Page 18 of Hot Blooded

“Never mind. I’m sure he will loosen up sooner or later. How did it go at work today?”

“Alright, except my partner on the job today ended up having to leave early so he could go pick his daughter up at school.”

I sit up on his chest and smile. “Which guy was it and what happened?”

“Well, it was Foster Marcone. The older guy. He’s been a single dad since his wife passed away four years ago and his daughter is about ten. She’s a pistol. I guess she punched a little boy in the nose cause he said something about her mother’s death.”

I gasp. “That’s awful. I hope she got him good.”

He glares at me but I see the sparkle in his eyes. “You’re not supposed to be so bloodthirsty and she got sent home for it.”

“That’s not fair.”

“I know. But don’t worry. I guess Foster gave the teacher hell. He came back to work the next day and she’d gone back to school but he was still wound up. Kept muttering under his breath about nosy, bossy teachers being all up in his business.” Tom laughs and I chuckle too, closing my eyes and leaning into him.

“This is perfect, isn’t it?” At least almost.

Tom’s house is up the hill and not in town and I see a trail of smoke off to the left, lifting my head and sucking in a breath.

“Tom. I think there might be a fire over at old man Hartley’s place.”

He jerks up and stares at the smoke. “Shit.” He leaps to his feet and heads out to the storage shed on his property, quickly gathering a few things like hoes etc. just in case we need to make a fireline to protect our cabin.

I race to the light glow on the horizon to our left, pulling on protective gear and a mask that I’ll don in case I need to. “Call the firehouse but it’s going to take awhile for them to get up here!”

Tom growls under his breath. “Reva! Get back here!”

I whip around and scream back at him. “I need to help him, Tom! Just call them!”

He calls out, “I’m right behind you. Don’t do anything rash!”

I hear him hollering into his phone and racing up behind me. Both of us hit the tree line around the old cabin and I slam to a halt as the wind whips around us, ash and smoke coating the air and making it so heavy that I can barely see in front of me.

My eyes dart left and right. “Do you see Randy?”

Tom shakes his head, his eyes squinting from the heat and ash around us. “I don’t see him and his car’s right over there.” He points over to the cleared driveway alongside the old cabin.

The door is open and I stalk over to it, peering inside. “Can you see where the actual flames are coming from?”

Tom points up at the roof. “I think it’s up there that I’m seeing flames but it could be anywhere in the cabin. And you know the cabin’s not huge so I’m gonna err on the side of caution and say that the whole house could be being consumed.”

I nod and slip inside the room, pulling on the small respirator that I have. “I’m gonna take a quick peek around. Don’t come in after me. I’ll be right back out.”

Tom scrabbles, trying to grab my arm. “Don’t you dare go in there, Reva!”

But I dance out of his reach. “I need to make sure that he’s not in here. I promise I’ll be careful. I’ve got an extinguisher. I’ll be okay.”

I know I shouldn’t be doing this but I can’t leave Randy in here if I can possibly get him out. I’d never forgive myself and if he is in here, it will take too long for the station to get here.

“Randy?” I call, listening intently, hoping that I hear him. That he’s alright.

But there’s nothing and I move further into the dark building, hearing the crackling of the fire moving around me, the heat singing my skin and irritating my eyes.

“Randy, come on! Please say something!”

“Reva?” A rough, raspy voice catches my attention and I swerve to the right, leading through another doorway.

“Randy?”