The good thing about working for myself is there’s no one giving me orders, watching every move I make, or making my workday a living hell. The bad thing about working for myself is there’s no one else to blame when everything goes wrong. I’ve spent the better part of the afternoon chasing a rogue horse around the pasture. He’s jumpier than Frankie ever thought about being and much harder headed.
Since my partner decided to take an impromptu two-week vacation, I had to take care of all the business paperwork by myself after I finally got the new horse in his stall. It’s after nine o’clock at night by the time I leave the farm. I’m exhausted, starving, and in desperate need of a shower. My only plan after taking care of those things is to wrap myself around Layne and fall into a deep sleep for the rest of the night.
When I round the last curve and Layne’s cabin comes into view, every plan I have for tonight flies out the window. My heart stops beating, my breath seizes in my chest, and my foot turns to lead as it floors the gas pedal. My world stops spinning when I see the orange flames leaping straight up into the air from the roof in the back of the house. Layne’s car is in the driveway but Zoe’s is gone. With a quick glance toward my darkened house, I know instantly Layne isn’t over there.
“Layne.”
My truck skids to a stop in the driveway, and I make a mad dash for the front door. Black smoke has already started to fill the room when I bust through the door, screaming Layne’s name. After covering my nose and mouth with my shirt, I rush toward the stairs, afraid she’s in the upstairs master bedroom. Movement from the couch catches my eye and I come to a complete stop.
“Baby, wake up!”
She looks like she’s fast asleep on the couch, but she’s not responding to my commands. How long has she been inhaling this smoke? I scoop her up in my arms and run as fast as I can for the door. The smoke is already affecting my breathing and my vision and it’s making me dizzy, but my sole focus is on getting Layne to safety.
Once we’re a safe distance from the house, I drop to my knees on the ground, cradle Layne in one arm, and grab my cell to call for an ambulance and the fire department with the other. After I hang up, Layne begins to stir and her eyes flutter open. She looks up at me, dazed and confused, then she glances around at our surroundings.
“Ace? What’s going on?” She sits up, still in my lap, and I keep my hand on her back to support her.
“Are you okay? Are you dizzy?” I ask while watching her face for any sign of problems.
She looks over her shoulder and sees the house, the flames growing, and her panic takes over. “The house is on fire!”
I manage to grab her just after she jumps up and before she starts to sprint toward the house. “Layne, it’s too dangerous. You can’t go back in there.”
The fire trucks and ambulance arrive and the men begin rushing to assess the scene. The paramedics approach us, and I insist that Layne allow them to check her out. When all her vital signs show normal, except her elevated blood pressure, the medic still encourages her to be checked out at the emergency room due to possible smoke inhalation. Showing her stubborn side, she refuses to leave until she finds out about the house.
The fire crews immediately get to work, pulling and attaching hoses before rushing to the back of the house. Layne and I follow them around the side of the house and freeze in our tracks when the full roaring fire comes into view. We wordlessly watch in horror and amazement as the fire is eventually extinguished.
The fire chief, Paul Baldwin, and one of the detectives, Matt Ledger, approach us when the firemen start to roll up the hoses and put their gear away. Paul is an old friend and is the first to greet us. “Hey, Ace. Sorry to see you under these circumstances. Were you inside when this started?”
“Thanks, Paul. I wasn’t here, but Layne was. She’s been staying in the cabin for a few months. She was asleep on the couch when I got here, and I couldn’t wake her. I carried her outside then called for help.”
“Have the paramedics checked you out?” Paul asks.
“Yes. I’m fine. Even my oxygen saturation is good.”
She added the last part to remind me that she’s healthy. Or to shut me up before I had a chance to chime in.
“Layne, do you have any enemies in the area? Anyone who would want to hurt you?” Matt asks.
“Are you saying this was intentionally set?” I ask pointedly.