Page 18 of Thorns and Ashes
“He’s allowed to be a grump if he’s feeling grumpy. We’re his safe place, and that means he doesn’t have to pretend with us. Don’t you boys forget I’ve known you both before you even had to deal with facial hair.” She shoots me a wink, then walks into the house, carrying Sunny and calling over her shoulder, “Dinner will be ready in an hour.”
Tom and I both chuckle at that. It’s true. We were just kids once upon a time, without a care in the world and no idea how anything worked. What I wouldn’t give to go back to simpler times. Tom looks at me, assessing, silently asking me with his eyes if I’m alright.
Before I can answer, Ellie walks out of the house to greet me, and suddenly, going in there to sit down and play house with my friends sounds about as appealing as sticking my head into a blender. I had every intention of taking it easy after my long day and flight, but all I want right now is to move, to stay busy, and notslow down. Allowing everything to catch up to me sounds about as appealing as a nail to the head, especially after the barbershop.
Tom’s gaze shifts, narrowing. He’s a cop after all, excuse me,the sergeant.Part of his job is to read a situation quickly, and right now I know he’s reading me. Already anticipating what it is I’m thinking and needing.
“So I was thinking,” he starts. “While you’re here and until you figure things out, use my truck. I have the police cruiser, so I’ll have a vehicle, and so will you.”
I huff out a quiet breath, an appreciative smirk tugging at my lips. “Thanks, man.”
He hands me the keys instead of waiting, and it feels like someone is giving me an oxygen mask instead of keys to a truck.
I take a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smell of pine and damp earth that floats through the breeze. “Let Callie know that I’ll be back in time for dinner. I’m going to stop by the fire station and see if the Chief is there. Might as well get my transfer started and get on the schedule.”
“You got it. Chief Garrett Mason is a good man. I think you’ll like him. The whole department is friends of ours, really,” he says, his hand squeezing the back of his neck like he’s only now realizing it.
“Don’t worry,” I tease him for the first time since being here. “I’ll do my best to make you look bad.”
Tom’s shoulders relax slightly, and he grins. “Wouldn’t expect anything less.”
“Captain Levi King,” Chief Mason says, surprised as he stands from behind his desk and extends his hand. “I hadyou on my schedule for later this week, but this works. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Chief Mason.” I nod and shake his outstretched hand before having a seat off to the side.
His office is in the back of the firehouse, but I found it easy enough. The whole firehouse is in perfect order. A ship ran right and kept tight. Like this office, it’s simple and clean. There are signs on the walls and picture frames of him, presumably from his younger years, but it’s not cluttered. By the looks of the younger man in the pictures, he’s been here for a long time. Probably climbed his way up the ladder and earned every step.
“Just Chief is fine. It’s what the rest of the firehouse and volunteers call me.” He sits in his leather chair behind his dark oak wood desk.
Again, I nod. Coming here felt like a good idea when I was driving over, but as soon as I reached the open bay door, I froze. Ellie is tied up outside to a fire hydrant. The poor girl hasn’t set a single paw back into a firehouse without Krystal. It’s like, on some level, she understands somehow, perhaps in a way that I may never myself. The moment she gets close to any firehouse, she refuses to take another step. And that much I do understand. It’s exactly how I felt the first time I went back to work after being cleared for duty.
Absent-mindedly, my hand comes up, rubbing my shoulder, down my arm. It doesn’t hurt anymore, but the scars are there, haunting me, letting me know it wasn’t just a bad dream. One that I can escape by waking up. I considered quitting altogether, but the only thing I’m sure of is that if I turn my back on this life now, then I’d be turning my back on everything Krystal and I believed in. So even though it hurts to be back in a department without her, I know it’s right and what she’d want me to do.
“First, I want to extend mine and the rest of the department’s condolences. We were very sorry to hear about the loss of one ofour own out there, and if there’s anything at all that you need, please don’t hesitate to let me know. If this is too fast for you to jump back in, that’s okay, too. Your place as Captain will be here, and I’ll hold these transfer papers for as long as you need.”
The sincerity pouring off this guy in waves makes my chest tighten from everything I’m holding in, even if it’s appreciated. There are always different personalities among the team members in a firehouse. There’s usually a bunch of good eggs, all around good people. Still, you never know what kind of team you’ll get. There’s always the hard asses, the ones who don’t take any shit, the goofballs who don’t take anything seriously at all, and the ones who know better than to take everythingtoo seriously. As firefighters climb up the ladder of ranks, it happens naturally. Working a job like this, the things we see, the stuff we’ve been through, it can take a toll. How that manifests is different for each person.
“It’s now or never, Chief.” It’s what I’ve been telling myself.
Chief’s dark blue eyes focus and unfocus, his gaze shifting to a picture on his desk, before returning to me. “Yeah, I get that.”
A comfortable silence extends over us. It’s short but long enough to notice the shift. This man’s got his own demons he’s running from. I’ll be twenty-nine this year, and even though he can’t be more than five years older than me, he looks like he’s been through a hell of his own. I guess with running as much as I’ve been, tired starts to recognize tired.
“Chief!” A voice calls out as the door flies open, breaking the silence. A way too cheerful man walks through the door with a shit-eating grin on his face, instantly provoking a loud sigh of grief to exhale from the chief.
“What now, Billy?” he asks, sounding like he’s already regretting what the answer will be. His jaw is clenched, but there’s a hint of amusement in his eyes that tells me this isn’t out of the ordinary.
Billy must be thecharacterof the team. I’m not sure he’s even noticed me sitting here. He’s too focused on the chief and on whatever he’s hiding behind his back. I shift in my chair to get a better look. Is that a...
“Got you somethin’.” He pulls out a pink stuffed lion with blue eyes and some sort of flower collar around its neck. The grin on his face is now a full-blown smile, seconds from bursting into laughter.
Clearly, I’m missing something here.
“Made me think of you.” He tosses it to the chief, who catches it with a look of disbelief.
“Billy, I swear to God...” He shakes his head as he inspects it, but instead of throwing it back or throwing it out, he places it beside the frame of the mystery photo on his desk.
Interesting.
