Page 83 of A Surefire Love
Realization flashed over him. Mercy wasn’t the only one he should’ve been worried about. Blaze had a traumatic history with fires. He should’ve been as concerned about her as he was about Mercy.
He stood and took the egg from Mercy. “We can let you know when they’re done.”
“Okay.” Mercy slipped from the room.
Blaze watched her go.
He cracked the egg into the bowl and tossed the shell.
“What happens to the child won’t be your decision.” Blaze poured in the butter and whisked.
He washed his hands. “True, but if I’m right and a kidstarted it on accident, I can’t see the church pressing charges. I think the focus will be on getting them help.”
“How? Through child services?”
“I don’t know. It’s possible.” He turned off the faucet just in time to hear the shudder in her breath.
He was making this worse and worse, wasn’t he? He dried his hands and followed her to the stove, meaning to hug her, but she lit the burner without giving him an opening.
He rubbed her back. “I wish the signs pointed away from a student.”
“Me too.” Her throat shifted with a swallow. She sighed forcefully. “This whole thing must be hard on you.”
“And you. I’m sorry it hits close to home.”
She nodded but didn’t speak as she oiled the pan.
As the griddle heated, warmth registered on his hand. He moved aside to allow her space to work and leaned against the nearby counter. “Eric’s on a mission to hold me responsible.”
“For the fire?”
“He says I should’ve done more to get to the bottom of the trespasser. And that I should’ve notified the police about the intruder last night instead of searching the building myself. Says that would’ve prevented the fire in the first place.”
“You couldn’t know they’d burn the place down.”
“True. And technically, we don’t know for sure that the intruder I saw started the fire. But Nolan was at the scene last night, and he thinks I should’ve called the police too. Said the intruder could’ve been an addict or a thief or someone in the middle of a mental episode.” He scratched his neck. He did regret not calling the police, but notbecause of Nolan’s theories or Eric’s agenda. If his suspicions were right, some child needed help, and he’d failed to find them.
Batter hissed as Blaze poured the first round of pancakes. “So what now?”
He ached to sit, but moving away from Blaze would be more uncomfortable than standing. He stayed close. “An investigation. But that could take months, and who knows if they’ll find who did it. It would help if someone came forward with information. The sooner, the better. Help us sort all these random facts and theories.”
“Huh.” She stared at the batter.
He rubbed her back. The building symbolized a way of life and had served as the setting for a parade of special moments between him and Blaze. The day she’d marched into his office to go to war on Mercy’s behalf. The afternoon he found her in the kitchen after raking leaves. Watching her first connect with Hadley and later pray with the girl to accept Christ.
“Whatever the truth is, it’s quite a loss. For you as much as for me.”
“Hm?” Her face snapped toward him.
He shrugged one shoulder. “It was kind of a home away from home, wasn’t it? It won’t be the same, even once they rebuild.”
“Oh.” She fiddled with the spatula, then began flipping the pancakes. “I was just thinking, I really hope it wasn’t a student. I can’t imagine what it’d feel like to be responsible for something so catastrophic.” An exaggerated frown curved her lips. “It’s been twenty years, and I still haven’t lived down a much smaller fire. I wouldn’t wish responsibility for this on anyone.”
“Me neither. But if it is a hurting kid, the only way to help is if we know.”
Blaze angled away as she piled the finished pancakes onto a plate. “Who do you suspect? Hadley still?”
He hadn’t even thought of her. “Considering her decision, I think you’re right that she needed something, but not necessarily a place to stay. The only kid behaving in truly unusual ways is Carter. Trouble is, he’s over six feet tall.”
