Fire Always Burns - By Krista Lakes Page 0,14

get them in a room. We find a way to get them talking. Once that happens, then we can figure out what to do next; we can't make plans until we know what they are going to do. I honestly have no clue how Mom is going to react to seeing Ray. She still misses Dad a lot,” he sighed. Shadow groaned and nudged him with her head again. He smiled down at her and started rubbing her ears again.

“Okay. First things first then. How do we get them in a room?” I leaned back in my chair, playing with a pencil.

“Easy. How do you get anyone to go somewhere at a specific time? You invite them,” he said, smiling.

“You have an idea already, don't you?”

“Since you went off on your what if's. But I wanted to make you feel included.” Andrew smiled apologetically at me. I threw one of the crumpled papers at him. He caught it easily, laughing at my attempt.

“Fine. What's your plan then, Einstein?” I asked, swishing my chair back and forth.

“Easy. My mom and I are going to ask Luke and Ray to dinner. Or rather Luke and I will bring our parents to our dinner,” he said as he grinned mischievously up at me. I shook my head at him, grinning back.

“Do you mind if we get Britney and Eli involved too?” I asked, an idea forming.

“The more the merrier I guess. They might have some good ideas. Why?”

“If you take them to The Three Amigos, then Britney can be your waitress and Eli and I can sit nearby. That way we can listen in and see if we can come up with the next step.”

“You are brilliant,” he said as his eyes sparkled at me, somehow bluer than I had seen in a long time. I grinned, feeling the blush coming back. “Hey, Holly. Thank you.”

“For what? This is all just theoretical right now. I don't know if this is going to work. We all could just end up making fools of ourselves,” I said as I looked at him, but he just kept smiling at me.

“Holly, I have been dreading the next few months, knowing that I was going to have to give up my scholarship. Just knowing that I was going to be stuck here making sure that the heat stays on for my mom while my dreams passed me by was killing me. You just gave me something I didn't think I would get to have again: hope. Something I can do to fix this. I have tried everything I can think of, but this is the first time that it actually looks like things might get better,” he paused, his face lightening. He looked younger, less worn. “I have wanted to leave so badly. It hurts just thinking about it sometimes. This could be the solution.”

“I don't know if this will even work. I don't want to get your hopes up too much,” I said, sitting quietly for a moment, watching him pet my dog.

“It's something. Even if it doesn't work, it is something. A plan, a possibility. It is so much better than not having anything,” he said. His hand stopped petting Shadow's head and stayed still. “Thank you, Holly.”

I beamed. Andrew always made me feel special.

“You're welcome. How does tomorrow at six sound?” I asked opening my phone. He nodded, his hand resuming petting Shadow's soft fur. “I'll make reservations with Britney. Do you want to call Luke and invite him to dinner?”

Andrew grinned and picked up his phone.

Chapter 4

A fox sniffed the air, turning tail at the acrid smell. Rabbit noses twitched as they debated running or hiding from the implacable foe. A small black bear raised up on his hind paws, sniffing the air before lumbering away. Two deer hurried past the bear, the fear of flames gleaming in their dark eyes. The crackle and pop of the fire chased them all slowly, eating away at their homes without mercy.

I got to the restaurant early, sliding into a seat at the corner of the bar. I shrugged out of my jacket, hanging it on the back of my chair. It was warm in the restaurant, and I soaked up the heat after coming in from the cold. The night sky outside threatened snow, and the temperature was dropping quickly.

“Hey, honey. You ready for tonight? I almost feel giddy, like I'm in on a big secret,” Britney said with a giggle as she slipped behind the