Page 83 of A Taste of Trouble

“What were you doing in my kitchen?” She lunged forward and ripped her purse from her hands.

The faint sound of sirens breached the air between them.

“You didn't start the fire?”

Nancy shook her head, tears welling in her eyes.

“But you screwed me over with my bank loan. Changed the letters on my advertisement, and who the hell else knows what?”

Nancy let her head fall forward, a stream of tears sliding down her cheeks. “I did those things,” she whispered. She lifted her head and stood strong, “But I did not start this fire.”

The first fire truck arrived. There were so many things she wanted to say to Nancy. So many questions she wanted to ask. But the sight of her bakery burning to the ground was a more pressing matter.

She'd deal with Nancy later.

…

The dark brick building, scorched and hollowed, was total devastation to Liv's eyes. She wasn't normally a crier, but today…today she was.

She had watched the dark smoke spiral up into the sky, taking with it her dreams. Firemen diligently worked to contain the situation. The rush of the water from the hoses kept a constant hum in the air, somehow calming, numbing the reality of it all. But now that the fire was almost out, she trembled. She hugged her arms around her body. Her only source of comfort.

She was utterly alon

e. She hadn't called anyone. Not Austin or Patti, not her family.

“Ms. Crawford?” A dark-haired man approached with a little black notebook in his hand. He flipped to a blank page. He was the fire investigator, or so she remembered from his brief introduction. “Do you have any idea how the fire could have started?”

She shrugged. “Maybe the electrical wiring. Or…” She paused. It was sickening to even think that Nancy could have something to do with this.

“Ms. Crawford, do you think there are other circumstances at play here?”

She shook her head. “I…” she whispered. “I don't know.”

For law enforcement, the man had kind eyes and nodded in understanding.

“What happens now?” she asked.

“There's really no need for you to be here. Go home. We'll get everything under control.” He closed up his notebook. She had been officially dismissed. “I'll be in touch tomorrow for another debrief.” The investigator handed her his card then stuck the notebook in the inside pocket of his jacket. “If you have any questions or think of anything else, give me a call.”

“Thank you.”

Liv wanted to collapse. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. She battled with herself. It was her nature to fight, but the sight of her dream going up in flames tore away at her determination.

“I can't believe this is happening,” she said to no one as she paced along the sidewalk, the freak-out she was expecting finally showing up. “First, I get rejected for the bank loan, then that inspector breathing down my back, and the ruined ad and leaky sink and—”

“Everything's going to be okay, Olivia.” Liv tensed at the sound of Nancy's voice. She had obviously returned home to change her clothing. Liv still wore her dirty and blackened apron under the blanket that had been wrapped around her shoulders.

She laughed, but it came out as a half cry. She was a whirlwind of emotion at this point. “And how do you know everything's going to be okay?” She stood tall, crossing her arms over her chest. “Are you going to interfere again? Right all the wrongs you started in the first place?”

Nancy gave a small smile. Acknowledging that she indeed had a hand in Liv's demise. “Insurance will take care of everything.”

Liv had hundreds of things to say. Maybe even thousands…but she'd barely comprehended the ramifications of Nancy's actions. And if she was honest with herself, she hoped that somehow Corey was wrong. But Nancy had just admitted what Liv did not want to hear.

“You should go home and get some rest,” Nancy said. “You should call Austin or Patti. You need someone to—”

“I'll be fine.”

No matter how strong and independent Liv claimed to be, having someone to hold her hand through the bad times was something she never knew she wanted. Until now.

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