purse had been in her room. Thank goodness she had a spare key tucked under the wheel well and a light coat in the backseat. She shifted the children inside and collapsed in the driver’s seat. Her wallet lay where she’d forgotten it after filling the tank with gas.
“Do you need anything?” Dan leaned in the open door. He touched her cheek with sooty fingers.
“No. Don’t worry about me,” Noel murmured.
Blue light painted his face a haggard gray and his voice was rough. Someone had loaned him a heavy coat that fit too tightly over his wide shoulders and revealed his tired slump. Dirt streaked his cheeks.
She eased from the car. Her legs were still wobbly, and she joined Dan where he slumped against the fender. His stare fixed on the dying fire. His clothes stank of burned wood.
Noel ached to soothe away the heart-sickening pain cutting lines on his face. She wound her arms around his waist.
“It’s a total loss,” he said. “Everything I worked for is destroyed. I’ll have to start all over again.”
“Oh, Dan. I’m so sorry. What can I do?” She clutched him tighter, her throat raw and her eyes burning. A deep sigh lifted his chest under her cheek before she burrowed against him. Her eyes burned, but she’d run out of tears.
He eased his hand free and stroked it over her hair. “There’s nothing here for you. Please. Be safe. Go home.”
“No,” she protested. Everything in her begged to help him. “I’ll stay.”
His dark eyes filled with shadows when he held her away from him, his hands firmly gripping her shoulders. His jaw set like granite.
“It’s a total loss, Noel. I don’t even know where I’m going to sleep. There’s no place at the farm, unless I use a stall in the barn. At least you’ll have a house,” he said. His voice was so hoarse she had to strain to understand.
“But...” She gulped. If she started to cry, she wouldn’t be able to stop. Dan didn’t need to worry about her, and she cared too much to demand it. She shivered before she swallowed her tears.
Her lips parted to tell him she loved him, but she kept the words inside. Dan didn’t need another burden. He was right. Her heart cracked before she nodded. She longed to straighten his tangled hair, but her arms dropped to her sides.
“Keep your promise to Holly. Go home for Christmas.” He pressed a tired kiss to her chapped lips. “You turn that phone on. I’ll let you know what happens.”
“I can stay,” she whispered. She fumbled to remove the cell phone from her pocket, her fingers unsteady when she complied.
“Please. Go. I can’t deal with all this until I know you’re safely on your way.”
****
Dan’s world lay in charred and broken pieces. The old frame structure had fallen in on itself and the remains lay beneath his boots. Fatigue settled on his shoulders and dragged him down. The rising sun cast long shadows across the wreckage of his business. He bent to move a scorched two-by-four aside. Blackened bits crumbled under his fingers and he stared at the flakes.
This was his life. All he had left after years of hard work. His neighbors and friends had done their best, but it wasn’t enough.
There was nothing left of his plans to provide a life with Noel except ashes.
He rubbed his hands over his bristled cheeks and groaned aloud. Noel was gone. Loneliness cut his gut like glass shards. It was for the best. The kids needed stability, not the train wreck his life had become.
She’d offered to stay, but for what?
“We found the cause.” The fire chief caught him by the arm and helped him to his feet. “Looks like an electrical fire in the exhaust fan. Tom says you were already planning to replace it, so the insurance company won’t be a problem.”
Dan had thought he’d reached bottom but he felt the earth crumble under his boots.
“I didn’t pay the premium,” he admitted, his tongue numb. He thought of the tires he’d bought for Noel’s car. At least she was safe.
“Do you need anything?” Dan leaned in the open door. He touched her cheek with sooty fingers.
“No. Don’t worry about me,” Noel murmured.
Blue light painted his face a haggard gray and his voice was rough. Someone had loaned him a heavy coat that fit too tightly over his wide shoulders and revealed his tired slump. Dirt streaked his cheeks.
She eased from the car. Her legs were still wobbly, and she joined Dan where he slumped against the fender. His stare fixed on the dying fire. His clothes stank of burned wood.
Noel ached to soothe away the heart-sickening pain cutting lines on his face. She wound her arms around his waist.
“It’s a total loss,” he said. “Everything I worked for is destroyed. I’ll have to start all over again.”
“Oh, Dan. I’m so sorry. What can I do?” She clutched him tighter, her throat raw and her eyes burning. A deep sigh lifted his chest under her cheek before she burrowed against him. Her eyes burned, but she’d run out of tears.
He eased his hand free and stroked it over her hair. “There’s nothing here for you. Please. Be safe. Go home.”
“No,” she protested. Everything in her begged to help him. “I’ll stay.”
His dark eyes filled with shadows when he held her away from him, his hands firmly gripping her shoulders. His jaw set like granite.
“It’s a total loss, Noel. I don’t even know where I’m going to sleep. There’s no place at the farm, unless I use a stall in the barn. At least you’ll have a house,” he said. His voice was so hoarse she had to strain to understand.
“But...” She gulped. If she started to cry, she wouldn’t be able to stop. Dan didn’t need to worry about her, and she cared too much to demand it. She shivered before she swallowed her tears.
Her lips parted to tell him she loved him, but she kept the words inside. Dan didn’t need another burden. He was right. Her heart cracked before she nodded. She longed to straighten his tangled hair, but her arms dropped to her sides.
“Keep your promise to Holly. Go home for Christmas.” He pressed a tired kiss to her chapped lips. “You turn that phone on. I’ll let you know what happens.”
“I can stay,” she whispered. She fumbled to remove the cell phone from her pocket, her fingers unsteady when she complied.
“Please. Go. I can’t deal with all this until I know you’re safely on your way.”
****
Dan’s world lay in charred and broken pieces. The old frame structure had fallen in on itself and the remains lay beneath his boots. Fatigue settled on his shoulders and dragged him down. The rising sun cast long shadows across the wreckage of his business. He bent to move a scorched two-by-four aside. Blackened bits crumbled under his fingers and he stared at the flakes.
This was his life. All he had left after years of hard work. His neighbors and friends had done their best, but it wasn’t enough.
There was nothing left of his plans to provide a life with Noel except ashes.
He rubbed his hands over his bristled cheeks and groaned aloud. Noel was gone. Loneliness cut his gut like glass shards. It was for the best. The kids needed stability, not the train wreck his life had become.
She’d offered to stay, but for what?
“We found the cause.” The fire chief caught him by the arm and helped him to his feet. “Looks like an electrical fire in the exhaust fan. Tom says you were already planning to replace it, so the insurance company won’t be a problem.”
Dan had thought he’d reached bottom but he felt the earth crumble under his boots.
“I didn’t pay the premium,” he admitted, his tongue numb. He thought of the tires he’d bought for Noel’s car. At least she was safe.
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