Chapter 23 #2
“Okay, sugar. Want to tell me about next month’s book club ideas?” I suggested. It was a tactic Levi had used to help me when I was scared. He’d distract me by asking about other things that I was interested in and let me talk about those instead of focusing so much on the bad.
“You’ll keep it a secret? Because normally I just tell Mia, but I have so many good ideas for next month.”
“Pinky promise.” I held out a hand to her and was rewarded with a dazzling, if not sooty smile, before she hooked her pinky to mine. Then she was off explaining all her ideas for next month.
I gripped the wheel tighter. My own heart still pounded like I’d sprinted the whole way here. Seeing her alive, wrapped in smoke, had been a relief so sharp it felt like pain. If something had happened to her… I shoved the thought down.
When the farmhouse came into view at the top of the ridge, the sight hit me in the chest the way it always did.
Time had gnawed at the place, but it still stood.
Stubborn. Resilient. I loved that. It made me feel as though it was something I could count on.
Now, seeing Lila’s house on fire, I realized how quickly it could be taken away and how unmoored she must feel.
The cottage had been the one place where she’d grown up with her grandmother, and now part of it was gone. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how she would process that, especially given that it was deliberate. Someone meant to hurt her by doing it.
Shoving the truck into park, the headlights swept across the wet yard. Lila made no move to get out until I rounded the hood and opened her door. She looked up with glassy eyes, and for a second, she seemed smaller than I’d ever seen her.
“Come on,” I said gently, holding out a hand.
She hesitated, then slid her hand into mine. Warm. Fragile. She didn’t let go until we reached the porch.
Chloe opened the door immediately, her hair in a ponytail, her scrubs wrinkled as if she’d just come from a shift. She froze when she saw us, eyes widening. “East. You didn’t say what was wrong when you texted.”
“Fire,” I said bluntly. “At Lila’s cottage. She’s staying here tonight. Whole back porch went up.”
Chloe gasped and pulled her into a hug. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”
Lila’s voice was muffled in Chloe’s shoulder. “I’m okay. Just shaken.” She sniffled a little. “It’s just a house,” she said, as if trying to convince herself. “It’s just stuff. I actually think the majority of the house is probably fine.”
The commotion must have carried down the hall because Maggie’s voice floated from the living room. “What’s going on?”
“Inside,” I cut in, steering Lila forward. “She doesn’t need to be standing out in the rain.” Chloe frowned at me, which told me I was being more of a dick than usual.
“Mom woke up when I came in,” Chloe added softly as I came inside. “I told her you had a call from Wade.”
“Sorry to call you out so late. I appreciate you coming.” I gave her a squeeze. That was one of the things I loved about our family. We’d learned to count on each other.
“No problem, East. You know that.” Chloe shot Lila a worried look. “Was it bad?” she whispered.
“We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to know for sure.
” Which was the truth. It had been hard to tell.
It looked like it started in the back near the mudroom and the back porch, but the kitchen might have been affected as well.
Smoke and water damage were a bear, though, so we’d just have to wait and see in the morning.
The warmth of the farmhouse hit us instantly, woodsmoke and Maggie’s lavender hand cream. Maggie sat in her recliner, quilt tucked around her legs, her crutches parked nearby. Her expression softened when she saw Lila, but her eyes snapped to me like she knew something was wrong.
“What happened, East?” Maggie’s eyes darted between us.
I crouched beside her chair, meeting her gaze head-on. “Lila’s house caught fire tonight. She’s fine, but the mudroom and the back porch are a loss. Wade suspects it was deliberate, but he’ll know more in the morning.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Maggie’s hand reached for Lila’s. “I am so sorry. But you’re safe. That’s what matters. Things can always be replaced.”
Lila swallowed hard, fighting fresh tears. “I didn’t want to intrude—”
“Nonsense,” Maggie cut her off. “This is where you belong. No arguing.” I saw Lila’s shoulders sag with relief she didn’t want to admit. Maybe she’d thought Maggie would turn her away, but that was never an option. “You’re always welcome here.”
Chloe was already moving into nurse mode, checking Lila over with sharp eyes. “Any burns? Smoke inhalation? You should let me listen to your lungs. Did the paramedics check you out?”
Lila tried to wave her off and even assured her that the paramedics had checked her out, but Chloe was relentless until Maggie shooed her away with a loving, “Let the poor girl breathe, Lo.”
She tugged Lila toward the couch, fussing with a blanket and tucking it around her. “You’ll stay in the guest room. It has a view of the orchard. You’ll love it.”
“Thanks,” Lila murmured. Her fingers toyed with the edge of my jacket, which was still wrapped around her. I didn’t bother to tell Chloe that she could put Lila in the guest room if she wanted, but I’d be joining her there. “Really. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”
“You’d do the same for us,” Maggie said firmly.
The truth was, she already had. Lila kept this town supplied with sugar and caffeine and still nurtured the kind of community her Grams had built decades ago.
People didn’t realize how much that mattered until it was gone.
I knew I missed out on the sense of belonging I’d found here.
The realization that even when I thought I wasn’t accepted, Wildwood Meadows was still home.
Now that I was grown and had some years behind me, I understood that my past might have clouded my view.
Small towns loved their gossip, and perhaps they discussed my siblings and me —and how the Holts took us in —but that didn’t mean it was malicious.
It was hard for me as a kid because I had wanted to disappear.
I’d wanted to be normal. From a normal family.
But that hadn’t been the case, and I needed to accept that the past was just another chapter in my story.
I leaned against the wall, watching her sink into the couch, pale but safe. The chaos of the fire still clawed at me, but seeing her here, surrounded by my family, eased something I hadn’t realized was wound so tight.
“Do you need anything from your place?” Chloe asked.
Lila shook her head. “I’m not sure there’s anything left.” She sniffled. “I didn’t have time to grab anything. Sage said she’d bring a change of clothes by tonight.” I didn’t miss the way her voice cracked.
“We’ll go tomorrow,” I said quietly. “See what needs to be done.”
Her eyes flicked to mine, searching, and I held the stare until she nodded.
Silence settled for a moment, broken only by the tick of the old clock and the rain against the windows.
Maggie’s gaze darted between us, her lips twitching like she was trying not to smile.
If I had to guess, Maggie already knew that I had my eye on Lila.
She wouldn’t be sorry there was another reason for me to stay.
“You know,” she said, eyes twinkling, “since you’re here, you could give me hints for next month’s book. I could get ahead of Janice. Read ahead, you know.” She gave us all a knowing look.
That earned a watery laugh from Lila. “Not a chance, Maggie.” She gave me a glare. “No hints.”
“Good girl. Got to keep your chin up.” Maggie’s eyes lingered on me, sharp. She didn’t have to say what she wanted me to do. I already knew what my job was. I needed to protect Lila.
And I would with every damn thing I had.
When the house quieted, Chloe led an exhausted Lila upstairs to the guest room.
I sat at the kitchen table long after everyone else had settled, waiting for Sage. My clothes still smelled of smoke, but I couldn’t shake the image of that little blue cottage in flames.
Maybe I hadn’t done relationships in the past, but I would damn well try for her.
She was worth it. Forty-five minutes later, a sleepy Sage dropped off a duffel of things for Lila.
They were close enough in size. They didn’t always wear the same style, as Sage favored skirts and flowy tops, but she was still practical at heart, having grown up working on the farm. I was sure she’d thought ahead.
“Thanks for bringing these for her. Any news on the fire?” I knew she’d probably hung around a little longer than she should have.
Maybe I should be more concerned about her proximity to Lila and Lila’s house now that we know for sure that some asshole is targeting her.
Fear gripped me. “You need to be careful, too, Sage. For all we know, whoever this is might know Lila stayed with you. I do think it’s a good idea to stay out at Kipp’s or here. ”
“I can take care of myself.” She huffed in annoyance.
“But I’ll think about it,” she added when she saw that I was about to say something else.
“Everything is here that she might need, and I’ll go open her shop for her in the morning with Mia.
I already talked to her about it. We can run an abbreviated menu.
I have someone coming in tomorrow to run Wild Bloom. ”
“You’re the best.” The relief I felt I channelled into a hug, squeezing her tight. “I want you to be careful. If you see anyone suspicious, you call Wade. Promise.” She rolled her eyes.
“I promise, big bro. I’ll even drive tomorrow.
” She turned to go, then stopped, her hand resting on the doorjamb.
“Wade says that someone is coming tomorrow from his friend’s company.
He sent you a text. Apparently, he’s calling in the cavalry now.
Rhodes can’t come himself, but he’s sending someone.
” Sage gave me another hard look. “By the way, if you hurt my bestie.” She drew a line across her throat. “Dead meat.”
“I got it. Loud and clear.”
“Good.” She gave me a cheery wave, then headed to her car, giving me a little heart symbol once she got there.
Watching her for a few minutes, I thought about the events that had led up to tonight, the person who’d been in Lila’s house, the fire.
I wasn’t sure what that meant. If someone were trying to kill her, what were they trying to gain?
I kept coming back to her ex. Could their relationship have been that bad?