Page 21 of Give Me a Reason

Joe was almost to the door as Frederick rounded the desk, and they rushed out to the apparatus bay to find B Shift alreadyin motion, getting into their turnout gear. It was nothing less than Frederick expected from his crew.

“It’s a residential structure fire,” he shouted. “We’re a go with the ladder truck.”

B Shift worked together with intense focus and efficiency, completely in sync with one another. Every hour spent in one another’s company—training, eating, practicing, laughing—led to this. The trust and camaraderie they’d built could mean the difference between life and death—for themandthe people they were meant to protect.

“On it, Captain.” Michelle finished gearing up first and jumped into the driver’s seat of the ladder truck.

“Tanner, you’re on the nozzle,” Frederick said to the senior firefighter, then turned to the mountain-sized rookie. “Nick, stand by for forcible entry. And you’re on the plugs, Sandy.”

“Yes, Captain,” his team chorused without pause in their preparations.

Tanner threw the rookies their helmets after putting on his own, and the three of them climbed into the back of the truck cab.

“Lieutenant, you’re with me for the wraparound.” Frederick shrugged into his fire-retardant jacket, its familiar weight grounding him against the rush of adrenaline. He put on his hood and helmet, another layer of calm.

“Got it, Captain.” Joe nodded once, stepping into his boots.

When the rest of the team had boarded the truck, Frederick took a seat in the front of the cab. At his nod, Michelle hollered over her shoulder, “Everyone buckled up?”

“Yes, we’re set to go,” Joe confirmed.

“Let’s do this.” Adrenaline, nerves, and determination coursed through Frederick as the truck bounded down the road with the wail of sirens.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Damn. That’s some view.” Tessa leaned on the railing of Anne’s second-floor balcony, which looked out onto the Pacific Ocean. At the moment, the sun was setting rather spectacularly over the azure water. “It pays to be a famous actress, huh?”

“You must’ve seen this exact sunset a million times.” Anne raised an eyebrow at her sister. “You practically live in Marina Del Rey with the amount of work you put in at the Information Sciences Institute.”

“We just call it ISI.” Tessa sighed. “Anyway, I don’t have a view. I am a lowly graduate student researcher, toiling away in a shared, windowless office. I barely get to see the light of day, much less the sunset.”

“And you love it,” she reminded Tessa.

“Yes, I love it to pieces.” Her younger sister grinned. “Even though I only get a crappy glimpse of the congested marina on my way into work.”

“Well, you’re welcome to drop by anytime. You already have an extra set of keys.” Anne tipped her head toward her living room. “Anyway, this view isn’t going anywhere, so let’s head inside. It’s getting cold.”

“It’s actually freezing.” Tessa gave an exaggerated shiver beforefollowing her into the living room. “I don’t know what’s going on with the weather these days.”

“It’s only in the mid-fifties. I would hardly call itfreezing.” Even so, Anne closed the balcony door against the evening chill.

“Give yourself a few months,” her sister said with a knowing look. “Your body will readjust to California weather, and you’ll remember that anything below sixty is cruelly cold for us.”

Before Anne could roll her eyes, there was a knock at the door. She rushed over and looked through the peephole before throwing it wide open.

“Girls,” she squealed. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“We come bearing fish tacos,” Coraline announced, holding up two bags brimming with take-out containers.

“And cold beer.” Bethany raised a twelve-pack, using both hands. “Now let us in. It’s freezing out here.”

“Right? Isn’t itfreezing?” Tessa rushed to take the beer out of Bethany’s hands, but not before smirking at Anne.

Coraline relinquished their dinner to Anne and walked into the condo with a low whistle. She spun in a circle, taking in the large, open space made up of the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen. “Ilike.”

“This place is just gorgeous.” Bethany headed straight for the gleaming kitchen as Anne set down the take-out bags on the dining table. “And look at the size of this island. You could host an entire dinner party just from here.”

“Speaking of dinner.” Tessa dug into the bags and pulled out box after box of food. “This is way too much food for the four of us.”

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