Page 16 of The Night Belongs To Fireman

Well, there was nothing to do about it now. Once it was online, there was no scrubbing it out of existence. She just had to hope it didn’t go viral, that the kidnapper never saw it, that the kidnapper had moved on to other concerns or maybe that he wasn’t even alive anymore.

The threat still hung over her head, the way it had since she was eight years old. She was only twenty-five, too young to have her life ruled by some maniac with a grudge against her father. But what choice did she really have?

Sighing, she turned back to her Internet search and Googled “gifts for hot firemen.”

“Sweet heavens,” she whispered, as images populated her screen. Weren’t firemen supposed to wear shirts?

When Fred arrived for his next shift, it didn’t take long for the teasing to set in.

“Bachelor Hero, coming through,” said Mulligan.

“Trying to get lucky with a bridesmaid?” teased Vader, who was now Captain Brown. Making captain hadn’t put a dent in his exuberant sense of humor.

“I’m dedicating my divorce to you, hot shot,” growled Double D. “Except my wife won’t give me one.”

Only Sabina showed him any sympathy. She shepherded him toward the kitchen, growling at anyone who tried to stop them. Ace the rookie, whose time at the station was nearly up, gave him a salute.

“Nice story. Uh, my sister told me to ask for your number,” he added in a mumble.

“Give her Courtney’s. They can duke it out,” said Fred, grinding his teeth.

Sabina shoved Ace out of the room and shut the door. “Stud, I know what you’re going through. If you need any help dealing with the media, come to me, all right? I’ll beat them up for you. Only metaphorically, of course.” Sabina had been a child star before she’d joined the fire department. For a long time she’d actually managed to keep it a secret.

“It’s not a problem, Two. They’ll forget about me in no time. I’m boring. I’m not a legend like Brody, or photogenic like Vader. I’m just me. They’ll move on.”

Sabina gave him an odd look. “Don’t sell yourself short, Stud. We gave you that nickname for a reason.”

“Yeah, because I’m not one. It’s known as irony. Or sarcasm.”

“If you ask me, it’s neither one. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. We called you Stud, now you are a stud. And the Bachelor Hero.”

He couldn’t help laughing at the absurdity. “Come on. I’m just a regular guy.”

“We’ll see. Anyway, this came for you.”

She held out an envelope addressed to him. “Do you know what I went through to keep the guys from opening this?”

“It’s probably nothing interesting.”

“I’m interested.”

And as soon as Fred saw the feminine, careful handwriting inside, so was he. Intensely interested. In fact, the little hairs on his arms prickled. He had no doubt in his mind who had sent the note, even before he started reading. “Dear Fred the Fireman: I will be forever grateful for your heroic actions in the wake of the crane incident. Please forgive me for hitting your nose. It was entirely accidental and thoroughly regrettable. As a token of my gratitude, a donation has been made to the San Gabriel Urban Search and Rescue Squad. Also, you will find that your next umpteen coffees at the Lazy Daisy Cafe have been paid for. With warm appreciation, Rachel Allen.”

Fred stared at the envelope, which, now that he noticed, was made of the sort of extra-thick ivory paper you didn’t find at Staples. “Umpteen coffees? Who the hell is this girl?”

Sabina was quickly scanning over his shoulder. “Your newest fan, Stud. If you’re going to have a groupie, why not a rich one?”

“But how did she know about the Lazy Daisy? That’s just eerie.”

“Everyone in town knows the crew goes there.” Sabina peered at the scrawled signature. “Wait a second. Does that say Rachel Allen?”

“I think so.”

“Then I know who she is.”

Chapter 5

“Vader, I need to borrow Stan for a few hours,” Fred announced a few days later, as their shift was ending. The firehouse dog, hearing his name, raised his head. Vader, who was scowling at the desktop computer, transferred that scowl to Fred.

“What for?”

“Personal business.”

An array of expressions crossed Vader’s face, curiosity vying with the urge to tease. “Do I want to ask why you need the firehouse dog for your personal business?”

“Look, it might even be good for him. It’s like a field trip.”

“What kind of field trip?” Vader might be big and ripped, but he was very far from dumb.

“The kind …” Fred hesitated, then finished at lightning speed. “Where you take your dog to get therapy.”

“Huh?”

“Dog therapy,” Fred repeated. Sabina’s revelation that Rachel was a respected dog therapist had inspired this crazy plan. “Stan could probably use it. What else is he going to do today, nap?”

Stan cocked his head, then rested his chin back on his paws.

“See?” Fred said triumphantly. “It’s not like I’m interrupting his magnum opus on the trade policies of third world countries.” Which happened to be Courtney’s current project.

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