He sipped on his punch and balanced a plate of cake and nuts on his knees as he sat in a folding chair and eyed the rest of the guests. The more he thought about it, the more he doubted anyone would try to hurt Delilah in a public setting like this. Everyone had moved into the large tent for refreshments, and Delilah had strung tons of lights and greenery all around here too. The scent of pine made him eager for Christmas, only two days away. A dance floor occupied one end of the large space, but the music hadn’t started playing yet. Carrying a plate and a glass of punch, Vanessa came across the grass. She had changed into a different blouse, and her face was clean of soot, but her mouth was still pinched and worry lined her forehead. “Doing okay?” he asked as she settled on the chair next to him. “Everything is gone, Tom. All my clothes, my computer, my furniture. The fire department got there quickly, but that fire went so fast.
