Page 36 of My Off-limits Firefighter Next Door
“Great,” I said, pleased by her reaction.
A sudden knock at the door interrupted the moment. Savannah froze, her hand instinctively going to Alana. I moved toward the front door, every sense on high alert.
“I’ll get it,” I said, my voice low.
Chapter Fifteen
Savannah
My heart nearly stopped at the sound of the knock.Who could it be?The question lodged itself in my throat, thick and unrelenting. I didn’t need to say it out loud; the look I shot Jackson was plea enough.
He moved with purpose, his strides brisk and deliberate as he exited the kitchen. Before disappearing, he lifted a hand to halt me in my tracks, his eyes firm but understanding. It wasn’t a command—it was a promise. I clung to that gesture, swallowing the irrational urge to follow. I didn’t want to face whatever might be behind the door.
It’s not Roger. It can’t be.I repeated this mantra as I tried to steady my breathing. Rationally, I knew it could be anyone—Marcus, Mya, a package delivery—but fear had never been a rational companion.
My hands fidgeted with a bag of potatoes, my mind racing through every worst-case scenario. When I heard Jackson’sunmistakably warm, “Bro!” my heart loosened its grip on my chest. Relief washed over me in waves.
I exhaled audibly, pulling out the potatoes. Preparing fries felt normal—grounding. It wasn’t until Marcus and Jackson returned, laughing and playfully jostling through the doorway, that the knot in my stomach truly unraveled.
“Move your boulder shoulders, dude,” Jackson teased, elbowing Marcus in mock frustration.
“Maybe if you weren’t built like a telephone pole…” Marcus shot back, the grin on his face mirroring Jackson’s.
Their banter filled the room with a lightness that was infectious. Even as the air fryer beeped, signaling the fries were done, I felt myself smiling for the first time in hours.
I handed the bowl to Jackson, who raised an eyebrow at me in silent question. I nodded, already heading to Alana’s playroom to check in on her.
When I returned, the atmosphere had shifted. Marcus and Jackson were now huddled at the counter, their playful camaraderie replaced with something more serious.
They glanced at me as I approached, and I could sense that whatever topic they had been discussing involved me.
Their antics were a welcome distraction from the gnawing anxiety that had been eating at me. When I wasn’t focused, my thoughts drifted back to Roger. Where was he now? What was he planning? Was he getting ready to kidnap my daughter?
“I’m surprised to see you today, how did you manage Marcus?” I asked, softening the question with a hug and a kiss on his cheek. “You’re nearly an hour away, and the weather’s awful.”
Marcus held onto my elbow, his expression tender but intent. “I was worried, Sis. Thought we could have a family night. And hey,” he gestured to Jackson with a knowing look, “it’s nice to see you already have some backup. Are you expecting old rottenguts to show up? You’re keeping records, right? Cameras, phone calls—everything?”
I blinked, caught off guard by his bluntness. The knot in my stomach twisted again. “I… no. I haven’t started doing that, I need to do that”
Jackson stepped in, his voice steady and confident. “I’ve got the footage from my ring cameras when he came by. If he shows up again, we’ll have a pattern of harassment. I can also help you pull phone records if you need them. I know some people who can expedite that.”
“Is that even legal?” I asked, my voice laced with uncertainty.
Jackson’s lips quivered into a reassuring smile. “I think so. Might be a code of ethics that stops them, but they can give information to the police. I’ve got plenty of cop friends who could help, especially seeing as how you’re being threatened.
And you’ve got a little child. My friends get a little protective about the kids. Even here in Hidden Pines, we’ve got some deadbeat parents who don’t do a thing except argue and fuss with each other.”
“You can get information from his parole officer, too,” I suggested. “I was going to do that, but if you know people who can speed up the process, I’m grateful for it.”
His confidence was calming, but the weight of my situation pressed down harder.This isn’t me. I’m not a woman who lives in fear. Am I?
Before I could spiral further, Alana’s giggles floated through the air. “If you could excuse me for a moment, I need to see what Alana is up to!”
The two men followed me to the open door of Alana’s room. She had a pink plastic car bed and a big pink castle alongside her toy box. She was sprawled on her stomach, flipping through a book far beyond her reading level, inventing stories for the animals on the pages.
She was making up a story from the pictures, chatting with the animals she saw and complimenting their attire. “Oh, what adapperraccoon!” she chirped, her tiny finger pointing at an illustration. “And look at this fox! I love her dress!”
Jackson had a smile on his face, while lingering his gaze on Alana with a look I couldn’t quite place. I backed out slowly, not wanting to disturb her enjoyment. We tiptoed back to the kitchen, leaving Alana to her imaginative world.
