Chapter 7
“What in the world is going on?” Maeve tripped and stumbled trying to keep up with Cole’s long strides as he ran, pulling her along behind.
“I can’t keep up with you, will you slow down?” His grip tightened on her hand but if anything, he ran faster.
“No time Maeve, we need to get to the station fast.”
“Why, what did your chief say?” Cole didn’t need to answer because as they rounded the causeway beside the station, one of the engines sat in the middle of the intersection. Two guys were hooking up a hose to the hydrant but there was no way to see around.
“Oh my God! Please tell me it’s not my place on fire?” Maeve could feel herself starting to panic. She wanted to run to the intersection, but Cole grabbed ahold of her hand, halting her progress.
“Maeve, we have to go slow. Don’t panic, please? We are going to calmly walk over there and talk to the chief; I see him now.”
He led her in the direction of the fire chief who called him only a few minutes ago, while they were on the beach.
“Cole I’ve never really been one for patience, in case you didn’t know that about me yet.”
He smiled sympathetically but he kept a grasp on her hand and led the way. The closer to the intersection they got, the more her hands trembled. Once around the fire engine, her suspicions were confirmed. It was her café the smoke was coming from.
“Oh no!” Maeve wanted to run but Cole kept a firm grasp, holding her at his side.
“You need to stay with me Maeve, it’s going to be okay.”
A man in uniform approached them.
“Cole. Thanks for coming so quick. This must be Maeve?”
She shook her head but couldn’t make her mouth move. It took all her strength not to cry.
“I’m Tom Parker, Cole’s chief.” He extended a hand to shake hers.
“Looks as if there’s been a small fire in the kitchen; the men have it contained now but there’s definitely some smoke and water damage. I can’t let you in just yet, safety reasons. We’ll need to do an investigation, find out how it started.”
“Is that all really necessary?” The chief spoke up before Cole could get a chance.
“Absolutely necessary; I can’t go into much detail but unless you spread cooking oil or gas all over the kitchen floor, then we need to find out more details.”
“Are you kidding?” Maeve couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Who would do that to her sandwich shop?
“I wish I were kidding. The odd thing is we didn’t see any signs of a forced entry. Are you sure you locked up before you left today?”
“Positive. I took the trash out the back door, came back in and locked the screen door then the solid door. Then I went out the front.”
“I was behind her on the sidewalk, so I know she locked the front door chief.”
“Well, the inspector is going to want to talk to you tomorrow I’m sure and Cole, you should probably be with her when he does. He’s really had a grudge against women since his wife left him last year.”
“Will do chief, thanks for calling us.” Cole shook the man’s hand and he disappeared into the chaos of directing the firefighters and their clean-up.
“Cole, tell me this isn’t happening. Who would want to burn my shop?”
She buried her face into his chest fighting off tears.
“I need to call Chloe.”
“Okay, one thing at a time. How close is your place from here?”
“Umm, three blocks, why?”
“I’m only right around the corner. You need to sit down and I’m hungry. We’ll go to my place where you can call Chloe and I’ll make us some dinner.”
“Okay.” Maeve didn’t think she could take any more crisis and she had no strength left to argue.
Cole held her hand once more and started them down the sidewalk away from The Sand Bucket, but Maeve didn’t move. He turned to question her.
“Thank you. I don’t think I could process any of this without you.”
He would never know how much comfort she felt whenever a smile lit his face.
***
This beautiful woman continued to surprise Cole every time he turned around. His heart swelled at the genuine sincerity in her voice. So much so that he immediately wrapped her in his arms. Could have been a mistake but he felt her relax into him right away, telling him he’d done the right thing.
“Come on sunshine, let’s go get some food. Everything’s going to be okay. I’ll be with you through it all.”
Not ten minutes later, they’d arrived at Cole’s apartment. He rented the top floor in a three-story Victorian home less than a block away from the shop and the firehouse.
“Cole this is so beautiful, you live here?”
“Thanks, I do but I can’t take all the credit. Mine is only the third floor, there’s a staircase around the side. An older couple owns the home and I’m positive they’re both deaf, so I feel like I pretty much have free reign.”
She giggled at his deduction as Cole led the way up the steps and unlocked the door, stepping aside to let her go in first.
“How did you get so lucky to find this place?”
“Friends of my grandparents actually; I think they know everyone in town. I got hooked up with them a few years ago doing some odd maintenance and when they decided to convert the top floor and rent it out, I offered to do the work if they would let me rent it from them.”
“Oh my gosh Cole, you did all of this? It’s amazing.”
“Thanks, it was a labor of love for sure, but it’s what I like to do in my spare time.
Make yourself at home; I’m going to find some food for us.
Then we need to talk about the fire. That inspector is a real hard ass and doesn’t miss a beat, I’m sure he’ll probably call you first thing in the morning. ”
“Great.”
Cole moved away from where Maeve chose to sit at the island so he could rummage through the frig for things he could make.
“Cole, will you talk to the inspector for me?”
“I’ll go to the meeting with you, don’t worry. We’ll go over everything he might say to you so you know how best to answer him.”
Cole was clanging pots and pans in the kitchen while Maeve went over and got comfortable on the couch and wake up her cell to call Chloe.
“Dang it, my phone is dead, would you mind if I used yours?”
“Sure, it’s on the coffee table. There’s a charger next to the chair too if you want to see if it fits your phone.”
For the next fifteen minutes, Maeve explained in detail the how’s and why’s of the shop fire and that there was no need for her to go to the shop right now because they weren’t legally supposed to be in it until the inspection had been and that Maeve would call Chloe when it was time to meet with the fire inspector.
Then she plugged in her phone to charge so she’d get that call she was expecting.
Cole served their dinner right at the coffee table so they could be comfortable.
“Did you get Chloe all up to date?”
“I did, she was freaked out. She wanted to go see for herself, but I told her they had it all locked up and roped off or whatever they do and that I’d call her when the inspector sets up a meeting for us.”
“Yeah, really, that’s best for now. You don’t want to disturb anything in there before the big guy goes in to check things out. Here, now eat. I know it doesn’t compare to what you make but its food.”
“Are you kidding? This looks fantastic. Burgers are one of my favorites and it’s so much better because I didn’t have to make it.”
“Waddaya know…a girl after my own heart.” In the couple days, he’d had the pleasure of knowing Maeve, he was positive her cheeks had never been more red.
After dinner was done and plates had been carried to the kitchen, Cole found a comedy on the movie channel and settled in beside her on the couch.
They’d gone over some questions that might come up tomorrow about the fire and Cole had given her some ideas how she should answer them.
Finally, the movie had distracted them enough they both stopped talking for a while.
“Don’t let me fall asleep, okay?” Maeve couldn’t help but yawn as she said it.
“Okay, sure.”
She was exhausted so he had no intention of keeping her awake. Cole knew she was out cold when she snuggled down into the crook of his arm after he laid it along the top of the couch. Tomorrow would be a long day and she needed some rest. It was too late for her to walk home so he’d let her sleep.
His worry then went immediately to the what if? What if that fire was set on purpose? Did someone have it out for her or Chloe?
He couldn’t protect Chloe but with Maeve sleeping on his couch, at least he could keep an eye on her. Cole could have offered her his bed during dinner but if he’d given her the option, she would have made a point to go home.
If he moved now, he’d wake her for sure, so he clicked the television off, grabbed the blanket hanging over the back of the couch and gently covered them. He’d take one night, even if she wouldn’t remember it.