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His expression falls, but he tries to comfort me in any way he can.
On the way over, I text Lexie to let her know what’s going on and ask if she knows anything.
After fifteen minutes, she still hasn’t texted back, and I’m convinced more than before that something bad has happened.
Chapter Twelve
ARCHER
I’m trying my best to keep Everleigh calm, but it’s nearly impossible when her shop could be in ashes. I hope that’s not the case and am grateful the fire department is there. When she answered the phone, I knew something wasn’t right. I’ve seen that expression on her face a few times and hope I never have to again.
While I drive, she logs into her security app and rewatches the last clips of video footage. I can see her growing more frustrated than she already is each time she starts them from the beginning.
“Baby, it’s going to be okay,” I tell her, though I have a nagging feeling that this could be linked to Krystal... “I’m here for whatever you need, okay?”
She sucks in a deep breath and finally looks at me. “I can’t imagine dealing with all of this alone. I have thousands of dollars invested in my shop, and it might all be gone. And now I feel guilty as hell for not sending Katie off and rushing out without hugging her goodbye.”
“Katie loves you, and she’ll completely understand. Don’t worry, she won’t be upset that you left. If anything, she’s worried for you too. ”
“You’re right.” She blows out a breath.
When we finally make it to the outskirts of Lawton Ridge, the traffic grows thicker. The main intersection is shut down, and a cop is directing traffic around the area. I roll down the window, and the smell of burning wood wafts through the air. Everleigh’s tears fall more steady, but I also see the anger behind her gaze.
“Thank God,” she says when her phone buzzes. “It’s Lexie.” Everleigh picks up the call and explains everything she knows so far. After another minute, the call ends.
“Lexie said everything seemed normal when she locked up, and she went through the closing duties and double-checked all the doors were locked.”
When we’re closer to the shop, I see the parking lot is full of emergency personnel. They’ve roped off and blocked the entrance with barricades. Luckily, I find a place to park on the street, and as soon as the car stops moving, Everleigh bolts out toward the building.
I lock the car and chase behind her.
The fire chief stops her before she can get any closer. “Hey, Everleigh.”
“Chief Porter. What happened?”
“First of all, I just wanna say I’m really sorry. Looks like the fire started in the backroom. They’ve already got most of it contained, hopefully without too much damage.”
I place my hand on the small of her back and wait with her.
“Thank you. I appreciate y’all getting here so quickly. Can’t imagine what it would look like if you hadn’t,” she tells him. The fire department is mostly made up of local volunteers, so when something like this happens, they rush together to help.
The crackling and popping in the distance gets louder. We stand in silence, watching the flames dance.
“We’re gonna need some more water,” one guy says. “Afraid the embers are gonna erupt again because the wood is so dry and hot.”
The blue and red flashing lights reflect off the surrounding buildings. I can’t begin to describe the horror on Everleigh’s face when she notices the dark smoke lingering in the front windows. She lets out a wail of a cry as I pet her hair and kiss her head.
Thankfully, they were able to contain the fire before it spread too far, which means the structure may be fine, but the smoke damage is a major concern. Everleigh wanders over and when she gets to the side of the shop and notices the back is still smoldering, she grows more emotional.
“You can’t go back there,” the fire chief tells her as several men drag the fire hose closer to the area.
Everleigh moves to a safe distance, but one with a better view. After five minutes of staring at the guys spraying water and seeing how charred the building is, she turns around. “I can’t watch this anymore.”
“I know, baby. I can’t imagine how hard this is for you.”
Everleigh narrows her eyes, then walks away and tugs me with her. That’s when I see Dana standing on the sidewalk, watching the disaster unfold.
“What’re you doing here?” Everleigh asks, shocked to see her.
“Oh hey. You know I live just right down the street. Wanted to see what all the commotion was about. I can’t believe this, Everleigh.”
Her face softens, but I can tell her guard is still up. “Me neither. It sucks more than I can even say.”
While I find it odd that Dana’s here, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities considering how small this town is. News travels fast, and she’s not the only person out here watching. A small crowd has gathered outside.
