Bonnie Tharp Books
"FROM THE ASHES: Relatable characters, twists, and turns. I enjoyed this book. By the end I felt like Rachel, Casey, Thomas & Michael were my friends, too." - Julie B.
"Loved FROM THE ASHES by Bonnie Tharp. It contained mystery, thrills, friendship and romance. I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. Family can be more than relatives! I also liked learning a bit about fire recovery. You need to read this book!" - Karen C.
"FROM THE ASHES: I really enjoyed this book! The author's character development is awesome because I finished this book a week ago and I'm still thinking about them! Congratulations to Bonnie Tharp :)" - Your #1 Fan
For a change, Rachel had put some effort into her appearance. She couldn't remember the last time she went to a concert. She admired her reflection. Wearing her best jeans, favorite swede ankle boots was a given. The top, however, was new and semi-sexy, with just enough cleavage showing to prove she had some. With her blonde hair down, rather than the usual ponytail, she thought she looked rather fetching. Her current dating partner, Detective Michael Stevens, wouldn't be there for another thirty minutes. She sat down in her favorite reading chair and took out a mystery novel.
Butterscotch, her Labrador/Pit Bull mix, laid on Rachel’s feet while a storm crashed outside. Lightning, thunder, and so much rain the gutters overflowed. An umbrella sat beside her bag near the door, ready to use for the dash to the car.
A loud clap of thunder occurred with lightning in tow. "Uh, oh, baby girl, that was close." Both lifted their heads but didn't show much concern. Not until a flash of cobalt fire shot out of the nearest electrical socket, accompanied by a tooth jarring roar, and all the lights went out. Rachel felt the scruff on her golden canine's neck, and it stood two inches high. The hairs all over Rachel’s body had jumped to attention.
The two leaped up and watched as fire licked the wall above the outlet. No smoke was visible yet, but Rachel could smell it. The fire must be in the wall. "Let's go, Butterscotch. Rain is better than fire."
She clipped the leash to the dog’s collar, grabbed her bag and keys, and went out to the driveway. She dialed 911 on her cell phone. "My house was struck by lightning, fire came out of the outlet, and smoke is coming from the attic vent. It's on fire. Please hurry." I forgot my umbrella.
Mr. Soames, her octogenarian next-door neighbor, came out on the porch with his umbrella. "Are you two all right, Rachel?"
Walking to the edge of the drive, she could see smoke coming from the attic vent. "Yes, but the attic appears to be on fire. Would you mind hanging onto Butterscotch while I see if I can salvage my laptop?"
"Sure thing," he said. "Be careful."
Dashing across the yard, Rachel handed him Butterscotch’s leash. They tucked under the porch overhang, and Butterscotch preceded to shake the excess rain from her coat onto Rachel’s dear neighbor. "Sorry," she called over her shoulder as she ran back to the open front door.
Sirens sounded nearby, but she proceeded with caution. Having worked enough fire salvage, Rachel knew what fire could do and didn't want to get caught by it. Fire shows no mercy whatsoever.
She stepped into the doorway, shook herself a bit like the dog, and sniffed the air. The smell of smoke was stronger now but still hidden. A wobbly black mark showed where the fire escaped from the outlet and started up the wall, but no flame remained. Rachel assumed the fire was busy making its way inside the wall.
Tentatively, she crossed the living area with her nose in a full sniff. No smoke had escaped yet, so she ran downstairs to get her laptop. It probably wasn't the brightest move she had made lately, but all her business documents and photos were on that laptop. Grabbing the device, charger, and a handful of backup thumb drives, Rachel dashed back up the stairs, sniffing and listening for the crackling sounds of fire.
The sinister stuff seemed to still be hiding behind the wall and ceiling, so she kept going on. Getting trapped in the basement wouldn't be a good plan. When Rachel rounded the corner of the kitchen entry, firemen burst into the living room. "Ma'am, for your own safety, you need to leave until we determine where the fire is located."
"Hi Anthony," Rachel said, recognizing one of the firemen from her best friend's station. "Is Thomas here, too?"
Thomas Mead had been her best friend since kindergarten. They depended on each other. Thomas looked down on Rachel’s six-foot stature, with similar blond hair, and blue eyes. Most people thought they were siblings, and they were, in every way except blood.
"Rachel? Rachel McGill!" She heard Thomas hollering from the front yard. She smiled at Anthony and made her way outside.
"Are you okay?" Thomas grabbed her in a bear hug, then held her out at arm's length to give her the once over.
"Thomas, I'm fine, but my house is on fire," She choked out, and tears spilled. "Lightning hit the roof, and flames came out of the electric socket. Please save my house."
He kissed her forehead, and the rest of the crew went in to investigate where the flames were located. "We'll do our best," he called over his shoulder as he followed.
Rachel uselessly wiped tears and watched as her lifelong friend went into harm's way.