Page 64 of Flirting With Fire
He chuckled, and boy, that was a wicked smirk. “It might have been my idea,” he admitted.
“I thought you love…liked me.” I was suddenly aware of the narrowed eyes on me from Chuck who was presumably waiting to lead me to my doom.
“I’ve had to take my turn for the past ten years, Jones. This time it’s all yours.”
Clearly, I wasn’t going to get any sympathy from him. I growled as his smirk grew even broader, then stomped over to Mom and Brannigan, Chuck trailing after me.
“I don’t have any dry clothes,” I protested as I reached Mom.
She giggled. “Dex brought them.”
Of course he did. I sighed. I wasn’t getting out of this however much I pouted. “Okay.”
“Good boy,” Mom said fondly. Now it sounded like she was talking to Monty, her neighbor’s golden retriever.
I handed Brannigan my radio, phone, and wallet. He handed me a plastic firefighter’s helmet with a CB shield on the front.
I squinted at it. “What’s this for?”
“You’re the chief. You have to look like it.”
“In a kid’s plastic helmet?” This got worse by the minute.
“I’m not damaging city property, Jones.”
“Isn’t it someone else’s turn to be dunked?” I grumbled.
Could I bribe a child to start a small fire? How about Chuck? Nope, he had vanished. Probably to tell all his buddies that the new assistant fire chief had the hots for the ranch owner.
“It’s your turn now,” Brannigan assured me. “Hurry up. Clocks-a-ticking, and there’s a line.”
There was a long, long line. Everyone in town wanted to dunk the new assistant chief.
I jammed the hat on my head and waved at the line who cheered. “I’ll get you back for this, Mom,” I promised her through gritted teeth.
“You can try,” she said. “You can try.”
I climbed into the seat, and Brannigan held his hand out for the hat. “I can’t lose the hat. It’s my granddaughter’s.”
“Who’s first?” I yelled out.
Mom beamed at me. “Me.”
I glowered at her. “Did you wake up and decide to torture me today?”
Her smile grew even wider. “You’re my son. Of course I did.”
Then she took aim. The first ball dunked me in the water. I wasn’t surprised. Mom had been a basketball champ in school. I was kinda proud of her. Not that I’d ever tell my mom. I was less proud as the third shot dropped me in the water. The water was cold!
I climbed out and pasted on a smile. “Who’s next? Do you think you can beat my mom?”
That was a mistake. The whole line took it as a personal challenge. Particularly the guys. They weren’t going to be beaten by a woman. My turn seemed to go on and on, and the line never died. I swear some people came back for a second turn.
I looked at my boss. “Is the torture over yet?”
Brannigan grinned at me. “Not yet, Jones. One more person wants to try their hand.”
“Not Mom again,” I begged. “Please, Chief. Can’t you persuade her to torture someone else?”
