“Oh, I get it. It really stinks to feel like an outsider, like you don’t really belong. I mean, the Christmas when I was six years old, every one of my cousins got presents at our Christmas parties except me. Santa forgot me…twice.”
“What? That’s awful. My family is not what you would call functional, but my abuela spoils us all at Christmastime. She can’t afford it, but she will make sure everyone has presents. How could Santa forget you?”
He tried to shrug away the weird sting of the old memory. “It was the first holiday after Mom and Gary married and I was adopted. There was a little confusion about the family parties. At the Zimmermans on Christmas Eve, all the grandkids have presents under the tree that my Grandma buys for us. But they didn’t think Mom and I were coming. They were still a little hurt that Mom remarried. Anyway, there wasn’t anything under the tree for me. And with such a crazy number of gifts and people, no one noticed until Grandma gave me my present a few days later.”
“And the Dahlquists?”
“They had hired a Santa. But the mother of each child was the one that actually picked out and bought the gifts for their own kid. It was my mom’s first time there and she didn’t know. So, Santa came and he had a present in his bag for everyone there—except me.”
“You must have been devastated!”
“I was convinced I did something to be on Santa’s naughty list. But don’t worry, my older cousin Tracy set me straight. Said it was because I wasn’t really part of the family. I was only adopted. And since I didn’t have a present at the Zimmermans’ party, I concluded that I didn’t belong there either.”
Ronnie frowned. “I don’t think I like Tracy.”
Peter bumped her elbow. “Careful. Don’t want to say that too loud. That’s her son over there.”
She laughed. “So, I guess you can have a huge family and still not have a place to belong, huh?”
Maybe like Tiago, they all wanted a place to fit in. And for some strange reason, he wanted Deep Haven to be that place for her.
Before he could say anything, Vivien came up to them. “I’m going to need your help. Both of you.”
Ronnie sat up straight, almost panicked. “Don’t expect me to get onstage. I have no acting skills at all.”
Made sense. She was blunt. Direct. Nothing pretentious about Veronica Morales at all.
But the calculated look on Vivien’s face worried him. She was scheming again. “Can you build?”
“I know my way around power tools,” Ronnie said.
“Great, then you and Peter can build the set. I’ll get you some sketches and ideas.”
More time with Ronnie?
Finally, one of Vivien’s schemes that he didn’t mind at all.
Ronnie slurped her creamy coffee drink as she walked between the yellow fire trucks. The move to Deep Haven was worth it for the amazing Java Cup iced mochas alone. But it didn’t hurt that Tiago was actually excited for play practice today too. Vivien was going to have the cast list ready. He was hoping to get a part as one of the Sharks.
It was nice to see him excited about something again. It had been way too long. And now that she was getting to know the town, she was ready to attack her job with gusto. All in all, not too shabby for a Monday morning.
Ronnie headed to the office in the back of the fire hall. Time to see which chopper Peter chose. Now there was something to get excited about. The helicopter would be such a big step to bringing this Crisis Response Team into the current century.
And any excitement about working with Peter was just because she was making progress in getting along with her work partner. Finding out he was single didn’t change anything.
Well, not much.
She turned past the last pump truck. The office door was open. Peter sat behind a desk, papers and piles all around him. The man needed help organizing his stuff, but it was the dejected look on his face that tugged on her heart.
She should’ve brought him coffee too.
“Hey, Zuko. What’s going on?”
Peter’s head snapped up. “Hey. What are you doing here so early?” He obviously tried to wipe all traces of whatever he was dealing with off his face and cover it up, but his tight smile didn’t come close to reaching his eyes.
So maybe she’d go easy on him. “I wanted to come in early and get started on the training schedule.” She dropped her messenger bag—the closest thing she’d ever get to a purse—on the other desk in the cramped office. It was just their two desks for now, one long fluorescent light above, a scuffed-up old file cabinet, and on the other side of Peter’s desk, probably the most uncomfortable plastic chair ever. But once they got a headquarters, they’d have a much better setup.
Another thing to look forward to.
“So, why do you look like your dog just ran away? Did you lose a dance off or something, Travolta?”
“Uh, not sure what you’re talking about. Just going through some paperwork.” He started moving stacks of paper from one pile to another, but his smile slipped even further.
Forget going easy. She did better with blunt. “Peter, I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this, but you’re a terrible liar.” She plopped in her office chair and spun it to face him. “Spill it.”
“Really, I’m fine.”
So he was going to be difficult. “Did you decide on which helicopter we’re getting? It’s Monday. Your deadline.”
It almost sounded like he groaned. But it could’ve been a creak from the chair.
His mouth stayed shut and he didn’t look at her.
“Peter, you said you would decide—”
“I know. And I did.”
“What’s the problem then?”
He sighed. “It was all set. Had the chopper picked out and everything.”
“Great, so which one did you pick?”
“It doesn’t matter. Because at church Darek Christiansen talked to me about getting this other helo he knew from when he was a hotshot. And then at breakfast this morning at the cafe, Kyle and Pastor Dan were talking about a different one, better for remote area recovery and medical evacuations. So maybe we should get that one.”
Ronnie shook her head. “At the Hagborg fire and the gravel pit, you were decisive. You organized your crew. Made quick choices. You decide stuff all the time. Why is this any different?”
He leaned his head back and blew out a long breath. “I don’t know. I thought I had it nailed down.”
He really did carry the weight of the world on those magnificent shoulders, didn’t he? She rolled her chair over and joined him at his desk. Maybe she didn’t need to push him as much as encourage. “Okay, so which helicopter did you decide on before you talked to everyone?”
“I was thinking the Bell 429. It’s got everything we need. It’s a pretty common chopper for SAR teams.”
“Then what’s wrong with that one?”
“Nothing. It’s just not as heavy-duty as the one Darek was talking about. Or as fast as the Leonardo AW119 that they use for medevac that Dan wants.”
But that wasn’t what was stopping him. She had to dig a little deeper. “Why are you so afraid to make this decision?”
“I’m not afraid.”
She quirked an eyebrow.
He met her stare. “I’m not. I just…”
As much as she wanted to push, she held her tongue.
“I really respect Darek and Kyle and Dan. I should take what they say into consideration. And I hate the thought of disappointing one of them.”
He was worried about that? Didn’t the guy see that he was perfectly capable of making this choice on his own? “People are disappointed all the time. They’ll get over it.”
He huffed. “You make it sound easy. It’s not.”
“Peter, you’re an intelligent guy. You’ve obviously spent a lot of time researching these different choppers. At this point just go with your gut.”
His forehead wrinkled as he took in her words. “What if my gut is wrong?”
/>
“Having something here is better than nothing. And until you decide, we have nothing.”
“I know. Believe me, I know. But it has to be the right one. I don’t want to cause any conflict.”
Bingo. There was the passion in his eyes he usually kept hidden.
“What’s so bad about conflict?”
“You’re kidding, right? Uh, it’s fighting. Fighting is bad.”
“No, it’s not. Not always. Conflict can often bring issues to the surface so they can be dealt with. Most of the fighters I know are fighting things like injustice, disease, illness.”
“Yeah, but fighting between people? People I care about? I just can’t be a part of that.”
“Peter, if you think the Bell is the way to go, choose that one. I’m sure those other guys have good intentions, but you are the one who researched all the options and looked at it from every angle. If you were going for that one before you talked to everyone else, do that. You’ve got good instincts.”
She could see his mind working. He flipped through the papers in his hand, schematics for choppers. He read over the top sheet. Then he set them back down on his desktop and turned to look at her again. “All right. We’re getting the Bell 429.”
Finally. A choice. “The Bell 429. Good job.”
His stare softened. The quiet in the room grew thick as she held his gaze. “But you better watch out there, Morales,” he said with a smirk.
“Why?”
His challenge, something in that smirk, did have her quaking just a bit.
“I think you just complimented me twice in one morning. You might be losing your touch.”
She laughed with relief.
He smiled a real smile—the kind that made his eyes crinkle and showed off perfectly straight teeth.
And wow, did she want to see that again.
Before she could make any sense out of the little flip her stomach had just performed, Seb Brewster knocked on the doorframe of the open office door. “Just the two I wanted to see.”
Peter stood to shake his hand. “Hey, Seb. What’s up? Take a seat.”
The mayor looked down at the orange plastic chair. “Yeah, I think I’ll stand.”
Peter leaned back in his chair again, relaxed, a remnant of his smile still there. “What can we do for you today?”
But Seb turned toward her. “I know we met briefly at the pit fire the other night, Ronnie, but I wanted to come and formally introduce myself. See how you were settling in.” He held out a hand.
Her senses went into high-alert mode. Something was off. She shook his hand with a firm squeeze so he would know he wasn’t dealing with some simpering female or weakling. “I’m settling in fine. It’s a great town.”
Seb nodded. “Yeah, it is.” He cleared his throat, looking a little uncomfortable. “Since I’m here as mayor on official business, I also need to address a couple things.”
That didn’t sound good. Ronnie braced herself but stayed quiet.
“As you know, you were hired with a ninety-day probationary period. I want to make sure you’re a good fit for Deep Haven and that Deep Haven is a good fit for you. If we don’t see that this is mutually beneficial, we’ll need to part ways.”
“Yes, that was my understanding. So, what’s the problem?” Ronnie lifted her chin, ready to take whatever he threw at her.
“You’ve been here, what, a week?”
She nodded.
“I’ve heard from Sheila Chase about how you saved Jordyn’s life. She’s talking about getting first responder certified now too. And I saw Gust in the hospital. He can’t thank you enough.”
Oh, so maybe it wasn’t bad news?
“But—” Seb continued.
Of course. There was a but.
“I’ve had two written complaints come across my desk as well.”
“Complaints? From who?”
“I’ve had formal complaints from Charlie Zimmerman and Gretchen Riggs.”
Ronnie wanted to punch something. But before she could form any words on her tongue, Peter stood up. His demeanor remained calm and cool. “Seb, come on, man. Ronnie just got here. She’s still learning the town, and you know Charlie. He probably has complaints filed weekly about one thing or another.”
Huh?
Peter was standing up for her?
But Seb didn’t look convinced. “I can’t ignore these complaints. And it was pretty obvious at the pit fire that some of the parents were not comfortable having you treat their children.”
Ronnie stood too. “If you mean Elton Zimmerman…” Because she knew that would come back again at some point.
Seb didn’t budge. His gaze stayed fixed on her. “I mean quite a few parents.”
“But they don’t even know me, or what I’m capable of!”
Peter popped in again. “Seb, she saved Gust’s life. She saved Jordyn’s life. Jordyn wasn’t breathing. If not for Ronnie—”
“Jensen and I could’ve administered NARCAN—”
“But you weren’t there! You both left,” Ronnie said. “And you didn’t bother to tell me. I only knew because I watched you leave.” Where was the teamwork in that?
Peter interjected again. “Let’s be honest. Those parents never gave Ronnie a chance. Some are simply loyal to Kirby Hueston and wouldn’t like anybody but Kirby taking the job. But Ronnie has the experience we need. You should see her training schedule. She’s already updating our website and getting volunteers signed up. She deserves a fair chance.”
How Peter could stay so collected was beyond her. But his steady and even voice finally seemed to be getting through to the mayor. Somehow it even seemed to soothe her nerves.
Seb held up his hands in surrender. “I’m not saying I’m firing anybody at this time. I just need to address these concerns and make sure you all understand what’s at stake here.”
Peter nodded in understanding. “I’ll help Ronnie get to know the town better. She just needs a little time, a few introductions. And like you said, there are people that are already on her side. Like Sheila and Gust.”
“That’s true. And no one is going anywhere right now. Just work on it, Ronnie. I’d like to see you stay. But…”
The weight of all he implied landed squarely on her chest.
But a little pressure would not break her. Seb didn’t know that now, but he would. “You have my word, I will do my best to fit in here. I want to make this Crisis Response Team the best we can.”
Because somehow in a little over a week, she was falling for this town. Maybe it was just the changes she saw in Tiago, or the people like Megan and Vivien and Peter she had met. But she would give this everything she had. Tiago needed it. And yeah, she wanted it.
She wanted it more than she craved another Java Cup iced mocha with extra whipped cream—and then some.
Chapter 8
Peter stood before the shiny new-to-them Bell 429 helicopter.
“Well, what do you think?” Adrian asked. “Slick, huh?”
“Yeah.” Peter lost all words. This hulking two-rotor chopper was the biggest thing he’d ever been responsible for choosing. And he still wasn’t sure it was the right choice. A four-million-dollar choice. He swallowed hard, followed Adrian up to the door, and stepped inside. “You sure it’s got everything? I mean, it’s only been a little over a week since I signed off on it.”
“We lucked out. The company had this ready for another SAR team that had to back out at the last minute. They just added our logo and the few upgrades you requested.” Adrian pointed to the pilot area. “It’s got the latest GPS navigation and weather reporting electronics, touchscreen controls, and an awesome communication system.”
Looked like a whole lot of buttons, knobs, and gauges. How did anyone fly this thing and understand what they all did?
Adrian moved to the cabin. “There’s plenty of room for equipment and the cot back here. Up to seven passengers can fit if we need to. We added a bunch of medical stuff—I don’t even know w
hat it is, but I’m sure Ronnie does. Oh, and check this out!” He jumped down out of the cabin and ran to the back of the helicopter. Peter had never seen Adrian Vassos this giddy. “You can load the cot through these clam shell doors back here. It’s easy enough that one person can do it if needed. Nice, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s great,” Peter said through the tightening of his chest.
Adrian continued. “And we have this new tug to move the helicopter in and out of the hangar. It’s really easy to use. Which is good considering how tight it is in here. Hopefully we can figure out a headquarters with more space to store this baby and we won’t have to rent from the airport for long.”
“Especially since it’s a bit of a hike to get up here.” Being situated north of the Evergreen Resort, it was still a twelve-minute drive uphill from the fire hall. He’d clocked it on the way up. In an emergency, those were precious minutes lost.
“I’m sure Cole and Seb will get that figured out soon. And they’re already looking at pilots.”
A black SUV pulled up outside. Ronnie. Her jaw dropped as she got out of her car and came in through the open hangar door.
“Whoa. This is our new helicopter?” The awe in her voice was nothing compared to what reflected in her eyes. “This is the big surprise, Peter?”
Peter nodded and watched as she walked up in her usual workout-inspired outfit—leggings, fitted athletic shirt, and running shoes. But today her hair hung straight. No ponytail. It softened her whole countenance, and seeing her excited made everything a little bit better.
Adrian gave her the same run-through. None of his enthusiasm waned as he explained all the features and gadgets again. Ronnie inspected the medical equipment. Finally, something she couldn’t fault about being outdated. She hopped down out of the cabin. “Now this is what I’m talking about. Look at it, Peter. Isn’t it amazing?”
“It’s something.”
“Don’t tell me you’re still not sure about choosing this one. It’s perfect! It’s the right mix of power and speed and capacity.” She looked up at the tail section, the pine tree and lake Crisis Response Team logo reflecting the sunlight that streamed in. “And it’s shiny.”
Crazy for You Page 11