“Thank you,” Mark said in that low, gruff tone he used right after sex. “I don’t have a lot of experience with birthday celebrations, but I can’t imagine anything topping this one.”
Oh, Mark.She had it so bad for this man. “I hope this is the first of many great ones for you.” And she hoped she would be there with him to celebrate every single one of them.
***
Mark woke to the sound of his cell phone ringing, momentarily disoriented until the swirling purple light from Jess’s lava lamp reminded him where he was. And the absolutely fucking amazing birthday she’d given him.
He squinted at the screen on his cell phone. Why was Ethan calling him at four o’clock in the morning? A prickle of unease ran between his shoulder blades. He grabbed the phone and headed for the hall so he wouldn’t disturb Jess, connecting the call as he pulled the door shut behind him.
“Off-the-Grid’s on fire,” Ethan said.
“What?” Mark straightened, instantly awake and alert.
“The fire department just called. The building is on fire.” Ethan paused, his voice taut and rough. “I don’t know how bad yet. I’m on my way there now.”
“I’ll meet you there.” Mark turned and went back into the bedroom, reaching for his jeans where they lay on the floor.
“Who was that?” Jess asked sleepily from the bed. “Everything okay?”
“There’s a fire at Off-the-Grid.”
She sat up, the sheet clutched against her chest. “Oh my God! What? How?”
“I don’t know. I’m heading over to meet Ethan and Ryan.” He finished dressing and sat on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes.
“I’m coming with you.”
“Stay in bed.” He leaned back to give her a kiss. “If too many of us are there, we’ll only get in the fire department’s way. I’ll call.”
She looked uncertain. “Okay. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“I will.” He gave her another kiss and headed for the door.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulled up to Off-the-Grid. Couldn’t miss it tonight. The street was completely blocked with emergency vehicles, illuminating the night with red flashing lights. He pulled over behind Ethan’s Jeep on the side of the road. Up ahead, he could see Ethan and Ryan standing behind the nearest fire truck.
He strode toward them.
“Looks like an electrical fire,” Ethan said when he reached them. “It’s mostly out now.”
Mark looked at the little white house that served as their office building, dwarfed now by the fire trucks surrounding it. Smoke rose from the rear of the building, but no flames were visible. “How much damage?”
Ryan was shaking his head. “Too soon to say. I’ll get on the phone with our insurance company as soon as they open to get a claim started.”
“Bad fucking news either way,” Ethan said, staring at the house.
Mark knew it was true. They’d only been in business a year, had just started turning a profit. And now, with the added expense of the mortgage on the new land, this was the worst time for something like this to happen.
***
Jessica tossed and turned in bed. What was going on at Off-the-Grid? How bad was the fire? Should she go after Mark even though he’d told her to stay here? She rubbed Bear’s furry ears. The dog had jumped up in bed with her as soon as he’d left and now lay sprawled across his side of the bed, her head on his pillow, snoring loudly.
Giving up on sleep, Jessica went into the kitchen and fixed herself a cup of tea. Why hadn’t he called yet? Did that mean the fire was still burning?
Finally, just past six o’clock, her cell phone rang.
“What’s going on?” she asked Mark.
“Fire’s out. Looks like it was an electrical fire. We’re waiting to be cleared to walk through the building with the fire marshal.”
