Page 33 of Too Much Heat

Well, well, well! That sure was effective. They had to shut down the whole fucking fire station. All three shifts. No one was here so a walkaround’s in order. Maybe they even left a door open and I could see my handiwork up close. Technically, it was the handiwork of a man I paid to do this and other things like those stupid holes in his yard, but I’m responsible.

No door or window is open. Shit. The blinds are all drawn so I can’t even peek inside. Maybe I can make up an excuse to visit here while it’s still charred. That’d be fun.

* * *

On the way home, Lara was reliving Joe’s kiss when she was distracted by the screeching sound of sirens. After glancing in the mirror, she pulled off to the side of the road so the ambulance could pass.

When she reached her house, the ambo was her driveway.Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.She bounded out of the car and jogged to the front door. Inside she found two paramedics leaning over a gurney. Putting someone on it. Hurrying closer, she took in the scene.

Her mother-in-law lay on the floor.

Sammy was seated on the couch, a third medic standing next to it. He asked, “Are you the owner here?"

“Yes. What happened?”

The second medic looked up from the gurney. “This woman says she’s your mother-in-law. She called us.”

Lara crossed to Helen after they raised the gurney. “Ma, what’s going on?”

“Sammy shoved me. I fell back and hit my head on the edge of the table by the chair.”

“Most likely, she has a concussion. And she’s dizzy. We’re taking her to Westwood Memorial.” He glanced at Sammy. “Should I call the police?”

“No,” Helen said.

He looked to Lara. “No, please. But I can’t go to the hospital until I get somebody over here to watch Sammy.”

Her mother-in-law said, “That’s okay, Lara.”

They wheeled Helen out.

Sammy sat on the couch with his head down. She went to the other side of the room, called Sara and told her sister-in-law what happened. “You have to go to the hospital. Ma shouldn’t be alone.”

“I’ve got the kids. I can’t bring them to the hospital. I’ll come over there and you go.”

“Um…I’m not sure it’s safe here. Especially for the kids.”

A tense silence. “Okay, I’ll ask the neighbor to watch them and go to Memorial.”

“Thanks.”

“Lara, areyougoing to be all right?”

“Of course. Thanks for asking.”

When she disconnected, she could hear the sound of Sammy’s heavy breathing. She approached the couch and sat down. When she tried to take his hand, he batted it off.

“Sammy. You hurt your mother. You love her. You like having her here.” Which probably wouldn’t happen again. The reason they moved to Westwood was to get family help. And now… “Why did you shove her?”

“Because she was trying to make me change my shirt.” Which was stained. And smelled. He needed a shower, which he’d refused last night. Apparently he insisted on wearing yesterday’s clothes today. “I’m hungry.”

“All right. But you can’t be shoving people away. Now, how about pizza?”

“Okay.” He frowned, looking helpless. “My mother all right, honey?”

“I think so. But we’ll have to wait and see.”

Lara called for a pizza, changed her clothes and came back downstairs. First the explosion at the firehouse, then kissing Joe and now this!

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