“Alright, I spoke my peace. You know I’m here if you need to talk, especially once you get the report and start your own investigation. Don’t let your feelings eat away at you, promise?”

  She sighed, “Yeees, I promise.” Mia rolled her eyes. Tyler wasn’t just her brother, he was her voice of reason and at times knew her too well.

  With the windows open, Mia listened to the calming waves and occasional seagull before grabbing a tablet from her satchel. She began jotting down questions. Was there a storm that night, and if so, was there lightning near the condo? Was the elderly woman on the other side of the wall a smoker? Did any tenants complain of an odor?

  By the time she was done, there were two pages of thoughts that hadn’t left her head for well over a year. Some could be answered more easily than the rest, with some requiring more research. Now that she was on a mission—she wouldn’t leave any stone unturned.

  Flipping the page, Mia took a few cleansing breaths and began noting details she remembered from her flashbacks. Hope trotted to her side, nudging her arm several times whenever she tensed up or started rocking without realizing.

  Her faithful companion reminded her to breathe deeply. “What would I do without you sweet girl?” She flashed a smile at the dog while rustling her ears.

  As the afternoon wore on, she sent an e-mail to Fire Inspector Martinez, who oversaw the investigation. He was also the person who informed her of their findings being inconclusive—the reason noted was the age of the building and previous unfinished renovations.

  Surprisingly, within the hour he had forwarded her a list of their findings that was more detailed than she expected it to be.

  Before reading the lengthy report, she pushed herself up and trudged to the window. There’s no fire here in Bliss so relax.

  Mia forced air into her lungs before shaking her arms loose, letting them flop wildly at her sides.

  Hope ran to her, sensing the anguish. She squatted, coming eye to eye with her dog. “I know girl, I feel it too. But I won’t let it control me. We were doing good, weren’t we?”

  The pooch whined, searching her eyes for a sign. “Well, we’re not going to let the past ruin our future. It’s time to get the answers we need and put that dark time behind us forever. Sound good?”

  “Arf! Arf!” Her nose pointed up into air, before licking Mia’s chin.

  Marching to the table, she plopped herself down into the chair, took a long drink of water, and proclaimed, “I can do this!”

  Skimming through the document and seeing the word fire repeated over and over made her chest tighten. But the further she read, the more intriguing the details became.

  They mentioned charring in the wall on the right side of the fireplace from previous damage, near where the victim was found on the sofa. Electricity shot through Mia—she winced, causing her hand to cover the scar on her thigh. Remembering the searing of skin made her flinch.

  Hearing the dog growl as her head perked up, Mia lifted her hand patting Hope several times until the pup laid back down.

  Victim. Wow, I never considered myself a victim. Downing more water, she breathed in and out, in and out, calming her nerves yet again. She was determined more than ever to keep going.

  Reading on, Mia learned that the interior of the fireplace had been converted from gas to log more than once, with it currently being outfitted to burn logs. The wall it sat in the middle of had been reconstructed several times over the years—the most recent reconstruction involved adding four more electrical outlets.

  At the end of the report, a particular note gnawed at her peace of mind.

  Due to excessive charring inside the wall, it was possible that wires were smoldering for weeks, or even longer. It could not be determined whether old charring caused the fire or if it started from the match found in the trash can against the wall where the fire began.

  Her stomach began twisting in knots as she struggled to remember what she did with the match she must have used to light the fire with.

  “Oh my God, could it be my fault?” Her body began shaking as she fixed her gaze on the door, suddenly needing more air.

  Hope jumped up pressing her front paws into Mia’s lap. She nudged and licked at her chin as Mia struggled to control her shaking, her heartbeat racing faster and faster. Focusing her attention on the feeling of Hope’s soft ears beneath her fingers, she eased herself to her feet.

  “I think we need to sit on the porch for a little while, okay girl?”

  As Hope whined softly, Mia put one foot in front of the other. Don't rush, she told herself, knowing it would only fuel her anxiety. Just breathe.

  With Hope leaning against her leg with every step, Mia’s breathing finally began to slow with her companion's calming presence.

  Pulling the door wide open, she closed her eyes as she filled her lungs with fresh air. But the moment she stretched her arms upwards, the thick scar on her thigh pulled tight, and a sudden pain fired through her tender nerves. She released a muffled grunt, feeling the floor give way beneath her—then she felt herself falling. But a pair of firm arms kept her from reaching the ground.

  Chapter 11

  MIa

  Feeling the warmth of his breath against her ear, Dash whispered, “I’ve got you, Mia. You’re safe.” Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her snuggly against him. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Just breathe, you’re safe now.”

  As Mia panted, trying to resume a normal rhythm, the one thing she didn’t want to do in front of him happened…cry.

  Resigning herself to the instant relief felt with every tear shed, she didn’t fight them. Instead, she released the tension deep inside her and melted into his warm embrace, crying for what seemed like hours.

  When her legs faltered, he whisked her up, carrying her to the sofa. Easing her down, he kept one arm over her shoulder as the other held her in the crook of his body.

  As Mia sniffled, Dash caressed her hair, feeling Hope against her leg with her head in her lap, whining every now and then.

  Dash moved his arm from her waist to comfort her worried companion, gently rubbing her head and ears while she licked his forearm. Mia’s heart fluttered and her body warmed at the sweet gesture. Yes, my girl—he’s one special guy.

  Sitting upright, she reached out for Hope’s ears, causing their fingers to meet. A spark ran through her hand and up her arm.

  She turned to face him, their eyes locked together. Why are those blue eyes so familiar?

  Clearing his throat, he pulled his hand away from the dog, asking, “How are you doing?” He moved his arm to rest on the back of the sofa.

  When she sniffled, he jumped up and came back seconds later with a handful of toilet paper. Plucking it from his hand, she turned to him with a lopsided grin. “Thank you.”

  After blowing her nose, she inched closer as he sat next to her. “I’m better, thanks to you.” Staring into those eyes again, she pulled away before she got lost in them.

  She knew it was the truth, though she hated admitting it. Dash muttered, “It was nothing. “

  “Please, if it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be in a puddle on the doorstep.”

  “I was glad I could help.”

  Sighing, she admitted, “I—I took your advice and got a copy of the report.”

  “I’m sorry, Mia. I never should’ve pushed you to relive such a painful part of your life.”

  “Well, you weren’t the only one who gave me a push. My brother Tyler, who knows me like I know myself, convinced me it was best. I realized it’s the only way to put it in the past once and for all.”

  “Hmm, so I gather the report was more than you could handle?”

  “Not really. It did hit a few nerves at first. But overall, I found the details rather fascinating…until the last sentence.”

  She looked away before he rubbed her back. “Hey, you don’t have to tell me. Don’t go there again.”

  Mia forced a breath out. “I uh, I need some time to process it.”

  “Okay, there’s no hurry. Don’t force it. Once you come to terms with it, I think you’ll be able to confront it head on.”

  Nodding, she lowered her hands. “Yeah…I think so too. So uh, why did you come over anyway?”

  He cocked his head. “I felt kind of bad about ruining your day so I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

  Snickering, she asked, “Just kind of?”

  Dash chuckled, his boyish dimples reddening. “You got me. I felt really bad, okay? I had no right pushing you like I did. But, it seems to have worked out for the best. Who knows—maybe you’ll be thanking me for it soon.”

  Smirking, she uttered, “Doubtful. Though if it works out in the end, I might…maybe…think about thanking you.” She shrugged with a coy smile.

  “Oh, I see how it is. You’re one of those people.”

  She tipped her head back laughing. Aware of the closeness between them, it was starting to fog her brain. “So uh…you have a brother. What about sisters?”

  “No, no brothers, but I have two sisters. Angie, the oldest, lives in Alaska with her husband and two kids, while Skye lives in New York with her three kids.”

  “But Allie mentioned her uncle when we first met. Is he on your wife’s side of the family?”

  “Ohh. No, that’s my buddy and best friend, James. We’ve worked together for years. My wife was an only child.”

  “Are you the middle child or youngest?”

  Grinning, he proudly said, “I’m the spoiled baby, as everyone calls me. Personally, I don’t think I’m spoiled. It’s a stigma people like to give the youngest kid.”

  “Yes! I get the same thing since I’m the baby too.” They snickered.

  “So how was horseback riding? I bet Allie had a blast.”

  He chuckled, “She sure did. And more so since her friend Taylor and her mother, Madison, joined us.”

  “Oh, I didn’t realize you had friends here.”

  Sighing, he rolled his eyes. “Well, as far as I’m concerned, she’s more of an acquaintance who likes being around me more than I like being around her. But, Allie likes playing with Taylor. It gives her someone her age to have fun with while we’re here. They showed up early this morning.”

  She gave him a devilish grin. “Ohhh, so someone has a crush on you. When do I get to meet your girlfriend?” Mia winked.

  “Ha ha. She’s not really my type.”

  Squinting, she questioned, “What, is she that bad?”

  “No, she’s attractive and helps out at her daughter’s school, and bakes cookies, and all the perfect woman at a glance kind of stuff.”

  Mia furrowed her brows. “She sounds like the perfect person for you, especially since your girls get along.”

  He shook his head. “Like I said, she’s not my type. She—she’s too much of a goody two shoes kind of woman. That’s not my type even if I was dating.”

  She blinked and asked, “So what kind of woman is your type?”

  Dash stood, shoving his hands into his pockets, “Well, I hadn’t really thought about that. Annie was my one and only—the only girlfriend I was ever head over heels for, the only woman I couldn’t imagine life without. But it wasn’t always that way.” He snickered, “We met in EMT class. Let’s just say for several weeks we butted heads. Sitting next to each other all day long, the tension was brutal. But, one day she needed paper and a pen so I gave it to her—and each day after that got better and better until we were inseparable.”

  Sitting cross-legged, she glared at him. “Ahh, so you like a woman who challenges you. One who doesn’t take your crap.”

  His hands rested on his hips, “What crap? You have a lot of room to talk with the stuff spewing out of your mouth half the time.”

  “Pfft. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She muffled a giggle as she pushed herself from the sofa.

  As he observed her every move, he uttered, “I want you to know the offer still stands—if I can help in any way, I will. It might ease the burden of facing it on your own. Besides, two heads are better than one, you know?”

  Mia crossed her arms, “You may have a point.”

  “And a pair of fresh eyes might shed some new light, especially since I’ve battled fires myself.”

  She sat up straight. “You’re right. I didn’t even think of that. It would speed things up so I can finally figure out the truth.” Excitement rushed through her realizing it could finally be over soon.

  Needing a break from the past that overwhelmed her the last few days, Mia decided to finally let herself relax and enjoy some of her vacation.

  As Mia and Hope spent more time with Dash and Allie over the next week, the three of them laughed and joked as if they were a real family.

  If she wasn’t spending time at his villa, he and Allie would come to her place instead. During one particularly relaxing day, spending the morning boating on a rental, Allie asked, “Hey, can we all cook dinner together tonight? It’ll be fun.”

  Looking at the hunk, Mia shrugged with a smile. “I’m good with that if you are?”

  “That sounds great.” Glancing at his daughter, he flashed his dimples.

  The evening went off without a hitch, giving Mia a taste of what a family of her own might feel like. She couldn’t deny that when she crawled into bed that night, thoughts of building a family like the Stevens danced around in her head—her relationship with Grant seemed to pale in comparison to how she felt around Dash. It’s nice how naturally at ease I feel with the Stevens family—I think the universe might be giving me a sign to go after what I want.

  Chapter 12

  Dash

  Refreshed from a good night’s sleep and another cozy dream about his neighbor, Dash whistled as he flipped the last chocolate chip pancake.

  “I’m starving daddy!” Allie yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

  “Well, you’re just in time. Have a seat and hand me your plate.”

  He stretched his hand out as she lifted the plate. “You sound happy this morning.”

  He pinched his brows together. “Are you saying I’m not always happy?”

  She giggled. “You’re happy. But now you’re smiling and whistling. You haven’t whistled since—mommy went to heaven.”

  Frozen, he scrambled to answer his observant daughter. “Hmm, maybe not at home, but I whistle at work once in a while.”

  Allie grinned, pouring syrup over her pancakes. “I like it when you whistle.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll have to do it more often then, won’t I?” She shrugged, still grinning at him.

  “I told Mia we’d meet her on the beach around ten o’clock. You and I can ride together and she’ll have her own jet ski. Sound good?”

  Shoveling pancakes into her mouth, she nodded with a muffled, “Mmhmm.”

  “Hey, quit stuffing your mouth. You could choke. You have time to eat. And I haven’t finished my first cup of coffee yet.”

  After breakfast, Dash cleaned up while Allie packed towels and sunscreen into the beach bag before braiding her hair.

  “Alright kiddo, it’s time to go.”

  She happily ran down the steps.

  Jet skiing was one of her all-time favorite beach activities, Dash never had to ask if she wanted to go or not. And if they lived closer to the beach, no doubt she’d talk him into getting one of their own.

  Running through the front door, Allie took the short cut across Madison’s front yard to their neighbor’s villa. Halfway there, Dash noticed the door open.

  Waving at him, Mia turned and squatted down, petting Hope before kissing her on top of the head. She told the dog, “You can’t go with us girl, but I’ll be fine, okay? I’ll give you a treat when I get back.”

  “Arf!” The pooch licked her cheek before Mia shut the door.

  Exhausted after a morning of excitement, the trio settled for lunch at the palapa.

  Allie exclaimed, “That was so much fun! I can’t wait to do it again.”

  Dash turned his eyes to Mia before chuckling, “You’d do it all day if I let you.” He smiled at her.

  “Yeah, I would.”

  “I agree. If I lived here, it would be so hard not to. You know Allie, it’s been my dream for years to get a house here in Bliss.” She shrugged, “Someday.”

  He peered at her. “Hmm, I used to tell Annie the same thing. We all loved the beach and it holds so many memories for us.”

  “Same for me and my family—that’s why I come so often. It keeps me grounded to my roots.”

  Allie wrinkled her nose. “What are roots?”

  Her father laughed. “Well…they’re the things families do that sometimes bring them closer together. Remember nana and pop telling you about me and your aunts growing up in the country and helping out with the crops we grew?”

  “Yeah. You told me they made you start helping when you were five years old.”

  Nodding, he continued. “Exactly. That’s one of the many roots of our family. But it wasn’t always about work. Nana always had dinner on the table at six o’clock and no one better be late or they didn’t get dessert.” She giggled. “And mom and dad took turns reading us bedtime stories every night.”

  Allie eyed him. “So coming to Bliss is one of our roots.”

  “Yep, it is.” He rustled her hair, “Now eat so we can go home and clean up.”

  Splashing the warm water with their bare feet on the way home, Mia turned to Dash. “If you’re not busy this afternoon, would you guys like to come over? Allie can play with Hope in the front yard while we go over the report and make a game plan—that is if you don’t have any plans?”

  He glanced at her. “Wow, so you’re ready to dive back in. That sounds good. And what plans would I have anyway?”

  “Oh, I thought maybe you had a date with Madison. Or is that tonight?” He glared at her before chuckling as she added, “Hey, I can watch the kids if you two want to go out somewhere.” Mia snickered.

  “I told you, Madison is not my type.”

 

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