Page 96 of Rescued Heart

Izan wrinkled his nose. “So was that tuna meal you made last week, and that was…interesting.”

“Speaking of interesting…how did things go with Mary last night? Sorry I couldn’t make it.”

“Four minutes won’t cover that update.” Eddie tugged off his oven mitts. “Fine. One hot spoonful each.”

Zack inched his spoon closer to the brownies. “Did you go by yourself to meet Mary?”

“Do I smell—” Ridge strolled into the kitchen but stopped halfway to the counter and gave Eddie a confused look. “Wait, I didn’t know you still worked here.”

Eddie rolled the pizza cutter through the brownies. Man, he shouldn’t have caved so early. The heat made the cut marks mash together. “Sounds like funny guy doesn’t want any brownies to help him through the webinar.”

Ridge grabbed a plate. “Nah, man. Just giving you a hard time about being with your girl while we’ve been at the day job all week.”

“I’ve done my job and?—”

Zack cleared his throat. “Speaking ofyourgirl, did Bianca go with you last night?”

Eddie kept his focus, lifting out the squared brownie slice, but at the last second, the edge crumbled back into the pan. “She went. Joel Gillian was there with Mary. It went worse than I thought. Joel had a heart attack. Then when I took Bianca home, Carter had been attacked. I guess the only good thing from last night is that I’m going on a real date with Bianca tonight.” He scooped out a piece of brownie. “Who wants this one?”

Izan and Zack stared at him.

Ridge shoved half his brownie in his mouth. “Should I schedule the class about how to have a long-distance relationship with your movie-star girlfriend before or after the one about how Mary still hasn’t figured out how she hurt you?”

Zack shook his head.

Izan stole the rest of Ridge’s brownie.

“Hey.” Ridge’s mouth popped open. “I said what you two were thinking. Fine, I’ll say the other thing too. You can’t?—”

The fire alarm blared from its intercom on the wall, and Eddie shut off the water.

“Rescue needed at a wreck. Multiple vehicles involved at the corner of First and Wilson.”

Eddie sprinted behind Ridge. The crew raced to the bay and pulled on their turnout gear. Bryce hopped into the passenger seat as Zack slammed his door shut.

“First and Wilson will bring us only a couple of blocks from downtown.” Ridge sounded the horn as he crossed an intersection with a red light.

Finally, another set of red and blue lights flashed up again. An ambulance that wasn’t Ambulance 21 was parked in front of a semitruck that had rammed into a restaurant front. Glass and patio chair pieces were scattered along the sidewalk. The awning rested on top of the semi’s hood, and screams echoed through the broken door.

Two EMTs picked up a stretcher off the ground. It held an unconscious woman. The medic at the foot of the board hollered over his shoulder. “Glad you’re here. It’s a madhouse. Two semis, a car, and a truck.”

“We’re going to need backup.” Bryce grabbed his walkie. “I’ll call it in.”

The semitruck’s door popped open, causing the awning to wobble, and a man—mid-fifties, with more belly than hair—stumbled at the top of his steps. Bright red blood ran down his face, a stark contrast to the blue sky above him.

“Got him.” Ridge raced toward the man.

“I’ll check inside the restaurant.” Bryce motioned Zack and Eddie forward. “Rice and Stephens, get me a report on the rest.”

Eddie beat Zack around the far end of the semi, where they were met by at least twenty people, some drifting off the sidewalk and onto the roadway. All but a couple wore the same shirts. Definitely not a tourist group, with the words “Say no to stars, keep Last Chance County safe.”

The smell of gasoline hit Eddie. He turned. The sun beamed off the silver-painted truck. Sometimes his helmet could use a sun visor.

The front end of a red pickup truck was smashed against the passenger side of the first semi, whose cab had crashed into the restaurant. The second semitruck’s cab was practically up on top of the back bed of the pickup truck.

“That’s him! Bia Pearl’s hero.”

No, there was no time for any fans. Eddie dashed for the pickup driver’s door. An older man sat with both hands shaking on the wheel. The front and back of his truck were smashed, but the passenger section hadn’t been touched.

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