Page 111 of The Night Belongs To Fireman

“We’ll take it from here, Fred,” Melissa told him. “You can go.”

“What’s going on?” Rachel asked, slightly panicked to see Fred back away from the booth, leaving her with a bunch of unfamiliar women who seemed to mean business. He gave a quick wave and disappeared. The dark-haired girl next to her smiled and pushed a glass of red wine toward her. Rachel took a long sip, peering around at the group.

“Fred wants us to make sure you know the down-and-dirty truth about being married to a fireman before you take the ultimate step,” explained Melissa, sliding next to her. “That’s Katie Blake next to you, she’s married to Ryan, who used to be at the 1’s before he started the new academy.”

Petite and dark-eyed, with inky black eyebrows, Katie looked like a live wire, someone who would be really fun to have around. She gave Rachel a jaunty little two-fingered salute of greeting.

Melissa turned to the lovely, lush-figured woman right across from her. She had pink-streaked blond hair piled on her head. “This is Cherie, she’s married to Vader, the captain on the engine company.”

Cherie offered up a friendly smile and said, with a slight down-South accent, “Pleasure to meet the girl who won our Freddie’s heart.”

“Sabina wanted to be here, since she can offer a unique perspective, being a firefighter and married to a firefighter, or at least a former one. But the crew’s kind of busy, so she couldn’t make it. Next to Cherie, we have Dr. Lara Nelson, Psycho’s wife, who took a break from helping out at the rescue shelters. She drove all the way from Nevada to volunteer her medical skills.”

A gorgeous amber-eyed, blond woman, Lara leaned forward and patted her on the hand. “Sorry to ambush you like this. But none of us can turn down Fred. You know how it is.”

“Fred dragged you into this?”

“Yes,” answered Melissa. “My friend Nita Moreno, who’s married to Jeb Stone, wanted to come too, but she’s busy at the mayor’s office dealing with the press. Thor’s wife Maribel isn’t getting in until tonight. She’s flying in from Alaska just to lend a hand.”

Rachel counted up all the women who’d been mentioned. Melissa, Katie, Cherie, Lara, Sabina, Maribel, and Nita. “So all of you are married to firemen and you’re supposed to tell me why it’s a bad idea? Talk me out of it or something?”

The women exchanged a cautious look. “There are probably certain things you should be aware of,” said Lara. “For instance, during wildfire season, I worry all the time.”

“It’s almost like sending your husband off to war every other day,” agreed Cherie. “And the annoying thing is, they love it. If you’re thinking you’ll get him to quit, forget about it.”

“I’m not—”

“They think it’s their job to save the whole world,” interrupted Melissa. “It makes them overprotective and maybe … dare I say, bossy?”

The other women murmured their agreement. Katie raised her hand. “Getting married to a firefighter is like marrying into a whole new set of brothers. And I already have enough brothers, let me tell you. The firehouse is like a frat house sometimes.”

“Other girls will flirt with him,” threw in Cherie. “Hose chasers, some people call them. If you’re the jealous type, you might have a problem.”

If she could handle Fred’s fan club, she could handle anything. “I’m really not—”

“You have to be okay with being alone,” added Melissa. “They work overnight shifts at least two nights a week. With the baby and Danielle, sometimes that’s tough.”

“I’m very used to being—” But they were on a roll now and Rachel couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

“But then their shift is over and they’re home for four days, practically bouncing off the walls. So you have to like that too,” said Cherie.

“That doesn’t sound so—”

“If they catch a bad call, it stays with them for a long time. And each firefighter handles it differently,” said Melissa. “Sometimes I wish I could be out there in the middle of it all, instead of home worrying.”

“They’re adrenaline junkies. Type A personalities. Alpha males,” said Lara thoughtfully. “And they’re never really off the job.”

Katie nodded in agreement. “If you’re at a restaurant and someone starts choking, boom, there goes your guy.”

“Right. It’s not just fires. If someone’s robbing the 7–Eleven, they’ll charge right in like it’s their personal business,” said Cherie. “And if it’s something medical, they think they know it all.”

And then they started in for real, talking over each other, while Rachel took refuge in her wine.

“ … knot in your stomach whenever you hear the siren going by …”

“ … has anyone mentioned the smell? Sweat and retardant and …”

“ … better get along with the other fire wives …”

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