Page 62 of Flirting With Fire
I drove the tender down Main Street, watching the booths being set up. I had my eyes open for anyone who might not notice the big red truck driving along the road. We headed to the park where the fun events would take place. I’d promised to help Dex obviously and my mom was taking part in a dancing display on the main stage. I assured her I was gonna heckle when it was her turn as any good son would.
We had a full crew, including many volunteers who weren’t working today. It was good to hear the laughing and joshing behind me, although I could have done without the backseat driving from them all.
I glanced at Chief Brannigan, who’d claimed shotgun. “Are they always like this?”
He didn’t even bother to look my way. “Jones, you know them all. What do you think?”
Ask a stupid question…
To the accompaniment of all the backseat drivers, I backed the tender into the space allocated for us in the grounds of the park. We could get out of the park if we had a callout without waiting for people to move their vehicles.
“Keep your eyes open, Jones,” Brannigan ordered before he got out of the truck. “It’s always busy on fiesta day. Something always goes hinky.”
Why was I the one getting the order and the pointed look? It wasn’t like it was my first rodeo at a public event. Then it clicked.
“I was twelve,” I protested.
“You set the chile-eating canopy tent on fire.”
I groaned. Did he have to remember that infamous moment in my life?
Behind me, Skip White hooted. “That sucker went up like gas on a bonfire.”
I grimaced, remembering the whoosh as the flame licked the canopy. At least it was before the competition started and no one was hurt. “My dad was furious.”
Worse, I overheard him telling my mom how disappointed he was and that made me die inside. I always wanted my dad to be proud of me. He barely spoke for a week and all my allowance went to replacing the tent for the town. I’d been saving for a new game console for months. It took even longer to replace that money.
“It was the most excitement we’ve had in years,” Skip assured me, still chuckling.
“It depends which side of the hose you’re on,” Brannigan growled.
Skip didn’t seem remotely intimidated. “You loved it. I watched you giving the orders. Firefighters are all adrenaline junkies, and most of the time, our biggest excitement at the fiesta is who’s gonna win the chile eating contest.”
Everyone grunted. I wasn’t sure if that was an agreement or not. I had plenty of day-to-day excitement back in Chicago. I was enjoying the slower pace of life. He was right about one thing. I was definitely an adrenaline junkie.
“I’m too old for excitement now,” Brannigan said, and flipped us all off as we howled at him.
“What’s all the noise about?”
I turned to see Chief Wally and his assistant, Rosie, behind me. I still couldn’t believe the old lawman was alive, let alone the police chief of Charming Butte.
“Chief Brannigan says he’s too old for any excitement,” I told him.
“Nonsense!” Wally barked. “I’m twice your age, Gary, and not too old for shenanigans.”
Even allowing for exaggeration, I had to admire the old man’s enthusiasm. I hoped I was that enthusiastic about when I was his age.
Then he turned to me. “And you, Chief Jones, can stay away from the chile-eating tent this year.”
As he limped away, there was more howling from the crew, this time aimed at me. I guess I deserved it. Brannigan and I grinned at each other. It was good to be back in Charming Butte.
I didn’t have time to find Dex before the fiesta started. Brannigan had handed the role of fire marshal over to me despite the fact I was new in town. Talk about throwing me to the wolves. The ladies on the fiesta committee were formidable. They were the same women on the committee since I was a kid and as far as I was aware, they were just replaced by their daughters. Mom told me I was exaggerating, but when I challenged her to prove me wrong, she shut up.
But Brannigan trusted me to get this right. So I’d met the committee formally, and checked all the permits. The committee were pros and probably knew the relevant fire codes for Charming far better than I did. I left Brannigan manning the truck while the rest of us went to check booths, equipment, and escape routes.
I had a heated discussion with one of the out-of-town vendors blocking an escape route with his pick-up. He didn’t recognize me, told me he didn’t listen to some volunteer who wasn’t even a real firefighter, and threatened to report me to the sheriff.
I listened to his bluster, then folded my arms across my chest and told him I was the new assistant chief and to pack up and leave. Then I leaned into his space. “And all my volunteers are fully trained professionals. Now get out of here.”
