Page 14 of Burned By Fire

“You have nothing to be worried about. I’m not going anywhere unless you ask me to. I’ve started therapy and I’m going to clean up my act. Although I’m not a role model anymore, I’ll always try to be a good person for you.”

“You’re still an inspiration, Mr. May.” My cheeks heat, and I’m glad I’m masked by darkness. I’ve never admitted how much I admire him, and I’m not just talking about his career.

“That damn calendar is going to haunt me. If it hadn’t been designed to help save the firehouses around the state of Georgia, I wouldn’t have done it.”

“It’s for a good cause, and I have a collection of the best firefighters.” I rub my hands together like I have a stash of treasure.

“At least I’m not December. I draw the line at being called Santa. There’s one advantage to leaving my job. I don’t have to worry about being asked next year.”

“Maybe calendars can be your new calling. If not for the firehouses, maybe for a different charity.” I’m kind of joking, but I will miss him decorating my wall.

“I’m all for doing a good deed, but I’d prefer to keep my clothes on.”

It hasn’t escaped my attention that he never wears short-sleeved t-shirts anymore. The other day in the bar, he gave me a glimpse of his scar, but it was to try and scare me off.

“I’m lucky enough to have the last three years of calendars.” Again, the darkness makes me braver than usual, and I keep my tone light-hearted so he doesn’t know whether I’m serious.

“You really are dedicated to the cause.” He laughs, which is like music to my ears. It’s great to hear him happy, even for a split second.

“I met Chief Lloyd from the Prescott firehouse a couple of days ago. That’s why I came to see you yesterday. He expressed an interest in me transferring to his team.”

He’s quiet for a few seconds. “Oh, yeah. What did you say?”

“That’s the thing. I was so taken aback by his offer I said absolutely nothing.”

Would Sol mind if I moved away?

“It’s a great opportunity if you want a busier career.” I can’t see his face or read his tone.

“What made you choose Armstrong?” Sol could easily have joined any firehouse. He doesn’t have family nearby, and he wasn’t born here.

“When I qualified as a firefighter and graduated from the academy, I only had one goal, and that was to move away from Michigan. Armstrong was the first place to offer me a candidate spot, and when I came to visit the town, the people seemed friendly.”

“Why did you want to leave Michigan?” I never thought to ask about his background before.

“My family is all in the police force, and my dad wanted me to follow in his footsteps. It was suffocating, and it didn’t help that my brother was so good at everything. There was no space for me to stand on my own there or make my own decisions.”

“It’s better than having a mom who would pass you up for her new flavor of the month,” I say bitterly.

“She doesn’t know how lucky she is to have you.” He brushes my arm with his fingertips, and a warm sensation runs through me.

“The crazy part is, when she runs out of money, I’ll end up paying her rent, even though I’m not living there anymore.” I jam my hand into my pocket, squeezing my fingers together. I’ve been so annoyed and upset with my mom that I haven’t even called her. My heart aches with her absence. It’s like something’s physically missing from my life. That doesn’t mean I can forget her words, though. She chose her boyfriend over me. It makes me feel sick just thinking about it. I need space to deal with my emotions.

“Is that why you moved into this place?”

“Yeah. The rent’s cheap, and I can get some downtime in between shifts. Do you mind if I talk about my career? I know it might be painful for me to come to you for advice, but you’re the only person I have.”

“I don’t mind, although that’s not true. You have your friends at the firehouse and your aunt.” He seems to ponder over his statement as we fall into silence again. “You can always come to me. Especially if you feel alone.”

“Thank you. That means a lot.” I reach out to touch his arm, but it’s his chest I find. He places his hand over mine, holding it against his heart. My pulse quickens as my palm begins to feel hot. I shuffle closer to him and he wraps his arm around my shoulders.

“A bigger firehouse means less opportunity for a new starter, but the experience will improve your skills. It also means you might be able to move up the rankings once you’ve settled in. My family is so ambitious I never wanted to push myself like that, but you’d do great at Prescott.”

“Can I ask you something personal?” I rest my head against his chest.

“Sure.” He pulls me tighter.

We’ve never been like this before, and it feels good. The warmth from his body is comforting, and I like the connection. We couldn’t do this at work even if we’d wanted to, but alone in this elevator, it feels right.

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