Free Edge of the Heat 7 by Lisa Ladew

"Uh-oh," he said, throwing a glance their way. "Lover's quarrel?"
    Emma didn't wait for a reply from Craig. She addressed JT. "I had to do four hours of overtime at station eighteen for one of the captains and Craig sat there in the station the entire time, in the radio room, glowering at anyone who dared to step off the sidewalk or come too close to the building."
    JT shrugged. "Hawk thinks you could be in danger. Craig is just trying to protect you."
    "Yeah, that's what I heard. What else is new?" Emma grumped, then disappeared into her bedroom to change her clothes.
    When she returned to the dining room she felt better, some of the day's headaches already shed along with her uniform. She found her husband standing against the dining room wall, listening to JT. She pressed herself against him and twined her hands around his waist. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be grumpy."
    Craig squeezed her tight and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. "I even love you when you're grumpy, you know that. JT was about to tell me about their day."
    JT shrugged. "Hawk will be home soon. We don't really know anything else yet. We've just been hanging out since we got his phone call. He says not to wait for him to eat dinner."
    Dani came into the room from down the hallway, pulling Vivian after her. Emma looked over her sister, concern on her face. Vivian seemed worse than she had yesterday. Her hair had not been brushed or washed and she was still wearing the same clothes Emma had given her the night before. Vivian pulled away from Dani and sat at the table, not looking at anyone. Emma rushed over and kissed her sister on the cheek. "Hi Viv, how are you doing?"
    "Good," Vivian mumbled into her empty plate.
    Emma squeezed Vivian's shoulder and looked at Dani, heartbreak for her sister in her eyes. Dani motioned for her to come into the kitchen.
    Emma followed Dani into the far corner of the kitchen where Dani crowded close and whispered into her ear. "She wouldn't buy anything today. I had to bring her home early. She wouldn't even look at the baby clothes. I think she's still in some sort of shock."
    Emma looked over her shoulder, through the open doorway between the kitchen and dining area where Vivian sat quietly at the dining room table. Emma's heart sank. She knew what to do for physical shock but emotional shock? How did you help someone get over the fact that their house had been blown up and someone was trying to kill them?
    Dani plucked at her sleeve. "Help me with dinner. Maybe we can talk to her after."
    Emma nodded and headed to the countertop, carrying bowls of soup and bread to the table.
    When they all sat down to their meal, Emma watched Vivian closely, anxious to see that she was only caressing her spoon and not actually picking it up and using it to eat. Emma wondered how long it had been since Vivian had eaten anything. The baby needed food.
    Vivian stopped caressing her spoon and reached forward to do the same thing to her bread plate.
    Dani leaned forward suddenly, a fierce look in her eyes. "Are you thinking about all your wedding china, Vivian? That was a lovely set you got."
    A single tear fell from Vivian's eye into her soup.
    Emma stared hard at Dani, hoping she would take the hint and stop talking.
    But Dani took no hint. "Are you thinking about how all your plates are gone? How they were destroyed in the fire?"
    Emma looked around at JT and Craig who were both staring at Dani openly. Emma caught Dani's eye. What are you doing? she mouthed.
    Trust me , Dani mouthed back.
    "Your pictures, Vivian. They're all gone too. And the crib your dad made for the baby. It's gone. Burnt up in the fire."
    JT reached across the table and grasped Dani's hand. "Dani," he whispered. "Hawk isn't going to like—"
    "The baby's nursery," Dani exclaimed, ignoring JT. "It's gone. Completely destroyed."
    Understanding dawned in Emma's brain. She looked closely at Vivian. Tears dripped down her face now, but her expression still showed no