Chapter 6
six
Ainsley
M y phone rings and I moan as I reach for it.
“Hello?” I ask groggily and half-asleep.
“Good morning, sunshine.” My brother’s annoying voice echoes through the phone.
“What time is it?”
“It’s four a.m., time for you to get your little writer brain up and going.”
I groan. “I hate you.”
Normally I would just hang up on him, but Caspian, no doubt, knows I’m here and will keep calling back or send Lachlan here, because he’ll make up some bullshit reason that I need help. My brother is fantastic like that.
I roll over, not too far or I’ll fall off the tiny bed—again—and push myself up to a sitting position. “What do you want, Caspian?”
“For starters, I’d like to know what the hell you’re doing in Ember Falls.”
I sigh and lean against the cabin wall. “I’m working, which I’m sure you know.”
“I do, but . . .”
“But what? ”
My brother huffs. “Why?”
“Because it’s my job. Why do you go into work every day? Because they pay you. Same rules apply with my job.”
I know I’m a little testy, but, seriously, it’s way too early for this.
“So you and Lachlan are talking again?”
I let that sink in a little, because in all these years, Caspian hasn’t talked about it with me. He asked once what the deal was, but then dropped it. I have no idea whether he talks to Lachlan about it, but I had zero desire to bring it up to my brother.
In fact, I still don’t want to talk about it with him.
Lachlan is his best friend. The only person that always had his back when we were kids. Being a military brat isn’t easy. I had friends, and then they left. It was the way it was, but Lachlan never left. From the day he moved next door until the day our dads retired, they were together.
“Yes, we’re talking. I plan to go over later to see Rose and do some of my interview.”
“Good. She’s gotten so big. I’m planning to come up in the next few weeks. Do you think you’ll still be in town?”
I look around at this nasty cabin and shudder. “I sure as hell hope not.”
“Where the fuck are you staying, anyway?”
“Oh, it’s a cabin that is available for rent,” I say nonchalantly, because if my brother knew what this place looked like, he’d be in the car on his way.
I don’t need that. I need my story.
“Lachlan didn’t seem too excited by it. I’ve been in town and there’s really nowhere to stay.”
“I’m fine, Cas .”
“Okay, Ains ,” he relents. “How’s Dad?”
I shift a little and pull my sweater around me. “He’s ... the Admiral. Still messing with the boat, pretending Mom is coming back to him, and letting me know all the things I do wrong in life.”
“Better you than me. ”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, so much better. You should go see him instead of coming here,” I suggest.
Caspian and our dad do not mix well. They’re so much of the same person that when they’re together, it’s like someone spilled gas and we’re waiting for a spark. Lord knows I’ll be the collateral damage if I’m around.
Dad is tough. He believes that we’re all soft nowadays, and if we just put our heads down and worked harder, life would be better. In some scenarios, he’s probably right, but not in everything. However, according to my father, he’s never wrong.
Ever.
He spent the last fifteen years of his naval career commanding a fleet of ships, and if you ask him, he was the best there ever was.
My brother, on the other hand, was destined to follow in his footsteps, at least according to Dad.
Caspian lets out a low laugh. “Has he stopped talking about what a fuckup I am and that I’m wasting my life trying to make it in Nashville?”
“Nope.”
“Then I’ll visit Ember Falls.”
I figured as much. “If it makes you feel better, he thinks I’m a loser too.”
My brother huffs. “I feel mildly better.”
“I figured. It helps me to know that as much of a loser as he thinks I am, you’ve got the top spot.”
“Fuck off.”
I grin. “I love you too, Cas.”
“Yeah, yeah. Well, happy writing.”
“Happy being Dad’s least favorite,” I say with a smile he can’t see. “It’s really hard wearing this crown, if you could do something to ease my burden.”
He snorts. “I’m perfectly fine being in last place in this race.”
“Fine,” I huff. “I’ll continue to be his favorite.”
Caspian laughs. “And I’m Mom’s favorite.”
I wish that was a lie, but it’s true. “Lucky me. ”
“I think it’s me who’s lucky here. Now don’t annoy Lachlan too much. He’s my favorite out of you two.”
“Har har, you’re so funny.”
Sad part is that I’m not even sure he’s joking.
“Bye, Ainsley.”
“Goodbye, my annoying brother. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
We hang up, and as much as I’d love to go back to bed, I need to send some emails and get my notes in order on how I’d like to approach the story. That means I need to get up and head to Prose & Perk.
First, to try to shower in this ... mess of a cabin. Mr. Brickman told me that the water can be hot, but mostly it’s just cold, and if I turn the generator on ten minutes before, I probably won’t hate my life.
Yeah, that ship has sailed.
I pull my sweater tighter, pull my boots on, and head to the back. I’m supposed to press something, turn a lever, and then try to start it up.
I follow the steps as I remember them, but nothing happens. So I do it again, and this time the motor makes a sound as though it wants to start.
That’s promising.
After the fourth time, it fully kicks up, and in the absolute silence of the woods, it sounds like it’s waking the bears that should be asleep.
Back inside I go before I’m eaten.
I do my best to wait the ten minutes, but I’m really in need of coffee. I take what is probably the coldest and shortest shower of my life, convincing myself that cold water is good for my skin and hair—then I’m out.
I check my phone, and I have three calls from the office and an email, but my service sucks balls out here, so I can’t open it. Therefore, I get dressed and head into the bathroom area to blow dry my hair.
When I push the button on my dryer, nothing happens .
I try again, and now the lights in the cabin go out.
“Great!” I yell and groan.
Back out to the generator I go.
Once again I have to basically say a prayer to get it to start. It does on the third try, and I go back in.
This time, with my wet hair, I wait the full ten minutes and then chance fate. I close one eye, waiting, but all the lights are still on, and everything seems fine.
Until it’s not.
Suddenly sparks start shooting out of the outlets. The lights go out and there is a popping noise and smoke.
“Shit!” I scream, dropping the blow dryer.
I will not die in a shitty cabin in the middle of the woods.
I rush out of the room, grabbing some of my stuff and shoving it in my suitcase. I get through the front door, hair half-dried, in leggings, a bra, and flip-flops. I throw my small bag in my car, and then I see more smoke.
My hands are shaking as I dial 9-1-1.
The operator comes through the line. “Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”
“Hi, I’m at 8223 Tiger Lane, in an off-the-grid cabin. Umm, I think it’s on fire. I don’t know.”
“Are you in a safe location?”
I nod, but she can’t see me.
“Ma’am?”
“Yes, I’m outside.”
“Okay. I’ve dispatched the fire department. Can you describe what happened?”
I go through the generator experience with the dispatcher, telling her about my attempt to blow dry my hair before the popping and smoke experience.
“Is there still smoke coming out of the window?” she asks.
“Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know.” My teeth are chattering as my adrenaline is starting to decrease.
“All right. Just please don’t approach it. They should be there soon. ”
I have zero intentions of going back inside, and I stay on the line until I hear sirens. “They’re coming.”
“Good. Would you like me to stay on until they’re fully on scene?”
“No, I’m okay. Thank you.”
“Not a problem.”
We hang up, and as the sirens become louder, I see a puff of smoke flying closer. At the speed it’s approaching, they must be going incredibly fast on the dirt road.
Instead of a fire truck, it looks like a pickup truck breaking through the trees.
Sure enough, it is, and on the front it says CHIEF.
This is going to go over well.
Lachlan is out of the vehicle and running toward me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, it’s just some smoke. Maybe a fire, I don’t know.”
He grips both my shoulders and then pulls me to his chest. “But you’re okay?”
“Yes, Lach, I’m totally okay.”
His arms drop, and it looks like he takes a breath for the first time and then looks at the cabin. “Stay here.”
Before I can say I had zero intentions of going anywhere, he’s heading into the possible burning building, and every muscle of mine locks up.
No. He can’t go in. There’s a possible fire. While I know this is his job and he’s a fireman, it doesn’t do anything to quell my nerves. He doesn’t even have all his gear on. He’s in freaking basketball shorts and a T-shirt.
I start to go after him, but then he’s coming out, his arm over his face, and then he goes around to the back. The generator noise stops, and he makes his way to me.
“There’s no fire, but the electrical isn’t meant for this. I’m going to kill Brickman. He never should’ve let you stay here. I never should’ve either.” He heads back to his truck, clearly pissed off from the way he stomps, and grabs his radio. “I’m on scene. Fire isn’t active. It’s still smoking but doesn’t require the tanker. ”
“Understood, we’re five minutes out. Do we need medical on scene?”
Lachlan looks at me. “Yes.”
“I don’t need medical,” I protest, but the way his jaw tightens and eyes narrow causes me to stop speaking. He looks murderous or terrified, maybe even both.
After a second of our standoff, he sighs. “Please, just get checked out. If the EMTs say you’re fine, then you don’t have to go to the hospital.”
The defiant little girl in me wants to tell him exactly what he can do with his edict, but I decide against it. I’m pretty sure he was in bed and literally flew here. “Where is Rose?” I ask, hoping maybe her name will bring him back down.
“With the sitter. She watches her when we have a call I need to respond to.”
“You didn’t have to come for this. I’m completely fine.”
He runs his fingers through his hair. “I’m not going to even dignify that with a response.” He starts to pace and then turns to me. “Of course I had to respond to this, Ainsley! Did you really think I wouldn’t? Don’t even answer that. I’m sure you doubted I would, which I deserve, but fucking hell, of course I came for you.” He keeps going in circles, having a one-way conversation. “Like I wouldn’t come to make sure you weren’t hurt. I’d have run through the burning house to get to you.”
That’s kind of nice. “I didn’t say you wouldn’t have.”
“Damn right you didn’t. Because I would.”
“You’d do that for anyone,” I remind him. “Since it’s your job.”
His brown eyes find mine, and they could probably set the woods on fire with the storm raging behind them. “Yes, but ... it’s not the same.”
No, I would assume it wouldn’t be. If it were him, I would go insane until I knew he was okay.
I take two steps closer. “Thankfully, none of that had to happen.”
The sirens are in the background again, and this bubble will burst soon. He moves to me, lifting his hand to barely graze my cheek. God, he’s touching me.
He’s touching me and it’s like lava being sent to every part of my body, warming me even in the cool morning air.
“Don’t ever scare me like this again.”
I fight back a smile. “You were scared?”
His eyelids lower, preventing me from reading any emotions. “You have no idea the level of terror I experienced when I heard it was the cabin.”
My hand presses against his chest, feeling the heat of him and wishing that this was a million other scenarios and we didn’t have a fire truck approaching. Although, the last time we had a similar moment, where we were close and emotional, it ended in disaster. So maybe it’s not a bad thing this will end.
“I can imagine it was an inkling of what I felt when I saw you run in.”
His thumb brushes my cheek, and then he steps back, putting distance between us as the fire truck enters the clearing.