Page 9 of Shadow of Deceit
Ryan nodded. “Got my master’s in public administration and discovered I don’t like being inside all day. My brothers made law enforcement look intriguing. I thought being a deputy would give me enough of the great Oregon outdoors.”
He paused, a faraway look on his face.
“And?” she asked, and hated that she needed to know more.
“I was wrong. Tried it for four years, but when the executive director for Wilderness Ways resigned, I stepped in. I’m finally where I want to be. Doing that and working with the family business.” He ran a finger around the collar of his turnout jacket. “So trust me when I say, we need to report this to Russ.”
She didn’t know what business he was referring to. She knew his parents closed their resort next door. Maybe that was what he was talking about. In any event, it wasn’t important now.
Not when her return home without any drama with the locals was at stake. “I don’t want anyone to hear about the threat. I need time to process the news. Then I’ll handle it my way.”
“But this is too—”
“Please. No.” Her raised voice brought on another round of coughing, sending shards of pain through her side. “I don’t want everyone in town gossiping about me on my first day back. If you still care about me at all, you’ll keep this to yourself.” She locked her gaze on his. “Promise me you won’t tell Russ. Or anyone.”
“Fine.” He released a frustrated breath. “I’ll go along with you, but you should reconsider and tell him yourself.”
“I’ll think about it.” And she would. Likely nonstop.
“She okay, Maddox?” A firefighter with Chief lettered on his helmet hustled toward them. She recognized him as one of her father’s golfing buddies.
Ryan stood but didn’t look away. “I sure hope so.”
His double meaning didn’t escape her, but she forced back the emotions.
The chief locked his inquisitive gaze on her. “You and Jessie the only ones in the barn, Mia?”
“As far as I know,” Mia said, blocking out Ryan and paying full attention to the chief. “There’s a truck in there, but it was completely engulfed in flames by the time I got into the barn. I don’t know if anyone was in it, but at least Jessie escaped unharmed.”
The chief faced Ryan. “Maddox, you go help Updike investigate that truck. Watson can take care of Mia.”
“On it.” Ryan let his eyes linger long enough to tug Mia’s emotions back to life, then he took off.
As much as she tried, she couldn’t help but watch him as he battled his way into the south end of the building. Fear for his safety crept over her. He was risking his life to check the truck for survivors. Something brave firefighters did every day.
But her heart didn’t clutch for those firefighters.
What was up with that anyway? Did she have residual feelings for him or had his kind, compassionate behavior caught her off-guard, much like their past interactions had?
A female EMT came forward and squatted next to Mia, ending Ryan’s captivating pull.
Good.Now Mia could get her mind off him and on to determining how to follow up on the fire. She would do what she always did in a time of crisis.
Regroup, organize, and control her steps. Keep her feelings at bay. Not let them get in her way. Especially with Ryan. With him threatening her emotional stability, she would need to formulate an extra-detailed course of action to keep him from derailing her plans.
She had to find the person who wanted her gone.
If not gone, dead.
3
Sitting on the lodge’s steps, Mia steeled herself against the blustery gust of wind kicking up from the north and sliding crisply over her. Not that she minded the cooling air after the heat of the fire, but she didn’t like the gusts of smoke. Nor did she like the way the resort employees stood behind barriers watching her.
Didn’t seem to bother EMT Lisa Watson as she strapped a blood pressure cuff on Mia’s arm. Lisa was in the same graduating class as Mia, but thankfully her former classmate didn’t feel a need to reminisce.
Mia tried to relax and turned her head toward Jessie, who was sitting in the back of the ambulance. Lisa’s partner ministered to the pipsqueak of a girl who asked non-stop questions about the procedures. Her tone was lighthearted, and she cracked up when the EMT tickled her, but a haunted glaze dulled the sheen of her eyes.
As a counselor, Mia knew kids had the ability to recover faster from trauma than adults. Children could also appear to be fine but suffer tremendous emotional scars.
