“Me wanna drink. A few drinks.”
Dee turned the key in the ignition. She was about to put the car into Drive, when her cell rang. She pressed a button on the computer screen to answer the call, which was channeled through the Honda’s speakers.
“Elmira?” she said, recognizing the number.
“Thank the Lord I reached you.”
The panic in Elmira’s voice alarmed the moteliers.
“Are you okay?” Dee asked. “You don’t sound it. What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know where you are, but get back to the Golden as fast as you can. One of your cabins is on fire. With how dry this state still is, the whole motel could go up in flames.”
CHAPTER 24
Dee drove faster than she’d ever driven in her life. It was dark by the time they reached the Golden, which made the flames shooting up from the motel cabin stand out in terrifyingly stark contrast to the inky black night.
Her hands shook. She clutched the steering wheel harder to make them stop. “There’s no place to park.”
The motel’s small gravel lot was packed with fire trucks and firefighting equipment. Cars and pickup trucks lined the road, parked haphazardly as if the drivers left their cars in a hurry.
“You can fit in there.” Jeff, jaw set tight, motioned to a small space. “You’ll be sticking out into the road, so leave your hazards on.”
Dee followed his instructions. As they hurried from the car, the flames disappeared, replaced by thick gray smoke. Dee’s eyes burned and she coughed.
“This is terrible.” Tears mingled with ash on her cheeks. “What are we going to do?”
“It’s gray smoke. I think that’s the good one.”
“How can that much smoke be good?”
“It’s the kind that means the fire is burning itself out, I think.”
The two pulled their shirts up to cover their mouths as they ran toward the cabin. They passed people they recognized and people they’d never seen before hosing down the other cabins and the motel lodge itself to prevent them from being ignited by sparks still dancing in the air. Dee called a muffled thank-you to everyone they passed, including Elmira, who was dressed in the gear of a volunteer firefighter.
They reached the cabin’s smoldering ruins.
“It’s Michael’s cabin,” Dee said to Jeff, who responded with a grim nod.
About a dozen men wearing orange uniforms, helmets, and masks were hosing it down and policing the area around it for errant sparks. A few trained their hoses on hot spots, where the fire had jumped to dry vegetation.
Elmira trudged up the path to Dee and Jeff. “It’s out. But the CDC won’t go nowhere till they’re sure every ember’s been extinguished.”
The lettering on the back of a firefighter’s jacket that read CDC PRISONER registered with Dee: The CDC stood for California Department of Corrections. The Golden had been saved by the state’s legendary inmate crew of firefighters.
Elmira led a firefighter wearing a yellow jumpsuit and a different helmet from the others over to Dee and Jeff. “This is Chief Harris. Chief, these are Dee and Jeff, the motel owners.”
He nodded a greeting. He carried an ax in one hand and a shovel in the other, negating handshakes. “Sorry you lost a cabin. But it could’ve been a lot worse. My crew here’s given me an all clear for the near area. I’ve got a couple of guys in the woods making sure nothing flew that way. We’re lucky there’s no wind tonight.”
Dee felt faint with relief. “We can’t thank you enough. Elmira, can you help me get water and snacks for everyone who helped out?”
“You betcha. Heloise already dropped off treats from the All-in-One.” Dee’s fear she’d be rewarding the people who saved her business with Elmira’s inedibles was allayed when the shopkeeper added, “I didn’t have time to bake today, so I had to bring in from the West Camp bakery.”
Jeff stayed behind with the fire crew, while Dee and Elmira set to work laying out a spread of snacks and beverages in the motel lobby.
“Can someone get the door?” a voice called from outside.
Dee hurried to open it, revealing Serena holding a huge charcuterie board. “I heard what happened from my sitter. I figured I wouldn’t be much use putting out the fire, but I wanted to do something.”
“This is so kind,” Dee said. “Thank you.”
She relieved Serena of the board and gave her a hug. She threw her arms around Elmira as well. If she could have hugged every volunteer, she would have. Months ago, they were strangers to her. Now she and Jeff owed them their potential livelihood.
More locals continued to show up, some motivated by a desire to help, others more of the looky-loo variety. Even they didn’t show up empty-handed. A man who looked vaguely familiar handed her a container of homemade guacamole and a bag of chips. “I’m so sorry you have to go through this,” he said with sympathy. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”
“Thank you . . .”
“Owen.”
Recognition clicked for Dee. “Yes. Owen. The jeweler. Hi. Sorry about that, and thank you.”
He flicked his hand, dismissing her concern. “Please. I’m being selfish. I don’t want some fire scaring you off from living here.” He glanced out the window. “Is the fire crew still out there?”
“Yes. They’re tending to hot spots.”
Another volunteer showed up, distracting Dee. With the fire out and the nearby hot spots contained, volunteers and firefighters drifted into the motel lobby for refreshments. Soon the atmosphere went from tense to convivial. Dee managed not to burst into tears as she distributed hugs and gratitude.
“There are still firefighters working the woods,” she told Elmira. “I’m gonna put together treats and drinks to hold them over until they can get down here.”
