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Dom turned to see Gia bouncing along beside Presley. He was still in shock from seeing his daughter, the most important person in the world who he loved more than life, with Presley Parrish, the woman he’d known years ago.

He thought about Mrs. Maxx, who often watched Gia until Dom got off work. She’d never neglected to pick Gia up before. Something must’ve happened to her. He needed to check on her, but it would have to wait.

Knowing Gia was safe with a former cop, he refocused on the scene. A few minutes later, his crew had the flames knocked back, so he instructed Garrett McGee and Rena Robbins, two of the newest hires, to accompany Charlie Gardner, one of his lieutenants, inside to search for victims.

It wasn’t long before his walkie-talkie crackled.

“Captain, we found a body—actually, two.”

“Signs of life?”

“Negative.”

Damn. Dom had been afraid of that. They were most likely Nancy Baker Babcock and her husband Gene.

He jogged to where Teddy Cony and Garrett McGee were carrying out the bodies. As soon as they placed them on the ground, Dom instructed them to rejoin Charlie and continue to look for additional victims.

It was definitely Nancy and Gene. They hadn’t been charred by the fire like Margy, so maybe the coroner could determine why they hadn’t smelled the smoke or heard the alarm. Was it possible foul play was involved? Dom had been skeptical about Presley’s theory at first, but it seemed too circumstantial that Nancy died days after Margy, both in fires. Same as Gwen.

Dominic radioed for someone to bring a pop-up tent and drapes to cover the bodies. He didn’t want onlookers to get a glimpse of the victims or take pictures. The family needed to be notified first. When he turned, he spotted two men in suits jogging over. “Hey, Reggie.”

“How’s it going, Dom?”

“Not great.”

Reggie cursed. “That’s Gene and Nancy Babcock.”

“It is,” Dominic confirmed as Rena Robbins covered the bodies with a black tarp while two other firefighters set up the instant canopy to cover them and keep the elements away until the medical examiner arrived.

Reggie turned to the man beside him. “This is Jed Flowers. He’s a detective from South Dakota, here for a few days.”

Dom shook his hand.

“Jed, since you offered to help, can you snap pictures of the structure while I talk to the captain?”

“Sure.”

When the man jogged away, Dom turned to Reggie. “I heard Presley Parrish spoke with you earlier.”

“She did . . . oh, damn, Nancy was a Cheerio, wasn’t she?”

“Yes.”

Reggie rubbed his forehead. “Presley has some crazy theory about the fires being connected. Do you think they are?”

Dom sighed. “I didn’t until this one happened. We don’t know how it started yet, but what are the odds?”

“I’m guessing astronomical.”

Teddy and the other two firefighters exited the building. “No other victims,” Teddy announced. “But look at this.”

He handed Dominic a round plastic object that had been blackened but not scorched. He removed the top. “No batteries.”

“What is it with people not tending to their fire alarms?” Reggie wondered.

“I don’t know, but if they had, they all might be alive now,” Dominic said. “I’ll have our public relations personnel get the word out for people to check their batteries and alarms. We’ll ramp up business visits too.”

“Did they have kids?” Garrett asked.

“No.”

“A small plus,” Garrett said as he returned to the house.

While the firefighters cleaned up the scene, Dominic turned to Reggie. “Two fires, two malfunctioning fire alarms, two high school friends.”

Reggie sighed, picking up on Dominic’s intent. “I’ll treat this as a crime scene, but I’m still not sold that they are related.”

#

After gorging themselves on corn dogs and malts, one Oreo and the other hot fudge, Gia guided Presley to her house. Presley realized they were headed to Dominic’s childhood home. She’d been there a few times when Gwen and Dominic were dating. She remembered it having a view of Lake Superior in the distance. It was easily one of the most beautiful houses in Serenity Shores.

Dominic’s father had been a prominent judge in town, and his mother had owned a florist shop back when Presley had been growing up. She almost asked Gia about them, but she’d already stepped in when she mentioned Gia’s mother. She wasn’t about to do the same with Gia’s grandparents.

Presley pulled up to a gate. Gia punched a button on her phone, and the iron bars slid open. The drive was nicely landscaped with ornamental grasses leading to the house she remembered.

Presley parked in front of the garage, and Gia leaped out of the SUV. “I have to get Major.”

“Who’s Major?”

That question was answered when a black labrador retriever came bounding out of the fence. He scurried over to Presley, sniffed her, and then attempted to lick her face off while wiggling his entire body. Presley tried to pet him, but he wouldn’t stop gyrating.

“Major, down,” Gia ordered.

The dog plopped to his behind, his tail thumping against the blacktop and his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Presley scratched his ears, much to his delight.

Gia took a set of keys from her backpack and opened a door leading to the garage. They entered the house into a mudroom with a storage unit that contained hooks for coats. Gia plopped onto a bench and kicked off her shoes, stuffing them in a drawer beneath the seat. Through a doorway, Presley could see a laundry room with a dog washing station for Major, who had raced inside ahead of them while Presley brought up the rear.

The kitchen was next, with wood cabinets, white stone countertops, and stainless steel appliances. Vanilla, with a hint of wood smoke from the fireplace, scented the air. The showstopper was a wall of windows overlooking the distant lake. Though it was miles away, the view was majestic.

Gia tossed her bag on the bar while Major loped to his water bowl and slurped.

“Do you have homework?”

“Aw, man, I was hoping you wouldn’t think about it,” Gia groused.

She almost didn’t until she saw a schedule posted on the refrigerator.

“Does Mrs. Maxx usually stay with you while your dad is gone?”

“Yeah, or her daughter, Nelly. Then there’s Amber or Ms. Pringle when they aren’t available.”

That was good. Dominic had a cadre of people to watch his daughter. She didn’t know what hours he worked but suspected they were unpredictable.

While Gia tackled her homework and Major napped, Presley walked around the house. She told herself she wasn’t snooping, but the truth was, she wanted to know more about Dominic, the man, instead of the boy she remembered from years ago.

The house had been updated from the last time she’d been there. Green shag carpet had been replaced with a wide-planked hickory that gave it a farmhouse feel. The furniture was dark leather, undeniably masculine, but it looked comfortable. Mounted above a fieldstone fireplace with a chunky wood mantle was a colossal flat-screen television. Framed pictures of Gia were everywhere, documenting the years from infancy to present day.

The house was neat and uncluttered. There were no dishes piled in the sink, and the counters were free of pizza or takeout boxes, as she’d expect from a single father. No laundry scattered on the wood floors, either.

It was a beautiful house that felt like a home. Though she wanted to explore the rest of the rooms, she refrained. She wouldn’t like it if a virtual stranger prowled around her space, sticking their head in medicine cabinets and opening closet doors—not that she would do that. Still, Dominic deserved his privacy.

Presley sat on the couch and picked up a remote from a side table. She found an age-appropriate game show to watch while waiting for Dominic to return.

“Done with homework,” Gia announced a half hour later. Major jumped up from his padded bed and let out an excited bark.

Presley had checked the schedule before she sat down. “That means it’s bath time.”

“I know,” Gia grumbled as she stomped to her room with Major dogging her steps. “You are a taskmaster.”

Presley chuckled.

When Gia rejoined her, dressed in pajamas decorated with unicorns and smelling like strawberry shampoo, she held a box.

“Do you want to make friendship bracelets with me?”

“Sure.”

“Really? Yay!”

Gia dropped beside her on the couch and took out several plastic containers of beads, alphabet letters, and charms.

“Here are some of mine I made already.”

“These are pretty,” Presley said. “What are the slogans?”

“They’re the names of Taylor Swift songs.”

“So, you’re a Swiftie?”

Gia bobbed her head excitedly.

Presley knew little about the pop superstar but had heard about the bracelet swaps. She searched for song lyrics on her phone and decided on “Headfirst, Fearless” and “Not Your Princess.”

“Oh, those are good,” Gia exclaimed, making her own with the same words.

Gia made one for Presley with her name, and she returned the favor. Then Gia handed her one that said “Bestie” with hearts on either side. Presley’s own heart squeezed.

They slid on their bracelets and examined them. Presley took a picture of both of their arms, much to Gia’s delight. By the time they finished, it was well past Gia’s bedtime, as posted on the fridge.

“Can I please stay with you until Daddy gets home?”

She looked so hopeful that Presley couldn’t say no. She wasn’t a very good babysitter. “Sure.”

They found a show on Nickelodeon that Gia loved and settled on the couch. Gia nodded off soon after, and Presley covered her with a blanket. Major approached her with his tail wagging, which she took to mean he needed to go out. When she stood, he loped ahead of her to a set of sliding doors leading to a back deck. Presley found a switch for a light and stood watching as he ran around and sniffed several places before doing his business. There was a pooper scooper hanging on a hook, along with a package of baggies. She assumed the covered can beneath was to deposit the bags . . . and lifting the lid proved her right. She made quick work of cleaning up the mess and heading back inside.

She’d seen a doggy door in the mudroom, but a quick check told her it was locked, probably for when Major was inside by himself for an extended period.

Major resettled on his doggie bed. Somehow, Gia had taken up more of the couch. Presley didn’t want to wake her, so she sat in a recliner she knew had to be Dominic’s because it smelled faintly of aftershave. She inhaled deeply. Divine.

Focusing on the television, Presley tried to keep her eyes open.

#

Dominic was exhausted. He should’ve been home hours ago. The firefighters’ schedule was forty-eight hours on and ninety-six hours off in three shifts, but as captain, his were nine to five, Monday through Friday. He worked late or assisted with a fire if needed. Each shift consisted of two lieutenants who were in charge when he wasn’t around. He’d handpicked them and trusted them implicitly to do the job.

What made the fire he’d worked tonight different was that it was also a crime scene. That didn’t happen often in Serenity Shores. Now they’d had two in a matter of days.

Dom reeked of smoke and sweat as he drove his SUV home. Guilt settled heavily on his shoulders for foisting his daughter off on Presley Parrish, a woman he didn’t even know. She hadn’t come back home to act as his childcare provider.

He’d called Mrs. Maxx to find out why she hadn’t picked up Gia, only to learn she’d been in a car accident in Duluth and was currently hospitalized. She would be okay, but she couldn’t watch Gia for a while. Neither could her daughter, Nelly, since she would be caring for her mother. That meant he needed to come up with an alternate plan.

Dom pushed the button to open the garage door and drove past Presley’s SUV with Indiana plates. He entered the house through the mudroom entry off the garage and kicked off his boots. He’d thought about showering at the station when they’d returned, but he didn’t want Presley to stay longer than necessary. Dom had already imposed too much.

The house was dark when he stepped into the kitchen, except for the bluish lights emanating from the television. Major came bounding to him, and he ruffled his head. Instead of being tucked in her bed, Gia was asleep on the couch. Presley leaped to her feet and spun around as he neared the living room, her hand reaching for what he assumed to be a weapon. He wondered if she was armed around his daughter. He had guns but kept them locked in a safe where Gia couldn’t get to them.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I’m a light sleeper.”

“Are you carrying?”

She glanced down at her hand and dropped it to her side. “Habit, and usually, yes. I locked it in my SUV with Gia around.”

He let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Thank you.”

“Tell me about the fire.”

“Let me put Gia to bed first and change my clothes.”

He walked to the couch and scooped his daughter in his arms. Her familiar scent made his heart clench. She was so precious. She snuggled against him as he carried her to her room. Dom made sure her stuffed unicorn, Swift, was beside her as he tucked the covers tightly against her.

Dom stared at his daughter. She was growing up so fast. As much as he wanted her to remain his baby girl, she was quickly becoming a young woman.

Dom knew Gia hated living in Serenity Shores. It held terrible memories for her of a mother who had verbally abused and then abandoned her. If Dom could, he would move them somewhere else so she didn’t have to live constantly with the demons of her past.

It had been getting worse as Gia aged, and guilt assailed him that she didn’t have a female role model, especially as she neared her teens. Then again, having no one was a vastly better option than the woman who had given birth to her.

Dom had been planning on looking for fire inspector jobs around the country. He had the training and qualifications. He enjoyed his job as captain, but his daughter’s happiness was the most important consideration in any decision he could make.

Before he faced Presley again, he dashed to his room and jumped in the shower. He felt much better when he stepped out and dried off. A quick shave took care of his five o’clock shadow. He brushed his teeth and found sweats to pair with a Serenity Shores Fire Department T-shirt.

When he returned to the living room, Presley was asleep. He noticed the bracelets on her arm and smiled. That was Gia’s doing. She loved making them for her friends. He had several on his nightstand that she had made for him.

Dom didn’t have the heart to wake Presley, so he picked up the cover that Gia had been using. Before he could drape it over her, she woke. He’d never seen anyone go from fast asleep to wide awake so quickly.

“Sorry, I dozed off.”

“My fault. I needed to wash off the smoke and grime.”

“Speaking of, what do you know about the fire?”

“There were two fatalities.”

“Two?”

“Nancy Baker Babcock and her husband, Gene. That’s off the record until their families are notified.”

“I knew it,” Presley muttered. “Someone is killing the Cheerios.”

“I think you’re right.”

Her head jerked up. “What?”

“It’s too much of a coincidence that Nancy died a couple of days after Margy, both in fires, both with non-working fire alarms.”

“Oh, God, we have to warn Charmaine, Tamera, and Jessie.”

“We will first thing in the morning.”

Presley raised a brow. “We?”

“Yeah, I’m going to help.”

He’d decided that on the drive home. It wasn’t his job to solve crimes, but they’d happened on his watch in his town. That made it his fight.

“Someone has to be drugging them.”

“We can stop by the chief medical examiner’s office in Duluth. That’s where Tamera lives.”

“Do you know how the fire started?”

“The inspector concluded it was faulty wiring. Gene was tackling home renovations.”

“Is he an electrician?”

“Insurance salesman. He and Nancy fancied themselves as do-it-yourselfers.”

“Do you think that’s the cause?”

“Yeah, I do. I went in with the inspector, and I trust Ric’s expertise. We both concluded the same thing.”

Presley was pacing, and even in the dim room, he could practically see the wheels turning in her head.

“It was late afternoon when the fire started.” She spun around to him. “Why didn’t they smell the smoke?”

“I assume that’s a rhetorical question.” He certainly didn’t have an answer.

“It’s a shame they were both at the house,” Presley murmured.

“Gene worked from home. Nancy created jewelry she sold online, so they are both there most of the time.”

“Any security camera footage?”

“They didn’t have surveillance. Reggie Branch will canvas the area to see if any surrounding homes have monitoring devices.”

Presley glanced at her watch. “Wow, look at the time. I should get going.”

“Do you have a hotel room?”

“Not yet. I meant to stop at one when I arrived, but I ended up detouring to the police station.”

“It’s late . . . or early, depending on if you’re a glass half full or empty person. You can stay here tonight.”

Dom was shocked at the words that came from his mouth. He hadn’t planned on issuing the invitation. It was an impulse, but it felt right.

“I couldn’t impose.”

“You mean like what I did when I fobbed my daughter off on you?”

“You didn’t. I offered.”

“Thanks again for that. It’s not a problem for you to stay. We have a guest suite. Since tomorrow is Saturday, I’ll call a sitter for Gia, and we can visit the three women in the morning.”

“If you’re sure . . . “

“I am.”

“Okay, then. I’ll grab my bag.”