Chapter 3
Chapter Three
The alarm blared to life, cutting through the mid-morning quiet like a knife. Zane barely glanced at the screen Megan held out before he registered the address.
24 Maple Lane.
For a moment, the world around him slowed, every sound muffled. His heart seemed to stop beating entirely before slamming back into motion, erratic and frantic, as if he’d just sprinted the length of the town. It was the Williams residence.
His knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip on the edge of the dispatch counter. The years fell away in an instant, and he was eighteen again.
A week had passed since prom.
Zane sat on the front steps of his house, phone in hand, staring at the last text Asha had sent him.
Sorry, I had to leave early. Last-minute prep for my summer program. You understand, right?
But he didn’t understand.
The words sounded like an excuse, flimsy and distant, not at all like her. The Asha he knew didn’t shy away, didn’t hide. Yet, she hadn’t answered his calls—not the one he’d made that same morning or the three others he’d left over the next two days.
And now, nothing.
The lump in his throat felt heavier with each passing day. How could she simply vanish like that? After the way she’d smiled at him on prom night, after the way she’d rested her head on his shoulder as they danced?
It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
“Chief?”
Tim’s query yanked Zane back to the present. He blinked, refocusing on the chaos around him. Megan was handing out assignments, the crew was moving into action, and the siren’s first wail cut through the stillness.
Zane’s “Right” was much gruffer than he intended, the word almost a bark, as he tried to shake off the memory. “Let’s move!”
Boots pounded against the floor as the team sprinted to the truck. Zane vaulted into the passenger seat, shouting orders as Jake slid into the driver’s seat, his jaw set. Rosales and Tim climbed into the back, already strapping on their gear.
The drive was a short five minutes, but the smoke rising into the clear blue June sky made Zane’s stomach churn. As they rounded the corner onto Maple Lane, he caught sight of the Williams residence, and his chest tightened further.
Jake killed the engine, and the team jumped out with practiced efficiency. Smoke billowed from the open kitchen windows, thick gray clouds rolling into the yard. The acrid smell of burning grease hit Zane like a punch to the gut, and the shrill screech of the smoke alarm inside only added to the chaos.
“Tim, you’re with me,” Zane ordered, pulling on his helmet and oxygen mask. “Two residents. Let’s find them.”
Inside, the heat slammed into them, oppressive and stifling. The smoke curled in thick tendrils, clinging to every surface and choking the air.
“Fire Department!” he bellowed over the roar of the flames. “Call out! Mr. and Mrs. Williams. Can you hear me?”
Zane and Tim found Mrs. Williams lying near the doorway, clutching a dishtowel to her face. Her left leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, and her eyes were wide with panic.
“Don’t worry,” Zane assured her, his voice muffled through the mask. “We’ll get you out.”
She nodded weakly, coughing as she pointed toward the stairs. “Asha… Harold… upstairs.”
Zane froze. Asha was here?
“Tim, get her outside. Watch her leg—could be her hip,” he ordered, already moving toward the staircase.
The steps groaned under his weight, while the smoke thickened with every step. At the top landing, a figure struggled under the weight of another.
“Asha!” Zane recognized her immediately.
She snapped her head toward him, her face streaked with soot and sweat. She was half-carrying, half-dragging her father, who hung limp in her grasp.
“Thank goodness. Please help. Dad’s unconscious.” Her voice broke.
Zane closed the distance in a few strides, taking Harold’s weight from her and hoisting him over his shoulder. “Follow me. Now!”
They descended together, the heat pressing in as flames licked at the kitchen doorway. Zane’s focus was on the exit—he couldn’t think about anything else.
Outside, he lowered Harold onto the lawn as carefully as he could, pulling off his helmet and mask as Jack rushed over with oxygen gear.
Asha collapsed beside her mother, her shoulders heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
“Are you hurt?” Zane crouched in front of her, scanning her for injuries.
“I’m fine,” she managed to say, her voice trembling. “Just... Mom’s leg... and Dad—” Her tears spilled over.
“He’s in good hands.” Zane glanced at Jack, who was monitoring Mr. Williams closely. “The ambulance is on its way.”
The shattering of glass inside the house drew Zane’s attention back to the fire. The kitchen was fully engulfed now, the flames licking hungrily at the walls and spreading toward the ceiling.
“Stay with your mom and wait for the doctor!” Zane ordered, his adrenaline surging again. He grabbed his mask and helmet and jumped to his feet. “I’m going to assist my crew.”
Asha sat stiffly in the clinic waiting room, her mother slumped beside her. The antiseptic smell mingled with the faint aroma of lavender lotion her mother always used, a cruel reminder of normalcy amid the chaos.
Mrs. Williams shifted, wincing, clutching the armrest tightly.
“Mom, please,” Asha pleaded, guilt gnawing at her.
“I’ll manage,” her mother muttered. “We need to know about Harold first.”
A nurse appeared, offering pain medication with a kind smile. Mrs. Williams accepted with a quiet “thank you,” her hand trembling.
Asha exhaled, relieved her mother had accepted the pain meds, and her gaze drifted to the window. The sunlight caught on the soot streaking her shirt, a harsh reminder of the morning’s events—and of seeing Zane Parker again.
Her mind flashed back fifteen years ago, just a week before her life was uprooted.
They sat together on the wooden bench in the small park, the late spring air thick with the scent of freshly cut grass and the distant hum of cicadas. Asha swung her legs, her sandals brushing against the dusty ground. Zane leaned back, his arm stretched across the top of the bench, absently tracing the grain of the wood as he stared out at the cluster of trees in the distance.
“You know, I’ve been looking at pictures of the campus,” Asha began, keeping her voice light but edged with excitement. “Columbus is going to be amazing. The law library is massive—four stories high. I’ll probably get lost at least once a week.”
Zane smirked. “Knowing you, you’ll have the whole place mapped out by the end of the first month. You’ll probably even find some secret study nook no one else knows about.”
“Maybe,” she said, grinning, “but I’ll miss this place. And you.”
He turned to look at her, his gaze softening. “You’re really going to be something, Asha. A lawyer. That’s huge.”
“Well, I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me.” She tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “Four years for my degree, then another three for law school. Then there’s the bar exam.”
“That’s what, seven years?” His brow furrowed, though it sounded as if he tried to keep his tone even.
“Yeah, but I’ll be back for fall break,” she said quickly. “And every holiday. It’s not like I’m disappearing, Zane.”
“I know,” he replied quietly. “It’s just… it sounds like a long time.”
“It does.” She reached over to place her hand on his. “But it’ll fly by. And we’ll make it work. I’ll write you emails, and we can Skype on Sundays. You’ll probably be sick of hearing from me by the time I’m done.”
He chuckled, squeezing her hand with a care that showed he was mindful of their difference in strength and size. “Not likely.”
She smiled at him, her heart swelling at the way his thumb brushed lightly against her knuckles. “And it’s not like you’ll be sitting around bored. You’ve got that firefighter program starting, right? Didn’t you say it’s focused on wildfires?”
“Yeah,” he said, a flicker of excitement lighting his face. “It’s a new initiative. They’re saying with global warming we’re going to see more wildfires around here. I’ll be one of the first in the region trained for it. The county’s even putting together a specialized unit.”
“That’s incredible.” She was so proud of him. “You’re going to be amazing at it.”
His gaze softened further, his lips curving into a half-smile. “Thanks. It’s weird, though. When I think about fighting fires, I think about staying here in Peaceful. Keeping people safe. But you… you’re going out there to take on the world.”
Asha’s chest tightened at the tenderness in his words. She scooted closer, her shoulder brushing his. “We’re both doing what we’re meant to do. And just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean I’m leaving you. I love you, Zane. We’ll figure this out. Together.”
He swallowed hard, the corners of his mouth twitching into a tentative smile. “I love you, too.”
For a moment, the future didn’t seem so daunting. They sat in silence, the weight of their plans hanging between them but balanced by the quiet certainty that they’d find a way.
“It sounds like a long time,” Asha said, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them, “but it’s not forever.”
Zane nodded, lacing his fingers with hers. “No. It’s not.”
Her mother’s sharp cry of pain pierced Asha’s thoughts, dragging her back to the clinic waiting room. She turned quickly, her heart lurching as she saw her mother struggling to rise from the chair, her hand clutching at her hip, her face twisted in agony.
“Mom!” Asha rushed to her side, easing her back down. Her mother’s breathing was shallow, her fingers trembling as she gripped the armrest. Guilt clawed at Asha’s chest. How could she have let herself drift into memories when her parents needed her so desperately?
“I’m fine,” her mother murmured, her voice thin and wavering as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. But the tight lines of pain etched across her face told another story.
“Mom, please, stop trying to do too much.” Asha stroked her mother’s shoulder. She wanted to say more but stopped when the door to the exam room opened.
Dr. Maddy Quinn stepped into the waiting room, her scrubs still crisp and her dark hair tied back neatly. Though her eyes looked tired, her expression was calm, professional, and reassuring. She had the kind of presence that instantly made people feel like they were in capable hands. Asha straightened instinctively, bracing herself.
Asha’s mom gripped the chair tightly as she turned her attention to Maddy. “How’s Harold?” she quavered.
Maddy approached with steady steps, her clipboard tucked against her side. “Your husband’s heart took a hit,” she said. “It’s likely from the shock or smoke inhalation, but we need to rule out any underlying issues. I’d like to admit him to Springfield General for further tests and monitoring. They’ll be able to check his oxygen levels as well.”
Asha’s mom opened her mouth, no doubt ready to protest, but Maddy raised a hand, cutting her off with a kind but firm smile. “And you, Mrs. Williams, need to be transferred as well—for that hip.”
Mrs. Williams shook her head. “But I can’t—Harold…”
“He’s being taken care of,” Maddy said softly, “and it’s time someone took care of you, too.”
Asha leaned down to place a steadying hand on her mother’s arm. “Mom, please. Let’s just get this done. Dad would want you to take care of yourself.”
Her mother looked from Maddy to Asha, her resolve cracking as she gave a shaky nod. “Fine,” she whispered. “I’ll go.”
Maddy’s firm demeanor softened into warmth. “Good. Let me make the arrangements.”
As Maddy left, clipboard in hand, Asha let out a slow, uneven breath. Her shoulders slumped as the weight of the day pressed down on her, heavier now than it had been when she’d first stepped into the clinic. The ticking of the clock on the wall seemed too loud, a cruel reminder of how much time had passed since the fire.
She glanced out the window, where sunlight streamed through the glass, bright and warm against the sterile backdrop of the clinic. Her thoughts drifted unbidden to the man who had carried her father out of the flames.
Zane Parker.
The memory of him was sharp and vivid, cutting through the haze of the day. She hadn’t expected to see him—not like this. Not with soot streaked across her face and panic clawing at her throat. And she certainly hadn’t expected him to be the one to save her family.
Her hands tightened into fists in her lap as she pushed the thought away. She wasn’t here to dwell on the past or whatever Zane Parker might mean to her now. Her parents needed her. That was all that mattered.
But the whisper of his name lingered in the back of her mind.
She hadn’t expected him to be her savior today, but then again, she hadn’t expected to need saving at all.