31. Haven
Chapter Thirty-One
Haven
Walking into the kitchen, I snagged the moment in front of me. My mom was rarely alone in the kitchen and always on the move.
“So…”
She glanced over. “What is it?”
I got straight to the point. “You told Elsa I had a crush on her in high school.”
My mom was entirely unabashed and shrugged casually. “I sure did. I mean, you did have a crush on her in high school.”
“I did,” I admitted slowly.
Her gaze sobered as she studied me. “I’m really glad Elsa came back. Even more than that, I’m glad you two are together.”
I took a slow breath. “I think I love her.”
“Oh, you love her,” my mom said flatly. “Youabsolutelylove her.”
“I don’t want to mess it up.”
“You won’t. Oh, it won’t be perfect. There is no perfect. Ever. It’s about finding someone who you can ride those choppy waters with and stay afloat together.”
“I miss Dad.”
My mom’s eyes shone with a glint of tears. “I do too. And I miss Bree so much.”
“Sometimes it hurts.” I swallowed through the rush of emotion balled in my throat.
“It means the world that you fought for us to be able to get this place back and rebuild it. Your brothers have helped so much. But I know we made it this far because you fought with the insurance company, and you wonthose battles.”
I let out a breath slowly. “I love you, Mom.”
She squeezed me tight when she hugged me, then stepped back, patting me on the cheek. “And I love you. Now go be good to that girl you love. It was just a crush back in the day, but now it’s real.”
“I know,” I said, that knowledge both freeing and terrifying.
A few days later
I was just paying for my coffee when I caught the scent of smoke. I glanced around, not seeing anything.
“Do you smell that?” I asked Casey as she handed me my change.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s something in the kitchen.” She peered into the kitchen, turning to glance over the waist-high door. “Huh, don’t see anything.”
As my gaze arced about the space, I noticed smoke seeping through one of the vents to the upstairs.
“Where are the stairs?” I practically barked out. “And we need to—” The smoke alarms began blaring. “Get everybody out. Now. Who’s upstairs?”
“Janet, I think. I don’t know!” Casey spun in a circle.
“You get everybody out. Where are the stairs?”
Casey pointed me toward the back, and I bolted, rushing around the counter into the kitchen.
“Stairs!” I called to Luna, who looked at me with wide eyes. “Help Casey make sure everybody gets out of here. I think there’s a fire upstairs.”
The smoke was thick in the stairwell as I dashed up.
“Janet!” I called when I heard her coughing as I crested the top of the stairs.
“I’m fine!” she yelled out.
I strode quickly down the short hallway up there. The smoke was thick and hot. I scooped Janet into my arms. “Wait!” she demanded.
“We can wait after I get you out of here.” I shouldered my way down the narrow hallway and down the stairs.
Once I set her on her feet outside, she looked up at me, her eyes wide with worry. “My cat! I?—”
“Where’s your cat?” I asked as I passed her over to the EMTs, who must’ve zoomed down here from the station. Considering they were housed less than half a mile away, it was possible.
“In my office in the back,” Janet said between coughs.
I turned right back around and went in. No one else was left inside, which meant Luna and Casey had hustled everyone out. Thank God.
Blessedly, wherever the hell this cat was, it had things to say and was meowing wildly, its annoyance clear.
I found the cat pressed up against a window in a tiny office at the back of the upstairs.
I scooped the cat into my arms. I could barely breathe.
The smoke was thick and the heat intense as I raced down the hallway again.
When I got outside and Janet saw her cat, her eyes welled with tears.
“He’s not thrilled with the situation,” I said.
Janet wiped at her tears while Dana, the EMT, continued checking her over.
“He seems fine,” I offered. I glanced toward Firehouse Café while Janet focused on her cat.
“She’s good to go,” Dana offered.
I glanced at Dana. “Pretty sure Janet is indestructible.”
Janet glanced between us. “Of course I am.”
“They’re going to put the fire out, but there will be some damage,” I commented, glancing over at the town’s fire truck. The local crew was fast at work, containing the fire.
“All these years, and I’ve been so lucky.” Janet sighed as she stroked her cat.
“What do you mean?”
“No kitchen fires, nothing. And now this.”
“Do you know what started it?” I asked.
She shook her head. Dana had rounded the ambulance to check on something in the front, and I rested a hand on the back door as I studied Janet. “You’re feeling okay?”
“I’m fine. Thank you for carrying me out, though I think that was unnecessary.” Her tone was pointed.
“And Chunky,” she offered. She gestured toward her cat, happily purring in her arms now.
“Chunky is safe.” I chuckled. “That’s all that matters. Do you need a ride anywhere?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Haven, I can drive. I’m a little smoky, but I’m fine.”
I lightly squeezed her shoulder. “Good.”
I jogged over to the town’s fire truck. Susanna, who headed up the crew for the town, met my gaze.
“We’ve got it under control.” She looked emotional, but we all were. Firehouse Café was the nerve center of town, a place of nothing but goodness. It was also the old fire station from years back.
“Damage doesn’t look too bad,” I offered.
“No, but—” Susanna let out a breath. “Something feels off about this.”
“What do you mean?”
“No fire in the kitchen, which is what we’d expect. It started upstairs.”
“Electrical, maybe?”
She shrugged. “Best guess. Anyway, thanks for running upstairs to get Janet and her cat.”
I shrugged. “I was here. Literally.”
Within the hour, the fire was declared out. Many residents from town had gathered in the parking area at Firehouse Café.
“Haven!” At the sound of Elsa’s voice, I glanced around.
“What happened?” She stopped beside me.
I wasn’t even thinking when I curled an arm around her shoulders and leaned down to press a kiss on her forehead. Her cheeks were pink when I lifted my head.
“What?” I asked.
She shrugged, wrinkling her nose. “It’s not a secret anymore because of Jude, but I think that’s our first PDA.”
“About time,” Janet chimed in. She stopped beside us, her smile warm.
“About time for what?” I asked lightly.
“You two. Just be open about it. I’m happy for you both.”
“Are you okay, Janet?” Elsa’s gaze was concerned.
“I’m fine. There’s some damage upstairs, but we’ll get it fixed. The downstairs is completely fine. I’ve already checked with the town. We have to do a few things to pass the safety inspection, but I should be able to reopen in another day or so.” Janet’s tone was determined.
“Where’s Chunky?” I asked.
Janet chuckled. “I drove him home. He’s not thrilled.”
“Who’s Chunky, and are you sure you’re okay?” Elsa asked.
Janet reached over and squeezed Elsa’s shoulder. “My cat, who hangs out upstairs when I’m working. Stop worrying about me.”
“Janet! You’re everyone’s favorite. We’re going to worry about you,” Elsa protested.
Janet grinned. “I’m fine. And your big guy here”—she gestured to me with a brow waggle—“rescued us both.”
“Is that why you smell like smoke?” Elsa asked.
“That would be it,” I said dryly.
Janet moved along, chatting with various people clustered outside of the café.
“Wow. I wonder what happened,” Elsa mused.
“I’m sure they’ll do an investigation. Janet seems okay, and no one got hurt. That’s all that matters,” I said.
Elsa shook her head slightly as we looked over at Janet. “Janet is the living, breathing definition of resilient. Did you really carry her out?”
“I was getting coffee when we smelled smoke, and the smoke alarms went off. I told Casey and Luna to get everybody out. I went upstairs, and that’s where Janet was.
She was out of breath from the smoke, so I carried her down.
Then I went back up to get her cat.” I took a breath, letting it out. “I’m just glad they’re both okay.”
“I’m glad you’re okay too,” Elsa added.
“Of course I’m okay.”
“It’s never ‘of course,’” Elsa pointed out.
I knew what she meant. Dipping my head, I brushed my cheek against hers as I breathed in her scent. “Should we go home?” I asked when I lifted my head.