house.
“Penny,” she said between coughs. “Please. Penny.”
“He’ll get her, Jeannette. It’ll be okay.” Diego didn’t stop carrying her until they reached the fire truck. Then he opened the front door and placed her on the passenger seat. He’d clearly thought to keep her warm in the vehicle. It was early spring and the night was more than a little chilly. Not that she could feel any of that, thanks to the bonfire raging nearby. She was sweating, her skin flushed. It felt as if she’d gotten a sunburn.
She belatedly realized she was only wearing a t-shirt and panties. In normal circumstances she would have been mortified, but these weren’t normal circumstances.
She couldn’t stop coughing and her hands shook roughly as she continued to call out for Penny.
“She’s here,” she heard Luc say and then, just like that, her cat was in her arms. She turned to thank him, but neither man remained. The passenger door was closed, sealing her and Penny inside, as Diego and Luc quickly joined the four volunteer firefighters who had pulled the hoses from the truck and begun to shoot powerful jets of water at her house.
For the first time since she’d seen the flash, the magnitude of what was happening washed over her. She’d been so focused on Penny, she hadn’t even looked at the house. Now, she couldn’t look away as flames erupted from the downstairs windows, which were shattered, gone.
A police car arrived, squealing its brakes as it slammed to a stop in front of the truck. Evan jumped out of the car and ran toward Diego. He stopped halfway across the yard when Diego pointed back toward the truck where she sat, and her cousin changed direction.
He opened the passenger door and reached in for her. Penny was still in her arms, but the cat darted over to the driver’s side as Evan grasped Jeannette and tugged her toward him.
“God, Nettie. When I heard your name and address come across the scanner…”
She wrapped her arms around him, grateful for the comfort. “I’m okay, Evan.” However, speaking those few words cost her and she began to cough again.
“I’m taking you to the hospital.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m fine. I don’t want to leave.”
Evan took a step away, clearly intent on arguing, but the words died on his lips when she turned back to her house. The blaze had lost some of its intensity, but she didn’t need to be told she’d just lost everything. Whatever hadn’t burned was going to be completely damaged by water and smoke.
Her gaze landed on Diego and Luc as they held the huge hose, working like the devil to save something that was already gone. Then she looked over to see Penny curled up on the driver’s seat. The cat wasn’t sleeping. Her eyes were wide, spooked. Jeannette reached over to stroke her soft fur. “It’s okay now, Penny.”
Luc and Diego had saved the most important thing. She was grateful for that. More than she’d ever be able to say. This silly, sweet cat had been the only thing keeping her from complete loneliness. Losing her would have been unbearable.
“You’ll come home with me tonight,” Evan said.
“No. Annie’s allergic to cats.”
Evan rolled his eyes. “Jesus, Nettie. She’s not going to care about that. She’ll take a Benadryl. You can stay with us as long as you need.”
She considered the invitation. She was tired and numb. Her brain clearly wasn’t firing on all cylinders and yet she knew she wouldn’t go home with Evan.
“No. Thank you.”
Evan fell silent for a moment. “Then I’ll take you to Macie’s.”
Jeannette snorted. “Yeah. That’s not happening either.”
Diego and Luc returned to the truck, standing next to Evan. The fire was out for the most part, only smoldering ashes remaining. Her neighbors had come out of their houses in robes, standing on the sidewalk, looking equal parts shell-shocked and relieved. At least the flames hadn’t claimed any of their homes, though Jeannette suspected the
“Penny,” she said between coughs. “Please. Penny.”
“He’ll get her, Jeannette. It’ll be okay.” Diego didn’t stop carrying her until they reached the fire truck. Then he opened the front door and placed her on the passenger seat. He’d clearly thought to keep her warm in the vehicle. It was early spring and the night was more than a little chilly. Not that she could feel any of that, thanks to the bonfire raging nearby. She was sweating, her skin flushed. It felt as if she’d gotten a sunburn.
She belatedly realized she was only wearing a t-shirt and panties. In normal circumstances she would have been mortified, but these weren’t normal circumstances.
She couldn’t stop coughing and her hands shook roughly as she continued to call out for Penny.
“She’s here,” she heard Luc say and then, just like that, her cat was in her arms. She turned to thank him, but neither man remained. The passenger door was closed, sealing her and Penny inside, as Diego and Luc quickly joined the four volunteer firefighters who had pulled the hoses from the truck and begun to shoot powerful jets of water at her house.
For the first time since she’d seen the flash, the magnitude of what was happening washed over her. She’d been so focused on Penny, she hadn’t even looked at the house. Now, she couldn’t look away as flames erupted from the downstairs windows, which were shattered, gone.
A police car arrived, squealing its brakes as it slammed to a stop in front of the truck. Evan jumped out of the car and ran toward Diego. He stopped halfway across the yard when Diego pointed back toward the truck where she sat, and her cousin changed direction.
He opened the passenger door and reached in for her. Penny was still in her arms, but the cat darted over to the driver’s side as Evan grasped Jeannette and tugged her toward him.
“God, Nettie. When I heard your name and address come across the scanner…”
She wrapped her arms around him, grateful for the comfort. “I’m okay, Evan.” However, speaking those few words cost her and she began to cough again.
“I’m taking you to the hospital.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m fine. I don’t want to leave.”
Evan took a step away, clearly intent on arguing, but the words died on his lips when she turned back to her house. The blaze had lost some of its intensity, but she didn’t need to be told she’d just lost everything. Whatever hadn’t burned was going to be completely damaged by water and smoke.
Her gaze landed on Diego and Luc as they held the huge hose, working like the devil to save something that was already gone. Then she looked over to see Penny curled up on the driver’s seat. The cat wasn’t sleeping. Her eyes were wide, spooked. Jeannette reached over to stroke her soft fur. “It’s okay now, Penny.”
Luc and Diego had saved the most important thing. She was grateful for that. More than she’d ever be able to say. This silly, sweet cat had been the only thing keeping her from complete loneliness. Losing her would have been unbearable.
“You’ll come home with me tonight,” Evan said.
“No. Annie’s allergic to cats.”
Evan rolled his eyes. “Jesus, Nettie. She’s not going to care about that. She’ll take a Benadryl. You can stay with us as long as you need.”
She considered the invitation. She was tired and numb. Her brain clearly wasn’t firing on all cylinders and yet she knew she wouldn’t go home with Evan.
“No. Thank you.”
Evan fell silent for a moment. “Then I’ll take you to Macie’s.”
Jeannette snorted. “Yeah. That’s not happening either.”
Diego and Luc returned to the truck, standing next to Evan. The fire was out for the most part, only smoldering ashes remaining. Her neighbors had come out of their houses in robes, standing on the sidewalk, looking equal parts shell-shocked and relieved. At least the flames hadn’t claimed any of their homes, though Jeannette suspected the
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