Before Quinn could answer, the back door opened. River Baker stood on the threshold. His skin glowed brown in the mid-morning sun, but he’d changed his hair. He wore his bangs parted down one side, curling just past his ears.

Addison’s heart dropped into her stomach, and as soon as his eyes landed on her, his smile turned to a frown.

Chapter 5

Addison

River didn’t hold Addison’s gaze. Instead, he looked over her shoulder at Quinn. “Have you seen my sister?” He held up a slip of paper. “Dad asked me to give this to her before I head out.”

No Hello. No How are you. Not even a hint of a smile.

Addison wasn’t surprised, but it still stung.

“You’re back,” she breathed.

River’s eyes slid to Addison, but when they met hers, they held no warmth.

The last time Addison had spoken to him, he’d made it perfectly clear he never wanted to see her again. Now the memory from that day reared up, and she was back outside Baker’s, the sky orange and full of smoke.

We’d planned to go out for drinks after River got off work, but I fell asleep on the couch. I was so unused to the sound of my phone that the ringing almost didn’t wake me. When it did, River was crying and yelling about a fire. Sirens blared in the background.

I got there as fast as I could. As I pulled onto Main Street, an ambulance drove past, away from downtown. It slowed to a stop at the traffic light, and I caught a glimpse of the driver through the window. Hyacinths bloomed in her aura. My heart sank at the sign of her grief, but at least she wasn’t in a hurry. She wouldn’t be leaving the scene like that if anyone had been hurt. She would’ve barreled through, racing for the hospital.

River was okay. He had to be.

Main Street had fallen into chaos. I parked along the sidewalk and ran the rest of the way to Baker’s. People lined the road, trying to get a look at the store. I pushed through them, but their words followed behind me.

“How did it happen?”

“How long has it been burning?”

“Was anyone in there?”

Flames danced inside the windows of the grocery as the firemen worked to put out the blaze. Ash swirled in the air, coloring the town white. I searched for River in the chaos until I spotted him sitting on the sidewalk, arms around his knees. Sadness and guilt hung from him like the leaves of a weeping willow. I ran for him, but when I got there, he didn’t even look up.

I sat down next to him and threaded my fingers through his. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” he said. “I wasn’t inside.” The words had no force to them.

“The ambulance…?”