“It’ll take more than a bungalow fire to get rid of me.” Flint stares down at me with a smile, his fingers sweeping the hair from my face. “But you, firecracker, may be the death of me yet.”
Hollywood chuckles. “You need anything or are you good?”
“All good. Get the rest of the crew to start overhaul. Make sure utilities are cut and check for hot spots.”
Flint turns to Bear, who’s already striding over, helmet tucked under his arm, soot streaking his face.
“Bear, you’ve got command,” Flint says, his voice gravelly but firm.
Bear hands me a blanket. “Copy that, Chief.”
Hollywood jogs off to relay orders while Bear takes charge, shouting over the hiss of water and the groan of weakened timber.
My body trembles under the blanket, but with the heat rolling off what’s left of my bungalow, I’m not cold.
“Come on. I’ll take you home,” Flint says, his fingers curling under my chin and his lips pressing against my forehead again.
“Where is home?” I say with a tremble of my lips, staring at the melted plastic windowsill, the only home I’ve ever known nothing but cinders.
Flint kisses my cheek as if kissing away my tears. “Home is with me, where you belong.”
I suck in a breath, my heart beating wildly and out of rhythm. More tears streak my cheeks, and I pinch myself to check this isn’t a dream or a nightmare. I can’t tell.
Jo gives me a hug. “You gonna be all right? I have a spare sofa if you need it.”
I nod. “Thank’s. I’ll be all right with Flint.”
Flint leads me to his command truck and opens the passenger door for me. “We should get you checked out.”
“Please. Just take me home.” Home. I look back at my home, my past, and then look back to Flint as if he’s my future. My body shivers again, and I clutch the blanket tighter around me.
“Get in, sweetheart.”
This man has always been there for me, from when his son dumped me to when my nan passed away and now, while my entire life is smouldering in the background.
Once Flint’s in the driver’s seat, he reaches over and takes my hand into his large palm, then brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles.
Warmth spreads throughout my limbs. His kisses still seared into my skin on my face.
He drives away from my home, the smoke fading into the background, but he doesn’t let go of my hand, as if he knows I need him to ground me and tether me to him before I fall apart completely.
“The guys will make sure the perimeter’s safe. The main damage was the living room. There may be some things salvageable in the bedroom at the back.” He brings my knuckles to his lips again and kisses them, sending another shiver through my limbs, and a tingling warmth.
I nod with a sniffle. “It’s like I’ve lost Nanna all over again. Her things were the only thing I had left of her.”
“I know, baby.” His calloused thumb strokes the back of my hand where he holds me tight.
“Do you think it was the Christmas lights? I had to change a fuse today.”
“The lights seemed fine when I helped you put the decorations up.” He swallows hard. “I should’ve been there to check the fuse. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“It’s not your fault. It just doesn’t make sense because I didn’t even turn the lights on. I went to the movies.”
“We’ll do an investigation and figure out what happened. I don’t want you to worry about any of that tonight.” Flint drives the truck down his street past the cedar trees that line the road. He parks in his driveway, then rounds the truck to my side, opening the passenger door for me.
I slide out of the truck with a cough, smoke still in my lungs, but the air is clearer here, salt blowing on the breeze from the shoreline.
“A hot shower will help with that.” He takes my hand and walks me to the front door, guiding me into his home.
