Chapter 4

Savannah experienced the familiar tug in her heart that alerted her to Micah’s presence before he came into sight. Despite the fact she had no business feeling a hint of anticipation at seeing him again, she had difficulty banking down the sensation. Yesterday, they opened up a can of worms and argued like children. She had no wish to do the same thing today. He’d made it clear he was here to help her with Liliana. That was all.

Her heart sped up just a little bit, though. He walked toward her, his snow-laden wool coat draped on his shoulders. A few snowflakes settled in his thick, blond hair and he brushed them away with a nonchalant hand. From her time as a model, most of the men she’d worked with on shoots sported the unrealistic view of masculinity. Muscular physiques, washboard abs, and manicured looks in one form or another.

Micah lacked the exoticness needed to grace the cover of a magazine. A man with a slim build and pale, freckled skin, his long hair framed a face with a razor blade nose and thin lips. A prominent but not unattractive cleft adorned his chin. Gorilla-sized pectorals and six pack abs would never find a place on his frame. He didn’t have the drop dead gorgeous looks of a male model. Yet, there was that certain something about him which drew a woman’s eye. A latent masculine grace underpinned by a firm will.

With a fluid motion, he took his coat and dropped it on a chair beside him. Her eyes strayed to his shoulders, covered with an almond brown sweater. They lacked the massive depth of a bodybuilder, but they were solid. Once, when she’d had an unfortunate bout with food poisoning, he came over to her apartment and washed her face, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and made her rest her head on those firm shoulders. She’d fallen asleep, comforted by his strength.

“Savannah.” His curt tone brought her out of the memory and she mentally shook herself.

She stood up from her seat. “Micah.”

Keep it simple and straightforward. The only person who mattered was Liliana.

She looked up into his face. Blank and inscrutable. It seemed he also sought to avoid the same blow-ups from yesterday.

He tugged the bottom of his sweater and stuffed his hands into his pants pocket. “How’s Liliana?”

“Dr. Yamaguchi says she’s more alert today and not in as much pain.”

A thin, blond eyebrow arched with approval. “That’s good. Third degree burns aren’t as painful because of the nerve damage. It’s the second degree burns that smart like mad.”

Savannah’s throat dried. To think Liliana lay there with any kind of pain rippling through her body made Savannah want to howl. The little girl had been through so much already. Must Liliana suffer this agony, too?

“She’s only three, Micah,” Savannah whispered, forgetting to be on her guard. “Three years old. This is a lot for an adult to handle. I can’t imagine how a child can hold up under these circumstances.”

Her fingers dragged through her hair and she stared out the window. The snowstorm continued, although in abated ferocity. Her mind churned with the same turmoil. How could God allow a small child to deal with all of this? What possible purpose could there be for a young one? A few church friends had called her in the past three days. More than once she’d heard the cliché statement ‘God has a plan’. Her mind wouldn’t accept that simplistic statement. What plan?

“Savannah.”

Micah’s voice drew her out of thoughts. Those amber eyes compelled her to focus on him. Like a moth to flame, she gazed into their depths. “What is it, Micah?” Was that her voice that was so breathless?

“Don’t give up.” He reached out as if to clasp her shoulders but then stopped and thrust his hands back into his pockets. “Don’t give up.” She ignored the twinge of disappointment. “I’m not giving up.”

“I mean, don’t give up believing things are going to get better for Liliana.”

Her throat convulsed and her finger drifted to her bobbing Adam’s apple. “I’m trying not to.”

Micah let loose a sigh. “I’ve seen some pretty terrible things in my line of work. I’ve seen patients younger than Liliana in situations like this or worse. I know that beyond my skill or any surgeon’s ability is something bigger. It’s the hope they will get better. And you have to hold on to that.”

This was the Micah Reddington of her past. This warm, caring man who sought to ease her fears with words of encouragement. Here stood the fiancé of her heart, the one whose strength she could rely on. The sun’s light that filtered through the window surrounded him like an aura, bathing him in golden hues.

“Savannah Woods?”

The harsh grunt of another man’s voice intruded. It broke the temporary aberration and heat flooded her face. Micah seemed just as startled but he turned toward the source of the voice that called her name.

Turning to meet the man who called her, Savannah dampened down a feeling of disappointment. “Yes?”

A large, rotund man with a comb-over and a pirate’s mustache waddled toward her. His cheeks jostled with each step and as he neared, she could hear him wheezing. Beside him walked a short, slender woman with short, spiked blonde hair and a bowlegged stride.

The large man spoke, or rather coughed out, “I’m Lieutenant Bullard and this is my partner, Detective Chalker. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

“Of course.” She shook their hands.

Lieutenant Bullard glanced at Micah. “Is there somewhere we can talk privately?”

“You can speak in front of Dr. Reddington. He’s here at my request.”

A look of incredible irony twisted Micah’s features and the softer memories of the past eroded. Savannah gritted her teeth. Why had she allowed some words of encouragement to sway her into thinking underneath the exterior the man she once loved still existed? He was a doctor. Encouraging one’s patient was a parlor trick they learned in medical school. Mollified despite the absurdity of her thoughts, she saw the lieutenant nod.

They went to an unoccupied space in the waiting room. Lieutenant Bullard flopped in one of the chairs with a loud sigh and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief he produced from a pocket in his jacket. Detective Chalker sat next to him.

Micah settled in the chair behind Savannah. When they were seated, Detective Chalker asked, “Before we begin, Ms. Woods, how’s your daughter?”

“Niece. She’s doing as well as can be expected. The doctor took her off the breathing machine so she’s able to breathe on her own, which is a blessing.”

“Good to hear, Ms. Woods.” Lieutenant Bullard cleared his throat gruffly. “Here are the details of the investigation so far.”

Without looking, she reached for Micah’s hand from behind and squeezed. It was such a natural thing to do, she wasn’t even aware she’d done it.

She swallowed, trying to moisten her throat. “Yes.”

The man retrieved a small notebook from his person. “The fire marshal notified us the source of the fire was from the dryer.”

Savannah drew back. “The dryer?”

“Yes. Apparently, this type of thing is quite common.”

Confused, Savannah looked back at Micah, who shared her consternation. “But how can the dryer—”

“More specifically, the dryer vent.”

“The vent?” She didn’t understand how they were connected.

“Over time, the dryer vent gets clogged with lint not captured by the dryer’s filter. As the vent gets more and more crowded with lint, it restricts the air flow, causing the dryer to overheat.”

“Once that happens,” Detective Chalker added, “it presents the perfect conditions for a fire.”

Savannah could hardly speak. “It’s so unreal. Something so small as lint could do so much damage.”

Lieutenant Bullard nodded in sympathy. “Unfortunately, it happens often. About fifteen thousand fires related to dryers happen every year.”

And we became part of the statistic. Liliana had been the unfortunate victim.

“What added to this was the type of material used for the vent. Aluminum foil only helped to inflate the problem.”

“But how did Liliana and Markita get caught?”

Detective Chalker leaned in. “From what we gathered from witnesses, the fire had spread to the northern wall where the indoor play area is located. When the alarms went off, the staff very quickly herded the children out of the building. However, Markita’s favorite doll was left there and she went back for it. Liliana went back with her.”

“It’s still a bit hazy what happened from there but we know Liliana tried to save her little friend.”

Savannah’s throat convulsed at the words. Tears collected in her eyes, but they weren’t just of sadness but a mixture of both pride and sorrow.

A brisk rub along her back pulled her out of her thoughts and she glanced behind her at Micah. He had a difficult time controlling the emotion, but she knew he was as moved by the details as she was.

She refocused on the officers. “What happens now?”

“We’re going to tie up some loose ends, but we knew you’d want to know the cause.” The lieutenant reached into his pocket and handed her his business card, which she accepted.