CHAPTER 4

Up In Smoke

Gia

“SO YOU HAD LUNCH with him?” Natasha asks in my ear as I move around the kitchen, putting the leftover roast from dinner into a Tupperware container for tomorrow night’s tacos.

“Yeah.”

“And he joked about it being your first date,” she repeats what I told her—or what I yelled into her voicemail—as soon as I got off work, since she didn’t answer when I called and I needed to tell someone, anyone, about what happened.

“Yeah,” I reply, feeling my stomach muscles tighten the same way they did when Colton joked about us being on our first date.

“And he’s hot?”

“Very.” I close my eyes and lean back against the counter, thinking hot doesn’t quiet cover what Colton is.

“So what’s the problem?” Opening my eyes, I look at Grandma sitting at the table, trying to put together a puzzle. I came here to take care of her and get to know her again. I didn’t come here to get my feelings mixed up in some guy with beautiful dark eyes and a great laugh.

“He’s my boss’s son,” I answer, and it sounds lame even to my own ears.

“So…” She lets that one word drag out.

Running my hand through my hair, I tip my head back to look up at the ceiling, wondering if the answer is there. “And—”

“Don’t do that,” she whispers, cutting me off, and my back goes straight. “You always do this with guys. You never give them a chance. You make up every excuse in the book to keep yourself distanced. Don’t do that now. I could hear it in your voice that you were excited, happy even. So don’t try to play this off as nothing. I love you. You’re my best friend. And as your best friend, I’m telling you not to let the fact that you’re afraid hold you back.”

“Nat—”

“Who knows what will happen? He might end up being a complete dick. But then again, he might not.”

“I don’t even know if he’s really into me.” And that’s the truth. I have no idea if he’s just being nice, or if he’s being nice and flirty because he likes me. I can’t read him.

“Only time will tell, honey. But if he is into you, then you need to be open to the idea of being into him.”

“I’ll try,” I promise, because I know she won’t give up until I do.

“Good. Now tell me how your grandma is doing. Did you get her an appointment?”

Lowering my voice, I say, “She’s okay, but she thinks I’m my mom, and most of the time I don’t have the heart to remind her who I really am. I got her an appointment for the day after tomorrow, so we’ll see what the doctors say then.”

“Do you want me to come down?”

God, I love my best friend.

“I’m good for now,” I tell her, picking up the Tupperware dish, taking it over to the fridge, and placing it on the shelf inside. “I’ll let you know if that changes.”

“Keep me updated on everything.”

“I will.”

“All right, I just got home, so I’m going to hop in the shower then watch the newest episode of Claws.”

“Claws?” I prompt, taking a seat across from Grandma, who looks at me and smiles.

“Girl, this show is crazy! You need to check it out sometime. It’s about a group of girls who work at a nail salon and use that as a front to launder drug money.”

“Sounds interesting,” I reply sarcastically.

“You have to watch it to understand exactly why it’s the fucking bomb.”

“When I have cable put in next week, I’ll check it out.”

“You don’t have cable?” Nat gasps, sounding horrified.

“Grandma doesn’t have it, and since I spent most of my money taking care of things that were a little more important than cable, I’ve lived without it. But I have an appointment to get it next week.”

“Do you also ride a horse to work to save on gas money?”

“Shut up,” I laugh while listening to her giggle along with me. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, and remember what I said. And if you can, snap a pic of this Colton guy so I can check him out.”

“That’s not going to happen.” I smile, picking up a piece of the puzzle and putting it in place. This puzzle is one of a garden and cottage—one of three we have completed since I’ve been here.

“Come on, I need to see what he looks like.”

“I’ll think about it,” I mutter, knowing there is no way in hell I’m going to snap a picture of Colton unless it’s a picture for only me, to keep me company at night.

“Fine. I love you.”

“Love you too,” I reply before hanging up and dropping my cell to the top of the table.

“I feel like taking a walk,” Grandma says after a few seconds of us sitting in silence.

“It’s still cold out,” I remind her, since earlier today I had a hard time getting her out of the house to go with me to the store because it was so cold.

“That’s okay. I’ll bundle up.”

“All right.” I push back from the table then help her stand. Grabbing her coat, hat, and gloves in the living room, I help her put them on then do the same with my own before taking her arm and leading her out the door and down the steps. It’s not completely dark out, but it is getting dark, making it difficult to see since there aren’t any street lamps on the road. “We should get a dog,” I tell Grandma, squeezing her hand in mine when we pass a couple walking theirs.

“We have a dog already, Gabriella, and your father had a hard time even accepting Roofus. I doubt he’d be happy if we got another animal,” she replies, looking at me with a smile.

“You’re right,” I say quietly through the pain expanding throughout my chest. I don’t correct her; I haven’t been, because when I do, it just leaves her more confused and upset.

“Maybe I could talk him into it though when he gets off the road, since he always takes Roofus with him when he goes. It would be nice if we had a dog at home with us when he’s gone.”

“That would be nice,” I agree.

My grandfather was a truck driver. He drove long-haul forever, and my mom had a box where she kept the little trinkets he brought home for her after each trip. When I was a kid, I thought that would be the coolest job in the world. Driving a huge truck all over the United States, seeing new places, and sleeping in the back when you were too tired to drive. Mom also told me about Roofus. He was a German Shepherd mix, and the reason she never let me get a dog. She didn’t want me to have to deal with getting attached to a pet that would end up dying someday. She obviously had no idea that losing her would be a bigger blow than losing a dog.

“I’ll talk to him,” Grandma states more firmly, and I give her hand a squeeze, not answering because I can’t. Seeing headlights cast a shadow on the trees ahead of us, I move us further over to the side of the road and out of the way of the car coming up behind us. I then turn to look over my shoulder when I notice the car has started to slow down enough to pull up alongside us.

My muscles tense as the passenger side window lowers, and then I relax when I see it’s a girl about my age behind the wheel, maybe a few years older, with long blonde hair sticking out from under a red knitted cap. It makes her already beautiful face that much more striking.

“You’re the new girl, right?” the woman asks, and since I know she’s not talking to Grandma, I nod.

“I’m Lisa,” she says like I should know who she is. “A friend of mine saw you at Ted’s with Colton.” I continue to stare at her, not sure why she’s stopping to tell me about her friend seeing me. “We kinda have a thing, and you work at his parents’ place.” Her words are like a punch to the gut, but I fight off the flinch I feel from their impact. “I guess I just wanted to stop, introduce myself, and say hi.”

No, she didn’t want to stop and say hi and introduce herself. She wanted to make it clear that Colton was hers.

“Who’s Colton?” Grandma asks from my side.

“Just my boss’s son, Grandma,” I say for both of them, and Lisa, who I’m still looking at, smiles a smile of triumph.

“Well, it was nice meeting you. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

“Sure,” I mumble, hoping I never have to see her again.

Rolling up her window, she drives off slowly.

“She seemed nice,” Grandma says as I turn us around to head in the direction of the house. “She’s also very pretty.”

“She is,” I agree, because she really is pretty, which totally sucks, because I can tell she is a complete bitch. “Do you want to have hot cocoa when we get home?” I ask, needing to change the subject, and also needing chocolate like my life depends on it. And since I can’t just leave Grandma alone to go into town and buy all the chocolate the store has to offer, hot cocoa is my only option.

“That sounds nice,” Grandma answers.

After getting us back to the house, I make us each a hot cocoa that we drink at the kitchen table while working on the puzzle. Then I help Grandma get into her PJs and into bed before going to my room and doing the same. Lying in bed, it takes forever to fall asleep, because all I can think about is Colton and Lisa and how perfectly they fit each other.

~**~

Scrubbing one of the high-top tables in the middle of the room, I spray some more of the cleaner onto my rag and scrub harder. The table is already clean—all the tables are, along with the bar, the floors, and the bathrooms. I’m just cleaning them all again so I can avoid Colton. Colton, who showed up twenty minutes ago telling me to let him know when I had a minute to talk to him about my Jeep. I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t even want to be around him after tossing and turning most of the night. I came to the conclusion I just need to focus on Grandma; that’s why I came here.

“You scrub that any harder you’ll take the paint off.”

Hearing that, I look up at Colton who somehow snuck up on me. I didn’t even hear him coming.

“It’s wood.”

“All right, you’ll scrub the stain off it then,” he says, taking the towel out of my hand and dropping it to the bucket of cleaning supplies at my feet. He then does the same with the bottle of cleaner I have in my other hand.

“What are you doing?” I ask, watching him pick up the bucket and walk toward the office with it.

“The place is clean, Gia, probably cleaner than it’s ever been. You won’t lose the job if you take a break,” he states, dropping the bucket onto the floor instead of setting it down, causing things to bounce out. “Do you want a coffee or a soda?” he asks, walking past me.

“Neither right now. I was kinda in the process of doing something,” I state, and he pauses to look at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Do you mean besides the fact you are stopping me from doing my job… again?” I accuse, and his lips tip up, which I want to hate, but can’t. He looks gorgeous all the time, but when he’s smiling like that, he looks boyish and cute and, okay, still totally gorgeous.

“How’s your grandma?”

Hearing concern in his voice, I shift on my feet. “She’s okay.”

“Just okay?” he questions, pulling a glass out from under the bar and filling it with ice and Diet Coke before handing it to me. Looking at the glass then him, my stomach feels funny. I ordered a Diet Coke at lunch the other day, and he obviously remembered that.

“She thinks I’m my mom,” I blurt out to cover up the way I’m suddenly feeling off- kilter.

“What?” he utters, his brow furrowing.

Taking the glass with me, I move past him and go around to the outside of the bar, taking a seat across from him on one of the stools.

“She thinks I’m my mom. She calls me Gabriella. That was my mom’s name.”

“Baby,” he whispers, and that one word washes over me, leaving behind something that makes me feel entirely too good.

“It sucks, but I’m dealing.” I shrug, and he leans on the bar with his elbows, putting him closer.

“What do the doctors say?”

“She has an appointment tomorrow. She was diagnosed with dementia before, but I’ve been doing a lot of research, and I think she might actually have Alzheimer’s or her dementia is to the point now that she just can’t remember the past from the present.”

“I’m sorry you’re dealing with that.”

“It’s okay. I still get to spend time with her, so that makes it worth it,” I tell him, and his face softens.

Clearing my throat, I take a sip of soda then turn to look over my shoulder when the door opens, causing light to shine into the darkness of the bar behind me. Seeing it’s Lisa, my back straightens and my muscles bunch.

“Fuck me,” Colton growls, and my eyes fly to his, which are locked on Lisa. Turning on my stool, I realize as I watch her get closer that I was wrong yesterday. She’s not just beautiful; she’s perfect. She looks like she could step onto any runway in Paris and fit right in. “What are you doing here?” Colton asks, moving down the bar and out from behind it.

“I want to talk to you.”

“Not now,” he states, and if he had said those words to me in that tone, I would have run for the door, but not Lisa. She just gets closer.

“Colton, we need to talk. You can’t keep putting it off.”

“We don’t need to talk.”

“I’m still in love with you.” Her voice cracks, and my heart sinks. Sliding off my stool, I make a move to leave, wishing I had the power to just disappear into thin air.

“Gia, do not move,” he commands, and I pause mid step. “Lisa, outside now.” He points at the door then storms that way, with Lisa following in his wake. Watching them leave, I look around the empty bar then at the clock. It’s after twelve. Rose came in this morning and opened up for me, but then left saying she needed to run some errands and stop at the bank. I didn’t need her with me, because it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how to scrub toilets. But now I don’t know what to do with myself, or know when Rose will be back, or if Colton will be back at all.

Jumping in place when the door is thrown open so hard it bangs against the wall, I swallow, watching a pissed off Colton storm in. “Is everything okay?” I ask like an idiot, then watch his eyes come to me, and judging by the amount of fury in them, it’s not.

“You see that bitch, you tell me.”

“Ugh…”

“Actually, you see that bitch, you do not engage with her. You just tell me,” he clarifies, then he shakes his head and jerks his hand through his hair. “She stopped you last night when you were out walking with your grandma?” Even though it sounds like a question, it’s not; it’s a statement. She must have told him.

“She wanted to introduce herself,” I whisper lamely.

“Yeah, I bet she did.” He lets out a bark of laughter that is painful to listen to. “She’s a bitch, Gia.”

“Okay,” I agree, because I kinda already knew she was a bitch without him pointing it out to me.

“Me and her are done.”

“Okay,” I repeat, even though I’m wondering why he’s telling me that while looking at me like he is.

“Good, now grab your coat.”

“What?” I squeak.

“Grab your coat,” he says again, and figuring I don’t want to piss him off any more than he already is, I scurry to the office, grab my coat, and put it on.

He doesn’t tell me to follow him outside, but I do all the same, and when he stops at my Jeep, I stop there with him.

“The door is fixed.” He proves this by opening the door and slamming it closed.

“Thank you.”

“When summer hits, I’ve got a friend who can change out the doors and put on a soft top for you.”

“All right.” I nod, even though I’m still a little in shock by all that has happened in the last five minutes.

“I also changed the oil and checked and refilled the fluids. They were all low.” Uh, what? “You still might want to have it serviced by the dealer so they have it on record, since that kinda thing can fuck with your warranty.”

“Okay.”

“Good.” He pulls my key out of his pocket.

“Yours is in my bag,” I tell him, taking my key.

“I’ll get it later. Where’s your phone?”

“Pardon?”

“Your phone, where is it?” he repeats, so I pull my cell from the back pocket of my jeans. I don’t have a chance to hand it to him before he’s taking it from me. Then he takes my hand, separates my thumb from my fist, and holds it to the button so the phone unlocks.

“You could have asked me to do that,” I mutter, annoyed, but he ignores me as he clicks away on my cell, and then I hear his phone start ringing in his pocket.

“You have my number.” He hands me back my phone. “What do you do if Lisa stops you?” he prompts, and I start to go from annoyed to pissed, because one, he is not my man, and two, I’m a grown woman who has taken care of herself for a long-ass time. I don’t need him to do that for me, and I don’t plan on seeing Lisa again either. “Gia.”

“Colton.”

“Look, you’re new, so you don’t get—”

Snorting, I shake my head, which ends whatever he was going to say. “I might be new here, but I get it. Believe me, I totally get it. But since there is nothing for Lisa to worry about when it comes to you and me, I think I’m okay,” I tell him, heading back toward the bar and ignoring his heavy footfalls behind me.

Going inside, I walk back to the office and pick up the bucket of cleaning supplies, figuring I can disappear and clean the bathrooms again. “Leave it there.”

“You can’t tell me what to do,” I snap.

“You’ve already cleaned. You don’t need to clean again just to avoid me.”

“Fine,” I grit out, dropping the bucket. Then I let out a sigh of relief when I see him look from me to the bar.

“We’ve got customers,” he states through clenched teeth, leaving the doorway.

Thank God. I go out the door with him then walk around the bar, grabbing a notepad and pen as I head toward the four men who have just taken up one of the high-top tables.

“Hi, guys,” I greet them, and they all turn to look at me, their expressions varying from interest to confusion. “What can I get you to drink?” I ask, ignoring the looks and keeping the smile on my face. I haven’t taken many orders since working here, because the people who have come in normally take a seat at the bar, and whoever is working behind it pouring drinks gets there before me.

“Four Coors Lights,” the biggest and oldest of the bunch orders for all of them.

“All right, I’ll be right back with your drinks.” I head back to the bar, trying to avoid looking at Colton, even though I can feel his eyes boring into me.

“They’re having four Coors,” I tell him, writing down the drinks on the notepad in my hand.

“Gia.”

“Yeah?” I look up stupidly, and the moment our eyes meet, my pulse kicks up from the look he’s giving me.

“Hey, guys. How’s it going?” Rose asks before Colton can say whatever it is he’s going to say, and we both look at her.

“It’s all good, Ma,” Colton tells her as she wraps an arm around his waist and hugs his side.

“You doing okay, Gia?” she asks after her son wraps his arm around her shoulders.

“Yep.” I give her a smile. I really like Rose. I like how she is when she’s with her husband and her son. I like that she’s been so kind to me, and I really like that she wears rocker T-shirts, jeans, and high-heeled boots.

“Have you guys been busy?” she asks, looking behind me when the door opens and two more guys walk in.

“It’s been slow,” I tell her as Colton puts four bottles of Coors on top of a tray and pulls off the tops. “I’ll be back.” I pick up the tray, taking the beers over to the four guys before heading to another table with the two new guys, and taking their orders. The rest of the day is a steady flow of customers, which keeps me busy, making it easy to avoid really having to talk to Colton. It also leaves me with forty dollars’ worth of tips in my pocket, meaning I can stop at the store on the way home and stock up on chocolate without feeling guilty about spending money.

“See you in a couple days,” I tell Rose as I step into the office to grab my coat and bag.

“Okay, honey, but call tomorrow after your grandma’s appointment. I’d like to know what they say.”

“I’ll call,” I promise, thinking that’s one more reason I really like her.

Grabbing my purse I stowed under the desk, I leave with a wave to her then say a quick goodbye to Colton, since it would be rude not to. Getting in my Jeep, I shut the door and am reminded once more that Colton might frustrate me but he’s actually kinda sweet when the door closes on the first try.

I start the engine and pull out of the lot before heading to the grocery store, where I buy chocolate, lots of it, along with corn tortillas and a few other things for dinner before driving home. Once there, I spend the evening with Grandma working on the puzzle and watching some old black-and-white movie she picked out before getting her ready for bed and doing the same with myself.

“Hello?” I answer my phone sleepily.

“Gia.”

“Colton?” I sit up, sleep completely forgotten about. Looking at the clock next to my bed, I see it’s 11:30 p.m.

“Were you sleeping?” he asks, and I blink into the dark.

“It’s after eleven,” I reply. Then ask, “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s okay. I just pulled into your driveway.”

“What?” I utter, wondering if I heard him correctly.

“You’ve still got the key for my Suburban,” he says, and instantly I feel like an idiot.

“I’m so sorry. I totally spaced giving it back to you. I’ll be out in a minute.” I hang up. Throwing the covers back, I get out of bed then walk across the room to flip on the light. I grab my bag and dig through for his key then pull out a sweater from the dresser that Ned brought over. I put it on over my tank top and sleep shorts as I head toward the front door, unlocking the deadbolt and knob when I get there, and pull the door open.

Seeing Colton standing on the front porch with his leather jacket soaked from the rain that is steadily falling and his cheeks pink from the cold, I look over his shoulder and see a motorcycle parked behind my Jeep in the driveway. “I’m so sorry.” I hand him his key. “I would have dropped it off to you.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to leave your grandma to do that.” He shoves it into his pocket. “I would have left you with the key until tomorrow, but I need the Suburban to move some shit from storage first thing in the morning.”

“Is that safe to ride when it’s raining?” I ask him, and he smiles.

“You worried about me?”

“No,” I lie, and his smile turns into a grin that makes my stomach flutter.

“We’ll get there, Dimples,” he retorts, and my stomach dances again as he reaches out, touching my chin before turning on his boots and heading down the steps, calling “go back to bed, Gia” over his shoulder.

“Don’t call me Dimples and don’t tell me what to do, Colton,” I tell his back as he walks across the yard to his bike. Leaning against the doorjamb with my arms crossed over my chest, I watch him put on his helmet then straddle the seat before he starts up the engine.

“Inside, Gia. Get out of the cold,” he yells over the rumble of his bike.

Rolling my eyes, I pull myself off the door and go inside, closing it behind me only to lift up on my tiptoes and watch him take off through the peephole wishing I had a better view. Once he’s out of sight, I go back to my bedroom, turn off the light, take off my sweater, and lie back down. Looking at the ceiling, I wonder if it’s safe for him to ride in the rain. Then I wonder if he might get pneumonia from riding in the rain. Then wonder again if it’s safe for him to be on his bike when the roads are wet.

Grabbing my cell phone, I type up a quick text message then let my fingers hover over the send key before deciding I won’t be able to sleep unless I know he got home okay. Hearing my cell phone beep twenty minutes later, I pick it up and stare at the screen and his message.

Home safe. Glad to see you’re still thinking about me.

“So arrogant,” I growl, dropping the phone to my stomach only to pick it up a second later just to type, Whatever. Goodnight. Turning off the ringer so I’m not tempted to look at it if it beeps again, I set the phone on my nightstand then roll to my side. Pulling the covers up over my shoulder, I eventually fall asleep, but when I do, I dream about a gorgeous guy with dark hair and eyes, whisking me away on his motorcycle.

~**~

The next morning I watch Grandma lying on her back with her head disappearing into the CAT scan machine. I hold my breath when she starts to lift her hand, but then relax when she rests it back at her side. She didn’t want to do this test. She was adamant about not doing it, but the doctor, Nina, and I eventually got her to agree that she needed it done.

During our appointment with the doctor, she looked Grandma over then listened as Nina and I told her about what’s been going on about her being more confused lately and her thinking I’m my mom, her daughter who passed away years ago. I could tell the doctor was concerned, but knew that even more when she told us she was ordering a CAT scan.

I continue to watch through the glass, my eyes going from Grandma to the clock on the wall. The doctor said the whole thing would take less than ten minutes, and thankfully, she didn’t lie. Getting a thumbs-up from the technician letting me know he’s done, I head back into the room alone, since Nina stepped out to call Ned.

“You can go ahead and help her get dressed. The doctor will be calling you with the results within the next couple of days.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, taking Grandma’s clothes over to where she’s now sitting wearing nothing but a hospital gown.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it, Grandma?” I ask her as I help her out of the gown.

“I guess not,” she says, and I notice her hands are shaking again like they always do when she’s freaked about something that is happening.

“Do you feel like stopping to get lunch on the way home?” I ask wanting to distract her.

“Sure.”

“What do you feel like eating?”

“Cake,” she answers, then adds, “Chocolate cake.”

“You want to have cake for lunch?” I smile, helping her with her bra and sweater.

“Why not?”

“You’re right. Why not?” I reply quietly, helping her sit again so I can get on her shoes. Once she’s dressed, I take her hand and walk her over to the door.

“How did it go?” Nina asks as soon as we step into the hallway.

“Good. We should hear from the doctor in a couple days,” I tell her, and she looks relieved. “Thanks again for coming with us.”

“Anytime, dear’.” She reaches toward me, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze before letting it go. That small gesture makes me love her all the more.

“Grandma wants chocolate cake for lunch,” I inform her as we exit the hospital.

“I know just the spot. And while we’re eating, you can tell me why when I got up to make myself some tea last night that I saw Colton Allyster standing on your doorstep.”

“I forgot I had his key, so he came to pick it up,” I explain, not wanting her to jump to any kind of conclusion.

“That’s it?” she prompts as we make it to her car and get in.

“Yeah.”

“Bummer,” she mutters, catching me off guard.

“Bummer?”

“Yeah, bummer. I thought you’d give me something juicy to tell the girls at book club. All of them think Colton is handsome, and since they saw you the other day, they thought you two would be perfect together. They were thrilled when I told them you started working at the Rusty Rose, which meant you’d be working with him, which also meant that maybe they’d get to experience a real life romance, like in the books we read.”

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there is nothing going on between us,” I laugh, picturing her book club friends, who are all older women, sitting around not talking about books at all, but gossiping.

“That’s why it’s a bummer, dear’.” She smiles, pulling out of the parking lot. “It’s an even bigger bummer, since his ex did what she did to him,” she adds as we drive through town.

“What she did?” I ask as we pull into a small parking lot with a brick building and pink awning over the door, with Afternoon Tea scrolled across the pink surface in swirly white writing.

“She broke up with him when he was in the hospital after he was shot,” she says, and my heart drops into my stomach. There was a lot there to digest, so much so that I still hadn’t had a chance to wrap my mind around it all when we were seated at a small round table inside the restaurant.

“She did that?” I ask, needing to know the answer to that question first before I ask anymore.

“She did, and they were engaged when she did it.”

“Holy cow,” I whisper.

“He was also fighting for our country when he was shot, so as you can imagine, not too many people around here are big fans of hers.”

“I bet not.” I clear my throat that has suddenly gone dry and tight. I can’t believe Colton went through that, and I can’t believe the bitch did that to him.

“Hi, ladies. Welcome to Afternoon Tea. Have you been here before?” the waitress asks, breaking into the moment, and I shake my head, because I know I need a second before I try to talk. “Well then, you are in for a real treat.” She smiles at me, then Grandma and Nina. “Are you ready to order?”

I start to say no, but Nina answers before I can. “We’ll take the full service.”

“Good, I’ll be right back with your drinks,” the waitress replies before leaving.

“We didn’t give her a drink order,” I point out, and Nina smiles.

“I promise you’ll enjoy what she brings,” she tells me.

I do enjoy it, all of it. And even though I want to ask Nina a million more questions about Colton, I don’t. Instead, I enjoy sitting there with Grandma and Nina drinking tea out of fancy teacups and eating small sandwiches and cakes.

~**~

Hearing an alarm going off somewhere in the distance, I pull my pillow over my head then shoot up, feeling my heart lodged in my throat when the sound registers as a smoke alarm. I roll off the bed then grab my sweater and move to the door as I put it on. As soon as I open the door, the alarm is so loud that it’s almost painful to hear. Seeing heavy dark smoke pooling out of the kitchen into the living room, I yell, “Grandma!” at the top of my lungs, coughing when I pull in a lungful of the smoke that is filling the room.

Covering my mouth with the sleeve of my sweater, I duck, trying to get under the dark smoke. I scan the kitchen, seeing fire has already engulfed half the room. Then I spot Grandma, lying in the middle of the kitchen on her back with dark liquid pooling around her head.

“Oh, God.” I stumble across the room toward her. “Grandma!” I lift her head, feeling wetness against my fingers. Hearing a hiss and cracking sound, I know I don’t have time to check her over; I need to get us out of here. With my hands under her arms, I drag her limp body with me. It seems to take forever to clear the doorway to the kitchen. My eyes burn, and every breath I take is painful, making me cough and grow lightheaded.

When I finally make it to the front door, I barely have the energy to open it but I do, and by some miracle, I get us both outside, down the steps, and on the grass that is wet and cold from the early morning dew that has settled on its surface. Torn between staying with Grandma and getting help, tears run down my cheeks.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell her. Standing on shaking legs, I rush as fast as I can to Ned and Nina’s house, the light of the early morning sun helping me see even though my vision is blurry. Stumbling up their steps, I pound on the door and ring the bell.

“Gia, what on earth?” Ned answers, looking disheveled, then his eyes get big.

“Fire,” I choke out, and his eyes widen. “Police, and an ambulance. Grandma’s hurt.” I blink, seeing stars.

“Ned?” I hear Nina call, but I don’t see her when she comes to the door, because everything turns black.