Pushing out of her car, she stood with one foot on the ground and one still in the car, gaping at the billowing black smoke pouring out of the row of condos with flames engulfing them. She felt removed from the scene, vaguely musing how surreal it all seemed.
Her gaze drifted to the shouts coming from the direction of the firetruck and watched as two men in gear broke open a door. They had to be searching the buildings to make sure no one was caught inside.
Returning her attention to the blaze, she hoped no one was hurt and that no one would get hurt. In that moment, she had a vision of what it would be like to love a man like Bryan. He put himself in harm’s way as a regular part of his job. Anyone who cared for him would have to be prepared for that every time he went to work. Selfishly, she shrank back a little.
She liked him, enjoyed his company, had been interested to learn more about him. But after witnessing this? She realized she was firmly back in the single realm. Why was she even thinking about it? Dating was going to be off the table until she rebuilt her life.
Chapter 5
“It could’ve been a lot worse.” Gregg removed his respirator, shaking his head. “The whole row might’ve gone up. If the wind had been any stronger today? Forget about it.”
Bryan nodded slowly, looking up at the burned-out shell that used to be one of a row of condos. They’d managed to fight back the blaze before it engulfed the properties to either side, but the amount of damage to the initial condo pointed to a total loss regardless.
Night had long since fallen, and the stench of smoke still hung in the air. The harbor’s police department did a good job of holding back the neighbors who’d been evacuated while the fire burned and keeping them behind yellow tape.
Once the all-clear was given to those living in unaffected properties, Bryan walked to Elise, who stood with Sally. He had no idea when they arrived, but he’d found Elise in the crowd that had gathered not long after they’d put out the fire. From the way she stared at the building, he was pretty sure it was her home. He’d seen that same look of helplessness on more faces than he could count.
By the way she trembled, he suspected she was still in shock. As he reached her, he took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could say to make it better.”
Sally laid her arm across her shoulders. “I think she’s in shock.”
That was more than understandable. Realizing it was her home, it made him all the more glad they’d gone to dinner. “Hey, everything’s going to be okay. You didn’t have any pets or anything, right?”
Shaking her head, Elise’s eyes locked with his. “No. It was just me.” She sniffed. “I just…I can’t believe this happened.” With a small gasp, her eyebrows knitted together as her eyes widened. “If we hadn’t gone to dinner, I would’ve been in there.”
“But you weren’t. You’re here and you’re safe.”
Sally wrapped her other arm around her. “Exactly, the rest is just stuff, Elise. You weren’t hurt, and neither was anyone else.”
Bryan nodded. “Listen to Sally. She’s right. It’s all okay.”
Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she swiped at them with her hand. “I don’t have anywhere to go. All my things were in there, and—”
“Sweetie, I said you could stay with me.” Sally gave her a squeeze.
Elise turned to her. “I can’t do that.” She sucked in a ragged breath and began sliding to the ground.
“Whoa. Slow down. Breathe,” Bryan said softly as he caught her.
“Everything I owned. All of it. My family pictures—oh no!” She turned and buried her face in his chest, sobbing against him. “I don’t even know where to start.”
He leaned back, tipping her chin up. “With one thing at a time. Starting with having you checked out. We’ll get to the replaceable stuff in a little while.” Lifting her in his arms, he tipped his head to Sally, inviting her to follow him as he carried Elise to the nearest ambulance.
“I don’t…know what…to do.” The words came out through broken sobs.
Bryan waved an EMT over. Lee Fillion was a familiar face, along with the rest of the crew the department worked alongside. When Bryan first arrived in Baker Beach, he’d made a point of introducing himself to the people he’d be working with.
“What do we have here?” Lee asked when he reached them.
“This is Elise Richards. She’s the homeowner.” Bryan turned to Lee, lowering his voice. “Panic attack, most likely.”
“Understandable.” Lee nodded and placed a blood pressure cuff around her upper arm.
Sally stood by Elise, taking her hand and sandwiching it between her own. “This is just awful.”
Bryan crouched in front of Elise, still wishing he could make things better for her.
Her free hand shook as she wiped away fresh tears. “I didn’t own much. I try to keep things minimal. But even that’s gone. I lost everything.”
“Not everything.” He smiled. “You had your camera with you, right? And all your other equipment: lighting, backdrops, your laptop. The stuff you had while you were at the station today. Being a photographer, I bet you had all your family photos scanned and saved into your computer.”
Her eyes widened with a glimpse of hope. “Yeah, you’re right. But all my clothes,” she said, seeming to calm little by little as they talked. “My jewelry. Things my grandparents gave me.”
He covered her hand with his, trying to give her as much comfort as he could. “Sally said you could stay with her, right?”
Elise’s shoulders sagged as she looked at Sally. “And it was incredibly generous of you to do that, but I can’t.”
“Sure you can. We’ll just shuffle—”
Shaking her head, Elise cut her off. “You have your daughter and her three kids, and you’re dealing with a divorce. As much as I appreciate it, I can’t add another thing to your plate.”
Bryan looked from Elise to Sally. During dinner, Elise had told him about her parents moving to Florida. “Anyone else?”
“I have other friends, and I’m sure they’d offer, but they really don’t have the space. Plus, I don’t want to feel like a burden.”
“I doubt they’d see you as a burden.”
Harris joined them at the ambulance. “The investigators are here.”
“Will they figure out what caused this?” Elise asked. It sounded like a plea more than a question.
“That’s the hope at least.” Bryan squeezed her hand. “You’d be surprised how often these things happen because of faulty wiring.”
Lee patted her shoulder, slinging his stethoscope around his neck. “I think you’re good, but try taking some slow, deep breaths.”
“Do you have insurance?” Bryan asked.
Elise nodded, taking a breath as Lee suggested. “Yes.”
“See? Nothing’s hopeless. You have your camera and equipment and photos, and the insurance will help take care of the rest.”
Sally nodded. “Exactly. The most important thing is that you’re okay. We’ll find you a place to stay.”
Before he could really think it through, Bryan’s mouth went on autopilot. “Hey. You know something? I have two furnished guest bedrooms, my house is right on the beach, and I’d be glad to have a housemate for a while.”
Reaching across Elise, Sally touched his shoulder. “That’s so sweet.”
That got through to her. Her mouth fell open as she blinked. “Oh, Bryan. That’s a huge thing to ask. I couldn’t do that.”
“You didn’t ask, remember?” He smiled. “I offered. It’s just me and Smokey, my golden retriever, in a three-bedroom house, which means there’s more than enough to share.”
“You may as well give in.” Harris chuckled. “He has a way of getting what he wants—which is how you met us in the first place.”
Bryan shook his head. “Don’t listen to him. All I mean is that no one should go through something like this alone. You won’t be a burden because there’s ple
nty of space.”
For a split second, Bryan nearly reconsidered his offer. Not because he didn’t want to help her, but because he could see it being easy to get used to having someone around. Well, not just someone, her. He already liked her, and having dinner with her hadn’t lessened it in any way.
He quickly pushed the thought away. For one thing, this wasn’t the time for such thoughts. This was temporary, and there was no way Elise would be interested in him. Plus, his job was dangerous. Who would ever be brave enough to take a chance on him? And on top of all that, like the last woman he cared about had made clear, he wasn’t someone worth loving. Nothing about him or his job had changed. He shook his head and forced a smile he didn’t feel.
Elise could stay with him, and he’d be just as alone when she left.
Chapter 6
Walking to the window overlooking the beach, Elise used her fingers to pull the blinds apart just enough to see a faint hint of the moon hiding behind a thick wall of clouds. In the distance waves crashed against the shore, and the rhythm soothed her frazzled nerves.
“I’m fine. I promise. I was wrapping up a job when it happened.” She wasn’t about to tell her mom she’d been on a…date? Not a date, really, but nonetheless, her mom didn’t need to know.
Of course, her mom was the first person she called when she reached Bryan’s home. No doubt with a town as small as Baker, if she hadn’t called, her mom would have found out through someone else. That wasn’t the way Elise wanted her hearing what happened.
“Oh, sweetheart! When I think of what could’ve been…”
“No, Mom,” Elise whispered. “Let’s not think of that, okay? I mean, not that I haven’t thought of it, but you know what I mean.”
“Your insurance is all paid up?”
The second person to bring up insurance that night. Of course, at the time, she suspected Bryan had mentioned it only to comfort her. “Yeah, all paid up. That much should be fine. But I lost everything that actually matters.”
“Honey, all that matters is you. Everything else is replaceable.”
“Easy for you to say.” Elise laughed softly, though her heart wasn’t in it. At this point, it was easier to laugh than to cry. “You aren’t the one who lost all her clothes and underwear. I had to borrow pajama pants and a tee, and I’m swimming in both.”
“Where are you staying?”
“I’m staying with a friend.” Elise turned from the window. “His name is Bryan Blake. He was one of the men who put out the fire. He felt sorry for me and offered me a temporary place to stay. He lives alone—well, with a golden retriever named Smokey who’s currently lying at the foot of my bed and making me feel very safe.” She went to Smokey and stooped down to pet him.
“I suppose that’s good, but didn’t anyone else offer?”
Again, she’d keep Sally’s offer to herself. She’d been wonderful to even suggest it while dealing with what she was going through and how full her house was. Even knowing all that, her mom would still try to guilt her into staying there instead of Bryan’s, despite him having more room.
Taking a deep breath, Elise replied, “The fact that someone gave me a place to stay because my house burned down? Yes, Mom, it’s very good. Because, honestly, I’m exhausted. All I want to do is sleep at the moment.”
“I know, honey. I’m sorry to give you a hard time. Maybe you should come down and stay with us.”
Elise had seen that one coming. Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath. “My life is here, though.”
“Not anymore, it isn’t.”
Straightening, Elise sat on the edge of the bed. “Just because my house burned down doesn’t mean my life isn’t here. My business is here, and I have clients who have been booked for weeks out. It wouldn’t be right to just leave them.” She paused. “Besides, I need at least a portion of my life to be normal while I sort the other stuff out. Goodness knows I’ll need the money from these contracts if I hope to replace all my furniture and the myriad of other things I took for granted.” Things like cough medicine, thumbtacks, and stuff most people just had on hand.
“We could send you the money. It wouldn’t be any trouble.”
“I know you’d do that if I asked for it, but I’m not asking. You know how important it is for me to stand on my own two feet. Besides, you have Patrick to take care of. I’d rather the money go to him.”
“Patrick is fine. You know that. And you’re still our daughter, just as much as he’s our son.”
“I know.” But it wasn’t the same, and it hadn’t been since his accident. Nobody would ever understand unless they were in her shoes. “Anyway, I’m fine. I’m safe. I’ll contact the insurance company tomorrow. I have a house to stay in. Everything’s okay.” It was true, and she hoped the more she said it, the more she felt it.
There was a moment of silence before her mother spoke again. “All right. Please keep us posted. You can’t possibly call enough times.”
“Yeah, I know, Mom.” Elise chuckled before ending the call. She stood and walked back to the window, leaning against the frame and staring out into the darkness. Hopefully, she’d get her life back on track in no time.
In reality, she didn’t have the first clue how she was supposed to tackle it. It seemed overwhelming anytime she let herself think about it. No matter how many times Bryan had reminded her to take things one step at a time, she couldn’t help but look ahead…searching for a new home, moving in, buying everything all over again…
“Hey. How’s it going?”
She turned to face Bryan and found him wearing pajamas that nearly matched hers.
“I thought I’d check on you. See how you’re doing.”
He really was a sweet guy. “Thank you.” She closed the distance between them and waved her hands down the length of her borrowed pajamas. “For, well, all of this.”
“You’re welcome. For everything.” His smile didn’t falter as he held her gaze.
“I appreciate it.” She looked down at the dog who hadn’t bothered to lift his chin from his paws when Bryan entered the room. “He’s a very relaxed guy, huh.”
“Yeah, he’s my buddy. I’m never in such a bad mood that I can’t come home and smile because this guy’s here.” He dropped to one knee beside the bed and stroked the dog’s fur. “Isn’t that right, bud?”
Watching him, Elise smiled as the stress melted just a little. He’d been the same way with the rescue dogs. A little flame had flickered when she first met him, dinner had fanned it a little, and now, with the selfless way he’d offered his home, a hearty wind was blowing. The more she was around him, the easier it was to see things going somewhere.
When he looked up at her, his brows were drawn together and his mouth tipped downward at the corners. “Listen. I, uh, got a call from the captain. I wanted to wait until we were sure, but the fire wasn’t an accident.”
Surely, she’d heard Bryan wrong. “What?”
When his eyes caught hers, there was genuine concern in them. “The fire started in your condo, and it was set intentionally.”
Elise reeled. She’d lived in Baker Beach her entire life. Who could possibly want to hurt her? And why? Someone had deliberately tried to hurt her. No, not hurt. Kill. An explosion meant someone was trying to do more than just give her a bruise or some scrapes.
Bryan’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. “I don’t know the why or how yet, but you’re safe here until we find out. Okay?”
All Elise could do was numbly nod her head as her mind tried to find a reason. She’d lost her home, and it was done on purpose. What was she going to do now?
Chapter 7
The next morning, walking into the station, Bryan greeted Carlos, who was on his way out. “Hey.”
“Hey. How is she?” Carlos asked, pausing as he reached Bryan.
“Terrible.” He sighed. If that was even close to the right word.
She’d finally drifted to sleep near midnight, and that’s how he�
��d left her, along with a note that he’d see her after he went grocery shopping.
Shaking his head, Carlos blew out a breath. “Who would set an explosion to go off in a photographer’s condo?”
“No idea.”
“All right, I should get. My little sister’s waiting for me. I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Yeah, later,” Bryan said as headed for the captain’s office. Hopefully, Gregg would be in and maybe answer a few of Bryan’s questions. Or at least give him enough answers to maybe ease Elise’s mind a little.
When he reached the office, he knocked on the open door and waved as the captain lifted his head. “Hey, Bryan. Didn’t think I’d see you today.”
Shrugging, Bryan stepped the rest of the way into the office and took a seat across from him. “I’m hoping there’s more information about the fire.”
Gregg closed the folder he was reading and slid it across the desk. “Those are just informal notes. The official report is incoming.”
Bryan took the folder and opened it, silently reading what the inspector had written.
The preliminary report didn’t include any surprises. Based on the burn pattern, whoever set the blaze had found their way into the house and turned on the stove’s gas jets. They’d probably expected the house to fill with gas until Elise returned. By then, all she’d have to do was turn on a light to possibly spark an explosion.
If Elise had been home, the result might have led investigators to rule it a fatal mistake or even a suicide. There was a sick sort of neatness to it that pointed to professionals. The investigators needed more time to determine the exact cause, which again left Bryan in disbelief that she’d be involved and wondering who she’d gotten herself mixed up with. On and on, it was a vicious cycle that seemed to take up most of his thoughts.
Firefighter's Rescue (Bakers Beach: First Responders Book 1) Page 3
