Page 38 of Serve and Protect

Now it’s my turn to bare my soul. I should have done this a long time ago. “One of my biggest regrets in life is saying no to you all those years ago.”

His head snaps up, and he stares at me in disbelief. “What?”

“I thought I was protecting you back then, from all the bullying and slurs that were leveled at me. I knew you had it rough already, because of your mom, and I didn’t want to add to that.”

He looks at me like I’m speaking a foreign language, and he doesn’t understand a word of it.

“The truth is,” I say, forcing myself to continue before I lose my nerve, “I feel the same way about you. I always have.” Tearsblur my vision. “But I was stupid and afraid, and ended up ruining everything. I’m so sorry.”

Now he’s the one reaching for my hand. He squeezes it so tightly, I wince. “Sorry,” he says as he gentles his grasp. “Jennie, sweetheart, you could never ruin anything.” He looks me in the eye. “Say it again.”

I laugh shakily. “Say what?”

“What you just said.”

Suddenly, I’m feeling as bashful as a middle-school girl again talking to the boy she’s crushing on. “That I feel the same way about you?”

When he smiles at me, a terrible weight is lifted from my shoulders. I don’t see blame or accusation in his eyes. I see something that looks an awful lot like relief mixed with joy.

“Jennie—”

Our heartfelt moment is interrupted by the sound of multiple sirens in the distance. Every second, they get louder and louder, as if they’re coming our way.

A chill skates down my spine. “Are those—”

He nods. “Police sirens, yes.”

They sound so close!

Too close!

We stare at each other. “What—” My cell phone, which is on the nightstand in my bedroom, starts ringing. “I’d better grab that in case it’s the diner.”

Before I’m even out of my chair, Chris’s cellphone starts ringing.

Then my landline starts ringing.

Three phones ringing at the same time?That can’t be a coincidence.

Chris answers his. “Nelson here. Darlene, what’s up?” His expression changes instantly as he puts his phone on speaker. “Repeat that, Darlene. I’ve got Jennie right here with me.”

Darlene’s voice comes over the speakerphone. “There’s a fire at the diner. The fire department is on their way.”

“Oh, my God!” As I jump up and race to my bedroom, I can hear my phone ringingagain. I grab it off my nightstand and check the screen to see I have two missed calls from Robert. He’s in the process of leaving me a voice message when I call him back.

“Robert!” I say when he picks up. “I heard about the fire. I’m on my way. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Is anyone else—”

“No. I was the only one here when the smoke alarms went off.” He pauses to cough before he adds, “Jennie, the fire is in your office.”

“What!” It wouldn’t surprise me to hear there was a fire in thekitchen, but in myoffice? There’s nothing flammable in there. “Stay outside and let the fire department handle it. They’re on their way. So am I.” And then I end the call.

I return to the kitchen as Chris is attempting to tuck his T-shirt into his jeans.

“I talked to Robert,” I say. “He’s safe. He said the fire started in my office.”