Page 2 of One Little Spark

The sun was just crowning the tops of the trees. Exhausted and hungry, all Aiden wanted was to go home, shower, and then sleep for the next fifteen hours, but he couldn’t. Too much to do.

“Are you coming to the football game later?” Jory asked.

Aiden ran a hand over his face and let out a long sigh. “Probably not. I gotta finish laying the bathroom floor today.”

“Dude, you’re working too hard on the house. You need toget out more. Come watch the game. Phoenix is playing as a sub for his brother since Falcon broke his arm.”

“Shit. Phoenix is going up against Billy Winston? That would be good to see. Those two have hated each other since high school.”

“So come out and see it. We’ll go for beers afterwards. I have to help my mom set up the concession stand before the game, but then I can go. God, I sound like I amin high school.”

Aiden snorted. “You wish. No such luck, my friend. You’re a thirty-two-year-old firefighter who is still single and has bills to pay. If homework was our only stressor, life would be good.”

Jory leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. “Ain’t that the truth. Life was sure simpler back then.”

Aiden glanced at his best friend. “What’s up?”

“Hazel.”

The woman’s name struck fear in Aiden’s heart. Hazel Kincaid was Jory’s little sister and the hottest thing in Cherry Valley, at least as far as Aiden was concerned. She was also off-limits. Waaay off-limits.

Aiden’s heartbeat ticked up a bit. “What’s wrong with Hazel? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. She’s just a big pain in my ass.” Jory sighed.

He frowned. “What’s she done this time?”

“She wants to leave Cherry Valley and move to New York City or Philadelphia or some thriving metropolis.” Jory ran his hands over his face.

Aiden’s stomach plummeted to his boots. It was bad enough that she was off-limits. He tried his best not to let his feelings show, but the thought of her leaving town was…wrong. She couldn’t leave town. Then he’d never see her or run into her accidentally or not so accidentally. He reached for another water bottle so Jory wouldn’t notice how upset he was.

“What did she say?”

Jory stood up. “Just that. She’s tired of me interfering in her life and she wants to leave and move to a big city.”

“You guys were fighting.” That made more sense. Aiden’s heart rate slowed to a more normal rhythm. Hazel always said things off the cuff when she and Jory were arguing. She didn’t really want to leave. She just wanted Jory to back off a bit.Didn’t she?

“What was the fight about?”

Jory kicked a loose stone. “She’s working a serious amount of overtime, both with extra ER shifts at the hospital and with Doc Lawrence. She said she was saving to get her own place, but it’s not necessary. She can live in the basement like I did. It’s why I moved out. To give her some space of her own. I help Mom with the mortgage so she and Hazel can live there comfortably.”

“Jor, man, Hazel is twenty-eight. She has a right to have her own place.”

Jory growled, “Now you sound like her.”

Aiden held up his hands. This was always a sore subject with his best friend. “I know you want to take care of your mom and Hazel, but your baby sister is entitled to her own life.”

Jory glared at him for a minute but then nodded. “I know it but…I just can’t seem to stop worrying. She was such a mess when Dad died. She and mom both. You weren’t here then, but I didn’t think either of them was gonna survive it. Mom retreated into herself, and Hazel, well, she just went wild, drinking and partying all the time. She quit school and went to work as a waitress at the diner in town. It took me almost two years to get Mom out of her shell and get Hazel calmed down again.”

“Yeah, but they’re both doing good now. Didn’t you tell me your mom’s seeing a therapist on a regular basis? She’s fine, brother. And the concession stand is a big hit. She’s doing a greatjob with it. I know she’s doing well over at the police station, too. Phoenix said she’s kicking ass over there, getting the guys to file all the reports correctly and do the right paperwork.”

Jory grinned. “Yeah, some of the guys have been complaining. It’s great. I know Mom’s enjoying it. I just…” His smile faltered.

“Hazel is doing fine, too.”

Jory snorted. “Hazel has always been, and will always be, a pain in my ass.” He shook his head. “Back then, if you would’ve seen her, you wouldn’t have thought she was the same person.”

Aiden felt the familiar wave of guilt wash over him. He hadn’t been here when his best friend needed him. He’d gone away to college and then worked in New York City for a few years before coming back home. He had missed all of the drama with Jory’s family, and Jor had never told him the truth about the seriousness of the situation. If he’d known, he would have… Would have what? Come home? He’d like to say yes, but the truth was, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference. It wasn’t until his own mother died two years ago that everything changed for Aiden. Gone was the ambition to be the king of Wall Street. He just wanted to be home with family and good friends.

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