Page 100 of Five Alarm Love
Turned out, Tuli hadn’t won a damned thing, after all.
*
Back at thefire station, Tuli burst through the door, stomping toward the lounge.
Empty.
He checked the bunk room.
Empty.
Walked around the trucks.
No sign of Hunter.
He looked out back.Hunter’s car was gone.
Well.AWOL Hunter meant that Tuli had no crew for today.Hopefully, nothing would happen, because Tuli could barely function right now.
He could dismiss Hunter for abandoning his duties today.
Or he could be a decent boss and figure out first why Hunter had left.Make sure he didn’t have an emergency.
At least until Tuligavehim an emergency.
A puff of air made a piece of paper wave on the kitchen counter.Tuli’s name was on it.Reading, he gritted his teeth.Hunter had resigned due toopportunities elsewhereandno confidence in his supervisor’s fitness for duty.He noted his lack of confidence in Tuli’s ability to provide Hunter with a safe work environment, citing abandonment of his post as a reason.
Damn it.
This would end up in an uncomfortable discussion with the mayor.
Fitness for duty.
Abandonment of his post.
Which, fair enough, Tuli had abandoned his post temporarily.But he was the town fire chief who carried a pager and a damned cell phone.He hadn’t gone far.
He was also a fire chief who wasn’t functioning at one hundred percent, physically or emotionally.
Now he had no extra staff today, and he might be out of a job soon.Damn it.
Tuli reentered the lounge and dropped into the recliner, his body weighted like an entire burning house had crumbled down on top of him.
He pulled up The Real Alaska page again.Even though he’d taken the post down, several direct messages remained, congratulating him on thehot babeandcute girl.One poster, Angelfire, pointed out how Tuli coulddo betterand provided examples as she offered herself up as an alternative.
*
The next weekwas as hollow as Tuli’s chest.
Meetings with the mayor.
No morning coffee at the deli.
No joint fire and medical calls.
No posts.
No Lou.
