Buried Flames by Kennedy Layne Read Free Book Online

had already picked them up since they weren’t there, most likely along with Al Stockton. I’m not that far behind them, so you didn’t need to come all the way back here just for me.”
    “It’s been almost three hours, Brenna,” Mason barked, placing his hand on the door and pointing a finger at the seat. “Get in.”
    “No,” Brenna shot back, walking to her truck where Sam waited for her. “You know what, Mason? I feel sorry for you over there on your spread all by yourself. We all did. No one could believe you came back here after your time in the service. After all, Anita had passed away a long time ago and her place was falling apart from neglect. We thought, especially me, that you missed all of us when we heard about the property sale. No one ever treated you different just because you came back here from the war, so when you started to turn away everyone’s offer to help you get the place back in shape…well, that didn’t set too well. Me? I told them over and over all you needed was time—that you must have gone through something horrible to make you act the way you are. You know what I just figured out? That you’re nothing but the bitter son of a bitch they said you were.”
    Brenna could have cared less if Mason had taken her backpack full of clothes. She’d get some more apparel somewhere, but she wasn’t staying around here any longer than necessary. She’d done what needed to be done with her livestock, giving them their best chance at survival, and now she needed to do the same for herself. She walked over to her truck, got in, and went to start the engine when she realized her keys weren’t in the ignition. She swung a look over her shoulder to find Mason standing there with her keys swinging off of his finger, although there wasn’t a trace of a smile on his lips anywhere. She’d pissed him off just as he had her. Damn it. She shouldered open her door and got out of the truck.
    “Hand them over,” Brenna demanded as she confronted him. “I’m giving you what you want, Mason. I have no idea why you came back when you care for no one other than yourself, but all you did was waste what little precious time you keep going on and on about. You think I don’t understand how important it is to clear out of here? I do, but I wasn’t about to let my livestock suffer when I had the ability to give them a chance at some kind of relief. So guess what? We can go our own separate ways.”
    “Get in the truck, Brenna.”
    She must have heard him wrong, because she was telling him he could leave with no hard feelings. She studied his face, which showed absolutely no emotion at all. It was as if he’d flipped a switch and shut himself off from humanity. It was actually rather unnerving, but she still reached for her keys. He only held them up higher.
    “How did you even know I was still here?”
    There it was. A flicker of…something…in Mason’s dark eyes. It was gone as quick as it had appeared. Brenna regarded him warily, still not willing to just get in his truck and drive right into the wall of ash headed their way. They stood a better chance going east.
    “I called Beau. He said you weren’t with them, so I’d assumed you had some kind of accident.”
    It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Mason wasn’t happy that Brenna had stayed behind, but it did give her the opening she was hoping for.
    “Have you decided to join us going east?” Brenna asked cautiously, watching Mason closely for any sign to the contrary. They could all make it farther with him traveling in the group. “Even the livestock know which direction we should go and now that you’re running behind—”
    “Running behind?” The threatening undertone of Mason’s voice told Brenna all she needed to know. He was livid that he’d chosen to come back here for her…and yet he had. His actions spoke volumes, but his next words cancelled out any optimism she’d had that he’d take the safer route. “We