A police car pulls into the driveway as the ambulance pulls out. “No,” Daphne screams and takes off toward the burning house.
The police officers sprint across the lawn and tackle her to the ground.
I turn to the paramedic still standing beside me. “I need to get to the hospital.”
She nods. “We’ll get you there.”
I knock lightly and open the door to Brady's room at De Clair General Hospital. I’m used to this drill. It’s day three of his stay at the hospital where they helicoptered him so he could undergo emergency surgery.
An older woman sits beside him on a chair. She smiles as I walk in. The creases around her eyes remind me of Brady.
“You must be Anna,” I say. My gaze shifts to Brady sitting on the bed, grinning at me. He’s got on the Fire Academy T-shirt I brought him. His leg is covered in a cast that extends up to his hip. His coloring and alertness are a thousand times better than yesterday. They must’ve shifted him to the lighter pain meds.
“I take it you’re Sammy.” She brings me into a big hug. Damn, his family knows how to hug. “Thank you for taking care of the most demanding patient in De Clair.” Her eyes light up with the joke.
“It’s been my pleasure, and he barely has any demands. My father with a head cold is a thousand times worse.”
Anna laughs. “Brady’s father, too.”
I pull the keys to Brady’s house out of my pocket and hand them to Anna. “You should probably take these.”
I’ve been going back and forth between De Clair and Whispering Pines getting things for Brady and checking in on Lara at my parents’ place.
The night of the fire, I followed Brady to De Clair. Once he was safely out of surgery, I checked into a hotel near the hospitaland had a mini breakdown. I suppose I’d needed private space to release an emotional pressure valve in wild, hysterical sobs.
I was angry about the destruction a very sick and twisted Daphne caused and angry at Mark for being selfish and deceitful. I was upset about Gabriella being a horrible friend. I was mad at myself for being willing to walk away from this "friendship" with Brady because I was scared and focusing on the negative parts of life in Whispering Pines.
The next day, I woke up refreshed despite only getting four hours of sleep and went to De Clair Airport to meet Mark and Lara. He thanked me for being there, gave Lara a big hug and kiss, and got on the next plane back to Los Angeles.
There was no plug for me to return to Los Angeles. No guilt trip about Lara’s safety and her needing both parents. Only a friendly goodbye.
I hope he’ll be a decent father to Lara. That's all I need from him.
Anna shakes her head. “Keep the keys. I’m staying in one of the rentals. The whole family will be here at some point this week. We don’t want to disrupt Brady’s peace.”
I look over at Brady. His mom telling me to keep the keys tells me what she knows about our relationship. He nods at the table beside his bed. “You can leave them here. Or keep them for when you come to visit.” He meets my gaze with undeniable, raw lust.
That settles it. He’s cured. Now we need to get his leg back in shape because I’m ready for us to get down to other, possibly healing, things.
“I’ll leave you two to catch up,” Anna says and closes the door behind her.
“Get over here,” Brady says.
I get within arm's reach, and he pulls me to him. We kiss slowly and sensually. I'm overflowing with gratitude for havingthis man in my life. What would have become of me if he hadn’t made it out of the fire? I can’t even think about it.
He eases away. “I meant that about the keys. They’re yours, if you want them. You and Lara can come and go whenever you want. I was even thinking we could set up one of the guest rooms for you two. That way she’ll feel like you have your own space.”
My cheeks stretch into a smile. “I like that idea.” I settle down beside him with my head on his chest. “I heard the McClellans are moving back to Toronto. Their place in Pines Harbor is going up for sale. I’m thinking of talking to them before they put it on the market.”
“Not renting this time? You’re buying?” Brady asks expectantly.
“I’m buying this time." I’m going ahead with the retreat and making peace with my quibbles about Whispering Pines.
The day of the fire, Rina Patel, the bank manager, thought Daphne was acting oddly to the point that she worried for Daphne’s safety. Being a concerned neighbor, Rina followed her from the bank to my house. She expected Daphne to knock on my door and watched in horror as Daphne used a liquid to set fire to the house.
Rina called emergency services and got out of there without realizing I was inside. I had walked over from Mom and Dad’s place, so there was no car in the driveway. I’d been in a bedroom at the back of the house. There was no way she could’ve known I was there.
If it wasn’t for Rina, I wouldn’t be here.
