Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
LOTTIE
I’m sitting in the do-it-yourself café located in the corner of the library with Hercules in my lap. She’s a good dog, but she’s so attached to Thane that she’s becoming a pain in the ass, so I thought maybe some socializing would do her good.
I’ve already stuffed a twenty into the payment box, but as I make my third cappuccino with Hercules tucked under my arm so she doesn’t disturb the book club, I slip in another ten.
Sharky shouldn’t be the only one funding the café and the programs here.
Today I told Thane that I’d take Kara in for her book club while Rafe was in New York, giving his report to the judge. It’s the only way for me to get a little bit of privacy. My house has never felt small, but Thane takes up all the oxygen in every room he enters, and I need to talk to my friend privately.
When I was in North Carolina, I asked Rowan if she wanted to take over the European expansion of the hotline. It feeds her nomad tendencies while also allowing her to help families without actually having to face them.
My friend is a complicated character. She simultaneously craves connection and fears it. Our relationship, in a lot of ways, mirrors Thane and Rafe’s. I’ve spent years trying to get Rowan to let me in, and she’s spent just as much energy to keep me on the periphery.
But I trust her more than I trust anyone else. We’ve both kept secrets, but I know if push came to shove, she’d have my back.
A video call pops up on my computer screen. Glancing around, I stick my Air Pods in my ears, then accept the call.
Rowan’s beautiful face fills the screen. Her hair’s wild, her smile bright.
“Hey.” I say, allowing the calmness that comes from years of friendship to soak into my bones.
“Hey.” She’s distracted. She’s been this way the last couple of times I’ve spoken with her, but it’s also not out of character for her since she’s always searching for her next adventure.
“How’s it going in Sailport Bay?” I ask.
Her gaze flicks away from the screen.
“Row?”
“No, it’s good. There’s just history with Sebastian and me, you know?”
Sebastian was her childhood friend and the grandson of the only other person she speaks to on a semi-regular basis.
“But it’s good. I’m really connecting with his daughter. We…” She twists her bracelets around her wrist. “We share a lot of similar traumas.”
“I did say that you were the perfect fit for them.”
“Maybe,” she mumbles. “What’s going on with you?”
Images of Thane in my bed this morning make me pause.
“Busy. There’s a lot going on with the hotline, and there’s been a lot of new pressures lately.”
“I’m sure. You’ve built a multi-million-dollar business. There’s bound to be pressure.”
“Yeah.” I guess I’m about as good at confiding in her as she is in me. That’s probably why our friendship has worked so well—we don’t push—but that’s also why we exist on the periphery of each other’s lives. “Have you thought about my offer?”
“I have.” She doesn’t stare into the screen. “I— It’s a great opportunity. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
I stare more intently at the screen. “But something’s holding you back.” Or someone.
“No, I, but…I need a little more time. It’s a major life change, and if I’m going to do it, I need to make sure I can handle it all. I’d never want to let you down.”
I know that’s not the whole truth. I wouldn’t have asked her if I thought there was any way she could let me down. No one is more invested in the success of my hotline than I am, but Rowan is a very close second.
“I understand. But I’ll need a decision soon.”
“I know. We—we’re having a talent show at the camp in a few weeks. You should come…see how far Sebastian’s kids have come.”
Something in her tone makes my heart pinch. She wants me there, but she’s unwilling to ask.
“What day?” I ask, pulling up my calendar.
“September fourth.”
That’s two days before Thane’s award ceremony. I’m nodding before I realize I’ve made a decision.
Her face softens as though she hadn’t expected me to make any effort at all.
“I’ll try to make it. I’m putting it in my calendar now.”
The mask she hides behind melts away. I’m finally seeing my friend happy, maybe for the first time, and I know what her answer will be with the hotline before she’s even realized it.
I should probably start brainstorming a backup plan for the hotline expansion.
“Great. Okay, I should get going. The kids will want lunch soon.” She seems more comfortable than I’ve ever seen her.
“You look good, Row. Happy.”
She tilts her head to the side, and I brace myself for a smart-ass comment, but it never comes.
“You too, Lottie. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Sounds good.”
I close out of the app before I’m ready, but I guess some things you truly have to figure out on your own.
“Lottie?” Mr. Carver’s voice echoes off the walls well before I see him enter the library.
“Mr. Carver,” Sharky scolds from the teen corner.
“Fire. At Thane’s. Thane. Boone.” He’s panting the words, but I heard every single one.
I spin toward Sharky. All the blood leaves her face, and I stand so quickly I get dizzy, so I grab the desk for balance.
“What?” Kara stands slowly, unsteadily, and Sharky reaches out to hold her.
I can’t form words.
“Come on, girls.” Mr. Carver is waving at us to come. “Mrs. Carver’s comin’ up the steps now. She’ll stay with the other girls here, and I’ll drive y’all to the property. Leave Hercules here with her too.”
He doesn’t say home, or to Thane’s house. He says back to the property, and the contents of my stomach curdle as I set a whining Hercules on the floor.
No one says another word. When Kara reaches me, she wraps her arms around my waist, and I guide her out of the building and into the back of Mr. Carver’s minivan.
A mile down the road, we’re able to see the thick, black smoke billowing into the air.
“Oh my God.” Kara’s hyperventilating beside me.
I take her hand in mine and squeeze.
“It’ll be okay. He’s okay. Everyone’s okay.”
Lies. Lies. Lies.
A barricade stops us a hundred yards away from Matchmaker Lane. Kara jumps out before I can stop her, but I can’t allow her to get hurt.
I might be all she has left.
I don’t remember exiting the car or shoving past Officer Gentry. I don’t remember reaching Kara, but I have her in my arms as our bodies are blasted by the scalding heat of flames down the road.
“Where is he?” Her voice trembles.
I don’t have an answer for her.
Sharky takes hold of my arm, and now I’m holding up two people. If I buckle under their weight, we’ll all fall, so I lock my knees and squint, begging the smoke to clear a path to him.
“You girls have to back up.” The fire chief has soot all over his face and clothes, but we don’t move. Even when a large piece of ash falls at our feet, we’re all mesmerized by the way it burns.
“Where is he?” Kara asks again, more loudly and a little untethered this time.
I can’t answer. My throat tastes like ash as I search the crowd.
The fire chief physically tugs us farther away. There are firefighters on the property between our two homes—too many. The siding of mine is completely black, and Thane’s lies in a pile of burning timber.
“Chief?” My voice cracks as salty emotion clings to the word. “Where are Thane and Boone?”
“I’m sorry, Lottie.”
What? What? No. That’s not… I won’t accept that.
“What do you mean, you’re sorry?” Sharky shouts.
Kara falls to her knees, taking me with her. My hands scrape the rough gravel. I can’t breathe.
“I haven’t seen them. I’m sorry, but I have to get back to my men.”
Sharky steps forward as if she’s going to fight the fire chief, but I reach for her leg, and she sinks down beside me.
We sit in a triangle of pain, staring at flames that refuse to be tamed for what feels like a lifetime, but my mind is blank. I don’t know what to do or where to go. So we sit, and we wait.
“There,” Kara shouts, tearing free from my numb grasp and jumping to her feet. She sprints past firefighters, over debris, and straight for the lake that’s only now coming into view because the fire is mostly contained.
Sharky takes off next, refusing to be stopped by the firefighters.
Thane and Boone walk side by side. Their clothes are in tatters, and every inch of their skin is coated in a thick, black film.
Kara barrels into Thane, nearly knocking over both men. They work together to hold themselves upright, then Thane hugs Kara tightly while Boone advances on Sharky.
I stand on shaky legs, frozen to my spot in fear, relief, and something else I’m too afraid to name as Thane’s wild gaze searches face after face before finally landing on mine.
He leans down to whisper something to Kara, and she releases him, but sticks close to his side as he begins to walk again. Kara holds her arms out as if she’s afraid he’s about to collapse. It’s the strength of this little girl, caring for her brother, that snaps me out of my daze, and I run to them.
The moment I reach them, his teeth shine bright against his dirty skin when he smiles. “There you are.”
And then he promptly falls to the ground.
* * *
“I’m not sure how I feel about a town where I keep waking up in a hospital.” Thane’s voice has a rusty quality to it.
He’s in an actual hospital this time.
“I’m so mad at you, I want to punch something.” Kara’s words tremble with unshed tears. They dried hours ago. “I thought you were dead.”
“A little house explosion isn’t going to kill me.” His lips tilt up with the start of a smile, but he winces as though it’s painful.
“I’ve known you my entire life, and now you wanna joke around? You almost died, Brad. Dead.”
“I’ve always been funny. You simply never understood my humor before.”
New tears slide through the soot and ash still on her cheeks.
Thane opens his arms, and she collapses into his embrace. Their affection for each other is usually limited to verbal sparring, but this—this is love. When her little body heaves, it becomes painfully obvious how much this little girl is still holding in.
“Kara.”
I’m not sure if he’s gentling his voice for her or if it’s from the smoke he’s inhaled, but I choose to believe he’s doing it for her benefit.
“Don’t. Don’t say something stupid right now.” She uses the arm of her sleeve to wipe her nose, but she keeps her head pressed to his chest.
“I was only going to say that I promised to take care of you, and I keep my promises.”
Something in his words draws my attention away from Kara’s tears. He’s staring straight at me as he speaks to her.
“I thought you died,” she sobs again.
“But I didn’t. I’m here to annoy you for a long time to come.”
“Promise me.” She sounds so small, so scared. It’s a promise I once asked my own brother to make. I understand the need for it. When you feel so alone in the world that you just need an anchor—someone to be your person.
I haven’t had a person in a very long time. Not until Thane.
“I promise, Kare-bear.” She sucks in a breath as if that name means something to her, then she slowly lifts her head.
“It was you.” There’s accusation in her tone, but there’s also an undeniable amount of love.
She turns to me with wonder clouding her green eyes that match her brothers. “When I was little, Care Bears would just show up in my room. If I was happy, I’d get a yellow one. If I was mad, the blue one. For years, they’ve just appeared. I always thought it was Ophelia trying to make me feel better.”
Thane stares at where his little sister has clasped his hands.
“You were doing it the whole time.” The wonder in her tone veers back toward accusatory. “Why wouldn’t you say anything?”
“I didn’t know what to say. Rafe always got along with you so easily, but I didn’t know how to communicate with you. You were messy and loud. But you were also so expressive even before you could speak. You were so different from me, but I wanted you to know that I was there. That I’ve always been there for you.”
“You were trying.” So much emotion is attached to those three words.
He nods.
“Dad has never tried, Thane. Not once. Last year, I went six months without even seeing him.”
Thane’s face falls into rigid lines of anger.
“How is that possible?” I didn’t mean to intrude, but six months? How does a child not see their only parent for six months?
She shrugs. “He paid the house staff to babysit me.” Kara turns back to her brother with her head down. “I know I haven’t made anything easy for you, Brad, but you’re better than Dad has ever been. I don’t want to lose you. Even when Dad eventually makes me go back to his house.”
“Is that what you want? To go back to Jonah’s?” Exhaustion drips from his words and his sagging shoulders.
She shakes her head. “No, but I can’t ruin your life forever.”
My heart catches fire as if it were in the house when the explosion happened.
“You’re not ruining my life,” he barks, causing us both to jump. “You’re not,” he says more gently. “And if you don’t want to go back, then you won’t. I’ll take care of it.”
Her head whips from him to me with hope shining on her face. “You mean it?”
“Yes.” He says it as if his word is law. “I’ll take care of everything. For you both.”
I shake my head. He truly believes that, and apparently, he keeps his promises.
And it’s exactly what Kara needed to hear. The change in her happens in the blink of an eye—as if the storm cloud she was drowning in has suddenly evaporated.
“I love you, Brad. I’m gonna go tell Rafe you’re okay. He’s in the waiting room because they wouldn’t let anyone but family in here.” Kara is already walking out the door when his weighted stare heats the side of my face.
Crap.
When her sneakers squeak down the hallway, the tension becomes too thick to breathe, so I hesitantly peer up at him.
“If they only let family in, how are you here now?”
“Boone said you saved his life.” It’s a terrible way to change the subject, but it’s all I can come up with.
Thane’s gaze burrows into me, and my throat dries up so quickly, I have the urge to clear it.
“I could smell gas, even though he couldn’t find a leak. Then I heard something ignite, a click, click, click sound, so I shoved him out the open door and told him to run. Then I heard the explosion and woke up down by the lake. How are you in here, Charlotte?”
My hand covers my grandmother’s ring—the one I always wear on my middle finger but now sits on my ring finger as proof of the lie we told.
The damn observant man latches onto the movement immediately, and his husky tone carries a hint of promise. “Come here.”
There’s no getting out of this. Not when my hands have swelled so much while I waited for him to wake up that I can’t get the damn thing off. I’ve tried.
“Fine,” I grumble, then hold up my left hand. “We told the hospital that we were engaged so they’d let me in here with Kara. It’s a little white lie so I could sit with you and be here for her.”
“You care about her…and me.”
At this point, I’m sure I more than care, but I’m not about to admit that. He’s still my freaking client. If it got out that I was falling in love with a client, my reputation would go up in flames.
“Come here, Charlotte.”
I refuse to meet his gaze, but I follow his command and stand at his side. He reaches out and takes my hand in his. His large thumb works over the aquamarine and diamond stones.
“I like how that sounds.” He’s so quiet, I can almost convince myself I made it up.
“It’s pretend.”
He doesn’t say anything as his thumb continues to swipe over the ring, back and forth on my finger. When I finally build up the courage to face him, I’m not at all surprised that his intense stare is already focused on me.
“I like how it sounds, Charlotte. A lot.”
There’s no point arguing with him. Once an idea gets stuck in his head, he’ll marinate on it for days.
“How’s Boone?” His voice is so raw, it must hurt him to speak.
“Better than you. He didn’t end up with a concussion. Sharky took him home about a half-hour ago, and his siblings are on their way. Your house is gone though. The fire marshal said it’s probably from all the unauthorized additions over the years. Nothing was up to code.”
He shrugs as though it doesn’t matter. “That house was only a building. The only place I’ve ever felt at home is…” He squeezes my hand, and I forget to breathe. “Is with you.”