He tipped his baseball cap with a smile as they left the house. Grams helped her get back in the truck and they drove home in silence. Once parked, Zoe moved into her bedroom and lay down on her side. She sighed in pleasure at the comforting embrace of the mattress and dozed off to the smell of fried chicken.
“Zoe! You gotta wake up honey!” Grams yelled.
She rolled over and sleepily opened her eyes. “What's the matter, Grams?” Her hand came up to rub at her eyes. “Why is it so dark in here and why do I smell smoke?”
“You need to get up, the kitchen is on fire!” Grams caught her elbow and started to tug at her.
In a panic she stood and they stumbled into the living room. Smoke filled her lungs and she coughed and gagged. “The floor, Grams, we gotta get to the floor!” she gasped.
Grams nodded and they crawled the rest of the way through the living room to the side door. Grams came to her knees to turn the knob and she threw the door wide. Sweet oxygen filled her lungs and she hurried outside, taking in deep draughts of the cold air. The fresh air only served to fuel the fire and her eyes widened in horror as fingers of gold began to lick into the living room.
“Grams, we need to get back,” she coughed. “It's too late.” She caught the older woman's hand and pulled her back to the tree line.
Grams shook her head slowly. “Over forty years in that house, Zoe... Over forty years.” Her eyes blinked quickly and she lifted a shaky, soot covered hand to wipe at her eyes. Zoe wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her gently.
“It will be all right, Grams. We made it out okay.”
“I was cooking chicken and I wanted to just sit down for a minute, my legs were killing me... Next thing I knew I woke up, I guess I dozed off. The grease on the stove was popping and snapping, I hurried in there to put a lid on the grease and take it off the stove, and some oil splashed out onto the burner... That was it. Fire just started, and I grabbed the salt, but I was all out. I couldn't get it to stop and I didn't know what to do. I grabbed the phone and called 911, and then I got you out. I just... It was an accident, Zoe. I didn't mean to do it. I just wanted to rest my legs. That's all.” Grams shivered in her embrace and Zoe tightened her arms around her.
“It was an accident, Grams. The fire department is coming and they will put it out. It will be okay,” she promised, her face paling as the flames licked out the front door and began devouring the rickety wooden deck. The dry, salty wood crackled and sizzled as the fire caught hold and within moments, the little deck was reduced to ashes.
A siren sounded in the distance and Grams began to cry. “My house is gone. Gone.”
“No, Grams, they will save it.” Zoe promised. She coughed again and held her stomach as the baby kicked.
“You breathed too much smoke. If I hurt the baby, I'll never forgive myself.” Grams sobbed, her hands coming to her face again to cover her face.
“The baby is fine, Grams. Just calm down,” she yelled over the roar of the sirens. Grams never heard her over the din. The rusted old volunteer fire truck pulled into the drive and they hooked the hose to the hydrant, the team moving in tandem to save the house.
A young man ran to them as the water unfurled from the hose, fighting the now roaring fire consuming the front of the house. “Is anyone inside?”
“No,” Grams told him. “Just me and her. An ambulance needs to come get her. She needs to be checked out. She's pregnant and at risk.”
The boy nodded, pressing a button on a walkie talkie on his shoulder. “We need an ambulance stat.” He paused to listen and nodded. “We have someone coming. They will be here as soon as they can. If we can get you ladies to the road away from the fire...” He held out a gloved hand and Grams took it, pulling Zoe along behind her. They passed close to the house and Zoe closed her eyes against the searing heat that licked at her skin. Grams sat down in the ditch across from the house, crossing her legs and leaning her elbows against her knees. Her head fell into her hands.
“Sit down, girl. All we can do is pray. It's in the Lord's hands now.”
Zoe stared at the raging fire as it consumed the house, inch by inch. Grams began praying beside her, her words soft and tinged with panic. Zoe couldn't look away from the fire and she shivered as the firemen yelled for more water, more water!
It's not enough. They can't save the house... A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. If I hadn't gone to sleep. If I had stayed up with her this wouldn't have happened. What are we going to do?
She reached over to Grams and found her wrinkled hand and she squeezed it gently. Grams returned the squeeze all while never ceasing to pray.
Zoe swallowed as a police car roared up behind the fire truck. Tim jumped out and yelled to a wide eyed Layla who sat in the passenger seat. “Stay!” He ran to the firemen who were still spraying the fire. “What's going on?” He yelled.
The fireman simply shook his head as they talked.
They can't save the house...
Layla opened the door of the car and stood with mouth agape as the fire burned on. The young man from before slowly crossed the street, his face grim. “Mrs. Hall?”
“Yes?” Grams croaked.
“I – I'm sorry. The fire is too far gone. We are going to manage the blaze, but there isn't anything else we can do.”
“I understand,” she assured him. “I knew as much before. But you boys did as much as you could. There just wasn't enough water.”
He nodded. “If we had another truck maybe we could have done more. We will just try to keep it contained now. I am so sorry.”
“You ain't the only one,” she wept, her shoulders bowing as if suddenly burdened with a heavy load.
The ambulance pulled up behind Tim's car and Grams prodded her with a bony elbow. “Go get checked out.”
“I am fine, Grams. You don't need to be alone.” Zoe argued.
“Nonsense. I ain't alone. The Good Lord is with me. Layla will come on over in a few. Go make sure the baby is well.”
Zoe lumbered to her feet carefully. A paramedic jogged across the street. “Ma'am, let me help you.” He took her hand and helped her across the ditch. “Ma'am,” he paused, nodding at Grams. “Do you need help?”
Grams shook her head sadly. “Not anything you can help me with, honey.”
The paramedic led her to the ambulance and his partner had pulled out the gurney. “You should have let me roll this to you. Miss, do you feel all right? Can you get on the gurney?”
“I'm okay. Just my lungs hurt a little,” Zoe admitted. “I breathed in some smoke.”
“Let's put you on some oxygen. Here lay back and we'll put you in the back of the ambulance. Do you feel any contractions?”
“No, I feel fine.”
“Let's check your blood pressure and oxygen levels.”
Zoe lay back patiently as the paramedic put the cuff around her arm and a little monitor on her fingertip. She grimaced as he pumped the cuff up. “Ow.”
“Sorry about that,” he smiled kindly. “Hmm, your blood pressure is a little high. Oxygen is okay. We should probably take you to the hospital for observation.”
“I can't leave, not now. I'm not having contractions. I feel fine.” Zoe objected and sat up on the gurney. “Please.”
The paramedic frowned. “I don't know if I feel comfortable with that.”
“Fine,” Zoe grumbled. “Take me to Dr. Crist's office. He can check me out and we will go from there, okay?”
“That will at least make me feel a little better.”
“Can you let Tim know where I'm going?”
“Sure,” he agreed. “Then we'll zip over there.”
Zoe lay back again and in minutes they had taken off for the doctor's office.
She sighed as they parked the ambulance and insisted on wheeling her into his office on the gurney. Dr. Crist was waiting at the front door and he waggled his finger at her. “Zoe, what am I going to do with you?”
“I told them I felt fine!�
�� She exclaimed. “But they wanted me to come. So here I am. Check me out, Doc.”
She shifted from the gurney onto the exam table. The paramedic tipped his hat as they walked out the door. “Have a good day.”
Zoe rolled her eyes as the door closed. “How am I supposed to have a good day, Dr. Crist? The house burned down.”
Dr. Crist shook his head sadly. “People are ignorant, you know that. Let's do an ultrasound. Did they check your oxygen? I'm going to put you on some for a bit, you're damn pale.”
“Of course I'm pale. Have you checked my heritage lately?” she snapped.
“Look, sassy mouth. Cut it out,” he chided. “No behaving like a brat.”
“I'm sorry, I'm just overwhelmed.”
“Understandable. Here, take some slow breaths of this oxygen and calm down. What happened, happened. There ain't a thing you can do about it now.” He snapped the mask down over her face and she breathed in slowly. “Good girl. Let's check the baby again.”
She pulled her shirt up and he squirted lubricant on and pressed the wand to her stomach. The baby popped up on the screen and he smiled. “All looks well to me. No contractions? Scout's honor?”
“No contractions,” she promised.
“All right, you look okay to me. I want you to lay here and breathe in some more oxygen. I'll check your blood pressure again in a bit and see if we got it down at all. It was just a little high, which is totally understandable with everything you just went through.” He patted her shoulder and handed her a washcloth to wipe her stomach. “Want something to drink?”
“I'd kill for a Coke, Doc.”
He chuckled as he left the room. “Lay there and I'll see what I can do.”
A few moments later, the door opened and Tim peeked his head in the room. “Oh thank God, you're decent.”
Zoe snorted. “Never heard of knocking?”
“Well, Dr. Crist said it was okay.” Tim mumbled, his ears pinking in embarrassment.
“Oh hell, get in here and stop, Tim. I was teasing you.”
He frowned and came into the room. “I called Calvin. He's going to try and bust home for a few days. His Sergeant was going to try and let him cut loose.”
“Good. He needs to be here.”
“I called a few people at the church, they are gonna put y'all up for a couple days. I am supposed to take you to Geraldine Walker's house when Doc is done with you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “What the hell happened?”
Zoe sighed. “I fell asleep, Grams was cooking chicken, and when I woke up she was shaking me and everything was smoky. She said she was cooking and dozed off in the chair on accident, she went to take the pot of grease off the stove and it splashed out and started a fire. She couldn't get it out in time.”
Tim groaned and rubbed his face. “They don't need to be living alone. Pops came up right after you left, he was wrecked. The house he built, up in flames.”
“What are we going to do?”
Tim shrugged. “I don't know, Zoe.”
“The house is ruined, isn't it?”
“Yeah, it's pretty well gone. They were getting the fire under control when I left.” He sat down in a chair and rested his head against the wall, stretching his long legs in front of him.
“I have an idea...” Zoe whispered.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I do. I need your help,” she smiled sneakily. “Get Calvin on the phone.”
Chapter Fourteen
Calvin stepped off the plane in Mobile the next morning and he hurried for the baggage claim. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he dialed Tim. “Hey man,” he sighed as Tim answered. “I'm here. When will you be here?”
“Already here, man! Turn around.” Tim chuckled.
Calvin turned and a tired smile crossed his lips. “Hey, good to see you. How is everyone holding up? I couldn't get a flight out until midnight. I've flown just about all over this country and I'm so tired I could sleep for days.”
“Yeah, you look like shit.” Tim admitted. “Come on, we gotta get you home.”
“Thanks you didn't have to agree quite so quickly. I had two of the worst cups of coffee I've ever had on the last flight. It was thicker than tar and tons of sugar couldn't help it. But I'm at least awake. Let's roll.” He threw his bag up on his shoulder and followed Tim out of the terminal.
“I am gonna throw the siren on and we'll make it back to Major in about forty-five.” Tim winked as he slid behind the wheel.
“Breaking the law, Tim Taylor. What am I going to do with you?” Calvin yawned as he buckled his seat belt.
“Ah, can't no one do anything with me, you know that.” Tim pressed a button on the dash and the siren blared as he pulled out into traffic. “Let's get you home.”
“Did Zoe tell them yet?” Calvin rubbed his eyes and yawned again.
“Nope. She's waiting on you.”
“She never ceases to amaze me.”
“Mmm, she's something else, man. Got a good heart on her.” Tim weaved through traffic as he talked.
“Is it like cop training that y'all know how to move through traffic like that? Do they teach y'all that in cop school?” Calvin quipped weakly, his hand gripping the dash as Tim cut between two diesel trucks.
“Nah, I play a lot of Need for Speed.” Tim smirked.
“So your only training is on Playstation. God help us.” Calvin swallowed.
“Yeah, but I've beat the game like six times. You're good, dude.”
Calvin looked at him wildly. “I'd like to arrive alive.”
“All right, all right, Grandma. I'll drop it to seventy-five, does that make you happy?” Tim grumbled under his breath.
“Yeah. Hell I'm used to driving fast, but Jesus Christ, man! I couldn't even see the cars as we passed them!”
“You're used to putt-putting around in a Humvee.”
“Wasn't there some kind of tale about the hare losing a race? And that being slow and steady is best?” Calvin quipped.
Tim shrugged and rolled his eyes as he focused on the road. “Yeah, yeah. I hear you.” He shut off the siren as they coasted over the top of the hill into Major. “Told you,” he smirked. “Forty-five minutes.”
Calvin laughed as they cruised through town. It's good to be back in Major. Although I wish the circumstances were different.
A few minutes later they pulled into a driveway. The little derelict house standing before them was painted in shades of peach and lavender, the paint so old it peeled off in ribbons. The door swung wide and Grams stood in the doorway, waving at him. I never realized until right now how old Grams and Pops are... God, she looks so tiny standing there.
He stepped out of the car and Tim followed behind him as they walked up the pathway. “Hey, Grams,” Calvin started softly. “It's good to see you.”
Grams' lower lip wobbled precariously. “I'm so glad you're home, baby,” she whispered weakly, her arms opening for a hug.
Calvin stepped into her embrace. “Don't cry, Grams.” He ran his hand up and down her back gently. “It's going to be okay.”
“Naw, baby, it's not. I burned down the house Pops built with his own hands. All because I wasn't paying attention and got careless. I've never done that. Not once.” She wailed into his shoulder, wetting the cotton with her tears.
“We've had a lot of excitement, Grams. Things happen,” Calvin reassured her. He eased out of her grip and smiled down into her face. “It's going to be okay, I promise.”
Grams wailed again. “You don't understand. There's not enough in the house insurance to fix everything. We have to rebuild. Hell we had the policy when we built it a lifetime ago. We never thought to raise the amount we needed. I just, I didn't think anything would ever happen. Why pay out extra for something you might never need?”
Calvin nodded. “Let me set foot in the house. Zoe and I want to talk to you about something.”
Grams' eyes grew wary. “Y'all want to talk to me about something? I swear before Jesus, Mary and J
oseph, y'all think about putting my ornery ass in a nursing home, you're sadly mistaken.”
Calvin chuckled. “No, Grams. I don't think Jesus himself could hold you in one.”
She moved back from the door. “Well,” she mumbled cautiously. “We'll see what you got to say.”
Tim followed him inside. “It was real nice of Miss Geraldine to let y'all stay here.”
Grams tutted. “It wasn't nice, boy. It's what friends do for each other.” She moved into the little lemon yellow kitchen with a huff. “Sit yourself down. Want a drink?”
Geraldine peeked her head around the corner. “Well hello there, Calvin Hall, been a right good bit since I've seen you! Don't you just look handsome!”
Tim leaned against the old counters and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well hello to you too, Miss Geraldine.”
Geraldine pierced Tim with honey brown eyes. “Boy, watch your mouth. You ain't too old to get a spoon on that butt, you hear me?”
Calvin stood and hugged the older woman. “Good to see you.”
“It's right good to see you too. It's been a real treat having your little wife here. She's just sweet as sugar. I can't wait to spoil that baby rotten! You best be bringing her to church, you hear me?” She swatted at his arm with a breathy laugh and then tottered out of the room, her house shoes scuffling on the floor as she went.
Calvin grinned and turned back to Grams. “Come on and let's talk to Zoe. Where's Pops?”
“Right here,” Pops' voice boomed as he came into the tiny kitchen. “Good to see you, boy.”
“Good to see you too, Pops. I was telling Grams, Zoe and I have an idea. Why don't y'all come back and hear what we have in mind?”
Pops raised his eyebrow and rubbed a grizzled hand against his bristly jaw. “Mmhm, y'all done come up with an idea?”
“Yes sir. I think it will be good for us. Come on. Where is Zoe?”
Grams sighed. “Right back here in the guest bedroom. Tapping on a laptop Tim let her borrow. Last I checked she was crowing about some reviews on that book.”
Calvin grinned as they walked down the wood paneled hallway. “I'm proud of her.”
February Waltz (Rhythm of the Heart Book 3) Page 8