Page 40 of Built of Flames

She didn’t bother to check his face to see if he was serious. If this was how the rest of the squad felt, she was wasting her time returning. But she wouldn’t know until she faced them.

The aroma of Christo’s chili came from the kitchen so she headed that way first. A friendly face would help. Her brother looked up from stirring the pot and his face lit up, shoving out a lot of the uncomfortable. He set down the spoon and moved to envelop her in a hug. “So glad you’re here.”

“Thanks. Haven’t lost your magic chili touch, I see. Or should that beI smell?”

Christo laughed and slung his arm over her shoulder. “Either works. Come on, I’ve got someone you want to see.”

They moved from the kitchen to the rec room. Roberto looked up from where he was playing cards with some others. His eyes widened and a huge smile broke out on his face. “Bella!”

The older man moved like lightning around the table and across the room. He lifted her and swung her around like she was a child.

This was the man who’d been so much more than a mentor. The only one she hadn’t cut out of her life. They’d emailed and called over the years, but she hadn’t seen him in person since that day in the hospital. Bella squeezed her eyes shut to force back the tears. No crying in the firehall.

Roberto was laughing as he set her down. “Bella. It’s so good to see you.”

She reached up and kissed his cheek. “Same to you, Roberto. I’m sorry it took so long.”

He hugged her again. “If you’re ready, it took exactly the right amount of time. Nothing to be sorry about.”

And that was exactly why she loved Roberto. Why he’d always been such a great mentor and teacher.

“Isabella?”

“Izzy? Is that you?”

And suddenly she was surrounded by more firefighters who remembered her. Paul, Mac, Afri. They all hugged her and talked over each other apologizing for that day and asking her how she was.

It warmed her up and chased the anxiety out of her belly. Kent’s reaction had been the anomaly, not the norm. A couple of the older men nodded and welcomed her back, but with less enthusiasm. She got to meet two of the new female firefighters, Naseem and Penny.

Soon, she was sitting at a table with a group and talking about everything and nothing.

Mitch came in with a towel around his neck. He’d obviously been working out, and he smiled at seeing her with the group. He walked around the table and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek, bringing on hoots and catcalls.

Her face flushed, but she laughed along with everyone, then yanked Mitch’s sweaty t-shirt to bring him down for a proper kiss.

Grinning, he took off to shower, and Roberto steered the conversation to her new job. “Our girl’s a fancy arson investigator now. She’s caught a few serial arsonists with her work.”

Paul leaned forward on the table. “I’ve been wondering if we’ve got one of those here in Kelsor.”

A few others nodded but others appeared surprised.

“What makes you think there might be a serial arsonist here?”

Paul shrugged. “Too many fires this time of year. And some of them seemed aimed to hurt people who live and work here but not necessarily the owners of the properties.”

Various people threw out theories and how different fires might be connected. Mitch joined them and squeezed a chair in beside her as the conversation continued.

When she looked at him with a question in her eyes, he nodded. “Mitch was wondering the same thing. We’ve been looking at the data for the past few days.”

“And what do you think?” Afri asked.

“I think it’s possible. Even likely. But I need more data.”

It wasn’t long before the group had moved to the conference room. Bella placed her magnets on the whiteboard and explained her coding system.

As the group studied the board, she realized they were making useful connections. Both which fires they’d worked and which buildings they were connected to.

Maybe the threat wasn’t her family, but her firehall. What if the connection was that someone was out to hurt them all? What would be the motive?