Archer walks up from behind me, wrapping an arm over my waist. “Oh, there you are.”
Now that we’re in the light, I can see how swollen his lips are and know mine probably look the same.
I snort when Gemma shakes her head. “You two need to work on not being so obvious.”
Archer choke-laughs at the realization we’re busted. Soon we’re grabbing glasses of wine, then eating hors d’oeuvres.
We all watch as Katie and Noah have their first dance, and then other couples join in.
Archer dips me, then spins me around right before kissing me. I’m not a huge fan of PDA, but right now, I want everyone to know he’s mine.
“Get a room,” Tyler mumbles as he dances with Gemma next to us.
“Oh, I’ve got one. Already christened it,” I blurt out, and Archer chuckles when Tyler frowns.
After we’ve danced ourselves silly, and the sun has long set, Katie and Noah cut the cake. The icing is a sweet hazelnut, and I shamelessly go for seconds. Right before I get a chance to chat with Katie, my phone buzzes. I almost forgot I had it stuffed in the secret pocket of my dress.
“Ms. Blackwood?”
“Speaking,” I say, realizing it’s my security service for the boutique.
“Just wanted to let you know the motion and smoke alarms have been tripped at your shop.”
“Oh my gosh.” My eyes go wide, and Archer’s smile fades when he notices my mood shift. Every horrible scenario plays out in my mind.
“Are you able to go there now?” the woman asks, interrupting my thoughts.
“Yes, but I’m an hour away,” I explain. My heart thuds hard in my chest.
“Alright, I’ll inform the authorities you’ll be there soon.”
“Okay, thank you.” I end the call so we can leave right away.
“What’s going on?” Archer asks.
“My shop could be burning to the ground right now. We gotta leave.” The happiness I felt before the call is replaced with pure panic. Archer doesn’t ask questions. He just takes my hand, leading me toward the exit. We pass Tyler, and he immediately knows something’s not right.
“My shop’s on fire,” I call out, then turn my attention to Gemma. “Let Katie know. I’m so sorry. I have to go.”
“She’ll understand, Ev. Keep us updated!”
Archer opens the passenger door for me, then goes around to the driver’s side. He starts the engine and pulls out of the parking lot.
“How could something like this happen? Everything is up to code.” I try not to cry, but my shop is my livelihood and passion.
Archer grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles as he drives us to Lawton Ridge. “I know it’s really hard not to think positive, but it might not be as bad as you think. It could be a false alarm.”
I shake my head, the tears beginning to stream. “After what I’ve been through this past year, I highly doubt it.”
His expression falls, but he tries to comfort me in any way he can.
On the way over, I text Lexie to let her know what’s going on and ask if she knows anything.
After fifteen minutes, she still hasn’t texted back, and I’m convinced more than before that something bad has happened.
Chapter Twelve
ARCHER
I’m trying my best to keep Everleigh calm, but it’s nearly impossible when her shop could be in ashes. I hope that’s not the case and am grateful the fire department is there. When she answered the phone, I knew something wasn’t right. I’ve seen that expression on her face a few times and hope I never have to again.
While I drive, she logs into her security app and rewatches the last clips of video footage. I can see her growing more frustrated than she already is each time she starts them from the beginning.
“Baby, it’s going to be okay,” I tell her, though I have a nagging feeling that this could be linked to Krystal... “I’m here for whatever you need, okay?”
She sucks in a deep breath and finally looks at me. “I can’t imagine dealing with all of this alone. I have thousands of dollars invested in my shop, and it might all be gone. And now I feel guilty as hell for not sending Katie off and rushing out without hugging her goodbye.”
“Katie loves you, and she’ll completely understand. Don’t worry, she won’t be upset that you left. If anything, she’s worried for you too. ”
“You’re right.” She blows out a breath.
When we finally make it to the outskirts of Lawton Ridge, the traffic grows thicker. The main intersection is shut down, and a cop is directing traffic around the area. I roll down the window, and the smell of burning wood wafts through the air. Everleigh’s tears fall more steady, but I also see the anger behind her gaze.
“Thank God,” she says when her phone buzzes. “It’s Lexie.” Everleigh picks up the call and explains everything she knows so far. After another minute, the call ends.
“Lexie said everything seemed normal when she locked up, and she went through the closing duties and double-checked all the doors were locked.”
When we’re closer to the shop, I see the parking lot is full of emergency personnel. They’ve roped off and blocked the entrance with barricades. Luckily, I find a place to park on the street, and as soon as the car stops moving, Everleigh bolts out toward the building.
I lock the car and chase behind her.
The fire chief stops her before she can get any closer. “Hey, Everleigh.”
“Chief Porter. What happened?”
“First of all, I just wanna say I’m really sorry. Looks like the fire started in the backroom. They’ve already got most of it contained, hopefully without too much damage.”
I place my hand on the small of her back and wait with her.
“Thank you. I appreciate y’all getting here so quickly. Can’t imagine what it would look like if you hadn’t,” she tells him. The fire department is mostly made up of local volunteers, so when something like this happens, they rush together to help.
The crackling and popping in the distance gets louder. We stand in silence, watching the flames dance.
“We’re gonna need some more water,” one guy says. “Afraid the embers are gonna erupt again because the wood is so dry and hot.”
The blue and red flashing lights reflect off the surrounding buildings. I can’t begin to describe the horror on Everleigh’s face when she notices the dark smoke lingering in the front windows. She lets out a wail of a cry as I pet her hair and kiss her head.
Thankfully, they were able to contain the fire before it spread too far, which means the structure may be fine, but the smoke damage is a major concern. Everleigh wanders over and when she gets to the side of the shop and notices the back is still smoldering, she grows more emotional.
“You can’t go back there,” the fire chief tells her as several men drag the fire hose closer to the area.
Everleigh moves to a safe distance, but one with a better view. After five minutes of staring at the guys spraying water and seeing how charred the building is, she turns around. “I can’t watch this anymore.”
“I know, baby. I can’t imagine how hard this is for you.”