Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
While I waited for the tub to fill, I scrolled through the music on my phone to make a quick bath-time playlist and then grabbed a change of clothes before slipping into the steaming water. It only took a minute or two before my knotted muscles started to relax. So I popped in my earbuds, turned the volume up on an old jazz song I loved but hadn’t listened to in forever, closed my eyes, and sank deeper into the water. The equivalent of a sigh rolled through my body. This is exactly what I needed.
A half hour later, I was pretty much a prune when I finally got out. If the water hadn’t started to cool, I probably would’ve stayed in there all night. I rolled my head from side to side as I dried off, surprised by how much I’d loosened up. Only a deep-tissue massage or a good orgasm could’ve relaxed me more. Though the Zen feeling I relished came to an abrupt halt when a high-pitched alarm began to wail.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
What the hell?
I tugged on my PJs and whipped open the bathroom door to see where the sound was coming from. But the second I took a breath in, an overwhelming smell hit me.
Burning! Something was burning!
There wasn’t any smoke in this hallway, so I ran to the kitchen to check if maybe I’d left the oven on, but I hadn’t. Everything was off. The piercing alarm kept blaring as I ran through the rest of the house, trying to figure out what was going on. The burning smell grew stronger as I reached the south wing and approached the room that had been sheetrocked today. Smoke billowed out from under the door the workers had closed when they left.
Shit! I ran back to the bathroom to grab my phone and quickly dialed 9-1-1.
“I need the fire department,” I blurted as soon as they answered. “There’s a fire in my house!”
“What’s your address, ma’am?”
“Six thirty-eight Palm Court. It’s The Palm Inn.”
“Okay.” I heard the clickety-clack of typing, and then the woman spoke again. “I’ve dispatched the fire department. Are you inside the house?”
“Yes, I am. There’s smoke coming from one of the bedrooms. The door is closed, so I haven’t actually seen what’s going on. Do you want me to open it to see how bad it is?”
“Absolutely not. Get yourself outside and leave that for the fire department. Is anyone else in the house with you?”
“No, it’s just me.”
“Okay, good.”
I jogged outside and stood on the lawn, staring at the house. The room on fire was located at the front, but I didn’t see flames or anything through the window, so I thought that was probably a good sign. Two minutes later, I heard fire engine sirens in the distance.
I still had my cell up to my ear, but had forgotten I was on the phone for a second. “I hear them,” I said to the operator.
“Yes, ma’am. They’ll be to you any minute. Let’s stay on the phone until they arrive.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
When two big, red rigs and a black SUV pulled up, I said goodbye to the 9-1-1 lady and went to speak to the firefighters.
One of the men stepped forward as I approached. “I’m Captain Morales. Dispatch said the house was empty. Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, I’m positive. I was the only one home tonight.”
He nodded. “Good. Okay. Tell me what’s going on inside.”
“I don’t know. I was in the bath, and when I got out, the smoke alarm went off.” I pointed to the room at the far right of the house. “There was smoke coming out from under the door of that room. We had construction done in there today.”
The fireman waved for his crew to proceed to the house. “Levi Miller owns this place, right? The quarterback?”
“Yes. We own it together.”
“Okay. Why don’t you wait over by the truck while we check out what’s going on inside.”
I watched as at least ten firefighters in full gear ran into The Palm Inn. A few were carrying hoses, while others held axes and other tools. Neighbors started to gather and ask what was going on, and the block quickly became a scene. At one point, one of the firemen yelled for water, and the hoses connected to the truck started to pump. I felt a little sick watching all of the action, but also immensely grateful that no one else had been home tonight, especially Alex.
It seemed to take forever for Captain Morales to come back out again. But when he did, he walked right over. “So, you have a small fire in the walls. I can’t be sure what happened until we take a closer look, but usually with a thing like this, it has to do with old wiring. You said you had construction done on that room today?”