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But when a second, and then a third, vehicle flew by hi in the same direction he was, up the Hill, cold dread suddenly sat in the passenger seat next to hi

Honor was in trouble

He floored it

The glow told hie flicker, a herd of vehicles on the lawn of the grandparents’ house, peopleonto the roof of what appeared to be a massive ball of flarandshi his shouts Into the driveway, onto the lawn, behind the other cars and trucks, a police cruiser

Only two fire trucks Shit

Levi Cooper was there, yelling into the radio There was Honor’s grandfather Faith was on her knees, sobbing

Then part of the roof collapsed in a great cloud of s until soear

"Where is she?" Tom asked

"I’m so sorry," he said, his eyes wet

"Why aren’t you in there?"

"It’s too dangerous The fire chief called us back"

"Is Honor inside?"

Brogan face cru hierous And it’s too late"

Then Brogan’s head jerked back and he fell, and To Shouts followed hiot close to the house

Fire twisted and leaped out of all the front s, roaring with glee The back of the house was gone, a pile of burning rubble Toht frolass, too hot to breathe

He grabbed the front door handle and tried it, s odd The latch clicked down, but the door didn’t budge He took a step back, kicked the door, once, twice There was a tremendous crash frohter running toward him, to pull hi

The third kick did it

DEATH BY SMOKE inhalation or firevery low on Honor’s list of ways to go Freezing to death had always sounded peaceful She i as the incident that preceded it wasn’t too violent

But not this

The smoke would kill they was fading "Goggy?" she said "Stay with y squeezed her hand

Dad Faith, Pru, Jack, Abby and Ned Mrs J

Tolad, then, that she’d been in love, had knohat it was like to truly love someone, to have had that sift it had been, to love Tom, to feel loved in return

And then the door exploded inward, and she and Goggy jumped, and he was there Tom stood there, then reached for them, and his hand was sticky He pulled them up and out, and the air, it was so cool and sweet, and maybe she had just died, and this was heaven, but if so, where was Mo, and firefighters swar, and then Pops was there, and he pulled Goggy into his ar, and Levi, and Faith! Oh, Faithie was crying, too, grabbing on to her, and Levi guided both of the beautiful even in fire gear as she sen ratefully, choked and inhaled soripped her hand, kissed it "Thank you," he said, still crying "Thank you, o to the hospital," Kelly said with a surney, Gerard, sooty and srin on his face The ambulance ride--her first Lordy, she was tired! Jack aiting at the ER, and so was Jeremy Lyon, bless his heart, who kissed her cheek and held her hand The doctors, fire chief and Levi alternately lectured her about foolishly running into a burning building and praised her for bravely running into a burning building

Goggy was doing fine; also being treated for s to leave his wife’s side

"Where’s Tom?" Honor asked Her voice didn’t sound like her own

"He’s here," Faith said, still hiccuping with sobs "He came in someone’s truck" Then she held up her phone "It’s Dad I called hio, and they’re on their way home Say hi He doesn’t believe you’re okay"

"I’m okay, Daddy," Honor said, and her father burst into tears

"My brave, brave girl," he wept

All Honor really wanted was a nap

And Tom

But the doctors wouldn’t leave her alone, and she had to have tests and oxygen and then she was asleep

When she woke up, it was ular hospital rooht spilled in fro in a chair by her bedside "Hallo," he said, and her eyes filled with tears

"Thank you for savingtwenty years off ain I’ll be dead in aup Spike "Say hallo, Ratty"

Spike wriggled onto the bed, whi in joy, and climbed up Honor’s chest to lick her face Her tears, specifically She gave a watery smile, then frowned "What happened to your hands?" she asked Toed

"I burned them on the door handle"

She winced "Sorry"

"Oh, for Christ’s sake It orth it Now move over" He lowered the side rail of her bed and cliht "And put this back on, and don’t take it off again"