Page 76 of Ignite

“Eric says you’re the only one on the football team that refuses to join the bushfire brigade.”

I let her comment sink like the rock it was.

“Wanna talk about it?” We watched as the teens headed to the change sheds or the school. “Or do you want to talk about why you canceled Rylee’s surprise?”

“First, I didn’t cancel her surprise. I just want to wait for the right time and at the moment, she’s pissed at me.”

“Which takes us back to the first point, do you want to talk about why you refuse to sign up? You’ve already done things outside your comfort zone—including agreeing to date Rose for six days and stripping in front of the town.” She waved her hands in direction of the school, “Not to mention what you’ve done for Ryan and those kids. You care. You’re a good guy. Why not sign up?”

“What’s the point? I’ve got a one-year contract. Why bother signing up for something if they’re only going to kick me to the curb next year.”

“What if the town and team want you to stay?”

“What if I don’t. What if I don’t fit in and don’t want to stay.”

“Turning up here each morning when you don’t have to, tells me otherwise.”

I would have gone, leaving Felicity to judge me in ignorance, like Rylee had. Except, Flick offered me a thermos of coffee. I refused to be a dickhead and fob her off. In any case, what if she told someone, who told someone, who told Rylee why I couldn’t do what she wanted?

“What’s the story with Rylee?” If Felicity wanted answers to her questions, she could offer up answers to some of mine. Rylee had avoided me since kicking me out of her bed, other than giving me one-line excuses for why my ute was taking so long to repair.

Damn it, why did she have to ruin the best night of my life with that dinner invitation? We’d laughed and talked, and I could have almost called it making love rather than just screwing. We’d clicked in all ways that mattered until she had to ruin it all by leading me back to her one non-negotiable about the RFS. Could she be self-sabotaging us on purpose?

“I heard the two of you hooked up a while ago in Beringi.” Felicity watched my eyes while topping up my coffee with the last drops from the thermos.

“What?” I’d never been the one to kiss and tell, and Rylee didn’t seem the type. Then again, as a school teacher, Felicity’s job was to see everything and only intervene when necessary. Perhaps she thought Rylee and I needed an intervention and she’d start with me.

“I’m friends with her brother. He told me that her friends dragged her out the night before her dad’s birthday. She needed to cut loose after, let’s say, a few bad months. Grace told him she watched you watching Rylee and figured that she’d left Rylee in safe hands.”

“Oh.”Damn.Or not? Felicity didn’t seem to mind or judge.

“So?” Felicity had the patience of a high school teacher. “The two of you hooked up, but it didn’t last. You’ve been both mooning over each other, but won’t do a thing about it. You organized an amazing surprise that will bring her to tears, but won’t let us show her.”

“You didn’t answer the question.” I took a long sip of coffee, hoping Felicity would fill the space.

“You know Ryan?”

“Little shit with a chip on his shoulder and a willingness to put his fist through a gum tree?”

I recognized anger and loss. Ryan had both and eventually, he’d need to talk. The boy responded to respect and hard work; I gave him plenty of both. Watching him at the morning training sessions, he was a natural leader and just needed someone to believe in him and give him a chance.

“You might see that,” Felicity’s smile could light small cities. “I see a boy being raised by a single mother who works two jobs and is never at home. I see a boy whose only male role model was his uncle. An uncle who never minded when Ryan spent hours sketching designs for tattoos or logos for cars. An uncle that gave Ryan the space and discipline to become a young man with a future instead of a self-destructive teen.”

“What happened? Jail or drugs?” I’d seen both and Ryan’s attitude suggested his uncle didn’t just call it quits without a reason. “Ryan talks about an uncle but doesn’t say his name or give any deets.”

“He died. Beginning of last bushfire season. Doctors had been telling him for years to slow down or stay in the sheds instead of out in the field. His health had gone downhill and his asthma—“ Felicity turned away, and I gave her time to compose herself. I’d never met a community that—well—cared about each other. She was getting choked up over the uncle of a student? “Ryan was the one who found his uncle. He’d gone back to the truck to get something. When he didn’t return, Ryan volunteered to go back and check on him.”

“Shit.”

“Ryan—“ Felicity’s knuckles whitened around the mug. “I don’t know why I’m telling you any of this.”

“I asked about Rylee.”

“I’m telling you about Ryan.”

“Why.”

“Because his uncle was Rylee’s father.”

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