Firestorm - Ellie Masters Page 0,72

in the dark and we’ve got a long ride ahead of us.

By the time we make it back home, dusk deepens into night. We unsaddle the horses, rub them down, and make sure they have plenty to eat.

I reward Knight with an apple for a job well done. Then we’re all back in the house, sitting on the couch. After a brief discussion about whether to binge watch TV or play a game, Brody and Cage opt to play a game.

“You guys start.” I lift my phone. “I’m going to give Evelyn a call and see how she’s doing.”

I’ve been separated from her for the better part of the day and feel unsettled not having her by my side.

Before I can dial her number, my phone rings. It’s Grant Malone, and I can’t for the life of me understand why he’d be calling me.

20

Evelyn

La Rouge works magic on me, leaving me oddly at peace, as if there’s a little piece of me I never knew was missing that found its way home.

Whether that’s the blooming romance with Asher, or the way his family makes me feel at home, despite all the inadvertent groping, is difficult to say. Whatever the reason, La Rouge Vineyards feels like a place I want to spend more time at.

Maybe tomorrow.

For today, my time is monopolized by Prescott and Gracie. I’ve been too hard on them when all they want is what’s best for me. And Prescott is a veritable saint. He could say all manner of things to me, the top on that list being ‘I told you so’ but he keeps his own counsel. That shouldn’t mean as much to me as it does.

Prescott has a lunch meeting with Judge Simon which leaves the morning for shopping. Gracie takes me to a string of boutique stores in Napa, while Prescott dutifully trails behind us.

We hit all the shops and rebuild an impressive wardrobe in a matter of hours. When lunchtime comes, our driver drops Prescott off at an establishment where he’ll meet with the judge and get a sense of how bad things are for me.

Gracie and I consult our phones and pick a five-star restaurant to whittle away the afternoon. Lunch becomes a two-hour event, which we follow with more shopping.

Prescott texts that he’ll join us at the house he rented for the duration and we meet up with him a little before five in the evening. It takes several trips to empty the trunk of my new purchases. Gracie and I definitely gave my new plastic a workout.

“With my black thumb, that’s not going to last.” I point to the ornate garden with its myriad of flowering plants. The small house Prescott rented perches up on the hills overlooking the valley. It’s quaint with an English garden filling the front lawn.

Prescott chuckles. “Which is why you have a gardener to take care of it. Don’t worry, all the amenities are taken care of.” Knowing him, that means I have a gardener and housekeeping service already scheduled. He hands me the key to the front door. “I hope you like it.”

I’m not used to carrying keys. In the past year, I’ve spent the majority of nights camping out on the trail. It’s going to feel weird sleeping with a roof over my head. I’m thankful the house is at the end of the street. There’s no traffic and we’re far enough from any roads it’s going to be very peaceful.

“Thank you so much for taking care of everything.” He doesn’t have to do this for me, but I sense taking care of me helps to ease some of his grief. I lost my fiancé, but he lost a son. I can’t imagine what that must feel like, and to have me standing in front of him, instead of his son, must be incredibly difficult.

“You know we’d do anything for you.” Gracie places her hand on my arm. She’s sweet and cares deeply for me.

“I do.” I take a deep breath and insert the key into the lock. “How long do I have to stay here?” My anxiety builds, feeling as if the world is closing in on me. I crave the open spaces of the outdoors where I’m most at peace.

Prescott waits on the small porch while I head inside. Gracie follows me in and he’s right behind us. The door closes with a snick and I can’t help but feel a little trapped.

“It’s going to be awhile,” he says. “I’ve asked for