Zoe hadn’t met her other neighbor yet. She’d been so busy getting the store ready she hadn’t taken the time to walk next door to introduce herself.
Elba withdrew and stepped over to Tim and the woman. “Laura. You can’t go closer. It’s too dangerous.”
She stopped struggling. “It’s all I have,” she whispered.
“I know.” She hugged Laura and Tim let her go. Elba looked over Laura’s shoulder at Zoe as Tim pulled her into his embrace. “I know.”
Zoe stared at the flames devouring the building. It was all any of them had.
* * *
Tim turnedonto their street and glanced at Zoe again. He’d taken every opportunity to look at her and check on her. She’d been almost silent for the last hour, barely responding with one-word answers. He parked in his driveway and turned off the engine.
“Are you—?”
She was already out of the truck, closing the door softly, and walking around the hood to go to her house.
He scrambled out. “Zoe. Talk to me.” He caught up with her and tried to take her hand.
“Tim, I’m tired. I just want to go home and go to sleep.”
She wouldn’t look at him.
“Okay. I’m going to call into work—they’ll understand.”
“Alone.”
She finally looked at him and it broke his heart. There was no life in her eyes. It could have been exhaustion but he could feel her pulling away, even though she was inches away from him.
“Zoe, it’ll be okay.”
“Exactly how is it going to be okay? How, Tim? Explain it to me. My entire life just went up in flames. Literally!”
“Insurance will cover—”
“The loan, if I’m lucky. It won’t buy me new inventory. It won’t find me a new location I can afford. It won’t get me another loan and it sure as hell won’t provide an income so I can live.” She ticked off each item on her fingers.
“I’m here to help you.”
“How? Are you going to support me while I figure out what the hell I’m going to do with my life?”
“If that’s what you need, then yes.”
“Puta que pariu!” She threw up her hands, turned away from him, and turned back. “I don’t need you to take care of me, Tim. I don’t need you to save me and I sure as hell am not going to rely on another man for anything.”
She couldn’t have shocked him more if she’d punched him. He inherently knew she was angry and lashing out, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. “So I’m just another man now?”
He saw the shift in her gaze. The understanding that she’d hurt him, but she didn’t answer his question and that hurt almost as much.
She shook her head and pressed her lips together. “I just need to be alone right now.” She turned and walked away.
Fuck. He ran his hands through his hair and stared after her. Following her would be a bad idea. Letting her walk away was a bad idea. He was well and truly fucked.
His phone rang and he pulled it from his back pocket. “Chief, I was going to call in a few minutes. I need today off.”
“I need you in today. The fire downtown was arson.”
* * *
