But there was something about the woman that flat out scared him. She was—intense. Sexy. Smart as hell. Funny. She had no qualms showing her feelings. Meaning that most of the time she was a stressed-out, sexually frustrated woman with a grudge when they were around each other. Not that he could blame her.
She made him feel all kinds of sexually frustrated too. He hadn’t been this well acquainted with his hand since he was a teenager . . .
Pushing all thoughts of Delilah out of his brain as best he could, he refocused on his drive as he headed toward the outskirts of town, near the north end of Wildwood Lake. Spots of the mountainous landscape had been left scorched and black, a result of the latest fire set by the arsonist.
He was ramping up his activity, and the townspeople were starting to notice.
And damn it, Lane wished he could make the fires stop. But he couldn’t. Worse, he couldn’t wrap his head around the arsonist’s motives. Why was this happening?
Did arson ever make sense though? Was there ever a rational reason that made people go, “Oh, I get why he burned the entire town down”?
That would be a no. He could wrap his head around an owner burning his building down for insurance purposes. It was a bad idea, and an illegal one too, but still. He got it.
But burning down random buildings and pieces of land just for the hell of it? That made zero sense. He didn’t like it. Made him feel like he was at war with an anonymous enemy. Meaning he could trust no one.
It could be someone he knew.
Someone he liked.
Someone he trusted.
And that possibility really pissed him off.
His phone rang and he answered it, thankful as always for Bluetooth. “What’s up?” It was his brother West calling.
“They’re bringing in someone from prevention,” he announced. “The investigator will be here first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Good.” The sheriff’s department had been working alongside Cal Fire on the arsonist investigation, but the fires were really Cal Fire’s jurisdiction. “We need all the help we can get.”
“I hear he’s some grumpy prick who’s like a dog with a bone. As in he won’t let shit go,” West muttered. “But don’t ever repeat what I just said.
I sound like an asshole.”
Lane chuckled. “Yeah, you do. But your secret is safe with me.” His brother had really changed from the sullen, miserable kid who’d escaped Wildwood at the first opportunity. He was good at his job, had a good woman by his side, and seemed no longer resentful of his hometown or his family.
“I just hope he catches this motherfucker quick. I’m sick of this.”
“Comes with the territory.” They’d had plenty of arsonists in and around Wildwood over the years. Living in the mountains, being surrounded by pine trees and thick brush seemed to bring out the firebug in people. They’d just never had such a busy arsonist before. And it worried Lane. A lot.
It worried everyone.
“I almost forgot, Harper wanted me to ask you over for dinner tomorrow.”
“Family dinner?” Lane asked.
“Family and friends. More like a small party. She wanted to invite everyone over and be as social as possible before I end up called out on another fire for weeks on end,” West explained. “Please say you’ll go. I don’t want to be the lone wolf among all of her girlfriends.”
“What about Holden?”
“He’ll be there. Snuggled up with Kirsten,” West said, his tone laced with irritation. Like he had any room to talk. Lane was pretty sure all West wanted to do lately was snuggle up with Harper.
“And Tate?”
“He’ll be there, but I’m not that close with him, dude. Not like I am with you.”
“Well, you’ll never be as close to anyone as you are with me,” Lane pointed out. “I’m your brother, jackass.”
“Fuck you,” West said good-naturedly. “Don’t give me some crap about you having to work an extra shift either. I know you’re scared to face Delilah.”