through the opening as the floor collapsed. The room's walls exploded
a heartbeat later. Shards of glass and fragments of burning embers
blew out the window. The force of the explosion slammed Cole forward,
but he turned in midair so he would land on his back and not crush the
baby in his arms. The heat pouring out from the hot roof burned his
skin, and he knew he had only seconds left before the whole house
collapsed. Staggering to his feet, he turned in one direction and then
the other, looking for a way down.
Flames, like serpent heads, were creeping toward him from below and
closing in on him from the eaves above. Fire cut off the route Daniel
had taken with Tilly, and Cole knew he wouldn't be able to go down the
way he had come up on the opposite side, for the tree branches were too
high for him to reach with a baby in his arms.
He was trapped.
He could hear the faint clanging of a fire bell in the distance. Then
he heard a shrill whistle. He turned toward the sound just as Daniel
whistled again. Squinting against the black smoke, Cole spotted him
straddling the heavy branch.
It was too damned far away. Impossible to reach.
There wasn't any other alternative. "Hang on, Caleb, " he whispered.
Taking a deep breath, he let out a roar and leapt over the ring of fire
directly in front of him. He could feel the wood cracking under his
feet and hear the beams crashing behind him, but on he ran until he
felt as though his lungs were going to explode.
Daniel watched Cole coming toward him. When Cole was halfway across
the roof, Daniel flattened himself on one branch and braced his legs in
a wedge of a lower branch. He wrapped his left arm around the limb
holding him, then reached down as far as he could extend and put out
his right hand.
It was a leap of faith. The distance from the edge of the roof to
Daniel's hand was considerable. Cole felt as though he were flying,
and for a brief second, he did exactly that. He vaulted out into the
night, reaching for Daniel.
Their hands connected. And held.
Cole closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
Daniel grunted from the weight but held tight. When Colehad stopped
swaying and Daniel was sure he wasn't going to drop him, he reached
down with his other hand to get Caleb, and let go of Cole who dropped
down to a lower branch. The baby was screaming as Daniel gently pulled
him up in his arms. A few seconds later, they were all on the ground
and running for safety.
Jessica ran to Daniel to take Caleb from him, but Cole intercepted
her.
Looping his arm around her waist, he lifted her up and carried her with
him as he continued to run.
Just as they reached Grace and Tilly, the walls of the house and the
roof caved in. The horde of townspeople who were running to and fro
with buckets of water suddenly stopped to watch the dazzling display of
fireworks. Sparks shot up as high as fifty feet and spiraled downward
in a popping, cracking arc that was so impressive some of the townsmen
actually oohed and aahed.
It was a night none of them would ever forget.
The reporter was rushing around trying to find someone he could
interview, while John Cletchem, the photographer, set up his equipment
so that he could capture the destruction before the flames stopped
feeding.
Tilly was sitting on the grass, quietly weeping. Grace was still
unconscious, but Tilly had lifted her up so that her head rested in the
older woman's lap. She was gently stroking Grace's forehead while she
cried. Daniel knelt down beside the two women. He awkwardly patted
Tilly's back in an attempt to comfort her, but his attention was
centered on Grace. He was watching her breathe and thanking God every
time she drew a breath.
She looked so young and innocent and vulnerable. Daniel shouted for
someone to go and get the doctor. The sound of his voice jarred Grace,
and she flinched in reaction. He'd almost had himself convinced that
his heart was safe, then she opened her eyes and looked at him. His
heart started pounding, and his own eyes stung with tears of relief.
What in God's name was the matter with him? He couldn't stop himself
from reaching for her. He gently took her into his arms and stood
up.
"Daniel? Your face is covered with dirt."
"Yeah, I know. How are you feeling? " "My head hurts, " she said.
"I'm not sure why, " she added, a puzzled look on her face. She
reached up and trailed her fingers down the side of his cheek. "How
did you get so dirty? " He turned around so she could see what was
left of the house. She wasn't looking anywhere but at him however, and
so he explained. "There was a fire." She turned her head, grimacing
from the pain the movement caused. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and
she was suddenly clearheaded again.
"Where's Jessica and Caleb and Tilly? " "They're fine, " he assured
her. "Every one got out of the house in time.
No one was hurt . . . except you. Do you remember what happened? "
She put her head down on his shoulder. "No, I don't remember. Please
put me down. I need to . . . " "You need to see a doctor." He looked
over the crowd and was about to shout for the physician once again when
the man suddenly appeared at the head of the townspeople watching the
fire. Rebecca was dragging him toward Tilly and Grace.
"Daniel? " Grace whispered, drawing his attention once again. "How
did I get out of the house? r "Jessica pulled you out. If she hadn't
. . . Cole and I would never have found you in time."
"She saved my life."
"Yes." As Grace began to cry, Daniel tightened his hold and tried to
comfort her.
Jessica was also crying. She had Caleb cuddled in her arms and was so
relieved and thankful her baby was unharmed she kept kissing him and
hugging him. Fully recovered from his adventure, Caleb squirmed and
wanted to get down and play.
Rebecca found the two of them in the crowd. My God, Jessica, you could
have been killed, " she cried out as she lifted the baby. "Are you all
right? " Jessica forced herself to stop crying long enough to answer
her friend.
"Yes, I'm fine, but Grace is hurt. A beam must have fallen on her
head, " she explained.
"The doctor's looking at her now, " Rebecca said. "She doesn't
remember anything? " "I don't know, " Jessica answered. "Will you
watch Caleb? Don't let him out of your sight. I have to find
someone.
" "Jessica, we need to cover you first. Where's your robe? " "It
caught on fire, " Jessica said as she turned to search the crowd for
Cole.
"I'll find something for you to put on, " Rebecca promised.
Jessica didn't hear her. She had finally spotted Cole and hurried
toward him. He stood well away from the crowd and was watching the
house being devoured by the fire. He looked exhausted and was covered
from head to toe in soot.
She thought he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. "Cole? "
She stopped and simply stared at him. Suddenly he seemed bigger than
life to her. The fire blazing in the background enhanced the fantasy,
for Cole was silhouetted in a hazy, burnished gold glow. It was as
though God had blessed him because of the courage he had shown in the
face of such danger.
"Did you want something? " he asked, puzzled by the look of joy and
wonder on her face.
She hurried toward him once again with the intention of thanking him
for saving Caleb's life, but when she finally reached him, a simple
thank-you didn't seem sufficient. She threw herself into his arms.
He buckled under the impact and instinctively put his arms around
her.
Leaning up on tiptoe, she embraced his neck, whispered, "Thank you, "
and kissed him passionately.
It wasn't a chaste kiss by any means, and Cole wasn't about to let the
opportunity slip past without taking full advantage.
He would have kept right on kissing her if he hadn't felt her tremble
in his arms. He pulled back then and tried to move away, but she
tightened her grip, and that was all the provocation he needed. He
kissed her once again and held her close.
Her head dropped down to the crook of his neck, and she began to sob.
All the pent-up emotion inside of her seemed to erupt then. His chin
rested on top of her head as she whispered her thank-you again and
again.
He gently kissed her forehead. "You're welcome." The moment would
never be forgotten, for the photographer captured the couple embracing
so passionatelyţhe, covered in soot, and she, wearing only a thin
nightgown.
The photograph was on the front page of the Rockford Falls Gazette the
following morning. /ebecca was sickened by the sight of Grace. The
left side of her temple was severely swollen from the blow to her
head.
It was a miracle her friend had survived.
Daniel had placed her on a blanket one of the neighbors provided and
knelt by her side while the doctor examined her. Rebecca wasn't
usually timid, but the seriousness of the injury took her breath
away.
Daniel thought she was going to faint and told her to sit down, but she
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