Page 25 of Free to Live
“And she’s not partying with her friends during her break?” I ask incredulously, thinking back to what I would likely have been doing at young Jenna’s age.
I hear a rich laugh behind me. Turning, I expect to find a similar replica of Ali’s tall blondeness. Instead, my drops downward to meet the eyes of a petite brunette. “Joe? Cassidy Freeman.” Her smile lights up her face even as she holds out her hand. I take it carefully in mine, careful not to crush the delicate bones. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from Phil and Jason.”
I wince. What must these people think of me? Before I can get another apology out of my mouth, a hand drops on my shoulder. My head turns, and I meet Phil Freeman-Ross’s smiling eyes. “All good things, Joe,” he says quietly. “Jason says hello.”
Jesus, I can barely swallow past the lump in my throat. Despite running into Jason the other day, I can hardly comprehend how the two men I attacked so wrongly can forgive me when I can barely forgive myself. I nod, even as I hold out my hand. “Good to see you, Phil.”
His lips quirk in a half smile even as he grips my hand tightly. “You too.” Turning toward Cassidy, he asks, “Where’s everyone else? We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.” Phil sounds authoritative, but I can tell who’s really in charge when Cassidy rolls her eyes.
Trying to hide my laugh behind a cough, I fail when Ali hears her brother and chimes in, “Please, Phil. The only reason you’re on time anywhere is that that I finally have you on an electronic leash. Cori’s bringing up snacks; Holly and Em are helping.”
My father and Chief Drever simultaneously groan aloud. “Corinna’s baking?” My father, the man who swears off most desserts, is practically drooling like a St. Bernard puppy.
Ali pats his arm gently. “It’s okay, Chief. She also made a box for you to take home to your wife.”
“Actually, I made enough for everyone to take some home tonight.” A voice that sounds like rich honey and whose owner has eyes that match strolls into the room. She’s carrying a tray of brownies. “Hey, y’all,” she calls out.
“Hey, Cori,” her siblings call back. Phil starts to slide her way, but Cassidy hooks an arm around his stomach. He practically trips over his feet. “What’s your problem, Cass?” he gripes.
“Our guests get first dibs, Phillip,” she snaps.
“If brownies aren’t to your liking, Cori also baked cookies,” a willowy blonde calls out. “I’m Emily.” She smiles at my father, Chief Drever, and Detective Idrissi first before throwing a smile over my way. Spotting Cassidy’s arms wrapped around Phil’s waist, she directs her comment directly to him. “You have issues. Jason should really find someone to deal with them for you.”
“More than just a few, Em. We’ve always known that,” a husky voice drawls from the hallway.
All the occupants of the room, myself included, burst out laughing. But the minute the voice takes shape and walks through the doorway, my laughter disappears as does the oxygen in my lungs.
Fire.
Ever since I was a child, I was warned about the most dangerous kind of fire long ago. It lives and breathes, sways and moves. It ignites your every sense until it’s tingling.
Fire comes in all forms.
What they didn’t train me on was apparently it cascades in silken sheets down the back of a woman. No one warned me a woman’s skin could block the sun; her skin is so fair. No one told me firelight would dance in the face of a woman who’s merely pushing a cart of coffee into the conference room filled with people or that she’d do it with a camera hanging from her neck like it’s an everyday occurrence.
“Hey, everyone.” Coming to a stop next to Corinna, she ducks her head to fiddle with a few dials on the camera around her neck.
At that moment, a cloud shifts. Light streams through leaded glass surrounding the conference room windows, illuminating her beauty even further before she lifts her camera to her face.
All I can think is, God, I can’t let the fire consume me.
Cassidy beams. “Great, now that Holly’s here, we can get started. Why doesn’t everyone take a seat?”
Inside, my stomach rolls as I realize this is the last Freeman sister we’ve been waiting for. But I feel like I’m knocked off my feet by a blast of water from a fire engine when I realize as she moves closer, I’ve seen that face before. Most recently when I caught her body against mine as our crew barreled into her at Genoa.
I feel like I’m coming out of a long, deep sleep as our eyes meet briefly. She smiles, and my gut clenches, before she turns to say something to Cassidy, who nods in return.
We all move around the table, except Holly. She moves away and straddles the back of an antique sofa, lifting her camera up to obscure her face. I’m almost relieved I won’t have to look into her face across the table as we hammer out the details over what is likely going to be long, arduous hours.
I brace myself for the inevitable.
* * *
Thirty minutes later,I’m shocked, but I’m sure as hell not speechless.
“Hold on.” I raise my voice to be heard over the excited chattering around the table. “This event is less than three weeks away. You’re not only saying you can take over the existing plans in place, but you can also amp them up?”
Cassidy shrugs. “Sure. And next year, we’ll be able to do more if you come to us right from the beginning.”
