Just Breathe (The Protectors Book 2)

by Leeanna Morgan

  “But Franky Smith is part of the youth group. He could sing the telephone book backward and still get a standing ovation.”

  Denise frowned at her son. “Stop complaining. There’s no rule that says he can’t sing with another group.”

  “I still think it’s an unfair advantage.”

  Kelly passed Luke a plate of gingerbread men. “Cookie?”

  He looked at the plate, then at his sister. “You can be so annoying sometimes.”

  “I learned from the best.”

  Luke bit into a cookie. “Is there a minimum age restriction for competing teams?”

  Kelly rolled her eyes. “Be quiet and listen.”

  Tanner turned back to the stage, smiling at the determined scowl on Luke’s face. He had a feeling there would be a brainstorming session to add something extra to next year’s Santa’s Little Helpers’ performance.

  The sweet melody of one of Tanner’s favorite carols filled the room. Franky stepped forward and focused on someone sitting at the table in front of Kelly’s family.

  Tanner moved to the right to see who it was.

  Ryan Evans smiled. As well as being a good person, Ryan’s country music background had drawn Franky to him. He was his voice coach, mentor, and friend.

  An expectant hush fell over the audience as Franky sang the first words of, Hallelujah.

  Kelly’s mom pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes.

  Tanner didn’t look at anyone else—he was having a hard time holding back his own tears.

  As the last notes of the song drifted across the room, everyone stood and clapped, cheering the ten-year-old boy who touched people’s lives with the gift of his voice.

  Luke sat down with the rest of his family and dropped his head to his chest. “We’re toast. The Groovy Grans have just won the competition.”

  Gareth Harris passed his wife more tissues. “No one loses when he sings. He’s a very talented young man.”

  Tanner blew his nose as the Groovy Grans started singing a rousing rendition of Jingle Bell Rock. He’d heard Franky sing a few times and every one of those times had been special.

  “I hope he never forgets the joy that music brings him,” Denise said.

  Tanner didn’t think that was possible. Ryan would walk over hot coals to make sure no one exploited his gift.

  Kelly leaned close to Tanner. “Tank’s here. I think he’s looking for you.”

  Tank was walking around the edge of the room toward their table.

  “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  He met Tank at the back of the room. “What’s up?”

  “Get Kelly. We need to leave.”

  Tanner knew without asking that whatever had happened was important. “I’ll meet you in the entranceway.”

  And before the Groovy Grans finished their performance, Kelly was sitting beside Tanner in his SUV, heading toward her store.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Kelly gripped the edge of her seat as Tanner drove as quickly as he could into town.

  Tank had been listening to emergency calls on his scanner when the fire department was dispatched to her store. He’d tried contacting Tanner, but he’d turned off his phone during the carol competition.

  She looked through the window and prayed the fire hadn’t caused too much damage.

  “Try calling Tank,” Tanner said as he turned on to Main Street. “He left before us and might have an update.”

  Kelly tapped in the number Tanner told her and listened to Tank’s voice message. “He’s not answering.”

  “It doesn’t matter—we’ll be there soon. My gym bag is in the back. Do you want to borrow my spare tracksuit? It will keep you warmer than your elf costume.”

  Tears stung her eyes. “Thanks. I didn’t think about what I was wearing.”

  Tanner glanced at her. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “You don’t know that. Everything I own is inside the building. It’s not just my business—it’s my life.” Kelly took a deep breath. Her stomach twisted in knots as she thought about what she could have lost. “Do you think this has anything to do with Senator Jackson?”

  “I don’t know. Apart from when he thanked us for the copy of Abagail’s journal I haven’t heard from him. Has he been in contact with you?”

  “No. I assumed he was still reading the journal.”

  Tanner slowed down.

  In the distance, the bright red blur of fire engine lights bounced off the snow and other buildings around Kelly’s store.

  “It looks bad.” She tried Tank’s phone number again. There was still no answer.

  Tanner turned into a parking space outside a restaurant. “This is about as close as we’re going to get. Stay in the car while I find something warm for you to wear.”

  Kelly nodded and took off her seatbelt. Two fire trucks and three patrol cars were parked on the road in front of her antiques store. People were standing on the opposite side of the street, watching what was happening.

  She looked over her shoulder to see what Tanner was doing.

  He passed her a pair of gray tracksuit bottoms and a padded black jacket. “Put these on. You might need to wrap your elf belt around your waist to keep the tracksuit up, but they’re better than nothing.”

  Kelly took off her boots and wiggled the tracksuit bottoms over her hips. After she’d finished, she stood beside the SUV and fastened her belt. Tanner was on the far side of the car on his phone.

  “I’m ready,” she said when he ended his call.

  He looked across the top of his SUV and frowned. “That was Tank. He’s going to meet us opposite Angel Wings Café.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Tanner walked around his vehicle and stood beside her. “The fire started in your store. The person in charge spoke to Tank a few minutes ago. The fire is under control, but there’s going to be a lot of damage.”

  Kelly’s vision blurred and a pain throbbed deep in her chest. “How bad is it?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s go and see Tank.”

  She held Tanner’s hand. Neither of them said very much as they wove between the people on the sidewalk.

  The street was blocked by cones and tape, stopping anyone from getting close. Three firefighters came out of the building. Their face masks and air tanks made them look like a decontamination team from a science fiction movie. The portable lights, the sound of the water pumps, and the voices rising above the scene made Kelly want to be sick.

  By the time she saw Tank, her nerves were strung tight.

  “How bad is it?” she asked.

  Tank held her gaze. “The fire started on the ground floor and made its way up the wall and into your apartment. The monitored alarm saved your building and the buildings beside it.”

  Kelly looked at her store and wiped tears off her face.

  Tanner pulled her into his arms and she closed her eyes, absorbing his strength and bracing herself for what might happen next.

  When she’d calmed down, she stepped back and tried to smile.

  Tanner pushed a strand of hair over her ear. “Would you like me to call your mom and dad? They’ll want to know about the fire.”

  “I’ll send mom a text soon. I won’t call her until we know how much damage has been done.”

  Tank held his hand to his ear and listened to someone speak to him on his headset. He answered whatever question they’d asked, then turned back to Kelly. “Sorry—that was Sam. She’s working on another project for me.”

  He pointed to a man wearing a white helmet. “That’s Trevor Moss. He’s the captain in charge of the scene. If you’ve got any questions, he’s the man we need to see.”

  Kelly had a horrible thought. “Did anyone check the stores beside mine to make sure no one is living there?”

  Tank nodded. “No one was in any of the buildings.”

  Kelly almost sagged in relief. It was bad enough that her store was damaged. If someone had been hurt, it would have been devastating.

/>   Tanner touched her arm. “I need to talk to Tank for a minute. We’ll be back soon.”

  “Okay. Thank you for bringing me here, Tanner.”

  He sent her a lopsided smile. “I’ll be back soon.”

  While Tanner spoke to Tank, Kelly sent a quick text to her mom, then watched the firefighters go in and out of her building.

  Someone rubbed her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  Kelly turned and saw her friend, Tess. “Not really.”

  Tess gave her a hug. “I’ll give you a hand to clean up and get everything ready for when you reopen.”

  “I think we’re going to need shovels and spades for some of the work. I can’t believe this has happened.” Kelly’s gaze ran across her building. The two front windows had been more than a hundred years old. Uncle Mike used to laugh and say if those windows could talk he’d have a bestselling novel on his hands.

  Not anymore. The windows had exploded across the sidewalk leaving jagged shards of glass clinging to the frame. The shadows from the portable lights couldn’t hide the soot-blackened bricks or the gaping hole that led to the charred remains of her beautiful store.

  Tess wrapped her arm around Kelly’s shoulders. “It will be okay.”

  “That’s what Tanner said.” She sighed as a firefighter carried another length of hose into the building. “If the fire didn’t destroy everything, the water and smoke damage will take care of the rest.”

  “At least you weren’t in the building when it caught fire.”

  “That would have been terrifying.” Kelly pushed aside her worst nightmare. “I’ll call the insurance company tomorrow and see what I have to do.”

  Tanner walked toward them and smiled at Tess. “Hi.”

  “Hi, Tanner. The police asked me for the security tape from under the porch. Do you want a copy, too?”

  “That would be great. Do you know if the camera overlooking the parking lot at the back of the building was working?”

  “It should have been. It’s attached to Emily’s boutique. I’ll ask her to send you a copy if the camera wasn’t damaged in the fire.” Tess looked over Kelly’s shoulder and waved at someone. “Logan has arrived. I’m only a phone call away, Kelly. If you need anything, let me know and I’ll be there to help.”

  “I know you will be.” Kelly hugged her friend.

  Tess gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. “It really will be all right. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye, Tanner.”

  As Tess made her way across the slippery sidewalk to her husband, Kelly wondered if anything else could go wrong.

  Tanner wrapped his arm around her waist. “When I’m having a really bad day, I think of three things I’m grateful for. Most of the time it makes me feel better. Do you want to try?

  “It wouldn’t work.”

  “Have a go.”

  She looked across the street.

  Tanner lifted his hand to her face. “Turn this way.”

  Her gaze collided with his. The warmth in his eyes steadied her racing heart.

  “Close your eyes and think about what happened today.”

  Kelly sighed. “I’m only doing this because you think it’s a good idea.”

  “You’re not doing anything, yet. Close your eyes.”

  “Okay.” She took a deep breath. “I’m grateful for Franky’s beautiful voice, the fun time I had singing with Santa’s Little Helpers, and…” She opened her eyes, surprised by the third thing on her list.

  “And?”

  “…and you,” she said softly.

  Tanner smiled. “You look surprised.”

  Kelly shook her head. She wasn’t surprised that he was on her list. Tanner was a good man. What surprised her was how important he’d become in her life.

  Tanner stepped closer. “How do you feel now?”

  “Confused.”

  “In a good or bad way?”

  Kelly sighed. “In a way that means I won’t forget this Christmas in a hurry.”

  He gave her a quick hug. “We need to talk to Captain Moss. Are you ready?”

  Kelly looked at her store. She didn’t know what the future held, but whatever happened, she wouldn’t be alone.

  She’d reinvented the store once, she could do it again.

  ***

  Tanner opened his front door. Kelly’s family was standing on the porch. “Come in. Kelly’s in the living room. It’s the first room on your left.”

  Denise bustled inside. “We came straight from the retirement village.”

  Gareth waved his sons ahead of him. “Have you heard anything more?”

  “Not since Kelly called you. The police and fire department won’t let anyone into the building until they know it’s safe.” Tanner followed Kelly’s father into the living room. With eight Harris family members sitting on every available seat, his living room looked as though it had shrunk to the size of an acorn.

  Kelly sat beside her mom. She looked a lot better than she had outside her store.

  “Were you able to look inside the building?” Denise asked.

  Kelly nodded. “Captain Moss let Tanner and I stand by the entrance. It’s a mess, mom.”

  “No one was hurt and that’s all that matters. Possessions can be replaced.”

  Luke pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Doris Stanley has been updating the Bozeman Community Facebook Page. She posted some photos of the fire. Do you want to see them?”

  Tanner looked closely at Kelly. Her skin had turned a very pale shade of gray.

  She shook her head. “No. I’ve seen enough damage from the fire for one night.

  He stood behind Kelly’s chair and touched her shoulder. “Would anyone like a cup of coffee?”

  Luke moved across to the doorway. “I’ll get it. You stay with Kelly.”

  Ethan and Charlie looked at each other but didn’t say anything.

  Kelly’s mom filled the silence. “What were your plans for Christmas day, Tanner?”

  “I’m helping Pastor Steven until two o’clock, then heading across to Ryan’s home in the afternoon.”

  “Would you like to have breakfast with us? Kelly and Luke will be coming out to the ranch in the morning.”

  Tanner looked at Kelly’s family. “Thank you for the invite, but I’ll be okay. I need to be at Pastor Steven’s church by ten o’clock.”

  “What are you doing at Pastor Steven’s?” Charlie asked.

  “I help prepare a community Christmas lunch. Everyone brings something to eat and we enjoy each other’s company.”

  Denise smiled. “That’s such a nice way to spend Christmas.”

  Tanner didn’t have the heart to tell her it was a lot better than spending Christmas on his own. Each Christmas he’d spent at the church had been better than the last. People who sometimes hadn’t seen each other for twelve months came together to enjoy the day. Apart from his time in the military, it was as close to family as he’d found and it felt right.

  Ethan looked around the room. “You sure know how to decorate.”

  “Thanks.” Tanner sat on the floor beside Kelly.

  “I need to call Avery and Jackie,” Kelly jumped out of her seat. “I don’t want them waking up in the morning and seeing photos of the fire on the Internet.”

  After Kelly had left the room, Denise sighed. “I’ve never seen her so worried. I don’t know what to do to make her feel better.”

  “Just being here helps,” Tanner said. “There’s not a lot anyone can do until we’re able to go into the building.” He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. “Excuse me. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  He pulled out his cell phone and moved into the entranceway. “Tell me you’ve got good news.”

  Tank sighed. “I don’t usually call at eleven o’clock with good news, but this might be your lucky day. I spoke to Senator Jackson’s aide. He put me through to the Senator.”

  “And?”

  “He hasn’t told anyone about the journal. He already knew Alexander Jackson was nev
er officially adopted, but apparently that wasn’t unusual for the 1800s.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There was no legal way to adopt children before 1851. Massachusetts enacted the first adoption statute and the other states slowly followed.”

  Tanner did the math. “Alexander Jackson would have been in his early thirties by then.”

  “Exactly. The only way he would have been able to legally inherit the family estate was if his ‘father’ left his estate to him in his will.”

  “And did he?”

  Tank didn’t answer straight away. “We can’t find his will.”

  “Does Senator Jackson know his ancestor was part of the biggest Irish-American organized crime family on the East Coast?”

  “He knew.”

  Tanner asked the question that had been on his mind since Tank told him about the fire. “Do you think Senator Jackson had anything to do with the fire?”

  “I asked him the same question and the answer’s no. He swore he didn’t have anything to do with it. It’s also highly unlikely that his wider family would be interested in the journal. If Kelly displays everything at the Smithsonian, Senator Jackson is the only person who’s got anything to lose.”

  Tanner glanced at the door to the living room. Someone had turned on some Christmas music. The sound of sleigh bells and trumpets drifted around the house.

  He focused on the call with Tank. Knowing what Kelly needed to do was easier than making sure it happened. “Kelly needs to speak to Senator Jackson before the painting and journal are displayed at the Smithsonian.”

  “He’s flying into Bozeman on Monday.”

  Tanner frowned. “That’s fast. Let’s hope she wants to see him.”

  “You don’t think she will?”

  “Kelly is upset. By Monday she could have a lot of work to do to get the store open as soon as possible.”

  “If she doesn’t want to see him, she’ll need to tell me by tomorrow afternoon. Senator Jackson is happy to change the date, but he would like to speak with her sooner rather than later.”

  “I’ll talk to her tomorrow morning.”

  Luke and Kelly walked past him carrying trays of hot coffee.