Chapter 9

Calder whipped his head around in the exact same instant he instinctively pulled Hannah into his arms and shielded her with his body. “What the—”

She squirmed in his arms. “Calder, let go. I need to—”

He set her away from him. “You okay? Call nine-one-one, or you probably know the entire fire crew by name. Get them here. Then stay here. I’ll be back.”

She’d already been trying to dig her phone out of her jeans pocket. “I’m on it, but—”

He leaned in, eyes right on hers, and kissed her, banged-up lip and all. “Stay here. Please.” Then he turned and took off at a run toward the docks.

“Calder!” she shouted after him. “What are you—don’t go down there! You don’t know what else might—”

He looked over his shoulder just long enough to make sure she wasn’t running after him, saw that she had the phone to her ear and was talking into it, presumably to the dispatcher, and let out a sigh of relief.

Then he turned back and focused on the burning boathouse, which looked like nothing more than a No