Page 17 of Raging Inferno

“Oh, those are good,” Gia exclaimed, making her own with the same words.

Gia made one for Presley with her name, and she returned the favor. Then Gia handed her one that said “Bestie” with hearts on either side. Presley’s own heart squeezed.

They slid on their bracelets and examined them. Presley took a picture of both of their arms, much to Gia’s delight. By the time they finished, it was well past Gia’s bedtime, as posted on the fridge.

“Can I please stay with you until Daddy gets home?”

She looked so hopeful that Presley couldn’t say no. She wasn’t a very good babysitter. “Sure.”

They found a show on Nickelodeon that Gia loved and settled on the couch. Gia nodded off soon after, and Presley covered her with a blanket. Major approached her with his tail wagging, which she took to mean he needed to go out. When she stood, he loped ahead of her to a set of sliding doors leading to aback deck. Presley found a switch for a light and stood watching as he ran around and sniffed several places before doing his business. There was a pooper scooper hanging on a hook, along with a package of baggies. She assumed the covered can beneath was to deposit the bags . . . and lifting the lid proved her right. She made quick work of cleaning up the mess and heading back inside.

She’d seen a doggy door in the mudroom, but a quick check told her it was locked, probably for when Major was inside by himself for an extended period.

Major resettled on his doggie bed. Somehow, Gia had taken up more of the couch. Presley didn’t want to wake her, so she sat in a recliner she knew had to be Dominic’s because it smelled faintly of aftershave. She inhaled deeply. Divine.

Focusing on the television, Presley tried to keep her eyes open.

#

Dominic was exhausted. He should’ve been home hours ago. The firefighters’ schedule was forty-eight hours on and ninety-six hours off in three shifts, but as captain, his were nine to five, Monday through Friday. He worked late or assisted with a fire if needed. Each shift consisted of two lieutenants who were in charge when he wasn’t around. He’d handpicked them and trusted them implicitly to do the job.

What made the fire he’d worked tonight different was that it was also a crime scene. That didn’t happen often in Serenity Shores. Now they’d had two in a matter of days.

Dom reeked of smoke and sweat as he drove his SUV home. Guilt settled heavily on his shoulders for foisting his daughter off on Presley Parrish, a woman he didn’t even know. She hadn’t come back home to act as his childcare provider.

He’d called Mrs. Maxx to find out why she hadn’t picked up Gia, only to learn she’d been in a car accident in Duluth andwas currently hospitalized. She would be okay, but she couldn’t watch Gia for a while. Neither could her daughter, Nelly, since she would be caring for her mother. That meant he needed to come up with an alternate plan.

Dom pushed the button to open the garage door and drove past Presley’s SUV with Indiana plates. He entered the house through the mudroom entry off the garage and kicked off his boots. He’d thought about showering at the station when they’d returned, but he didn’t want Presley to stay longer than necessary. Dom had already imposed too much.

The house was dark when he stepped into the kitchen, except for the bluish lights emanating from the television. Major came bounding to him, and he ruffled his head. Instead of being tucked in her bed, Gia was asleep on the couch. Presley leaped to her feet and spun around as he neared the living room, her hand reaching for what he assumed to be a weapon. He wondered if she was armed around his daughter. He had guns but kept them locked in a safe where Gia couldn’t get to them.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I’m a light sleeper.”

“Are you carrying?”

She glanced down at her hand and dropped it to her side. “Habit, and usually, yes. I locked it in my SUV with Gia around.”

He let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Thank you.”

“Tell me about the fire.”

“Let me put Gia to bed first and change my clothes.”

He walked to the couch and scooped his daughter in his arms. Her familiar scent made his heart clench. She was so precious. She snuggled against him as he carried her to her room. Dom made sure her stuffed unicorn, Swift, was beside her as he tucked the covers tightly against her.

Dom stared at his daughter. She was growing up so fast. As much as he wanted her to remain his baby girl, she was quickly becoming a young woman.

Dom knew Gia hated living in Serenity Shores. It held terrible memories for her of a mother who had verbally abused and then abandoned her. If Dom could, he would move them somewhere else so she didn’t have to live constantly with the demons of her past.

It had been getting worse as Gia aged, and guilt assailed him that she didn’t have a female role model, especially as she neared her teens. Then again, having no one was a vastly better option than the woman who had given birth to her.

Dom had been planning on looking for fire inspector jobs around the country. He had the training and qualifications. He enjoyed his job as captain, but his daughter’s happiness was the most important consideration in any decision he could make.

Before he faced Presley again, he dashed to his room and jumped in the shower. He felt much better when he stepped out and dried off. A quick shave took care of his five o’clock shadow. He brushed his teeth and found sweats to pair with a Serenity Shores Fire Department T-shirt.

When he returned to the living room, Presley was asleep. He noticed the bracelets on her arm and smiled. That was Gia’s doing. She loved making them for her friends. He had several on his nightstand that she had made for him.

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