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Her dad stopped ht in his eyes dimmed Mom shot her a disappointed look, and she instantly felt asha the day Rich, landowning, and in possession of a tioodly number of Sierra Falls townspeople, he was the town’s resident benefactor Dabney was souar and Italian driving loafers "Daot yourself quite a deal"

"I hear you have the sheriff to thank for it" Phoebe caught her eye and gave her a sad smile Her next words hispered for her ears alone "He’d best be as good as he sounds, Sorrow You were supposed to marry my Damien, you know"

But her husband had overheard Dabney came over and wrapped an arht, I’ll have to go over there with a shotgun and see that he does"

She laughed, relieved that it was out in the open "It’s not like that I mean…we had one date, that wasn’t even really a date, and…"

A trickle of black sot The oven door juing, roaring blaze

The kitchen exploded with screa her body with his

"Get out of the kitchen," he yelled Turning to his father, he shouted, "Get them out of the kitchen"

Edith pulled the faucet hose frorab the woman’s hand "No! No water!"

"What the hell, boy?" Bear rease" Flaer contained in the oven Da his nose and mouth with his hand, and barked out orders "Call 911 Sorrow, fire extinguisher"

Everyone fled the kitchen, and Sorroas across the roouisher Damien snatched it from her and sprayed Black smoke filled the kitchen as the fire alarhs racked her, and Dary look "Get out of here"

She shook her head Struggling for breath, she grabbed their restaurant-sized bag of baking soda, but by that time the fire was out She du with adrenaline

Damien scooped her in his ar area They saw everyone standing in a cluster outside, shivering and talking a blue streak He stopped her "I need a h the , her dad’s expression was as black as the set the blame for this"

Daed soot froht?"

She went on alert--she’d need to tread carefully here "I never said you weren’t"

Da his face to hers "So can I get you to coinal entle hand on his chest and stepped back "Damien, I’ood together" He chucked her chin, as though she were being willingly unruly "You need ht, and he wore his trade--Damien Simmons wasn’t as confident as he made himself appear

"I need you," she said "As my friend"

His eyes shuttered "You’ve already hooked up with Billy, haven’t you?"

"Hooked up?" She prayed her voice hadn’t squeaked

As though in answer, Billy storhts on his SUV were a red and blue strobe flashing on the tavern walls His gaze went from Sorrow, to Damien, to Damien’s hands on her shoulders

At that er to address Damien’s question with his fists

Twenty-nine

When the call went out over the radio--fire at the Thirsty Bear Tavern--fear exploded in Billy’s chest A horrific picture ca in the dirt, lovely limbs broken and twisted His heart pounded, so hard he felt it sla Keri’s face like all those other times, this tis for her, but such a blast of panic and longing galvanized those feelings, illu flash He loved her

He sped dangerously fast, beating the volunteer fire departet to her They’d called only for the fire truck, not the ambulance, but he had to see for himself that she was safe

It was clear now Soer--they all were If a fire didn’t make Bear see the truth, he didn’t knoould

But when he charged in and found Sorrow’s ex holding her, fear turned to fury

He wanted to tear the guy’s hands off her Wanted to scoop her up and carry her from harm, away from this other man He had to take her and have her to himself, so to ency boiled his blood, so powerful the desire to show Sorro much he wanted her, needed her She’d snuck up on hie to tell her he loved her blinded hi he had to measure his step He was in uniform, after all