Page 47 of Sadie's Guarded Harbor

People continued to pour out of the mouth of the courthouse, fear and panic evident on their faces.

Had one of them seen something? Known some sick sonofabitch had started a fire and locked a woman in a room to die? Anger pulsed through his body with every breath. Someone had tried to kill Sadie. And when he found out who, Tommy would make sure the asshole paid.

The hurried fallof footsteps shuffling outside the curtained-in space ruffled in Sadie’s ears. The distinct smell of a hospital—a not-so-subtle fusion of disinfectant and sickness—battled with the overpowering scent of smoke absorbed in her uniform.

She hated hospitals and all the memories attached to them. Work brought her to the emergency room more than she’d like, but usually it was to speak with witnesses or accompany a criminal who needed attended. Not sitting scared and wheezing on a hard mattress, waiting for a doctor to clear her.

Tommy leaned forward in the chair he’d placed right next to the bed. An unnatural paleness washed out his normally vibrant features, making the scar on the side of his face stand out. He bounced his knee up and down, a sign he was just as uncomfortable sitting in the emergency room as she was. “How are you feeling?”

She cleared the crud from her throat. “Better.”

“I should have been there with you. I’m so sorry.” Worry shone from his hazel eyes. He clenched and unclenched his fists as they sat on his knees.

“You have nothing to apologize for.” Craving the comfort he’d given her the previous night, she gathered all her courage and rested a hand on his.

His gaze shot up to meet hers.

“You saved my life. No way I could have made it out of there on my own.”

Opening his hand, he flipped it palm up and wrapped his warm fingers around hers. “As soon as we get out of here, we’ll talk to the Fire Marshal. Someone started that fire. Did you hear anything? See anyone? Even before you got to the basement. Maybe you noticed someone lurking as you went inside.”

She shook her head. Her hair swept in front of her face, and she cringed. The loose strands were saturated in smoke. She’d need to wash it soon or the smell would plague her. “I got to the courthouse and parked, waved at Patsy, then hurried inside. I was in the file room for about forty-five minutes. The door slammed closed, which was odd. The smell of smoke hit me first, then the fire. I tried to get out, but the door was stuck.”

Her heart rate kicked up at the memory. She closed her eyes, determined not to break down again. She’d let herself fall apart once, now she had to keep it together and tell Tommy exactly what happened. If she couldn’t go over the details, they’d never figure out who’d started the fire.

The mattress dipped and warmth wrapped around her shoulders.

Smiling, she opened her eyes and leaned against Tommy. For once, she didn’t care who walked in—who saw her giving in to the primal need for human connection—she relaxed against his side and evened her breathing. Calmed the beat of her heart. “I thought I was going to die.” Her whispered words competed with the beeping monitors.

Tommy rested his forehead on her temple. “I’d never let that happen.”

The curtain flew open. Sadie straightened, but she kept her hand secured in Tommy’s.

Concern and fear shone through Katherine’s tight expression as she marched to the bed and threw her arms around Sadie. “Thank God you’re all right.”

Warmth and acceptance washed over Sadie like a spring rain—welcomed and desperately needed. “What are you doing here?”

Katherine pulled away and hoisted a tote bag off her shoulder. “I brought you clothes. Tommy called when you got here. He figured you wouldn’t want to wear clothes that smelled like they’d been dried over a campfire. You’re a little smaller than me, but these should work for now.”

Tears of gratitude formed in her eyes. “Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do.” Katherine set the bag on the vacant chair. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah. Just want to get out of here.”

Katherine smiled. “I totally understand.”

Loud footsteps pounded toward them. Sadie raised her brows and glanced at Tommy, who shrugged. The curtain pulled back again, and the Sheriff barged in.

Tommy tightened his grip on her hand. A fleeting thought of pulling away tempted her, but she stayed put. Even after thesheriff dropped his gaze to their joined hands, over to Katherine, then back to Sadie’s face. “Deputy Pennel. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Sheriff.”

He huffed out an annoyed breath. “Please, call me Mike. I spoke to the fire department. The damage was contained to the basement, but the scene at the courthouse is a mess.”

“Has anyone checked the surveillance cameras?” Tommy asked.

Mike yanked his hat off his head. “The cameras show someone go to the basement, throw something in the room, and slam the door close. The suspect wore a large black hoodie and covered his or her face.”

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