Page 36 of Ink and Ashes
Reluctantly, he takes the drink from me. Keeping his eyes trained on me as if he’s unsure whether to believe me or not, he brings it to his mouth to take a sip. His face curls in disgust.
“What the fuck is this?”
My brows pull together. Looking down at the cup in my hand, I realize I gave him my coffee. “Shit, sorry. I’m not awake yet.” I swap the cup in my hand for the one in his, not bothering to mention that Liam’s comment also has me a bit distracted. “This is yours.”
His jaw flexes, but he takes a sip anyway. “Black?”
I nod. “Fits your personality.”
He shakes his head, and I swear I see the corner of his lip quirk up. “Thanks.”
I nod, and he turns to head toward the station. I hesitate for a moment longer, my eyes narrowed in suspicion. I’m not sure what his angle is right now, but him calling me is still a step in the right direction. So I drop my shoulders and follow him inside. We make our way to his office in silence, and when we arrive, he gestures for me to enter.
“Take a seat,” he tells me, nodding toward the bed. “I’ll be right back.”
He sets his coffee on the desk and leaves, so I take it as my opportunity to study the space. I was in here briefly the night we met, but not long enough to look around, and I haven’t been back since.
It’s small, with a desk on one side and a single bed on the other. The desk is covered in paperwork, the shelves above it full of textbooks, a little model fire truck—which I can’t help but smile at—and a few framed photos. There’s one of the crew, one of him, Cassidy, and who I’m assuming are their parents from what looks to be a decade ago, and then one of him, the same man I figure is his father, and another older man that is probably his grandfather. All of them are dressed in the EGFD dress uniform, and his father has the fire chief bugle.
Of course, Colson’s dad is EGFD’s fire chief. I’m guessing his grandfather also was at one point, and I’ll bet someday, he will be too.
Next to the bed is a small table with a lamp and a few more framed photos—one of him with Beau andDom, and one with a woman I don’t recognize where she’s kissing him on the cheek.
My eyes widen slightly. I haven’t noticed a ring, so that must be his girlfriend.
It doesn’t surprise me. As much of an ass as he’s been to me, the guy seems like a catch. He’s hot, athletic, intelligent, and if you get past the grouchy exterior, I’m sure he’s actually a nice guy. I just haven’t been lucky enough to see it.
My snooping is interrupted by Colson’s return. He glances out the door as if making sure no one else is around, then closes it and the blinds behind him.
Suddenly, the space feels much smaller than it did a minute ago.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
I tilt my head in the direction of the photo of three generations of EGFD firefighters. “Your dad’s the chief?” I ask as I take a seat—opting for the desk chair over the bed.
“He was. He retired a few years ago after an on-the-job injury,” he says.
“You didn’t take over for him?”
He levels me with a look. “I was only twenty-seven and was dealing with a lot at the time. I’d just been made lieutenant after taking a leave-of-absence, so it didn’t make sense for me to jump rank to chief. Someday the job will be mine, but for now, Chief Whitlock is doing a hell of a job.”
I nod, my mind racing after what he just told me. I can’t help but wonder if his leave-of-absence was related to the death and, by extension, whatever happened with the press.
He takes the seat across from me on the bed. Our knees brush, and his rough voice pulls my attention back to him.
“Rhodes, are you listening?”
“Sorry, what?”
He huffs. “Considering you’re making some pretty serious accusations about this town, the least you could do is focus.”
Looks like grumpy Colson is back.
“You woke me up hours before my alarm and demanded I come over here. If you wanted focus, you should’ve waited for thesun to rise.” I shift in my seat, but before he has a chance to get into why I’m here so early, I ask, “Why haven’t you told anyone else about me?”
“So Cass did speak to you,” is all he says.
“She did.”
