Done (Harmony Haven #1)

Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight

EASTON

“I love her. I told her I loved her. And then I left.”

“What an idiot,” Miles huffed.

“He’s an idiot in love,” Carlee sang, folding her hands and putting them to her face as she batted her eyelashes.

“He’s just an idiot,” Daniel confirmed, bumping fists with Miles.

“But he’s also in love,” Grams sighed, not refuting that I was an idiot.

“He’s an idiot for being in love,” West grunted.

“Being in love didn’t make him an idiot,” Ms. Ellison added, not denying that I was an idiot, but not placing the blame on being in love.

After calling an emergency Sunday Dinner on a Thursday, and inviting everyone I loved and trusted, it was becoming apparent that I was an idiot. It started off fine, because Grams threw together enough spaghetti to feed a football team and everyone ate before I started my confessions.

Now everyone was sitting around my grandparents’ living room, staring at me as I paced the length of the room and told them the story of what happened. I left out the part where I forgot to use a condom, but I did let them know that Jesse asked about Rory. It was clear to everyone that Rory had been up to something more than her annoying flirting, spurred by the fact that she saw Jesse as a real threat.

Then I told them that I confessed to Jesse that I loved her. I didn’t plan it, and it wasn’t the way I envisioned declaring my love for her, but it just happened, and felt right. She needed to know how serious I was. She needed to see that I wasn’t going anywhere.

Then I left.

That was where everyone was stuck, because no one understood why I’d leave the woman I love alone. They couldn’t understand that I needed her to decide for herself where we went from there. It was easy to keep her happily fucked and confused by our intense connection, but did she love me back?

“Gramps,” I threw my hands in the air in frustration. “You’re quiet. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“Of course I do,” he huffed. “But I think we all need to acknowledge that we’ve known that about you long before Jesse arrived.”

My brothers laughed while Grams swatted Gramps’ arm and told him to stop being mean. But I smirked, loving how much shit Gramps always gave me. It was his love language.

Miles was in his uniform, supposed to be on patrol, but when I called him, he came. He was leaning on the door jamb of the kitchen entry, his arms crossed and a humored smirk on his face.

“What now?” I asked him.

“Just thinking about how none of this would have happened if I’d have arrested you for considering an ‘evening at Wal-Mart’ a date.”

That got a laugh out of everyone, including me, and I shook my head. “Ha, ha.”

“Look, son,” Gramps stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder. “You did the right thing. Give her some time now that she knows how serious you are. In the meantime, you have a real problem with Rory, and she needs to be stopped.”

“I know. I started to go straight to the station and confront her, but Captain Reed has been making it known that he wants any drama settled outside of the station.”

“This is more than drama,” Carlee piped in. “Easton this is crossing into harassment territory.”

“She’s right,” Daniel added. “We need to get Captain Reed involved, and let him know how far this has gone, before he starts believing the rumors.”

“I’m on shift tomorrow. I’ll talk to him before I talk to Rory.”

“Let me know if I need to arrest anybody.” Miles was cracking his knuckles, hoping for any excuse to use his badge.

“I’m on shift tomorrow, too,” Daniel stood up, then reached for Carlee’s hand to help her up. “I’ll back you.”

“Thanks man. And thanks for coming out here tonight.”

“Oh please,” Carlee swatted me. “A night without the kids, Grams’ cooking, and getting to call you an idiot? We should do this every week.”

God I loved that woman. She was like having a sister, fit right in with my family, and always made me laugh.

“I’m gonna get her home,” Daniel came in for a hug, and patted me on the back. “Let me know what the plan is and I’m there.”

“Sure thing man.”

They made their rounds and said goodbye, then Ms. Ellison stood up and started to do the same. She had told me she saw Jesse leaving to get Max, but I had called and asked her to go to Grams’ and Gramps’ house before Jesse made it home, so she was never able to pop in and check on her.

“I missed her earlier,” Ms. Ellison reminded me as she hugged me goodbye. “But I’ll check on her in the morning.”

“Thanks for looking out for her.”

“It's late,” Miles stepped up. “How about I give you a ride home, Ms. Ellison? We can talk trash about Easton behind his back on the way.”

“Now that is tempting,” she laughed, “But?—”

Ms. Ellison was cut off by the radio on Miles’ uniform. It was easy to forget it was there because nothing worth reporting ever happened in Harmony Haven. But the dispatcher’s voice was loud and urgent.

“Reports of a house fire at 123 55th St. off Main. Smoke is visible. Fire department en route. Be advised of possible occupants inside. Repeat, possible occupants inside.”

My brothers and I recognized that address instantly, as well as Ms. Ellison. She covered her mouth, her eyes wide, and she watched on as Miles and West grabbed me and dragged me toward the door.

“Stay with Grams,” Miles shouted at Ms. Ellison, not giving her a chance to argue. “West, hang on to Easton.”

It was like having an out of body experience as the call kept repeating inside my head. I was present, I could see everyone around me, but I couldn’t move on my own. My vision was blurry, yet I could see myself from above. The noises started to muffle, my heartbeat seemed to slow.

It was peaceful while also chaotic, and I was afraid that if I left that state, it’d sink in that the address was Jesse’s. That her house was on fire. That it was reported there may have been occupants present inside the fire.

West had thrown me into the back of Miles’ SUV and we were headed toward Jesse's house. The same one I had responded to several weeks ago, only there was no report of smoke, just a child asking for a fire truck. It was the night I met Jesse. The night my whole fucking life changed.

“Hurry,” I finally shouted.

Miles was on the radio, letting them know he was responding to the call and was en route. West was tapping buttons on his phone in the front passenger seat, and glancing back at me every so often.

There was a cage between us, and I sat close with my head pressed against the barrier and my fingers holding on to the metal mesh.

“Neighbors reported smoke, but it may not be that bad,” West assured me, but that did nothing to ease my fears.

Reaching for my phone, I pressed her name in my contacts, but it didn’t even ring before it went to voicemail. That didn’t stop me from trying again, and again.

The drive from my grandparents’ house into town was usually thirty minutes, but Miles had the lights flashing on his patrol car and we made it in fifteen. We rounded the corner of Main Street on what felt like two tires, and then again as we turned onto 55th.

I had been ready to jump out of the SUV and find Jesse sitting there with Max. I planned to wrap them in my arms and assure them it would be okay. I had even decided to take them to my house and let Jesse fall apart in my arms while we watched over Max together.

But once we rounded that corner, I saw her house in flames and engines 3 and 4 parked outside. Hoses were hooked up, trying their best to contain the blaze while the neighbors watched from a safe distance. None of them were Jesse, though.

When Miles stopped the car, I ran straight toward the heat of the fire. Captain Reed saw me approaching, raising his hands in the air to stop me until West and Miles could catch up.

“We were able to clear the living room, but we were unable to make it up the stairs before the structure started to collapse. We don’t think anyone was home, but we are getting a ladder ready to check the second story.”

“No,” I shook my head, not believing what he was telling me. I looked to the side of the house for Jesse’s car, and it wasn’t there, but that didn’t reassure me because she had started putting her car in the garage. Max liked parking inside.

That was all I could think about as I started running toward the house again, but my brothers held me back. “Max likes to park inside,” I yelled, trying to shake their hold. “Max likes to park inside.”

“Hey,” West was in my ear. “You can’t go in there. You’re not suited up. It's dangerous.”

Miles was holding my other side, but shouting over the top of my head that he wanted to know what happened. He wanted to know how the fire started, and if anyone was able to get ahold of the occupants. He was yelling over and over to try her phone again, to keep calling until Jesse answered.

But the calls kept going to voicemail.

Realizing I couldn’t run into the house, I backed away and West and Miles lowered their hold on me. Tears had begun prickling at my eyes, I ran a hand down my face, and I fell to my knees.

My breathing was erratic, my body was shaking, and I could feel bile rising up my throat, threatening to spew out from between my lips. I thought it’d be impossible for me to move or speak, but then I heard four little words that had me jumping back to my feet and pushing my captain forcefully against the truck.

“It was a candle.”