Wildfire by Mina Khan

and
calling, while others had nightmares and screwed-up lives. Sometimes, she
envied Jen’s creative and happy spirit.
    Her friend glanced at her watch and hopped out of her chair.
“ Vamonos! We have to go!” They planned to ride together to the county
meeting since Jen would be requesting a grant for Paradise Valley Volunteer
Fire Department. Lynn chased after her.
     
    When they arrived at the county courthouse, Jen screeched
into a parking spot. “Let’s go, let’s go!”
    Lynn followed Jen into the library, then up the stairs to
the second-floor meeting room. They stood huffing in front of the closed door.
A young girl, sitting at a table covered in piles of paper, handed them agendas
along with a welcoming smile. “They’re still in executive session.”
    “All that hurrying, just to wait,” Lynn jabbed her elbow
into her friend’s arm.
    Jen rolled her eyes and then introduced the girl as Lexie,
the new intern at the county clerk’s office.
    “What are they in closed session about?” The lowliest person
on the totem pole often gave details without knowing any better.
    Lexie shrugged. “Some personnel issues and a land deal of
some sort.”
    Just as Lynn opened her mouth to ask more questions, the
girl’s cell phone chirped. Lexie glanced at it and lit up. “It’s the boyfriend.
Hey, can you guys watch the table for a bit?” She waved at the table. “Hand out
agendas and stuff if someone new comes by?”
    Receiving their nods, she thanked them and took off down the
corridor giggling into the phone. Jen sank into the chair, as Lynn glanced at
the agenda. Curiosity pricked her. What land development? Where in the county?
She looked through the stacks of paper on the table. “Great, there’s supporting
materials for all the agenda items in the public session.”
    Jen shook her head. “Think of all the poor trees. I’m
lobbying for them to put everything on CDs and made available to anyone
interested.”
    “Not a bad idea, but not everybody has a computer or uses
one.” Lynn picked up one of everything. Her eyes fell on a stack of red folders
that had spilled across the floor behind the chair. She bent down and restacked
the folders, taking one for her pile.
    The door flew open, and several men stepped out laughing and
shaking hands. A tall, young man, dressed in a snappy navy blue blazer and
chinos, stuck out among the more casual county bunch. Her gut tightened, and
the dragon shivered under her skin. Surprised and suspicious at the sudden
wakefulness of her beast, Lynn considered the young man.
    Did he have something to do with the proposed development? He
definitely looked city-slick— his clothes, the shoes, and the Bluetooth almost
hidden by trendy longish brown hair with blond highlights. Yet, somehow, he
reminded her of Jack. Maybe it was his bearing. Or maybe she just had Jack on
her mind.
    Both men were about the same height and coloring, but the
similarities ended there. This guy seemed thinner, his face softer, rounder— overall,
more boyish.
    Then the stranger’s pale gray eyes met hers.
    Cold ghostly fingers brushed her thoughts. Lynn stiffened,
then forced out a smile.
    His gaze traveled down her body and then back again. Red,
hot lust slammed her. Lynn sucked in a breath. For an intense moment she could
smell the guy’s cologne, a spicy blend of lemons, oranges, and rosemary with a
hint of musk.
    “Henry, how about talking some more over breakfast at
Fuentes?” One of the other men spoke from the group.
    The man broke eye contact as he turned to answer.
    The vortex of feelings, emotions, and sensations ceased as
if a faucet had been turned off. Lynn dragged in a breath, her shoulders sagged
in relief. Something was definitely wrong with the dragon.
    Lynn hurried after Jen into the meeting room. What was up
with the creature? Biological clock ticking? Or was this the dragon equivalent
of menopausal hot flashes? Okay, so she was only five years away from thirty.
Not horribly old.