pulling her along.
“There’s a fire,” I said grimly. “Upstairs.”
Alex walked as quickly as she could through her bedroom and office, and Stephan and I helped her onto the porch. Stephan looked at me and asked, “Can you get her down the steps by yourself? I’m going back in to put the fire out.”
“You can’t go back in there, Stephan!” Alex yelled.
“Alex, just go with Macy. It will take firefighters too long to get here. I won’t do anything stupid, I promise.” And Stephan disappeared through Alex’s door.
I helped Alex down the stairs near her porch door and we stood well away from the house. Will ran up to us from the front of Summerplace, calling out, “Are you okay, Aunt Alex?”
“Yes, Will, I’m fine. But Stephan went back inside.” Her voice was filled with dread, her face looking white even in the darkness.
“What the hell for?” Will demanded.
“He wants to try to put the fire out because it takes time for firefighters to get to the islands,” she replied tearfully.
Then Vali and Leland came jogging around the back of Summerplace and Vali demanded, “What happened?”
I answered her. “There’s a fire upstairs.” She fell silent and we all looked upward into the windows of the second floor.
At that moment, Stephan appeared again at Alex’s porch door. He opened it and stepped outside. “It’s all right, everyone. False alarm—there’s no fire.”
“Are you sure?” I cried. “Where did all the smoke come from?”
Stephan came to stand with the rest of us. Just then, Pete came running up and joined us. “What’s going on? I heard shouting and couldn’t find anyone downstairs.”
Stephan answered him. “It’s okay, Pete. Macy thought there was a fire upstairs, but it turned out to be just some smoke from her fireplace. As soon as I opened the flue, the smoke started drawing up the chimney.”
All eyes turned on me. Will and Pete looked incredulous. Vali and Leland both shook their heads in disgust. Alex and Stephan looked at me sympathetically.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Will said. He glared at me. “Don’t tell me you forgot to open the flue.” He stared at me for a minute, then tilted his head back and started laughing. I had never been so embarrassed.
“I’m . . . I’m sorry,” I stammered, looking around at everyone standing there in the cold. “I didn’t realize that I forgot to open the flue.” Leland hadn’t said a word about a flue—that much I was sure of—but I didn’t want to make a scene and start pointing fingers. I had created enough of a scene already.
Vali and Leland turned to leave, and I saw Leland give me one last malevolent look, but I ignored him. Pete left too, but not before he shook his head at me, chuckling. I felt my face grow hot and I knew I looked as flustered as I felt. I hastily apologized again to Alex for causing her anguish, but she smiled at me. “It could happen to anyone,” she said. “Now, let’s get inside before we all freeze.”
Stephan and I walked up the steps on either side of Alex, and Will followed us into her office. She invited us to join her in her sitting room for tea, but she looked so weary that we all declined. Stephan walked to the sitting room door and turned to me. “Macy, don’t let this get you down. I know you’re embarrassed, but don’t dwell on it. It’s over and you did the right thing by getting Alex out of here when you thought there was danger. I thank you personally for that.” He looked fondly at Alex and bid us good night. Will followed Stephan out, kissing Alex and raising his eyebrows at me. I sighed deeply and apologized one last time to Alex.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“Macy, it’s already forgotten. Now, I want you to go up and get some sleep, and that’s what I’m going to do, too. And by the way, what Stephan said is right. I think you were very brave coming in to save me when you thought Summerplace was on fire, and I thank
“There’s a fire,” I said grimly. “Upstairs.”
Alex walked as quickly as she could through her bedroom and office, and Stephan and I helped her onto the porch. Stephan looked at me and asked, “Can you get her down the steps by yourself? I’m going back in to put the fire out.”
“You can’t go back in there, Stephan!” Alex yelled.
“Alex, just go with Macy. It will take firefighters too long to get here. I won’t do anything stupid, I promise.” And Stephan disappeared through Alex’s door.
I helped Alex down the stairs near her porch door and we stood well away from the house. Will ran up to us from the front of Summerplace, calling out, “Are you okay, Aunt Alex?”
“Yes, Will, I’m fine. But Stephan went back inside.” Her voice was filled with dread, her face looking white even in the darkness.
“What the hell for?” Will demanded.
“He wants to try to put the fire out because it takes time for firefighters to get to the islands,” she replied tearfully.
Then Vali and Leland came jogging around the back of Summerplace and Vali demanded, “What happened?”
I answered her. “There’s a fire upstairs.” She fell silent and we all looked upward into the windows of the second floor.
At that moment, Stephan appeared again at Alex’s porch door. He opened it and stepped outside. “It’s all right, everyone. False alarm—there’s no fire.”
“Are you sure?” I cried. “Where did all the smoke come from?”
Stephan came to stand with the rest of us. Just then, Pete came running up and joined us. “What’s going on? I heard shouting and couldn’t find anyone downstairs.”
Stephan answered him. “It’s okay, Pete. Macy thought there was a fire upstairs, but it turned out to be just some smoke from her fireplace. As soon as I opened the flue, the smoke started drawing up the chimney.”
All eyes turned on me. Will and Pete looked incredulous. Vali and Leland both shook their heads in disgust. Alex and Stephan looked at me sympathetically.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Will said. He glared at me. “Don’t tell me you forgot to open the flue.” He stared at me for a minute, then tilted his head back and started laughing. I had never been so embarrassed.
“I’m . . . I’m sorry,” I stammered, looking around at everyone standing there in the cold. “I didn’t realize that I forgot to open the flue.” Leland hadn’t said a word about a flue—that much I was sure of—but I didn’t want to make a scene and start pointing fingers. I had created enough of a scene already.
Vali and Leland turned to leave, and I saw Leland give me one last malevolent look, but I ignored him. Pete left too, but not before he shook his head at me, chuckling. I felt my face grow hot and I knew I looked as flustered as I felt. I hastily apologized again to Alex for causing her anguish, but she smiled at me. “It could happen to anyone,” she said. “Now, let’s get inside before we all freeze.”
Stephan and I walked up the steps on either side of Alex, and Will followed us into her office. She invited us to join her in her sitting room for tea, but she looked so weary that we all declined. Stephan walked to the sitting room door and turned to me. “Macy, don’t let this get you down. I know you’re embarrassed, but don’t dwell on it. It’s over and you did the right thing by getting Alex out of here when you thought there was danger. I thank you personally for that.” He looked fondly at Alex and bid us good night. Will followed Stephan out, kissing Alex and raising his eyebrows at me. I sighed deeply and apologized one last time to Alex.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“Macy, it’s already forgotten. Now, I want you to go up and get some sleep, and that’s what I’m going to do, too. And by the way, what Stephan said is right. I think you were very brave coming in to save me when you thought Summerplace was on fire, and I thank
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