“Laurel, back up!” Chase hollered.
“Zeus?”
“He’s safe.” Chase unleashed a fire extinguisher on the grass, but that didn’t stop Crissy from lunging at him. Laurel used her shoulder to throw the woman off course, knocking her back to the ground.
“Laurel!” The voice was vaguely familiar, but she didn’t turn to see who was shouting her name. She planted her feet, preparing for another dive at Crissy if the woman was foolish enough to try something else. “Laurel, I got it from here.”
“About time you showed up,” Chase yelled at Ryder, extinguishing the last of the flames.
Laurel released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding since the moment she spotted Crissy dumping kerosene along the side of the house. “What were you thinking?” she shouted at Crissy. “Ourdogwas in there! What kind of person sets another person’s house on fire with their dog inside?” She was screaming the words now, her body trembling at the thought of losing Zeus at the hands of the evil woman. She wanted to pull out her hair and pluck her eyes, but she wasn’t going to stoop to Crissy’s pathetic level.
Chase grabbed Laurel by the wrist, redirecting her attention as Ryder cuffed Crissy. “Laurel, it’s okay. The fire is out.”
“No, it’s not okay!”
“Ryder’s going to take it from here, okay?”
“Crissy Davenport, you have the right to remain silent.” As Ryder rattled off her Miranda rights, Laurel let Chase draw her into his arms as her body trembled from the adrenaline rush. His embrace instantly soothed her frayed nerves. “W-we have to clean up that kerosene. It’s so dry—”
“I’ll handle it. Fire expert, remember?” He kissed the top of her head, holding her tighter. There was literally no better place she’d ever been than in his arms. How had she ever been foolish enough to walk away from this?Never again. “Let’s go check on Zeus. He’s in the truck and dying to see you.”
With his arm protectively around her back, she walked with him, instantly feeling better at the sight of Zeus zooming around the cab of the truck. The closer they got, the louder he whined. That goofy dog was part of their family, and she’d missed him terribly these past few days.
“Told you, he was beside himself thinking you were never coming back.”
Chase opened the door and Zeus rushed Laurel so fast they fell onto the grass together in a tumble. She held him tight against her as he licked both her cheeks. “I missed you too, buddy. Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere ever again.”
Chapter Seventeen
Laurel
Laurel carried the second-to-last box from her car back into their house, so ready to be done with this moving business. The sooner she unpacked, the sooner they could truly enjoy their weekend as husband and wife. Now that the investigations were wrapped up, they could finally relax.
Crissy Davenport confessing to both arsons wasn’t surprising, especially after learning that the combined total of the insurance claims added up to almost half a million dollars. That kind of money explained her crazed behavior. She confessed to her plot to skip town and leave her husband in a home. Large sums could make people greedy and desperate enough to seek revenge on anyone standing in their way. When Chase submitted his report as a possible arson, Crissy retaliated.
Laurel had been with Chase when he told Chief Bauer about the claim amount and remembered how quickly the chief’s face dropped in shock. The man wasn’t likely to doubt Chase’s instincts ever again. No one considered Crissy was seen by a dozen neighbors trying to burn down their house.
The most shocking twist was the insurance adjuster. Aside from the icky vibe the man exuded, Chase kept insisting it was odd for him to withhold the claim amount. But when Crissy threw Tuck Granger under the bus for his part in the fraudulent scheme, everything became much clearer. He was helping Crissy push the claim through, fully expecting a cut of the payout.
“That it?” Chase asked Laurel at the doorway, taking the box from her.
She’d accumulated more belongings than she realized while living with her parents these past six months. Adding in the boxes she’d been storing at Chase’s and stupidly loaded into her car last week, all of it added up. It would take her days to unpack it all and put her things back where they belonged.
“One more.”
He stole a quick kiss, as he had each time they’d met at the door, claiming they had quite a few kisses to make up with those five years spent apart. Laurel didn’t argue with that logic. At this rate, her toes would be permanently curled in bliss.
“Hey, whatever happened to Henry?” Laurel asked, leaning against the door. “I know he didn’t have anything to do with the arsons, but is he okay after finding out his wife wanted to skip town with all that money?”
“Ryder happened.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ryder took him to Anchorage for an appointment. While Ryder went to the insurance office for answers, Henry went to see a specialist. He didn’t want anyone to know—you can imagine why—and it’s a good thing he didn’t tell anyone. Doubt Crissy would’ve been on board with him going because he’s perfectly healthy. Not a trace of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Crissy admitted to hiding his keys in the freezer after she heard that. He’s upset, of course. But he’ll get through it.”
“I’m glad he’s okay.”
“Thanks to your private investigator skills.” He leaned in for another kiss, this one tempting her to abandon the last box as she melted into him.
