Page 30 of Controlled Burn

I cleaned up my mess and moved the sauce from the pan to the crock pot while I waited. I’d just finished up when my phone pinged.

Caleb: Does cereal count as dinner?

I shook my head and chuckled. This boy was going to be the death of me.

Me: Not really.

Caleb: Fine then. I’ll stop by the store on my way home and grab a rotisserie chicken. Is that better?

Me: It is, and you can use it for a lot of things over the next few days.

The tones sounded loud and clear, and I glanced up at the digital dashboard on the kitchen wall to see what we had.

Structure Fire, 1407 Walnut. Cross streets Walnut and 14th Street. Engine 113, Ambulance 73.

Okay then. Good thing I’d put the sauce in the crock pot. I hurried to the bay to grab my gear, pausing just long enough to shoot off a text to Caleb so he wouldn’t think I’d disappeared on him.

Me: Got a call. Have to run. Talk to you later.

I pulled on my bunker gear, grabbed the things that were hanging on my hook, and hopped onto the truck.

Chapter 12

Keith

As I slid the tray of chopped veggies into the oven to roast, my phone rang. I picked it up, hoping it wasn’t Caleb backing out of tonight. He hadn’t been as quick as usual to respond to any of my texts last night or this morning, so I worried he was getting cold feet.

But it wasn’t Caleb’s name on the caller ID. It was a different Callihan.

I answered the phone and then tucked it between my shoulder and my ear so I’d have both hands to work with while talking.

“Hey, Robert, what’s up?”

“Not much. I’m going to head over to The Spotted Dog to grab a beer. I thought I’d see if you wanted to go.”

“Can’t, man. I got a date.” I held my breath, waiting to see if he was going to ask a question that would force me to lie to him. I hoped he wouldn’t.

“Someone from the club?” he asked.

“I saw him there, yeah.”

“Cool. Are we still on for the game on Monday night?”

“We are. Your house or mine?” I asked.

“Mine, if that’s okay. That way, I can work on this Adirondack chair right up until time for the game.”

“Sounds good. Do you want me to throw together some nachos, or should we order pizza?”

“Nachos sound good to me.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you then.”

I got the steaks marinating and ready to go on the grill just in time for Caleb to arrive. It was a nice night, so I thought we could eat out on the deck. That would be casual, and I hoped it would put him at ease. We had a lot to talk about tonight, so the more comfortable he was, the better.

He followed me down the hallway to the kitchen.

“Your house is really nice,” he said quietly from behind me.

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