On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

were brothers, but right now they seemed more like enemies.
    "You two need to talk," Emma said.
    "Stay out of it," both men said in unison.
    Emma gave them both a scathing look. "Fine, I'm out of it. I'm going to see how long the line is for the restroom. Sara, do you want to come?"
    "Absolutely," she said, eager to get away. As they moved through the crowd, she saw Aiden and Burke finally move toward the front door. It looked like Burke was going to get the conversation he wanted.

    * * *
    "Talk to me," Burke ordered as they hit the sidewalk outside the restaurant.
    Aiden sighed. Having shared a room with his older brother for fifteen years, he knew all of Burke's moods, and this one was the worst. Burke was a fixer. If something was broken, he had to be the one to fix it. Maybe it came from being the oldest of eight kids, or maybe it was just inherent in Burke's personality, but he couldn't stop trying to solve every problem in the world, even those that didn't concern him.
    "I've told you that I don't know what happened to Kyle," he said. "I had a concussion. I lost some of my memory. You can check with the doctors if you don't believe me."
    Burke stared back at him, weighing his words. "Why didn't you tell us that a long time ago?"
    "Because I didn't feel like talking."
    "So you don't remember anything?"
    "Bits and pieces. A lot of it is blurry. I know we were having trouble with the radios. Information was sketchy. The winds were changing. The fire was growing faster than anyone had anticipated. And then we were caught. Our exit routes were blocked by fire. Obviously, some of the team believed I waited too long before giving the order to retreat, that I pushed the men too hard, that they were too tired when it came time to run for their lives. You read the reports, I'm sure. I'm betting you even talked to a few people," he added.
    "A few," Burke admitted. "Some of your better friends support the fact that it was an accident. Others are not so generous. Hawkins has been running his mouth all over town. Everyone loved Kyle, so it's difficult for some to see the situation clearly."
    Burke was being more generous in his assessment than Aiden had anticipated.
    "So what are you going to do, Aiden? Are you going back to Redding next year?"
    "I don't know. The Chief suggested I consider other options during the off-season."
    "You're going to let him run you off when it's not clear you did anything wrong?" Burke asked, anger edging his voice.
    "If my crew has lost confidence in me, how can I go back?"
    Burke met his gaze, and for the first time he saw understanding in his brother's eyes. Firefighters had to work together. They entrusted each other with their lives. Once that trust was broken, it was almost impossible to reclaim.
    "I want you to defend yourself, Aiden. If you don't remember what happened, then tell people that. Don't just shrug and walk away and let them say whatever they want. It's arrogant and frustrating and it just pisses people off."
    "They're going to say whatever they want anyway. My crew is spread out all over the country right now. I won't see most of them for another six months. Who exactly do you want me to defend myself to?"
    "Dad would be a start. He's angry that you've shut him out. He has connections. He can get the truth out."
    "I don't know what the truth is," he said forcefully. "Maybe I did screw up. Maybe I did push the crew too hard. I'm not defending myself, because I don't have a defense."
    "Someone has to know something. There were dozens of men working that fire."
    "But no one was with Kyle and me. We got separated from the others."
    Burke put his hands on his hips and blew out a frustrated breath. "So, what are you going to do?"
    He wished his brother would stop asking him that. He didn't want to mention the investigator Sara had set up for him, because he didn't want Burke getting involved in that, not until he knew if any of his theories about Kyle might be true. "I told you, I don't know."
    "You might be able to work here in the city," Burke said slowly. "If you want to come back."
    "You sound really excited about that possibility," he said dryly. Burke was making the offer out of a sense of family loyalty, but it was clear from his tone he didn't really want him on his crew.
    "You have excellent skills, Aiden. You're smart, quick, and courageous. But sometimes you do push the envelope, take too many chances, and that can make you dangerous."
    "It can also make me good. Thanks