A Promise to Protect (Logan Point Book #2): A Novel by Patricia Bradley

right after I found out I was pregnant. Tony had straightened up, gone back to college. As I drove home to make the arrangements, I debated whether to tell Ben. I decided he had a right to know and planned to tell him after the funeral.
    “The night before the service, I went to a restaurant, and Ben was there with some girl. It was obvious they were in love . . . he even kissed her right there in the restaurant. I heard the next day he was engaged. Guessed that was why he didn’t come to the funeral or to see me. His dad had been right—I was just a summer fling. I was on my own. So I went back to Jackson, and you know the rest.”
    “Evidently he didn’t get married.”
    “No, he didn’t. Sometimes I wish . . . it doesn’t matter what I wish. It’s hard to undo decisions made ten years ago.” She rubbed the back of her thumb, thinking of TJ asking Ben to take him to ball practice. “But, I made the right choice, Sarah. Ben wasn’t ready to be a father back then, and he still isn’t.”
    Sarah lifted her head and wrinkled her nose, sniffing the air. “What is that odor?”
    Leigh inhaled, and this time acrid fumes burned her nose. “Something’s on fire.”
    She jumped up and ran into the kitchen. Nothing wrong there.
    Sarah halted near the door that led to the attic. “I think it’s coming from upstairs.”
    Leigh jerked open the door, and smoke rolled into the room.

    Rain poured from the night sky, blending with water from fire hoses. Ben stood beside the ladder truck and wiped his brow, thankful the fire that had blazed from the roof of Leigh’s house seemed to be contained. Lieutenant Carson James came to stand beside him.
    “Thanks for the help. If we’d had another truck, we probably could have saved more of the house,” James said. “But this is the third lightning fire tonight.”
    “You think this one was lightning?”
    “Know for sure after the fire marshal takes a look. Any reason you think it’s not?”
    “I just want to make sure it isn’t another attempt on Leigh’s life.”
    “Gotcha. We’ll stand by for another couple of hours, in case it flares up again.”
    Ben turned and scanned the crowd for Leigh and found her near the edge of the driveway, hugging her stomach. The shower had tapered off to a fine mist, and as he approached, she looked up with those luminous green eyes. With her chestnut hair plastered to her head, she reminded him of a waif.
    “Do you think they saved it?” she asked.
    “I don’t know.” Ben blew out a hard breath. She didn’t look like she could handle his suspicions right now. “We’ll know more tomorrow.” He looked around. “Where’s your friend?”
    “Gone to pull TJ away from the fire truck.”
    Ben frowned. “I was just there, and I didn’t see TJ.”
    “Leigh!” Sarah hurried toward them, her voice frantic. “I can’t find TJ!”
    Ben scanned the area. “Did anyone see which way he went?”
    “The fireman”—Sarah stopped to catch her breath—“said he asked about a bear. He told him there weren’t any bears—”
    “Bear!” Leigh started for the smoldering house. “He went after the bear Tony gave him!”
    Ben caught her. “You can’t go in there.”
    She tried to break away from him. “I have to!”
    “I’ll go.” As he ran to the back of the house, he spied the lieutenant. “There’s a boy inside. Going after him.”
    “Wait, Ben!”
    He ignored the lieutenant and sprinted for the front door that stood open. No, someone would have seen the boy if he’d gone in through the front. He turned and ran for the back. The door gaped open. “TJ!”
    No answer. Ben stepped through the door and hit total darkness, the house reeking of burnt wood and smoke. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth. Overhead, the ceiling hissed and cracked. Even though he didn’t see any flames, wood smoldered, waiting for a draft of air to rekindle the fire. A light shone behind