by Leah Atwood
Few noises emanated from the second floor of the inn. He found it soothing in an eerie way, like the calm before a summer storm. Even straining his ears, the only sound he heard was the faint voice of a person talking. To his guess, it sounded like they were on the phone, not having a face-to-face conversation.
The photos on the wall captured his attention as he walked to the end of the hall. He hadn’t taken the time to look before, but now he saw many were a century old, at least, and were founding citizens of Pell’s Peak. Next to the majority of them hung contemporary photos of the actors and actresses who played the counterparts. He had to admit, seeing the pictures side by side intrigued him. Who knew—maybe he’d go to the Wilton’s Museum before he left Pell’s Peak.
He reached his room and unlocked the door. For a building in existence well over a century, it didn’t have a hint of a musty odor. His room smelled fresh, even after he’d been gone most of the day with no air circulation in the area.
His notebook taunted him from the nightstand. “Come here and try to write your speech,” it called out in a heckling tone. All right, maybe that was his imagination creating the words, but he took it as a sign to leave the speechwriting for later. He cringed, wished this didn’t stress him out like it did. What if the words wouldn’t come?
Shaking aside those thoughts, he plopped on the bed and fanned the brochures in front of him. Pell Caverns caught his gaze first. He’d always loved caverns, and he could take pictures to share with his science class.
Scanning the flyer, he searched for admission details. They opened at ten, which gave him plenty of time to have a slow-paced morning and still be there at opening. However, the brochure didn’t list the cost, and he knew from experience some could be very pricey. He’d budgeted spending money into the trip, but he’d dipped into part of it for the headlight. Guessing the website would have more information, he grabbed his phone and searched.
The website popped up immediately, and all the prices were listed. Peak season hadn’t hit yet, which worked to his favor. The prices fell in line to what he expected, and he downloaded the offered coupon for an additional two dollars off. Wednesday morning plans decided, he set that brochure aside and sorted through the remainder. Whitewater rafting called to him, but that would have to wait for another trip.
A loud ring jarred him from his scheduling. It took him a second to realize the fire alarm sounded. He waited to see if it was a mishap, but quickly realized this wasn’t a drill or an accidental pull of the alarm. Good thing he hadn’t taken off his shoes yet. Before leaving, he grabbed his phone and wallet and rushed out of the room. Doors slammed shut, and a confused air filled the halls.
He spotted Jon leave his room and run to Lisa’s. She met him, and they went down the steps together. The tender moment made Matt smile amid the chaos. Jon wouldn’t leave without assuring his fiancée’s safety. Had Mia and Candace made it out?
What room were they in? Was it to the left or right of Lisa’s and why couldn’t he remember? He ran to the closest room and knocked on the door. No answer. Knocking again, he called out their names. He took a step to go to the other room when the door opened.
A woman stepped out, but she wasn’t Candace or Mia. She had her hair wrapped in a towel and tied the belt of a robe around her waist as she looked around. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t know exactly, but the alarm’s going off, and we have to leave.”
The door two rooms down opened, and Candace and Mia came out, smiling nervously when they spotted him.
“Have you seen Lisa and Jon?” Mia asked, her gaze searching them out.
“They went down a few seconds ago. We should hurry.” He turned back to the girl who’d come out in her bathrobe. Surprise lunged out of his chest and caused him to cough. “Kira?”
Her mouth dropped, but she quickly recovered. “Matt.”
“I didn’t recognize you in your, er, garb.” This day delved deeper and deeper into strangeness. “We need to go.”
“You’re right.” She swallowed and looked from side to side.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mia and Candace staring at him with curious expressions. He’d explain later, outside of Kira’s presence, that she was the lady who’d hit him.
Candace cleared her throat. “You all, I smell smoke. We need to leave. Now.”
He sniffed, dismayed to realize Candace was right. “Let’s go.”
They ran down the steps and out of the building. Once outside, they followed directions to a pavilion where they were to gather. Sirens sounded in the distance, further confirming the alarm had not been a drill.
The entire ordeal, from the first ring of the alarm to getting outside, had taken less than two minutes, but it seemed much longer.
“I see Jon and Lisa.” Candace latched onto Mia and dragged her toward their other friends.
Matt looked at Kira, noticing the ashen pallor of her skin. It could be due to the inadequate lighting, but he suspected the fire spooked her, though no flames were visible. “Do you need help to find your group?”
She shook her head. “I’m here by myself.”
Chapter Five
Kira bit the inside of her cheek. She sensed Matt’s curiosity and also his concern, but she had to collect herself first. Despite her repeated attempts at convincing herself she’d claimed victory over the memories, they had come back to haunt her.
She ran a hand through her hair, remembering too late she’d jumped out of the shower when she heard the alarm and had wrapped her hair in the towel. The pressure of her hand against the towel knocked it off balance, and her soaking hair came tumbling down over her back and shoulders.
Her cheeks puffed full of hot air. What else could go wrong? I take that back. I don’t want to know.
Matt bent down and picked up the towel. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Unsure what to do with it, she draped it over her left arm. Her gaze followed the fire trucks coming in. She didn’t see any flames or plumes of smoke though she had undoubtedly smelled it inside.
Even without the visuals, her mind recalled images of that night on the Turkey/Syrian border. Flames red as crimson had erupted from their makeshift dorms, soon followed by clouds of smoke darker than a midnight sky. An insider attack. All aid workers had been evacuated immediately and not allowed to return for weeks.
She’d never made it back to that camp. The week prior, she’d stated her intention to return home, following God’s prompting. She’d taken the fire as confirmation she’d heard the call correctly, but that image remained seared into her memory. Two years later she couldn’t stomach the flame of a lit match because of what she’d seen.
A shiver sent trembles through her body, and she tugged the lapels of her robe closer.
“Are you cold?” Matt peered at her with narrowed eyes. “Or worried?”
His perception, however accurate, bothered her. She’d made such a poor impression already, and she didn’t want to give him further reason to consider her a flake. But maybe honesty was the way to go. Did she have anything to lose at this point? “I have bad memories of fire. This brings them fresh to mind.”
“I’m sorry.” His expression showed neither pity nor indication he thought her peculiar—only true compassion.
“It’s okay.” She shrugged, hoping to shed the awkwardness overcoming her.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No. I’ll be fine, promise. The first time I saw fire after that day, I made a list of Bible verses and memorized them. Now I recite them to myself until the fear subsides.”
The corners of his mouth turned upward. “That’s awesome.”
“It helps a lot.” She rubbed her hands together absently and looked around. “Do you need to find your group?”
“Nah. I made eye contact with them all so I know we’re all here and they know I’m here.” He lowered his voice. “Something tells me you need company more than they do. If you want me to stay that is.�
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The offer surprised her, but not much. In their two meetings, Matt Cameron had proven to be an exceptional person. “If you don’t mind…”
“Not a bit.”
A parade of flashlights approached the pavilion.
Penny Therit, who owned Coralee’s Inn, led the line with a loudspeaker and stopped at the front. “I want to thank each of you for your patience and cooperation with tonight’s unplanned excitement. The situation is under control, and there are no injuries, for which we can praise the Lord.”
“What happened?” someone called from the rear of the pavilion.
“A lit cigarette caught on fire in a ground floor room. The fire was quickly contained and did not leave the room due to the quick actions of the guest.” Mrs. Therit’s voice tightened. “However, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind each of you that Coralee’s Inn is a non-smoking establishment. Anyone caught violating this regulation will be subjected to a five-hundred-dollar cleaning fee.”
Kira gasped. They were fortunate that the blaze hadn’t spread. Very lucky, but then, she didn’t believe in luck. She believed in a God who cared about every detail of her life, and that of every being he created.
Mrs. Therit allowed time for the murmurs to die down before continuing. “As soon as the fire marshal gives the all clear, you’ll be allowed to return to your rooms, which I estimate to be another twenty to thirty minutes. I realize the inconvenience this has been and understand it’s not how you expected to spend your vacation, so I’ll be offering each guest a voucher for a free night. You can stop by the front desk any time tomorrow to collect it.”
Knowing the extent of the fire and that it no longer posed a threat gave Kira the freedom to breathe freely again. “An accident and a fire at the inn. This vacation is determined to be memorable, one way or another.”
Matt’s lips twitched. “Ever have one of those moments you know isn’t funny, but you can’t stop the reflex to laugh?”
“Like now?”
He nodded. “It’s not funny, yet, it is. I’ve always believed everything happens for a reason, and it will be interesting to see the purpose for today.”
“There’s a good chance we’ll never know.”
“True.” His eyes wandered to where his friends stood fifty-some feet away. “I only pray all this seemingly bad luck doesn’t affect the joy of my friends’ wedding.”
She jutted her chin in their direction. “Is that them standing with the two girls I met upstairs?”
“Yes. You met Jon at the bakery this afternoon, and Lisa is his fiancée. The other two girls are Candace and Mia, the bridesmaids.”
“By the expressions on their faces, I doubt anything could steal their joy. They seem truly happy together.”
“They are.”
“When’s the wedding?” she asked, proud of herself for not avoiding the topic.
“Saturday.”
“Destination wedding?”
“Kind of.” He brushed a bang off his forehead. “We’re only a few hours from home so a few guests will make that drive the day of the wedding and go home afterward, but a good number are coming beforehand to enjoy the town.”
“Big ceremony?”
He chuckled. “No. When I say a good number, I meant majority. At last count, Lisa said she was expecting fifty guests.”
“That’s a nice amount.” A self-effacing smile surfaced. “Not that I have much experience planning weddings.”
His lips curled into a wry grin. “I have more than I ever dreamed I would.”
“Broken engagement?” Before the question left her lips, she realized it was prying, but she couldn’t stop her mouth from moving.
“Not quite.” He didn’t seem offended by the question, for which she was glad. “I have, however, participated in more than my fair share of them.”
“Groomsmen?”
“That, best man, even a bridesmaid.”
A comical image of him materialized. “Did you wear a dress?”
He shook his head with vigor. “I drew the line at that, but I wore a tux the same color as her bridesmaids’ dresses and stood at her side.”
“Interesting.” She nodded her head slowly. “The groom didn’t care?”
“I was the one who introduced them, and he was so in love, he’d do anything she wanted for that wedding.” He leaned forward. “I, on the other hand, had to be convinced of it.”
“But you did anyway.”
“Of course. Katelyn is my cousin, and she is one of the few family members, I have a relationship with. If I could make her happy by being a bridesmaid, then so be it.”
“You care a great deal about other people’s happiness.” Again, she decided too late she shouldn’t have said that. “That’s not normal in this day.”
He chuckled. “So I’ve heard.”
“I think it’s great. The world could use more people like you.” She crossed her arms, warding off the chill brought by a cool wind against her wet hair. “This afternoon for example. You could have been a jerk about me backing into you, but you were nothing except kind and understanding.”
“Getting mad would have served no purpose.” His face froze in a contemplative stare. “Growing up, I saw more than a kid my age should have, but it taught me a lot about people and how to react. I knew how I’d rather be treated and made the decision to treat others that way.”
Impressed, she subtly nodded in agreement. “The Golden Rule.”
The conversation returned to lighter fare. Comfortable in Matt’s presence, Kira forgot she’d hit his car earlier that day and that she’d had a near panic attack moments ago. Time flew by, and before she knew it, Mrs. Therit announced that the inn had been cleared for entry.
Her arms hung to her side. Reluctant to end the contact, she rocked on her feet. “Thanks for keeping me company.”
“My pleasure.” His gaze shifted to where his friends walked. “Looks like no one is wasting time going back in.”
“I don’t know why they’re hurrying if they’re anything like me. The adrenaline rush alone will keep me awake until midnight at least.”
He glanced at his watch. “That’s two hours away. With all the commotion, it feels like midnight already.”
“It does, doesn’t it? Except I’m not tired at all.”
“Me either.”
A crazy idea popped in her mind. “Do you drink hot tea?”
“Sometimes.”
“I brought a few of my favorites with me to enjoy in the morning and relax in the evening. Would you like to share a cup with me?” The invitation read like a previous article on her blog, but she hadn’t asked him as a potential suitor, only as a person to pass the time after a crazy day.
“Sure.”
“What flavor would you like? I have jasmine, chamomile and regular earl grey.” She’d told a slight fib. They were only her favorites of what she’d brought—her true prized teas were at home in canisters, the final relics of her time overseas.
He scratched his chin. “Isn’t chamomile the one people drink at night a lot?”
“Yes. It has calming effects that help many people sleep better.”
“I’ll take that one.”
“I’ll heat the water in my room, then meet you in the common room. Sound good?”
He took a step forward, leading them out of the pavilion. “Perfect.”
Chapter Six
Twelve chairs sat in the common room, all of which were occupied. It seemed others had the same idea after the surprise fire.
Matt searched for another place for him and Kira to sit. A few chairs in the lobby had also been claimed by guests. He went to the patio and saw no one had gone out there yet, so he laid his phone and sweatshirt down on one of the tables to save a spot should anyone else come out. He returned inside and waited by the common room for Kira to come down with their drinks.
He reached for his phone to send Jon a text, then remembered he’d left it outside. How long did it take to make
a cup of tea? To his best guess, fifteen minutes had passed. He spotted a clock on the wall and confirmed it.
Footsteps sounded from the staircase, but he heard two distinct sets. He doubted one belonged to Kira since she said she’d come by herself. That intrigued him. Sure, he planned to venture into sightseeing alone this week, but he wasn’t on vacation by himself. The idea didn’t appeal to him. He didn’t mind spending time by himself, but he also enjoyed being around people and creating experiences and memories with them.
“Matt, we didn’t expect to see you down here.”
Lifting his head, he saw the familiar face that matched the female voice. “I’m meeting Kira for a cup of tea.”
Lisa nudged Jon. “Told you.”
“Told him what?” Matt stared down his two friends, already suspicious of their thoughts.
“You like the girl who hit you,” Lisa sang in a tone reminiscent of a schoolgirl chant.
“Oh, good grief. How old are we now?” He rolled his eyes. “We ran into each other and started talking. Neither of us were tired after the fire, so why go back to our rooms and piddle around alone for hours.”
Lisa didn’t back down from her stance. “I saw the interest in your eyes while you talked to her.”
“It was dark. You didn’t see anything.” He looked at Jon for support.
Laughing, Jon put his hands up in front of him. “I’m not getting in the middle of this.”
“Well, shush, because she’ll be here any second, and I don’t want you making her uncomfortable with your shenanigans.”
“Fair enough.” Lisa peeked into the common room. “No room at the inn.”
Matt laughed at her joke. “All the seats inside are full. No one was on the patio when I went outside a few minutes ago.”
Lisa clucked her tongue. “Hmm. Where are you going with… Kira is her name, right?”
“Yes, Kira, and on the patio.”
“We’ll go to the front porch.” She winked at Jon. “Didn’t I just say how much I loved those rocking chairs?”
