by Geri Foster
Sighing, he said, “Olivia, sweetheart, I understand this is hard for you. The past ten years have been… Well, you’ve been through a lot. And, when it comes to Griff, you have the right to your opinion. But yesterday, for the first time in your life, I was ashamed of the way you acted. Our friends noticed you were openly rude to Griff, and then me and David were left explaining to half the town why you ran off without saying goodbye to anyone, including your best friends.”
When he put it that way, she really felt horrible. She never wanted to make her dad ashamed of her. Her actions had been childish and selfish. She hadn’t taken into account what would happen to her dad and her brother. “Again, I’m sorry.”
“I accept your apology.” He paused a moment, then said, “Look, just drop off the notebook. I’ll find someone else to be the Emergency Coordinator. I’ll also make your excuses for Friday night dinner. I didn’t realize this would be so hard for you. I don’t regret choosing him for the position, because he is the best man for the job, but I won’t force you to interact with him if you really don’t want to.”
She closed her eyes and slumped against the hard wall of the hospital. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I love you, sweetheart. Go get lunch while you can. I’ll talk to you next week.”
* * *
Griff heard Theo on the phone and suspected Olivia might be on the other end. It saddened him that it had come to this so quickly. That it had come to this at all, really. Becoming Fire Chief in Rainwater had been his lifelong dream. He had the job and possibly his dream home, but nothing else seemed to be working out very well.
Theo and Olivia arguing was the last thing he wanted. She worshiped her dad and he hated that his being here was forcing a wedge between them. But that wasn’t his problem, right? He’d earned this position. He’d earned the trust and respect of the people in the town. What he hadn’t earned was her ire. Why couldn’t Olivia accept, after all this time, that what she saw was a complete misunderstanding?
Over the years, as the pain had started to soften, he’d come to understand how she could have pushed him away like she had. They’d been young and foolish and, if it were him seeing her with another man, thinking for even a minute that she would do that to him would have torn him to pieces. But, then, he would have remembered how much she loved him and that she would never do anything to hurt him.
Yet, it hadn’t taken much for her to believe the worst, no matter how many times or how many ways he’d tried to explain it. That had stung. To the very soul of him, that had stung. He’d thought she knew him, loved him, trusted him. But none of that was true.
At least, it hadn’t felt like it at the time. Before he came here, he’d thought, what if, over the years, she had come to understand some things too? What if, given space and time, her wounds had healed enough that she’d started to see past her hurt? Started to see what really happened and wanted a second chance to make things right? Saw that she did know him, did love him, and did trust him?
That’s what he’d hoped for when he came back to Rainwater, but that was not what happened. She hadn’t gotten over anything. Hadn’t seen things in a new light at all. That angered him at first, pained him all over, until he learned what had happened to her. Those two guys that had chewed her up and spit her out had ruined any chance for her to see that he had been telling the truth all along. If he was going to fight for her, it was going to be a long and hard road.
Hanging up, Theo saw him and approached. “I’m glad you took the time to come in and meet the rest of the guys. They’re a great bunch and you’ll get along fine. Let me introduce you around.”
“Are you sure now is the time? You seemed a little tense on the phone.”
“Nonsense.” He patted him on the back. “Just working some things out.”
He ushered him into the housing area of the station, which consisted of a living room area and a kitchen. Cots and showers were upstairs where they slept.
A young man with carrot red hair greeted him with a generous smile. “This is Steven Calkins. He’s our EMT. One of the best.” Theo pointed to the guy sitting next to him. “That’s Ross Kelley, he’s been here the longest.” The man carried a little too much around the stomach and his face was pitted with acne scars. He didn’t say a word of greeting, just nodded. Griff nodded in return, figuring that was enough of a welcome. They moved on. “In the kitchen is Beck Young and Cody Gates.” Cody was his height and weight, with cropped hair and a military bearing. Beck was shorter and stouter. One look at his grin told him he was the jokester of the group. They both smiled and raised their hands in greeting.
“I’m pleased to meet all of you,” he said. “And I look forward to us being a great team.”
“Usually Lonnie Bissett is hanging around here somewhere,” Theo commented, looking around. “He’s a young man who’s been in some trouble, but he wants to be a fireman. He just can’t pass the qualifications. He’s a good kid, though.”
He understood that. A lot of young men either wanted to be a cop or a fireman. He didn’t know if it was the excitement, the call to duty or just the way they were made.
Before the tour could continue, the four bells went off, the horn blew, and all six-red LED lights flashed. They had an emergency fire. Dispatch called over the PA system with the address of the fire and the possibility of people inside.
Everyone jumped to attention and within seconds the red truck backed out of the bay, heading toward the fire. He wasn’t officially on duty yet, but he suited up, slapped on a set of headphones, grabbed a helmet, and slid in behind Beck, who drove.
The EMT truck followed, sirens blaring as they rolled down Main Street toward Elm Lane. They turned into the neighborhood and the smell of smoke already permeated the air around them. Soon, he saw flames climbing toward the sky. They pulled up to the curb and everyone knew exactly what their roll was.
He connected the hose and opened the fire hydrant, then stepped aside and watched as his men went about doing what they did best. He kept his communication mic open, but Theo called the shots. He realized he could learn a lot from this old fireman. He was cautious, but he knew the personality of a fire, what to expect next and how to stay one step ahead of the blaze.
Within minutes they had everything under control and were going around putting out smaller fires. The occupants weren’t anywhere they could find. Finally, after a few minutes, Cody declared the house clear.
They’d all been lucky.
The structure wasn’t a complete loss either. If he were to guess, he’d point to an electrical fire in the attic. That seemed to be the starting point, but he couldn’t be sure.
Theo walked up and stood next to him. “So, how’d we do?”
He smiled his approval. “Great. Classic, textbook execution. They’re good.”
Theo beamed. “They’re a great crew.”
“I agree completely.” He narrowed his eyes. “Though, Kelley seemed a little slow to respond.”
“I suspect he’s got a little heartburn. Give him some time, he’ll come around. He applied for your job. Really disappointed he didn’t get it.” Theo patted him on the back. “Let’s get back to the station. I need a tall glass of iced tea.”
“Sounds good,” he said. Putting his hand on Theo’s shoulder, he held him back for a minute as the guys finished putting the gear away, “Actually, I wasn’t going to say anything, but now that I have you alone for a second, I overheard you talking to Olivia earlier.” He shook his head and stared at the tips of his rubber boots. “I didn’t mean to, Theo, but please don’t give her a hard time because of me. We had a pretty nasty break up and I know she harbors some hard feelings. I’m hoping in time she’ll get over it and we can be friends.”
Theo looked him in the eyes, his expression regretful. “I hate that I snapped at her like that. I don’t claim to know the ins and outs of what happened between you two, but I do know what went down with the last two good for nothings she got tangled up wi
th. I should cut her a bit more slack. But, Griff, I know you too. And, unless you tell me otherwise, you don’t deserve the anger she threw at you. You going to tell me otherwise?”
He held his stare for a long moment, then, said, “Not my place to tell you anything she didn’t want to share herself but, no sir, I don’t deserve it.”
“That’s what I thought.” Sighing, he rubbed his hand over his face. “She’s a surgical nurse, you know, and her job is really demanding. I reckon she didn’t get lunch today because I argued with her. That means no break until she’s finished with her shift. Knowing her like I do, I’d lay money on the fact she didn’t have supper last night, either.”
“She’s pretty stubborn.”
Theo shook his head. “And here I thought her mama was a hellion.” They chuckled as they headed for the Chief’s car and he felt relieved that they’d gotten it all out in the open.
He stayed at the station the rest of the day, familiarizing himself with the equipment, procedures and the crew. He left for home at the same time Theo did, only he planned to come back later to talk to those on the night shift. The men rotated with only two coming in after regular hours—John Stacy and Monty Green.
At home, his mom made a delicious dinner of his favorites, Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and corn, with homemade rolls. After clearing the table, he’d just closed the dishwasher door when the doorbell rang.
Wiping his hands on a cup towel, he said, “I’ll get it, Mom.”
Opening the door, he was shocked to see Olivia standing there, still wearing her blue scrubs. “Hi,” he said, neutrally, holding the door open. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
She held up a three-inch binder that read Emergency Management Coordination. “Do you have time to go over this?”
Surprised she’d shown up at his door after yesterday and from what he’d gathered from his side of the conversation she’d had with her dad, he didn’t know what to think. Having overheard them, his mother squeezed in between them and the door. “Hello, Olivia. How are you?”
Olivia smiled genuinely. “I’m fine, Ann. You?”
“Oh, I can’t complain.” She jabbed him in the ribs. “Well, you going to let her in or what?”
He opened the door wider and waved her inside. She hesitated briefly before stepping over the threshold. She was clearly nervous and, he expected she would rather be anywhere than on his doorstep. After her conversation with her dad, he guessed guilt had brought her here. No matter. She was here now.
“Come on in. We can go over it at the dining room table.”
Chapter 5
Inside Griff’s house was the very last place Olivia wanted to be, but she couldn’t disappoint her dad. Griff succeeding meant the world to him. It gave her dad credibility with the Council and solidified his retirement in peace.
She couldn’t be the one who spoiled that for him. Her dad had worked hard for Rainwater and he only wanted to walk away with his head high and to go fishing without worrying about the next emergency.
As painful as it might be, she’d do anything to make that happen.
She followed Griff into the dining room, where he shoved aside the table runner and floral arrangement. He pulled out a chair for her and took the one next to it.
Being this close to him didn’t help her nerves. As a matter of fact, inwardly, she seemed to be fighting a battle between staying and just getting it over with and running out the door so fast one would think her shoes sprouted wings.
Swallowing her discomfort, she placed the notebook between them and opened the folder. For several minutes she went over the things they’d put into action to help the town evacuate if necessary. Who took over medical care, how emergency vehicles were utilized, and that the High School was established as a holding center if possible. Were it cut off from the town they had the police station and the fire department.
“You might want to change some things to make it better,” she commented when she was done with the basics.
He flipped through the pages. “Looks pretty good to me.”
She bit her lip, then blurted, “I’d like you to find someone else to be the coordinator.”
He leaned closer, studying her, and she inhaled a deep breath. “You’ve been doing a good job so far. I know what I said yesterday, but if you have the time then I don’t see why it shouldn’t be you.”
“Are you EMT certified?”
He scrunched his brow, but nodded.
“That means we only have three medical personnel. One of your firemen, Steven, you and me. It’s hard for me to be a coordinator and take care of those needing medical treatment. While you’re medically trained, you’ll be supervising the entire operation along with David, Lucas and Austin, so really that leaves only Steven to take care of the medical treatment.”
He remained quiet for several minutes before he said, “I’d hate to lose you.” When he didn’t continue right away after that admission her breath caught in her throat. His eyes roamed her face, his eyes softening, and a small smile lifted one side of his mouth. Settling on her eyes, he held her gaze for a minute then leaned back, taking a deep breath. Finally, he added, “Since there isn’t anyone as familiar with this notebook as you.”
Dazed for a second, she forced out, “I could train someone.”
“Any suggestions?”
“I was thinking of Nancy Wigan, but now that she’s expecting, I don’t think she needs the added stress. Plus, I don’t think Jeff will let her.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, he seems pretty protective.”
“He loves her dearly.”
Rather than commenting, he looked away. “Anyone else?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“Okay.” Looking back at her, he asked, “Will you agree to continue on until we find someone else? And help me find someone too, actually?”
She glanced down at her hands, twisting them in her lap. “I guess.”
He closed the notebook and shoved it back to her. “I think you’ve done a great job on this. I’m not sure we can replace you, but I do agree that you need to be available to those needing medical help.”
She chewed her bottom lip, eyeing the notebook as if it’d suddenly became too hot for her to touch. “So, why don’t you keep the notebook and make the necessary changes?”
“I won’t change a thing except having someone else be the coordinator. And the only reason I’ll do that is because you’re right, you’ll be better served as a nurse with us so understaffed in that area.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Neither of them spoke or moved for a minute and he chuckled. “Okay,” he drew out the word, then, pushed the notebook towards her. “Hold on to it until we decide who’s going to take your place. That’ll be a decision we make together. You know what the job requires.”
She nodded and stood, shoving back her chair, a little off kilter at the change in atmosphere. “I have to go. I haven’t had dinner yet.”
Standing, he shoved the palms of his hands in his back pockets. “We’ve plenty of leftovers.”
She shook her head, confused at his open demeanor when just a little while ago he was tense and restrained. “Thanks,” she said hesitantly. “But I have a frozen pizza calling my name.”
Ann came in and she jumped a little, having pretty much forgotten they weren’t alone. “It wouldn’t take but a minute to fix you a plate, Olivia.”
“I can’t intrude like that. But thank you very much.”
The house smelled unbelievably delicious but she wasn’t about to sit down and eat his food. No, she’d appease her dad and do what she could to get things lined up for Griff to take over, but it all ended there.
She quickly made her way to the door before her stomach betrayed her and dragged her back to the table. Her mouth was already watering so badly, she had to leave before drool started sliding down her chin.
She stepped outside and, hearing the door close behind her, took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry.”
She stiffened instantly, realizing Griff had followed her out. Glancing over her shoulder, she wrinkled her brow. “Why are you sorry?”
“I overheard Theo and you arguing today. I felt that was because of me.”
She shook her head and glanced away. “It was because I was being rude. My dad doesn’t like that and he let me know. And you know what?” She turned to face him fully. “He was right. Whatever happened between us, it was a long time ago. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did and I’m sorry.”
He came closer. Close enough she captured the scent of him.
“I’d hoped you and I would’ve gotten off to a better start.” She bit her bottom lip and he stared at her mouth for a long second before he continued. “I’d really hoped we could be friends, clear the air. Perhaps, maybe, fix what went wrong between us. But,” he paused, gauging her reaction. “I’m not sure that’s something you want.”
She thought about that for a minute, but then shook her head. “I don’t know, Griff. I just don’t know that I can be around you and not be angry about everything that happened. And I know that’s not entirely fair, because I have a lot of baggage when it comes to men and you are getting the brunt of that, but part of that baggage is because of you. What you did to me…” He opened his mouth to speak and she held her hand up. “Before you say anything, I just can’t hear it one more time. I can’t hear your excuses one more time and I’m not going to apologize for that. Perhaps, if certain things hadn’t happened later, then maybe I could be more forgiving. But right now, I don’t have much faith in the male population.”
He studied her for a beat, then took a step back, putting his hands in his pockets. “With good cause, from what I hear. But I’m not Clint Butler. I’m not that other guy either.”
“No, no you’re not. You’re the guy who had my heart first and broke it into a million pieces when you decided I wasn’t enough for you.”