Page 13 of Hearts Like Hers

Kate followed her down the counter where shepoured the hot cup and fastened a to-go lid. She offered a lazy smile. “So, Ihad no idea that you worked here.”

“She owns here,” Isabel supplied.

Kate nodded. “Or that. Very cool.” Sheaccepted the coffee and handed over a credit card.

“Kate Carpenter,” Autumn read off the card,reminding herself of Kate’s last name. “Well, welcome to our little community,Kate Carpenter.”

“Thanks. Are you here tomorrow?”

“We’re here every day,” Autumn saidautomatically, all the while noting that Kate came with a lot of presence. Theroom felt smaller with her in it. Autumn’s senses shifted into overdrive, andevery little detail of the shop seemed amplified. The smooth texture of thecounter beneath her fingertips. The hum of the overhead lights. The whisperingof her friends in the corner. Autumn found the whole experience rather astounding.

“No,” Kate said. “I meant willyoube here tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Autumn said, leaving her mouth in thatshape for an extra beat.

“I stopped by two days ago and it was just akid behind the counter. No you.”

Isabel and Hadley slowly lowered themselves intochairs. The only thing that would have made the picture more complete wouldhave been tubs of popcorn in their laps.

“I will be here tomorrow.”

“Good. Then me too.” Another two-way stare, ascorching one, ensued and the air around Autumn heated considerably. “’Night,everyone. Autumn.” Kate made her way to the door and out into the night. Autumnand her friends turned to one another.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Hadleysaid quietly.

“Have to agree.” Isabel nodded. “That wasnoteworthy.”

“So, not just me?” Autumn asked.

“Definitely not,” Isabel said. “She wanted toput out your fire, Autumn. And I think you started one in her, too.”

Hadley grinned and pointed at the door. “Thatwoman right there is your walking alarm clock.”

“My alarm clock?” Autumn asked.

Hadley walked to the counter and regardedAutumn. “What was your new goal? The one you described to me on the trip backfrom Tahoe.”

Autumn met her gaze with a knowing smile.“It’s time to start living.”

Isabel folded her arms. “Let the living commence.”

Chapter Four

Kate’s lungs burned painfully and she couldn’t seewhere she was going. Without her gear, she didn’t have much time before thesmoke would overwhelm her and take her down. The sound of hysterical screamspersisted and kept her moving. No matter how heavy her limbs felt, no matterhow hot the air was that sliced along her bare arms, she pressed on. Why hadn’tshe worn long sleeves today? As long as she could still hear the kids, therewas no way she was turning back. But the hallway got longer. No matter how fastshe moved, no matter how much ground she covered, the door drifted impossiblyfarther away.

She’d never get there. No matter what shedid.

Kate sat up in bed, gasping frantically forair. The sound of her ragged inhales sent a bolt of terror as she clutched herchest and looked blindly around the darkened room for water. She didn’trecognize her surroundings. Where the hell was she? Reality punctured herpanicked brain.

The apartment in Venice.

Her heart rate slowed.

She was in bed, not back in that burninghouse. Not knowing what to do with herself, she threw the sheets off her body.Now covered in sweat, she walked the length of the apartment, not once ortwice, but for the next hour. The movement had a way of calming her mind andanchoring her in the here and now.

She knew what had brought on the nightmare.Kate had promised herself that once she left Slumberton, she’d stop checking inon the kids, but that was asking the impossible. Ren had been released from thehospital after only a couple of days, but he was older, stronger. It had takenlittle Eva longer. She’d only been released earlier that day. Kate knew becausethe local news had covered her release and she’d pulled it up online.“Six-Year-Old Fire Victim Released from Hospital.” Eva looked good in the onephoto that had accompanied the article, if a little shy from the cameraattention. She smiled meekly from the arms of the nurse who held her as she wastransported from the hospital to a state home for kids. But what now? Whatwould life look like for Ren and Eva when, in the course of one afternoon,their entire world changed forever?

Kate poured herself a shot of rum, an oldtrick that would slow her nervous system, bring down her adrenaline after afire, and help her find a way to relax enough to sleep so she could get up andgo back to work. As the alcohol burned a potent trail down her throat, sheclosed her eyes and waited for it to take hold.

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