by Jill Sanders
“Sorry about this,” Wayne said to her as he scooped her up in his arms and rushed up the stairs.
“What’s happened?” Barbara met them at the top of the stairs.
“Bomb,” Wayne said quickly. “Call—”
“They’re on their way,” Barbara finished. “We’ve evacuated the building. Here, take her outside.”
Wayne followed Barbara outside into the snow.
“Simon,” she cried. “Wayne, go back and get him.”
“My guys are bringing him out now.” He motioned towards the doors.
It seemed to take forever as she watched and waited for the front doors of the building to open. Finally, moments later, two guys came running out of the building with Simon hobbling between them, holding onto their shoulders.
“We’ve got the fire out, boss,” one of the men said to Wayne.
“We’ll wait for the bomb squad to clear the building. Is everyone out?” Wayne asked.
“Yeah, we’re the last,” one of the guys who held up Simon said.
“Laura?” Simon reached for her.
“I’m okay,” she cried and hobbled over to wrap her arms around him. “My god,” she cried as she held onto him. “I was so afraid.”
“I almost lost you. That son of a bitch,” Simon growled. “I’ve had enough of this.”
They both jerked as the fire truck stopped next to them. They stood back as the crew jumped into action.
Another car squealed to a stop, and Logan and Amy rushed to her side to gather them both in their arms.
“We were driving by and saw the fire trucks. What happened?” Amy said, then she gasped. “You’re burned,” she said to Simon.
“Just singed.” He glanced down at his arms and hands. “Thanks to Wayne.” He nodded to the man who was standing there talking to the fire chief, telling him that the fire was out but that it had been a bomb. The chief recalled his crew and told them they would wait for the bomb squad do a sweep and clear the building.
They were pulled by Logan towards a waiting ambulance. She made a point to have them check on Simon first. They treated the first-degree burns to his hands and arms that he’d gotten when he’d shut the door during the explosion.
She was pretty sure that if he hadn’t shut the door like he had, the fire would have ravaged through the entire facility. Then again, that was probably their plan. Simon had been quick to shut the door. Someone else might not have been. The explosion would have traveled down the hallway and caused more damage than what she remembered seeing. Where they just trying to cause damage? To shake Simon up? Looking at him now, she realized that if that had been the purpose, they had hit the mark. He was obviously very upset.
“I would like to stay,” Simon was telling the EMT.
“No, we’ll go.” She touched Simon’s shoulder. “You need to be checked out. The police are going to clear the building. We can’t go in now anyway.” When he opened his mouth to argue, she reached up and touched her head. “Besides, I’m seeing double and might need another CT scan.”
That did the trick. He finally agreed to ride in the back of the ambulance to the hospital.
“This time I’m going to leave here in my own clothes,” she warned as they wheeled them inside.
Simon’s chuckle in response was one of the best sounds in the world. They treated Simon’s burns while she waited to be rolled in for another scan.
An hour after arriving at the ER, Logan walked in and informed them that the facility had been cleared and that the damage had been contained to the one storage room.
“Unfortunately, everything inside was destroyed,” Logan added. “The other storage areas were untouched.”
“Thankfully,” Amy added. “They’ve also confirmed that there wasn’t any structural damage.”
“That’s good news.” Laura sighed and relaxed. “Hopefully, this won’t push back the opening?”
“What about the safety of the children?” Amy asked. “If this is your father, like Logan has suggested, what if Lee Cummings isn’t the only one working for the senator?”
The room grew silent.
“I’m going to step up security,” Simon said with a sigh. “Shit, maybe I should distance myself from the facility?”
“No.” Laura shook her head, then turned to her brother. “How fast can you get the press here?” she said with a thought, then turned to Simon. “I think we need to step up our timeline. We have to fight fire with fire. We can’t have him hiding in the shadows anymore.”
“That’s an idea,” Simon agreed.
“It might go a long way to mention the bombing. Maybe twist it like someone was out to hurt you and the senator?” Logan thought out loud. “The man is an egotistical maniac. If you portray it as someone trying to hurt him through you, your father could portray the situation as if someone is out to hurt him by hurting you. You know, he could play the victim.”
“What if he decides he likes that victim role and continues to try and hurt you?” Amy asked.
“Something tells me he won’t,” Simon replied as he glanced down at his bandaged hands.
“How are you doing, sis?” Logan asked her.
“Clean bill of health. We’re just waiting for the okay to leave,” she answered.
“They aren’t keeping you here overnight?” Amy asked.
“No.” Laura shook her head and glanced over at Simon. “We’re going home tonight.”
“After we go and check out the damage at the facility,” Simon added. “And stop off and pick up a Christmas tree.”
Laura shook her head. “Simon, we can do that—”
“Today,” he said. “I’m not going to let that man ruin one more day of ours.”
“We can help you with the tree,” Logan added. “You’ll need it now that your hands are out of commission for a while.”
Simon glanced down at his bandaged hands and sighed. “They aren’t that bad. But we’d appreciate it.”
“Good, it’s settled then.” Amy smiled. “Dinner at your place while we decorate your home. I’ll call Gina and have her meet us there.”
A little over an hour later, they stood in the same spot they had when the explosion knocked them around.
The charred remains of everything that sat in the room had Laura’s eyes tearing up.
“Things can be replaced,” Simon said, wrapping his arm around her.
“I’m not crying for the items. It could have been so much worse.” She looked at the damaged door that hung off the hinges. “If you hadn’t shut the door…”
“Yeah,” Simon said with a sigh. “Yeah.” He shook his head. “I’m thankful I reacted as fast as I did.”
“How did you know?” she asked him.
“I smelled the petrol. There was a strong odor of it long before I saw the gas cans and the timer. The smell had me on guard,” he said. “I wish I’d smelled it in the hallway long before I opened the door, but…” He shrugged.
“I’m thankful you did.” She hugged him.
“Boss,” Barbara called out. “The press is here.”
Simon glanced down at her. They had rushed home from the hospital and changed out of their destroyed clothes. Her mother had asked to be let in so she could start prepping dinner.
“Ready?” Simon said, taking her hand in his bandaged one.
“Yes.” She smiled up at him.
She stood by Simon’s side in the front lobby in front of the beautiful Christmas display. As she listened to Simon talk to the press, she realized that she loved him more now than she had ever loved him. It was as if the five years they’d been apart had melted away.
He’d come back to her a better man. A stronger man. One that she loved more than she’d ever believed she could.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming down here on such short notice. I know we had this scheduled for Monday, but with today’s events, I felt it was better to quash any questions and concerns you may have now,” Simon started.
Several ques
tions were thrown at him by the press, but Simon held up his hands.
“I will take questions after I make my statement. First, I want to assure everyone that ReNewed Foster Care Facility will be opening our doors officially on the twenty-third. Security is my and my staff’s number one priority, and we’ve tripled our efforts to ensure the safety of our facility and everyone inside. With that said, today’s incident has caused a need for more donations. We’re looking to replace the items damaged.” He glanced down at the sheet of paper Barbara had handed to him and rattled off the age groups and items they were in need of. Then he set the paper aside and took a deep breath. “The next course of business is a little more personal. There have been rumors going around about my family life.” He glanced at Laura and smiled. “It’s true that I was raised in the foster care program here in Colorado. I’m thankful for the love and care I received growing up and want to ensure that other children are as lucky as I was. However, what isn’t known is that I found out a few years back who my biological parents were. My mother, Grace Renee Rodgers died in an incident shortly after I was given up for adoption. My father”—Simon paused to take a deep breath—“is very familiar to most of those living in the state— Joseph Wilson.”
It seemed to take a heartbeat for the name to sink in. Then more questions were thrown at Simon as the sounds of cameras filled the silence.
Simon again held up his hands to quiet everyone.
“Yes, the senator knows who I am. I found him a little over five years ago, shortly after my records were unsealed on my eighteenth birthday. No, my father and I haven’t seen one another since that day. I am sure, however, that he is just as eager to ensure ReNewed’s safe opening since he saw fit to ensure the well-being of so many children in foster care. I know I have benefited from several of the laws he has put in place over the years for kids in dangerous situations like those I grew up in.”
Laura smiled and felt a rush of pride flood her. Simon was a genius. She hadn’t even thought of taking that angle. She glanced up at him with love and pride as he finished twisting his father’s destructive laws, which he’d signed over the years.
“The last bit of news is even more personal.” He reached over and took her hand in his. She gently held onto it since she noticed him wince with pain. “I’d like to officially announce my engagement to the love of my life, Laura Miller. Laura and her family have always been there for me throughout the years, and I can’t wait to officially become part of their family.” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her while the cameras snapped more pictures.
Chapter 22
“Did you hear all those questions?” Laura said as she drove his car back to their house. “So many were about the explosion and tying your father to the worker Lee Cummings.” She smiled quickly over at him.
“Yeah, something tells me the press isn’t as dumb as my father likes to portray them.” Simon chuckled. He was feeling like he was at the end of his strength.
He would have liked to pick out his and Laura’s first Christmas tree together but was thankful Logan and Amy had volunteered to pick one up for them instead.
At this rate, he doubted he would be able to keep his eyes open to help decorate the thing. He loved the holiday season, he really did, but after everything he’d been through in the past month and a half, he just wanted some peace and quiet for a while.
There was less than a week before the facility would start filling with children and now the entire building had to be reinspected thanks to the bomb. Sure, the bomb squad and the fire department had cleared the damage as minimal, but he knew that the state would need another inspection before they signed off on children being moved into the facility.
Which meant more work for him and his crew. The door to the damaged storage room had to be replaced, the destroyed items hauled out, and the room repainted. Laura had talked eagerly about it on the trip home.
Stepping into the house and smelling the food that Gina had cooked mixed with the distinct scent of pine tree, he felt the last hold on his emotions slip.
Pulling Laura into his arms, he held onto her and tried to take it all in, tried to hold onto the moment as long as he could.
“Everything okay?” Gina asked.
“Yeah.” He sighed and kissed Laura. “It is now.” He reached over and grabbed Gina up and pulled her into the hug.
Laura’s mother easily wrapped her arms around the pair of them. “We caught your little show.” She laughed and kissed him on the cheek. “Welcome to the family.”
He smiled. “Which reminds me.” He glanced at Laura. “I forgot something out in the car.”
She handed him the keys.
“I’ll be right back.” He raced back out into the snow. When he came back, the small box tucked in his pocket and the rest of the gifts ready to go under the tree, everyone in the room was gathered around the tree that Logan had set up next to the windows.
“It’s bigger than ours,” Amy said with a chuckle. “It’s a good thing your living room is taller than ours as well.”
“I figured you would want something big enough to fill the space here by the windows,” Logan said with a smile.
“It’s perfect,” Laura said, wrapping her arm around his waist.
“What do you say we eat dinner, then decorate this beast?” Gina asked. “I’ve cooked us a proper Christmas feast since I wasn’t sure we’d be able to do this again next week, with the party and all going on. Besides, we’re celebrating today.”
“I love it. It sounds like a perfect end to a crazy day,” he said, knowing that it was perfect timing.
Sitting around the dining table, in the freshly painted room, he realized he’d been a fool all those years ago.
He should have never looked for his birth parents. Not when he had such a great family right in front of him all along. If he had just stayed the course, he could have held onto everything that was dear to him from the start.
After stuffing his face with turkey, ham, and all the fixings of a full holiday meal, he could barely keep his eyes open.
They moved into the living area where he watched his family start to decorate the massive tree.
Amy had purchased several boxes of white lights, which were quickly wrapped around the tree and plugged in. As far as the ornaments went, however, they didn’t have enough to fill the massive tree. It was decided that they would fill the front of the tree and leave the back empty.
By the time everyone was done hanging the last ornament, his eyelids were extremely heavy, and he kept nodding off. The game was put on the television, which only increased his drowsiness by filling the room with the soothing sounds of the sports he loved.
He listened to everyone chatting while the dishes were done as he drifted off.
“Simon?” Laura shook him awake later. “We thought you’d want to see this.” She motioned towards the television. “It’s your father. He’s about to make a statement.”
He blinked a few times as he sat up, wincing when he forgot about the burns on his hands and tried to use them to sit up.
“Easy,” Laura said as she helped him sit up.
The television sound was turned up and, sure enough, his father’s face suddenly filled the screen.
“Wow, you do look like him,” Logan said under his breath. “You have the same eyes.”
“Yeah, it’s a kicker,” Simon said.
“Tell me about it. I’m a spitting image of my old man. Good thing the SOB is dead,” Logan added with a frown.
Everyone grew quiet as his father started speaking.
“I’d like to address the rumors of my infidelity and that I fathered a child twenty-some years ago…”
“Twenty-three,” Simon added dryly. “But he probably doesn’t even know that.”
“I adamantly deny any such rumors,” he finished.
Immediately, questions were shouted out at him with one reporter’s voice ringing out over the rest.
“How do you explain Sim
on Berg’s birth certificate that shows you as the biological father?”
The senator didn’t even respond to the questions thrown at him and continued to talk over everyone.
“I would be happy to take a DNA test, proving my point. As to ensuring that the ReNewed facility’s doors open, I have never interfered with any business in all my years as your state senator, and I assure you, I have done nothing but ensure the well-being and safety of young at-risk children.”
There was a large scuffle as reporters turned away from the senator while a whisper of something circulated through the crowd. Immediately, the camera changed to show the local news anchor, who looked extremely surprised.
“What’s going on?” Simon sat up.
“We are just getting word,” the news anchor said, “that Senator Joseph Wilson is being arrested on attempted kidnapping charges and conspiracy to commit arson. We are now going to the local police chief, who is holding a news briefing on this subject.”
The screen changed back to the same podium where the senator, who was now being cuffed, had been standing moments before.
“…with the latest proof, we are taking Senator Joseph Wilson into custody effective immediately and he is being charged with…” The man looked down at the paper in front of him. “The kidnapping of Laura Miller and conspiracy to commit arson for the bombing and fire that happened earlier today at the ReNewed Foster Care Facility in Golden. We have substantial proof that Mr. Wilson was involved in both instances, thanks to items Lee Cummings has provided. Mr. Cummings has been on Senator Wilson’s payroll for more than six years. He was identified as a man of interest posing as a city permit worker and is himself being charged with a break-in and property destruction to a property on Indian Paintbrush Drive, which he claims he’d mixed up the addresses and believed was the residence of Simon Berg. He’s also responsible for the hit-and-run that sent Mr. Berg and Laura Miller’s limo careening off the road into Clear Creek. That crash resulted in the death of limo driver, a single mother named Kayla Smith, who left behind a two-year-old daughter, who is now safely in her grandmother’s custody.”