Page 14 of Controlled Burn

“Maybe he’s as perfect as you say, but for someone else. I think we all know what your real problem is, Caleb.” Toby held up the book we were supposed to talk about tonight. “It’s this right here.”

“He’s not wrong,” Liv agreed. “What you want is some hot Daddy lovin’.”

“No, it isn’t,” Ezra insisted. “That would be you, not Caleb, and you know it. If all he was into was the hot sex, he’d be just as happy reading those dark romances you prefer. He finds all the rest of the Daddy books swoony, not the sex.”

Ezra wasn’t wrong. Not that I would complain about some hot Daddy lovin’, as Livy had put it, but what I really wanted was someone to take care of me and to reassure me that I wasn’t totally fucking up this thing called life.

“The problem is, Cole checked all the boxes labeled what Caleb thinks he should want, and none of the boxes checked what Caleb actually wants,” Joey said.

I stared at the book still in Toby’s hand. He wasn’t wrong. Cole had been perfectly nice and attractive, but he just wasn’t what I wanted. The main character from that book was, but as perfect as Charlie might be, a book boyfriend didn’t keep you warm at night, and they sure didn’t give you forehead kisses or make you warm cups of hot cocoa when it was cold outside.

“Okay, you’re probably right, but I don’t know what to do about it. I can’t conjure up my very own Charlie, now can I? I’ve never even met a real-life Daddy, much less dated one. I wouldn’t even know where to find one, even if I did want to.”

“I know the answer to that!” Ezra grabbed the satchel he’d brought in. “Hold on.” He started taking out books that I assumed were our next read and setting them on the coffee table. “It’s in here somewhere.” More stuff came out of the bag and got piled up beside the books until finally, a huge smile spread across his face. “This is how you find one.”

He handed me a folded-up piece of paper. I opened it up and saw a flyer from the local gay club. I knew they hosted a drag night every so often, but that wasn’t what this was about. I read it a couple of times to make sure I hadn’t misread it, but then Liv reached over and grabbed it, reading it out loud. “Daddy/boy night. Come to Kirby’s on the third Saturday of the month for our Daddy/boy meet and greet. So is this like a BDSM munch?” Liv asked.

I jerked my head to look at her. “Have you ever been to a BDSM munch?”

“No, but I’ve read about them like the rest of you.”

“I don’t think this is quite as structured as that. I think it’s exactly what it says, a way for Daddies and boys to meet,” Jude said. “You should try it, Caleb.”

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t know where to start. How would I know which of the guys were Daddies? I seriously doubt they are all six foot four and wear a t-shirt that says Here’s Daddy.”

“It would cool if they did, though.” Ezra giggled. “Can you imagine?”

“I could go with you if that would help,” Toby said.

“Thanks, Tobe, but I’m not sure I’m really ready to meet a real-life Daddy. Now, the one in this book?” I held up my copy and let out an exaggerated sigh. “He was perfect. What did y’all think?”

Chapter 6

Keith

I had such mixed feelings about my father’s retirement. On the one hand, I hated to see him go, but on the other, I thought it would be good for both of us. Him because he’d earned a chance to kick back and enjoy life without the stress of running a firehouse. And for me because it would give me a chance to prove that I was more than Michael Brooks’ son. Don’t get me wrong, I’d had a successful career up to now, and the guys who worked with me all respected me and knew I had their backs just like they had mine, but I knew there were others who still saw me as Big Mike’s son. That happened with most legacy candidates, I’m sure, but those others didn’t have the added pressure of their father rebuilding an entire company just so their son would have a place they fit. That was exactly what my dad did, though.

“There are three things in this world I love, son,” he’d said the day I came out to him. “Your mother, you kids, and that firehouse. I’ll be damned if I let one of them destroy the other.”

From that point forward, he set out to make Station Sixty-nine the most diverse, welcoming station, not just in Vesper, but in the entire state of Texas. It had all happened too late for me and Jonathan, or then again, maybe we never stood a chance, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

I looked out at the crowd of people who’d gathered to honor my father. He’d done so much in his career, not just for me, but for all the guys and gals at the Sixty-nine, and this was a chance for all of us to show my father how much we appreciated it.

After a little bit of his normal grandstanding, the mayor shifted gears to talk about why we were really here. He talked about my father’s commitment to our community and all he’d done over his forty years of service. It was a long list, and he’d touched so many people. Not just in his role as a firefighter, but also as a leader in the community.

“I see a lot of familiar faces out there. People whose lives Michael Brooks has touched over the years, but no one knows the true measure of a man the way his family does. That’s why I’m pleased to turn this over now to his son and fellow firefighter, Keith Brooks.”

The crowd applauded as I walked out carrying a large wooden plaque with my father’s service award on it. I set the award down on the podium and cleared my throat as I looked around. Aside from my brother Danny, who was stationed overseas and wasn’t able to get home, my whole family was here. My mom, my sister Becca, and my brother Nash were right in the front. Then, behind them, the entire Sixty-ninth sat. I made eye contact with my mother, and she nodded at me to begin. I smiled at my dad, who was standing next to me, and took a deep breath before launching into the speech I’d prepared.

“I’m proud to stand before you today to celebrate not just a remarkable career, but a legacy of selfless service. Today is a special day, a day we honor not just a dedicated firefighter, public servant, and good man, but also my father, Michael Brooks.

“Dad, throughout your career, you’ve faced challenges that most couldn’t begin to imagine, and through it all, your commitment to this community, your brothers and sisters in the fire service, and most importantly, to our family, has been nothing short of awe-inspiring and has made me the man I am today. And I know Danny, Becca, and Nash feel the same way.”

The whole crowd was getting choked up, and it was taking everything in me not to cry myself. It was touching to see how much my dad meant to so many people. I cleared my throat and decided we needed a little bit of levity before we were all a mess.

“Okay, enough of that.” I chuckled, and most of the audience did, as well.

“So, Dad”—I glanced in his direction and smiled—“in recognition of your outstanding service, it’s my honor to present this award as a symbol of a career well-served, a life well-lived, and the legacy you’ve left behind.”

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