Page 24 of A Gift for her Festive Firefighter

“And the lights?”

“I bought those big LED lights because you can at least see a glow through the heavy smoke. I hate being completely blind in a fire, and that light at least gives me a reference point,” Cade answered simply and grabbed his hat, cell phone, and notepad off the dash. “Let’s go eat while we can.”

“Oww! What’d you do that for?” Mayberry hollered, looking over his shoulder at Jude. “Why’d you slap my head that hard.”

Cade looked at their faces, and Jude looked downright furious. The younger man was putting his finger in Mayberry’s face – and it was trembling. His mouth was pressed together, and the anger was coming off of the kid in waves.

“I want a freakin’ ladder and those LEDs from now on, fat man!”

“Ha, ha, ha,” Rodney chortled wildly – only to have Jude turn on him, too.

“And the captain is right! Your stupid cell phone stays in the truck because you nearly left me on the last call. If I hadn’t poked you by mistake with my pike, I don’t think you would have realized it.”

“Hey! We weren’t gonna talk about that!” Rodney hissed, glancing at Cade, whose eyes widened with awareness. Jude almost got lost in a fire and left behind… and no one thought to inform him? He hadn’t known?

“I’m done with this station being the joke of the town, and y’all didn’t see how the people were greeting C-Captain Pruitt at the festival,” Jude said openly, not bothering to hide his emotions. The young man’s voice cracked as he spoke – and for the first time, Cade wondered if he’d made a breakthrough by actually spilling his guts. “They looked at Captain Pruitt like he was some hero, and I want people to look at me like that too. I want three dates in a week, to have girls tripping over themselves to talk to me, and for people to respect me like they do him – and none of that happens if you two big boobs get me killed!”

“You ain’t gonna get killed, kiddo, he’s just trying to get you to…” Mayberry started – and Cade shut him down immediately.

“And your butt won’t run into a fire to help him if he’s trapped,” Cade said bluntly. “That’s why the chief made you the engineer. You are good with the engine and certified, but you don’t like being a line man. You’re the best engineer I’ve seen – and I rely on you so much,” he uttered, trying to stroke the man’s ego and layering praise… just like Reese.

“If Jude gets trapped,” Cade continued, looking between the two upset men. “I’m going to tell you to hold back the crowd, gimme more pressure, and then I’m going in after our brother. We’re a ‘made family’ – a team – and nobody gets left behind on my watch. I’ll die trying to get any of you out because that is what a team, a family does and like it or not – I consider you part of my new family.”

“You know, the chief believes in cross-training,” Mayberry said quietly. “So maybe I can show you a few things on this old truck so I don’t feel so helpless if someone gets in trouble.”

And Cade nearly fist-pumped the air. He’d done it! He’d reached his team, and they were talking, listening, and learning now.

“I would love that, Mayberry, and I think I could learn a lot from you as well as the other guys.”

“Jude – I’ll make sure you have a ladder and lights.”

“Thanks… brother.”

“You bet.”

“I can leave my phone if it’s bothering you,” Rodney said quietly, looking beside himself. “I just didn’t realize it was such a distraction, and I would never forgive myself if something happened because of me.”

“Now you know how I feel every time we get a call,” Cade admitted, looking back at Rodney. “We’re a family, and I think maybe it’s time we start working on it. How about when we get off work, we go have breakfast together in town… on me. I’ll buy.”

“Hey, ya hear that, big boy?” Jude chuckled, patting Mayberry’s shoulder emphatically. “Kids eat for free!”

And all of them laughed hard, looking at each other and bursting out laughing again. It was like everything that had been circling around them had finally clicked into place. Now it was just keeping them there. Friendship, knowledge, respect, and trust.

Cade looked at Mayberry, putting his trust in the trio listening.

“I was texting Holly to wish her a Happy Halloween,” he admitted. “I am going to ask her to dinner, but I haven’t figured out how. We didn’t have the best introduction, and I need to think about it.”

“Pshawww,” Jude scoffed, waving him off. “Just ask her – because that girl ain’t dated a real guy yet. She keeps letting Krista set her up on these blind dates out of friendship and pity.”

“She wasn’t already interested in someone else prior to accepting those blind dates?”

“Heck no – and they aren’t interested in her either. I don’t think ol’ Beary has ever been asked out or romanced,” Rodney added, looking at him – only to feel Mayberry elbow him as the older man gave him a knowing wink.

“You ought to slowly romance the girl before you ask her out. You know, flowers, cards, dumb little trinkets. When you go fishing, you cast the line and let the bait do the work for you. Trust me, you’ll get a fish!”

Cade chuckled in amazement, looking at his new ‘family’ and smiled.

“Thank you – and I appreciate the information.”

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