“Shit.” Wilder ducked, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “He’s right there.”

“You really think he’s capable?”

Wilder scratched his scruffy jaw. “He hero worships King. If King wasn’t setting the fires, he was responding to them and getting lots of praise in the process. Praise that eventually could trickle down to the best buddy.”

“That’s sort of crazy.”

“I said it was a long shot.”

“No, I mean it in a good way. That’s his car, huh?” She pointed at the nondescript grey Civic.

“Guess so, why?”

“I saw that car. It was acting weird, sort of casing me out one night, but I chalked it up to my imagination. Lenny was always with Garret when he was trying to hit on me and, for the record, probably the worst wingman ever.”

“So he set a fire in your house, hoping King would rescue you, and—”

“That I’d fall for him.”

Lenny emerged carrying a single gallon of milk.

“Whoa.” Quinn gasped. It was as if the oxygen had just been sucked out of the car.

“He needs to be caught in the act,” Wilder said, waiting for Lenny to drive off before beginning the tail. “Otherwise he’s going to be able to claim that he wanted to make a banana fucking milkshake or eat a bowl of cereal. Buying a gallon of two percent isn’t a crime.”

Wilder made a quick call to Sawyer. “He’s going down Main and taking a left on Laurel Street. Shit, he’s turning into an alley. I can’t follow without alerting him but that’s right near the town square. Where there’s smoke there’s fire, man. I think we’ve got our boy.” Wilder nodded a few times. “Got it. Yep. Agreed.”

He did a U-turn and headed back toward Main Street.

“What’s the plan?”

“I’m not law enforcement so can’t go all vigilante on that asshole. We’re going to the square. Have to leave this to Sawyer and Kit.”

She rubbed his stiff shoulder. “This is killing you a little, isn’t it? Not being involved?”

Wilder’s muscles loosened. “Yes and no. You and Sea Monkey are my priority.”

“Sea Monkey?” She wrinkled her nose. “That’s what you are calling the baby?”

“I have in my head, but can stop if you don’t like it.”

Quinn giggled. “Actually it’s perfect. Our darling little Sea Monkey.”

“I’m thinking about something. I won’t do it if you say no.”

“Lay it on me.”

“What Sawyer said about the fire investigator position opening up . . . How would you feel if I went for the job? I have good savings, but I can’t live on them forever. Now I’ve got you and Sea Monkey to take care of and—”

Quinn cupped the side of his cheek. “You’d be brilliant at it.”

He grimaced. “I’m no genius. Remember, I suspected King first.”

“You saw a link with Garret that no one else did. That’s a start. You said yourself that catching an arsonist is like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“You won’t mind if I get back into fire?”

She gave him a sympathetic smile. “That is always going to be a part of you, Wilder. But this is a way to move forward. This way you’ll be helping protect people.”

“I don’t have the job yet.”

“Maybe not officially, but you do in my mind. They’d be crazy not to want you.”

“Speaking of crazy . . .” Wilder yanked the wheel toward the curb and hit the brakes. Lenny burst between Higsby Hardware and Bab’s Boutique, running full speed. Kit and Sawyer gave chase but he was headed straight in their direction.

Before Quinn could say a word, Wilder jumped from the car. “Hey, Lenny,” he barked. “Going somewhere?”

The smaller man pulled up short, chest rising and falling from exertion. “Get the hell out of my way, freak,” he snapped, glancing over his shoulder at the approaching law enforcement.

“No. I don’t think I will.” There was a crunch as Wilder’s fist made contact with Lenny’s snub nose and the man went down faster than a domino. “That’s for putting my woman at risk,” Wilder growled.

Sawyer approached, shaking his head. “I’d lecture you on slugging a suspect but if I gave Archer a pass last summer, guess you get one too.”

“He’s out cold,” Kit said, nudging the unconscious man with his boot. “You pack one hell of a punch, dude.”

“What happened?” Wilder asked.

“He had emptied the milk and filled it with gasoline, stuffed a sock in just like you said. We surprised him when he was sneaking over to the generator box.”

“Son of a bitch,” Wilder spat.

“An S.O.B. that’s going to wake up to a world of hurt and a shitload of trouble,” Sawyer said, hauling Lenny to his feet.

“Thank you,” Quinn said, rubbing Wilder’s arm. “Didn’t I once tell you that every blue moon someone deserves a hard knock in the nose?”

“Yeah, you did, Trouble.” Wilder planted a kiss square on her forehead. “You’re safe now, and I’ll keep you safe forever.”

“You two get a room,” Kit said as Sawyer began hauling Lenny away. The shorter man moaned insensibly.

“Nah, I’m taking her to watch the Christmas tree lighting,” Wilder shot back. “That is, if you’re in the holiday spirit.”

“You know what?” Quinn gave him a long look. “We have a lot to celebrate. Why not?”

It took another hour for the square to fill and the sun to drop behind Mount Oh-Be-Joyful. The sky turned as red as a poinsettia while the Brightwater Children’s Choir sang “Little Drummer Boy.”

Quinn glanced at Wilder to share the moment but he was staring over her shoulder. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “Let’s go this way.”

It was crowded with residents bursting with festive holiday cheer. Red Rudolph noses, antlers, and Santa hats abounded. Quinn gave a soft inward sigh. Maybe Wilder wasn’t quite ready to say a complete goodbye to the hermit life he’d inhabited for so long.

Disappointment tugged at her while they walked but at the same time, she couldn’t expect him to change who he was. She had to love him with eyes wide-open.

He pulled up short. “Close your eyes.”

She cocked her head. “What is going on?”

“Please?” He fidgeted. “It’s a surprise.”

“I never thought I’d say it but I might be a little surprised out.”

“You’ll like this one,” he murmured.

“Okay.” She closed her eyes and waited.

The mayor finished giving his speech and the crowd began to count down, “Nine . . . eight . . . seven . . . six . . .”

Wilder kissed her, soft, gentle, and with a sweetness that made her rise up on her tiptoes as he slowly withdrew.

The people around them began to clap as the holiday lights turned on, illuminating the big tree. A woman shouted, “Atta girl.” Quinn grinned at Natalie’s voice.

“What was that for?” she asked dreamily as the choir broke into “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

“Thought it was obvious. For having the most kissable lips in the town.” He gave her chin a playful chuck. “And look up.”

Overhead was a sprig of mistletoe dangling from a red velvet ribbon.

She grinned. “Something tells me this holiday is going to be extra holly jolly.”

Epilogue

IT HAD BEEN a long, hard winter but Wilder barely noticed. Quinn had moved in and over the months his heart swelled alongside her growing belly. June arrived in all its sunny glory and he’d taken the day off work as the fire investigator for the Eastern Sierras to attend something that a year ago would have sent him running in the opposite direction.

A baby shower.

What a difference three hundred and sixty-five measly days made. Quinn sat in a lawn chair behind the cottage holding a green hand-knit baby blanket.

“This is absolutely adorable,” she said.

“I had to pick green since you won’t find out if it’s a boy or a girl.” Grandma tried to grumble but it was hard to do when a huge smile tugged the corners of her mouth. He and Quinn married on Valentine’s Day, a simple wedding at city hall. Her dad, had given a soft, wistful smile at the sight of her white dress, as if grasping the magnitude of the day. Mom had sent a dozen pink roses and a tersely worded card chastising her for not having a blowout celebration, but with Sawyer and Annie, Archer and Edie, Kit, Margot, Grandma, and Atticus in attendance, everything felt complete. It felt like a family and they wouldn’t have had it any other way.