Laura gasped. “But, that’s ridiculous. What does he propose, just firing all of you? We need you all more than ever now. They should be hiring back the ones already laid off. Isn’t your union doing something about this?”
Thayne’s jaw clenched. “The mayor’s office is blaming the fact that we’re spread so thin on us and not mentioning the layoffs, of course. The union isn’t real helpful if the mayor privatizes the firehouse crews. I mean, what can they do about that? They’ve been fighting with him ever since he took office. The new consultant said the fire marshal needs to be replaced and that if we can’t figure out how to stop fires, we should be as well.”
“Guess I wasn’t the only one who had a rough day because of Tony.” Standing from the table, Laura took Thayne’s head in her arms and hugged him to her chest. “We need to get the word out to the city, tell people how the mayor cut the department funding back and that’s the reason you can’t handle the arsonist. Maybe we could start a blog and a Facebook page, get people involved.”
And I’m newly out of a job. I could do this. We have to fight it. I might not want Thayne involved in fires, but I’ll be damned if I let the mayor and Tony ruin his good name and chase him out of his profession.
“We’ll work it out,” she said, leaning down to kiss Thayne. “Somehow, we’ll stop them. You should get a hold of the fire marshal and tell him how the fires started when Tony arrived in town. If it’s him, we have to stop him.”
Thayne stroked her cheek but shook his head. “I love how passionate you are about helping me, but I can’t take this to him. We have no proof. Probably a lot of people came to town shortly before this started, and being an asshole doesn’t necessarily make Tony a criminal.”
“You could tell Captain Smith,” Laura insisted. “Let him decide whether it’s worth mentioning to anyone else.”
Thayne stood. “I will. Tomorrow when I go in for my shift. As far as tonight, I have other plans.” Unexpectedly, Thayne swept his arm beneath Laura’s knees, slinging her up as though he would carry her across a threshold.
She clutched his shoulders. “What are you doing?”
Marching toward the bedroom, Thayne grinned. “We tried out the recliner, now I’m ready to test the mattress again.”
“Test it, huh?” She loved how hot he was for her. It was a new experience, but one she would never tire of.
“Sure,” he agreed, kicking the bedroom door the rest of the way open and startling Snips, who had been sleeping on the bed.
As Snips tore out of the room, Thayne tossed Laura down and then landed on top of her, pinning her to the bed and kissing her deeply. “We have to make sure the mattress will hold up well, no matter what position we find ourselves in.”
Laura stroked Thayne’s tight ass and kissed him deeply. “Okay, Thor, show me what that hammer can do.”
“Well, first you have to stroke it.” Thayne licked along her neck before moving down toward her breasts. “Even the most powerful rod needs to warm up.”
***
Laura had fallen into a deep sleep, a soft snore sneaking from her mouth every few breaths.
Thayne wished he could sleep as easily. He was exhausted from their passion, but his mind would not turn off and let him rest.
What if it was Tony setting the fires? What would be in it for the man? Surely the mayor wasn’t paying him so much money that killing people was worth it. Even assholes usually had brains and wouldn’t risk their freedom just to get a job.
Then again, one never knew about people striving for a political career. Just look at the mayor. He’d been all smiles and promises while campaigning, never mentioning what his real plan was to cut taxes or how it would put everyone in danger.
Thayne rolled over restlessly, and Laura mumbled her displeasure. He needed to get out of bed before he woke her. She’d had a rough day. Thankfully, she hadn’t gone into full-blown panic mode, not even when he told her about the injured firefighter. She truly was making an effort at getting well. Maybe admitting she was never in love with Brian had helped her some in that regard, as she let go of her guilt and moved forward.
He snuck out of the bed and quietly wrapped himself in a robe, sneaking from the bedroom door and shutting it with a soft click. In the darkness, something furry rubbed against his leg, frightening him momentarily until he figured out it was Snips.
Upon walking into the kitchen, it was still a mess from dinner. Thayne cleaned quickly, hoping the clanking didn’t wake Laura, but needing to keep his hands busy. It was only a bit after nine o’clock. Maybe he could get a hold of Captain Smith and talk to him about Laura’s theory.
Once he loaded the dishwasher, Thayne wiped his hands on a dishtowel and snagged his phone from the counter. Before second-guessing himself, he connected to the captain’s number.
Someone answered on the second ring. “Wilson can’t come to the phone right now,” Smith’s wife said in a breathless voice. “You can have him tomorrow, Thayne. Tonight is my time.”
In the background, Captain Smith chuckled. “Give me the phone, Karen. Thayne never calls for nothing, and you were done with me anyway.”
Thayne held in a groan. He should have sent a text message first.
“Hey,” Captain Smith said. “What’s wrong?”
“Maybe nothing,” Thayne admitted. “Sorry for interrupting, uh...”
“Karen’s happy time?” Smith supplied with a hearty laugh. “It was down to afterglow, so don’t worry. Now, why did you call?”
Not wanting to think about the couple’s happy time, Thayne spoke quickly. “Laura lost her job today, and it was sort of weird what happened.”
“I’m sorry, son, but I don’t have a position for a vet tech. We don’t even have a dog at the station anymore.”
Thayne rolled his eyes, glad the captain couldn’t see him. “I’m not asking you to give her a job. She has a theory about who could be setting the fires. I’m not sure I should even bother you with it, but I assume you saw the news reports today about the mayor’s new consultant?”
“Bah,” Smith replied. “That little upstart won’t challenge our jobs. The trick is, we have to get the word out as to why we can’t handle the work strain. I have a news crew coming to the station tomorrow to interview us. That’ll fix that little prick. Trying to say we aren’t doing our jobs. What an asshole.”
“Wilson!” Karen said in the background, clearly disapproving.
“Sorry, dear.”
The little byplay made Thayne smile. He could imagine that as himself and Laura in another thirty years. Her complaining about something he said, all the while not really meaning it, but needing to be proper at their older age. Laura would be gorgeous as she aged. Nice cheekbones and a great ass. Plus, hips like hers would never stop being sexy.
“Did you hear me, Thayne?” Captain Smith sounded frustrated. Obviously Thayne spent too long fantasizing about Laura’s assets.
“Sorry, Captain. I was distracted. Let me tell you about Tony. He’s the guy Laura was with at the bar that night I got shitfaced drunk, and even she thinks there’s something off about him. He’s actually her old boss’s sister, which they lied about at first. Plus, he came to town right around the time the fires started.”
Quickly, Thayne explained Laura’s suspicions, ending with the fact that he was supposed to be a business consultant, and yet now had somehow become an investigator as well.
“That’s not much to go on,” Captain Smith said, unimpressed.
“I know.” Thayne sighed and scrubbed his hand over his head. “Damn it. We can’t let this arsonist win. If Darwina Jones dies after being trapped in that fire, that’s murder. We have to catch him.”
“And save our jobs,” Captain Smith said, seeming more concerned about that than the injured firewoman. “The news report should help that.”
“Laura said she knew how to start a blog and stuff. She thinks spreading the word is a good idea as well. Let the city know what the mayor has done.”
“That would be great.” He sounded excited. “Can she set all that up before the news crews come tomorrow evening? If we can give them a place to go for more information, maybe we can turn the public opinion to us sooner and stop the mayor from ruining our jobs and our lives.”
It would give Laura a purpose, and she needed that right now until she was able to find a job. Plus, Thayne didn’t know much about using the internet or even how to set up a blog. They needed someone savvier than he was to do it.
“I’m sure she’ll work on it first thing in the morning,” he agreed. “Think about Tony as a suspect, though. It might be a long shot, but if he’s the one doing this, we can’t let him be in charge of what happens to our department.”
“Don’t worry, Thayne. I’m taking your suspicions seriously,” Captain Smith assured him. “I’ll speak with the fire marshal and the other captains tomorrow, just in case. No sense not looking into him. He certainly has something to gain by the fires destroying our department.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Thayne said. “Is it possible those private companies are giving him money to get them installed here in Sayle? We could be talking millions if that were the case. It might even be worth a murder or two.”
“Yes, it could,” Smith agreed. “Money is a powerful motivator. Thanks for telling me about him. I’ll take it from here.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
I sure hope this helps. Thayne hasn’t seemed himself today. He’s worried, which worries me. He didn’t even try to get in my pants, and now he has to go to work soon.
Sitting at the kitchen table with Thayne’s laptop in front of her, Laura put the finishing touches on the new ‘Save The Sayle Fire Department’ blog page. Luckily, when Thayne had called some of his buddies, they sent photos for her to post and gave stories about all the good things they had done for the community. Laura researched the private company that Tony was looking to hire. They’d bring in all their own people, putting a lot of citizens out of work. Plus, they wouldn’t be locals, no ties to the community. Laura hoped that was enough to make the people worry about things changing.
Thayne walked into the room, smelling fresh from his shower, but still scowling. “Captain Smith left a message on my phone.”
Laura nodded, hitting publish. “I meant to tell you it rang while you were in the bathroom.”
“Well, he wants me to come in an hour early to meet with the news crew, and he wants you there too. He thinks it would be best if you explained where people can go for more information, especially since you also have all the stories from different firefighters now. He thinks you’d be good on camera.”
That was flattering. She’d only met the captain a few times in passing and then saw him at the apartment fire. She was happy he took her concerns about Tony seriously, and now was willing to let her help in any way she could.
“That sounds good.”
“It does?” Thayne leaned over her shoulder to look at the laptop screen, the smell of his aftershave tickling her senses. “I thought it might be too much stress.”
“Do you not want me to do it?”
Laura knew she had no reason to feel insecure, but she couldn’t help worrying that Thayne was still ashamed about her weight and her looks. Did he not want her on camera because they might mention she was his girlfriend, and everyone would see how far down he’d stepped to date her?
Thayne shrugged. “If you’re up to it, it’s a good idea. I’ll go on camera with you for moral support if you want.” He turned his head and brushed dry lips against her cheek. “If nothing else, I can hold your hand, so Tony gets the idea that you’re mine when he sees the story.”
Yep. Time for me to stop being so damn paranoid.
Laura reached her arm around Thayne’s head and turned to meet his lips with hers. The thrill of his nearness got her, as always, and she sighed deeply when they broke apart. “That sounds like a plan.”
“Captain will be happy,” Thayne said, standing upright. “If you’re done with the computer stuff, you’d better get ready. We need to leave in a half hour.”
Despite what Vicky said, I can’t doubt Thayne again. He is claiming me publicly. We are a couple, and I’m ready to be happy. The past is behind us, and I can’t wait to see how our future works out.
***
Thayne watched Laura nervously as she spoke to the reporter, rehearsing what it was she would say when they filmed. While the young man questioning her seemed supportive and Laura looked relaxed, Thayne worried things would change when the camera started rolling.
He stroked her palm with his thumb, and she flashed a quick smile.
“I’m okay. I promise.”
Thayne nodded. It was hard actively putting her under stress, knowing what a mess she could become when having a panic attack. His shift started in twenty minutes, and there was already a house fire blazing out on East Talcum Drive. He’d have to go relieve the crew working it, even if Laura had a break down.
Captain Smith came into the living quarters from upstairs, walking toward Thayne. “I need to talk to you.”
Thayne shook his head. “It’ll have to wait. They’re getting ready to record Laura’s segment.”
Captain Smith’s bushy gray eyebrows narrowed. “The fire marshal is upstairs and wants to talk to you. Now.”
Laura removed her hand from his and waved him away from her. “Go. Maybe it’s about Tony. I’m fine here. You have work to do. Don’t let me get in the way.”
Leaning across to kiss her, Thayne decided he had to trust her. She knew how much strain she could take. Things would be fine. “Don’t leave without talking to me,” he said. “I’ll have to go to that fire, but I won’t go before saying goodbye.”
Although Laura smiled, Thayne could see the strain in her face. It wasn’t going on camera and the news stressing her out, it was Thayne having to work. He hoped she could handle everything and didn’t end up having a panic attack because he was heading to a fire.
He turned his attention to Smith. “I’m all yours, Captain.”
With a grunt, he turned back to the stairs, leading the way.
Frankie and Carlos lounged on the couch, laughing at something on Carlos’s phone.
“Hey,” Thayne called. “I’ve been summoned upstairs. Keep an eye on Laura, will ya?”
Both young men flashed a thumbs up but returned their attention to the phone. Hopefully, Frankie at least would pull himself away and go to Laura. Now that Frankie had gotten over his cockiness and understood life a bit better, he’d warmed up to her. Thayne knew he cared about her, simply because she mattered so much to Thayne.
As he topped the last step and rounded the corner, he heard Frankie call out, “Hey, Laura. I’m standing in for your man. That cool?”
Laura’s tinkling laughter drifted up the stairs. “Only temporarily. There’s no substitute for the real thing.”
“Close the door,” a gruff voice barked out.
Thayne hurried to do as ordered, looking across the room to where the fire chief and three shift captains sat with the fire marshal, Bradley Fern. Sterling was also present, his normally jovial grin absent.
“We are in a crisis,” Fern said as Thayne took one of the empty chairs. “Wilson says you have a theory about Tony Carlton being too involved with the mayor’s office and the changes proposed in the EMS field. Tell me about him, because from what I understand, you have an axe to grind with the man. The detectives working the case don’t want to waste their time on this hair-brained theory. Tell me why I should.”
Thayne gulped hard, trying to moisten his dry mouth. He’d only talked to the fire marshal a handful of times in the past. He was an intimidating man with a gun on his hip and a hard glint in his gaze. “Sir, it is true Tony was trying to move in on my woman, but I feel I'm objective about my suspicions.” Carefully, thinking about each word first, he repeated the discussion he’d had with Laura the night before. “It is only conjecture, but it could fit.”
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br /> The man nodded. “You can go.”
Thayne rushed from the room, feeling grateful that was all he had to do.
If Tony was innocent, Thayne felt a bit guilty for sicking a man like Fern on him. Then again, the bastard was trying to take away Thayne’s job and wanted his woman. Perhaps he didn’t feel so bad after all.
***
Thank goodness that’s over. Maybe Frankie will back off now.
The young firefighter had hovered over her like a hen worried about her chick during the entire interview. Then again, had Thayne been in the room, he’d have been no better. It was an unusual feeling having so many people worry about her, especially after spending so much time secluded and alone.
“Great interview,” the newscaster said. “Just write down the link to your blog and Facebook page, and I have all I need. The story will air tomorrow. My boss has agreed to run it as the top story all day.”
“Wow.” That surprised her. She figured the story would be a two-second clip, just to appease Captain Smith’s wish for a fair chance to be heard. She didn’t expect the news station to air something so obviously against the mayor and his plans.
The man grinned. “His dad was a firefighter. Plus, he doesn’t like that little pipsqueak, as my boss calls the mayor’s new consultant, taking away jobs that belong in our community.”
“Sounds like my Facebook page may have its first fan,” Laura said. And exactly the reaction I had hoped to receive.
The newscaster nodded. “Most people I know support the firefighters. We won’t let this happen. This is our city. I can’t believe the mayor laid off so many workers without there being an uprising before this.”
Laura shrugged. “Unfortunately, it was kept quiet from the public. Thanks for helping us, and thank your boss too.”
As the reporter and his cameraman walked out of the station, strong arms circled Laura’s waist, and Thayne hugged her to his chest.
Blazing Love Page 16