“I tried,” she says, coughing, using one of her smocks to cover her face. “It won’t break.”
“Call 911 and tell them we’re trying to break the glass.” I use my shirt to cover my mouth and run into the office and dig around, finding a tool kit, and grabbing a hammer. The flames are now at the door. I find the spot near the tree I know climbs her house and start pounding the glass over and over, harder and harder, and finally it cracks but not enough. And smoke is everywhere, the thick air, challenging my lungs, but I keep moving. I kick the glass again and repeat, and then go at it with the hammer again. Another crack follows. Then another.
Finally, there’s a hole.
That’s when there is movement and noise outside, shouts lifting in the air. A firefighter sticks his head through the hole I’ve created. “Stand back!” he shouts and I don’t miss how he looks ominously at the flames quickly encroaching on us.
I pull Faith with me to the wall, flames a few feet from us. An axe hits the hole I’ve created and in a matter of seconds, I have Faith at that window handing her off to a firefighter. I follow immediately, and the minute my feet hit the ground, I grab Faith and we’re ushered away from the building. We collapse under another tree, and almost immediately, she’s grabbing my face. “You’re burned. Nick you’re burned. Your hair is scorched.”
“I don’t care about my hair,” I say, pulling her forehead to mine, cupping her head. “God woman. I almost lost you. I can’t believe I almost lost you.”
“I can’t believe you came after me. You could have died.”
A paramedic squats beside us, quickly checking our vitals and then focused on me. He bandages my hand and neck. “Your neck needs to be treated at the hospital,” the EMT says. “And that hair of yours is going to smell to high heaven. Cut it off.”
“It’s fine. I’m fine.”
The man gives my neck a concerned look. “Really you should—”
Beck appears and squats beside us. “He’s fine man. Move on.” The EMT gives him a scowl but obeys, standing up and leaving. Beck eyes me. “Did I mention I was on my way here?” He looks at Faith. “I’m Beck. Glad you lived. Sorry your house didn’t.” He looks at me again. “Kasey, Bill, and Jess are in custody. Kasey and Bill are singing like birds. Jess is not. But the bottom line here per Kasey is that Bill threatened Kasey’s sister or so he says. He agreed to set this fire and take a payout a little too quickly for me to buy into that.”
“Kasey set the fire?” Faith gasps.
“You didn’t know?” I ask.
“He said he had a surprise for me and ran downstairs. He told me to wait in the art studio.” The next thing I knew, the place was on fire. I don’t know how it didn’t get to me sooner. The stairs were on fire from the beginning.” She covers her face. “I can’t believe this.” She drops her hands. “Did he kill my mother?”
“Bill says Nick’s father was controlling your mother. He wanted the winery, too, and I assume he knew about the mercury. Per Bill, they both became a problem. Like you did, Faith. And that’s all for now. I need to go hand off Jess to those who shall not be named.” In typical Beck form, he just stands and leaves, without another word.
I turn to Faith. “Your house—”
“Doesn’t matter.”
I cup her face. “I can’t lose you.”
Her lips curve. “Then you won’t.”
I reach in my pocket and retrieve the ring. “Marry me. Be my wife.”
She breathes a heavy breath. “Your hair and skin are scorched and you’re proposing?”
“I’d propose if my entire body was scorched. Marry me. The ring is—”
“Gorgeous. Stunning. Huge. I’ll need a bodyguard.”
“Does that mean you’ll marry me?”
“Yes. Yes, I will marry you.”
I pull her lips to mine and kiss her, like I might never kiss her again. And I plan to kiss her that way every day for the rest of her life.
EPILOGUE
Faith
Three months later…
It’s our first morning at our new apartment, Nick and I sit down at a table on the patio with plates of pancakes in front of us, made of course from a mix, because that’s my specialty. I’m still in his t-shirt I slept in last night, while he’s in his pajama bottoms and another t-shirt that fits nice and snug across his chest. That snug fit is exactly why I haven’t stolen that particular shirt just yet. His hair is loose, longer now again, though he tested out the shorter style for all of about a month. Nick just doesn’t do conventional.