Like Never Before Read Online Free

through him in spurts and fits.
    Let her be okay. Let me find her.
    His phone—he’d left it back in the car in a cup holder, still silenced following a morning meeting. What if the nanny had been trying to call and—
    Strong arms pushed against him. A firefighter, blocking his path. “Sir, this isn’t a drill. You can’t go in—”
    â€œMy daughter’s in there. Charlie . . . Charlotte.” He hurled forward once more, but the fireman’s arm jutted out to stop him.
    â€œPlease, stay here.”
    The man’s firm grip held him in place, his face hidden behind his helmet. He heard jogging steps coming up behind him, Theo’s panting breath.
    The firefighter looked over his shoulders. “Your friend?” Theo’s rasped “yes” drew a nod. “Make sure he stays here, okay? I’m sure his daughter is fine. We’ve already evacuated almost the whole building.”
    In a daze, Logan watched the man hurry away, terror twisting every nerve inside him and a voice from the past feeding his dread as he stared at the building.
    â€œI’ m so sorry, Logan. If you’d gotten here ten or even five minutes ago . . .”
    The shake of a doctor’s head.
    An ER nurse unable to stop her tears.
    â€œYou almost made it.”
    The snap of his heart, like a broken guitar string, sharp and callousing.
    Almost wasn’t good enough.
    Theo’s hand found his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s start asking around. She’s probably out here with the nanny somewhere.”
    Logan nodded, blinked, tried to reach through the fog of alarm for something solid—common sense or courage or . . . something.
    Nothing.
    â€œMr. Walker!”
    He pivoted at the frantic call. Krista? The nanny.
    Without Charlie.
    She reached him, tears streaming down her face, head shaking before he could even ask the question. “I couldn’t find her. I called and called and I couldn’t find her. The alarm . . . and then this firefighter made me leave the apartment and . . .”
    Beside him, Theo sprang into action, running after the fireman they’d just talked to. Krista kept talking, waving her hands.
    But Logan couldn’t hear over the roaring waves of his own panic.

2

    L ogan couldn’t make himself let go of Charlie.
    A chugging breeze, carrying the bitter odor of smoke, sent his daughter’s reddish curls tickling against his jaw and cheek, her head buried in his neck. Her limbs hung loose around him, her breathing heavy. Amazing that she’d been able to fall asleep amid the clamor of angst-ridden residents and firefighters swarming the lawn.
    It’d been forty-five minutes since the fireman had come jogging from the apartment building, Charlie in his arms, and Logan’s pulse still hadn’t steadied.
    â€œI heard someone say it was a microwave fire.”
    Theo was still here? Had he been standing next to Logan this whole time? The muscles in Logan’s arms pinched. “Bad?”
    â€œNot from the sound of it. I bet they’ll let residents back in soon. I already called the committee for the fundraiser, let them know you won’t be there.”
    â€œThanks.” His voice was flat even if his heart rate wasn’t. Didn’t matter if the fire hadn’t amounted to any real damage. Didn’t matter if he ever found that napkin scribbled withwhatever important wording about whatever important political issue.
    Only thing that mattered was his little girl.
    And those minutes of terror, when he’d instantly morphed into the same Logan Walker who’d stood by Charlie’s crib the night of Emma’s funeral, three days after the drunk driver had stolen his wife from him, suddenly so horribly abandoned, despite the relatives who still lingered in the living room.
    Convinced he couldn’t do this by himself.
    Alone.
    â€œShe’s okay,