Page 44 of Too Hot

“No one will bother us, and I want you to feel safe. You feel safe here, right?”

“I feel safe with you.” It was the truth. Rafe made her feel safe and cherished. They hadn’t known each other that long, but she trusted her instincts.

“I’m humbled by your words.”

She took a deep breath and laid against Rafe, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. She needed his grounding touch to tell this story. “When I was twelve, we had relatives visiting. I was in my room, playing with my cousin who’d always been a bit of a bully. He had a box of matches.”

“Something a child should never have.”

“Right. I told him to put them away, but he wouldn’t listen to me. He kept striking them and then blowing them out. I was scared, but I couldn’t leave. Couldn’t go tell my mother. He was between me and my bedroom door.”

“Why didn’t you call out for help?”

“He told me if I did, he’d burn me.” Her body trembled with the memories. “I thought about yelling anyway, and then he dropped a lit match. The carpet caught fire.”

Rafe’s arms tightened around her, and Brianna closed her eyes, shaking as she continued. Now that she’d started, she had to get this out.

“I’m not sure why I did what I did. I was out of my mind. Instead of running out of the room, I screamed, raced for the closet, and hid.”

“Brianna, open your eyes.” Rafe’s voice was low and commanding.

She opened her eyes to stare into the concern and fury in his. “What happened to the cousin?”

“I saw him run out of the room before I closed the door. I kept screaming, but no one heard me. My parents had no idea I was still inside until everyone gathered outside the house.”

“Oh, sweetheart. How terrified you must have been.”

“Beyond terrified. I was lucky, at least I think I was.” She placed her palm against his cheek. “A firefighter rescued me.”

“Is that why my job doesn’t scare you?”

“You’re so brave, going into the flames to get people out and make sure fires don’t spread.” She truly believed that. Brianna wasn’t afraid of his job. Never was.

Rafe grinned. “So the firefighter got you out?”

“Yes. I felt so alone in that closet, but he was so strong and brave.” Her features softened. “He opened the closet door, picked me up, and cradled me in his arms. He kept telling me not to be afraid, but I saw the flames licking at the bedroom door. I could feel the heat, and I was sure we were both going to die.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No. Luckily, my bedroom was on the first floor, and the window was open, but it was too small. He had to break it out and slid me out. I was crying hysterically by then. He was so calm.” After she recovered from the incident, she asked her mother to help her bake cookies for the firefighters.

Her mother had been happy to help her. She’d baked sugar cookies in the shape of fire trucks and firefighters. When they arrived at the fire station, she took a special one she’d done to the firefighter who saved her.

It was one where the firefighter carried a small child in his arms. Brianna hugged the man and thanked him for saving her. He smiled and told her that it was his job.

“That’s how we are.”

“I know.” She placed her palm on his cheek. “No one could figure out how the fire started, and my cousin told me if I said anything, he’d make sure I didn’t survive the next fire.”

Rafe’s arms tightened around her, and there was anger in his features.

“I know. He was a bully. But they did an investigation and found the box of matches in his pocket.”

“What did they do?”

“Not much. He was a juvenile, and his parents swore up and down that he knew better than to play with matches.”

“Doesn’t mean a thing.”

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