Page 91 of Part of Me (The Seaside Chronicles 2)

“Let’s not jump to any conclusions.” Harlee gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Looking in the direction where my brother and husband had walked off, I got up.

“Where are you going?” Palmer asked.

“To find out what’s happening.”

It didn’t take me long to find Brody and Braxton in a corner, talking quietly. They both looked angry—and worried.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I walked up to them.

They exchanged a look, then Brody nodded to Braxton.

“Chip left early this morning to head back to Seaside,” Brax said, “and as he was driving into town, he saw smoke.”

My heart started to pound. “What was it?” I pressed my hand to my throat, feeling like I was going to get sick. “Please say it wasn’t the restaurant!”

Braxton shook his head. “No, it wasn’t the restaurant, Sutton.”

“Then what was it?” I asked in a panic. Brody reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Coastal Chic?”

“It was Brody’s beach house…or, I guess, it’s both of yours now.”

My legs felt weak, and I took a few steps back. “Oh my God, what happened?”

“I don’t know. Chip said the fire department was there, and that they’d tried to call Brody, his parents, and Gannon but couldn’t reach any of them.”

“Our phones are all up in the rooms because Gannon and Addie asked us to keep it a phone-free event,” I said. “They wanted us to be present in the moment. I doubt anyone has their phones on them right now. Gannon and Addie might be on the plane already.”

“Do they know how it started?” I asked.

Braxton shook his head. “I don’t think they know yet.”

“We need to find my parents and head back home,” Brody said.

All I could do was shake my head.

“You two go pack,” Brax said, “and I’ll let everyone else know while I try to find your parents.”

“Thanks, Brax.” Brody’s voice sounded void of all emotions. His face, though, showed the sorrow he was clearly feeling. The memories that were in that house for Brody and his entire family… I couldn’t even imagine the loss.

I jumped when Brody took my hand in his. “Come on, let’s go get packed,” he said.

“Arson?” I asked, sitting on the sofa and covering my mouth with my hand. I felt like I was about to throw up.

“Are you sure?” Ken asked, holding Janet’s hand.

Bobby Jackson, the fire inspector, nodded his head. “It was started on the porch with an accelerant. It spread quickly, and by the time it was called in, there was no way they could save the structure. I’m really sorry, Brody. I wish we could have done more.”

Brody reached his hand out for Bobby’s to shake it. “I’m just glad no one was hurt. The house can be replaced.”

Janet sniffled, and Ken ran his hand up and down her back soothingly. “Brody’s right,” he said. “I’m also glad no one was seriously injured while fighting the fire.”

“What if you had been living there?” Janet asked the question I’d been running over and over in my head.

He smiled tightly at her. “I wasn’t, though, Mom. So we don’t even have to imagine it.”

Janet nodded and wiped her tears. I quickly stood and rushed to the downstairs bathroom in Ken and Janet’s house.

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