by Vivian Arend
She turned her gaze upward as he hurried to the ambulance where Hanna was being forcibly restrained to keep her from rushing them. “You’re okay, sweetie,” he assured her. “And Mommy is right here. Let’s be brave for her, okay?”
Crissy pressed her lips tight, but her head dipped the tiniest bit.
“You hug your mama, but then we have to let my friends take a look to be sure the smoke didn’t get inside you. Can you do that?”
Hanna had broken free and was closing the distance between them, the spare jacket someone had given her hanging nearly to her knees.
Brad gave Mack a nod. “Take over. I need a second.”
“No prob.” His second-in-command slapped his shoulder briefly before raising an arm and shouting orders, the volunteer crew rushing to fill him in. They dragged in extra hoses, but at this point Brad doubted they could keep the other buildings on the street from going up as well.
His attention went to Hanna, bending his knees far enough he could open his arm and let her catch hold of Crissy without taking the little girl fully from him.
“Is she okay? Are you okay—?”
“She’s good,” Brad assured her quickly. “She came right away when I told her to, and she’s not hurt.”
“Oh my god, baby. Mommy’s so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Hanna dropped kisses over her daughter’s face, leaning in and pressing their foreheads together. “I love you.”
“Love you, Mommy.” Crissy snuck a hand out and wiped at a tear on Hanna’s cheek. “Santa Claus told me to hide.”
“I’m glad—”
“Hanna, we need to go back to the ambulance,” Brad interrupted. “Come on.”
He curled his arm around her and guided her toward the emergency vehicle, the strangest sensation growing in his belly.
Post-rescue adrenaline always left a buzz, but this was more. Something tangled and powerful. Seeing the sheer relief on Hanna’s face was compounded by the grip her daughter had on his neck. Crissy had wiggled one arm around him and was clinging like a monkey.
When they reached the truck and he tried to lower Crissy to the gurney, she refused to let go.
Hanna had Crissy by one hand, but the other had slipped down to tangle in the loops of his jacket.
Brad closed his fingers over hers. “Hey, kiddo. I told you about this. You need to let the doctors peek at you.”
She tugged again. “Stay.”
“Crissy, Brad has to work still. Mommy will stay with you.”
Crissy’s eyes were fixed on Brad. “Come back?”
“I’ll be back when I can,” he promised. “Be good for your mommy and help the EMT.” He tapped her nose gently with a gloved finger, sliding his gaze over Hanna.
She stood ramrod straight, watching like a mama bear as the EMT moved in to start the examination. Everything she owned was burning to the ground behind them, but she didn’t seem to care. All her attention was on Crissy.
Brad forced himself to step away. There were decisions he needed to make.
Behind him, Hanna’s voice rose, clear and comforting. The voice of an angel, not a woman on the brink of a breakdown. “Everything will be okay, sweetie. Everything will be okay.”
Leaving nearly killed him, but that moment was enough to make one thing very clear. Everything was going to be okay, because he would do whatever it took to be sure that was true for Hanna and Crissy in the future.
Whatever it took.
3
It was three a.m., and Hanna was dead on her feet. She was bundled up on the edge of a truck bumper, wrapped in so many blankets she felt like a mummy. Crissy had been given a clean bill of health, but it’d taken extra time because they’d had to shift the entire operation halfway down the block.
The entire row of shops was burning, structural walls collapsing.
Hanna had stood helplessly by as a portion of the old red-stone building had given way, crumbling southward with a crashing rush to cover her car with bricks and debris. Everything was gone, including her phone which had become a victim of the evening as well when it slipped from her fingers during the crisis and been crushed underfoot.
In her lap, Crissy slept like the innocent she was, content to be in her mama’s arms. Although, until her eyes had reluctantly closed, she’d been watching closely for any sign that her fireman was coming back.
And now that Crissy was asleep, Hanna found she couldn’t take her eyes off the man.
He seemed to be in more than one place at the same time, moving quickly back and forth, his heavy equipment not slowing him down in the least.
The EMT was back, looking at her with concern. “You warm enough?”
Out of nowhere, Brad appeared, his mask pushed back, soot smearing his face. “What’s going on, Tyler? Why is Hanna still here?”
The man glanced at Hanna before stepping away, and though he spoke quietly, his words carried to her ears. “There’s trouble with space at the emergency shelter. And the local motel is completely filled with that bridge-repair team. She called a friend, so she’s got a place to stay for the night out at Silver Stone, but her ride hasn’t arrived yet.”
Brad nodded, turning back to Hanna. “You hanging in there?”
“I’m doing—” Another crash sounded behind him, and she cringed involuntarily. She straightened her spine, looking him in the eye and admitting honestly, “I’m tired, but happy we’re safe. Thank you again for saving Crissy.”
“She’s a smart little thing. You’re spending the night with the Stone family?”
She had hated to phone so late, but it was the only place she could think of where Crissy would be comfortable to wake up in the morning. “They should be here soon.”
He looked as if he was about to say something else then his name was called, and with a farewell nod he backed away. “Tell Crissy I’ll come see her soon.”
“Hanna.” A shout echoed from the other direction as Caleb Stone marched forward. The familiar face of her friend’s husband gave her something new to focus on instead of Brad marching back into the danger zone.
Although, she had to admit she was still watching.
“Let me take Crissy,” Caleb said, his voice a low rumble. “We’ll get you home and warmed up.”
They were both quiet on the drive. At the house a sleepy and green-looking Tamara, moving slowly, offered Hanna a set of pyjamas and a towel. “There’s a guest bed in the playroom downstairs. You can keep Crissy with you, or if you want to put her in bed with Emma, that’s fine too.”
“We’re all smoky—”
“If you want to shower, take one, but don’t worry about it if you don’t want to wake her. Everything is washable.”
In the end, Caleb carried Crissy downstairs and laid her on the hide-a-bed. Hanna looked down at her sleeping child for a long time before stepping into the shower and letting the hot water pour over her.
It seemed as if she was never going to get warm.
Morning came far too early, and Hanna opened her eyes to discover she was being watched by a curly-haired blonde with big blue eyes who was perched on the edge of the couch armrest. Emma Stone, one of Crissy’s best friends.
“Good morning,” Hanna said quietly.
Emma glanced at Crissy, who was wiggling slightly as she cuddled against Hanna’s side. “You came for a sleepover?”
Hanna guessed that was one way to put it. “Sort of?”
Crissy was sitting up now, looking at her friend seriously. “Everything got burnt up, but Santa told me what to do.”
“Santa talked to you?” Emma crawled onto the bed unself-consciously, sitting down opposite Crissy as if she had nothing else in the world to do but discuss this in greater detail.
Hanna slipped from the bed while the girls continued to talk, looking at her smoke-scented clothing with dismay.
The second little girl of the household, Sasha, appeared at the top of the stairs. She had a robe in her hands as she marched down and looked Hanna over with far more authority than any ten-year-old
should. “Mommy says you can wear this and come upstairs.”
“Thank you.”
Only it wasn’t Tamara who greeted her in the kitchen but her sister Lisa. Hanna had only met the dark-haired woman a few times in passing.
“How are you doing this morning?” Lisa asked.
She lifted a pot of coffee, and Hanna nodded, tugging the front of the robe around herself a little tighter. “I’m alive.”
Lisa put down the coffee and came around the island. She held out her arms out wide. “I know I’m not Tamara, but if you need one, she taught me everything I know about hugs.”
A shaky laugh escaped as Hanna stepped forward and allowed herself to be enfolded in a tight, giving squeeze. “Thanks.”
The other woman gave her an extra pat on the back before releasing her and heading back to the stove. “I put a call out to get you some clothes. Tamara and I would offer you ours, but you’d swim in them. Kelli James who works here is more your size. She said she’d bring over some stuff to tide you over. And between Sasha and Emma, we’ll find things for Crissy.”
Hanna focused down on her coffee mug, the tightness in her throat growing. She took a deep breath then lifted her eyes with a nod. “I really appreciate it.”
“No problem.” Lisa got busy at the stove. “Tamara will be up in a little while. This pregnancy is knocking her for a loop, so she tries to avoid moving until after we finish with food and drink.”
Lisa ordered Hanna to take her cup and sit by the fire, and Hanna didn’t have the strength to argue. She ignored the chairs and settled on the ground in front of the flames, considering how big of a difference it was to have this warmth and comfort compared to the all-encompassing terror of the previous night.
One thing was for sure; she couldn’t take advantage of her friends by staying out at Silver Stone for too long.
That decision was made even clearer when Tamara made her way into the room an hour or so later, ghastly white as she moved gingerly to a chair and nibbled on crackers.
“Sorry for not being more help,” Tamara apologized. “I will never make fun of anyone with morning sickness ever again.”
“I had it pretty bad for the first three months with Crissy,” Hanna shared.
“I’m in my second trimester, and if anything, it’s gotten worse.” Tamara gave her a sheepish smile. “But hey, building babies takes work.”
“It’s worth it,” Hanna agreed.
Since it was Saturday and they had nowhere they needed to take the girls, it had turned into a kind of a sleepover. Crissy settled in with Sasha and Emma and found a couple of outfits to borrow. The offered loaners came in for Hanna, and she had another shower before pulling on well-worn jeans that fit, but didn’t.
It was just after lunch when Tamara pulled herself to vertical and offered Hanna a ride into town to see her apartment. “I’m feeling good enough to go with you. You can leave Crissy here.”
“I’ve got the girls,” Lisa promised.
Which was a good thing, because the scene wasn’t anything Hanna wanted her daughter exposed to that soon.
The flames had been replaced by a smoldering pile of blackened debris and support pillars. Icicles dripped from the rubble like twisted modern art. Even the beauty of frost and ice couldn’t make the destruction into something less horrifying than the reality.
There was nothing left.
Tamara wrapped an arm around her. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.” Hanna looked down at the ground. At the running shoes that were her only pair of footwear. Borrowed pants, a borrowed coat. She really did have nothing to her name.
But she had Crissy, and she was more than enough.
She lifted her chin determinedly. She’d started with nothing, and while it hurt to think about how much work it would be to do it again, she could do this.
She turned to Tamara and attempted a smile. “Thank you for taking us in last night.”
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to,” Tamara offered. “We’ll just have to juggle things a bit.”
Hanna nodded. “Can you take me by the fire hall? The EMT last night said I should stop in because emergency services would have information for me.”
They returned to the truck but Tamara paused, leaning her head against the window. “Sorry. I think you need to drive.”
It was a bit of a stretch, but after adjusting the seat and sitting up as straight as possible, Hanna could both reach the pedals and see out the front window. She drove slowly to the fire hall, trying to avoid the bumps in the road as Tamara gritted her teeth and attempted to put on a happy face.
“Stay here,” Hanna offered. “I won’t be long.”
She hurried into the office of the fire hall.
Brad had made it into work an hour earlier after checking the fire site. They’d hung markers around the territory to keep snoopy parties out, but there wasn’t much left to poke through.
He wished he’d grabbed more from the apartment when he’d had a chance, but that was wasted regret. Crissy was alive, and so was Hanna. That’s all that mattered.
He was picturing Hanna’s face when the door opened and suddenly she was there, looking a little lost and confused, neither of which he blamed her for.
“Hanna.”
Her head swiveled his direction, wide brown eyes that he’d been dreaming about far too often focusing on him with intent. A strange sort of smile twisted her lips, and she met him in the middle of the room and, without any hesitation, wrapped her arms around him and squeezed.
He didn’t quite know what to do with his hands. What he wanted to do was hug her back just as tightly, but instead he patted her gently, making sure she could get away when she wanted to. “How are you this morning? How’s Crissy?”
Hanna slipped back as if surprised by her boldness, cheeks flushed. “I don’t think it’s registered yet. She’s having a sleepover, and that’s the most important thing in her world.”
Brad nodded. “I hope that’s how it continues, but if she needs some help, or if you do, we’ve got contact numbers for people who are good to talk to after a loss.”
She seemed distracted. “The EMT said there were emergency services I could access. I have tenant insurance, but I don’t know how long it’ll take to get some money. And I need somewhere to stay.”
He headed toward the drawer where the information was kept even as he asked, “I thought you went to Silver Stone?”
Hanna met his gaze, and that steely determination he’d seen before was back. “They’re good friends, and they’ve offered to help us, but I can’t stay there for more than a couple of nights.”
He pushed the sheet forward, wondering what the problem was.
Something must’ve shown on his face because Hanna shook her head. “They want me to stay, but Tamara’s pregnant, and she’s got morning sickness twenty-four hours a day. I can’t add two extra house guests to that stress.”
“Ahhh.”
He glanced at the page under his fingers which offered information about the women’s shelter. The nearest one was in Black Diamond, a forty-five-minute drive away. He thought through what he knew of Hanna’s friends, and he was sure there was someone local who could offer a temporary place.
Which was why it was to their mutual shock when the next words that came out of his mouth, unplanned but totally perfect, were, “You’re welcome to stay with me.”
Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
He hurried on to correct himself and explain. “I mean, with my father and I. The house at Lone Pine ranch has a half-dozen rooms, and there’s just the two of us. There’s no reason why you can’t use a couple of them, and to be honest”—he thought quickly, trying to find an excuse that would tempt her—“it would be a really big help.”
Hanna’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.
Which was fine, because it seemed as if Brad suddenly had more than enough words for them both. “My dad’s been out of sorts
lately, and it would be good to have some company around during the holidays. My mom died two years ago on Christmas Day, and he misses her. Having you and Crissy around would be good for him. Heck, Patrick would probably love to babysit while you work.”
Rambling. He was totally rambling. But again, he didn’t care as long as he figured out some way to put a smile back on her face. The reality was she’d lost everything, and it didn’t make sense for her to be smiling, but it was killing him to see her like this.
The phone rang and Brad had to answer it, which meant if Hanna was going to bolt for the door this would be the perfect time.
Only when he finished answering the question about Christmas bonfire permits and returned to the desk, she was still there. She’d picked up the paper he’d left for her with emergency contact information, her nose wrinkling in an adorable manner.
“Women’s shelter. That’s for women who’ve been abused.” She shook her head. “We can’t stay there. We can’t take room from someone whose life might depend on it.”
“It’s for anyone who needs it,” he pointed out reluctantly.
She was frowning now, determination coming back into play. “Your father volunteers at Crissy’s school.”
Brad nodded. It was one of the things Patrick had begun to do over the past five years as he slowed down work on the ranch. “He said it’s a lot more comfortable working in a warm schoolroom than a cold barn.”
Hanna stared into his face. “I know him. I’ve met him a number of times when I’ve helped in the classroom. Do you really think he wouldn’t mind acting as a babysitter for Crissy when I have to work in the evening?”
Holy cow, she was actually considering his offer. “We should ask him.”
“Because I don’t want to have to take Crissy into town with me, and I don’t think that Mrs. Nonnie will drive out to the country.” Her steady gaze fluttered away, her cheeks turning brighter red. “But if we do this, just because we’re in the same house… If I take your offer, that doesn’t mean—” She swallowed hard. “I’m not going to— I mean, I know we were kind of trying to date, but—”