Page 136 of Ink and Ashes
“I just don’t want you to end up resenting me,” I tell her honestly.
Her face falls. “What on Earth could I resent you for?”
I sigh. “There are only so many stories to chase in Ember Grove. And I think you caught them already.”
“I’m not worried about that. I’ll probably never stop investigating, but I’m sticking close to home. Maybe I’ll start a blog or a podcast.” She shakes her head with a smile. “If money’s your concern, it shouldn’t be. Life in Ember Grove is much cheaper than Toronto, and I’m a politician’s daughter. I have a trust fund, Colson. I work because I want to, not because I have to.”
My jaw falls open slightly. I really should’ve seen that coming.
“So you’re saying you’re my sugar momma?” I tease.
“Always, baby,” she says over a laugh and a wink. Her expression turns serious again as she adds, “Stop pushing me away, because I’m not leaving. And I would never resent you for being the reason I stay. Not when you’ve taught me how to live.”
She places her hand on my cheek. “I don’t care what I do next, truly. All I know for sure is I don’t want to do it from anywhere but here. I thought coming to Ember Grove would be the thing that helped me get back to the life I was missing. But as it turns out, the life I’ve been missing has been here all along. With Cass. With Dom and Ollie. With everyone else down at the station.” Her thumb swipes under my eye. “Withyou. I don’t care whatcomes next. I just care that you’re beside me when it does.”
My lips quirk, and I lower my mouth to hers. I feel her laugh against me as her hand wraps around the back of my neck, pulling my lips tight against hers.
“We should get going,” she breaks the kiss to tell me. “But just in case no one else says it to you tonight, I’mproudof you, Colson. Regardless of the outcome. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, and I’m so damn glad to call you mine.”
I jerk my head, my throat tightening. I tangle my fingers with hers, squeezing twice in a silentthank you, then hand-in-hand, we leave to make our way to the station.
“Let’sgive these courageous men and women one last round of applause,” Mayor Stanton says after presenting each team member with a commendation medal, as well as Medal of Valour to myself and Dom for everything we did to help find the arsonist.
The crowd of probably a thousand people claps and cheers loudly for us, and my heart surges with each minute that it goes on. I stare out over the crowd, scanning all the faces. Nearly everyone in town is here to celebrate us, and I’ll admit, it feels damn good.
Even if this doesn’t end the way I want it to, it’s been a great night, and regardless of who our new chief is, I get to go home with the prettiest woman in here.
My eyes lock in on Holland, who smiles back at me with tears in her eyes.
Love you, she mouths with a look of pure adoration on her face. I smile as I mouth the same back to her, and when the crowd starts to settle, the mayor begins speaking again.
“We have one last announcement to make tonight,” he says. “And I invite William Caldwell Jr. to join me on the stage for this one.”
I swallow roughly as my dad stands from his seat, making his way up the stairs of the stage at the town hall. He shakesMayor Stanton’s hand, thanking him, before moving toward the microphone.
“Thank you all for being here,” my dad starts, and the crowd waits in rapt anticipation for him to continue. “This incredible group of men and women behind me has faced the worst fire season in Ember Grove history, all due to a man many of us came to know, love, and trust over the past decade. A man that I had personally promoted to fire chief after my retirement a few years back and had every single one of us fooled.”
Dad clears his throat, then continues. “Knowing what I do now about Pierce Whitlock, making him chief is my single greatest regret. But there’s no changing the past. The only thing we can do now is make sure that the next person who holds this position will do the title justice.
“As you all know, EGFD is a Caldwell family legacy. Whitlock was the first chief this department saw that wasn’t directly part of our family, but we made him feel like such, which makes his betrayal hurt that much more. At the time of his promotion, he was the best suited for the job, and we gave it our best shot. But it didn’t work out the way we wanted, which is why I—and all of you—have decided it’s time to return this station to its former glory.”
I swallow roughly and keep my eyes trained on the floor, hoping my dad’s saying what I think he is. When the next words out of his mouth are, “Son, please step forward,” my heart works its way into my throat.
I do as he says, holding my breath.
He moves to stand in front of me, then says, “Colson William Caldwell, you’ve been part of this department for over a decade, and after four years of being the team’s lead Lieutenant, I think it’s about time you’re given the title you’ve worked so hard for.” He clears his throat, his eyes glassy as he holds his hand out to mine. “What do you say, son? Are you ready to be Ember Grove’s next Fire Chief?”
I choke back tears as I grasp my hand in my father’s, then say five words I’ve always dreamed of saying.
“It would be my honour.”
Colson
EPILOGUE
TWO YEARS LATER
“Ithought I might find you up here,” a voice calls from behind me. I look over my shoulder to see Holland climbing up the ladder of the fire engine, so I stand to help her to the top.
