Guarding a forbidden lov.., p.18
Guarding a Forbidden Love, page 18
Most men would have left her to her own devices, but not Sam. Not her sweet, sweet Sam. As always, these kinds of thoughts brought the sting of tears to her eyes. Eventually Sam would get over her and someday maybe she would get over Sam, but not today.
She was fifteen minutes from closing up for the day when Celeste Winthrop walked in. Celeste was a very attractive woman with ash-blond hair and big brown eyes. She was dressed in a pair of long white slacks with an emerald green blouse. She wore big gold earrings and a thick gold necklace. She looked cool and chic and made Harper feel positively dowdy in her black slacks and beige blouse.
Celeste was another person who had never been in the bakery before and Harper steeled herself, knowing the woman wasn’t after something sweet to eat but rather something else.
“Good afternoon, Celeste. How can I help you today?” Harper greeted the woman.
“Hmm, I’m not sure. I need to look things over,” Celeste replied as she stepped up to the display counter.
“Take your time,” Harper replied.
The woman walked up and down the display case, looking at all the things inside. She then stopped and looked back up at Harper. “I didn’t see Sam’s truck outside. Is there trouble in paradise?” she asked with a sly smile.
“No, he’s still on the job here,” Harper replied.
“Gossip has it that you and Sam are quite cozy with each other.”
Harper sighed. So, the woman wasn’t here because she’d suddenly gotten hungry for a brownie or a slice of cake. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Celeste replied. “You know, there aren’t that many good men in this town. Surely you could find somebody your own age to date.”
“You’re way behind in your gossip, Celeste. Sam and I are no longer seeing each other so he’s free for you to chase.”
Celeste’s nose thinned and her eyes narrowed. “I don’t chase men...they chase me,” she replied haughtily.
“Good for you,” Harper replied, tired of the whole conversation. “Now, what can I get for you?”
Celeste swept her gaze over the items and then looked up at Harper. “I thought I was hungry for a little sweet, but I’ve changed my mind. Thank you anyway.” With that the woman turned around and left the bakery.
The woman hadn’t come in for a “little sweet,” she had come in to get the latest in gossip straight from the horse’s mouth. Now she knew there was a green light with Sam, although Harper had a feeling Celeste would have to wait a very long time for Sam to chase her.
Sam wasn’t back by closing time and although she was tempted to go ahead home, she had made a promise to Sam, and she always tried to keep her promises.
She locked the front door and turned off the interior lights and then went back into the kitchen and prepared things for the next morning. Once that was done, she returned to her chair behind the display case and sank down to wait. The bakery was darker than usual because of the gloominess outside that had deepened over the last couple of hours.
Still, she could see well enough that while she waited for Sam, she’d work some more on the paperwork she’d begun earlier.
She pulled out the papers on which she’d drawn a variety of ads to go in the paper and on flyers. She became completely absorbed in the work as she made changes to what she had already done earlier in the day.
She frowned in disgust as she found herself doodling Sam’s name over and over again on one of the papers. She was like a love-struck teenager, writing his name repeatedly across the top of an algebra paper.
She’d been sitting there for several minutes when she thought she smelled smoke. Was it coming in from someplace outside? She got up from her chair and sniffed the air. No, it seemed to be coming from the kitchen area.
Had she left something running? Something that had gotten too hot? She couldn’t imagine herself doing something like that, but since she’d broken up with Sam her thoughts had been scattered at best.
She hurried back there. The smell of smoke was much more pronounced in the kitchen and she could actually see it drifting in the air. A quick glance at all the equipment she used let her know nothing was on and running.
What in the heck? She now realized the smoke was coming in beneath the door between the kitchen and the laundry room. She coughed, the dark smoke burning her eyes and lodging in the back of her throat.
She pulled open the door between the two rooms. She gasped and stumbled backward. Fire! Tall flames licked at the wood around the back door. Oh, dear God, her building was on fire.
She slammed the door and raced for the front. She needed to get out and the only way out was through the front door, as the burning back door was no longer an option.
She grabbed her purse from beneath the counter and fumbled to get her keys out. With her keys in hand, she ran to the front door. Before she even tried to unlock it, she saw that the stacks of wood and other building supplies had been moved from the side of the door to directly in front of it. They were all now blocking her way out.
When had that happened? Somebody must have moved the items when she’d either been back in the kitchen or absorbed with the paperwork. Who had done this?
She didn’t have the time to think about who was responsible as a deep sob of panic escaped her. Despite the items in front of it, she unlocked the door and pushed with all her might. The door didn’t budge. She shoved against it again. It wouldn’t even open an inch, let alone enough for her to get through.
Another fit of coughing overtook her. Dark smoke was growing more and more intense, filling the room with deadly intent. Her lungs ached and tears coursed down her face, both from fear and the smoke.
Once she was finished with the coughing spasm, she went back to the kitchen. The room was dark with smoke and when she placed her hand on the door leading out to the laundry room, the wood was fiery hot.
Oh, God, a new panic roared through her. It was only a matter of minutes before the fire breached the back door and swept into the kitchen.
She ran back to the front door, pushing against it, shoving at it with all her might. “Help me! Please, somebody help me!” she screamed as she banged on the door until she was completely out of breath.
Trapped. She was trapped in a burning building. Who had done this to her? Another round of coughing punished her and a dizziness caused her head to reel.
Her chest felt tight...so tight and it felt as if she couldn’t draw in enough oxygen. She sank down to her knees next to the door. She now couldn’t see across the room due to the thick smoke that filled the air. Her head reeled as dozens of thoughts moved through her mind as if in slow motion.
Shouldn’t she call somebody? Did she have a phone? She needed to call Sam. Sam. Where was Sam? Wasn’t he supposed to be here with her? Where was he? Where had he gone? Confusion muddied her thoughts.
She loved him so much. Would she ever see him again? She was so tired. Why was she so sleepy? Maybe she should take a little nap. Things would be better when she woke up.
Another bout of coughing tortured her. Her lungs burned and she realized someplace in the back of her mind that if she didn’t do something soon, she was going to die.
* * *
“Thank you for taking me today,” Sam’s mother said to him as they pulled up in her driveway.
“You know I don’t mind. I’ll walk you inside,” he said, then parked and turned off the truck engine. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. There had been a wait in the doctor’s office and it was now a quarter after five. He hoped Harper had kept her promise and was still at the bakery waiting for him.
He was definitely eager to get back there before she gave up on him and decided to go on home without him. He still had a horrible fear for her life. He couldn’t get out of his mind the night that she’d been slashed up. He would never forgive himself if anything else happened to her.
Even though she didn’t want him anymore, he still wanted to keep her safe from any harm that might come her way. Still, there was nothing worse than unrequited love. He had no idea how long it might take him to recover from Harper. She was and would remain for a very long time a love in his heart and a burn in his very soul.
He’d seen the future with her and he’d loved what he’d visualized for the two of them. Now he had no vision for his future beyond his deep heartbreak.
He walked his mother into the house and she settled into her favorite chair. “I’m glad the doctor gave you a clean bill of health,” he said.
“I’m as healthy as a horse,” she replied. “Now, where’s the remote control?”
It took several minutes for them to find the remote. He kissed her goodbye on her forehead and then he flew out of the house, eager to get back to the bakery.
He knew Lauren had come in to talk to Harper that afternoon, but apparently his sister hadn’t been able to change Harper’s mind.
Maybe she really didn’t love him, but he swore he felt her love flowing from her when the two of them were in the same room. He believed he saw love in her eyes whenever she gazed at him. How could he possibly convince her that they belonged together forever?
The day had turned preternaturally dark, dark enough that he had to turn his headlights on to drive. As he pulled into the bakery parking lot, he was glad to see Harper’s car still parked next to the building. Good, she’d kept her promise and had waited for him.
However, when he stepped out of the car a deep alarm rang through him. Instead of smelling the lingering sweet scent of the bakery, acrid smoke filled the air. The interior of the bakery was dark. He raced up to the door and panic seared through him as he saw the flickering light of flames dancing somewhere in the back of the place.
What the hell? Shock and horror punched into his gut as he saw the building supplies stacked against the front door. He peered inside. It was almost impossible to make anything out through the smoke that filled the place.
Then he saw her... Harper. He could barely see her through the smoke inside. She was curled into an unmoving heap just inside the front door.
“Harper!” He shouted her name and banged on the door as hard as he could, but she didn’t move. Frantic, he pulled out his cell phone and called the emergency number. “Fire...there’s a fire at the Sweet Tooth Bakery and Harper is unconscious inside,” he yelled.
He put the phone back into his pocket and then banged on the door again in an attempt to rouse Harper. Still she didn’t respond.
He was afraid to break the door glass, same with the big picture window next to the door. He was terrified he’d cause the fire to explode outward and burn Harper. And if that didn’t happen, he was afraid the glass would shatter all over her and cut her to shreds.
Dammit, he wasn’t a fireman. He didn’t know what to do in this situation. He just needed to get to her. The one thing he could do was remove the items that were stacked in front of the door. Then, if the door was unlocked, he’d risk opening it to pull her outside.
He had to get her out of there as soon as possible. The smoke in the area she was in was thick and deadly and right now she was unresponsive.
Frantically, he began picking up the wood and tossing it aside. As he worked, he shouted for help. His heart thundered in his chest and tears of fear for her blurred his eyes.
To his surprise and relief, RJ ran over from the tattoo shop and began to help him move the supplies from in front of the door. “What the hell?” RJ exclaimed as he worked to help.
“Somebody did this on purpose,” Sam said, his blood boiling with both anger and fear. Had RJ done this and was the big man now trying to play hero? He’d deal with RJ later. Right now, no matter what RJ’s motives might be, he was helping.
Was it already too late? Had she succumbed to smoke inhalation? Sam knew that smoke could be the real silent killer in a fire.
Oh, God, she couldn’t be dead. She just couldn’t be. What would he do without her presence? He’d thought she’d be safe here. He’d believed nobody would try anything while she was inside her bakery. He’d been wrong, so very wrong.
This was all his fault. He should have never left her alone here. He should have never made her promise to stay here to wait for his return. He would never forgive himself if... He couldn’t even finish the thought.
Another man Sam didn’t even know pitched in to help them move items and before long the doorway was cleared. “If the door is unlocked, I’m going in,” Sam said.
“No, man, wait for the firemen to get here,” RJ protested. “It’s too dangerous.”
“She can’t wait,” Sam cried, even as sirens sounded in the distance. He tried the door. Thankfully it was unlocked. He drew in a deep breath, yanked it all the way open and then stepped inside.
Inside the air was hot and his eyes immediately burned with the smoke. He leaned down next to Harper and scooped her up in his arms. She hung limply and with no response to being moved. A deep sob of despair ripped from him.
RJ opened the door for Sam, and he rushed out into the cooler evening air. Gently he placed Harper on the ground. “Harper... Harper, honey...open your eyes,” he said frantically. “Please...please open your eyes.”
Suddenly there was chaos all around him. An ambulance pulled up, along with the fire truck and several police cars. Men started spooling out water hoses and carrying them around to the back of the building.
Two EMTs arrived by his side with a gurney. They picked up Harper and then hurried her to the ambulance as a group of onlookers began to gather all around. Before Sam could get his bearings, the ambulance pulled away as Dallas stepped up to Sam’s side.
“What happened here, Sam?” Dallas asked tersely.
“Somebody tried to kill Harper.” Sam grabbed hold of Dallas’s arm. “I don’t even know if they succeeded.” Sam’s eyes blurred with new tears. “God, Dallas, I... I don’t even know if she was dead or alive when I pulled her out of there.”
“If she’s alive they will take good care of her, Sam,” Dallas replied. “Right now, I need some information from you.”
Sam quickly told him about his mother’s doctor’s appointment and the promise Harper had made to him to wait until he returned to go home. “Somebody started a fire at the back of the building and then they used my building supplies to block the front door so she couldn’t get out. She was trapped in there. It’s all my fault. I should have never left her here all alone.” His voice cracked with the depth of his emotion.
Sam’s fear for Harper’s life and his guilt about the situation nearly cast him to his knees. But he knew Dallas needed as much information as possible to investigate exactly what had happened.
As the lawman continued to question Sam, more people began to gather in the parking lot. All Sam could think about was Harper. How was she doing? Was she going to survive this horrible night? Dear God, had she survived?
Finally, the fire was out. It was Russ who came around to talk to Dallas and Sam about the damage. “The point of ignition was the back door and we believe gasoline was the accelerant. The laundry room is completely burned out, along with the back door area and part of the kitchen. The rest of the interior has probably been badly smoke-damaged but right now it’s too hot to go inside to make a full assessment.”
“Can I go?” Sam asked Dallas urgently. “I need to get to the hospital to check on Harper.”
“Go,” Dallas replied. “I’ll catch up with you sometime later.”
Sam turned and headed to his truck. “Hey, Sam.” Joe Rogers approached him. “Is Harper all right?”
“I don’t know. I’m heading to the hospital now to find out,” Sam replied. He frowned as he gazed at the man who was one of Harper’s regulars.
Was that soot across Joe’s forehead? How had the man gotten soot on his face? He hadn’t been anywhere near the fire. And his hair appeared a slightly lighter color, as if it was dusted with ash. Sure, there had been some ash flying in the air as a result of the fire, but nobody had been here long enough to get soot and ash all over them.
Sam’s heart began beating a different kind of a rhythm. Joe? Was it possible? Did he have some sort of an obsession with Harper? An obsession that had turned deadly?
“Excuse me for a minute, Joe,” Sam said. He ran back to where Dallas was now talking to RJ. “I think it’s Joe... Joe Rogers,” he said to Dallas urgently. “He’s got soot on his face and, Dallas, he was nowhere near the fire. You need to check him out, I think you need to arrest him, Dallas. I believe he set the fire and that’s how he got the soot on his forehead. I think he’s the one who attacked Harper.”
Sam didn’t wait but instead turned around, ran past Joe and got into his truck. Joe. That bastard. If what Sam thought was true, then hopefully Dallas would take care of him.
Right now, the only thing on Sam’s mind was Harper. It was only in the privacy of his truck that he allowed frightened tears to course down his cheeks.
Harper... Harper, her name ripped through him. She had to be okay. The more he thought about it, the more he was now convinced Joe had been her attacker. Had Joe committed murder tonight? The very thought tore through him. Oh, God, he prayed not.
Right now, he didn’t care if he and Harper ever got back together again. She just needed to be alive. She needed to be running her bakery and laughing and smiling with customers. Dammit, she had to be alive.
He drove as fast as possible and finally reached the hospital. He parked and flew out of his truck and then he raced into the emergency waiting room.
Sherry Alyers, a woman he’d dated years before, sat behind the desk. “Sherry, Harper Brennan was just brought in by ambulance. Would you let the doctor know I’m here and need to know her condition as soon as possible?”
