BURNT (The Wild Flames #1) Read online

  Tara looked around the foyer as she walked inside. It brought back old, fond memories. She remembered her dad rushing up from his favorite chair when she had come home for the summer two years ago.

  “Hello?” she called out.

  After several minutes, she heard footsteps, and her mother entered from the living room. “Hi Tara, I didn’t know you were going to be here.” Her mom kissed her on the cheek.

  “Yeah, after graduation I figured I would stay at home until I go back.”

  “Go back?” she asked, tilting her head in confusion. “Once you graduate, don’t you go forward?”

  Tara rolled her eyes, but looked away from her mother’s expectant gaze. She had been practicing this conversation ever since she made the decision to take the year off with Kevin. She wondered why her mom would even care, when she didn’t even bother coming to her graduation.

  “I decided to take a year off before going to Montana.” Her mom stared at her, not saying a word, so she continued, “I have a lot I want to do and I feel a year would do me some good.”

  She didn’t feel she could tell the truth, but she had to admit, the excuse she gave sounded lame.

  “Oh...” her mother said slowly. “So, are you staying home until you discover yourself?” she asked, a deep sarcasm etched in her voice.

  “I’ll try not to stay any longer than I have to, Mom,” Tara replied. “I-I have some boxes to grab from outside,” she mumbled, turning on her heel to leave the house. She stood on the porch, fighting every urge to run to her car and drive away. She grabbed the boxes from the porch and brought them into the house. Her mother had already disappeared back to the living room. She sighed, heading up the stairs and going to her old room. She was glad she only had her mother to handle. Kevin had his parents and his brother. She hoped he was doing better than she was.

  ***

  Kevin tried the doorknob, only to find the door was locked. He had searched to find his old house key but had no luck. He had to knock. He knocked once and then twice, before trying a third time. Finally, on the third attempt, he heard footsteps. His father answered the door.

  His dad’s face revealed a mixture of emotions. It was a relief when he put out his hand for Kevin to shake it.

  “Hello, son. This is a surprise.”

  Kevin entered the house.

  “What are you doing here?” his dad asked.

  “Can’t a guy come home without a lot of questions?” he asked, hoping it didn’t come across as rude. He let out a breath and tried to put a smile on his lips. “I have had a couple of crazy weeks,” he replied, using it as an excuse. He looked around. “Where’s Mom and Jake?”

  “Your mother went to the grocery store and Jake...well who knows where he is.”

  Kevin frowned at the last comment, but he wasn’t surprised. The family all believed his eighteen-year-old brother had Schizophrenia and from some of the stories, it was possible. There was some embarrassment about discussing his condition, and it seemed like his parents preferred to act like Jake was fine. To Kevin, Jake was his brother, so he hoped for the best and was committed to being there for him whenever he could.

  “Do you mind if I stay here in my old room?” Kevin asked, looking around the room and reliving some of his memories of running down the hall for all manner of reasons.

  “For how long?” his dad asked.

  Kevin shrugged. “Until I can find another alternative.” He wanted to argue that it shouldn’t matter if he was there or not. After all, he was sure his parents could go about their everyday activities even if he was there. It never bothered them before.

  His dad raised his eyebrow. “Do you need to tell me something?”

  Kevin shook his head slowly.

  “Aren’t you going to Montana this fall?” He asked.

  Kevin knew eventually it would all come out anyway. “I won’t be going to Montana,” he replied. “Not for at least another year.”

  He grimaced at the thought of telling the whole truth, so he just blurted it out.

  “Look, Dad. I flunked a class and have to retake it next semester.”

  There was a long pause. “Say something, dad,” Kevin said.

  “I’m speechless. Was it because you spent a lot of time partying?” his dad finally asked him.

  Kevin’s jaw dropped. “What? No...I studied, but apparently it wasn’t enough. I don’t know what happened, but this summer I’m going to spend studying and when I retake the course...I’ll work harder.” He wanted it to be true, but there were no guarantees.

  “Well, good luck with that.” The snide remark from his dad did not help.

  He didn’t expect much support, but he also didn’t expect that after a year of not seeing each other, his dad would be so distant and unwelcoming. He just hoped things between his mom and brother would be better. He didn’t know how much of it he could take.

  ***

  Kevin and Tara immediately got down to studying so he could be ready to pass the course with flying colors the next time. That way, they could go back to their original plan. Their study sessions were also a way to find an escape. They found various places to study, from her place to his, to the local diner and the library. They changed it up a lot.

  Tara’s favorite place to help him study was at her place. Most of the time, it was just the two of them and no interruptions. That evening, Kevin was due to arrive for another study session at her house. As she waited, she flopped down on the couch and watched the local news.

  “A body was discovered today in a dumpster just outside of Richard’s Bakery.”

  She perked up. She had worked at Richard’s Bakery when she was a junior in high school.

  “The body had been set on fire and has not yet been identified. Officials at the Coroner’s office have confirmed they are awaiting dental records for the purpose of identifying the victim. At this time, the death is considered suspicious; however no suspects have been detained. This is the second body found in less than a week, leaving the police to wonder if their deaths are related. We’ll continue to monitor this story and keep you informed of any updates as they come in.”

  Tara heard the doorbell, so she muted the television and moved briskly to open the door.

  “Hello,” Kevin said as he walked in.

  “Hey.” She locked the door and turned back to him.

  She noticed him glancing around the house, and figured she knew who he was looking for.

  “We’re alone. My mom had some kind of meeting tonight. She said she’d probably be late.”

  He sighed. “That’s not what I was looking for.”

  “Sure it wasn’t,” she laughed.

  They went into the living room and Tara picked up the remote control to shut the television off. The recent murder was still fresh on her mind.

  “Did you hear about the body they found in the dumpster at Richard’s Bakery?”

  “Yeah. It’s the second death,” Kevin answered. He put his books down and sat down on the couch. “It’s unusual for this small town.”

  Tara shook her head and sat next to him. “It’s sad this place has come to this. I never thought our little town would be plagued with big city news like that.”

  Kevin nodded with agreement. He opened his book and hesitated before flipping to the chapter they had planned to work on that week. He looked up and met her stare. “I just want to thank you again for what you did, Tara,” he started. “And for all your help. I still don’t believe you’d wait a year for me like that. And I still don’t know if you did the right thing. But I’m grateful. I couldn’t do this studying for a retake without you.”

  She smiled, “You don’t need to keep thanking me. Besides, it lets me catch up on my knitting.” She laughed as she picked up her next project. She was working on another winter hat.

  “Taking some time off will allow me to clear my head and get some things done.” She meant what she said. She really was enjoying the much needed rest.

  “Okay,�
� he answered.

  “I’ve been thinking lately,” Tara looked up from her knitting.

  “About what?” he asked.

  “Well...I really would like to get out of here. With dad gone, my mom’s here alone and still, she acts like I’m not welcome. I never understood why she started treating me this way. In any case, I was thinking about finding a part-time job. I could save up some money for next year when we move to Montana, and use some of it to look for my own place.”

  “It might not be such a bad idea,” he replied, agreeing with her. “My folks are being the same way, which makes no sense as Jake is still at home. I could use some extra money too.”

  She smiled. “Well, then let’s make it our mission to find a summer job.” She thought about it and got excited, “We’re still ahead of the high school students, so we have a good chance of finding work. Maybe we could even find something that’ll look good on our resumes for the future.” She pointed to his books, “For now...let’s get you back to studying.”

  He flipped the pages to the next chapter and they began to work. She knitted while he read and took notes on index cards. It was easy and their study routine was forming. Everything was going well.

  ***

  Tara held up another notecard and he rattled off the information on the animal or topic. Kevin was getting quicker in his retention and response time. His confidence was growing too. He knew he could get through the exam with better results the second time around.

  “How about this one?” she said through a yawn.

  He chuckled. “It’s a bandicoot. A marsupial. Mainly found in Australia. It’s a nocturnal animal and during the daytime it seeks out shelter in bush land areas.”

  She nodded, yawning again. “Very good.”

  He laughed. “Well, you’re obviously tired.” He looked at his watch and realized they had been studying for nearly four hours. “I should get going. It’s late and we both could use a break.”

  She smiled. “You’re probably right.” She reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the hat she had knitted. “Take this with you,” she snickered and handed it over to him. It wasn’t the first item she had knitted for him, but he would never get tired of receiving one of her homemade creations.

  “Thank you!” He put it on. “How do I look?” He held out his arms, standing up to turn from side to side.

  She laughed. “Nice modelling pose. The hat looks good too,” she replied. “I have to say, you made pretty good progress today.”

  Kevin loved the sound of her laughter. He fought the urge to reach out and brush her hair behind her shoulder, nodding instead and walking toward the door.

  “We make a good team,” he said, turning to her.

  She smiled. “Always have.”

  It was an undeniable truth. It was also why he never felt the need to go out with other girls, because she was always there for him.

  “Goodnight, Kevin.” They stood fixed at the door, until Tara leaned up to kiss his cheek.

  Kevin turned his face quickly, and their lips connected. As her body leaned into his, he was tempted to wrap his arms around her, but the kiss ended all too soon. She pulled back and opened her mouth to speak, but had no words. She covered her mouth and looked away, embarrassed. “I...” he began.

  “My aim never was too good,” she replied. Her face was red.

  He shook his head. “No, it was my fault. I got caught up in the moment. It’s late and I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”

  “You didn’t,” she said quickly. “It’s just; I was caught a little off guard. That’s all.”

  Kevin stepped back and reached for the doorknob. He could tell she was confused by the look in her eyes. He didn’t want to make things even more complicated by staying. “I’d better be going,” he said softly.

  Kevin sensed Tara’s stare from the doorway as he headed back to his car. He got inside, but couldn’t bring himself to leave. He turned to look at her through his window. She remained in the doorway, like a statue. He slowly turned and put his car into drive and left. He wasn’t sorry he had kissed her, but he wouldn’t push her. It would only confuse the situation and the last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable.

  Chapter 3

  Tara couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. No matter how hard she tried, thoughts of Kevin’s lips on hers would come rushing back. She tried to focus on television, reading, sleeping and even internet surfing, but nothing worked.

  After a few days, as she was looking over job postings on the internet, he phoned her. She hadn’t talked to him since their last study session and she was apprehensive answering the phone. What if he wants to discuss it? She thought. She wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts and answered her cell phone on the third ring.

  “Hello?” She hoped she didn’t sound strange, but she feared he would be able to hear her uneasiness.

  “Hey, it’s me. What are you doing right now?”

  She glanced back at the computer, hitting dead end after dead end of job prospects. “Nothing much.”

  “Good. Get dressed. Put on something business casual and I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes.”

  “Wh...” Her words trailed off when she realized he had already hung up. She groaned, pulling herself from the kitchen table. She could only imagine what she was getting herself into. She went upstairs and headed to her bedroom where she pulled out a pair of khaki pants and a short-sleeved red blouse from her closet.

  Tara quickly got dressed and brushed her hair. As she left her bedroom, she called out to her mom. “I’m going out, Mom. Don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  She didn’t hear anything in response, so she shrugged and headed downstairs. The sound of Kevin’s car horn blared from outside. He was already there, leaning on the hood of his car. She paused from the front door to stare at him for a moment. He looked well put together, with his brown shaggy hair perfectly in place. She rarely saw him dressed up. After the kiss, she looked at him and wondered if he saw her in a different light. She tried to shake the thought out of her mind.

  Kevin stood up, watching her intently as she headed down the front walkway.

  “So, what’s going on?” she asked, eyebrows raised high in anticipation of what he had her dress up to do.

  He opened up the passenger door for her.

  “Get in,” he smiled. “I have a surprise for you and I don’t want to ruin it by telling you now. You’ll find out soon enough.”

  Tara was hesitant about flying blind, but figured she could trust him. She slid into the passenger seat and waited for him to join her. As she looked at him, the smile remained on his lips. Whatever he was doing was something he seemed proud of. Tara needed to know what it was.

  ***

  They drove toward the center of town and Kevin was relieved she didn’t question him more. He hoped she would be as excited over it as he was. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. Thoughts of how he had stolen that kiss came flooding back into his mind. He cursed at himself for getting caught up in it. It was just a silly kiss. It probably meant nothing to her, so to dwell on it was stupid.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me where we’re going?” she asked.

  “I’m positive.” He laughed. “We’ll be there in another five minutes. You can wait, right?”

  “If I have to.” She chuckled, glancing back out the window. After a few minutes passed, he pulled into a parking lot.

  “I don’t understand,” she said as they parked near the main entrance of the petting zoo. “What are we doing here?”

  He smiled. “Look...” He pointed to a sign by the front door.

  She turned and read it out loud. “Now hiring! Interviews at two o’clock.”

  He looked at his watch. “We’re early.”

  “I’ve been looking for jobs online for the past three days. This could be perfect, Kevin!” She was optimistic and he was thrilled about it.

  He had to agree. They both loved animals, wild
life, and being around people. The local petting zoo was the best choice for them. He noticed Tara frowning and wondered why she was down.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked softly.

  She turned to face him and he thought she was about to explain. Instead, she shook her head. “It’s nothing. We’d better get in there.”

  For a moment, Kevin considered asking her again if something was bothering her. He had a feeling he was missing something, but as their eyes met he decided to ignore his gut feeling. They got out of the car and headed up to the main doors. Kevin opened it for her to enter first, and looked around the entrance. At least fifteen other people were standing around.

  “I wonder how many they’re hiring,” he whispered to her.

  She stopped abruptly, causing him to run into her.

  “That’s what I’m worried about,” she replied, turning around. They were inches from one another. Her breath was shallow. Her eyes widened as she stepped backward. “Wh...What if...” She let out a breath. “Let me try this again...what if only one of us gets a job?”

  He scrunched up his nose. He hadn’t given that possibility any thought. They did everything together, so this would be just one more thing to add to their list. Kevin considered her fear. It wouldn’t matter to him if she got a job and he didn’t.

  “How would you feel if I got a job and you didn’t?” he asked, trying to anticipate her response from her body language.

  She opened her mouth, but then quickly shut it.

  “If you’re already worried about it, then you must have thought about it,” he said gently, trying to nudge her along to an answer.

  She turned to look at the growing group of applicants, and then resumed looking at him.

  “It wouldn’t matter to me. I would be happy for you.”

  He smiled. “Same here, so we have nothing to worry about. Agreed?”