Hearths of Fire Read Online Free PDF

trouble.”
    “No, I didn’t know that,” Charlotte replied, not surprised though. The townsfolk still
     weren’t happy, but somehow the followers were able to recruit one or two new members
     a week from the surrounding area. Now that they were talking about this her thoughts
     instantly went to Mandy and Garreth. Her stomach revolted and she again wondered what
     was taking the waitress so long. “Why would the mayor ask you to do that? Wouldn’t
     that be old Sheriff Plinkton’s job?”
    Charlotte tried to relax now that their discussion stayed on the reason she’d asked
     him here instead of where her thoughts had been taking things. It also eased her mind
     when the earlier silence slipped away by the hushed murmurs of conversation. She presumed
     the diners were yakking about the two of them, but she figured since she couldn’t
     see them she was able to put it out of her mind.
    “The sheriff’s wife was in the hospital at the time and you know how Mayor Rudolph
     can be,” Neal said with a shrug, indicating it wasn’t a big deal. Now that he’d brought
     it up her memory had been sparked.
    “Wait.” Charlotte leaned forward and lowered her voice, ensuring that only he heard
     what she had to say. “Is that when your house was broken into?”
    “There was never a connection made, but I believe so,” Neal divulged, the tightening
     of his jaw showing his displeasure. “Nothing had been taken and there was no evidence
     to trace it back to Ashes to Dirt.”
    “I’m surprised you would let something like that go,” Charlotte admitted, leaning
     back when Sally Jenkins appeared—gossipmonger extraordinaire. The waitress was overworked,
     but apparently not too tired to prevent her brown eyes from sparkling with interest
     at seeing the two of them having dinner together. There wasn’t a single person in
     town who wasn’t aware of her and Neal’s past. “Hi, Sally.”
    “Charlotte,” Sally said with a smile and a wink. She turned her attention to the man
     she really wanted to speak with. “Neal Bauer. What brings you back to town?”
    “I’m here to ensure that Mandy makes the right choice,” Neal declared, much to Charlotte’s
     surprise. He’d also said it loud enough that his rich voice carried throughout the
     diner. What the hell did he think he was doing? Charlotte looked over her shoulder
     and the reason was evident. One of the members of Ashes to Dirt was still situated
     at the counter. It was easy to tell them apart from the black buttoned-down shirt
     the men wore with black denim. It was as if it were some type of uniform, although
     she’d never specifically asked Garreth about it. “You know, college and such.”
    Charlotte slowly let out the breath that she’d been holding, thankful that Neal had
     pulled back on saying what he really wanted to say. She didn’t need an all-out war
     with the followers or the Ashe family. Neal would be returning back to San Diego on
     Sunday and she would be left here to deal with whatever fallout came from this. All
     she wanted was for Mandy to stick to the plan of becoming a nurse and not get persuaded
     to join some fanatical cult.
    “That’s right nice of you, doll,” Sally said, her smile faltering just a bit. Charlotte
     noticed that her eyes darted to the counter as well before she pulled out her pad
     and pen. “What can I get the two of you?”
    “Two Hired Hand specials with coffee for me and a hot chocolate for Char.”
    Charlotte didn’t bother to argue since that’s exactly what she would have ordered.
     She played with the edge of her napkin as Sally wrote down their orders and told them
     she’d be right back with their drinks. Charlotte finally placed the napkin in her
     lap and looked across the table at Neal.
    “What was that?”
    “A little warning,” Neal replied, still keeping his eyes on the man sitting on one
     of the stools. “They need to understand that bringing Mandy into the fold will be
     bad