Chapter 15
“ARE YOU completely crazy?” Willy asked the following evening as they sat at McDonald’s with the kids.
Every head in the restaurant turned toward them, including April’s and Grant’s.
April climbed into her daddy’s lap to try to calm him, and Grant, who sat next to Kevin, looked like he was going to disappear under the table at any second.
“Sorry,” he said more softly. “But what are you thinking?”
“We figured we needed a way to draw this guy out, and I have it. The announcement of substandard construction will be made in a day or two. Certain details will be provided that will place the blame on the construction company. We will not accuse them directly by name, but give enough information that they will know we are after them. Red and Carter are going to then explain that the fire department is still investigating, and they’ll indicate me without bringing up my name.
They’ll also allude to the fact that additional evidence is expected soon. ”
“But that’s going to put you in the line of fire,” Willy said, his insides churning like a KitchenAid mixer. He pushed back his food and took a deep breath. “They’ll come after you.”
“Yes, they will,” Kevin told him as though it were no big deal. “I want them to. That’s the whole idea. I’ve already made a show of being at my house and walking the dogs, which I’d like to bring over secretly so they’ll be safe.” He pulled out his phone. “I found this at the house this morning.”
It was a picture of another of those awful threats. “And you’re acting like it’s a good thing.”
Kevin nodded. “It means they know where I live and that I’m not staying with you anymore, so you and the kids are safe.
Now we just need to bring some heat down on them and we can bring this whole thing to an end.
I won’t be alone. Chase is going to be with me at the house.
We’ll sneak him in in the back of my car tonight, and he’ll stay with me for a few days.
No one will see him. We’ll get the dogs out the same way. ”
Willy swallowed hard. “And if this doesn’t work and they…?” He tried not to think about what could happen, but it nearly overwhelmed him. “You could lose everything, including your life.” The thought of that was too much, and he turned to look out the window at the cars passing on High Street.
Kevin took his hand, and Willy almost pulled away.
“I know this worries you, but I’m going to have a ton of backup.
The police will be involved, as will the fire department.
Chase will be in the house with me, and I’ll have multiple ways to get help quickly.
In addition, Red and Carter have installed temporary cameras around the house.
They are up and working and face front, back, and through the sides.
We’ve done everything we can to make sure I’ll be safe. ”
Willy wasn’t sure he could do this. “I’ll take the dogs, of course.
The kids have missed them. But….” He didn’t want to say something he would regret later.
Willy knew Kevin was a firefighter through and through, and he would do what it took to keep others safe, even if that meant putting himself in danger.
As much as the idea of Kevin getting hurt scared the hell out of him, he knew he couldn’t stand in the way of who he was.
As far as Willy was concerned, Kevin was a hero.
He had saved their lives—all of them. And to ask him to turn that off…
to stop being who he was… he couldn’t do that.
So his decision was to either accept that or simply walk away.
He clamped his eyes closed because the thought of that made his heart feel like it was being stabbed.
“Okay. I know you need to do this, and it scares me. But you need to be you.” He leaned over the table. “Just make damned sure you come out of this in one piece, because if you don’t….” He met Kevin’s gaze with his best icy stare.
“I fully intend to.” He squeezed Willy’s hand. “I’ll figure out a way to bring the dogs over without anyone seeing. I want anyone who might be watching the house to think they’re still there. I actually recorded their barks so they can be played back if someone comes to one of the doors.”
Willy sighed. “Then it sounds like you’ve thought of everything.” He sure as hell hoped that was true, because a mistake could cause both him and Kevin a great deal of hurt.
“I’ve tried to think of every contingency. All we need to do is catch these people. From there we can get them to tell us what we need to know. Right now we don’t have much to go on, so it’s either trap them or they will be free to do this again and ruin other people’s lives.”
“I know. I’m just scared for you.” And for himself. Kevin was the man he was, but Willy hoped he realized that this little plan didn’t affect just him, but the rest of them as well.
“It will be okay,” Kevin said, and Willy hoped like hell that turned out to be true.
THE KIDS were in bed, and Willy sat in the living room with a single light on, thinking.
Since he’d gotten home from dinner with Kevin, he’d gotten the kids ready for bed.
Then, in the quiet, his mind began to race.
He knew he had a tendency to spiral out of control at times like this, so he called Evelyn.
“Tell me I’m not going crazy,” he said as soon as she answered. He could almost see her rolling her eyes in the silence that followed.
“You aren’t going crazy, but you are nuts,” she said flatly. “Now what is all this about?”
“Kevin,” he said softly. “I can’t really talk about the details, but he’s doing something that could put him in danger, and I’m worried. It’s stupid, I know that.”
“That you’re worried about him?” she asked. “I don’t think so. We always worry about those we love. It’s just human nature. The thing is, can you live with the worry in order to have him around? That’s what you have to think about. I mean, the choice is simple.”
“No, it’s not.”
Evelyn cleared her throat. “Yes, it is, and I’m starting to feel like I’m talking to my sister when we were six and she’d just taken my cookie.
” Willy chuckled a little and quieted. It was her turn to talk.
“The choice is, do you want Kevin in your life, and all the things that go with it? The amazing man he is, his strength, the way he makes you smile, how good he is with the kids, and how he looks at you? Just thinking about the way, even across the table at dinner with the kids, a single smile in a room full of people could feel as private and heat inducing… as an intimate caress. Put all that against whatever he feels he has to do. Yes, it might be dangerous, but….”
Willy sighed. “He’s worth every second of worry.”
“Then there. You have your answer.” Evelyn sounded satisfied with herself.
“Yeah, I guess I do.” So he needed to stop moping and worrying… and he needed to figure out how he was going to help. “Like it was a really tough decision.”
“Where is the man of the hour?” Evelyn asked.
“We had dinner with the kids, and then he had some things to do in order to prepare for this setup that he’s part of.
I don’t like it, but I know why he’s doing it, and in part it’s to keep me and the kids safe.
But I… I wish he were here with me now. Not because I want to change him, but just because he makes me feel better just being here, you know? ”
“I get it. My nephew melts your butter, and yours needs a really good application of heat.” She snickered.
“There’s someone at the back door.” Willy got up and headed through the house. “It’s Kevin,” he said when he saw him through the window.
“Then I’ll let you go. And don’t be scared to turn that heat way up.
Call if you need me, but somehow I doubt you’ll need me.
” She ended the call, and Willy unlocked the door and let Kevin and the dogs inside.
The pups checked out the bowls on the mat in the corner of the kitchen before spreading out, looking through the house.
Willy had little doubt that April and Grant were going to get visitors soon.
And Thumper was going to claim his favorite chair.
“Are you all set?”
“Yeah. I made sure no one saw us leave, and I put my car in your garage and came through the yard.” He tugged Willy to him.
“I appreciate you looking after them and keeping them safe. Nothing has been announced yet, but as soon as it is, I want to have everything in place. I don’t know when we can expect them to make a move, but Red and Carter don’t think it will take long. ”
“And the announcement…?”
“Is tomorrow. The chief of police and the fire chief both want to see what we can stir up, so the announcement will be tomorrow afternoon.” Kevin held him closer.
“I feel like you’re going into battle or something,” Willy told him. “I know you need to do this, but I was just on the phone to your aunt, and she explained things pretty well.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. I don’t need to go into the details, but I need to make a choice…
.” He looked into Kevin’s eyes. “And I choose you over the worry. It’s that simple.
You make me happy, and I hate it when you’re not here and I love it when you are.
” He wound his arms around Kevin’s neck.
“And I especially love it when it’s just the two of us alone and—”
Kevin growled softly. “I know what you’re trying to say, and I love you for it.”
Willy stilled. “Did you just say that you loved me?” He had never expected to hear those words again, not after Mark died.
Kevin grinned. “Yes, I did. Nothing gets past you economists.” He winked, and Willy kissed away that grin until Kevin moaned softly in his arms.
“I love you too,” Willy whispered between kisses. “There’s just one issue. We’re in the laundry room. I could turn on the washing machine and we could take that for a spin. Or you and I could go somewhere else much more private.”