Firebreak (Josie Gray Mysteries #4)(11)

“I get why he left Artemis,” she said. “I understand why he hated this place after the hell he went through. He said he was tired of watching over his shoulder for the next disaster. He said leaving was the only way he could ever find happiness again.”

She could feel Dell staring at her in the dark. “You get why he left Artemis, but not why he left you?”

Josie was quiet, gazing up at the pitch-black sky, where the light from stars and the moon had been extinguished by smoke. Josie had mastered the art of deflection, but Dell knew her too well.

“You told me a couple of weeks ago that it was time to let him go,” he said.

She leaned back into the rocking chair and heard the familiar creak of the wood against the porch. Over the past few years, the dangers required of her job had been an issue for Dillon, but he’d also understood her dedication. After the kidnapping, though, everything changed. He shut down. He quit laughing. They didn’t argue, because they quit talking, but she’d believed that eventually things would return to some kind of normal. “He didn’t give me the chance to leave with him. That’s what hurts,” she said. “He didn’t even ask. He just ended it. He came to me one night and said he was selling the business and having movers pack up his house. He couldn’t handle walking by Christina’s desk one more time. He left the next day. That was it.”

“Surely you can understand him feeling that way,” he said.

Josie felt numb. “It sounds selfish, after the hell he went through. It’s just that you think you’re important to someone, and then you discover that other things matter more.”

“You want my opinion?”

“I do.”

“Certain people define themselves by their career. Teachers and nurses and cops are the worst. You go to work ten, twelve hours a day, but then you come home and it doesn’t stop. Teachers’re always trying to fix people, nurses want to heal the world, and cops want to solve problems. Well, you got dished up one hell of a problem with Dillon. And you thought you solved it. He came home safe. Problem was, you had no idea how to make him better. And you can’t handle that.”

She absently twisted the ring around her finger that Dillon had given her the year before for her birthday, but said nothing. She knew Dell was right.

“Dillon’s a smart guy. I always liked him. He was a little soft for my taste, a city boy, but he had a good heart and he loved you. I know that much for sure.”

Dell stopped and looked at her until she nodded. He was right. There was little doubt that Dillon had loved her.

“I get that,” she finally said. “But it obviously wasn’t enough.”

*

In the middle of the night, Josie had received a text from Doug Free stating that the firebreak had worked, and that the fire was 75 percent contained. She’d finally been able to relax and get a few hours of sleep before her meeting at the firehouse the next morning. On her drive into town she called both Otto and Marta to confirm that their families were fine, and that the fire had spared their homes.

At precisely 7:00 a.m., Doug sat down at one of the training tables across from Josie and Otto. His eyes were glazed over from exhaustion and his face sagged from the stress of the night. “We’re up to eighteen homes that were burned in Arroyo County over the past two days. Eleven of those homes are probably a complete loss.” His expression showed his grief.

“How many of them have been cleared?” Josie asked.

“Nine were up north in Riseman and Hepburn. All those homes have been checked. No fatalities.”

Josie hesitated, dreading the answer. “What happened with Beeman’s house?”

“The fire started ripping through that area and one of my guys went and got him. He was sitting in his wood shop, shaking like a leaf.”

“We oughta throw him in jail for putting your men in that position,” Otto said.

Doug frowned and nodded. “It’s maddening. He was awful glad to see us though, when the flames started lapping at his back door. He’s fine, but his house is a complete loss.”

“What about the Blessingses’ place?”

Doug shook his head. “I’m sorry, Josie. I know they’re friends of yours.”

She closed her eyes for a moment against the news, imagining Vie trying to hold it together when she found out her home was gone.

“We’ve got some things to be thankful for. The fire that started across the Rio is completely out. And most importantly, the firebreak worked. Downtown and the most populated areas weren’t touched. And other than minor injuries, none of my firefighters were seriously hurt.”

Josie nodded. “You guys did an incredible job. This town owes you a big debt.”

“I hope I get a few more volunteers out of this. It’s tough to get people to put in the kind of time this job takes. Without a strong crew though, this town would have been lost last night.”

“Are we free to check the remaining nine houses?” Otto asked.

“Not yet. I have a new crew out of Fort Stockton working the fire right now. I hope to have it ninety percent contained by noon. A group of guys went off the clock at three this morning to get some rest. They’ll be out again at ten to check homes for structural damage. I can’t send you in there to check for survivors until I know you’ll be safe. At least not the homes up north.”