Standing at the door, she absentmindedly fingered the locket Derek had given her as she took in the results of all her hard work. Her chest expanded with pride at what she’d accomplished in such a short period of time.
When her phone dinged inside her purse, she pulled it out and answered it with a smile.
“Hey, handsome.”
“Hey, yourself.” Derek’s voice sounded even deeper over the phone. “What are you up to?”
“I was just about to leave the office. You?”
“What do ya know, I’m leavin’ the office, too. Want to meet at my place? I could throw a couple of steaks on the grill.”
Her stomach chose that exact moment to growl. She’d skipped lunch so she could finish what needed to be done at the office.
“Sounds perfect. I’ll see you soon.”
“Not soon enough.”
Charlie felt almost giddy as she drove to Derek’s house. She loved how easy it was to be with him. How easy it was to love him.The complete opposite of Caleb.
She chastised herself for comparing the two men. It happened less and less, and Charlie knew—or, at least shehoped—she’d break herself of that habit soon.
Really, there was no comparison. Derek was the sweetest, most loving man she’d ever known. Even his years as a SEAL hadn’t hardened him.
He didn’t talk much about that time in his life, but it couldn’t have been easy. Through the years, Charlie had snuck enough books about Navy SEALS home from the library and watched several documentaries about those guys to know he’d most likely been through hell and back.
Yet, somehow, he still walked around with that adorable smile and a light in his eyes that never seemed to dim.
A plume of smoke in the distance caught her eye, making Charlie’s heart beat a little harder. She was still too far away to be sure, but it almost looked as though it could be coming from Derek’s neighborhood.
The image of his bludgeoned car flashed through her mind, and Charlie reflexively picked up speed. Five minutes later, she turned onto his road and saw that wooden barricades had been placed up ahead.
Forced to stop at the end of the block, she spotted Derek’s rental car parked at an angle in the middle of the road. It was butted up next to the barricades.Oh, no.
Two large fire trucks and a few other emergency vehicles blocked her view of his house, but in her gut, she already knew.
Out of her mind with worry, Charlie didn’t even bother to grab her purse or keys. She just got out of her car and ran to find him.
When she saw him talking to one of the firefighters, she called out his name. A police officer stepped in her path, but Derek hollered at him to let her through.
As she got closer to where Derek stood, she caught her first glimpse of the destructive inferno. Her heart broke at the sight of Derek’s beautiful, cozy home engulfed in flames.
Tears were falling from Charlie’s eyes before she’d even made it to his side. Though he tried to hide it, the devastation in his eyes was clear.
“Derek!” she ran to him.
He opened his arms, and Charlie went to him. Holding him tightly, she said, “I’m so sorry.”
Heat from the flames licked her body, and the smell of smoke was pungent as it consumed the air above them.
Firefighters were in full gear as they stood around the structure. Thick ropes of water shot from the end of their hoses, arching over the porch and onto the sagging roof.
No one said it, but Charlie knew. There was nothing they could do now but stand there and watch while virtually everything Derek owned turned to ash.
“What happened?” She pulled back to look at him.
He shook his head. “Don’t know yet.”
“We probably won’t know anything until tomorrow at the earliest,” the firefighter standing next to Derek spoke up.
