Mommy’s got you,” she repeated as she struggled to hold Holly and Nick. The doorknob felt cool to the touch and she sent up another prayer of thanks. The fire hadn’t reached the other side. She eased it open. Plumes of gray smoke billowed up the stairs, but no flames.
Seconds stretched like hours until she reached the first floor. Beeping from the smoke detector in the café barely reached her ears. The crackling flames were so loud she couldn’t think.
“Dan! Dan! Dan!” She screamed and kicked his closed door. She had to wake him, but she had to get her children out, too. Harriet yapped again. The smoke detector in the kitchen shrilled.
“Noel! Get out!” Dan shouted when he burst from his room. He pushed them through the rear door.
Tears washed down her scorched cheeks. Her arms shook while she clutched her children. The clean air hit her like a hammer. Noel choked and bent over, coughing violently.
“Thank God,” she gasped. Her throat felt like a file had scraped it. Nick’s cough gradually quieted and she peeled the protective blanket from his face. Holly snorted and released her neck with a grunt.
“What happened, Mommy?” she complained before she looked around. Dan wrapped them in his embrace as if he’d never let them go.
“We’re safe, but there’s a fire,” Noel soothed. Her knees knocked like an impatient intruder. Only Dan’s encircling arms kept her from slumping to the ground. Frosty air snapped at Noel’s nose and froze her hands.
“Let me down, Mommy. You’re squeezing me too hard,” Holly complained and wiggled to be freed.
“Okay, but stay right next to me.” Noel reluctantly let her down, but kept a tight clasp on her hand. Luckily her pajamas had footsies to keep her from the frozen ground.
A falling timber sent sparks high into the sky. Heat blasted across the walkway from the open door.
“We need to move back,” Dan urged. “The place is going up fast.”
Harriet yapped loudly while Dan hustled them across the parking lot. He still wore what he’d had on last night. He must have fallen asleep before undressing, too. Noel’s chest hurt from the rough coughing.
When sirens shattered the night quiet, she sagged with relief. The fire department would put out the fire and save Dan’s café.
“Someone must have called the dispatcher,” Dan said. His voice shook as he dragged his hand over his face. “I didn’t even think about it.”
He stared at the building while red flames burst behind the café windows. Noel felt her heart crack with pain when shadows filled his eyes. His dream was going up in smoke.
Several pickup trucks thundered into the lot. Blue lights flashed from their roofs as a dozen or more men struggled into their firefighting gear. One ran over to Dan. His helmet was marked “Chief.”
“Is everyone safe?” he shouted over the sirens.
“We’re all here,” Dan said, and waved at Noel and the children. Harriet panted and sat in the snow at their feet. Noel couldn’t hear what he said as he bent closer to the fireman.
Dan’s stony expression didn’t conceal his dread from her while they talked.
The fire chief directed the men to hook up hoses and spray the building. The freezing air turned the water to ice, quickly coating the scorched exterior.
Noel couldn’t stop watching until the entire building was engulfed. The ice-encased shell had a surreal beauty, reflecting the darting flames and blue lights. People crowded around, patting her arm and then going over to Dan.
“Don’t worry about this mite. I’ll take care of her,” the vet said before he picked up Harriet.
Noel gave him an absent nod and kept her gaze on Dan.
He’d joined the volunteers in their efforts. His shoulders strained while he helped lay hose. She prayed everything would be all right.
Her emotions finally caught up to Noel. She kept Nicholas close to her chest and held on to Holly’s hand like an anchor as she stumbled to the car.
Her jacket and
Seconds stretched like hours until she reached the first floor. Beeping from the smoke detector in the café barely reached her ears. The crackling flames were so loud she couldn’t think.
“Dan! Dan! Dan!” She screamed and kicked his closed door. She had to wake him, but she had to get her children out, too. Harriet yapped again. The smoke detector in the kitchen shrilled.
“Noel! Get out!” Dan shouted when he burst from his room. He pushed them through the rear door.
Tears washed down her scorched cheeks. Her arms shook while she clutched her children. The clean air hit her like a hammer. Noel choked and bent over, coughing violently.
“Thank God,” she gasped. Her throat felt like a file had scraped it. Nick’s cough gradually quieted and she peeled the protective blanket from his face. Holly snorted and released her neck with a grunt.
“What happened, Mommy?” she complained before she looked around. Dan wrapped them in his embrace as if he’d never let them go.
“We’re safe, but there’s a fire,” Noel soothed. Her knees knocked like an impatient intruder. Only Dan’s encircling arms kept her from slumping to the ground. Frosty air snapped at Noel’s nose and froze her hands.
“Let me down, Mommy. You’re squeezing me too hard,” Holly complained and wiggled to be freed.
“Okay, but stay right next to me.” Noel reluctantly let her down, but kept a tight clasp on her hand. Luckily her pajamas had footsies to keep her from the frozen ground.
A falling timber sent sparks high into the sky. Heat blasted across the walkway from the open door.
“We need to move back,” Dan urged. “The place is going up fast.”
Harriet yapped loudly while Dan hustled them across the parking lot. He still wore what he’d had on last night. He must have fallen asleep before undressing, too. Noel’s chest hurt from the rough coughing.
When sirens shattered the night quiet, she sagged with relief. The fire department would put out the fire and save Dan’s café.
“Someone must have called the dispatcher,” Dan said. His voice shook as he dragged his hand over his face. “I didn’t even think about it.”
He stared at the building while red flames burst behind the café windows. Noel felt her heart crack with pain when shadows filled his eyes. His dream was going up in smoke.
Several pickup trucks thundered into the lot. Blue lights flashed from their roofs as a dozen or more men struggled into their firefighting gear. One ran over to Dan. His helmet was marked “Chief.”
“Is everyone safe?” he shouted over the sirens.
“We’re all here,” Dan said, and waved at Noel and the children. Harriet panted and sat in the snow at their feet. Noel couldn’t hear what he said as he bent closer to the fireman.
Dan’s stony expression didn’t conceal his dread from her while they talked.
The fire chief directed the men to hook up hoses and spray the building. The freezing air turned the water to ice, quickly coating the scorched exterior.
Noel couldn’t stop watching until the entire building was engulfed. The ice-encased shell had a surreal beauty, reflecting the darting flames and blue lights. People crowded around, patting her arm and then going over to Dan.
“Don’t worry about this mite. I’ll take care of her,” the vet said before he picked up Harriet.
Noel gave him an absent nod and kept her gaze on Dan.
He’d joined the volunteers in their efforts. His shoulders strained while he helped lay hose. She prayed everything would be all right.
Her emotions finally caught up to Noel. She kept Nicholas close to her chest and held on to Holly’s hand like an anchor as she stumbled to the car.
Her jacket and
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