Written by Erica Rose Jackson Are you ready for an adventure set in Lake George, NY? If you said yes, then you can grab the paperback or hardcover from Amazon. The eBook will be available on 11.26.2021. Please enjoy an excerpt from this novella. Chapter 1 The First Fire Harper was woken by her cell phone ringing at three in the morning. She rolled over and grabbed it, sliding her thumb across the screen to answer, “Hoffman,” she said.
She was greeted by the voice of her fiance, Sheriff William Kirk, “Sorry to wake you, darling but we’ve got a fire at the Yankee Candle over at the outlets,” he shared. She could hear the genuine sympathy in his voice at waking her. Harper cleared her throat, “Has the fire been contained?” she asked, trying to get into work mode, hoping it would help her wake up more quickly. “Yes, it has,” William replied, “The store survived with a small amount of damage but the crew from the volunteer fire department want us to take a look while it’s fresh. See you in twenty?” he asked, his voice subtly line with urgency. She sighed, “Yep, I’ll see you there,” before she ended the call and got out of bed. Harper put on her uniform in record time and walked out of her bedroom to find her roomate and best friend/maid of honor Mel O’Donnell eating breakfast. “Where are you headed at this ungodly hour?” Mel asked as she took a bite of her oatmeal. Harper replied while she started a cup of coffee in their keurig, “We’ve got a case. Someone tried to burn down the Yankee Candle in the outlet mall,” she responded. Mel was taken aback, “What kind of monster would do something like that?” “Hopefully William and I can figure that out,” Harper answered, “Are you already getting ready for you shift at the hospital?” Mel nodded, “No rest for a nurse.” “Do me a favor,” Harper began as she fixed her coffee how she liked it, “Let me know if anyone comes in with any injuries related to a fire.” “You’ve got it,” Mel agreed just as Harper waved on her way out the door to meet Kirk at the crime scene. Harper drove to the outlet mall and parked behind the crowd that had gathered to watch the firemen at work. She got out of her car and walked up to the scene until she was by Kirk’s side. “Any news since we got off the phone?” she asked to announce her presence. William turned to face her, shaking his head, “No, sweetheart. I’ve completed the first sweep. However, there isn’t any forensic evidence because of the fire,” he explained. “Any idea on how the fire was started, yet?” she followed up as she started walking the scene while continuing their conversation. He followed her as he answered, “Chris took some samples once the fire was under control. He said he’ll get back to us as soon as he has something. I’m afraid we're at a bit of a dead end at this point,” he added, suppressing a yawn. Harper moved through the crime scene looking for anything that might give them a starting point for their investigation. William knew better than to interrupt her when she was surveying the scene. He’d gotten used to her methods since they first started working together six years earlier and she did her best work when she was in the zone. After a thorough evaluation, Harper moved back to William’s side, “I’ve got nothing. We’re either dealing with someone who set this fire by accident or the most brilliant arsonist I’ve ever come across,” she summarized her findings. “I’m putting my money on the first option,” William replied, his lips curling into her favorite smile. “I don’t know if I have the energy to find a brilliant criminal and finish preparing for our wedding,” he revealed in a teasing tone while wrapping his arm around her waist. She held back her laugh (they were at a crime scene, after all), “You think I’m hoping for a criminal mastermind?” He cocked his head to the side, “No, I don’t think you’re hoping for that option. But, I do think you’d enjoy the mystery if things go that way. Am I wrong?” he questioned, keeping his voice low. “No, you’re not,” she admitted, looking down, “What else do we need to do here before I race home and try to shut my eyes for a few minutes before we’re officially on duty for the day?” William gave her waist a squeeze before he released his hold of her, “I don’t think there’s anything else we can do until Chris gets back to us. Go on home,” he instructed before adding, “Don’t forget, we have our first dance lesson this evening.” “I’ll see you there if I don’t run into you on the job first,” she replied, resisting the urge to steal a kiss as she retreated back to her car which led back to her personal paradise, her bed. Harper had an uneventful day after the fire during the early hours of the morning. She went home once her shift ended to change for dance class. She was careful to be quiet so she wouldn’t wake Mel, knowing she had only a few hours before she’d have to get up for her next shift. She drove to the studio after deciding on a flowy, short dress paired with leggings. Once she arrived, she got out of her car and walked in to find William was already waiting on her. “You look lovely,” he complimented as he offered his hand to her. She took it with a smile as they walked onto the dancefloor and waited on their instructor to begin the class. “Welcome to your first class, happy couples,” a woman announced as she entered the room from the opposite side. “My name is Alyssa Styles and I’ll be your guide on this journey. Today, we’re going to begin by simply seeing where each of you are.” Alyssa moved to the stereo and pressed play causing ‘Baby Boy’ by Beyonce to pulse through the room. The couples, including Kirk and Hoffman, stood still unsure what they were supposed to be doing. “My darlings!” Alyssa exclaimed, “just start dancing and see where your bodies take you. Once you do that, I can determine what everyone needs.” Harper shrugged as she wrapped her arms around William’s neck and started swaying to the rhythm of the song, “This takes me right back to middle school,” she commented as he pulled her closer where their bodies were practically touching. “I’m sure you weren’t dancing this close to anyone in middle school,” Kirk replied with a small chuckle, realizing he’d never even heard this song. Harper turned herself in his arms moving her back against him. She almost couldn’t stop herself when her hips started grinding against him causing him to grasp her hips and pull her into him, even more tightly. Their moment was interrupted by Alyssa, “Very good, you two. You both are very aware of each other and that will make these lessons extremely easy for you.” She moved away from them and addressed the entire class as she made her way back to the music, “Very good, let’s change the pace and see how you all do.” The song was replaced by Norah Jones’ ‘Come Away with Me’ took its place. Harper turned in William’s arms, taking his hand with one hand and placing the other on his shoulder as the moved slowly across the floor to the track, completely lost in one another’s embrace.
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