Reduced to Ashes

by Kay Gordon

  My brother knew I was hurt without anyone telling him and he called shortly after I was pulled out of the burning house. Captain Stevenson reassured him I was okay so Vincent waited until he was off-shift to drive up from the city. After chewing me out for running into the building against orders, Vincent wrapped me up in his arms and told me to never scare him again.

  It was two days after the fire and Owens was back on shift. He and the captain had called me earlier that morning to inform me that I was suspended for a week without pay. I’d been expecting it but it still sucked. Despite the fact that they were both pissed at me, I knew I was only being punished because they had to do it, not because they wanted to. I was also pretty sure that a week was the lightest punishment available.

  Not that it mattered much. My stupid ankle was in a brace because the ligament had been partially torn, again, and I was going to be limping for a couple of weeks. Even when I was allowed back at work, I would be riding the desk until it healed.

  The ankle was why I was at the Owens household in the first place. I could get around just fine on my own but at my home, my bedroom was on the second floor and climbing stairs hadn’t been an option for the first day or two. I tried to get Vincent to take me to our dad’s but Megan wouldn’t allow it and she was kind of scary.

  “Tori?”

  A soft knock sounded on the door and I pulled the robe I was wearing over my shoulders before calling for the visitor to come in. When the bedroom door opened, Kelly was standing on the other side with a smile on her face and a baby on her hip. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing a blue tank top with denim shorts.

  She definitely did not look like someone who’d had a baby just four months before.

  “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

  She gestured to Elias and shook her head. “Big man here had his four month appointment today.”

  “Oh, man.” I hobbled back to the queen-sized bed that I was currently occupying and sat on the edge, holding my arms out expectantly. Kelly handed me Elias and I cringed slightly when the movement jarred my sore shoulder. “Band-Aids mean shots, too. Poor guy.”

  Eli looked up at me and smiled, causing his blue eyes to light up while revealing two dimples in his chubby cheeks. His mom sighed and stretched her arms over her head.

  “I’m making Nick do the next appointment with immunizations. I think I cried harder than Eli did.”

  Kelly and Nick met two years before when Megan and Simon had just started dating. The two became friends instantly and had a close friendship that turned into more without either of them meaning to. A drunken marriage in Vegas and an accidental pregnancy later led them to where they were at that very moment. Neither of them would have changed a thing, either.

  “Did your big sister send you to check on me?” I asked, moving to my feet and limping slightly as we headed to the living room of the house that Owens and Megan had just bought a month before. I sat on the plush couch with Elias still in my arms and he let out a happy squeak before shoving his whole hand into his mouth. Kelly fell into the spot next to me with a guilty grin.

  “You know she did. Where’s your ankle brace? And your crutches?”

  I rolled my eyes and reached out to jiggle Eli’s soft cheek. “I just showered and haven’t put it back on and the doctor told me to only use the crutches if I felt like I needed them.”

  “God, you’re so stubborn,” my friend said with a sigh. She worked as a physical therapist assistant dealing in rehabilitation so I knew my rebellious nature was bothering her. “Following the doctor’s instructions is going to get you back to work sooner.”

  “I know,” I grumbled half-heartedly, only maintaining the demeanor for a few seconds before grinning at Elias. He let out a slight squeal and kicked his little legs happily. “I think Megan’s pregnant.”

  Kelly’s eyes widened and she shook her head quickly. “Why? What makes you say that?”

  “She looked green at dinner yesterday and this morning, I heard her tell Owens that he was too rough with her boobs last night and now they hurt. I don’t think she realizes it.”

  “Oh, my god.” Kelly threw her head back and laughed slightly. “That’s amazing. I know they’ve been trying since the wedding and I would find it hilarious if my nurse sister was oblivious to her own pregnancy.”

  “Uh, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black, Kel?”

  She blinked at me twice, likely remembering how she had no idea she was pregnant until a doctor told her at the end of her first trimester. She laughed again. “Oh, shit. I guess so. Do you hear that, baby boy?” She reached over and plucked Elias out of my arms. “Auntie Megan and Uncle Simon might be giving you a cousin.”

  Elias seemed unimpressed and instead buried his face in his mother’s shirt, rooting around for her breast. I chuckled and shook my head.

  “Like father, like son?”

  “For real. I’m not sure my boobs will ever be my own again.”

  Without caring that she was sitting next to me, Kelly pulled down her shirt to uncover her bra, unsnapped the clip at the top, and exposed her nipple. Elias latched on immediately, like he was absolutely starving, and his mother smiled at him before meeting my eyes.

  “Sorry.”

  “Whatever. Two years of friendship means I’ve seen you naked my fair share of times, Kel.” And I had. She wasn’t a shy person and it had taken me about one of those two years to get used to her. “When are you and Christos going to pop out another?”

  “If Nick had his way, I’d be knocked up already.” She ran her hand down her son’s head. “I’m thinking two years apart is good so we’ll start talking about it around this guy’s first birthday.” She fixed those dark blue eyes on me. “Auntie Tori needs to find a man and help with the cousin situation.”

  I just rolled my eyes without answering. Kelly had once asked how long it had been since I had sex and I refused to answer her because the truth was embarrassing. Before everything happened at the station house seven years before, I was very comfortable in my own skin. I was a confident, athletic woman who wasn’t afraid to use what I had been given and worked hard for. Even though I hadn’t had a boyfriend since high school, it didn’t mean that I had been celibate.

  No, until that fateful day at station forty-one in Las Vegas, I lived a happy, fun life.

  Now? I didn’t get close to too many people. I trusted the guys I worked with for the most part but still slept with that door locked, still didn’t go into that bathroom without securing myself in tight. Owens, Christos, their wives, and Lennox were the only ones I let a bit closer outside of work but even then I kept them at arm’s length with the exception of Ty.

  That didn’t bode well for my sex life.

  Twice. That’s how many times I’d had sex since Tristan Dunsworth had leaked that video.

  Once was with an old hook up two years after, just to prove I could, and the second time was a year after that when I forced myself to take a random guy home one night.

  The hook-up sex had been fine until he mentioned that he’d seen that homemade porno on the internet. I left his bed and apartment so quickly that there was probably dust in my wake.

  The random guy I’d take home had caused me to hyperventilate the next morning when I realized that he was in my space, giving me no protection from him if necessary. I didn’t need it, of course, and he left when I kicked him out, but I knew I couldn’t do that again.

  So, I was in the middle of a four year dry spell. Some days, I didn’t miss it at all. Other days, I was ready to jump the first halfway decent man who looked at me.

  The orgasms weren’t what I missed, honestly, because I had my vibrator for that. It was the intimacy of the act that I really wished I had. Being chest to chest with a man who was there because he knew that he could find the ultimate pleasure in that moment with me. The act of looking in someone’s eyes and knowing that it was just the two of us, lost
in each other.

  That’s what I missed.

  Kelly and I sat in silence while Elias nursed himself to sleep. Once he was out, she stood up and gently placed him in the playpen that was set up in the corner of the living room specifically for him. The fact that Elias had his own bed set up at his aunt and uncle’s house was a testament to how much time Kelly and Megan spent together.

  “Have you eaten yet?”

  I shook my head and moved to stand but she waved me off. “I’ll make us some sandwiches. BLT?”

  “Is the bacon really bacon?”

  Kelly grinned. “Megan doesn’t keep my soy bacon in her house. And don’t knock it- Nick didn’t even realize it was soy until he saw the package. I can microwave you some of their real stuff, though. I’m good with just the L and T on mine.”

  The female Christos hung out with me while we ate lunch and she didn’t leave even after Eli had woken from his two-hour long nap. We watched TV, chatted a little, and really just did nothing. It was nice. I hadn’t really had female friends in my life since I had always been such a tomboy, but Kelly and Megan were pretty great.

  When Megan came home from work, dressed in a pair of bright blue scrubs, she grinned and immediately took Elias from Kelly’s arms. She peppered his face with kisses and sat in the armchair that was off to the side.

  “It’s nice coming home to a full house when Si’s on shift. Maybe you three should just move in.” She settled her hazel eyes on me. “How are you feeling?”

  “Great, Mom,” I teased, causing her to laugh softly. “How are your boobs this afternoon?”

  Her face went red almost immediately and she ducked her chin slightly. “Heard that, did you?”

  “I was only about six feet from the dining room what you laid into him this morning.”

  Kelly stared at her sister and I watched the corner of Megan’s lips start to tip up. When she looked up, she nodded at Kelly. The younger of the duo let out a gasp.

  “You are?”

  “Yes,” Megan replied with a huge grin now transforming her face. “I confirmed it at work today. I haven’t told Simon yet.”

  “Oh, my god, Gan.” Kelly stood and basically threw herself into Megan’s lap, somehow avoiding squashing the baby. “You’re going to be a mommy.”

  “Isn’t it crazy?” Megan asked, wiping stray tears away when Kelly released her, taking Elias in the process since he had a fistful of her hair. I reached over and squeezed her hand since I wasn’t really capable of jumping to my feet. Megan squeezed it back with a sigh. “I need a creative way to tell my husband.”

  “What if you bought that book about expecting when you’re pregnant and just left it somewhere?” I suggested and Kelly chuckled.

  “I like that. Kind of a subtle tell. Either that or something super big and flashy.”

  Megan shook her head. “I kind of like the subtle idea. Just leave something around for him to find.”

  We talked about ideas for a bit longer before I started to stand. Kelly basically shoved me back in the seat and told me not to move until I had my brace back on. Once she had sufficiently bullied me into being responsible about my health, I stood from the couch and hobbled back to the bathroom.

  Megan was a pretty great cook and ended up making a delicious pot of homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner. We were back on the couches after eating and I was bouncing Elias in my lap when Megan spoke.

  “Have you heard anything more about the little girl?”

  “Not beyond her being fine and released from the hospital,” I replied forcing my face to stay neutral.

  I couldn’t think about that little girl without remembering the man who’d been trying to save her.

  Evan Coleman.

  Back when everything went down with Tristan, I didn’t actually realize that the two of them were brothers. That didn’t come to light until mid-trial when someone mentioned it in passing. It didn’t matter, though. Friend or family, he was just as big of a dickhead as Tristan was.

  I would never forget when I was at the station to go over my statement. It was a few days after the video was broadcasted and I was sinking further into a pit of misery. My brother was with me but I stood from the table, asking for a break, and headed off to find the restroom on my own.

  On my way, I came across a man I knew to be Tristan’s lawyer talking to another guy in a suit. They were tucked off to the side and neither of them could see me but I could see and hear them perfectly.

  “Make this go away,” Tristan’s lawyer told the other guy in a low, lethal voice. “Tristan cannot go to jail because he stuck his dick into the wrong person. Figure it out and make it go away, Evan. I mean it.”

  A lump in my throat formed and it only grew when the second guy nodded his head and said, “I’m on it.”

  I scurried off before either of them could see me but what was said stuck in my head. When I learned that Evan Coleman was a detective, I knew right then that he was the scum of the earth. Abusing a position of authority was one of the lowest things someone could do in my book.

  “Owens told me that the home was a total loss and that the fire chief ruled the fire accidental. It started in the bedroom and all signs point to an electrical overload.” I wasn’t supposed to share that information but as fire wives, I knew both women could be trusted. “That was in between him saying that he was disappointed yet proud of me and how I now had to coach Kendra’s fall soccer team to get back on his good side.”

  Megan laughed. “He promised Ken he would do it but also promised Hudson that he’d coach his, too. I don’t think he realized that there was a possibility they’d end up being at the same time.”

  “What about Alex?” Kelly asked, referring to Simon’s brother, the father of Kendra and Hudson, but Megan shook her head.

  “He’s working more Saturdays than he’s off right now. Si and Tori will have to work some Saturdays, obviously, but not as many as Alex so a good assistant coach will be all they need.”

  “What about Christos?” I asked with a scoff. “Why am I doing this shit?”

  Kelly reached over and took her fussing child from me with a grin. “Nicky is joining me at some music classes I signed Eli up for. I think he’d rather be coaching.”

  Baby music classes. I was sure he’d rather be coaching. Kelly was a nut.

  “And why can’t you coach, Megan?” I looked to Megan when Kelly whipped her boob out again but it was the latter who answered.

  “Megan sucks at sports.”

  Megan stuck her tongue out at her sister before shrugging at me. “She has a point. I’ll be assistant coach to one of you but I’m not cut out to be fulltime.” She paused for a second and then offered me a small smile. “I know Si was mad but mostly because he was worried something would happen to you. We love you, Tor. I hope you realize that.”

  “I do,” I replied, my voice almost a whisper. “I’m lucky to have you all.”

  A silence fell over all of us with my statement. The three of us stayed quiet and it wasn’t until Kelly was done feeding Eli that she spoke, proclaiming that it was time for her to go home.

  Megan and I went separate ways not too long after that and I laid in the guest bed, staring up at the ceiling. Being with the girls was nice but I missed my privacy. My ankle was feeling good enough that I knew I was ready to go home.

  Chapter Eight

  Evan

  I stared at the large building in front of us and wondered for the hundredth time what I was doing there. I should have been at work, especially since we had two Sludge related deaths that week and absolutely no leads.

  It was frustrating.

  But for some reason, instead of spending another Saturday at the office, I was standing in front of the New Hope Fire Department, station three. Gracie’s small hand was tucked into my own as she stood next to me. After about five minutes of us staring straight ahead, she shifted and tugged on my hand slightly.

  “
Can we go in?”

  I looked down at my niece and smiled. It had been a month since the fire had almost taken her life and she was her normal self. They had to cut the brown curls that had been down her back because it was singed by fire and now they barely reached her chin. It was a good look for her, though, because it made her seem younger, more angelic. Her bright eyes peered up at me excitedly.

  Dominic and Becca had been planning on bringing Grace to thank Victoria Jones and the rest of the company but fate had brought me there instead. Dom and Jade both had strep throat and Becca ended up having to go into work unexpectedly.

  With Ruby and Keith meeting with the construction company that afternoon, that left me.

  I was sure it was going to go over as well as an unexpected root canal.

  “Yeah, sweetheart. Let’s go in.”

  We walked towards the front door and I pulled it open, leading us into a small reception area. There wasn’t anyone there but Simon Owens had told Dom that there probably wouldn’t be. Following the instructions we’d been given, Gracie and I walked down the hallway, past about four offices, until we found the third door on the left labeled ‘Lieutenant Simon Owens, 21st.’

  The door was open but I knocked on the frame anyway and the man sitting behind the desk looked up immediately. He smiled and stood from the desk, coming around with his arm outstretched.

  “Mr. Coleman. It’s good to see you again.”

  I cleared my throat and forced a smile to my face. “Thanks for having us. Grace can’t wait to meet her hero and see all of your equipment.” I looked down at Grace before glancing back at the man in front of us. “Dom caught a nasty case of strep so he asked if I could bring her instead. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Yeah, of course. I already told Jones that Grace was coming in.” He ducked down in front of Grace. “Hi. I’m Simon.”

  She grinned at him. “I’m Grace. Can I slide down the fireman pole?”