need an afternoon pick-me-up.”
“I totally get it. I’ll move out of the way.”
I join the kids as Tate orders a coffee from Aspen. I don’t know the other woman very well. Because it’s a small town, I know that she’s a talented interior decorator here in Cunningham Falls. She decorated Ellie and Liam’s house when they built it several years ago.
After she takes her coffee and leaves, I return to my place at the counter to talk to Aspen.
“You know I hate gossip,” Aspen begins.
“Just tell me.”
“Well, you know how Tate had that stroke last year, and it was a doozy? How does a woman, not yet thirty, have a stroke? Anyway, she got the news that the likelihood of walking again is pretty small. And then, that rat bastard she married just before the stroke left her. Walked right out the door and didn’t look back.”
“What a prick.” I shake my head. “Why do people suck so bad sometimes?”
“Excellent question,” she replies. “I like Tate. I don’t know her real well, just from when she comes in here, but Ellie loved working with her on their mountain house, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about her. So, what? Something tragic happens, and the dude bails? His balls should be chopped off.”
“Agreed.” I blow out a breath. “What are you doing in town? I thought you were in London.”
“We were, but the whole family is making its way over here for the holidays. Callum and I decided just to come now since not much is going on in London. And you know I prefer to be more hands-on with the café.”
“The whole family is coming? Even the king and queen?”
“Yes, but they’ll only be here the week of Christmas. It’s crazy. It’s tradition to spend the holiday in Scotland, but since they visited Cunningham Falls right before Callum and I got engaged—which feels like a million years ago—they want to come here every chance they get.”
“It’s a special place.” I turn when I hear things getting heated at the table where the twins are. “What’s up, guys?”
“I finished mine so I asked her if I could have a sip of hers,” Kevin explains as if this is a perfectly reasonable request.
“And I said no,” Kelsey adds.
“No means no, dude,” I say with a shrug. “You’ve had plenty.”
Before he can argue, several fire trucks go racing past the café, headed toward the neighborhood not far away.
“I saw uncle Sam!” Kevin says.
“Must be something big.” Aspen scowls. “That’s a lot of trucks.”
“Can we go see?” Kelsey asks.
I expect the sirens to quiet as the trucks get farther away, but they don’t.
They’re not far away.
“Let’s go check it out,” Aspen suggests. “I’ll lock up and get some fresh air with you. It’s almost closing time anyway.”
She closes up, and we follow the sirens just two blocks up in the neighborhood, just a couple of blocks from my place.
They’ve barricaded the road about half a block from the house and trucks and an ambulance surround it. Sam jumps out of one of the fire engines, dressed in his gear, and Kevin gets so excited, I think he might try to run through the barricade toward Sam.
“Hold on there, mister. We stay put.”
“Maybe he needs my help.”
Aspen smiles, and I squat next to him. “Do you see that fire? The flames are going really high in the air. I know you think you can help, but you’re still a little boy. You could be hurt. So, you’re going to stay right here with Aspen and me. Do you hear me?”
“Yeah. I’ll stay.”
We watch as the men hurry about, grabbing hoses and hooking them up to fire hydrants.
“Get this car out of here,” Sam yells, pointing to a red car that’s parked illegally in front of a hydrant.
I watch in shock as about six men circle the car and lift it. Lift it, and move it back about six feet.
“Holy crap,” Aspen mutters.
“No kidding.”
Everything happens fast. The house is burning at a rate that takes my breath away.
“It’s going up fast.”
“Old house,” Aspen murmurs. “They’ll have to work to save the houses on either side.”
“It’s hot. I can feel it from here.”
Suddenly, with a hose over his shoulder and a helmet on his head, Sam marches right for the front door of the house, which is currently an inferno.
“Do not go in there.” I say it as if he’s standing right next to me and can hear me. “Please, don’t go in.”
My heart clenches. I