A Haven on the Bay - Nicole Ellis Page 0,59

do.”

“Do you think we’ll ever find our perfect matches?” she asked, echoing his thoughts from earlier.

“Probably not.” He smirked at her, hoping to lighten the mood. “It would take a very special someone to fall in love with you.”

“Taylor!” She slugged him on the arm. “That’s not very nice.”

“Okay, okay,” he grumbled, rubbing the spot she’d hit. “I’m sure you’ll find someone soon. I, on the other hand, will have to be content to be the doting uncle.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” She frowned at him. “What about that friend of yours you’re always talking about? Meg?”

“She has a boyfriend. I’m not going to get into the middle of that.”

“But you do have feelings for her?” She peered at him. “If you do, you should tell her.”

It was like everyone was conspiring to fix him up with Meg. His phone rang before he could come up with a witty retort. He removed it from his pocket and checked the caller ID. It was the Lodge.

Why would someone be calling him from the Lodge while he was on vacation? Surely Meg and the rest of the staff could handle any issues that arose.

He answered. “Hello?”

“Taylor, this George Camden.” His boss sounded weary. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

He gripped his phone tighter. “What is it?”

George sighed, his breath coming out in a short puff that echoed over the phone line. “There’s been a fire in the Lodge’s kitchen. The firemen are still working on putting it out.”

Blood pounded in Taylor’s ears. A fire? They were in the middle of the dinner rush. Meg! His chest constricted. “Is everyone okay?”

George sighed again. “There weren’t any serious injuries, but Meg’s been taken to the hospital to get checked out. She got everyone else out of there immediately, but inhaled a bit of smoke when she tried to put out the flames with the extinguisher.”

Time stood still as Taylor’s mind raced. Meg was hurt. “I’ll be home on the next flight.”

15

Meg

“You had all of us so worried.” Libby hovered over Meg’s hospital bed. “Next time, don’t try to be a hero. Let the firemen do their job.” Despite Libby’s chiding, lines of fear etched her face and her voice trembled.

Meg gave her sister a weak smile. “I hope there isn’t a next time.” Like anyone who spent their days in a restaurant kitchen, she’d experienced her share of minor flare-ups, but nothing like the fire at the Lodge. She shivered despite the crisp white sheet and cotton blanket pulled up over her chest.

“Are you cold?” Libby immediately went into mom mode. “I can ask the nurse for another blanket.” She glared at the ceiling vent which was puffing chilled air into the room. “I don’t know why they have to make these rooms so frigid.”

Meg had to grin at her sister’s indignation, but in truth, it felt good to have someone so concerned for her well-being. “I’m fine. Stop worrying.” Between her co-workers, the firemen, and the rest of her family’s visit earlier, she’d already had enough coddling to last her a lifetime.

Libby shook her head, but sat down in a plastic chair next to Meg. “You could have been killed. I don’t know what you were thinking.”

Well, that makes two of us. Memories of the fire were stamped into her brain like a film reel, spinning repeatedly for the last few hours.

When she’d seen the flames shooting out of the deep fryer, she’d dropped what she was doing and grabbed a fire extinguisher. Lara was standing nearby, paralyzed, a mesh oil-skimmer dangling uselessly in her limp hand.

Meg had shouted for Lara to move out of the way, but she hadn’t budged. The new sous-chef, Brandon, had grabbed Lara and guided her away from danger while Meg aimed the fire extinguisher at the fryer. She’d yelled at everyone to get out and call the fire department while she continued spraying foam at the growing flames. Her efforts did little to stop the fire’s progression, and she’d watched helplessly as the walls behind the fryer blackened.

When the firemen arrived, they’d pried the extinguisher out of her hands and rushed her out of the kitchen and into a waiting ambulance. It had all been such a blur. Meg’s breath came out in a shudder.

“Are you okay?” Libby’s voice cut through the dark memory.

“Yeah. Just thinking about the fire.” Meg pulled the covers up to her neck. Luckily, no one had been seriously injured. The damage hadn’t extended to the main part of the Lodge, but