Page 98 of Wish You Were Mine

I stood too. “I’ll get the Baileys.”

Kennedy winked at me, even though we both knew she wouldn’t be having any. Not while pregnant.

Mum and I were quiet while we prepared the drinks. We loaded them onto a tray, but just before we took them out, she wrapped one arm around my shoulders and gave me a quick hug.

“Good job, sweetheart,” she murmured. “You got your man.”

My cheeks heated. “Hopefully, I’ll keep him.”

She ruffled my hair. “I have faith in you both.”

“Me too,” I whispered, emotion stinging my eyes.

Perhaps I was afraid to believe in us. I didn’t want to get my hopes up and then shatter them. But I honestly thought we could have something special.

I cleared my throat, and between us, we carried the tray of hot chocolates out, being careful to avoid spillage. We drank while watching the snow fall in fat white flakes. I smiled at Asher, and his eyes crinkled in the corners, warmth swimming in their depths.

When we’d finished our drinks, the men cleared the dishes away while the women relaxed in the living room. By the time the men joined us, Finn was starting to fuss, so we decided it was time for everyone to head home. Those who had jackets donned them and we exited through the front door as a group.

As we drew near to the road, I frowned at a car parked a couple of hundred yards away. The Braddocks lived in the country, so there shouldn’t be anyone else in the area. Unless perhaps these were tourists who’d pulled over while they looked up directions.

As I watched, the car tore off the grass and careened up the road, fishtailing when it passed over an icy patch and nearly taking out a street sign.

“What the hell was that?” I asked.

46

ASHER

As we all stared after the car that had sped into the distance, my phone rang. I pulled it from my pocket and checked the screen. It was Parks. Perhaps there was an emergency at work, or he needed cover for someone else’s shift.

“Hey boss,” I answered.

“Asher.” His voice was strained. “Are you home?”

I frowned. “No, why?”

If he needed extra manpower, I could get there quickly anyway, but I’d prefer to have a few minutes to talk over the morning’s events with Summer first.

“We’ve had reports of a fire at your address.”

The word didn’t compute. “I’m sorry, what?”

Parks heaved a sigh. “Either someone is pranking you, or your house is on fire.”

“Fuck. I’ll be there soon.”

I hung up and shoved the phone back into my pocket, then, without pausing to explain, raced toward my car. A flurry of movement in my peripheral vision let me know that Summer was only a couple of steps behind me. I pushed a button to unlock my car and threw myself into the driver’s seat.

“What is it?” Summer asked as I started the engine and pulled onto the road almost as quickly as the other vehicle had earlier.

“Fire at my place,” I said shortly.

I was aware of her making a phone call, but I focused solely on the road. As we turned in the direction of home, I noticed for the first time a plume of smoke rising through the falling snow.

I slowed down a little as we entered the township, but I was still going too fast as I took the roads that would lead me home. A siren wailed behind me, and I pulled over to allow the fire engine to pass, then followed quickly behind. We arrived at the same time.

I leapt out of the car and stared, hardly able to believe my eyes. Flames had engulfed the front porch and were licking at the roof and around the sides of the house. As I watched, the front window, which had only just been repaired, cracked from the heat.

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