Her laugh came out thin but real. “I wasn’t the one sprinting into a burning building.”
“No. You were the one keeping a maniac talking long enough for me to find you. That takes guts.”
“I thought I’d lost you.” Her voice cracked, and my heart broke a little. I thought I’d lost her too, but that only made me realize how much I loved her. It fueled me even more. Milly had become my world, and I wasn’t going to let her go. Not without a fight.
“You didn’t,” I said. “Just a little singed.”
Her shoulders dropped, and the blanket slipped a little. “You scared me.”
“I know.”
Her mouth twitched. “I feel guilty for getting caught, tied up, and almost killing you in the process.” Her eyes filled.
I brushed a thumb across her cheek, smearing a line of soot. “You just survived a fire and a lunatic. You survived. You have nothing to feel guilty about. I’m still here, and you’re alive.”
The horizon was starting to bleed pale gold behind the mountains. Light touched the snow, turning it into a field of glitter. The barn’s ruins stood as a reminder of the night.
Milly leaned her head against my shoulder.
“Do you ever wonder why Penny trusted us with all this?” she asked.
“All the time,” I said. “Maybe she knew we’d need it.”
“I think she was meddling,” Milly murmured.
“She probably was, but you have to admit, she was right about most things,” I said. “Including us.”
The last fire truck and ambulance pulled away, tires crunching over gravel and snow. Sue handed us two mugs. “Hot chocolate.” Her smile shifted. “I’m glad you’re okay.” There was a raspiness in her voice. She cleared her throat. “I’m going to leave you two alone now. If you need me, you know where to find me.” She got in her car and followed the ambulance.
Milly took a small sip, eyes on the north field. “It doesn’t even look real,” she whispered.
“It’s just wood,” I said. “The heart of this place is still standing.”
She turned, searching my face. “The clinic?”
“You.” I kissed her forehead.
She closed her eyes for a beat. I could almost feel her prayer thread into my heart.
Levi jogged up the hill, cheeks pink with cold. “Palmer’s going to check a few things, but says things are all tied up for now. If you need anything, holler.” He saluted, then left, with Mason right behind.
When they drove off, it all seemed so surreal. Sherlock bleated in the distance, and the horses had finally settled down. Inspector appeared on the porch rail, whiskers twitching, tail a metronome. Milly reached up and scratched behind his ear.
Milly laughed, soft and shaky.
SHe looked like a wreck. A beautiful wreck. And I was all hers.
“Browne called earlier. He’s on his way,” I said. “We’ll give him the statement. Then you’re resting. No debate.”
“I’m not the one who ran through fire twice.”
“You’re the one I’d do it for again.”
Her voice was low and didn’t sound brave. It felt inevitable. My throat closed, like my body was trying to hold my heart in place, and for a second, I couldn’t tell if the shaking in me was from the cold, shock, or the sheer fact that she meant it.
For one heartbeat, everything stilled.
The night’s heat still clung to me—smoke, snow, and stubborn survival baked into my skin. And in Milly’s eyes, I saw it: the fact that I’d walked into the fire twice and still ended up here, steadying myself. Milly had already claimed my heart. I loved her.
