too far from the surface. And with his mind already made up to help Jocelyn, it sure put every interaction he had in a new, harsh light.
And that just pissed him off.
nineteen
“What fire does not destroy, it hardens.” - Oscar Wilde
With no real plan, Jocelyn drove the weaving country roads until her anger cooled and her thoughts steadied. After spinning through the few options she had, the wild card she decided to play was one she’d almost forgotten about, which teased the guilt forward.
