Read Online Wayward Hearts by Susan Anne Mason - Free Book Online Page B

mess her life had become.
    Tension cemented her shoulders as they neared the farm. It hit her then that her bad mood had more to do with the anxiety of seeing her home rather than anything Jason had said or done. Facing the results of the fire would surely trigger horrible memories that she’d repressed all these years. She straightened in her seat, straining to catch a glimpse of the house. Her heart wanted to jump out of her chest as she waited.
    Jason reached over to take her left hand. “Brace yourself. It’s pretty bad.”
    Worry didn’t stop her from appreciating the warmth of his hand covering hers. She swallowed, promising herself she could handle it.
    Jason slowed the truck as he turned onto the gravel side road and her home came into view.
    Maxi gripped the door handle as though anchoring herself to something real. Each bump in the road seemed to hammer home the horror of the situation. The dreaded barn, a symbol of all she’d hated growing up, had been destroyed. Half of one charred wall stood out from the pile of ashes. Her father’s thresher, or what was left of it, sat within the burnt area, a scarred skeleton of metal. Tightness seized her throat, making it hard for her already belabored lungs to take in air. She pulled her reluctant gaze over to the house and gasped at the gaping hole in the roof.
    Right over her bedroom. A shudder slid down her spine.
    When Jason let go of her hand to park the truck, Maxi pushed out the door before the engine even died. A compulsion to see the inside of the house forced her up the front steps. She took note of the boarded living room window before rushing inside where the overpowering stench of stale smoke hit her like a punch to the stomach. Despite her wheezing lungs, she half stumbled up the stairs to the second floor. Her eyes stung as the smell grew more acrid. The sound of Jason calling her barely registered. She plunged into her bedroom and skidded to a halt.
    “No.” Her hand flew to her mouth.
    Half the ceiling had collapsed onto her bed. Charred black walls gave a tomb-like quality to the formerly cheerful space. The window had melted into a large hole in the wall. Her gaze fell to the water-stained carpet under her sneakers. Amid the soot and ash, one corner of a photo stuck out. With a muffled cry, she pulled it free. Despite the film of black soot, she recognized her precious graduation photo. That picture had traveled everywhere with her since high school. It was nothing short of a miracle to find it amid the debris. As coughs racked her body, she pushed the treasure into the pocket of her sweat pants.
    With a hand over her nose and mouth, she backed out of the room, her chest heaving with the effort of breathing. She jerked as strong arms grabbed her from behind and half-carried her down the hall to the staircase.
    “I told you not to go in there.” Anger laced Jason’s words.
    He helped her down the stairs to the main floor where she staggered and would have fallen if Jason hadn’t been supporting her. She tried to take a deep breath, but the lingering smoke caused her to cough in rasping spasms. Jason pulled her into the kitchen, sat her in one of the chairs, and poured a glass of water. Gratefully she drained the cup. Too many emotions swirled inside for her to make sense of anything.
    Jason stood by the counter, his stiff posture evidence of his annoyance with her. “Where’s the stuff you wanted?”
    “The basement. In the dryer.”
    “You stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.”
    Maxi nodded and leaned her elbows on the table. A fine coating of black ash covered most surfaces. Once again the knowledge of how close she’d come to dying struck her. She clasped her trembling hands together in an effort to get control.
    Jason returned carrying a laundry basket full of rumpled clothing. “I brought everything I could find. Let’s go.”
    She stood on shaky legs. Her purse and cell phone sat on the end of the counter, and she grabbed them on