On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

have lost this place."
    The picture was becoming sharper, Aiden realized. Kyle's father had ran out on him and his mother when Kyle was a little kid. There was no way Kyle would let Vicky and Robbie down. "He probably thought he could get his hearing fixed without anyone ever knowing there was a problem. All he had to do was make it through a few months."
    "But that last day…what happened out there, Aiden? I need to know."
    "It was business as usual until the winds changed. We couldn't keep up with the fire. It was jumping our breaks. There was too much fuel. We kept changing positions. The crew split into three teams. We tried attacking from different fronts. Then the fire blew up. Our exit routes were cut off. Communication with the other teams became impossible. The smoke was thick and black. There were four of us in that final group. We went over our directions in case we got separated, and then we set off. Kyle was in the lead. He started going up instead of down. The other men went the right way. I went after Kyle."
    Aiden could see the moment so clearly now. "I yelled at him to turn around, but he wasn't listening. He was literally running straight into the fire. I didn't know what the hell he was doing, why he'd veered off our course. And I have to admit that in the weeks since then I wondered if he was trying to kill himself. I knew he was under financial pressure, too, but I just couldn't believe he would do that to you. Now I'm sure that he didn't do that. He just couldn't hear me. I suspect he missed a lot of instructions that day. The fire was so loud he might not have even realized just how much he was missing."
    He let out a long breath of relief as he finished the story. "I just wish I'd seen what he was trying to hide."
    "I didn't see it, either," Vicky said. "He didn't want us to know. He was going to fix it himself. He often underestimated the difficulty of the tasks he attempted. It took him weeks to admit that he couldn't figure out why the car's check engine light was on. I begged him to take it to a mechanic, but he wouldn't do it. He was so stubborn."
    "I remember that. I told him he was an idiot, that he should take the car to a mechanic."
    Vicky gave him a painful smile. "That's the first time I've been able to remember him without the anger. I guess we should have talked earlier."
    "We weren't ready."
    "It wasn't your fault, Aiden. If Kyle couldn't hear you, and you couldn't get to him, there was nothing else you could have done." Tears filled her eyes again. "I try to take comfort in the fact that he died doing something he loved, and he loved smokejumping. He did not want to quit, even though I wanted him to. I was selfish. I wanted him to be with me all year long."
    "Vicky, if you can believe anything I say—believe this. Kyle loved you more than he loved the job. I have no doubt in my mind about that."
    "Thank you, Aiden. I just miss him so much. It's like he took a piece of my heart with him. I don't know if I'll ever be whole again." Her shoulders began to shake as the sobs overtook her.
    He crossed the room, dropping to his knees next to her. He put his arms around her and held her while she cried, hoping that the truth would help them both heal. Her storm of tears went on for a long time, but Aiden never let go. Comforting Vicky was the one thing he could do for Kyle, and he would do it.
    Finally, her cries turned to sniffs, and she lifted her head from his shoulder, her face ravaged from emotion, but there was a new lightness in her eyes.
    "I'm sorry I destroyed your shirt," she said.
    "You needed to get it out."
    "I didn't realize how much I was holding in. Thanks again."
    "No problem." He got to his feet with a grimace, his thigh muscle having cramped from the odd position he'd been in.
    "You're hurt, too," Vicky said.
    "Not too badly. It will heal." When he turned around, he realized that Sara was no longer sitting on the couch.
    Vicky followed his gaze. "I hope she didn't go far."
    "I drove, so probably not. But I should find her."
    "She's important to you, isn't she?"
    "I think so," he admitted.
    "You said she knew Kyle?"
    "Sara grew up with us. We've only recently reconnected."
    "I saw the way you looked at her, Aiden. You never looked at anyone that way. If she's the one, don't wait too long to tell her. We both know life can be way too short."
    "I want to help you with Robbie, whatever you need, money, babysitting, anything."
    "Thanks." She hesitated. "Are you going to