Page 19 of Hot Blooded

“Yeah. I’m over here.”

I rush to him and wince when I see him lying on the floor. “What happened?”

He coughs and I groan. “Never mind. Let’s get you out of here.” I slide my arm around him and help him to his feet.

“It’s my ankle. I fell getting out of the bed and I think it’s pretty bad. I can’t stand on it.”

He grunts and then we do an odd sort of shuffling, creeping walk to make it back to the front door. The whoosh of the fire is getting closer and I groan when I see that it’s moved across the front doorway.

“Shit! We can’t go out that way!” I turn and my eyes dart around, searching for an escape route. I nod towards the side window and groan, “We’ve got to go that way. Come on!”

We shuffle-walk and I grit my teeth at the heat that’s building up closer and closer. My eyes burn and tear and it feels like my body is being slowly burnt.

At the window, I groan and pull it open, Randy leaning against the wall as I yank at the window until it screeches open. Immediately, Tom shows up in front of me, his eyes burning with anger.

“I am going to turn you over my knee after we get out of here.” But he holds out his hands and helps Randy out and then grasps my hands and hauls me over the low sill.

“Let’s go!” Sirens wail in the distance and we run away from the house, collapsing to the ground.

One of the trucks pulls up and the guys immediately start unloading, pulling hoses out to run it down to the creek and pump onto the fire.

They holler and I pull off the mask as my father comes running up to me. “What the hell are you doing here, Reva?”

His eyes scan me and although he glares at Tom, he doesn’t say anything to him.

“She got me out of there, Hank,” coughs Randy.

“Hey, settle down.” Hank pats his back and then he glares at me. “What were you thinking, Reva?”

“I was thinking that he needed help and I was going to help him. This is what I want to do with my life. I want to work with the fire department.”

My dad’s already shaking his head. “Absolutely not.”

“Then I’m going to move away and find another department to work for. I’m not letting this go.”

Hank grunts and runs his fingers through his hair. “We’ll talk about this later, Reva.”

Then he takes off to help his men.

I glance over at Tom and smirk at him. “Well, at least he’s talking.”

He grunts. “Yeah. It’s a start.”

It’s a small start but I’ll take it.

TOM

“Iwant you there when I talk with him, Tom.”

“Trust me. After this morning I’m not letting you out of my sight.” I hug her tight and breathe in her fresh, clean scent. Her freshly-showered body curls into me and I sigh, my breath huffing her hair.

“I can’t believe that you did that. I don’t think I have taken a full breath yet.”

“I’m good, Tom. I just needed to get to Randy. And it’s a good thing that I did since he was hurt and couldn’t get out.”

“I love you, Reva. If I had lost you today…” I close my eyes and gulp a swallow, struggling to breathe, holding her tighter to me, needing to get closer to her. Needing to take her into my soul and hold her there. Right where she belongs.

“You will never lose me,” she says breathily. “I love you too much to ever take a risk that would take me away from you.”