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“I barely had anything to do with it,” I admitted, wrapping an arm around Parker’s shoulders. “You can thank Parker for everything. He arranged all of it.”

“Uh-oh. Am I looking at a power couple right now?” Tyler chuckled. “God, Nicholas. When you get that promotion you’re going to be unstoppable?—"

“Did you want anything else to eat? Drink?” I spoke over Tyler, hoping that Parker hadn’t caught the last thing he’d said. “I can grab you whatever you want?—”

“Promotion?” Parker’s tone was lined with curiosity. “Wait, Tyler. Didn’t you say something about that when we were snowmobiling? Some kind of promotion?”

“Yeah, I was talking about this guy.” Tyler pointed to me as he spoke. “Once George retires, he’s going to be our new boss.” Tyler then laughed before he finished with his thoughts. “Why do you think I’m trying to get on his good side? It’s not for my health.”

“New boss?” Parker looked over at me, an expression that I couldn’t quite read slowly spreading across his face, his features heavy with it. “That sounds?—”

“Everybody quiet down and shut up!” George was speaking now as he climbed onto one of the tables. Once his feet were firmly in place, he continued. “I just wanted to say thanks to all the guys for staying past their shift to help me celebrate this momentous occasion! I finally get to spend my nights away from you bozos and with my wife. Who, no offense, is a lot prettier than the majority of you lot.”

The room erupted in laughter and applause, some of the guys even banging their mugs of beer against the tables.

“We’ll miss you, George!”

“Give your wife a kiss for us!”

“Don’t forget to write!”

“Oh, I’m never talking to any of you again.” George laughed before he waved a hand toward me. “Except for one of you. Hey, Nicholas? Get up here!”

Dread settled into my stomach as I did as I was told, soon shifting away from Parker and joining George on the table. The room erupted in cheers again, complete with hoots and hollers. It felt strange to know that if this were any other day, if Parker hadn’t been in the room, this would’ve probably been one of the greatest moments of my life.

Fuck.

I should’ve been elated. I should’ve been honored.

Instead, all I wanted to do was get whatever George had planned over with as soon as possible.

“Nicholas Cooper. What the hell can I even say?” George sighed as he patted me on the back. “When you came to me all those years ago and told me you wanted to be a firefighter… do you remember what I said back then?”

“You told me that it takes more than muscle to be a firefighter. You told me that it takes the kind of heart that most people never have in their lifetime. It takes a heart of service.”

“A heart of service. That’s right.” George beamed. “I didn’t know it at the time but I was looking at the fucking embodiment of the job. Shit, if I knew you were coming around the corner, I would’ve started planning my retirement party that same day.”

George laughed at his own joke as he looked back out at the crowd. “Now, it’s not official yet, so don’t go crazy. But I’m sure most of you have heard the rumors about who’ll be stepping up to the plate after me. And I just wanted to say… I couldn’t have asked for a better man to take my place. You’re like a son to me, Nicholas. And you’re like a brother to us all.”

George seemed to get choked up, his final words breaking apart. “…You’re going to do great things, kid. That’s it. That’s all I wanted to say. And I’m just happy that I got to be a part of your story.”

When he was done talking, George pulled me in for a tight hug. I hugged him back, just as tight, not used to him being that vulnerable, not used to him wearing his heart on his sleeve. I caught a glimpse of Parker over George’s shoulder, a sadness in his eyes despite the plastered-on smile across his face. I then watched as Tyler clapped him on the arm, saying something that made them both laugh before the sadness slid back across Parker’s features.

A knife.

It felt like a small knife being twisted inside of my stomach.

A pain that I wouldn’t have been able to reach if I’d tried, the object too small, the pain’s reverberation too, too big.

All I could do was smile when George let me out of his embrace.

Smile even though the pain was only getting worse.

13

PARKER

What was wrong with me?

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