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It explained the pall in the neighborhood.
Yesterday, a whole building full of children nearly died. Families were holding their babies close today, and most likely, the children were still dealing with the shock and injuries they’d suffered.
After her wreck, it had taken her months to be able to close her eyes without seeing the car go out of control in front of her, then slamming into her again and again. Sometimes, she could still feel the car spinning and spinning until it hit the abutment and burst into flames.
Poor babies.
Poor Amalie.
Life shouldn’t be this hard.
She began to slow down after she turned down her street. Her house was the third one on the left. The one with a wraparound porch and green shutters. She used the remote to open the garage door, and then drove in and killed the engine. The door was already going down as she grabbed the box of fudge, slung her purse over her shoulder, and went into the house through the utility room.
The warmth inside was welcome. She left the fudge on the kitchen island, hung her coat up in the closet in the hall, and began turning on lights as she headed to her bedroom.
Within minutes, she had water running in the tub anda liberal sprinkling of lavender bath salts dissolving in the water. She stripped down to her skin, piled her hair up on her head to keep it dry, then eased in and slid down into its depths, sighing in delight.
Only then did she remember she hadn’t checked the mailbox on the porch, and she hadn’t checked her email since she’d left the office earlier this morning. Then she shrugged off the thought and sank a little deeper into the water.
The once-smooth surface of her upper body was now taut and shiny from skin grafts, or slightly puckered with weblike scarring from the fire. She didn’t think about them much now, but tonight was different. She had a date with a seriously handsome man, but she didn’t know what to expect. And it was just the tiniest bit scary.
Still, he’d fought a battle for her once. She wanted to believe that tenderhearted child was still in there somewhere, still willing to be the hero.
Sean shut down his office at 4:00 p.m. and began going through the house, stoking the fire, carrying in more wood, and emptying the garbage. Then he gathered up an armload of wood for the fire and was coming in the back door, bringing a blast of cold air with him, when his mother entered the kitchen.
“Ah…you’re home,” Sean said. “Thought I’d bring in some more wood for the fire.”
Shirley followed him into the living room, talking. “Dani’s okay healthwise, but emotionally, she’s struggling. It was a terrible thing to experience. I’m glad I went. Wiley came by to pick up his pie as I was leaving. He sends his love.”
Sean nodded. “Are you going to be okay here on your own for a while tonight?”
Shirley frowned. “For heaven’s sake, Sean. Of course, I will. I’m not tired so much as cold, and you’ve already taken care of that. The house is nice and warm. I’m going to watch a gushy love story on TV, drink Mountain Dew and eat popcorn, and probably fall asleep before it’s over.”
He gave her a look. “You need to quit watching love stories and watch one of those kick-ass movies I like. You wouldn’t fall asleep watching them.”
She snorted. “And most likely not fall asleep after it’s over, either. No thanks. I like my movies like I like desserts. Soft and sweet.”
Sean burst out laughing and hugged her.
She grinned. “Okay, okay, that’s enough. Go get all pretty for your date, and have a good time,” Shirley said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Sean said, and hustled down the hall to shave and shower.
Chapter 6
It was fifteen minutes to six when Sean drove into Jubilee. Tourists were less prevalent this time of year, but they were always present. The upside of it for locals was not having to wait for tables at their favorite restaurants and finding available parking without walking too far.
Sean was nervous, but excited. He hadn’t dated anyone since before his father went to prison, but he kept reminding himself that this wasn’t like meeting a stranger. He and Amalie had a past of sorts—a history from childhood. What better place to renew an acquaintance than from the beginning?
He drove straight to her house. Porch lights were on, as well as all through the house, and he wondered what she did when she went home. What she liked to do for fun. If she had any hobbies. What music she liked. Then he headed up the steps knowing it was all to be revealed before the night was over.
The moment he rang the doorbell, he began to smile. It sounded like church chimes, and then the door swung inward, and Amalie was standing before him.
“The church bells threw me. For a second, I thought I’d taken a wrong turn.”
She laughed. “They were here before me. Daunting, aren’t they? Maybe a prior owner chose them to make sure all their callers were in the right frame of mind before they entered this house.”
“I think I’m good,” Sean said.
