Things Lost In The Fire Read Online Free PDF Page B

admire the beauty of it—all the glittering buildings and billboards and headlights. It was somewhat ethereal, maybe even magical. But most of all, it was a world away from the quiet mountain forest she called home.
    Sadie wondered what it looked like from the air, where she’d be a spectator rather than a participant. After only a few minutes the city was already closing in on her, giving her the impression of being caught in the middle of a wild stampede. If she didn’t pay attention, she’d get trampled underfoot and never make it out alive.
    A hot red Camaro shot out from behind, exploding past her going nearly 90 MPH. Sadie sucked in a quick, startled breath, her hands squeezing the steering wheel so tight she thought she might break it. More cars darted in and out around her, making her wonder why everyone was in such a hurry. Then again, this was Los Angeles. The entire city was in a hurry.
    She had no idea why anyone in their right mind would want to live in this chaos. Her blood pressure was already through the roof. She’d been cut off, honked at, almost clipped, and on one memorable occasion nearly driven off the road by a teenager texting on her cell phone. It was amazing anyone survived.
    Once her heart settled, she checked her GPS to confirm the exit she needed to take. Hollywood and Highland, which would take her right past the Hollywood Bowl and into the heart of Hollywood.
    She rolled her shoulders, her body aching from the tension of a long drive. Eight hours on the road wasn’t easy. She’d only stopped one time to grab a burger and use a questionably clean restroom at a fast food restaurant, which meant she was starving and desperately needed to stretch her legs.
    Her eyes caught the sign for her exit, and she quickly merged into the far right lane and followed a few other cars smoothly up a sloping hill flanked by trees and then back down again, curving into Hollywood. She hit the usual bumper-to-bumper traffic, and tried to comfort herself that at least she was off the perilous freeway.
    All around her, the streets were a flurry of lights and sounds and people. After a moment’s hesitation, she dared to roll her window down a crack just to get the full experience. She could hear the blast of techno music from a nearby Honda Civic, and caught a whiff of someone’s bad exhaust and cigarette smoke. Her nose wrinkled as she rolled the window up again.
    After nearly twenty minutes of sitting through traffic, she finally turned onto Hollywood Boulevard and made her way toward the Hollywood Hills.
    When she made a right onto Laurel Canyon, her heart began to race again, this time with excitement. Soon she’d be able to settle in and relax, enjoy some wine with Tess, and catch up. Plus, she was in desperate need of a long, hot shower and nothing sounded better than a pizza with everything on it. Her mouth watered at the thought.
    She cruised up her father’s street and arrived at the very top in a cul de sac, spotting his ranch-style home with its tropical landscaping and Spanish tile roof. In the driveway was Tess’s sparkling silver BMW Coupé.
    Sadie pulled her car in beside Tess’s. Her friend burst out the front door, a wine bottle in each hand and a bright grin on her face.
    “Welcome to L.A.!” Tess greeted. Her straight chocolate-brown hair bounced just above shoulders covered by a slim and stylish black dress.
    Sadie opened her car door, taking a second to admire her oldest friend. Tess had the tall, well-built body of a super model, with a brain sharply honed from her years of climbing the ranks at the top real estate development firm in Los Angeles. She was successful, single, and ferociously independent—a true modern woman. Sadie couldn’t help the rush of envy she felt at seeing her.
    “Did you miss me?” Sadie vaulted into her friend’s arms for a swaying hug.
    “Hell yeah, I did,” Tess replied, pulling away. Her tawny eyes inspected Sadie from head to toe. “Honey, you look