Page 48 of My Off-limits Firefighter Next Door
“Your parents are so kind,” Savannah said softly, her voice warm but fragile.
“Thank you. They really are. If you ever need it, they’d be happy to keep Alana here for you.” I hesitated, not wanting to overstep. “I know you want her with you, but I just want youto know you have that option. They thought they were getting a couple more days. They’re gonna be disappointed.”
She turned to me, her eyes brimming with affection that made my pulse quicken. For a fleeting moment, I wanted to kiss her so badly it was a physical ache, but I restrained myself. Instead, I opened my door and stepped out of the car.
By then, Alana had reached the bottom of the steps and flung herself into her mother’s arms. Savannah scooped her up, holding her close as she swayed side to side. The little girl giggled, pressing kisses to her mother’s face.
“I missed you, Mommy! I missed you!”
“I missed you, too, sweetie. But you had fun, didn’t you?”
“Yes!” Alana exclaimed, her face lighting up. “I got to watch movies. I stayed up very late, Mommy!”
“That’s okay, honey. You were on a little vacation.”
Alana wrinkled her nose. “A vacation? What’s a vacation?”
Savannah laughed and tickled her daughter’s belly. “Like on Peppa Pig when they visit Grandma and Grandpa Pig. Remember?”
“Oh yes! Yes! I like Peppa Pig!” Alana squirmed until Savannah set her down. She ran around the driveway, snorting like a pig and speaking with an exaggerated British accent. My parents and I joined Savannah in laughter, the moment feeling light and carefree despite everything else.
“Come on up and get out of the sun, you two,” my mom called, waving us over. “Can I get you something to drink? Sweet tea, lemonade, juice, coffee?”
“I’d love some soda if you have it, Mom,” I replied.
“A bottle of water, if you don’t mind,” Savannah added, her eyes still on her daughter as Alana hopped around the driveway.
I sank into one of the unoccupied porch chairs while Mom went inside. “We probably won’t stay too long, Dad,” I said,glancing at him. “Savannah’s anxious to get back to her house and see her brother.”
Dad nodded. “Think her insurance will cover the damages?”
“It’s arson, so they’ll need to do a full investigation before releasing any funds. They’ll want to rule out the possibility she set it herself.”
Dad snorted, shaking his head. “Anything to delay paying up.”
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I’d testified in court plenty of times about arson cases where insurance fraud was the motive. This situation, though, was different. Savannah didn’t have it in her to hurt anyone, let alone herself or her daughter.
My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced at the screen—another message from Marcus.
“Hey, Savvy,” I said, pocketing the phone. “Marcus wants us to meet him at the police station. He says the sooner they get our statements, the sooner they can start looking for evidence against Roger. That could mean an arrest sooner, too.”
Savannah nodded, her expression firm. “That’s fine. But I don’t want to take Alana to the station.” She turned to my dad. “Would you mind keeping her for a few more hours?”
“Of course, dear,” Dad said without hesitation, his voice steady with reassurance.
Savannah called Alana to her and explained that we would be back but had something to do first. Mom returned with a tray of drinks, handing me a soda and Savannah her water.
I drank the soda immediately, Then said, “sorry Mom, we’ve got to go to the police station. Dad said it’s okay if you keep Alana with you for a little longer.”
“Take care of what you need to do,” she said with a smile. “Alana will be fine with us.”
As we drove away, Savannah kept glancing back, waving at her daughter until Alana and the house disappeared from view.I could feel her heartache in the quiet, her longing to shield her little girl from the world’s dangers.
“Hey,” I said softly, stealing a glance at her. “We’re going to figure this out. You’re not alone.”
She smiled faintly, the kind that didn’t quite reach her eyes, but she didn’t say a word. She didn’t need to.
Chapter Twenty-One
