Where There's Smoke: inspirational romantic suspense (Montana Fire Book 1) by Susan May Warren Read Free Book Online Page A

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    Stay outta this, Kate. But that thought was pure reflex as Gary’s mouth tipped in a drunken smile.
    It almost wasn’t fair. Because Jed had grown up with a brother five years older, bigger and faster, who thought Jed should learn how to take care of himself should their uncle ever, finally, kick them out. And Abe wasn’t one to pull his punches.
    Gary’s beefy fist came at him what felt like in slow motion, and Jed moved so fast he almost had to wait for the man to fly past him. He stepped aside and let Gary’s momentum do the work. Gary slammed hard into the bar, bounced back and, aided by his copious refills of the special on tap, stepped back, woozy.
    Jed grabbed his shirt. “Are you finished?”
    Apparently not, because Gary swung again. Jed ducked and reluctantly grabbed his shoulder, loaded a punch into his gut that had Gary doubling over.
    Jed directed him to collapse in a chair as the man turned green. “Sit there. Sober up. Go home.”
    The bar remained quiet, and even Kate stopped walking his direction. He looked up at the expressions of his audience, more than a few wide-eyed.
    CJ nodded to him, touching the brim of his hat. Tucker gave him a half grin and slid back into his booth.
    A couple of the recruits he’d cut came over, eyed him, and picked up Gary, disoriented and grousing, but the fight blown out of him.
    Only then did Jed feel the adrenaline sluice through him. It turned him edgy, his stomach clenching. As the crowd turned back to their dinners, he braced a hand on the bar. He might have worked harder this week than he thought, running alongside the recruits, leading them in PT, showing them the proper tuck and roll for a landing, then staying up late to read weather reports and check in with Conner, who was working with the veterans, helping with the refresher course.
    He sank onto the stool, closed his eyes against the spin in the room.
    “Can we get this to go?”
    Kate. He looked up to find her standing next to him, holding out his curly fries to the bartender. Up close she smelled good, her hair soft around her shoulders.
    “I’m not—”
    “Yes you are.”
    Hungry, was what he was going to say, but maybe it didn’t matter, because whatever he said, she was going to argue.
    And suddenly he didn’t have the energy to fight with her, at least not tonight.
    “Did you drive?” she said, apparently looking for his keys.
    “They’re in the bike.”
    She took the box of curly fries. “Add it to my tab, Patrice.”
    He thought the bartender looked familiar but could barely make out the likeness behind the midnight-black dyed hair and gauged ears. And she might have lost about thirty pounds.
    Aged a few years past high school.
    “Are you Bo Renner’s sister?” he asked as Kate got him up.
    “Yes,” Kate answered for her. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
    He cut his words off then, seeing how Patrice looked at him, grief in her eyes.
    “I’m sorry,” he said softly, not sure Patrice even heard him as he let Kate lead him to the door.
    Dust settled over the town of Ember, a simmering orange just rimming the mountains to the west, and a cool, piney breeze picked up, tempering the heat of the day.
    “I can smell rain,” Kate said. She still had a steadying, bossy grip on his arm, and he let it stay.
    Just for now.
    “It hasn’t rained yet this season,” he said. In fact, the tinder was so dry the Forest Service had already outlawed campfires in the park.
    “It might be too high up, but we’re definitely in for a thunderstorm.”
    “Which means lightning,” he said as he followed her to his bike. “You always did have Jock’s weather instincts.”
    Oh, he didn’t know why he said that—maybe a peace offering.
    She didn’t look at him in reproach or assent, just picked up the helmet. Handed it to him.
    He expected her to leave him then, having prodded him out of the bar. Instead she took the key and opened the seat box. “Don’t you keep a second helmet in