Chapter 3 - The Woman Who Pulled Anna From the Fire
Anna knew Vincent would come looking.
She just hadn’t expected him so soon.
At nine the next morning, Daniel entered the kitchen of Anna’s townhouse.
“He’s outside.”
Anna stopped cutting strawberries for Leo.
“Vincent?”
Daniel nodded.
“He’s alone.”
Leo swung his little legs beneath the table.
“Is that the man from last night?”
Anna forced a smile.
“Yes, sweetheart.”
“Does he know us?”
Anna’s throat tightened.
“He knew Mommy a long time ago.”
Leo accepted that answer and returned to his pancakes.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“You don’t have to see him.”
“I know.”
But Anna did.
Five minutes later, she stepped outside.
Vincent stood beside the gate.
He looked as though he had not slept.
“You found me.”
“I asked Marco to locate you through public records.”
Anna folded her arms.
“That distinction is supposed to make me feel better?”
“No.”
Vincent looked toward the townhouse.
“Is he inside?”
“Leo?”
He nodded.
Anna studied his face.
“Yes.”
“Is he really mine?”
“You already know the answer.”
Vincent looked down.
“How?”
Anna knew what he meant.
How had she survived?
She had asked herself the same question a thousand times.
“When the explosion happened, part of the fuselage separated.”
Vincent’s head snapped up.
“I was thrown clear before the fire reached the rear cabin.”
She touched the scar near her temple.
“I landed in a ravine.”
Vincent looked sick.
“A woman found me.”
“Who?”
“Evelyn Hayes. Daniel’s mother.”
Anna continued.
“She and Daniel were driving back to their ranch when they saw smoke. They searched beyond the emergency perimeter because Evelyn used to be an Army medic.”
“Why wasn’t I told?”
“You weren’t there when they found me.”
Vincent flinched.
Anna regretted the words immediately.
But she didn’t take them back.
“I had no identification. Everything burned.”
“You didn’t remember?”
“Not at first.”
“How long?”
“Fragments started returning after Leo was born.”
Vincent’s face crumpled.
“You gave birth alone?”
“Daniel and Evelyn were there.”
He closed his eyes.
Those words hurt.
Good.
Some part of Anna still wanted them to.
“When did you remember me?”
“Almost completely? About eight months after the crash.”
Vincent stared at her.
“And you stayed away.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Anna walked toward him.
“Because the first complete memory that came back wasn’t our wedding.”
His face tightened.
“It wasn’t the first time you kissed me.”
She could barely keep her voice steady.
“It was you pulling Sophia toward the exit while I begged you not to leave.”
“I came back.”
“I know.”
“You saw?”
“No.”
Vincent stepped closer.
“Then believe me.”
Anna’s eyes filled.
“That’s the problem. I did believe you.”
The front door opened.
Leo ran outside holding a toy airplane.
“Mommy!”
Vincent went rigid at the sight of it.
Leo stopped when he noticed him.
The boy studied Vincent curiously.
Then he held up the plane.
“It broke.”
Vincent crouched without thinking.
“I can fix that.”
Leo walked toward him.
Anna almost stopped him.
Almost.
Vincent took the toy with trembling hands and carefully snapped the wing back into place.
“There.”
Leo smiled.
“Thanks.”
Vincent stared at his son.
His eyes turned wet.
Leo tilted his head.
“Why are you sad?”
Vincent looked helplessly at Anna.
She couldn’t rescue him from this.
Finally he whispered, “Because I missed something important.”
Leo nodded seriously.
“My mom says sometimes you can still fix things.”
Anna’s breath caught.
Vincent looked directly at her.
Before either could speak, Anna’s phone rang.
Daniel answered from inside.
Seconds later, he came outside carrying it.
His face was grim.
“Anna.”
“What?”
“It’s the investigator.”
Vincent stood.
Daniel looked between them.
“He found the mechanic who serviced the jet before the crash.”
Anna went cold.
“And?”
Daniel swallowed.
“The mechanic says someone paid him fifty thousand dollars to damage the fuel system.”
Vincent’s voice became deadly quiet.
“Who?”
Daniel looked at Anna.
May you like
“Sophia Carter.”
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