Here in Boston, we’re having our first warm days in what feels like forever, but I’m fighting the urge to hang out in the sunshine so I can edit. Keeping You Close has some of my favorite tropes ever (fake dating + accidental roommates) so I’m still having a good time though. If you scroll down, I’ve included an excerpt of opening down below, but first things first, who doesn’t love a freebie?

Today and tomorrow, my short story, Accidentally Married to My Brother’s Best Friend will be available for free on Amazon. Accidentally Married is a ~15,000 word short story set in Juniper Cove, where my main series, following the Kent family, takes place.

Grab your copy today!

If you’ve already read that, then you can scroll further for a preview of Keeping You Close...

Watching your life go up in flames sucks.

It's usually an exaggeration. You flunk a class. You find out your boyfriend is cheating. Your top-secret coffee-cake recipe is stolen by a rival bakery.

I wasn't prone to exaggeration, though. I came home, and my life was very literally going up in flames.

My house was on fire.

Most house fires were tiny, but mine was massive, like something on TV. Flames were crawling out the roof, and I was trying not to freak out.

I froze for just a second while my brain caught up, then called 911. My father had drilled those steps into me. I clearly stated my address, described the size of the fire, and didn't approach the house.

But I wanted to. 

They'd be here soon, I tried to reassure myself. I just had to sit in the car at a safe distance and wait. It's not like the firehouse was more than a minute’s drive. 

Already, sirens sounded in the distance. The familiar sound practically turned me nauseous. All the times I'd heard it, I never thought the firefighters would be coming to my rescue.

I should stay in the car.

Sit, wait, do nothing.

But I couldn't do that.

I got out.

Not in any foolish need to save some random crap in the house. No, it was worse than that because I didn't live alone.

I lived with Sergeant Snookums. 

Logically, I knew our fire department acted fast. It could take anywhere from two to ten minutes to pass out from smoke inhalation. I wasn't sure when the fire started or how no one noticed. That was assuming a cat had the same tolerance as a human, which I doubted.

I couldn't think about that now. Logically, again, I knew pets came second. But he was my closest friend. He was my responsibility. And he was in a burning building.

“Stay back, Layla!” someone called.

I jolted back. I hadn't just left my car, I'd been making my way to the front door. 

I knew that was dumb. I didn't have any protective gear on, and I didn't know what I was walking into. All I knew was Sergeant Snookums was in there, terrified, and I needed to get her out.

The fire truck had arrived, and a swarm of suited uniforms hopped off and ran over. Three started to prepare the hose. 

One ran up to me, and even though all I could see behind the protective mask was a hint of eyes behind tinted plastic, I recognized those hazel eyes instantly. My neighbor for the past year, Will Kent.

“Are you okay?” he demanded.

I nodded. “I'm okay. I just got home. I called 911. I'm okay. But they’re inside.” I was babbling. I never thought I'd be the type to panic, but here I was.

“They? Derek?” Will asked, utterly focused. He got ready to turn and call out to the others, but I shook my head.

“No, no. Sergeant Snookums. My cat. She's orange, and she's probably scared, and she usually sleeps in the living room to catch the sun, but I couldn't see her in the windows.”

Will nodded again. He placed a heavy gloved hand on my arm for comfort, the heavy weight steadying me. Then he took off at a jog, calling out to the rest of the team. The place was clear, but there was a cat.

Then he ran into my burning house.

The following minutes were the most nerve-wracking of my life. He disappeared without hesitation, and all I could do was stare at my open door. It was impossible to see past the smoke inside. I couldn't begin to guess what had caused the fire. I was careful. So careful. But not careful enough, and Sergeant Snookums might pay the price. 

The spray continued. The fire was contained to my house, thanks to the large yards, but my house was done for. In brief minutes, the fire had advanced, and I could see it wreaking havoc through the second-story windows. 

I'd never felt so helpless. All I could do was pray that the cat hadn't hidden when the smoke came in. Dogs often went crazy, barking, trying to escape, which my dad had explained made them their own challenge to get out. But cats? Cats hid. And my cat could hide with the best of them. Will would never be able to guess half the cat's hiding places. Should I run in? Try to yell ideas from the door?

It was a terrible, crazy idea, but I couldn't stand being this powerless.

One by one, the firefighters emerged. Juniper Cove kept five to a crew. I counted. One at the hose, one at the truck. Two had come out and gone to support the hose. But Will hadn't come out.

Then, the last uniform came running out of the house. I couldn't see much beyond the soot-covered uniform. I sprinted over. 

“Are you okay? Did you find her?” My voice was nearly shrill.

Will looked at me through the fogged plastic window and lifted his arms.

There, rested between the two massive arms, was my orange cat. To my relief, she looked no worse for wear. If anything, she looked rather comfortable in Will's arms, like she was just about to take a nap.

Without another thought, I threw my arms around Will's shoulders, not caring about the smoke. 

“Thank you for finding her.” Tears pricked at my eyes, and whether it was from the smoke or just relief.

“That's what I'm here for,” he replied.

I slowly eased off, feeling a bit embarrassed. Figures, my house was burning down, and I was feeling embarrassed. Once the shock wore off, I'd have a lot more emotions to face, but at least my cat was okay.

Will transferred Sergeant Snookums over to me, and I clutched her so tightly she meowed in protest, forcing me to loosen just a fraction.

Will disconnected his mask and took the headgear off while gesturing me out of the way of the spray.

I looked back up at him. It was hardly the first time I had seen him. He'd been my neighbor for the past year, and we were friendly. The Kents were friendly with everyone, and Will was no exception. 

Still, it caught me off guard to see him in the firefighter uniform. It fit him well, though his hair was sweat-soaked, clinging to his head from the heat he'd just withstood.

“Do you need to see the EMT?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I just got here. I'll take Sergeant Snookums to the vet later.”

His lip quirked up at the name. “I'll need to get the story behind that name one of these days.”

I grinned, and I was grateful that he'd managed to get a smile out of me despite the circumstances. It made the pressure that had been building in my chest loosen a fraction.

Then I felt guilty. It was a sudden feeling, like I was choking all too suddenly on the smoke I'd avoided. Because I shouldn't be grateful to Will for making me smile or noticing how well he fills out his uniform.

“Can I take you somewhere?” he asked. “I can take you to your parents'?”

I shook my head. They were almost two hours away. “I'll go to my boyfriend's.” The word was like a wall, a reprimand to myself for hugging him, for noticing him. “Derek's,” I clarified, like Will didn't know his name.

“Right. Derek.” Two syllables said in a carefully neutral tone. There was a look that flashed across his face so quickly I might've imagined it. The smoke was still hurting my eyes.

He called over to the crew. “I'm gonna drive Layla somewhere,” he yelled. 

His team nodded, the situation well in hand, where only ten minutes ago it had been a catastrophe.

Who was I kidding? It was still a catastrophe, just a manageable one. 

“I can drive myself,” I protested.

He shook his head. “It's not safe.”

That irked me. “It's not like my car is gonna catch fire. I'm fine.”

“Layla, you're shaking,” he said. The words were soft yet firm.

Like a child, I glanced down at myself. He was right. My arms were shaking, and I hadn't even noticed. It was a miracle I wasn't being clawed up for my poor cat-carrying.

“Okay, I am,” I conceded.

“Come on.” He placed an ungloved hand on my shoulder, shepherding me to my car. Reluctantly, I handed over my key. Not that I didn't trust Will, I just didn't normally let other people drive my car.

“One second,” he said. Then, in a fluid movement, he undid his jacket, then uniformed pants. “Don't want to get soot in your car,” he explained. He headed to the truck and deposited his gear before coming to the passenger’s side and opening my door for me.

Part of me wanted to say I could've opened my own door, but then again, I was kind of holding a cat.

Will slid into the driver's seat, and I gave him Derek's address. It was a miracle I could even remember the numbers, both with everything that happened and how few times I stayed over. Still, I had some stuff there. A spare set of clothes, toothbrush, chargers, that kind of thing. 

We'd been dating for almost two years, though it hardly felt like it. It had started off as a casual date here and there, and somehow it had stuck. We never spoke about the future or what our lives would look like, but what did it matter? He was good to me. Derek was safe. Exactly what I needed after this. Safety, stability. Someone I could trust. Derek fit the bill perfectly. I absently wondered if I should send him a text, giving him a heads-up when Will spoke up.

“Hanging in there okay?”

“I'm good. Well, not good,” I clarified. “But it'll be okay. I can't thank you enough for getting Sergeant Snookums out.” I meant it. I'd felt every excruciating second Will must've been looking, but he'd lived it in a thousand-degree heat. He hadn't had to look for the cat, either. People were a priority. Pets, well, ultimately they weren't people. I knew that rationally. But Snookums was my family, and I couldn't stop the feeling of gratitude. 

He nodded. “It may hit you later,” he cautioned. “If you ever need to talk. I mean, I know you have other people. But I'm here.”

There was something a little awkward and a little sweet in the way he made the offer, and I wanted to punch myself in the stomach for the way it fluttered.

“I appreciate the offer,” I said honestly. And I did. “I'll be okay once I'm at Derek's. Honestly, I just want to wash the smoke out of my eyes.”

He nodded, but we didn't speak again until he pulled into Derek's driveway. 

“At least I didn't lose my keys in the fire.” With a pang, I started listing things I'd lost. Photos and furniture and my aunt Tilda's recipe books. All I had was what I'd brought in my purse to work. 

“I'll let him know the situation before taking you in.” That was directed to Snookums. Her presence might be the hardest sell because Derek didn't like cats. Well, he claimed to be slightly allergic, but the allergy only seemed to bother him when he saw my orange fuzzball.

I glanced back at the car. Will got out, too, and watched me for a moment.

I offered him a small smile before heading to the front door and unlocking it.

The front door opened to the living room, where Derek normally hung out on the faded leather couch he inherited from his college frat, but there was no sign of him.

“Hello?” I called. I'd seen his car out front. “Derek? It's me. I let myself in. Hope that's okay.” I was still rambling, dammit. 

But I stopped caring about my rambling when I heard him yell, “Shit!”

I frowned. It had come from the back of the house. Maybe he'd just banged his toe on the bedframe when I walked in. I hurried in, and Derek's voice grew louder.

And... not just Derek's voice. I reached the shut bedroom door and gripped the knob. Part of me felt like I should walk away. My life couldn't get ruined if I just walked away and made up some innocent explanation for myself.

I threw the door open.

“What the actual fuck?” I screeched. 

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Vesper Young