Page 45 (1/2)

"She didn’t even rate his cell phone number"

"So that’s why he has a land line? For wo tered that, Lauren You know you did You’re upset tonight Don’tit’s not"

She didn’t knohat she felt or what she thought She only knew that everything was spinning out of control, that she had no control She’d done what she’d never done in her life She’d given it all away

She pushed off the counter and walked towards hi to my father’s house" He blocked the exit "Move, Blake I’to cry She was not going to cry Her chin lifted "You can take o or I can call a cab Your choice"

He scrubbed his hair "Oh, well hell He’s going to take my head for this, but I’ll take you"

The first thing Lauren sahen they rounded the neighborhood corner were fire trucks, the next was her father’s house still looking normal and in one piece She let out a breath of relief, especially since Blake had been desperately trying to warn Royce and Luke that they were on their way, and he couldn’t seem to reach either of the at Blake

"It’s contained," Blake said "That doesn’t mean it’s not on fire, or it wasn’t on fire" He dropped his phone to the seat, and gru Royce up by his toes "Looks like several houses down is as close as we’re going to get with all the yellow tap" He angled the Ranger to back in between two cars, and put the car in reverse, pausing to say, "I’ll go get Royce and bring him to"

Lauren shoved open the door, hopped out, and started running towards the house, the cool night air whipping through her hair andher pull the jacket of her sweat suit closer to her body

"Lauren!" Blake shouted

She ignored hi up a line of bushes to avoid the cluster of four official personnel not far away, and then ducking under the tape

Blake shouted again, getting closer, and Lauren stepped up her pace, and charged towards the porch She hit the first step, relieved that if there was any structural dah to be seen fro to so no obvious fire or dae, but the scent of smoke tainted the air, bitter proof there had been a fire The sound of voices drew her to the left, towards her father’s den

Her tennis shoes padded soundlessly over the carpet and she paused at the cracked door, so her to wait, to listen She eased around the edge of the door so that she could see into the roo by the marble fireplace, Luke at the opposite side Her father, and so the couch

"I’ to keep this froht"