Flicking his gaze from Carlos to Derek, Bryan set his hands on his hips. “What?”
“It’s six o’clock,” Carlos said as he and Derek exchanged a knowing look.
A look Bryan had noticed was more frequent as the day went on. “What’s with you two? You’ve been announcing the time every hour on the hour since I got back to the station.”
Carlos held up his hands and went back to the book he was reading. “Leave me outta this one. I was only joking.”
“What are you talking about?” Bryan turned to Derek. “Spill it.”
“You’ve called Elise every hour on the hour today. Or did you not notice?” Derek grinned like Cheshire Cat.
“So? She got a threatening note. I just want to make sure she’s okay. It’s not like I could drop my shift and stay home.”
“Yeah, Derek,” Carlos chimed in. “He’s got a beautiful woman living with him. Why wouldn’t he be calling her?”
Bryan shook his head. “She’s thinking someone out there is trying to hurt her, and she doesn’t know why.”
“So by all means,” Derek replied, “have her hang around with you, so in case these people come back, you can be caught up in it too.”
Turning his back to them, Bryan shook his head as he heated his dinner. “Whatever. Like you wouldn’t do the same thing.”
“He would.” Gregg’s voice carried from where he stood in the doorway. “And he knows it. He’s just trying to get your goat, and it seems like it’s working.”
“But maybe you don’t have to call her every hour. Gregg laughed. “You don’t want her thinking you’re falling for her or something like that.”
Bryan kept his thoughts to himself while the others went back to whatever they were doing before deciding to torment him. He wasn’t falling for her. He wasn’t. Anytime that sort of thought reared its ugly head, he took it by the neck and stuffed it down as far as he could. He cared about her safety. That was all.
“Hey, when you’re finished eating,” Gregg said as he backed away from the kitchen, “there’s more information on the case.”
Like Bryan cared about his dinner after hearing something like that. “Wait up.” He quickly caught up with the captain. “What did you hear?”
“For one thing, if she wants to go back to the house to sift through her things, what’s left of the structure is safe for her to go through.” Gregg looked at Bryan as they walked. “Granted, we both know how much is usually salvageable, but she might have something she wants to save.”
“I’ll let her know. I’m sure she’ll be eager to get out there.”
“Kyle Newland called. They’ve gone through all the security footage they’ve managed to get their hands on from the businesses around where Elise lived. So far, they haven’t found anything significant, but they’re still looking. The neighbors didn’t have anything either. They all agree Elise is a quiet person, not a partier, never any trouble with late-night noise, and not a lot of people coming and going. They were pretty shocked, actually.”
“It’s either that or she did it herself.” Bryan shrugged. “She doesn’t fit that profile either, and I bet Kyle knows that too.”
“Sure. They’ve looked into her financials. No mountain of debt. Her business is doing well. Granted, she’s not a millionaire, but she wasn’t in a position where she’d need the insurance money.” Gregg glanced at him. “Has she given you any hints?”
“Not even a little bit. I can’t imagine—”
“I’m not asking what you imagine. And I know she’s only been at your place a couple of weeks. Any phone calls? Texts? Angry exes?”
“Well, it’s not like I’ve been with her every minute.”
“No, but seeing as how she’s staying with you, wouldn’t you want to know everything you can? What if whoever did this gets the idea to do it again?”
“You sound like those two.” Bryan jerked a thumb toward the kitchen.
“They make a good point. They’re also a couple of knuckleheads, but they do make a good point.”
They shared a quiet laugh, and then Gregg sobered, placing his hand on Bryan’s shoulder. “Just be careful. I know you want to protect her, but you’ve got to keep yourself clear of danger too.”
“Aw, come on.” Bryan waved him off. “I’m not worried. Are you?”
“Let’s just say I don’t feel like having to find someone to replace you so soon after finding you.” Gregg dropped his hand to his side and smirked as he turned toward his office. “And you’re still the lead on the calendar project. Don’t think you’re off the hook on that. Now that we’ve all made fools of ourselves, we might as well make some money.”
* * *
At nearly two in the morning, the alarm bell rang, sending the guys racing to the truck. As Carlos, Derek, and Bryan arrived, Gregg was already gearing up.
“It’s the string of warehouses down by the bay,” the captain called out as he pulled on his jacket. “The Magnolia and Laurel Lake engines have already been called in.”
That meant this was no ordinary blaze. Bryan had driven past those warehouses more times than he could count in the few months he’d been a resident, and rumor had it that they were being considered for a complete overhaul: indoor farmers market, art galleries, farm-to-table restaurants. Now? If two additional companies had been called in before their engine was out the door, it wasn’t a good sign.
He was right. Plumes of smoke were already visible as they swung out onto the road, siren wailing.
“Man, that looks huge!” Derek called out.
It was huge. This was the first major blaze Bryan had seen since he’d moved there. The closer the truck got to the warehouses, the stronger the acrid stench of smoke.
Vehicles had slowed to a crawl around the two blocks surrounding the row of burning buildings, which made breaking through and getting to the fire more challenging than normal. Too many interested people and too many drivers with their arms out their windows, recording the raging inferno with their phones.
“Come on!” Gregg yelled, laying on the horn to get their attention. “Since when is a siren not enough?”
But they finally got there and went to work, Harris and Liam joining them not long after they arrived. The other two companies were already at it, and from what Bryan saw, it looked like they were fighting a losing battle.
The structure was completely wooden, from the floors to the beams supporting the roof, which, again, was comprised of wood layered with shingles.
“Buildings one, two, and three are engulfed,” the chief of the Magnolia crew barked, filling them in as quickly as possible. “Wind’s carrying embers over to buildings four and five, so it’s only a matter of time.”
Gregg assessed what they could see from the ground. “Building three,” he decided after glancing at an overhead map of the structures. “If we can fight it back, drive it away from the other two buildings, we might spare them.”
Bryan and Carlos ran a hose out to the eastern side of building three. “Is it empty in there?” Carlos shouted to one of the Laurel Lake crew.
“Supposed to be!” the man shouted back on his way to his truck.
That was good news. Anything flammable in the building would make the fire more of a challenge. The structure itself was enough of a challenge, let alone the wind-blown embers floating in the air, touching down all around them.
Suddenly, an explosion erupted from the second building, causing the ground to shake. They both crouched, covering their heads with their arms as burning timber rained around them. Something inside had blown.
After a few breathless moments, Bryan dared to look up to see if the worst was over.
“I’m guessing that building wasn’t empty,” Carlos gasped.
“Could’ve been a gas line,” Bryan said, coughing.
“No. There hasn’t been a business here in years. Lines should be cut off.”
They exchanged a look, and in that look, the same question was asked by both of them.
Wa
s there something poised to blow inside this building also?
Harris and Derek joined them.
“We’ve gotta make sure it’s empty!” Bryan shouted before pulling on his mask, and they nodded in agreement. They had to be sure they weren’t dealing with something even more dangerous inside.
“It’s supposed to be empty. What gives?” Carlos asked as Harris tested the nearest door, making sure it was safe to use before kicking it in.
The smoke was almost impossible to see through, thick and black. Harris switched on his flashlight and swept it around, cutting through the black curtain all around them.
“Don’t see anything,” he called out.
Bryan turned on his flashlight too and could confirm. The building looked empty.
Suddenly, the smoke swirled as a gust of air poured in through a shattered window, and Bryan saw them. Crates, stacked against the wall, making it hard to see them.
“Check it out!” he called out to Carlos, who followed the direction he was pointing.
“We’ve gotta get out of here!” Carlos yelled back. “There’s something being stored here.” Yes, and flames were licking the walls, approaching the rows of wooden crates and what they held. It could’ve been anything.
Harris and Derek didn’t waste any time, and soon Bryan couldn’t see them. All he heard was the crackling of the fire and his own breathing. Until Carlos let out a shout, ducking a falling beam. Bryan jumped back just in time.
“The entire roof’s about to go!” Carlos pointed to the door, frantic. “We gotta move!”
It was a stupid rookie mistake, but Bryan paused, lifting his gaze to the ceiling. He shouldn’t have taken the extra moment to look up, but he did. The roof, now engulfed, was caving, and he watched with his heart in his throat as burning beams started to fall. An ear-splitting cracking noise filled the air. In that moment, all he could think was how angry Elise would be if he got himself hurt.
“Go!” Carlos bellowed, yanking him by the arm as the entire burning roof caved in.
Chapter 21
As soon as Elise saw the news, she was glued to the TV with Smokey curled up on the floor at her feet. Reports of the large fire were nonstop. An entire cluster of warehouses was nothing more than smoking ruins. It had taken hours, but they’d gotten it under control, thank goodness.
“The collapse of one of the roofs left a pair of firefighters trapped,” one of the newscasters said as he looked over his shoulder, “and we have yet to hear of their condition.”
Collapse? That was under control? Granted, it did look like most of the fire was out, but still, Bryan was in the middle of that mess, and she had no idea if he was okay or not.
At 7 a.m., the end of his shift, Elise looked down at her phone, hoping he’d answered one of her dozens of texts. Rationally, she knew he wouldn’t answer since he was probably still at the scene, but that didn’t stop her from sending them. She’d hoped by now that he’d somehow find the time to get word out that he was safe. They’d called in more than one company, which had to mean there was a sea of firefighters and he wasn’t one of the two trapped.
It was also very possible it was him, and with her luck? Her heart sank at the thought. She’d told him that nearly kissing had been a mistake, but she’d not meant a word of it. Why had she been so afraid of being honest?
What would she do if Bryan was injured—or worse? Not that she cared about where she’d go, but…the idea of losing him. When she’d first met him, it felt like seeing an old friend after a few missed years. Then getting to know him, she’d learned how kind and caring he was. What would it be like without him? She’d only had a short time with him, and she wasn’t ready to let him go.
Standing, she looked at Smokey, who’d taken her cue and was already up. “There’s no way I can stay here. How about you?”
The barked reply was all she needed to grab her keys and his collar. Within minutes, she was in the car and Smokey’s head was out the passenger side window, his tongue flapping. At least one of them could enjoy themselves. Or maybe he was like most animals with a sixth sense and he was telling her Bryan was okay. Elise wasn’t so confident.
When they arrived at the station, it was fully lit and missing the big red truck normally filling the bay. Not a surprise, but it hadn’t stopped her from hoping they’d be back.
There was another car parked in the lot, one with a young woman sitting inside. Maybe a girlfriend? A wife, even?
“Come on, big guy,” she said, hooking up Smokey’s leash. It would help to talk to somebody else going through this. They wouldn’t have to be alone.
The woman noticed her approach and rolled down her window. “Hi.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She cracked the door open and petted Smokey. “Hey, buddy.”
“Hi. I’m Elise.”
The woman lifted her gaze to Elise again. “I’m Carlos’s little sister, Polly.” She was a little younger than Elise, maybe early twenties, so the two of them wouldn’t have crossed paths in school or socially.
“I remember him. I photographed the guys for a calendar.”
“Oh, you’re the photographer!” She smiled. “He was really worried about that calendar.”
“How come?”
She grinned. “He didn’t wanna be the only guy who wasn’t ripped.”
Elise laughed. “He has nothing to worry about. Besides, I can add definition if need be.”
The girl’s expression changed, her face falling. “I hope he’s still around to see it.”
“I’m sure he will be. They’re trained professionals. And knowing he needs to come back for you, I’d bet he was extra careful to protect himself.” Elise stifled a chuckle. She’d flown to the station because of fear, and here she was, saying things would be okay.
“We’re all we’ve got.” Polly stepped out of the car, shut the door, and leaned against it. “He practically raised me when our parents passed away. I can’t lose him too. You know?”
“I know what you mean. I—”
Before Elise could get the sentence out, the truck rolled to a stop in the bay. Polly launched herself from her car and sprinted for the bay.
Following her a few steps behind, Elise held onto Smokey’s leash while silently praying Bryan was okay. As she stepped inside, Gregg and Derek were climbing down from the truck. Based on their filthy worn-out faces, it had been a tough fire.
Polly let out a small cry as Carlos hopped down from inside the truck, removing his helmet. She ran to him, flinging her arms around his neck. He held her and spoke softly while Elise stood there with Smokey, feeling helpless.
“Elise?” Bryan climbed down from the truck, and he was about the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. “What are you doing here?”
She dropped Smokey’s leash as he bounced over to Bryan with her trailing behind. “I saw the roof collapse…”
Wincing, he nodded. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I didn’t have my phone with me, or I’d have called on the way back to let you know I’m okay.”
Closing the gap, she wrapped her arms around his chest and hugged him. “I’m just happy you’re okay. I knew you would be, but…” She sucked in a breath as tears welled in her eyes, and the smoke smell clinging to him caused her to cough. “Oh,” she said, leaning back. “I bet you’d like to get cleaned up.”
“I really didn’t mean to make you worry.” He ran his thumb under her eye where a stupid tear had fallen.
“You’re okay, which means I’m okay.” She smiled. “Now, go get cleaned up.”
Nodding, he took her hand and squeezed it. “I’ll be out as soon as I can so we can go home.”
She watched as he jogged into the belly of the station. Then she picked up Smokey’s leash and walked to her car. The second she was in the driver seat, all the pent-up worry gushed out as a sob.
Why was she even crying? Yes, she’d been worried, but he was fine. He’d come back to her all in one piece. In the back of her mind, a tiny voice whispered, What if he hadn’
t?
It lodged in her throat as her chest tightened. She’d only known him a couple of weeks, yet she couldn’t deny it would break her heart if she lost him. She cared about him. More than cared. If she was honest, she’d fallen for him.
Setting her forehead against the steering wheel, her shoulders sagged. She was supposed to be standing on her own two feet, but the world wasn’t nearly as solid when it was just her feet. She liked looking down and seeing Bryan’s boots and Smokey’s paws.
Would it be so bad to lean on someone just a little? Wouldn’t life be that much richer if she could be the person someone leaned on as well? A kindhearted, caring firefighter who gave her butterflies and loved simple things like having bacon made for him?
Perhaps it was time to care less about her own feet. Maybe it was time to be happy with not being invisible to the one person in the world she cared most about.
Chapter 22
Showered and dressed, Bryan walked out of the station and straight to Elise’s car where Smokey’s head stuck out of the window.
“Hey, buddy,” he said, using both hands to scratch the dog’s ears. Leaning down to look in the passenger window, he smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
While he’d cleaned up, the scene in the bay after returning to the station played over and over in his mind. Elise had shed tears over him. It had been so different with her. Instead of railing on him, she’d just hugged him and seemed happy he was alive.
Inwardly, he berated himself once again over his stupid move of hesitating and looking up in the warehouse. All it would have taken was one more second, and there would have been two funerals with no one to blame but himself. Seeing how much it would have affected Elise made him feel even worse.
He opened the passenger door and slid into the seat. “Are you okay?”
She chuckled. “Am I okay? Are you okay? They said a roof collapsed, and all I could do was picture you trapped. It scared the daylights out of me. What happened? I mean, I know what happened.” She quickly glanced at him. “I watched the whole thing as soon as it made the news. They said two firefighters were trapped. Who was it?”
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