Page 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Logan held AJ as close as possible, every curve of her body fitting against him.

“I was so afraid I’d lost you.”

“I’m here. Finally.”

Her body heaved against him as a sob rocked her. He wrapped his arms a bit tighter around her, and they wept together.

“I’m sorry.” He could barely hear himself say it over the roar of the fire and the hissing of the water meeting the flames. But she heard him.

She melted into him. He never wanted to let go again. How had he been so stupid to let her walk away regardless of what had happened?

“AJ!” Don called.

She slid back from Logan, cupping his face with her hands. “I need to …”

He nodded and reluctantly let go.

Adam helped her slide her jacket back on and set her helmet on her head. Logan went to him and watched AJ do everything with her team to help stop the fire.

She was graceful and determined. Strong and agile.

Adam’s hand rested on his shoulder. “You still love her.” There was no question in his voice, but Logan still nodded.

“I guess I never stopped.”

“I know. Will and Zara are on their way, not knowing if you are alive or not.”

Logan twisted his hands. “Surely there is something we can do to help. The cop in me can’t just stand here and watch my house burn.”

Adam pointed. “There’s a crowd gathering over there, let’s go see if they saw anything.”

Before they even got to the bystanders, Will and Zara drove up in Will’s truck.

Zara ran to Logan, Will a few steps behind. “You’re okay!”

“I’m alive anyway.” He hugged her, then Will.

“Your house …” Will’s voice trailed off.

Logan finally really looked at it. Too much of it was gone. The firefighters seemed to have the fire under control now, but the living room and kitchen area were gone. The bedrooms no doubt had smoke and water damage if not worse. His house was gone.

Other cops on the scene were talking to the bystanders, and Adam had joined them. So Logan stood with his friends, waiting for a clue of what to do next.

Will kept his arm across Logan’s shoulders. “Those teenagers took it too far this time.”

“Yeah, so much for keeping my trash cans away from the house.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they’re over there.” Logan pointed to the unburnt receptacle.

“Logan!” Miles called from the police line closest to his house.

Logan walked over with Will and Zara.

“Are you okay?” Shock covered Miles’s expression. “What happened?”

“I really don’t know.”

“You weren’t home?”

“No, not long after I saw you, I decided to go for a walk to blow off steam. Glad I decided not to drink. If I had, I might have been passed out inside when the fire started.”

Will slapped him on the back. “I’m proud of you, man.”

Logan loosed a wry laugh. “I poured the glass …”

“But you walked away.” The pride on Will’s face almost made Logan laugh.

About twenty minutes later, AJ walked over to where the four of them were still standing. “It’s out. Still too hot to go in and see if anything is salvageable, but the fire is out.”

She looked exhausted, helmet hanging from her hand, soot streaking her damp face.

Yet she’d never looked more beautiful. She held his gaze, longing in her eyes.

He lifted his hands. He wanted to hug her but wasn’t a hundred percent sure she’d be okay with that.

She smacked her helmet into Will’s abdomen and, as soon as he took it, stepped toward Logan.

He closed the space and pulled her to him.

She encircled his waist with her arms, laying her head against his chest.

It felt so good to hold her, his wife, again.

He wiped away the hair plastered to her face. “Are you okay?”

She lifted her head. “As can be, but all of your things ...”

He shrugged. “It’s just stuff. I’m ready to talk, like really talk.”

Her eyes lit up. “Good.”

“AJ.” Ty called her.

Her countenance fell. “I guess I have to go back to work.”

“Until tomorrow morning?”

She nodded and let go of him.

Ty came over to them. “AJ, take the rest of the shift off. Be with Logan. I’ll call someone else in. Be with your husband.”

“Thank you, Ty. I need to get my shoes.”

Logan said, “I’ll take you. Thanks to whoever saved my motorcycle.”

Ty nodded toward AJ. “It was all AJ.” He took her helmet from Will.

She removed her turnout jacket and handed it to Ty. “Take this back too?”

“Of course.”

“It was my turn to make dinner.”

“Stop.” Ty pointed at her. “You are excused from firehouse duties.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ty put his hand out to Logan. “I’m sorry about your house.”

Logan shook his hand. “Thank you for getting the fire out.”

Ty turned and left.

Logan glanced around. Miles was gone. That made this less awkward. “Will, can I stay at your house?”

“You don’t have to ask. What do you need right away? While you take AJ to the station, Zara and I can swing by the store and get you the necessities.”

Logan rotated and stared at what was left of the house. The reality hit him. He didn’t even have a toothbrush. Nothing. Shorts to sleep in. Underwear. Deodorant. Let alone … pictures of Bree. Her favorite hippo.

He couldn’t breathe.

It was all gone.

“Hey.” AJ’s hand rested on his chest.

But he couldn’t peel his eyes away, not until she put her hand on his cheek and directed his vision to her.

“It’ll be okay.”

“But … Bree …”

“We’ll go through it tomorrow.”

He nodded and let her lead him away and to his motorcycle. With a promise to meet Will and Zara at Walmart, Logan and AJ climbed onto his bike.

Her hands around his waist was the support he needed to keep himself steady as they rode away from the wreckage of their past.