Page 21

Chapter Twenty-One

AJ tossed the playing cards on the table. Brennan had found her crying on the lawn in front of the station, dragged her inside, and made her play a round of Go Fish with him before they got back to duty.

She laughed. “You beat me fair and square. I’m going to get back to work now. And thanks.”

He winked at her. “I expect the same if I need it one day.”

“You will.”

His cheeks reddened. Brennan was growing ever closer to Megan, but the situation with her ex-boyfriend was sticky at best, making her very hesitant to get involved with Brennan.

AJ chuckled as she went to check the chore list. Someone still needed to clean the bathrooms. Seriously? Again? Might as well.

She wanted to keep her mind off of Logan as much as possible. But she knew she was too distracted to focus on one of the continuing-education videos she needed to watch, so she moseyed to the bathrooms.

She was mid-toilet-scrubbing when the alarm sounded and announced a residential fire.

With the brush back in its holder, she removed the cleaning gloves off and draped them on the caddy.

In the normal firefighter mode that resisted raising unnecessary adrenaline, she walked quickly toward the truck bay and her gear. The display read the address and the crossroads closest to the fire.

She froze. She knew that address.

Logan.

She ran to the bay.

Seth grasped her arm as she flung off her shoes and nearly fell over as she rushed into her turnout pants and boots.

“Chill.”

“You don’t understand.” She looked at Don. “That’s Logan’s house. My house.”

“Let’s go!” Don shouted; the panic she felt came through in his voice.

She jumped in the back of the truck with Seth. Don and Ty in the front.

She couldn’t breathe. Was Logan okay? What had happened?

As Ty pulled the truck out and turned on the siren, AJ fought against the worst-case scenario wanting to play out in her head. Logan had to be okay. He probably wasn’t even home. He’d been so upset. Surely he went for a long ride. But what if he was inside.

“Do we know who called it in?” AJ asked.

Don looked at the screen. “Says a neighbor. AJ, focus on what we know. While that’s not much, don’t let your mind play what we don’t know.”

She nodded, but it felt impossible. Her legs bounced uncontrollably. They couldn’t get there fast enough.

They turned onto the street. She could see smoke rising above the trees. “Oh Lord.”

Pulling up in front of the house, AJ put her helmet on and slid out of the truck, diving into the job. The living room and kitchen half was nearly engulfed in flames.

Was Logan home? His motorcycle was in the carport. “No!”

She ran to the truck and reached for her oxygen tank and mask. Ty put his hand on hers, preventing her from putting on the tank. “You are not going in.”

“Ty, I have to. My husband is in there. I have to save him.”

“Even if you didn’t have a concussion—”

Seth cut Ty off. “I’ll go in. I’ll find him, AJ.”

“Thank you.”

AJ helped Ty with the hose and Brennan joined them. The flames were starting to lick the carport.

“Wait, the motorcycle.”

“AJ, leave it. It’s not worth it.”

“Unless it has a full tank. We don’t want it to ignite.”

Ty nodded. “Get it.”

AJ ran to the carport. The heat from the fire was intense. It singed the small bit of bare skin she had. Flipping up the kickstand she pushed the bike away from the house, past the garbage cans, and close to the road.

Garbage cans. This fire hadn’t started in the garbage can?

Seth had been inside for a long time now. Did he find Logan? What if he was dead?

She stumbled backward and ran into someone. Strong hands steadied her. She spun. Adam.

Taking off her helmet, she stared into the detective’s eyes. “I don’t know if he’s in there.”

Adam squeezed her shoulder. “Praying.”

“Thank you. Would you call Will?” Not waiting for his answer, she turned away and tried to focus on doing her job.

Seth exited the front door, but he was by himself. He shook his head.

Where was Logan?

“I didn’t find anyone.”

She wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or more scared. The house wasn’t that big, but if he was at the point of origin, maybe Seth couldn’t get close enough to find him.

She froze and stared at the house. The house she and Logan were supposed to grow old in together. Now that would never happen for even more reasons. Everything had burned to ashes. Their family. Their marriage. And now their house.

Someone took her helmet from her hand. She turned to find Adam again. He pointed down the sidewalk.

Logan.

He was alive.

She ran. She threw off her turnout jacket and sprinted with abandon.

He darted to her. They met in an embrace that nearly knocked the wind out of her.

“You’re alive!”

“Yes.” The word was breathless in her ear as his arms held her tighter than they had in what seemed like an eternity.

She held him, wanting to never let go.