A gust of wind blew so hard that Sheila turned her back to stave off the icy blast. She pulled the hood of her jacket up over her head. Sneaking a glance, she saw that Orene and Natalie were huddled together doing the same as they stood across the street from the burning house. Maybe coming to bring food to the fireman wasn’t such a great idea, but Orene was pretty convincing when she had her mind set on something.
Another gust of wind shook her hood, causing it to flap loudly.
The last of the dry, brown leaves swooped through the air to the ground, and tall trees with thick limbs swayed as if they were only twigs.
Creaking branches arched in weird ports de bras like giant unsteady ballerinas in a panic.
Until this moment, Sheila had never actually heard wind howl, and quite honestly she wasn’t sure if it was the wind howling or the fire moaning. Either way, the sound crawled up her skin.
Something snapped, and she swung toward the house just as blinding flames shot through the roof.
Shattered glass lay scattered on the ground around the house, glinting in an eerie orange glow.
It was a brutal realization of the power of nature—wind, smoke, freezing temperatures, and a fire burning so hot that it blanketed the area in a haze.
Her throat burned, and her eyes stung.
Natalie yelled to her. “I’m going to see if I can help them.”
Sheila saw the people being rushed across the street. “You stay with Orene, I’ll check.” She was closest to them anyway, and they almost got to her before she could get to them.
“How can we help?” Sheila asked.
“I’m Doris. I’m with the Chestnut Ridge Fire Department. I need to get them to the fire station to warm up. Can you stay with the Jacobs family while I bring the van closer?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’ll be right back.” Doris race-walked away.
Huddling in blankets, dirty and scared, they looked lost.
“I’m so sorry.” Sheila didn’t know what else to say to the mother and her frightened children. Another woman, probably her mother, stood shivering despite the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
In shock, certainly, they looked like their world was crashing in. And it was. Literally just yards away.
Sheila let out a breath, wishing she had words to comfort the woman, and her children with eyes as wide as saucers. It had to be confusing.
A sharp snap came from the house as something collapsed, shooting glowing embers into the air, spinning and rising as if they might never fall, but they would as they turned to ash.
Firemen called out to one another. Moving quickly, almost effortlessly, despite the thick hoses and heavy equipment on their backs.
They were doing a lot more than just hosing water on the house fire. Some swung axes into the exterior, wood splintering with each crashing blow, to allow water to get inside and slow down the raging inferno, she supposed.
It was hard to not think they were doing as much damage as the fire.
Even if the fire stopped at this very moment, answering her silent prayers, there’d be so much damage it’d be a wonder if they could ever make it livable again.
It was overwhelming to witness, and it wasn’t even her house.
The woman’s hand shook as she let go of a toddler’s hand to sweep the hair from her face and gulp for a breath of air.
“We’re going to get you through this. Just breathe,” Sheila said, and then Doris pulled up in the fire department van.
Sheila followed as the volunteers shuffled the family toward Doris. Once they were getting into the van, Sheila ran over to Natalie and Orene, who were passing her a stack of Styrofoam containers of leftovers from the party for the family.
“I knew this would come in handy,” Orene said.
“You better get back in the van, Orene. It’s too cold to be standing out here.” Sheila ran the food over to the fire department van and handed it to the woman inside.
“We’ve packed up some food for you. They’re going to take you to the fire station, where you’ll be comfortable and warm.” Sheila felt ridiculous handing the woman food when there were larger problems staring them right in the face. “You might not feel like eating right now, but you’ll need this to keep your strength up.”
“Thank you,” the woman said. “I’m Diane. I don’t think I know you.”
“I’m visiting. I’m a friend of Natalie and Orene’s. My name is Sheila.”
Diane attempted to smile, then leaned forward, nodding as if she recognized Orene’s SUV. “Thank you for your kindness.”
Orene waved a bony wrist in the air. “Honey, this is awful. I can’t believe it,” she hollered from across the way.
“We were just getting on our way to your house for the party when the dog started barking nonstop. Something on the back porch caught fire. I have no idea what could have started it.”
“Oh darling. Thankfully, you are all here and safe.” Orene pressed her hand to her chest.
“I don’t know where the dog is.” Diane’s eyes darted around. She hitched the chubby red-faced crying baby on her hip. One look back to the house and tears fell to her cheeks.
“Let me take him for you.” Sheila held out her arms, and the baby reached for her. She cradled him in her arms, and he grabbed her shirt and smiled. A little snot bubble formed as he giggled against her warm wool peacoat. With nothing in hand to use, she wiped his nose with her fingers, saying, “You are a big boy. Everything is going to be okay.” Holding him tight to her body, she could feel his tiny heartbeat rabbiting in his chest. “It’s going to be all right.”
Diane shook out her arms. “He gets heavy.”
“He’s a healthy baby. That’s a good problem.” She bobbed him up and down. His tears were quickly replaced with giggles and coos.
Doris helped the last of the Jacob family on board.
“Your husband is on his way to Roanoke, and I just got an update that he’s stable. Don’t worry, Carter says he’s griping that he’s okay. That’s got to be a good sign.” Doris laughed.
“He always says he’s fine,” Diane said, “even when I know he’s not. I’m glad they made him go.” Diane took in a stronger breath. “I can rest easier knowing he’s getting checked out.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Doris agreed.
Sheila tucked the baby in Diane’s arms. “Here you go. He’s so precious. Is there anything I can do for y’all tonight?”
“Keep an eye out for our dog.”
“We will. What’s his name?”
“Bananas.” Diane rolled her eyes. “Kids named him. Don’t ask.”
Sheila reached into her pocket and touched a lone business card. “I’m in town for two weeks. Here, my cell phone is on this card.” She pressed it firmly into Diane’s hand. “Use it if there’s anything I can do. Even if it’s just to come and hold the baby or watch the kids so you can lock yourself in the other room and catch your breath.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really. You are safe, and there are people here who want to help you and your family.” It surprised Sheila as much as it did Diane. Surprised that she was reacting like a lifelong resident of Chestnut Ridge. Maybe there’s something in the air here that opens hearts a little wider. An overwhelming need to help had come over her, and it felt good.
“Thank you so much.” Tears streamed down Diane’s face. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Diane. This is an emotional situation. I’d be more worried if you weren’t upset.”
Diane squeezed her arm. “You’re an angel.”
Sheila stepped back to close the door on the van, then waved to the children as Doris drove away.
Sheila turned and looked at Natalie in disbelief. “This is heartbreaking. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“It’s terrible,” Natalie said, “and with it so close to Christmas. I wonder what caused the fire.” She climbed into the vehicle.
Orene had overheard the whole thing, responding with, “Could’ve been wiring, a candle, who knows, but does it matter? So many things can go wrong. That house was so old. They’d been working on it to bring it up to date. Doing what they could as they could afford it. Too bad that it fell into such disrepair. It was a nice place when I was a little girl, but it had been left empty for longer than is good. Things break down over time.”
Natalie watched a firefighter run across to the EMTs. “I think that guy is hurt. Look at how he’s holding his arm. No matter how hard they work, will they be able to save the house?”
“It’s the lives that matter, and the forest and preserving nature here on the mountain that drives all these folks to volunteer to help,” Orene said. “There’s so much more than a structure to protect.”
“Thank goodness for homeowner’s insurance,” Sheila said. “But finding temporary housing isn’t easy, even in the city. I can imagine it will be even harder up here.”
“Maybe, but folks around here don’t mind disrupting their lives to help others.” Orene lifted her chin. “I’ve taken in quite a few over the years. Some folks I knew from church. Some I’d never even met. I treated them all the same. It’s what we do in Chestnut Ridge.”
“That wouldn’t happen in the city. They’d be more likely to raise some money to put you in a hotel than open their home to a stranger. No one wants to be inconvenienced.”
Natalie grinned. “You are experiencing firsthand the beauty of Chestnut Ridge. It’s not all just the landscape. It’s so much more.”
Sheila was beginning to believe that. “Let’s pick up some of the immediate needs for them tomorrow,” Sheila said. “With all those children, nothing will be easy or cheap. Just diapers and pajamas could break the bank. I can’t even imagine. Orene, do you know someone who can help us get the sizes so we could help them?”
“Doris will already be gathering that information,” Orene said. “She’s Tucker’s right hand on that administrative stuff and her heart is bigger than Alaska.”
Tucker walked over to the vehicle. “I know you mean well, but I need to ask you to vacate the premises. We have more trucks coming in.”
“We wanted to see if we could help,” Orene said. “Plus, we have all this food. If it’s going to be a long night, I’d rather keep your guys and gals going strong.”
“As you can see, the weather is not cooperating, but we’ve got plenty of manpower. The homeowner was taken to the hospital, and the rest of the family is now safely evacuated. Hopefully, the family dog will turn up.”
“Maybe he’s just hiding. He has to be scared,” said Natalie.
Sheila could tell she was thinking about Buzz, that little dog of hers. Natalie treated that beagle like a child.
“Doris will work on finding a place for them to stay. Hopefully, we won’t have to split them up, but that’s a lot of people,” Tucker said. “The structure fire is contained. We’ll be working hot spots for hours, but we’re more concerned about this shifting wind and the woods right now.”
“So, you’re in for a long night,” Sheila said.
“Definitely.”
Orene lifted her chin. “We’ll set up food and drinks over under the picnic shelter. If it doesn’t get eaten, that’s fine. We can come clean it up tomorrow.”
“That’s not necessary, and it’s going to end up everywhere in this wind,” Tucker said.
“We’ll leave all the food, plates, and paper towels in the big boxes, so nothing will blow away. If nothing else, it’ll let everyone know they are appreciated. And then we’ll be out of your hair.”
Tucker stepped in front of Sheila, blocking her from the flying embers as the roof fell in on the house, sending sparks swirling.
She ducked her head into his coat.
“I’ve got to get back. Y’all should leave. It’s getting dicey.”
“We’ll go as soon as we set everything up,” Orene said.
Sheila pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh at Orene’s won’t-take-no-for-an-answer attitude. Clearly, she was willing to throw around her weight when she saw reason to. She caught the half smile on Tucker’s face. He knew he was beat.
Tucker caught her gaze and shook his head.
She couldn’t help but smile. “I promise we’ll be out of your way in a second.”
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that. I’ve got to get back to this.” He stepped toward the business at hand. He wasn’t happy about them being there. “You ladies please be careful and watch yourself over these hoses. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I do appreciate you thinking of us, but it’s my responsibility to keep you safe as well.”
And the craziest thing ran through Sheila’s mind at that moment.
I’m not going to be able to think of anything but you after this.
The fire chief’s smile practically melted her sensibilities.
“I thought he’d never leave,” Orene said. “Come on, let’s get this stuff over there and skedaddle.”
“No. You stay put, Orene,” Sheila said. “It’s too messy out here, and if you fall, that’s one more thing they have to deal with. Nat and I can move the boxes.”
Orene’s nose wrinkled, pushing her glasses up in a way that magnified her eyes strangely.
“We’ll be quick. We’ve got this.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll get the boxes sorted and mark them on the outside,” Orene said.
Natalie grabbed a box of cookies and brownies, and Sheila carried the five-gallon jug of sweet tea and followed her.
When they got back to the SUV, Orene had marked the side of each box with the contents, a big smiley face, and THANK YOU in big block letters.
“That looks great.” Natalie lifted a box. “Pile on another. They aren’t that heavy.” Sheila helped her with the other, and it only took a few trips to get everything moved over.
“Did you hear that?” Sheila dropped the last of the boxes on the picnic table. “It’s like a squeaking noise.”
“I thought I heard something back there too, but it’s so noisy with all the equipment. I wasn’t sure.”
Sheila stooped next to a row of stickery overgrown holly bushes. “Natalie! I think this is the family dog.”
Natalie raced to her side, dropping to all fours. The scruffy mixed-breed dog cowered beneath the pointed green leaves and berries. “Come on, pup. It’s okay. All this noise must be terrifying.” She reached out and clicked her fingers, but the dog just whimpered.
“Is he stuck?” Sheila asked. “Here, Bananas. Where’s that good puppy?”
“He’s terrified. Get some of the roast beef for me.”
“I’d crawl out from under just about anything for that. Hang on, let me find it.” But Orene’s neat handwriting made it easy to put her hands on the box with the carved roast beef. She grabbed a slice from the foil tray and handed it to Natalie.
“Bananas, look what I’ve got for you. Yummy. C’mon, boy.”
His ears perked, then swiveled like satellite dishes before he lowered his chin and cha-cha’d forward and back, and then finally belly-crawled to Natalie for a taste.
“That’s a good boy.”
Sheila couldn’t believe their luck. “Do you know how happy that family is going to be to hear this little guy is okay?”
“I can only imagine,” said Natalie. With one quick swipe, she caught the dog by the collar and pulled him to her. He didn’t put up a fight, but then Natalie was still hand-feeding him roast beef at the moment.
“Hurry, let’s get him in the SUV before we run out of bait.” Sheila ran to open the door. Natalie swiftly dropped the canine into the seat next to Orene and slammed the door.
“Hot dog!” Orene shouted. “We found the missing pup.”
“That’s a horrible pun, Orene.” Natalie spun around in her seat with her mouth agape.
Orene’s hand slapped over her mouth. “I promise I wasn’t making a joke about the dog and the fire.”
But all three of them needed that laugh at that moment.
“Let’s see if we can’t get the rest of the family a few smiles.” Sheila was grateful for the laughter that relieved some of the heaviness in her heart for this family. She and Natalie got in the vehicle still laughing at Orene’s slip up.
Natalie turned the key and pressed the accelerator.
“To the fire station!” Orene shouted as Bananas bounced from seat to seat as they headed down the mountain.