Authors: Alison Stone
Danielle slipped into the seat across from Jenny. “Bunny didn’t stay long.”
“No. She just made sure we got in all right. Gram was tired—” she lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip, “—and I’m more than capable of making my own hot cocoa.”
“Well, it was nice of her to walk you home.”
Jenny lifted her brows but didn’t say anything.
Her sister was still understandably rattled from the encounter with Billy Farr’s girlfriend. “Are you okay?”
“Just dandy.” Jenny rolled her eyes.
“Do you think Mom was an evil person?” The question seemed to come out of nowhere.
Danielle closed her eyes briefly, trying to picture their mother’s face, her rare smile. “Evil?” She shook her head. “No, I think she was misguided. I think she made a lot of bad decisions. As life went on, she became more reliant on men for basic needs. She forgot what was truly important.” She reached across the table and touched her little sister’s trembling hands.
“She forgot about us.” Jenny’s voice sounded soft, almost childlike. She lifted her eyes. “Sometimes I think I know how she felt.”
Danielle narrowed her gaze. “What do you mean?” Her stomach tightened.
“I understand what it means to get completely tied up in another person and losing yourself.”
Squeezing her sister’s hand as if to punctuate her words, Danielle said, “You never have to rely on a man. I can help you until you get on your feet.” She studied the top of her sister’s bowed head. When Jenny didn’t respond, Danielle said, “Promise me you’ll come to me first if you need anything.”
Jenny lifted her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I promise.” She wiped her tears on the edge of her sleeve. “Maybe—” she fluttered her hands, “—maybe this whole mess was a blessing in disguise. I was on the wrong path and now I have an opportunity to change.” The corners of her mouth curved into a small smile. “I’ve been doing a lot of praying about it.”
Danielle smiled in return. She too had reached out in prayer for guidance but still felt lost. Perhaps her constant worry about her job hadn’t allowed room to let God in.
Inwardly, she shook the thought away. “I’m leaving in the morning, but I’ll be back soon. And I’m only a phone call away.” A lump formed in her throat, making it difficult to speak. “I can’t thank you enough for taking care of Gram all these years. I’ve been selfish.”
“Self-preservation.” Jenny lifted an eyebrow. “We all did what we had to do.”
Self-preservation?
Strange choice of words. Is that what Jenny was doing now?
“Are you and Jimmy really over?” Danielle held her breath, waiting for the answer.
Jenny shrugged. “I need to discover myself.”
“You’ll go back to school, right?” Danielle tried to keep her eagerness in check.
“I hope to.” Jenny pushed back her chair and rolled her shoulders. Under the bare light bulb, the flesh under her eyes seemed darker than normal. She planted her palms on the table and bent down to look into Danielle’s eyes. “I’m not Mom. And—” she pulled back into an upright position, “—and neither are you.”
“I never…” Danielle let her words trail off, hating the shaky sound of her voice.
“I know. I know.” Jenny’s words flowed out on a tired sigh. “I know you look at me and think I have so much to accomplish. And trust me, I do. But you’re so afraid of not having a good job and security that you’re missing out on everything else.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “You think you have it all, but you don’t.” Jenny put her mug in the sink, then crossed to Danielle and kissed her cheek. “I love you, big sister.”
The tiny kitchen made Danielle feel claustrophobic. She pulled her jacket off the hook by the door and flipped on the light switch, illuminating the twinkling strands adorning the gazebo. The fragrant smell of autumn wafted to her nose as she kicked the dried leaves. She glanced toward the Kingsley’s home. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she and Ava had bonded over jumping in leaves. It all felt like a dream.
She ran her hand along the wood of the gazebo, then dropped into Gram’s rocker. She tipped her head back and stared at the clouds as they floated past the moon. The stars were out in full force tonight. If she racked her brain, she could probably name a handful of constellations. Too tired, she let her thoughts drift. She’d miss this when she got back home. It never got dark enough in midtown Atlanta to enjoy the full display of God’s handiwork.
God’s handiwork.
She let her eyes drift closed, the soft breeze caressing her cheek, trying to memorize this day. This moment.
From a distance, she heard leaves crunching, the sound of feet moving quickly across the yard. She straightened her back, every nerve ending buzzing. A small shadow appeared under the light by the back door.
“Ava!” Danielle stood.
The little girl glanced over her shoulder. A smile brightened her face when she saw Danielle standing by the gazebo. She took off in a full sprint and wrapped her arms around Danielle’s waist in a fierce hug and buried her face. “You can’t leave. I’ll miss you too much.”
Danielle dragged her hand down the girl’s downy hair, tears burning the backs of her eyes. “You shouldn’t be out here. Your father will be worried.”
Ava’s tiny frame racked with sobs.
“Please don’t cry, sweetie. I’ll be back.” Her heart broke for the child.
Ava looked up, tears glistening in her eyes. “I want you to live here.”
Danielle ran a finger across Ava’s wet check. “You’re going to make me cry.” Her voice shook. “And not happy tears.” She tried to lighten the mood. “Let me walk you home before your dad sends out a search party.” She clasped Ava’s tiny hand and stepped off the gazebo.
The sound of glass shattering made her stop. She drew Ava protectively behind her. Ice shot through her veins and her pulse quickened.
“What was that noise?” Ava asked, her voice trembling.
Danielle glanced toward the noise, toward the house. “I don’t—”
A huge explosion sounded from the front of the house. An orange fireball lit the night. Danielle’s heart dropped. “Gram! Jenny!” She crouched down, her face inches from Ava’s. “Run home. Get your dad.”
Ava froze. Danielle nudged her shoulder. “Run. Now.”
The little girl took off toward her house. Danielle ran to the side door and yanked it open. A calloused hand came down hard over her mouth and lifted her off her feet. A crushing blow to the side of her head sent an explosion of pain shooting through her skull.
Feeling woozy, she feared for Jenny’s safety. She reached back and clawed at the man’s head. He swore under his breath and punched her head again. Horrified, she couldn’t catch her breath.
Darkness claimed her.
Chapter Seventeen
Patrick shot out of bed, stuffing his arms into his flannel shirt as he bolted down the stairs. An explosion had sounded from somewhere close. Dani’s house. His pulse roared in his ears. He ran onto the front lawn and heard the panicked cries of his daughter. He crouched down and gripped Ava’s forearms. “What are you doing outside?”
Ava trembled under his touch. “Miss Danielle…” She pointed toward the Carson’s house. Flames shot from the front window. Terror seized his heart.
“Patrick?” Bunny stood in the doorway, clutching her robe at the collar.
Patrick pointed frantically at her. “Take Ava inside. Call 9-1-1. Stay in the house. Away from the windows. Lock the doors.”
“Patrick?” Bunny’s eyes shone with fear.
“Now,” he demanded. “Do it now.”
Bunny pressed her hand to her chest and scurried back into the house, clutching Ava’s hand. Assured his family was securely inside, he ran toward the fire. Squinting against the orange-and-red glow of flames, his mind filled with thoughts of Danielle. A thin sheen of sweat slicked his forehead as the panic and heat swarmed around him.
From Danielle’s front yard, he saw the entryway engulfed in flames. He ran around the side of the house and found the door yawning open beyond the screen door. Hope bled through him. Maybe they’d already gotten out. He scanned the deep shadows of the darkened yard. “Danielle! Gram! Jenny!”
He waited, his chest heaving. No answer. No one in sight. He grabbed the door handle and the ground beneath him shifted.
Lifting a corner of his flannel shirt to cover his mouth, he pulled open the screen door and pushed inside. Thick smoke rolled through the kitchen. A muffled coughing sounded nearby. He moved deeper into the kitchen. Jenny had her arm wrapped around Gram’s waist. “Help,” Jenny coughed out.
Patrick slipped his arm around Gram’s waist. Her head lolled against his chest. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Jenny was following, his eyes searching the smoky haze for any sign of Danielle. Panic tightened his gut. “Where’s Danielle?”
Jenny coughed in her sleeve, her eyes wide with fear. She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
The house moaned and creaked under the intense flames. With one arm firmly around Gram’s waist, he grabbed Jenny’s elbow with his free hand. “Let’s get you out of here.”
Once he had Gram and Jenny safely outside, Patrick glanced toward the house. Sirens sounded in the distance. Jenny bounced on the balls of her feet, rubbing her hands up and down her bare arms. He sat Gram down on the dewy lawn and patted her hand. “You’re going to be okay. The paramedics are on the way. I’m going to get Danielle.”
Gram’s blue eyes widened. Soot marred her nose and mouth. “Help her,” she rasped.
Patrick turned to Jenny. “Where is Danielle?”
Jenny shook her head, tears making tracks down her dirty cheeks. “I ran to her bedroom. Her bed was empty. She wasn’t upstairs.” A shudder coursed through her body.
Patrick’s mind raced with the possibilities. “Where did you last see her?”
“In the kitchen.”
A second explosion sounded, sending Patrick and Jenny reeling back. He landed hard on his backside. Jenny landed next to him with a solid thump.
“You okay?” he asked.
Jenny groaned, her wide eyes reflected the brilliant flames consuming the house. “Find Danielle.”
A fire truck rumbled up the driveway. A firefighter in full gear jumped off the engine before it came to a complete stop and ran toward them. “Is anyone in the house?”
Patrick pushed past him. “Yes, a woman is in there. Danielle is in there.”
The firefighter blocked him. “You can’t go in there, sir. It’s not safe. Let us handle it.”
“I need to find her.” Patrick tried to push past the firefighter. Pure adrenaline fueled his forward motion, despite the scorching heat of the flames beating him back.
“Sir, you need to stay out here.” The firefighter grabbed Patrick’s arm and pulled him back. “I can’t let you go in there. And the more you fight me on this, the more time you’re wasting.”
Patrick’s shoulders slumped. He nodded to the firefighter and bowed his head. Bending at the waist, he drew in a shaky breath. His jittery legs gave way and he dropped to his knees.
Dear Lord, please keep Danielle safe. Guide the firefighters to her and bring her out safely.
Danielle’s mouth felt parched. The hard floor under her swayed. She lifted a hand to her pounding head. Her mind swirled with myriad clips, memories. The explosion. The fire. The calloused hand pressing her upper lip to her teeth. She ran a finger against her swollen lip.
Then darkness.
The haziness began to drift away. The flames. Her family. Danielle stifled a sob and pushed up on her elbow. Pain shot through her head. A wave of nausea rolled over her. She blinked her eyes and barely made out the shapes in the dark.
The scent of algae reached her nose. A subtle
ding, ding
floated in from the not-too-far distance. The rocking motion. Why was she on a boat? Maneuvering to her knees, she swallowed back the nausea and rubbed her pounding head. Getting her bearings, she pushed to her feet and stalked toward the door. Moonlight streamed in through a narrow window. She held her breath as she wrapped her fingers around the door handle. Her heartbeat in her ears was deafening. Locked. The door was locked. Her eyes scanned the room. No other way out.
She rested her back against the door and slid down. Threading her fingers through her hair, she tipped her face upward and pressed her eyes closed.
Dear Lord, I know I haven’t exactly made You a part of my life. But I need You. Please, please, please, I beg You. Please let Ava, Jenny and Gram be okay.
She gave her head a quick shake to dismiss the image of the fire, then immediately regretted it. Her nausea welled up.
I haven’t always shown it, but I love my family. I need them.
She squeezed her hands together.
And I need You. Please help me.
From across the room, a shadow moaned, a deep, gruff moan that vibrated through her. She pushed her feet against the floor but failed to gain traction. Her pulse roared in her head. She had nowhere to go.
Her fear morphed into concern. Was someone else hurt? “Who’s there?” she whispered.
A male voice cursed. “What the…I’m going to kill that…” He muttered something she couldn’t quite hear. The figure seemed to be struggling.
The faint familiarity of the voice seeped into her brain. “Billy? Billy Farr?”