Because Jamie Bell wasn’t even in Seven Roads.
“He had to change his schedule around last second and go to his new jobsite early to set something up. He was set to come back in the morning before leaving again in a few days.”
Price was leaning against the outside wall of the hospital, arms crossed over his chest and nothing but focus on Deputy Little. She had come off patrol duty already but was still hands-on despite the fact that her stomach was growling, and the sun had long since gone down.
But that’s just what you had to do when you worked at a department that had less than a football team’s worth of employees.
You stepped up because there was space you needed to fill.
“His poor boyfriend Georgie up there was helping him pack up some things when—well, all heck broke loose,” Rose said.
This wasn’t news to Price. Once they had verified that Georgie Reynolds had been the unconscious man on the floor, Jamie had been called. He’d answered the phone quickly and completely shocked. The brand-new information to Price was the reason behind Jamie being out of town sooner than he’d apparently told others.
“I know you and Miss Shaw left early but I have to say, the fire chief was mighty intimidating at the scene,” she added after a moment. “He said we still have to wait for an official report, but he seemed confident, and angry for it, that the gas stove was tampered with to go kaboom. He was surprised there wasn’t more damage.”
“Something we already suspected, considering there was a whole damn man upstairs ready to fight,” Price said. He shook his head. He was angry too. “The way he had Georgie already laid out, it’s easy to make the jump that he wanted the fire to spread. We just came in too fast.”
Rose nodded. This had been a conversation that they had also already had. The potential plan of the man in the hood and what his motives might have been.
“That’s another thing I meant to tell you earlier.” Rose snapped her fingers and then pointed at him with a finger gun. “The fire chief made a point to praise your rescue efforts. You managed to get two unconscious adults out of a burning house with little to no injuries yourself.” She smirked. “He even said if you’re tired of flashing a badge, he’d gladly welcome you into his station.”
Rose was trying to lighten the mood. Price knew it and he suspected that she knew thatheknew it too, because they’d both been present after the ER doctor had sent JJ up for a CAT scan.
To say Price had been angry was an understatement.
He was filled with rage. And not just rage, but rage tinged with guilt.
As smoke had filled the bedroom and neither JJ nor Georgie had moved an inch, Price had known instantly that he wouldn’t be able to save both at once. In fact, there was a very good chance that just taking one of them out of the house would be a difficult feat. In his mind, he knew to save one was to most likely damn the other.
He’d already been picking JJ up as the thought blared in his mind.
He carried her through the burning home without hesitation, right out until he was in the backyard and far enough away from the house.
Then, he’d been incredibly lucky to get Georgie out before the fire consumed the walkways and before Price couldn’t take the smoke anymore.
By the time he was outside again, some neighbors had converged and were quick to lend a hand. Some took Georgie across the street to wait for the ambulance while the others hurried to make sure neighboring houses were empty, just in case.
One man tried to help with JJ, but Price didn’t give him the room.
The second Georgie left his arms, JJ took his place.
Price carried her to the other side of the street as sirens blared in the distance. He kept her there while coworkers and fire fighters converged. He only relinquished his hold once they were loaded into the back of an ambulance.
Now that guilt sat there, reminding him of that split second when Price had thought he was choosing between JJ and Georgie.
It wasn’t regret at choosing to take JJ out first. Instead, it was guilt at realizing something he hadn’t said aloud.
Once JJ had gone limp against the wall, Price had forgotten entirely that anyone else had existed. Georgie had become an afterthought.
And it shouldn’t have been that way.
It was a grating realization. One that was still bothering him.
Rose must have seen the feeling pop up on his expression. She might not have known the exact reason for it but she tried to console him regardless.
“Hey, you did good work today,” she said, patting his shoulder twice. “Georgie is going to recover from his fight and our favorite Good Samaritan is too. So try not to worry too much. Instead, do like the sheriff said and get some rest. I know you’ve gotta be tired.”
Price was. His body hurt and the adrenaline had worn off long ago.
