“I’m detail oriented. I don’t micromanage.” But she started walking toward him, and when she closed the gap, he fell in step beside her. When they reached his car, a fire engine siren wailed in the distance. Ann got out of the car and immediately wrapped a blanket around Joan.
“Joan, you feel like ice,” Ann said.
“The irony,” Joan said, attempting a smile. “Is Nate okay?”
“He’s fine. He’s in the back seat with Kyle.”
“Did Nate explain why he was outside?” Joan asked.
“He said he saw the flames.”
“From where?” Joan demanded.
“He won’t say.”
“Let me talk to him,” Joan said.
“He’s fallen asleep.” Ann sounded defensive and on guard.
“I won’t upset him,” Joan said. “I just want to know if he saw anyone.”
“It’s too much for him,” Ann said. “We’ll talk to him in the morning.”
“By morning, whoever did this could be long gone.”
“I know.”
“She needs to get in the car,” Gideon said.
The fire engine lights appeared in the distance, flinging yellows and reds on the trees. The sirens grew louder.
Gideon reached for the door handle on the front passenger seat and opened the door. A rush of warm air beckoned her inside.
“You need to get out of your wet clothes,” Ann said. “I’ll hold up a blanket so you can strip.”
Whatever modesty she felt was outweighed by the practical matter of getting warm. She reached for the hem of her shirt and, as she pulled it up, noted that Gideon’s gaze lingered only a moment before he turned away. She peeled off her boots and jeans and left both in a wet, cold pile by the car.
Ann wrapped the blanket around her, and again her body shuddered, expelling the chill inside her. She slipped into the passenger seat, and Ann closed the door.
She watched as Ann and Gideon spoke to each other. Their voices were low, but she could see by the agitated looks on their faces that both were shaken.
Joan tipped her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. Who the hell would set that fire? It was not lost on her that the fire had started in a shed that was easily visible from her window.
“I didn’t set the fire.” Nate’s quiet voice came from the back seat.
She looked in the rearview mirror and caught his wise gaze staring at her.
Kyle was beside him, nodding his agreement. “He didn’t set the fire.”
“I believe you.” Keeping her voice low and calm, she asked, “Do you know who set it?”
“No,” Nate said.
“What woke you?”
“I was hungry,” Nate said.
“He’s always hungry,” Kyle offered.
Joan could not tell if Kyle was giving him an excuse or really explaining. “What did you eat?”
“I saw the fire before I got to the kitchen.” Nate burrowed deeper into his blanket, making it impossible to really see him well.
“Why didn’t you tell your mom? It could have caught the woods on fire.”
“I didn’t think about that; I just ran outside. Then you came out.”
She stared into his gaze, trying to decipher what was going on in that head of his. “Did you see who set the fire, Nate?” she asked again.
Instead of answering, Nate closed his eyes and tugged the blanket up close to his chin. “I’m tired.”
Most children were not good at masking their thoughts and feelings, but she suspected Nate was far more mature and capable than she had realized.
The fire crews arrived minutes later, and the single-engine crew quickly unloaded their hoses and went around the side of the house. With more power than her garden hose, they quickly doused whatever embers remained. Clarke pulled up behind the truck and got out of the car.
Joan tightened her blanket around her. She was warm, and the comfort of the wool now scratched her skin. She was anxious to get clothes back on so that she would be more comfortable and freer to move.
She opened the door, glancing back to see that Nate and Kyle were sleeping. Gingerly, she stepped out of the car, the graveled driveway digging into her bare feet. The night’s chill had more bite now that her blood had warmed.
She closed the car door gently, watching as Gideon, Clarke, and Ann all spoke to each other. She crossed the driveway and hurried up the front path, past two firefighters.
“Sorry, fellas,” she said as she kept moving. “I’m buck naked and need my pants.”
Their gazes shifted to her hand gripping the wool blanket, and no doubt they were wondering what was underneath it. Let them wonder. As long as she