Caleb poured a glass of juice and stared out the window. Lulu was barking in the house and had been for several minutes. The dog wanted out, obviously. She needed to run and play, and she was trapped inside. He was half tempted to go over and let her out.
Her barking was getting more and more furious. Frowning, Caleb stepped outside when he smelled it. Smoke. His glass slipped from his hand and shattered as he darted inside for the phone to call his station.
“Morris, this is Caleb. I need all units to my house. My next door neighbor, her house is on fire!” he slammed the phone down and raced to the garage, grabbing the axe that Bowen kept nearby for such a need. Racing out the door he hopped the fence and leaped the steps to the back door.
“Cora!” he pounded on the door. “Cora!”
There was no answer and he threw his weight against the door. It creaked, but didn’t give. Two more tries and his shoulder was aching. Raising the axe he shattered the window and frame. Forcing the door open, he yelled for Lulu as black smoke barreled out at him. The dog raced outside, barking and running in circles. Caleb could hear the approaching screams of the fire engines.
“Cora!” he charged into the house, ignoring all safety precautions. Dear God, the fire was in her room. Candles. She had probably been burning a candle. “Cora!” waving the smoke from his face he was horrified to see the bedroom door engulfed in flames.
“Cora!” he could almost see her, half on the bed, half off, as if she had tried to get out and couldn’t make it. Something fell near him, on fire. Shielding his mouth with his sleeve he made his way to her and grabbed her limp body. He could hear muffled shouting and barking as he tried to haul her outside. The smoke was thicker than ever and he felt his lungs burning. Staggering toward the door he heard the roof collapse on her bed. Something hard hit his head and he slumped to the floor, Cora’s body under his as everything went black.
***
Cora’s eye fluttered open slowly. Her vision cleared to see Matt and Bill, asleep in chairs. Where was she? A...hospital?
“Matt,” she croaked which sent her into a fit of coughing. Both boys came awake immediately. The cool air blowing in her nose didn’t help.
“Here, drink this,” Matt poured a glass of water for her. She sipped it slowly.
“How did I get here?” she asked.
“Caleb. Well, Lulu and Caleb.”
“Caleb? Where is he?” she asked. The boys exchanged a glance.
“Matt, tell me where he is!”
“He’s in ICU. The fool ran into the house without any kind of protective gear. His smoke inhalation is pretty bad. I guess his brother got him out.”
Cora closed her eyes, tears leaking out. A nurse came in, alerted by her heart monitor.
“Well, well, finally awake are we?” she asked in a brusque voice. Cora nodded. “The doctor will be in shortly.”
With the doctor came Bowen and two uniformed police officers.
“Ms. Devaroux, we need to ask you a few questions,” the first one said. She nodded. Bowen stood with Matt and Bill, silent, waiting, still covered in ash and soot.
“Do you remember what happened?”
“I laid down for a nap. I had a candle burning. I guess it fell over or got knocked over, I don’t know. I heard LuLu, my dog, barking and woke up to find the room all smoky and on fire. I tried to get up but my foot got tangled in the sheet. I tried to get loose, but I couldn’t and finally I couldn’t breathe and I hit my head. That’s all I remember.”
“You don’t remember being pulled out of there?”
“No. Just the dog barking.”
A few more questions and the officers left, satisfied. She looked at Bowen.
“How is he?” she asked. He shook his head.
“Not good. They suspect possible brain damage. He was shouting for you and really sucked in the smoke. The ceiling came down and hit him in the head. That’s where I found the two of you.”
Tears ran from her eyes. “Is Lulu ok?”
“She’ll be fine. That dog is what really saved you. If Caleb hadn’t heard her. . .”
Cora nodded. “Thank you.”
***
“Mr. Vista, you’re a lucky young man. You came through with minimal damage,” the doctor smiled. Caleb nodded.
“The girl?” he asked hoarsely. The doctor’s face fell.
“Well, she’ll be all right. Smoke inhalation, a few bruises. Since you saved her I guess it’ll be ok to tell you. .she lost her baby.”
Caleb’s eyes opened.
“Baby? There was a baby?”
“Yes. The trauma caused her to miscarry. Wasn’t very far, maybe eight weeks. But she’s a healthy young thing, she should have no problem having more children in the future.”
After he doctor left, Caleb just stared at Bowen.
“She was pregnant,” he whispered in awe. “I have to see her.”
“You aren’t going anywhere yet.”
***
When Cora was released, she limped up to ICU. Caleb had woken the night before and was being kept in ICU for observation but they suspected he would make a full recovery. The room was full of his teammates, some recounting the adventure of pulling him from the fire.
Cora watched sadly. Her heart ached to go to him, crawl on the bed with him and tell him she loved him, but she couldn’t. She needed to tell him about the baby, she needed to cry in his arms and know that it would be ok, there would be another baby. But the image of that whore riding him and crying out his name was too much to bear.
Caleb laughed at Toad’s impression of Bowen when he sensed her. Looking toward the door, he caught a glimpse of red hair leaving and his laughter died. She hadn’t come in.
Later he found out she had been released. She would be staying with Matt and Bill, according to Bowen, until the insurance settled the claim. Most of her things were destroyed in the fire. The Jacuzzi had survived, and Lulu, part of the living room.
Bowen drove him home. Back on light duty for a while, he had a few days before he had to report back to work.
Laying on his bed he reached into the nightstand and pulled out her ring. It glittered merrily up at him. Sighing, he held it tightly she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of strangling Sharon.
***
The yard was too quiet without Lulu. Caleb couldn’t bear to sit on the swing and stare at the half-destroyed house. Matt and Bill had come and taken everything that survived and put it in storage.
Caleb knew where the boys live; he could go see her. Tell her he loved her; that he wanted to marry her, spend his life with her. That Sharon had set the whole thing up. That he wanted to have a baby with her, have a life with her.
“Go see her,” Bowen said from the doorway.
“What if she throws me out?”
“Go back. Keep going back until you get her to listen. You’re never going to survive without her. And I’d bet she’s in the same state.”
Caleb stared out at the setting sun.
***
Cora lay on Matt’s bed, numb and cold. The phone as only inches away. She could call him, tell him everything. No. It would only bring back the images and the pain. But she wanted him. Wanted his arm around her to comfort her, tell her it would be ok. Her heart had been ripped from its soul and she knew she would die of heartbreak.
The door opened slowly. Probably Matt. He had been sleeping on the couch since she had moved in. Within another week or so she would finish her transfer to Atlanta, and be home. It had taken a lot of convincing to keep her parents from rushing out to take care of her.
“I’m not hungry, Matt,” she said, pulling the blanket over her.
“I’m not here to bring you food,” the familiar voice said, wrapping her in its warmth. She sat up.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. He sat on the bed, next to her, and turned on the light. Her skin was pale, her eyes red and rimmed in dark circles, the beautiful fair skin blotchy and red.
“I came to tell you that I love you. To reiterate it was a set up. That I would never, never bed that woman. You’re the one I love. You’re the one I want to marry, to have a family with.” She flinched.
“Caleb, every time I close my eyes I see that woman on you!”
“I’ve told you, I was drugged! I don’t even remember what happened. What you saw wasn’t real. You know how the body works, I didn’t do it! I would never touch her!”
“How can I believe that?” she whispered, tears shining. “How can I doubt what I saw with my own eyes?”
“Because you saw what she wanted you to see. You didn’t see me! Cora, you know she did the same thing, years ago, with Nick. It was all smoke and mirrors, love, it wasn’t me. It wasn’t me,” he whispered, taking her cold hand.
“Caleb,” she looked up at him, tears almost falling, “I want to believe you, but I can’t stop those images. There was a baby, Caleb, a baby I lost in the fire,” she whispered, tears spilling over. Caleb wrapped his arms around and held her close.
“I know, my love, I know. I’m so sorry I didn’t get there sooner. I didn’t know why Lulu was barking. I’m so sorry, my love,” he whispered, stroking her hair as she sobbed. She clung to him, her arms wrapped around him. Their desperation was mutual and all encompassing, wrapping them together in a heavy blanket of love. This was right, this was good. This was where he belonged. Holding her, comforting her. He kissed her hair, pulling her on to his lap as she sobbed, curling her body into his. It had taken massive persuasion to get Matt to let him in the house, to see her.
Caleb let her cry until she was silent, clinging to him. Running his hand over her hair, he kissed the top of her head. When she lifted her tear streaked face to his he kissed her gently, brushing his lips against her. Her hand slid behind his neck and pulled him back to her. Reveling in their kiss, Caleb crushed her against him as they fell back onto the bed.
“I love you,” he whispered between kisses.
“Me too. I love you too,” she ran her hands over his cropped hair, breathing him in. They were together, in each other’s arms, where they belonged. Caleb knew everything would be all right.