Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Tears ran down his face as he rocked back and forth with the dogs.
“Trust me, the whole crew will be happy to see those dogs.” My throat was tight with the sort of emotion I seldom let myself feel on a call.
“Eric?” Magnus blinked at me, eyes bleary. “That’s right. You were on duty tonight. Listen, we can’t tell the kids about the fire. Not yet. I don’t want to ruin their wedding night.”
“I get that impulse.” I nodded slowly, weighing Maren’s and Diesel’s ire against summoning them. “They’ll likely be mad neither of us called, but there’s not much they could do to help.”
“Exactly. Tomorrow will be soon enough.” Magnus continued hugging on the dogs as Sean returned to his side.
“Do you have somewhere you and the dogs can go for the night?” Sean asked him. “We’ll be here until the fire is fully extinguished, which will be awhile. Then it’ll be morning before the investigation and the insurance folks show up. They’ll have questions for you, but there’s no need for you to wait here. Likely gonna be a long night.”
“The investigator can save the questions. I know what caused it.” Magnus made a low, frustrated noise that inspired both dogs to bark. “Fucking iron. Must have left it plugged in. I’m an idiot.”
“You are not, and it’s possible there’s another cause.” Sean bent to put a hand on Magnus’s shoulder, and I resisted the urge to remove it and replace his hand with my own. “These older houses have wonky wiring. Trust me, I know.”
“Yeah.” Magnus rested his face against the closer of the dogs. “And I don’t know where to go. Don’t wanna call someone who might tell Diesel or put one of my employees in an awkward position. Hotels are picky about dogs to start with, and they’re even less likely to take two large breed pit mixes who need a bath. But we’ll be okay.”
“You can stay with me.” The offer escaped before I could think the better of it, and Sean and Magnus both reacted with wide eyes and dropped jaws.
“I can’t impose on you like that.” Magnus shook his head, lowering his gaze back to the dogs.
“I’m off after this call. Big empty house. Hose outside or bathtub inside to wash the dogs. And apparently, we’re practically family now.”
“Okay.” Magnus didn’t raise his gaze, and his voice sounded more resigned than anything else, which was understandable. This wasn’t a social call. And it was only one night. One night, and then I’d help Magnus work out a plan for the future, one that put him further away from my growing temptation to comfort him in ways that had little to do with housing.
Chapter Nine
Magnus
Sean shooed me away from the scene even before the fire department finished. The scene. That sounded way more clinical and tidy than the more accurate description of the smoldering remains of my house.
“There’s nothing more you can do tonight.” Sean’s eyes were kind, but I simply wasn’t in a position to process what that meant. “Take the dogs. Go to Eric’s. Get some rest.”
“I will.” My voice was wooden. Nothing more. The entire right side of the roof had collapsed, and smoke enveloped much of what was left of the house. Tomorrow, I’d need to worry about things like finding my fireproof safe with all my key documents. Because of how much I traveled and poured into The Heist, I’d always said I collected memories more than stuff, but I’d never expected that belief to be tested like this. However, at the moment, all I could focus on was immediate needs. “I’ve got leashes in the SUV, at least.”
“That’s good. Caleb can help you load them up.” Sean motioned to another firefighter, but I waved him away. Eric’s ambulance crew had already departed, but the firefighters continued looking for hot spots within the walls.
“I can handle it. I don’t think they’re likely to run again.” I rubbed my head, finally releasing my grip on the dogs, who, as predicted, didn’t budge from my side. “They’re probably hungry. Heck. Think the store by the highway is twenty-four hours?”
“Yep.” Sean nodded. “Do you feel up to going to a store? I could call—”
“No calls. The fewer people who know tonight, the better the chances of Diesel not finding out too soon.” I forced a firm tone I absolutely did not feel, and it worked because Sean waved me on.
“Okay. Be safe.”
Somehow, I made it in and out of the store, collecting kibble, dog shampoo, and some treats to reward the runaways for returning home. As I headed to the register, I added a toothbrush, a pair of flannel pants to sleep in, and jeans for the morning. I had enough black T-shirts at The Heist to last a while. The SUV smelled like sour dogs, and by the time we reached Eric’s, I had just enough energy to grab the dog shampoo and find the hose Eric had mentioned. Fortunately, it was a warm July night, and neither beast was a stranger to a quick rinse-off by a garden hose.