Darcy forced herself to loosen her white-knuckled grip on her phone. “How could no one know about Chris and Dani, Nadine?”
“Hell if I know. I can’t believe it. How could I not know? I didn’t even suspect.”
“God.”
“But Chris is the sheriff. If anyone would know how to cover their ass, I guess it’d be him. Not because he killed her. I could never believe that. If anything, he hid it because he knew he’d blow any shot at getting back together with you if you found out he’d tagged Dani.”
Inhaling a deep shaky breath, Darcy swiped at the tears coursing down her cheeks. It was impossibly painful hearing that Dani had changed so much. She still couldn’t quite believe it, couldn’t in any way picture it. “What the hell was she thinking? Did she love him? She had to have…How long had she loved him? And if he’s telling the truth about ending it long before she got pregnant, who else was in her life?”
Nadine sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe she missed you. Or maybe she’d been jealous of you for a while. Jealousy can make a woman lose her mind. Or maybe she was just stretching her wings and she took your example to the extreme. I’m not a shrink, doll. Or a psychic. I don’t have the answers for you. I’m sorry.”
“I have to go.”
“Want me to come over? Or is your hunky deputy with you?”
“I’m fine. Thank you, Nadine. I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up, gasping for air and drowning in grief as if she’d lost Dani all over again. She’d sent Jim off on his date, then she’d locked herself in the house, feeling too exposed to associate with anyone but Jared, who’d already seen her bared to the soul.
Clinging to the receiver, she paced, fighting the urge to call him. He had more important things to do than listen to her breakdown. Besides, their relationship was so new and had already been weighted by heavy issues. The least she could do was give him a little time to get away from her and do his job in peace.
She jumped when the phone rang in her hand. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw it was dispatch and her stomach clenched.
Another fire goddamnit.
“Michaels,” she answered. “Where is it?”
Her heart missed one beat, then stuttered back into a panicked rhythm. “My God…”
DARCY SAW THE smoke and flashing emergency lights long before she reached the scene. She parked her work truck on the street and hopped out, her heart racing as it had been since she’d received the call from dispatch twenty minutes prior. Not having a car had held her back, forcing her to beg the use of one from a neighbor to get to the fire station.
Jared.
She climbed out of the department’s truck and grabbed her field kit, forcing herself not to run or appear as panicked as she felt. It wouldn’t be fair to lose him now. It was too soon. She’d had only a taste of what he could bring to her life. Not nearly enough…
Her attempt at decorum was forgotten the moment she saw him sitting on the back of an ambulance with an EMT examining him. Her pace picked up.
Although he couldn’t possibly have heard her coming with all the chaos around them, his head lifted and his gaze met hers. He pushed to his feet, saying something to the female paramedic without taking his bloodshot eyes off Darcy. He was soot-stained but alive, making him the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.
Shoving her kit at a passing firefighter with a hasty thanks, she broke into a run. Jared met her halfway, catching her up and squeezing the air out of her.
“I’m okay,” he said hoarsely. “It’s all right.”
“You scared me half to death.” She held on to him with every bit of her strength. “I c-can’t let you out of my sight for a minute.”
He cupped the back of her head and pressed her close. They clung that way for a long moment, their hearts pounding in a synchronized beat. The cold knot in her stomach eased at the feel of him against her, warm and strong.
She pulled back to examine him. “How’s your partner?”
“Well enough to be in the front office typing up a prelim report. This riled her up.” He brushed his fingertips over her brows. “Walk me through the scene with you. The sooner we get through it, the sooner we can get out of here.”
Darcy drew herself together with a deep breath, then stepped back and went in search of her kit. Her hands were shaking as she reached for the box.
Chris intercepted her. “Where’s Jim?”
“On his date. He knows what’s going on. I told him I’d handle it, and if I had any trouble, I’d give him a call.”
He nodded, then yanked off his hat to shove a hand through his hair. “Hell, Darcy. Five of the rooms were occupied. A half dozen people could’ve been killed.”
“Was anyone seriously injured?”