Heating Up (26 page)

“I know.” She sounded offended. “In this town, though, it's hard to keep a secret.”

Aidan looked at the clock. “Hey, I've got to get to work.”

“All right. Let me know what you hear back from the lab.”

“Will do.” He hung up, drank a cup of the coffee he'd made, and took a quick shower just to wake up.

He got to the firehouse in time to find the two McCreedy boys washing an engine with Kurtis. He waved and went inside to show his face before he joined them.

But that never happened because he and the others got called out on a Code 5, an assignment in another county up in flames.

* * *

Del Webber removed his Stetson as he strolled into Nugget Realty and Associates, took one look at the damage, and let out a whistle.

“I heard you had a fire but had no idea it . . .” He shook his head.

Dana was surprised to see him; they didn't have an appointment. “It looks worse than it is.”

“Sorry to just pop in on you like this, but I was in the neighborhood.” He was based in Quincy, the county seat, forty-five minutes away. “You got a minute to talk?”

“Sure. Unfortunately, we no longer have a conference room.” The workmen were coming tomorrow to start the restoration. “You mind if we talk at my desk?”

“Not at all.” He did a visual turn around the room again.

Dana pulled up a wing chair for Del to sit in. “Carol is running late, so we've got some privacy. I'd offer you something to drink, but our kitchenette . . .”

“No worries. Is there an actual person involved in this T Corporation buying Ray's ranch?”

“What do you mean?” She really didn't know what he was getting at.

“Is someone from the corporation planning to live on the ranch?”

“Yes,” Dana said and left it at that. Del was renowned for his litigation skills; she didn't want to go against one of his cross-examinations. “I'm bound by a confidentiality agreement, Del; please don't ask me too much.”

“I'm not trying to ferret a name out of you. Frankly, I'm not all that interested. But Ray's getting cold feet. That ranch has been in his family a long time. It's his legacy and now he's decided that his daughter, Raylene, should take it over. He wants out of the deal.”

It had always seemed too good to be true, Dana thought, feeling hugely disappointed. The worst part would be breaking the news to Gia. She was relying on the ranch to be her sanctuary, especially now that she'd lost her job. From the moment Gia had stepped foot on the property, she'd loved it.

“The T Corporation isn't going to be happy about this. It may even sue.”

“That's exactly what I told him.” Del toyed with the hat in his hands. “Not to mention that the man owes me and his other lawyers a lot of money. When I first agreed to represent him, Ray gave me the ranch as collateral. I'm not violating the attorney-client privilege by telling you this, because I'm just as much a part of this real estate deal as he is. But I'm not heartless, Dana. I'll give him the opportunity to make good on his legal bills before I'll sell that ranch out from under him.”

“Escrow is scheduled to close in less than three weeks.”

“I've given him two,” Del said. “How you decide to proceed with your buyers is up to you.”

“I'll tell them the truth,” she said. “There are other ranches for sale and they may decide this one isn't worth being at the whim of Ray Rosser. Or, like I said, they may take legal action. Ray may be my client, but he signed a contract and it's my fiduciary duty to look out for the buyers in this instance.” She paused. “I appreciate what you're trying to do for Ray. It's commendable, but I would be negligent in not telling you that clients like the T Corporation don't grow on trees. There isn't a waiting list for multimillion-dollar properties in Nugget. If you lose this buyer, I don't know when the next one will come along.”

“Message received,” he said. “You're an excellent agent, Dana, and I'm sorry this puts you in a bad position. I'll tell you this: your clients stick it out and I'll lop fifty thousand off the price.”

It was generous, but it wouldn't salve Gia's aggravation as she sat on pins and needles over the next two weeks.

“I will let the T Corporation know,” she said.

“Thank you, Dana.” Del got to his feet, put on his hat, and walked out the door.

Dana leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and yelled, “Shit.” Now she had to make a very uncomfortable call and she didn't want to do it . . . didn't want to break Gia Treadwell's already busted heart. She liked the woman, even thought they could be friends.

With no other choice, she dialed the phone.

“Dana?” Gia asked, picking up after the seventh ring. Dana was aware that Gia monitored her calls closely. Since her firing, reporters had begun to circle.

“It's me and I've got some bad news.” She proceeded to tell Gia about the conversation she'd had with Del.

“Oh God, they can't do this. We signed a contract. I put down a substantial deposit.”

“If Ray backs out, you'll get every dime returned to you.” Not that that was any consolation. “I could look for something else.”

“Tell me the truth: is there anything out there that good?”

Dana was quiet for a long time. Too long. “No. But there are less expensive properties that you could make wonderful.”

“I want that one. Dana, this is going to sound ridiculous because it's just a house and a big piece of land, but that ranch has been my salvation. It's been my beacon in the storm. I can't tell you how bad it's been here. Losing my job was one thing; I'd seen that coming. But Evan's victims are sending me death threats. I can't leave the house for fear that someone will recognize me and I'll be lynched in Central Park.”

Dana didn't know what to say. She felt horrible for Gia . . . and now Del's news. “There's a chance Ray won't be able to come up with the money. His biggest asset is his ranch, and unless he has stocks to liquidate or a benefactor, I don't know how he'll do it. But in the meantime, Gia, let me look around to see if I can find something else that will make you happy.”

“I'm booking a flight tomorrow and will stay at that little inn again. I can't take it here anymore. At least there I can stay under the radar.”

“Are you sure?” Dana worried that people here would recognize her and that it could further sour the deal.

“Yes. If nothing else, I need the peace and quiet.”

“All right. Do you need a ride from the airport?”

“I'll rent a car. I'll need my own wheels. I'll call you when I get into town.”

Dana hung up and immediately searched the multiple listings. If she could find something almost as nice as the Rosser Ranch, Gia might settle for that instead. She scrutinized every new listing she found, trying to ignore the roofers, who were making a racket with their nail guns. At least they'd found someone available to do the job. Everyone in these parts got their roofs done in summer, before the rain and snow hit.

Carol wandered in a few minutes later, loaded down with supplies. “There's more in the car. How you liking the new computers?”

“They're great.” Dana got up and went out to the parking lot to help bring in the rest of Carol's purchases. There were bottles of water, soda, paper for the copy machine, and, thank God, a coffeemaker.

Together, they had the car emptied in ten minutes. The fire-damaged section of the building was mostly boarded up, so Carol had brought a minifridge from home, and she and Dana loaded it with the waters and soft drinks.

“I think the Rosser deal is about to fall through.”

“No.” Carol held her hands to her cheeks, and Dana explained the situation.

“Gia is coming anyway. I don't think it's the most prudent idea, but it's not like I can stop her. At least it'll give me a chance to show her a few more places. Any ideas?”

Carol thought about it. “Nothing I can think of that we don't already know about it. There are a few people who in recent years have discussed the possibility of selling; maybe if the price was right they'd be interested. Let me look through the list.”

“Sounds good. I'm going to run out and get something to eat. You want me to bring you back anything?”

“I grabbed something in Reno. You go. By the time you get back I'll have that list.”

Dana could've walked to the square but it was too hot, so she drove. Fearing that she'd run into Aidan, she nixed the idea of having lunch at home. Although he worked today, the firehouse and their home were too close for comfort. She'd had enough bad news for one day. If he was planning to dump her, let him do it tomorrow. It was like déjà vu with Tim and Griffin, except Dana was in love with Aidan and hadn't been with the others. Sure, at the time she'd thought she'd been. It had taken Aidan to make her realize that none of those relationships had come close to the way she felt about him.

You make me feel like I light you up from the inside out
, he'd told her. And he did. Around Aidan she never felt awkward, or shy or like she didn't belong. With him she was number one—the sole focus of his attention. With him, she was the best she could be. She'd been delusional enough to think she made him feel the same way.

She zipped into the Bun Boy parking lot. It wasn't as crowded as yesterday, the novelty of being back in business after its short hiatus apparently having worn off. Instead of the drive-through, she decided to eat at one of the picnic tables and get some fresh air. She joined the small line and noted that Clay McCreedy and his two sons were ahead of her.

He turned and tipped his cowboy hat. “How you doing, Dana? This fire business is out of control. I saw Carol at the Gas and Go; she told me you had a fair amount of damage. Thank God no one was hurt.”

“I think Aidan may have some good clues.” She shouldn't have said that, especially because she didn't know anything of the sort. Perchance she was being sensitive that Clay didn't think Aidan was doing his job right.

To her surprise, he nodded. “Rhys says he's good. Real methodical. We're lucky to have him. The boys were at the station helping out with washing the fire engines when the unit got called out on an out-of-control wildfire in Sierra County. I suspect he'll be away for a while. But Rhys is well versed in the arson investigation.”

No wonder she hadn't heard from him all morning. And here she'd been psyching herself up that he wanted to dump her in person. She supposed there would be time for that after the fire. Still, she silently prayed for his safety.

“I didn't know that.”

“Yep,” he said as they inched up in line. “Has the Rosser property closed yet? I'm anxious to meet my new neighbor.”

She waxed on a fake smile, deciding it wouldn't be appropriate to discuss Del's news with Clay. “Not yet. About three more weeks.” If it happened at all.

It was Clay's turn to give his order, saving Dana from any more questions. After putting in for a large fried chicken salad and lemonade, she found a shady seat and waited for her name to be called. She checked her phone to see if Aidan had texted, but there was nothing.

It was hot and dry and even with her limited knowledge, she recognized it was the worst conditions for fighting a fire. She felt a wave of anxiety and, despite her resolution to back off, texted Aidan anyway.

G
ia got into Nugget on Thursday. She'd had to take a red-eye Wednesday and although she'd gained three hours in California was groggy from the all-night flight. Thank goodness the Lumber Baron had a room ready, even though check-in time wasn't until two p.m. They were kind enough to make an exception, although she got the impression they were big on customer service here and light on adhering to the rules. Her kind of business.

The good news was they had no idea who she was. She'd checked in under her mother's maiden name and wore her hair tucked up under a baseball cap and big sunglasses. The young man at the front desk didn't seem the least bit fazed when she kept them on during the registration process. He'd left her with the sense that he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He carried her bags up the impressive staircase and opened her door with an old-time key, and the sheer tranquility of the room, with its Victorian accents, made her go instantly Zen. It was like a million pounds had been lifted from her shoulders. The relief was so intense that as soon as the young attendant left, Gia cried. Just sat on the bed and bawled her eyes out.

They were good tears. Tears that said
I made the right choice by coming here
.

She unpacked, hung up what few things she'd brought, and filled the claw-foot tub with hot water, desperately wanting to wash away New York and the last few weeks' fallout. A baptism of sorts.

On the vanity she found a complimentary bottle of bubble bath and poured it under the spigot, watching the liquid foam, spreading a froth of bubbles across the tub. She stripped and gingerly got in, letting herself grow accustomed to the heat. It felt so good that she sank in until the water came up to her chin. For the next half hour, she lay there, letting her mind go numb and her body relax.

While her nightmare was far from over, she was here now. Safe.

As the water cooled and Gia's skin shriveled, she got out of the claw-foot, dressed in a pair of loose shorts and a tank top, and called Dana's cell phone.

“I'm here,” she told the real estate agent's voice mail. “If you want to go out later and look at a few places, I'd be up for that.”

It was still early and Dana probably hadn't started her day yet. Starved, Gia decided to walk across the square to that Bun Boy place and get something to bring back to the room. Unfortunately, she'd missed the inn's divine breakfast. On her way downstairs, she bumped into the innkeeper. Gia remembered her from last time but unfortunately had forgotten her name.

“Hello,” she greeted Gia, and unlike the front-desk clerk, glanced at her Jackie O sunglasses warily.

“Hello,” Gia said back, and tried to brush by her without seeming rude.

“I'm Maddy. Is there something I can help you with?”

“I was just on my way to the Bun Boy to grab a bite.”

“The Ponderosa is also good, if you're looking for a sit-down place.”

That was the last thing Gia was looking for. Sitting indoors, eating with her big sunglasses on, was bound to draw attention. “The last time I was here I ate at the Bun Boy and really enjoyed it.”

“It's good,” Maddy agreed and smiled. “When were you here last?”

“A few weeks ago.” Then Gia had worn the scarf getup.

“Welcome back. We love getting return guests. Are you here on business?”

Gia thought it was better to go with partial truths. “I'm looking at real estate with Dana Calloway.”

“Fantastic,” Maddy said. “Have you found anything you like yet? I'm sure Dana mentioned Sierra Heights.”

“Mm-hmm. I have horses, so I'm in the market for property. There have been a few places that piqued my interest. I'm back to take a second tour.”
Not too much of a lie
.

“That's wonderful.” Maddy was definitely one of those nosy types, Gia could tell. “Would this be your full-time home or a vacation place? Nugget is supremely family friendly. Safe from crime, decent schools, and everyone looks out for their neighbors.”

The woman might want to get a job with the chamber of commerce
. “Full-time,” Gia said. “And it's just me.”

“Oh.” Maddy seemed surprised. “Well, I originally came up here single to open the inn with my brother, Nate. I'm married to the police chief now and we have a baby girl.”

“Nice.” Gia smiled. Maddy really was a lovely lady. Under different circumstances, Gia would've been more engaging. She liked mixing with other businesswomen, especially ones who built thriving hotels in the middle of nowhere, because that's what Gia wanted to do. Not a hotel per se, but she wanted to build something useful and beautiful.

“Well, I'll let you get that breakfast,” Maddy said. “Remember, we have a wine and cheese service in the afternoon and breakfast from seven to ten.”

“Thanks. And I'm sure I'll see you later.” She walked out into the hot sun and felt the heat of the pavement through her sandals. At least it wasn't humid like New York.

She got to the fast-food window, put in an order, and only waited a short time before someone called her name. Instead of taking the food up to her room, she decided to eat at one of the shady picnic tables. The air smelled fresh and clean and the square had come alive with people. Evidently, it was farmers' market day. Organizers set up tables, canopies, and colorful banners, and soon the green was transformed into a thriving bazaar. Not just food but furniture, wool, and even some crafts.

Gia ate her egg sandwich and hash browns, washed it down with a cup of coffee, and began to wander the aisles. Homemade goat cheese, fresh eggs, every kind of produce imaginable, even packaged beef. Everyone seemed to be friends. The vendors chatted with one another and the customers carted around their market baskets, going from stand to stand. Closer to the inn, someone sold the most gorgeous rocking chairs Gia had ever seen. They were made from pine logs and reminded her of something you would see on a Western porch, on the Rosser Ranch porch in particular. One of these days soon, when she had a place to put them, she planned to buy a few.

“How much are the chairs?” she asked, and when the man told her the price Gia had to keep from asking him to repeat himself. In New York City, custom craftsmanship like that would go for three times the amount he wanted. “Are you the artist?”

“I am.” The burly guy gave off the vibe that he was wholly content with life. “Here's my card.”

She took it and stashed it in her purse, continuing to cruise the rows of purveyors. No one gave her a second look, though she stuck out like a sore thumb with the fashion glasses. Maybe she'd pop into the sporting goods store and buy some Ray-Bans or something else a little sportier.

But before she got the chance her phone rang. Her hands shook as she pulled her cell from her purse. These days she never knew who was calling. Most of the time, reporters trying to get her to commit to an interview, the FBI, or a death threat. She had no idea how her number had gotten out there. It was futile to change it; she'd tried. The number always went public.

She glanced at the display with trepidation and let out a sigh of relief. “Hi, Dana.”

Dana must've heard the noise in the background because she asked, “Where are you?”

“The farmers' market in the square.”

“Oh . . . really? You think that's a good idea?”

“No one has noticed me so far.” Maybe she was pushing her luck, but it felt wonderful to be normal again. “What's the plan?”

“I have a couple of places to show you. If you don't like any of them, I thought we could cast our net to other parts of the county.”

“Okay. Would you mind if we took another tour of the Rosser place? Maybe it's not as great as I remember.” But they both knew it was. She just needed to see it again.

“Absolutely. You want to go right now?”

“Sure. I'll just put on some jeans. Should we meet in front of the Lumber Baron?”

“I'll be there in fifteen minutes.”

Gia quickly returned to her room, checked her email, and changed. In the mirror, she adjusted her hat and glasses. Boy, did she look ridiculous. As soon as she got back, she planned to get those new sunglasses. At least when they got a distance out of town she could lose the disguise and let her hair down.

Like clockwork, Dana pulled up as Gia came out the door. She hopped into the front seat and Dana whisked them away.

“You settled in?” she asked.

“Yep. The inn is so comfortable. I'd much rather be here than my oppressive penthouse.” She hadn't always felt that way about the opulent apartment. When she'd first purchased the penthouse it had been a great source of pride—tangible proof that she'd made it, her own personal rags-to-riches story. But now the walls felt like they were closing in on her, just like everything else.

“Why don't we go to Rosser Ranch first?” Dana said. “I'll warn you, though, these other properties I'll be showing you aren't as refined. They're more like blank canvases you can put your own stamp on. They're also a lot less money.”

“Okay, fair enough.” Gia gazed out the window. The scenery, which changed on a dime from woods to pasture to high desert, would never grow old. It was like a beautiful interactive painting, she thought. “Tell me about these fires I've been reading about in the
Nugget Tribune
.”

Dana recounted the arsons, starting with the sporting goods store and ending with her own office building.

“That's crazy,” Gia said. “Do the police have any suspects?”

“I live with the lead investigator. I think he has someone in mind, but he's kind of tight-lipped about the case.”

“Is he your boyfriend or is it a roommate situation?” Gia would've thought Dana was way too successful—and too mature—to have to share a place with someone.

She told Gia about her house burning down, how few rental properties there were in Nugget, that a big, brawny firefighter/arson investigator had agreed to share his house with her, and now she was dating him.

“Although there's an ex in the picture who wants him back,” Dana said.

“Does he want her back?”

“I'm not sure.” Dana grew quiet. “I have a rule about not getting too personal with clients. It's not that I'm super private; I just think it's highly unprofessional when an agent goes on and on about herself.”

Gia laughed. “Dana, you have enough material on me to write a tell-all. I think we're past the point of a sterile agent-client relationship. I was hoping we could be friends. You're the only person I know here and you've proven to be trustworthy, which after what I've been through . . .”

“I'd very much like us to be friends. But don't be angry with me if this deal doesn't go through. I'm doing all I can.”

“I know you are.”

Dana got off the highway and zipped onto the paved road that would take them to the ranch. They passed the cowboy camp and hooked a right, where the view suddenly turned to verdant fields that went on forever and mountaintops that seemed to reach the sky. Gia felt her breath catch.

“Wow, it's even more beautiful than I'd remembered.”

“I was afraid of that,” Dana said and continued to the ranch house.

As soon as the sprawling log-and-stone home came into sight Gia's heart raced.

“It's spectacular!” She hadn't realized how the house was angled to take advantage of river and mountain views from nearly every room. “Oh, Dana, what do I have to do to make this happen?”

“I don't think there is anything you can do. We just have to hope Ray Rosser can't come up with the cash to pay his legal bills.”

“What do you think the likelihood is of that?”

“I don't know. I get the impression it's a lot of money, but Ray Rosser has a lot of contacts.”

“What if I offered more?”

Dana looked at her. “I don't think it would matter. This is Ray's history, his heritage, his life's work. I don't think it's about money . . . he won't be needing much of that in prison. He wants to leave the land to future generations.”

As Gia took in the house that had more character than a weathered face and sweeping vistas that made her want to weep from the sheer beauty of them, the place called to her. She belonged here; she could feel it in her bones. If luck would only smile on her, Rosser Ranch could be her destiny. The problem was ever since she'd met that no-good Evan Laughlin, her luck had gone straight to hell.

* * *

After a long day showing Gia places that didn't hold a candle to Rosser Ranch, Dana dropped her client at the inn and headed home. She hoped that by now Aidan had returned from the fire in Sierra County, safe and sound. A day after she'd texted him, he'd responded that he was taking all precautions and that cell reception was sketchy. No declarations of how he felt about her or even that he missed her. She hadn't heard from him since.

From what she'd seen on the news, it was one hairy fire. Only 30 percent contained, which meant Aidan and the rest of his crew had to be inundated. She got that. But she was also impatient to know where they stood.

She passed the firehouse and searched the small lot until her eyes fell on Aidan's Expedition, which meant he was still away. Instead of going straight home, she took a detour to her old house. Pat and Colin had gotten her building permits and were planning to break ground this week on the new construction.

Both their trucks were in her driveway, so she parked at the curb and went looking for them.

“Hey.” Colin waved to her from a row of hedges. “Glad you're here. We want to take these out so when the concrete guys get here tomorrow we can expand the foundation. That okay?”