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“But I didn’t take that pinkie promise seriously. Thought we were just kids, saying stuff. I knew the minute we both left town, going our separate ways, you to the city and me to the Army, that we’d grow apart, and we did.”

“Then you came back and started a whole new life here.”

He nodded. “While you stayed away.”

“You have Emme now.”

His smile widened, genuine this time. “I really do love her. She’s the one for me.”

“I’m happy for you. Truly.”

“Thanks.” He exhaled. “I’d like it if you two could become friendly.”

I shrugged. “I’ll try.”

“Now that you’re back, you need to have someone special in your life, too. I could fix you up with some of my friends.”

I looked away, laughing, tears stinging again. He must not have a clue how Hudson feels about me. “It’s the last thing on my mind when I just lost everything. I left New York trying to figure out who I was again. And now… my entire past just went up in flames.”

“No better place to start over than right here.”

“Right. Oh, by the way, I meant to thank you for taking care of Mom’s house for me while I was away. The lawn, the dusting, it was all very nice of you.”

He glanced down at his shoes, then back up with a sheepish look on his face. “Actually. That wasn’t me. I got so busy running Java, I’d let the grass grow tall. Hudson told me one day he’d take care of it. So you have him to thank.”

“Hudson?” My forehead scrunched. Why wouldn’t he just tell me it’d been him?

Carson straightened, seeing something over my shoulder down the hall. “There’s Doc. He must have news. We’d better head back.”

We returned to the waiting room behind him as he stepped in, everyone rising to their feet at once.

“Hudson’s going to be okay,” Anderson announced. “He has a moderate case of smoke inhalation. His oxygen saturation was low when he came in, but we got him on high-flow oxygen immediately. Lungs are irritated, but no serious damage. No burns. No broken bones. No ego damage either, although the news reports on the TV in his room are calling him a hero, so I suspect that might be inflating as we speak.”

The whole room of people exhaled. I chuckled at the thought of Hudson’s head growing bigger.

“Praise God,” Mama sniffled into a tissue.

“He’ll stay overnight for observation. We’re keeping him on oxygen, and he’s got fluids and corticosteroids to reduce any inflammation in his airways. I gave him something mild to help him rest, so he’s sleeping now, but he knows you’ve been out here. He’ll be out of it for the night. I recommend everyone go home and get some rest. It’s late and there’s nothing more you can do here tonight.”

Everyone began nodding, hugging, relief spreading from face to face. Mama consulted with Anderson in the corner, trying to get more information out of him.

My heart lurched. I just stood there with nowhere to go.

Home?

I didn’t have one.

Tears welled up again before I could stop them, and I turned away, biting my lip.

Mama moved beside me in a heartbeat.

“You’re coming home with me,” she said firmly, not giving me an inch to argue. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

I blinked up at her, speechless.

“Baby girl,” she said, cupping my cheek, “You think we’d let you go through this alone? You’re family.”

“Family?” I whispered.