Free Coming Home by Audrey Stover Page B

it more
often."
    Susan shook her head, "I can't take too many days off
work."
    "Well, I'm glad you took today off, you deserved
it."
    He drove her back to her home in silence. Both of them
caught up in their own thoughts. When they reached her home he opened her car
door for her and walked her up to her front door. They stood and looked at each
other and Susan wondered if he would kiss her.  She wasn't sure if she wanted
him to or not. Well, of course she wanted him to. What was she thinking?
    He placed a gentle hand behind her neck and leaned forward.
Susan closed her eyes and lifted her face toward his. And he softly kissed
her...forehead. Her eyes flew open and she looked down in embarrassment hoping
he hadn't seen the way she had expected him to kiss her lips.
    "I'll see you soon, Susan." He said as he took a
step back.
    Susan just nodded her head because she felt tears clogging
her throat. She opened her front door and walked in mentally berating herself
for wanting what she could never have. She shut the door and leaned against it.
She smiled in spite of the tears gathering in her eyes. This had been one of
the absolute best days she had had in a very long time and she would cherish
the memory forever. Craig had a way of making her feel like she was the only
woman in the world when she was with him. She didn't know how he did it, but
she liked it. What woman wouldn't?

CHAPTER
7
     
     
    Susan woke up with a start. She had just had the strangest
dream, something about Craig, which wasn't too odd, because even though she
hadn't seen him for the past few weeks he was constantly in her thoughts. She
couldn't stop thinking about him. But the dream was strange because something
was wrong.  She didn't know, or couldn't remember if something was wrong with
her or Craig or someone or something else. She glanced at the clock, 2:15 AM.
She laid staring at the ceiling waiting for the feeling of danger to go away,
but it didn't. She flung the covers back and sat up on the edge of the bed
wondering if Nana and her parents were okay. She stood up, covering a yawn and
padded to the bathroom. The bright light hurt her eyes, so she kept them closed
as much as possible. She was almost finished when she heard the phone begin to
ring. Her heart immediately jumped into her throat as she hurriedly finished up
and made her way as quickly as she could to the phone.
    "Hello?" She asked breathlessly, her heart
practically pounding out of its chest. Nobody called at two-thirty in the
morning unless something was seriously wrong.
    "Susan Johnson?" The voice on the other end
asked.
    "This is she," Susan said all kinds of morbid
things flashing through her brain, like her parents dying in a car crash or
Nana falling head first down her stairs or ...
    "This is Luke Jones of the San Diego Fire Department.
Are you the owner of Nana's Bakery and Restaurant?"
    Susan's thoughts skidded to a halt and she was momentarily
speechless.
    "Ma'am?" The voice came across the line a little
louder.
    "Yes, I am the owner," she finally squeaked out.
    "I'm afraid there's been a fire at your
restaurant."
    "A what?" She asked unbelievingly wondering how a
fire could have started.
    "Could you come down here?"
    Susan nodded, "Of course, I'll be there as soon as I
can." She slammed down the phone and hurriedly threw on some clothes all
the while wondering if this was some kind of practical joke. But he had sounded
official enough.
    She drove as quickly and carefully as she could to the
restaurant. There had definitely been a fire, if all the flashing lights on the
two fire trucks were any indication.  She left her car illegally parked as she
jumped out of it and ran up to her business. A fireman stopped her before she
could get too close.
    "What happened? How did this start?" She slapped at
the man standing in her way. "Get out of my way!" She shrieked at
him.
    Someone walked up to them, "Ms. Johnson?" He
asked.
    Susan looked over and saw another soot covered