Page 29 of Wine and Research
Now he set a hand on her shoulder. “They’re still a good eight minutes away. I’ll be fine, as long as all of you stay outside.”
She nodded, and after a quick squeeze, he released her and rushed into the house. Elle moved to put an arm around the shaking woman with her crying son in her arms. As she stared at the house, she couldn’t stop wondering if she’d just killed Jeremy.
Was the very recent tiny crack in the vault around her heart big enough to activate her curse?
God, she hoped not.
A slight breeze blew toward them, bringing with it the acrid smell of smoke. Flames were coming out of the two windows now, and the crackling of burning wood made it to her ears, along with the sound of sirens in the distance.
Elle willed them to move faster. To get there now and help Jeremy and the baby. God, she’d never felt so helpless in her life. In what seemed like hours, but in reality was only probably a few minutes, Jeremy kicked the screen out of the window and crawled out onto the porch roof with a small wailing bundle in his arms.
“Mila! Thank God!” the woman cried, trying to move closer.
Elle held her back. “He’ll get her down.”
“How?” The mother sniffed, a deep frown on her face. “There’s no ladder!”
“I’ll help him, but you need to stay here, okay?” She held the young mother’s gaze, waiting for confirmation.
When the woman nodded, Elle released her shoulder and raced for the car, knowing Jeremy had left the keys in his hasty exit. Praying that the mother listened to her, she quickly drove over the front lawn to position the car parallel to the porch and as close as possible to the house.
She’d barely got it in park when something heavy hit the roof. A second later, Jeremy slid down onto his feet then headed straight for the mother rushing closer.
The urge to get out and run to Jeremy was nearly impossible to resist, but he motioned for her to move the car out of the way because two firetrucks, a tanker, ambulance, and another cruiser were speeding up the long driveway.
Elle parked out of the way and got out.
By this time, the inferno had spread to the baby’s room and to the downstairs area below the original two windows. The once-sturdy structure seemed to weaken, its fate teetering as the firefighters got to work.
She observed the activity bustling around her. It would make for a great scene in her book—with some things changed, of course. But none of it was sticking in Elle’s mind. Jeremy and his act of heroism and bravery stood front and center in her head. Yes, she understood it was his job to protect and serve, but somehow, she knew that if he wasn’t a cop, he would’ve gone in there for that baby anyway.
The tightness in her chest hadn’t eased much, even though she knew he was safe. Elle wasn’t sure what it meant but didn’t care at the moment. Her main concern was what to do about Jeremy.
She watched him talk to Nico, then on his phone, before Nealy led him over to the back of an open ambulance where Scott and another paramedic were examining the mother and her children.
After a few long minutes, she watched him set a hand on his friend’s shoulder and smile at something the guy must’ve said. Then he walked away with Nealy, who was jotting stuff down on a notepad.
Elle inhaled and blew the air out slowly, feeling her body relax in the process.
He wasn’t hurt. He was okay. Her curse hadn’t reached him. The smart thing would be to cut her ties with the guy. To walk away before trouble started.
Like the fate of the house, Elle’s fate was teetering, only hers wasn’t waiting on the progress of the firefighters. It was waiting for her next move. A move that would shape her future, one way or the other.
If she took the chickenshit route and walked away, Jeremy would be safe. She would be safe, although she’d always wonder how it could have been.
On the other hand, if she gave in to her attraction for the remarkable guy, she risked activating the curse.
Elle blew out another breath.
Get over yourself already, she silently chided.Stop being foolish. Curses aren’t real. It’s just life. Bad luck, but life.
How many times would she have that conversation with herself? It was getting old.
Perhaps it was time she started living it.
Could she do that? Should she do that?
Exhaustion suddenly overtook Elle, seeping into her bones. She was too tired to think anymore. Too tired to stand. She leaned her back against the car and watched Jeremy finish talking to Nealy before they both turned and headed her way.
