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This fire—I don’t like what it might be trying to tell me. We were the last people in that barn. It’s unlike me to be so careless. I’ve put people I care about—Avery, her father and grandmother—at risk. I’ve hurt others because I haven’t kept my focus where it should’ve been. I need to get my fucking shit back together.

“Where are they?” Avery’s scream cuts through my thoughts and I can see that she’s on the verge of losing it on the cop who is holding her back. “Tell me something, please! I need to know they’re all right!”

I take a step toward her and wrap my hands around her shoulders and pull her back against my chest. A sob tears out of her as she turns and buries her face into my chest.

I hate seeing her hurt like this and it’s goddamn ridiculous that no one is giving her a straight answer so I decide to give it a shot. I turn my attention to the stocky police officer in front of us. “Officer, please. Can you tell us where to find her grandmother and father? She just wants to make sure they’re okay.”

The cop frowns and pulls the hat off his head, revealing a buzz cut. It’s then I notice he’s pretty young for a cop—midtwenties, tops—so not much older than me. “Off the record, I can tell you that the only one I know about for sure is the older woman who lives here. She was taken to the hospital via ambulance after inhaling a lot of smoke.”

“And my father?” Avery asks. “Where is he?”

“We’re not sure. The elderly woman told us to check the barn, but at this time we’ve been unable to locate any male on the property—but they’ve been unable to get the flames under control in the barn, so no one has been in there to check it out.”

“Oh, God.” Avery’s legs buckle below her and she grows limp in my arms as she begins to cry hysterically. “Daddy! Daddy!”

She can barely call out his name through her sobs.

My heart crumbles in my chest knowing she’s going through hell.

“Miss, I know this is difficult, but we’re going to need you and your friend here to step back—”

Avery narrows her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere until you find my father.”

Instead of getting angry with her defiance, the officer’s expression softens and he says, “We are doing everything we can, but right now what I need from you is to give the fire department and police officers the space to do their jobs. As soon as we locate your father, we will notify you.”

She sniffs. “Okay. How about my granny? Is she okay?”

“From all the reports I’ve heard, she’s being treated and they expect her to make it.”

There’s very little information being given, and it’s probably because they really don’t have anything to tell us.

The best thing I can do is pull Avery away and allow the crew here the space to work as they’ve asked. “Come on, Avery. We need to go check on your grandmother. Maybe we’ll find your father there too.”

She nods, but I know leaving here without knowing anything is killing her.

When we get back to my truck, she clings to me as she cries. I wish there was more that I could do to comfort her, but all I can do now is stand here and wrap my arms around her while I silently hate myself for causing her this pain.

AVERY

The night turns to day as the sun pops up over the trees, shedding light on the rubble of what was recently my new home. I haven’t slept a wink because they haven’t been able to locate my dad. I’m exhausted, both mentally and physically, but I will press on until Dad has been found. All night I’ve run the worst scenarios possible through my head, and I pray to God that none of them are correct.

I spent the night at Granny’s bedside. Early this morning she regained consciousness and the doctors say that all signs point to her being able to make a complete recovery from this, which is a relief to know. I pressed her as gently as I could once she woke up about what happened and where she thought Dad could be, but Granny can’t remember last night. She doesn’t recall the fire. The last thing she remembers is going to bed, and then waking up here in the hospital.

I stare at Granny, who has fallen back asleep, and my thoughts drift to Dad. The need to find him is overwhelming and I can no longer sit here and idly wait for news. I need to go back home and see what’s going on.

I nudge Tyler, who is asleep in the chair next to me. He hasn’t left my side all night and I’m glad for that. I don

’t know what I would’ve done last night without him to hold me up while I fell to pieces.

Tyler’s eyes snap open and then they focus on me. “You okay? Need anything?”

I lick my dry lips. “I want to go back to the house.”

“Avery, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I have to be there, Tyler. I have to know one way or the other what’s happened to my dad.”

He frowns, and pauses for a long moment, before he gives me a subtle nod. “I understand. I’ll take you back over there if you are sure you want to go.”

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