Page 55 of Cross Checks

“Guys, I have a lot of news to share, and I’d like you all to listen up. If you have questions, let me know, and I’ll do my best to answer them.”

“Damn, I hope you’re not sick,” whispered Mike, one of our newest firefighters.

I smiled. “No, I’m not sick, and this is all good news for me.”

After clearing my throat, I decided to jump right in. “Many of you guys are Cold Pines Cougars fans, so I suspect many of you know who Chase Taylor is.

“Oh, man, yeah,” said Scott, one of my long-term colleagues. “He’s the best forward in the league, and I’m worried we’ll lose him to the big time like we did Eddie last year.”

I sighed. “I’ll get to that news in a few minutes.”

Scott’s eyes opened wide, and I had everyone’s full attention.

“Chase and I…we’re together. As in, we’re a couple. We’ve been quietly dating for several months now.” My heart pounded as I waited for any negative reactions.

Instead, after a brief moment of stunned silence, I saw smiles on many of their faces.

“That takes guts to share,” Mike said.

“And there’s more, and I have Chase’s permission to share this news. He’s been offered a spot on the Florida Panthers, an NHL team. He accepted the offered contract, and I will move down there with him.”

“Damn,” grumbled Scott, and then he quickly stopped himself. “I don’t mean that as a bad thing about you, Hank, but this is two blows at once. We’re all gonna miss both of you. At least, I think I can say that for the rest of the guys here.”

I saw a sea of nods. Everyone was silent for a moment before some of them broke out in cheers and whoops of congratulations. A wave of relief washed over me.

“Florida, huh?” Mike asked. “That’s quite a change from here.”

“Well, I had one more thing that tipped the scales. My parents live in Portland, but my dad accepted an early retirement buyout, and they’re moving down to Florida, about an hour away from where Chase and I will be.”

“Wow, great news for all of you,” Mike commented.

“Yeah, it is, but it was hard to come here and tell all of you about this. I love the firehouse, and it will be tough to say goodbye.”

“Hey, man, we get it,” another crew member, Rob, added. “Sometimes you’ve got to follow your heart, right?”

“Yes,” I agreed, feeling gratitude for the understanding.

“Besides,” Mike smirked, “we can always come and visit you guys in sunny Florida when we need a break from the cold.”

“Please do.” I chuckled to myself at the thought of seeing the guys lounging on the beach, trading in their heavy gear for sunscreen and sunglasses.

“So, now that you’re with a hockey star, you'll get signed jerseys for all of us, right?” Scott asked.

“Of course,” I replied, “and free game tickets if you promise to cheer for the right team.”

“Deal!” they all shouted.

As the conversation died down and the guys got back to work, Chief Newton pulled me aside. He reached out and hugged me for the first time since I joined the crew. “I want you to know how proud of you I am, Hank. If you ever decide to come back, check us out. I’m confident this crew would thrive under your leadership.”

“Thank you, Chief.” His words touched me, and I felt a bit choked up.

Suddenly, an alarm rang through the firehouse from our radio dispatcher. “House fire reported!” came the announcement.

The pre-fire adrenaline rush coursed through my veins, and I jumped into action with the rest of the crew. The fire was only five blocks away.

“Let’s move,” Chief Newton commanded. I smiled at his authoritative voice. We suited up and climbed onto the truck, ready to face whatever awaited us.

As we raced through the streets, siren blaring, I realized it might be the last time I’d experience the exhilarating sensation of fighting a fire with my team. A slight melancholy sensation settled in my chest, but I pushed it aside to focus on our task.

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