Page 10 of Never Fall Again
“Naomi sent a picture of the girls. Looks like they’re having a good time.”
Cal’s grim expression lightened by an almost imperceptible fraction. Landry suspected that for all his assurances that Eliza would be fine, he was relieved by this news. But the determination of his features gave her pause. “Do you know something I don’t?”
He frowned and glanced in her direction before returning his attention to the road. “No. Sorry.” He shook out his shoulders, and Maisy twisted around in the seat until her head rested in his lap, while her tail flounced across Landry’s legs.
So it wasn’t her imagination. Maisy had noticed it too. Cal’s right hand fell to the top of Maisy’s head, and he scratched behind her ear. He cleared his throat. “I apologize if I worried you. It’s force of habit. My brain’s in mission mode. There’s a problem, and I’m bringing a civilian into a hot zone. I’m running through contingencies. It’s unnecessary. Gray is on-site, and he knows his stuff.”
“Gray? You mean Chief Ward?”
Cal didn’t respond until he’d navigated through a tricky curve. “Gray and I served together. When the chief’s position opened up, I was thrilled he went for it. He’s a good man. Great soldier. Saved my life. He’ll be all over this.”
He paused and glanced at her again. “I think my paranoia is high right now because I’ve never heard of an incident like this at The Haven. Their buildings were built to the highest possible standards. And that includes fire suppression systems. It makes no sense that the building went up in flames the way Bronwyn described it.”
“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.” Landry turned her unfocused gaze to the window, the trees nothing but a green blur as they passed. “I want to believe it was an accident. I’ve been there three years. The staff is content. The Haven pays well. People get along with each other for the most part. There’s the occasional overbearing guest, but most people who come to The Haven wantto be left alone. They appreciate the high-end amenities, of course, but they aren’t looking to be doted on. It’s not unusual for someone to check in and literally never leave their cabin.”
Cal snorted.
“Is something wrong with that?”
“They could stay home and never leave their house and save themselves a ton of money.” Cal shook his head. “If you come here, you should come to experience the area. Hike to a waterfall or three. Drive around. Enjoy the view. Wander through town. I’ve seen the porches on the cabins at The Haven. The very least they could do is sit on a swing and read a book.”
“Are you more offended at the waste of money or the waste of the opportunity to see something beautiful?” Landry couldn’t tell.
“Both.” This time when Cal caught her eye, there was a glimmer of amusement. “My family isn’t wealthy by The Haven’s standards, but by the mountains of North Carolina standards, we’re filthy rich. But we were raised to be frugal. I think that’s why some of the older generations of Quinns and Pierces clashed. The Quinns couldn’t see the sense in providing a space for rich people to waste money. The Pierces figured if they were going to waste it, they might as well waste it here where the people of Gossamer Falls could benefit from it.”
“Who was right?” Landry asked.
“My opinion? Both. And neither.”
“A very politic answer.”
Cal grinned, and Landry caught her breath. The man had a dimple. Just one. And when he grinned, the focused soldier disappeared and a younger, lighter Cal emerged. “I’ve been dancing between the families since I was born. When Meredith, Mo, and I met Bronwyn, we were too young to understand the implications of a family feud. We liked each other, and we were in the same grade at school. They couldn’t keep us apart.”
“Did they try?”
Before Cal could answer, they rounded a curve and were met with a wall of emergency vehicles. Lights flashed from the top of fire trucks, ambulances, and random pickups. Landry took a deep breath. Then another. But the next one was shallower than she’d intended.
“Landry?” Cal’s hand wrapped around her bicep. “You with me?”
Maisy’s wet nose nudged Landry’s cheek, and Landry didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around the dog’s neck. Her breathing steadied. “I’m okay.”
Cal hadn’t removed his hand from her arm, and now he squeezed it. “Would it help if I told you wildly inappropriate stories about the firefighters in this town?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “The two guys who usually run that truck”—he pointed to a truck on the left side of the road—“are brothers. Mike and Jack Dwyer. They fought so much as kids that one year they almost failed a grade because they’d been suspended from school so many times. You might assume they hate each other, but you’d be wrong. They’re best friends, but they still fight. They got thrown out of the Pizza Palace two weeks ago.”
“No.”
“Yes. It was quite a scandal.”
“What was the fight about?”
He spoke with the solemnity of a news anchor. “They fought over who would pay the bill.”
A giggle bubbled through Landry, and she was shocked to hear herself laughing. “Seriously?”
“Yep. They’re currently serving out a six-month ban. Denise, the owner, even refuses to allow them to order takeout.” Cal released her arm and drove in a slow creep toward the main gate. When they passed an ambulance, he pointed. “That paramedic,Valerie, was in my class in school. She once led a raid of the boys’ locker room during football practice. She and several other girls took everything they could find and put it all in big bags, which they dumped over the back of the bleachers.”
“Were you on the football team?”
“No. I played basketball in the winter. During the fall and spring, I worked with my dad after school.”