Willy nodded and followed him out of the room and across the hall to the room where his sister and brother-in-law stayed when they came to town.
“This is really nice,” Willy said, sitting on the edge of the bed before covering his mouth and coughing deeply. He was still in the pajamas, now covered with ash and the scent of smoke, that Kevin had found him in.
“Let me get you something to wear.” Kevin left the room and found a pair of sweatpants that he was planning to donate because they were too small.
He also grabbed a T-shirt and brought them to Willy. “Get some rest, and you can take care of things after you sleep.”
“Thank you for everything,” Willy said softly, holding the clothes that
Kevin had given him in his lap. “I don’t know what I’d be doing without you.” He shivered, and Kevin smiled at him and drew the door partway closed. Thumper followed him back to his room and jumped onto the bed, making himself comfortable as Kevin used the bathroom to clean up and then returned to his room, slipping under the covers in his boxers and then turning off the light.
He listened. The house was so quiet, yet he found himself straining to hear any noise that seemed out of place. He wasn’t used to having strangers in the house, and he found himself a little on edge in case they needed something. Still, the house stayed quiet, and eventually Kevin fell asleep, but he woke to movement somewhere.
He got out of the bed and quietly left his room in time to see Willy leaving the kids’ room and closing the door. “Is everything okay?” he whispered.
“Yes. Each of the kids has a dog watching over them.” Kevin turned toward him, and Willy stopped. “Umm…,” he stammered for a second.
“Sorry, I should get back to bed.” He hurried into the bedroom and closed the door. Kevin wondered what had happened until he looked down and realized he had on just his boxers. Kevin smiled to himself and went back to bed.
Contemporary Romance/Law Enforcement
keep his life together for the sake of his kids, but when their apartment
building catches fire, everything they have goes up in flames. In the middle of
the night, he finds himself homeless and wondering what to do next. Thankfully
one of the firefighters, Kevin St. Claire, not only rescues them from the
building but comes to the hospital and offers them all a place to stay for the night.
Then the fire that brought Willy and the kids into his life turns even more problematic. Code violations led to the fire spreading more quickly than it should have. As Willy and Kevin investigate, they come up against forces that would rather turn a blind eye. Can they protect the new family they’re building, or will it all go up in flames once more?
Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then, he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.
Andrew Grey
