Page 27 of Unexpected Love
“Well, somebody got the bright idea to offer me a deputy chief position.” And just like that, we’re back on solid ground, and the knot in my throat eases. “I told you the other day, I was too bored at home and driving Liv crazy. So now I’m here to get out of her hair and also see if I can help this department.”
“That’s good, man. If they’ll listen to you.”
“Well, I hope to make a difference. Listen, Cal, I’m coming by the station in a couple of days. Maybe we can have lunch. I’m trying to decipher what areas are the real problems and what areas are the bullshit that people like to bitch about.”
“Well, for starters, you can do something about this ridiculous rotation,” I say, propping a boot on the bumper of the pickup truck that resides at this station. If I’m honest, this one has been my favorite. It’s not new, but it’s the closest to my apartment. I’m within minutes of Charlie and Jules if they need me.
“Already on my radar,” Mac agrees.
“And then, see if you can get them to quit hiring dickheads.”
A few minutes later, Mac and I ring off. The tones drop,and we jump into the truck to head to yet another medical call.
That’s one thing that hasn’t changed between the different departments.
I became a fireman to help people, save lives and property, and all that jazz. I didn’t realize that I’d be running a majority of medical calls. Every once in a while, we run a good barn burner, though, and those are the days I enjoy most.
Except for that last one. That one’s still sitting with me. Well, that one and the courthouse fire where I was shot.
Those calls will probably haunt me for the rest of my life.
Halfway through my shift, I call and check in on Charlie. Nancy assures me that she’s had a great day and has been playing outside and getting fresh air. My next call is to Jules, but it immediately goes to voicemail.
I’ve confirmed with her countless times that she’s going to pick Charlie up and take her to my apartment. Spent a crap ton of money buying an extra car seat and a new full-size crib, and I even moved the queen bed out of my spare room and put it in storage. My apartment is babyproofed as much as possible with drawer thingies and outlet plugs. I’ve tried to take every safety precaution available.
And Ishouldtrust that Jules knows how to care for a kid, because she’s lived in a house full of them. But I’m still nervous.
Leaving Charlie at day care was the usual this morning, but I’m worried about how she’ll do for Jules tonight. What if she thinks I’ve left her? What if it’s too soon after her mom abandoned her?
Thinking about my sister triggers that need to harass the shit out of her, so when we arrive back at the station, I pullout my phone and call her again. No answer. So I send another text for her to please call me.
Then I clear the dayroom table and spread out the blueprints for Jules’s coffee shop as a distraction.
It shouldn’t be a difficult job to finish, but I think I’ll tap Nate for his input just in case. With any luck, I’ll be able to finish this project in a week. Maybe two.
And finally, an hour passes, and it’s been enough time that maybe I won’t feel like such a moron for calling Jules again. I should trust her—Idotrust her. It’s just that everything is so new for me and Charlie.
But when she picks up the call and unholy screaming greets me on the other end of the line, I lurch from my chair, sending the prints scattering. I’m halfway out the door before I even hear Jules’s voice.
Chapter 11
Jules
“Wow, that’s impressive,” I say to Charlie as I answer Cal’s call. “You want Uncle Cal to hear you screaming like that?”
I hold the phone out to her, probably giving him an earful in the process.
At the mention of Cal’s name, Charlie’s temper tantrum loses steam, and she stares at the phone, then at me.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
I put the phone to my ear, giving her the stink eye to make sure she understands that today is not the day, and I am not the one.
“Jules? Charlie? Are you okay?”
Dear god, the man sounds frantic.
“Yes, Captain Panic, everything is fine. We just had a minor disagreement about the proper use of food.”
