Lucky Charm (Lucky 1)

Once they were outside, the firemen had already arrived and began directing people far from the burning building. Derek turned to look for Gabrielle, but he didn’t see her in the crush of the crowd directly behind him.

He was forced onto the far grass by a fireman. Others began cordoning off the area and prohibiting people getting anywhere near the Wave.

“Derek!”

He heard his name being called and he whipped around at the sound of his father’s voice. “Dad! Over here!” Derek waved so his father could see him.

“Thank God!” Hank said, hugging him until he couldn’t breathe.

“You weren’t inside, were you?” Derek asked. He’d thought his father had left once his interview ended.

Hank shook his head. “I was outside when I heard someone screaming about the fire. I looked up and saw the flames. I just wanted to find you.” Hank wiped the sweat from his brow. “I couldn’t bear to lose my son,” he said, his voice cracking.

“I’m fine,” Derek assured him, emotion and so much more clogging his throat. “Have you seen Gabrielle? We got separated trying to get out of the building.”

Hank shook his head.

Derek glanced back again, but there were too many people crowding around to see everyone.

It had been too long since he’d made it out and he still hadn’t seen her. Panic nearly suffocated him. “I’ve got to find her.”

He started for the building, only to be stopped by his one-hundred-ninety-pound father jumping onto his back.

“You aren’t going near that fire,” Hank said in Derek’s ear.

“At least let me tell the fireman she’s missing.”

Hank released himself and rushed with Derek toward the nearest firefighter. His father never released his grip on Derek’s collar. Derek was choking on the material pulling against his neck but figured it was his father’s way of keeping him safe.

“I’m looking for a woman. Reddish hair, about five foot five. Last time I saw her was inside the building,” Derek said to the fireman.

“I’ll relay the information,” the man in uniform promised.

As he waited, Derek clenched his hands into fists, his nails digging into his skin.

“She’ll be fine,” Hank said, placing an arm around Derek’s shoulders.

“Because our good luck says so?” Derek asked his father.

The older man looked at him with wise eyes but said nothing. How could he, Derek thought, when he’d lived through his share of pain and tragedy, too?

“Don’t hold it against me for not letting you run back into that building, son. You wouldn’t want Holly to be fatherless, now, would you?”

Derek shook his head, unable to speak as he waited for news on Gabrielle.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

DEREK COULD BARELY BREATHE as he watched the burning building. Finally, he caught sight of Gabrielle along with Kayla being helped out of the bar by a fireman.

Coughing, she made her way toward him, throwing her arms around his neck. “Oh, my God! You’re okay, too.”

He shut his eyes and squeezed her to him, all the while, thanking God that she was safe. Everyone he loved was safe. Now he just had to keep them that way.

“What happened?” he asked.

She dropped to the ground, sitting cross-legged on the grass.

He and Hank knelt beside her.