by K. C. Crowne
“Is that –” Owen muttered beside me. “That's not a baby, is it? Please tell me that's not a kid.”
“Can't be,” Luke said. “No one was in there. The place was empty.”
Wes came down across the porch, down the stairs, and stepped toward us. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that it wasn't a baby in his arms, but three tiny kittens. Sarah came out behind Wes, carrying a large gray cat that looked absolutely freaked out. Sarah was grinning from ear-to-ear as she rushed toward me.
“You were told not to go inside for any reason,” I scolded her.
“But Austin,” Wes said, holding out the blanket and letting me see three tiny, newborn kittens in his arms. “We don't leave any living thing behind, right?”
I opened my mouth to argue with him, but then closed it again. Going back inside the house had been dangerous and against the rules. I should have dressed them both down for it, told them to never disobey me again. I should have read them the riot act, the same way I'd given it to Owen earlier. But Wes handed me one of the tiny gray kittens, placing it into the palm of my hand and grinned like a child on Christmas.
“Can we keep them, boss? Pretty please?” Wes was teasing, but only slightly.
“You can keep them,” I said, holding the gray ball of fur. The kitten's eyes weren't even opened yet, and it was so tiny and fragile. Hard to yell at Wes and Sarah when something so fragile as that was at stake. I couldn't help it, I smiled and rubbed the kitten's little head
“I wish I could, but my landlord doesn't allow pets,” he said, and then looked over at Sarah hopefully.
“Sorry, I love them, but my roommate's allergic,” she said, holding mama cat very close. The cat's purrs could be heard from several feet away
Wes looked back at me and shrugged. “Don't you think the firehouse needs a cat? Or four? Every house has a pet. It's a good luck charm”
The kitten mewed and latched its tiny mouth onto one of my fingers, sucking gently.
“They'd probably have been fine on their own, you know,” I said, though I felt my resolve weakening.
“Yeah, probably. I guess so,” Wes said, scratching the mama cat's chin. She rubbed against his hand affectionately, a loud purr coming from its throat.
“They probably have a home,” I said. “She seems too well taken care of to be a stray.”
“Maybe. We can try to track the owner's down, but in the meantime how about we take care of them?” Wes begged. “I mean, they just lost their home in a fire, boss, and it's Christmas.”
I sighed. Luke sighed beside me. Owen just stared blankly at the kittens and the cat, keeping his thoughts to himself. Just earlier in the day, I ripped him a new asshole for disobeying my orders, and there I was rewarding Wes's bad behavior by considering letting a cat and her kittens move into our firehouse? I knew that had to be going through his mind.
One look over at Sarah, however, and the deal was done. The gray cat had her head buried in Sarah's neck, and the smile on her face cinched the cat's fate. Seeing her so happy and smiling like that broke something loose inside of me. How could I say no? “Fine,” I said. “But only until we find the owner. And your ass is on litter box detail.”
“If no one claims her?” Wes asked, hope heavy in his voice.
“The kittens get adopted out,” I said.
“But what about the mama?” he asked.
I sighed heavily again, rubbing my temples as I turned back toward the fire truck.
“We'll see, Wes. We'll see,” I said “Come on, let the other crews get in here. It's time to go home.”
I swear I heard him and Sarah cheering behind my back. Luke may have even joined them. Hell, I wouldn't have been surprised if Owen joined in too. None of us outright hated animals. In fact, I had a soft spot for them – but I wasn't about to tell any of them that. But to have a cat around the firehouse – especially one that seemed as sweet as that one – might be kind of nice. I think we were one of the only houses in the area that didn't have a mascot, so at least I could check that box off my list.
“So who's up for a few drinks after work?” Wes said, speaking to no one in particular.
Owen sped up, walking beside me, and cast a quick, furtive glance at the others, before he muttered, “Aren't they going to get in trouble for not obeying your orders too?”
“Owen, please, this is different,” I said. “You can't compare the two situations.”
“Is it? Or is it because it's them and not me?” he said.
He walked even faster, stomping off away from me, and I didn't bother to catch up to him to try and explain the situation. There was no point to it anyway. Let him pout for all I cared. He had a lot to learn still. Sometimes he forgot that. Sometimes, he thought he knew everything, and already had the world by the balls. That kind of attitude made him dangerous; a liability in the field. I'd have to keep a close eye on him, I realized. Though, I usually kept an eye on all new fire fighters. I did my best to teach and guide them and help them get acclimated to the realities of the job. It was surprising how many of them thought what they saw on TV was real.
Owen was different, however. He was more entitled and thought he knew more than he did. Those were the ones who got people hurt or killed – and there was no way in hell I was going to let that happen in my house, on my watch.
As far as I was concerned, he had one more chance and that was it. One more chance to prove himself worthy of being a firefighter in my house. Honestly, I hated the idea of ripping the guy's dreams away from him, but if he couldn't learn to obey orders, think of the team before himself, and watch out for the safety of others, he'd be a hazard on the job. I couldn't have that. No house could afford a guy like that.
If he didn't shape up – and soon – his dream of being firefighter was going to be done before his probationary period was even over.
“What do you say, Austin?” Wes asked, putting his arm over my shoulder. “You in?”
“For drinks?” I asked.
“Yeah, after our shift is over,” he said.
“Don't you have kittens to take care of?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “They are your responsibility now, you know that, right?”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, waving off my concerns. “But once I get Mama set up with some food, water and litter, they should be able to take care of themselves.”
“You know, they probably could have taken care of themselves out here too,” I countered.
“Sure, but where's the fun in that?” Wes said, smirking. “So you in?”
“Yeah, I'm in.”
“Luke, buddy, what about you?”
“Of course,” he said. “Not like I've got anything better to do.”
“Awesome!” Wes said.
Wes looked toward Owen, and his smile fell. Owen was standing by the truck, a look of pure hatred on his face. Some people might take the hint and avoid trouble, but not Wes. It wasn’t not that he couldn't take the hint, he just didn't care. He walked right up to Owen, put a hand on his shoulder, and gave him that smile he thought was so damn charming.
“You coming out with us, man?” he asked.
Luke and I shared a look, waiting to see if he'd accept Wes's offer. Owen scowled and muttered something, but we couldn't make out what it was.
Wes shrugged. “Suit yourself, bro,” he said.
“I'm assuming he said no,” Luke said.
“Surprise, surprise,” I said. “Come on, let's get back to the house and get cleaned up.”
Down the street from the firehouse was a little dive bar where most of the guys from our house hung out at after work. I swear that we were probably the bulk of their business and were the reason they stayed open in the first place. Besides a few other familiar faces – drunk men sitting at the bar, alone, wallowing in their sorrows – the rest of the place was filled with my men.
And woman.
There was one woman amongst us, and only one. As much as I would have liked seeing more women in the field, there just
weren't that many. Sarah was the exception to that, and there was no denying she had something many other women didn't. She had a spirit I didn't see in people all that often. A grit and determination uncommon in this day and age.
She was the only woman in the entire bar though, and even if she hadn't been, she'd have been the only one I'd have noticed. After getting herself cleaned up and dressed in something other than our uniform, I felt a tightness in my chest as I looked at her. Sarah's hair fell in gentle waves down to her shoulders as it dried. She wasn't wearing any makeup at all, and she didn’t need to. Her skin was fair and dotted with too many freckles to count. Her eyes were a vivid blue-green, and even though she looked sleepy, they were wide open and smiling. She was laughing with Wes, the two of them at the pool table nearby as I sipped my drink.
Her tight jeans hugged her ass as she bent over, and yes, I stared. It was wrong of me, given that she was my subordinate, but I found it hard not to look at her whenever she was around. She was a beautiful woman. I couldn't deny it. She was small, but fierce. Her body tight, but curvy in all the right places. Thin waist. Thicker thighs, all muscle, and a firm little ass. Wes smacked her ass and laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d done all day. That prompted Sarah to turn around, and playfully punch him in the chest, laughing the entire time.
“Wes,” I called out, “that's potential sexual harassment, and as your supervisor, I have to ask you to keep your hands to yourself.”
They were off the clock. Technically, I couldn't control what they did on their own time, but I needed to make sure my team stayed strong. That old saying was true – we really were only as strong as our weakest link, and I couldn't afford to have a rift developing between my team over something like a game of grabass gone wrong. Wes was a good guy, but he could get in trouble sometimes too.
“Sorry, Chief,” Wes said, cracking a smile at Sarah.
He held his hands up where we could both see them in an overdramatic fashion. His speech was slurred, and he stumbled forward, nearly toppling Sarah over with him.
Luke was nearby and grabbed his arm. “Steady there, big guy.”
“How much have you had to drink tonight, Wes?” I asked.
Wes grinned at me. “I lost count, boss.”
“Yeah, that's what I was afraid of,” I said.
Luke and I exchanged a look. Sarah slid out from between him and the pool table, patting him on the back with a laugh.
“I think it's time we cut you off, Wes,” she said.
“Nah, I'm fine,” he said. “See?”
He attempted to stand on one leg, but he didn't even come close to pulling off the maneuver. Instead, he fell over into a nearby table, sending all of the drinks on it scattering straight into the lap of the guys seated there. Two men stood up, their expressions dark and pissed off. They were in a rage and were looking for a fight. I quickly stood up too and joined my guys. We were much bigger than they were and outnumbered them by one. I liked our odds.
“My friend here is a bit drunk,” I explained as I pulled out my wallet. “Let me buy you guys another round and call it even.”
The men took the cash without a fight and sat back down without a word. Luke had Wes’s arm slung over his shoulder, and Wes was oblivious to the fight I just had to prevented from happening. Of course, he was pretty much oblivious to everything at that point.
Luke said, “I think I'm heading home. I'll make sure the big guy gets home safely too.”
“Good idea,” I said. “Thanks, Luke.”
“No problem,” he said.
He looked past me and straight at Sarah, who was now leaning against the pool table with an amused grin on her face.
“See ya tomorrow, Sarah.”
“See ya, Luke.”
Wes stumbled toward her. “Ain't you going to say goodbye to me, snookums?”
Sarah chuckled and patted him on the cheek. “Goodnight, Wes,” she said. “Get some sleep, buddy. Another long day tomorrow and we can't afford for you to have a hangover, so get your shit square.”
I chuckled to myself. I loved the spirit and fire in that woman.
“Can I get a goodnight kiss at least?”
“Wes –” I said, keeping my voice low.
“Ah, right, not with the boss around,” he teased.
He tipped an imaginary hat at me and walked out, arm-in-arm with Luke. The two of them exited the bar, and I let out a long breath of relief. As much as I liked Wes, and thought he was a standup guy, when he drank too much he was a pain in the ass. Always a big flirt naturally, the alcohol made it much worse. I felt bad for Sarah being the only woman, and thus, the only object of his attention and affection.
“He's a character, that one,” she laughed.
“Yeah, you can say that again,” I muttered, and then motioned toward her empty beer. “Want another?”
“You buying?” she teased.
“Of course. I wouldn't offer if it wasn't on me,” I said.
“Sure. One more, then I better head home too,” she said. “My boss can be a real asshole if we come in hungover.”
“Ah, I know the type. Real stick up their ass types,” I said with a smirk. “One more and I'll walk you home. How about that?”
Sarah lived nearby – most of us did. It was easier that way. With the crazy shifts we worked, it just made sense for us to be near the house. Neither of us were fit to drive, anyway.
“You know I can walk myself,” she said.
“I know you can,” I said. “ But I’m going to do it anyway.”
Her eyes sparkled as her lips pulled back into a bigger smile. God, she was beautiful. Seeing her eyes light up like that stirred something inside of me. Her lips parted, and her tongue darted out across them. I watched every move, my attention completely transfixed on her. As I looked at her, I found myself imagining what her lips would feel like against mine and knowing I'd never find out. I couldn't be able to find out. I was her supervisor, and that sort of thing was frowned upon.
I flagged the waitress down and ordered us both another beer. After the day we'd had, I thought we deserved it. I'd only just finished my first one, and I thought Sarah was only one her second as well. We could afford to have one more drink before calling it a night. At least we weren't as sloppy drunk as Wes had been when he stumbled out of there.
And besides, I wasn't ready to go home, and apparently, neither was Sarah, which suited me just fine. The waitress came by and dropped of our drinks, giving me a little grin and a wink. Sarah smiled as I handed her the beer, and we clinked our bottles together.
“Here's to another grueling day at work,” she said.
“May there be many, many more,” I added.
“Hear, hear,” she said with a chuckle before drinking from the bottle. “Many, many more.”
God, what I wouldn't have given to find a girl like her – a girl I could actually be with, and not just be friends with. She was pretty damn perfect in just about every way possible, and she ticked off all the boxes on that mental checklist I had floating around in my head, of everything I wanted in a partner.
Yeah, if I found somebody like Sarah, I'd be the happiest man alive.
“Is he really going to name the cat, 'Mama'?” Sarah laughed as we walked down the street.
Streetlights and shops adorned with Christmas lights illuminated our path down the sidewalk, making it easy to see. Not to mention a bit safer. Since it was a weeknight in our non-tourist season though, there weren't that many people out and about, and I knew she would have been safe on her own. Closer to New Years, things got a bit hectic around here. San Diego had a big New Years Celebration every year, and of course a lot of people came here for Christmas to escape the cold, but it was still not the height of tourist season.
Sarah was a tough girl, and a girl who knew how to take care of herself. It was one of those many things I appreciated about her, and I knew she could have walked herself home. I felt better accompanying her, though. Especially if it mean
t I got to steal a few more moments with her..Sarah and I rarely got the chance to hang out together outside of work. At least, not without the others hanging around too – which usually made for something of a chaotic scene, like in the bar tonight. It was nice having a little quiet time together to spend just getting to talk to her. To have a little space from the others to see who she was outside of work.
“You know Wes, he's not the most creative guy around,” I teased. “He thinks he is, but we both know he's not. This only proves that point”
“That's very true. He once named the vacuum cleaner, Mr. Suck,” she laughed. “God, we have some characters in our house.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” I replied. “A lot of big personalities under one roof.”
“True,” she chuckled. “You've heard Wes' name for Owen, right? Veggie Boy, or some shit like that.”
“Well, he is vegetarian or something, I think,” I said. “So, I guess that makes some kind of sense.”
“I think Owen says he's Vegan, actually,” she said. “At least I think so. Not like he really talks to anyone.”
“What is that about anyway?” I asked, scratching the stubble on my chin as we stumbled down the street together. “Is it some new health craze or what? Like Keto, except the opposite?”
“I guess so?” she said, shrugging. “He seems like the type who'd be into all-natural, organic, plant-based food. Or at least, whatever is trendy at the moment.”
“Why's that?”
“Because he's fucking rich and privileged as hell, that's why,” she said. “He thinks he’s better than us and this is just one more way he thinks he’s showing it.”
“You think he's like that?” I asked.
I knew Owen was kind of an asshole, at times. His privileged upbringing came out in a lot of ways, and often made him annoying as hell. Honestly though, even though he had a billion irritating qualities, I had to be honest and admit, that he'd never seemed to throw his being a vegan into our faces. It only came up when he brought his own food to BBQs and get-togethers – and even then, he usually muttered and kept to himself for the most part.