Page 36 of Hearts Like Hers

Hadley smiled warmly at her. “I’m reallyhappy for you. It’s like everything is coming together for you. And now, withKate, it seems like you’re even getting your groove back.”

Autumn reflected on Kate, how it was herwords that had steered Autumn through this process, set her on a path. She wasgrateful, and thought the world of Kate, but she was also a realist. “She’sgreat, but we’re both pretty unavailable right now.”

“Oh, see, there you go ruining all of myromantic happily-ever-after fantasies. Tell me there’s hope there for you two.”

“I can’t do that. I’m trying to have a baby.Not exactly the best pickup line, and Kate has things of her own going on backhome. She’s here for a limited amount of time and is trying to simplify herlife, not add to it.”

“I hate it when you go and make sense. Iprefer to dream.”

“I wouldn’t ever want you to stop. It’s thevery best thing about you.” She gathered her belongings and stood. “Get somesleep. You’ve earned your friendship badge tonight.”

Hadley clapped happily under her chin.“Consolation prize. I’m feeling better already. And, Autumn?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m really proud of you. Genuinely.”

Autumn wasn’t an emotional person, but therewas something about the way Hadley said those words that had her misting up.“Thank you. For the first time in a long time, it feels like I’m working towardsomething for me, you know? Carving out my own destiny.”

Hadley nodded with confidence. “And you’re goingto knock it out of the park.”

Chapter Eight

The day of the fire had started off like any otherday in Slumberton. Kate was off for three days after pulling a long week at thefirehouse, sleeping over, and waiting for something to happen. Not much did inSlumberton. A few vehicle fires, an occasional rescue, but that particular weekhad been noticeably slow. She’d been waiting, just waiting, for something theycould respond to. A life to save, a difference to make.

She’d give anything to take all that backnow.

You wouldn’t have known it would be animportant day in Kate’s life given the way it started out. She’d washed hertruck that morning, stopped by The Plot Thickens to say hey to Randy beforepicking up a few groceries at the Stop and Shop. Instead of mowing the backlawn as she’d planned, she’d goofed off that afternoon and lost herself in amovie on television, the name of which she couldn’t have told you, even at thetime. The bright spot would be happy hour with a few of her friends and coworkersat Mitchy’s, the most popular of the three bars in town. As usual, she and herpals from the station would drink and joke and argue good-naturedly before theparty would inevitably break up around ten p.m. They’d all disperse by foot orcab to their various houses and do it all again the next week. It’s what youdid in a small town.

Only happy hour that day never happened.

She’d been on her way to Mitchy’s when sheheard the screams. It had taken her a minute to understand that they were notsounds from a raucous barbecue, or teenagers goofing off with nothing else todo in the small community. No, these were inarguable screams of panic, raw andshrill, and awful. A shiver moved up Kate’s back when she heard them.Instinctively, she followed the sound, doubling back from her route to the bar,stopping only to grab a blanket from the backseat of her truck. Once shechanged direction, it wasn’t the screams that led her to the house, it was thebillowing smoke, beckoning her like the most garish of genies. She called it inon her phone as she ran, only discovering once she got closer that it was theHiggins home on fire.

Eva’s and Ren’s.

Her heart stopped and adrenaline surged.

“We got a house fire,” she told dispatch,doing everything she could to remain in control, to honor her training.“Twenty-four ten Claymore. House at the end of the street. Possible threepeople inside. Smoke billowing and flames visible.”

The screams she’d heard had come from agathering of neighbors, who stood along the curb looking on, horrified. Whenshe arrived on the scene, Kate quickly assessed the situation and asked ifanyone knew the cause or if anyone was inside. No one did. One of her olderneighbors, a man, moved toward the house and back again. He wanted to dosomething but wasn’t sure what.

“Sir, I need you to move back. Can you do mea favor and move everyone across the street?”

Grateful for a task, he nodded emphaticallyand did as Kate asked.

Flames were already visible on the exteriorof the home, licking their way up the B side of the house, which was bad newsbecause she didn’t have her gear. Protocol would keep her outside the buildinguntil backup arrived and she was properly outfitted in her turnout gear andradio, but protocol could go to fucking hell, there could be kids in thathouse.Herkids, the ones she looked out for. How could this have happened? She shouldn’thave let it. It was a ridiculous notion, but it was what fled through her mindthat evening.

“Stay here and let rescue know I’m inside,”she told the man before running up the sidewalk to the home. She didn’t think,she acted. There was nothing to think about. She stopped at the outdoor faucetnext to the garage and doused the blanket with water. The front door wasunlocked and not overly hot, which allowed her to take a step inside and assessthe situation. From outside, it looked like the blaze was centered on the Bside of the house, and what she saw inside confirmed that. She made an initialsweep of the small downstairs living area and kitchen. It was clear. The smokecame from the stairs off the living room, which set her on a path to the secondstory, and the likely source of the fire. The lungful of smoke that hit her asshe ascended the stairs stalled her progress, leaving her coughing to clear herairway. Amateur move. She pulled her shirt over the bottom portion of her faceand moved slowly, taking in what she could. She listened and heard the quietsound of a child yelling the word “help” over the low roar of flames not faraway. Her throat tightened and burned as she moved toward the sound, stayinglow, the blanket under her arm, willing her heart to slow its incessantthumping. She was in control. This was no different from any other scene.

Only it was.

“Eva, Ren, stay where you are!” she called out.“It’s Kate. I’m on my way to you. Don’t worry.” Flames traveled the seam of thewall where it met the ceiling, slithering rapidly and crackling in her ears.She took note of how fast they spread. Her calculations left her just a minuteor two to evacuate the inhabitants before the fire took hold and raged beyondcontrol. The door to her left at the top of the stairs stood closed. Shesquinted through the thick smoke to another door open at the end of thehallway. Unsure which room to try first, she listened. Another cry pulled herto her left and she had her answer. She placed a hand on the door and pulled itback from the heat.

“Hurry,” she heard Ren yell from inside.

It was all the prompting she needed.

She pushed the door open to see Eva and Rensitting together on a bed, a cartoon bedspread pulled all around them,insulating them from the smoke. Ren sat in front of Eva protectively, as tearsstreamed down both faces. The room hung thick with smoke, and flames lickedinto the room from the closet. Kate quickly realized that the fire had mostlikely originated from the room at the end of the hallway and was burning itsway right. No time to think. She extended a hand to the kids, who refused tomove from where they sat. She didn’t blame them. The fire was hot and sweattrickled down the sides of her face.

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