Page 14 of Fire and Icing

I takea photo of the note and walk back to where Cody is grabbing two paper bags from the woman behind the counter and thanking her.

“Have a good day, June.”

“You too, Cody,” the woman smiles. “Welcome to Waterford, Dustin,” she adds.

“Thank you.” I smile warmly.

June might be the first person to sincerely welcome me here. Rumor has it that this town is warm and friendly. I’ve seen it. I’m just not the recipient of much of that congeniality yet, with the exception of the captain’s family.

“Mrs. Holt,” I say to Cody as we hop up into the firetruck.

“Yeah, she’s great.”

“I don’t know. I kinda want a place to myself.”

I tell him what she’s asking for monthly rent.

“I hear you on the desire to be alone. We’re on top of one another twenty-four hours straight at the station. A little place to yourself is refreshing between shifts. Then again, you can’t beat the price. And you’re gone every other day. It might be a good in-the-meantime option. You’ll love her. Trust me.”

My phone rings. I look down. “It’s my mom,” I tell Cody.

“Always answer your mom, man.”

I smile and click the green icon. “Hey, Mom.”

“Dustin! I didn’t expect you to answer. Aren’t you at work?”

“I am, but we’re driving back to the station.”

“Oh. You’re with someone?”

“Yeah. Cody.”

“Hiiiii, Cody!” Mom yells.

“He can hear you, Mom.”

“Well, you’re so far away, one never knows.”

Cody smiles and stifles a laugh.

“Dustin told me all about you, Cody,” Mom says in a quieter, but still not quiet voice.

“He did, did he?” Cody looks over at me.

“You boys need to be nice to my son. He’s never lived outside Cali-”

I don’t let her finish. “Okay, Mom. What did you call for?”

“Cody?” she continues, undeterred. “Don’t worry. It’s all Gucci. Gucci in the hood. I raised two boys and a girl. I get the need to tease and initiate or whatever it is you do to break in a new firefighter.”

Cody laughs out loud this time.

Mom keeps going. “It’s all good. All the Ws.”

“The Ws?” Cody asks.

“The wins. You know,” Mom says this as if everyone has the Urban Dictionary app downloaded and open on their lock screen.

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