up next month, and he’s thinking of somewhere in La Place with a big yard for his dogs. He’s taking me to Lafayette this weekend for Valentine’s.”
I understood her excitement. I felt it every morning when I woke up.
Charlotte’s grandchild was born the past weekend, and she was flying out to Seattle after work tomorrow to meet her for the first time. A dedicated woman, her family was her heart, and I was pretty sure she was theirs. I had met her husband, and after nearly thirty years together, he still had a twinkle in his eye when he gazed upon his wife. I could only hope Phil’s eyes would still twinkle like that at me after thirty years.
“Frank and I are gonna hit up the clubs and find some single ladies to pass the weekend with,” Gavin told us after Charlotte had asked what his plans were.
We all laughed at that—Gavin and Frank, the built bald duo, wing-manning it for each other. I couldn’t understand why he was single. He was such an awesome guy, and it wasn’t like he was unattractive. He was short maybe but cute.
Lunch ended too quickly, and we all went back to the clinic. I had only a little bit of paperwork to do, so I walked in with my work family, smiling and laughing. Charlotte went straight into her room to get set up, and two patients came in and took their seats in the waiting area. Lucy circled into the receptionist station, dropping her purse beneath the desk and flicking on the computer screen.
That was when I felt it, and Phil’s voice rang through my head, “Somethin’ doesn’t feel right.”
Startled, I glanced at Gavin, who shivered unexpectedly. He looked back at me, silently asking, Do you feel that?
Nodding at him, I tried to shake it off.
The phone rang, and Lucy answered, “The Center for Radiant Health. Dr. MacGregor’s office…”
I reached over the waist-high counter for some files, and my Burlap Beast bumped the sign hanging on the half-wall that closed off the receptionist area from the waiting room, knocking it off the nail.
“Damn it,” I complained.
I stooped down, and Gavin did the same to help me hang it back up—
BOOM!
The whole building shook to its fucking foundations.
Turning my shocked face toward Gavin’s, I yelled, “What the fuck was that?”
“I have no fucking clue!” he yelled back.
BOOM!
Above us and behind reception, an explosion of concrete and debris shot out into the waiting area. I turned to see the waiting patients frozen in terror.
“Get the fuck out of here!” I screamed.
Jumping to their feet, they hauled ass out the front door. As the second one just made it out into the world beyond, another blast and a wave of searing heat shot above where Gavin and I were crouched. My ears popped, and at the same time I felt it, Gavin winced.
What the fuck is happening?
“Oh God! Lucy!” I yelled. Fuck me. My ears were ringing.
Shooting to my feet, I couldn’t really register just what it was I was seeing. Lucy’s entire work domain was under a pile of rubble. The concrete wall that had separated the spa kitchen from our clinic had blasted in on us. By the looks of it, there was no kitchen left.
Gavin grabbed my arm. “Gas lines!”
“What?”
“We’re on gas lines! In the kitchen!”
Oh, fuck. This is fucking bad. This is really, really fucking bad.
The air stilled as we stared at each other for a few heartbeats.
Then, I heard through the ringing in my ears, “Dr. Kenna? I’m stuck.”
Both of us rushed into the rubble, finding Lucy pinned beneath the huge bookshelf and chunks of concrete.
“We have to get her out fast! The lines might blow!” Gavin shouted.
With all our adrenaline-fueled strength, Gavin and I hefted the load off Lucy.
“I’ll hold it up! You pull her out!” shouted Gavin.
As fast as I could, I let go of the shelf and dragged poor Lucy out from under the wreckage. Gavin screamed with the effort it took for him to hold it up long enough to allow me to do this. I only just got her out as his arms gave way.
Black smoke was now pouring out of the gaping hole from where the kitchen used to be.
“We have to get out!” Gavin yelled. He went to scoop Lucy up in his arms. “The kitchen is on gas. The gas lines are blowing! If it hits the main—” When I put up my hand to stop him, he saw it.
Effectively, the large