Page 7 of F Is for Honey Bee

Dammit, now Jonah was grinning like an idiot in return.

So much for not being effortlessly charmed. The next wreck was bound to happen because Jonah had yet to point out the fact he was still in Kijani’s embrace. “Fine, you have one more chance.”

“Let me hold on to that favor and I promise to win epic points,” he said.

The dispatcher’s voice through the shoulder mic shattered the quiet in the room, causing Jonah to jump.

“Easy now.” Kijani rested a hand on Jonah’s back, using the other to grab his mic. “This is Deputy Tenshi. Go ahead.”

As Kijani responded to the dispatcher, Jonah was acutely aware of the warm hand still resting on his back, the gentle pressure offering reassurance. It was a comfort he found himself craving, even as he tried to remind himself of the reasons he shouldn’t.

Jonah took a few steps back, breaking the contact. He really didn’t want to be alone right now, but Kijani was on duty. He was just going to have to suck it up and deal with the deputy leaving.

“Is everything okay?” he asked when Kijani pulled his hand from his mic.

“I have to go.” Kijani’s forehead wrinkled when he glanced at the door.

“Go.” Jonah waved a hand toward the door. “I’ll be fine.”

He chewed on his bottom lip. “Is it all right if I come back to check on you?”

Bad idea. The worst idea. “Yes.”

“I promise to return, honey bee.” The warmth of his smile echoed in his deep voice.

As Jonah watched him head out, the fluttering in his stomach returned.

* * * *

Kijani arrived on the scene, his stomach churning at seeing the tangled wreckage of three vehicles stretched out before him. A silver SUV lay on its side like a gutted animal, and a red pickup was mangled against a nearby tree, smoke billowing from under the crushed hood. The stench of gasoline and smoke hung heavily in the air as he got out of his patrol car.

The third vehicle, a white sedan, was in the middle of the road, a front tire missing and the entire backend pushed in so far that the car no longer had a backseat.

Emergency vehicles surrounded the chaos, their lights flashing as firefighters worked to extract victims from the wreckage.

Kijani’s boots crunched over shattered glass and pieces of metal and fiberglass as he made his way to the SUV. A firefighter was on top of the vehicle pulling a woman out. When she was lowered to the ground, she wobbled then pressed her hand against her chest before an EMT made her lie on the ground.

“My baby!” The woman struggled to get up but collapsed.

With a powerful leap, Kijani landed on top of the SUV. The vehicle rocked slightly as metal groaned and creaked under his weight.

The passenger door had clearly bore the brunt of the impact. Even with his inhuman strength, Kijani wasn’t sure he could pry it open.

Instead, he dropped down through the driver’s door, wincing as his foot caught between the seat and armrest. Gritting his teeth, he tried to yank it free, but it was lodged too firmly. The small space limited his movements, preventing him from bending or twisting to free his trapped foot.

A grunt drew his attention, causing him to look over at the toddler strapped into his car seat. The little boy stared at him with wide, confused eyes. His chubby cheeks were smeared with something green, and he clutched a small bag of treats in his tiny fist.

“Hey, buddy,” he said in a soothing and playful tone. “It’s Uncle Kijani to the rescue.”

As he spoke, the scent of gasoline grew stronger, now mixed with the sharp tang of engine oil.

“How we doing down there, Tenshi?” Sheriff Harper asked from above him.

“Trying my best not to scare the little guy while I try and get him out of here,” Kijani replied. “The fumes are becoming more intense.”

“You work from down there. I’m going to try and get this passenger door off,” Sheriff Harper said.

“You wanna see something cool?” Kijani asked the little boy.

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