When You Take a Chance

Laurel Brooks has always cherished her deep, yet unspoken love for her childhood best friend. Despite her true feelings, she's determined to keep their bond strictly platonic. But the aftermath of a hurricane stirs unexpected emotions, making it harder for her to keep him out of her heart.

Hunter Jensen, on the other hand, has been holding onto the hope that one day, he and Laurel will finally reveal their hidden love for each other. However, he's increasingly troubled by the thought that Laurel may only view him as a friend. When an incredible opportunity comes his way, Hunter faces a pivotal decision.

Will their unspoken love remain silent, or will this be the moment for confessions and a chance at true happiness?

A story that will resonate with fans of Elizabeth Bromke and Sofie Mays, this novel captures the poignant journey of two friends on the brink of discovering love in one another, igniting a spark of romance and yearning in the hearts of its readers.

Laurel Brooks woke up groggy. Her vision was hazy, making it difficult to see. Her eyes stung, and at first, she worried that something was wrong with her.

Noticing a sickening smell that seemed to prevent her from breathing, Laurel tried to tell Alexa to turn on the lights. A brutal coughing attack assaulted her, and nausea overcame her.

Slowly waking up enough to be aware of her surroundings, Laurel’s ears tuned in on the sound of crackling fire. Then she saw the fine line of smoke quickly entering her bedroom.

“Oh!” Laurel gasped, her eyes springing wide open, despite the burning sensation. Covering her nose and mouth with her nightgown, she climbed out of bed and to the door.

She paused for a moment before opening the door. Hunter had always said, anytime there was a fire, touch the doorknob with the back of your hand before opening it. At least that was what she thought he had said. Laurel prayed her memory served correctly as she tapped the knob.

Not hot.

She twisted the knob and pulled open the door.

Fear gripped her heart when she saw the flames reaching around the corner of the walls as if they were a silent enemy crawling slowly to devour her.

Taunting her.

Laurel coughed again, saying a silent prayer that she could find a way safely out of her house.

She flattened her body and crawled like a serpent toward the stairs, seeing the fire had taken over most of the downstairs.

The flames crackled, little by little, spreading all around her home. The mixture of fear and smoke forced hot tears down the corners of her eyes.

Laurel wasn’t going to make it downstairs and out the door. Not without being burned. Granted, it was better than being trapped and suffocated by the smoke, but surely she’d find another way of escape.

She returned to her bedroom, to the window, and opened it. The heat of the Tybee Island night air seemed to beckon the smoke to become thicker, moving faster toward her.

Laurel craned her neck out of the house, breathing in what fresh air she could get.

Another round of coughs paralyzed her momentarily. Then, she spied the lattice on the wall and considered if it would hold her weight.

Some parts of the lattice had broken off, and it didn’t look too sturdy.

But she had to try.

Another round of coughs overtook her.

The earth spun.

“Please, God, don’t make me go this way,” Laurel whispered.

Though she felt her legs would crumble underneath her, she gripped one side of her house, attempting to drag her leg up and out of the window.

As if to answer her prayer, Laurel heard a man’s voice from behind her. Muffled, but definitely a man’s voice.

“Laurel!”

The voice was now at her side, and hands gripped her shoulders.

“C’mon, honey, I’ve got you.”

“House … fire …”

Laurel fell into the comfort of the man’s arms as he covered her with a thick blanket and carried her through the burning house.

Soon, the blanket was removed from her body, and she was lying on a stretcher.

Someone pulled an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose, and she looked into her rescuer’s eyes. Black soot covered his head, but his brown eyes shone with concern.

“You’re all right. Thank goodness.” He breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “You’re all right,” he repeated, like a mantra.

Laurel coughed again, trying to speak. “I-I-Wha …”

“Shhh,” her hero said, stroking her cheek. “I’ve got you, you’re safe now.”

Laurel took her eyes from his and glanced at her house. The flames engulfed her home, devouring everything in their angry path. The firefighters shot water, working hard to quench the flames.

“My house,” she managed. “Everything I owned … gone.”

“That doesn’t matter. That can be replaced. You can’t.”

Laurel’s eyes rested on his again, and against the EMT’s protests, she removed the oxygen mask to offer him a weakened smile.

“Hunter Jensen! I knew you were aching to be my knight in shining armor one day.”

Hunter smiled, his handsome face brightening, warming her heart as it always did.

“Well, I was hoping it would be under different circumstances. Never dreamed I’d be rescuing you from a burning house.”

Laurel frowned. “What happened?”

“I don’t know yet,” Hunter told her. “We’ll open an investigation and see what we find.”

“What’s the last thing you remember, Miss Brooks?”

Laurel looked up at Hunter’s chief, not realizing he had walked up. She shook her head.

“I don’t know, Chief Thomas,” she said. “I’d just gone to bed, then woke up to the smoke.”

“Think you might have forgotten to turn something off?” Zach Orson walked up, his face drenched in sweat. He wiped his brow, rubbing away thick, black soot.

“I don’t think so,” Laurel said, though she wasn’t a hundred percent sure. Her head was pounding, and she felt confused by the whole situation.

Laurel considered what she’d done before going to bed: she’d warmed Pop-Tarts in the toaster, took a shower, then watched TV. She hadn’t gotten home until late, after babysitting for her friend, so she didn’t do much other than go to bed.

Laurel shook her head. “No. I really don’t think so. I left Autumn and Corey’s, came home, and went to bed about thirty minutes later. Just made myself a quick snack and watched some TV.”

“You weren’t smoking in bed, were you?” the chief questioned, turning his lips into an amused grin.

“I’m always sizzling,” Laurel shot back.

Hunter and Zach chuckled.

“Touché,” Chief Thomas said. “Glad you still have your sense of humor.”

“Kinda have to,” Laurel muttered, her mind still searching for a cause of the fire.

“We should get her to the hospital,” the EMT announced.

“Yes, of course,” the chief agreed.

Hunter looked down at Laurel. “I’ll come by and see you as soon as I can, okay?”

“Thank you,” Laurel said. “You saved my life.”

“I always will,” Hunter told her with a smile.

She replaced the mask on her face. As they loaded her into the ambulance, she watched as the firefighters continued to spray the burning rage with their hose.

The door shut and she could no longer see the home she likely lost, nor her long-time best friend who rescued her from a fiery death.

Thank you, God.

“You’ll be just fine, sweetheart,” the EMT said, patting her shoulder. “You were lucky.”

“Yeah,” Laurel muttered. “I was.”

She closed her eyes, feeling as if her heart was trying to force its way out of her chest. Another round of coughs tore through her.

The EMT put a hand on her shoulder. “You all right, there?”

Laurel nodded, then leaned back, closing her eyes. The back of the ambulance seemed to spin as it carried her to the hospital.

She hoped that by going to sleep, she’d wake up and find that it was nothing but a dream.

A terrible nightmare.