Free Her Lifeline: (A Romantic Suspense) by Danica Chandler

ran. I didn't even think to get in my truck. I had to make sure that Noah was still asleep. Surprisingly he slept through it. Daddy did too."
    "Come on. I'll give you a ride back." Nick opened the passenger door for her before climbing in the driver's side. He tried to read her, but it was hard. She was obviously upset, who wouldn't be? Backing the truck up, he winded down the makeshift paths formed from years of driving. "Y'all have anything in there that might blow up?"
    Amelia wiped the corners of her eyes and quickly looked away. "I guess."
    "You guess?" Nick was trying not to get frustrated, but this all felt weird.
    "I haven't really gotten in there much in what seems like months, but I think we had some fertilizer in there. That could've caused it. I know daddy kept other things in there too. We'll have to talk to him."
    "Yeah, if you're certain it was fertilizer, that's likely the cause right there." Nick let out a deep sigh. "What an interesting first day this has been." He was certain that would at least make Amelia smile, but she continued to look out the window. "At least no one was hurt, right?" He shocked himself. Since when was he the guy to see the positive in things? If anything, he should be upset too. Any time something triggered his flashbacks he took days to recover. The image of Johnson and the child were forever etched in his brain, but reliving the whole scene made it feel like it just happened again.
    "You're right, Nick." Her voice was low. "No one got hurt. No animals, no people. We've got insurance."
    He parked the truck next to the porch and put the truck in park. There was no mention of what she might have witnessed with him, but maybe she was freaked out. Maybe that's why she was being so quiet. Nick fought the urge to slam his hands into the steering wheel.
    "Well, go in and get some rest. The investigator will probably be here early, okay? I'll be here when he does since we both sort of witnessed it."
    Amelia finally turned to face him and scooted across the seat. Leaning in, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You try to sleep as well. I'll see you in a few hours."
    With the flashback, the random explosion, and whatever was happening with Amelia going on, Nick was certain sleep would be an unknown dimension for him.

Chapter Seven
     
    Amelia tossed and turned, unable to get the roaring flames from her mind every time she closed her eyes. Could they have had something stored in there that would've caused the explosion? Rolling on her side, she stared at the alarm clock. It was four AM and her mind would not slow down. She didn't want to cross bridges before she got to them or assume things, but what if this was the loan shark her father had been dealing with?
    Sitting up, she buried her face in her hands and tried hard to control her anxiety. Would they do something so intense? She recalled the letter that was handwritten, addressed specifically for her, her dad, and Noah. A chill shot down her spine. No, she wasn't going to do this. She wasn't going to anticipate anything until the investigator came and looked over what was left of the building.
    Pulling on her robe, she walked to the kitchen, looking at the chair where Nick sat earlier in the day, his sunburned back exposed for her. A smile crept on her lips. Not to mention their heated embrace on the porch right before the fire. What was that all about? The passion in his eyes was amazing and she couldn't help but wonder where it would've gone had the other event not transpired.
    He had been on the ranch one day. One day. This was going too fast. Amelia had to chalk it up to being lonely. She didn't miss her ex husband, but she missed married life. She missed the feel of a man beside her. She missed the safety of the warm body there to protect her and ensure everything would be okay, especially if a loan shark was lurking.
    She tightened her robe, smoothed her hands over her hair, and walked outside. The smell of smoke still lingered