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Unfortunately, the fish weren’t cooperating, and soon the children abandoned their poles to hunt for rocks theappropriate size and shape for skipping. Noah sat with his back against a tree, watching them play, idly scratching Thor behind the ears while Marigold and Anna dozed at his feet. Noah’s mood was bittersweet. He’d enjoyed this morning. He was going to miss Drew and Emma badly.
Wonder if he could talk Willow into bringing them to Denver for a visit? It’d be fun to show them around the firehouse. He’d run the idea by her before he left.
Noah gave Drew permission to wade into a shallow section of the creek to fetch a perfect skipping stone that he’d spied. The boy sat and removed his shoes, while Emma abandoned rock hunting in favor of picking up pine cones. Just as Drew prepared to step into the water, Noah noticed Marigold’s head come up and her ears go forward. She’d alerted on something.
Immediately, so did Noah.
Something was wrong. Noah didn’t know what. He didn’t know how he knew it. He simply knew that he knew it. He rolled to his feet. “C’mon, kids. We need to go back to the house.”
“Why?” Drew asked, a whine in his voice.
Emma’s bottom lip trembled. “Is my party over already?”
“We can come back. I just want to check on your mom.”
At that, the children shared a worried look. Drew reached for a shoe, and Marigold whined and took off. Noah muttered a curse beneath his breath. He scooped Emma into his arms and began to run, calling over his shoulder, “Drew. With me. Now!”
“Okay. Okay. Okay.”
They had picnicked a good hundred yards away from the house. Noah had been a kicker rather than a wide receiver, so sprinting for the goal wasn’t his forte—especially not on aleg held together with pins and rods. Nevertheless, he ran as if the hounds of hell were chasing him. Or, more accurately, redemption’s gates stood ahead of him, drifting shut.
Standing at her kitchen counter, Willow poured a second cup of coffee and thought of her day ahead: introduce AJ to his aunt and uncle at ten, Emma’s party at noon, sign the contract for the land across the street at four, then one last family dinner for Noah before he headed to Denver. Good lord. She was exhausted just thinking about it. Exhausted and, if she were being honest, a little sad.
They were all feeling a little melancholy about his departure, and she was glad her children got to spend this last special morning with Noah. They loved him. And, she knew, he loved them too. Just like she knew Noah had to go to Denver. He’d go, and he’d fight his fires. He’d do what he needed to, and then he’d return to her. She believed that. She had to believe that.
She moved into the living room and took out a wooden puzzle to occupy AJ while she turned her attention to assembling party bags. Willow enjoyed this particular activity. She and Emma had spent some good mother-daughter time choosing the trinkets and games to put inside the bags. Then they’d spent more time decorating the bags. Emma felt a little bad about not being here to make the final preparations, but Willow had assured her that the time spent with Noah was important, too.
With the favor bags ready to go, Willow had placed them in a plastic tote containing other party supplies and was mentally reviewing her schedule when AJ asked, “Mama. Play with me?”
She’d given up on any attempt to correct him about calling her Mama. Glancing at her watch, she decided she had twenty minutes to spare. “What do you want to play?”
“Cars.”
“Sure. I’ll play cars with you.” They had a simple Hot Wheels track and about a dozen cars that had provided many hours of fun for both of her children. She sat down on the floor in the great room and helped him set up the racetrack. Soon, die-cast cars began to fly.
She and AJ had been playing for about ten minutes when Willow heard an ungodly crash outside.What the heck?She made her way to the living room window, expecting to see a tree fallen in the yard. She hoped it hadn’t caused any damage. That was the last thing Noah needed to worry about before he left.
A glance outside didn’t reveal anything amiss, when she heard another sound—this time more like a crackling pop—and she couldn’t begin to guess what it could be. A lightning strike? But the sky was cloudless and brilliantly blue as far as the eye could see. Yet something made the hair on the back of her neck prickle. She moved away from the window and picked up AJ, saying, “Let’s go check on your brother and sister.”
Closer to the front door than the back, she opened it.
Was that smoke? Oh God. That’s smoke. Where’s it coming from?
Even as she asked the question, she knew. The workshop.
Still carrying AJ, she dashed around the side of the house.
Her first sight of the workshop stopped her cold. The building was totally engulfed. Walls. Roof.Oh God. What do I do?Even as she tried to form a plan, a boom sounded. A window exploded outward.
“What do I do?” She tried to think. Fire flow. What hadNoah taught them about fire flow? He’d taught Drew! Drew would know. Thank heavens Drew was with Noah. Surely he’d still be with Noah. Drew had a tendency to go off on his own, but he’d stick by Noah’s side. Wouldn’t he? The boy was obsessed with Noah’s workshop, but he wouldn’t have sneaked in there today. Not today.
“Drew!” Willow called as she rounded the corner of the workshop, her prayerful gaze searching the window and the space beneath it. Nothing. Even as terror gripped her, she suddenly knew she was no longer alone. She turned around. Noah. Noah, with Emma in his arms and Marigold at his feet, running hard.
Drew wasn’t with them.
Willow’s heart dropped and despair rose within her. She extended her arm toward the burning building and cried, “Where’s Drew? Why isn’t he with you? Where is my baby?”
And suddenly, Noah was there by her side, wrapping his arms around her. “He’s okay, love. He’s with me. He’s right behind me. He’s okay.”
