I’d wanted to talk more with them, but I hadn’t been able to since the volunteer from the Red Cross had been explaining to me that due to smoke inhalation Granny had to go to a rehab center. This meant we would be separated! I didn’t want to be away from my grandmother, especially not now.
I glanced at her and felt a pang in my chest. She was laying on a stretcher nearby and looking at me with a slight, reassuring smile on her face. It was funny that she was trying to calm me down when she was the one who suffered the consequences of the fire. I didn’t even want to think what would have happened if we hadn’t rushed out of the place immediately, before the fire spread more.
“I understand how difficult this might be for you and your grandmother, Ms. Taft, but it’s for the best. We can’t take any chances with her.”
“I understand. Still, it’s difficult. We’ve never been separated before, you know?”
Her smile was sympathetic. “I get what you mean, since I feel the same about my grandmother. Your grandmother is a nice lady, and I’m sure she’ll be fine. Anyway, I hope you agree to this and to be put up in hotel with the other younger people and families. You’ll have your own room of course, and we’ll make sure you have access to your grandmother in the morning.”
A hotel. If I’d thought Granny and I had been struggling before, I’d been wrong. Tonight we hit rock bottom. We had lost everything. I fisted my hands and refused to let my emotions get the best of me. I couldn’t fall apart here—in front of everyone. There were enough tears. Little kids clutching their parents. An older man who lived downstairs was mumbling incoherently. Granny and I would survive this. We had to.
I should at least be thankful that I would be provided with a roof over my head, no matter how inconvenient it was.
“I agree,” I finally accepted and signed the form she’d handed to me.
“Thank you. Don’t worry, this is just a temporary solution.”
I nodded, but I wasn’t so sure. Our insurance wasn’t much, and I was still unemployed, so I couldn’t even imagine what the way out of this was.
“Thank you.”
She mentioned a few more details that I barely registered before she left me. I approached my grandmother and took her by hand. “How are you feeling?”
She looked too pale, but she was essentially okay. I wouldn’t know what I would have done without her.
“I’m fine, honey.”
“Are you sure? You don’t look good.”
“Stop worrying about me, Bree. I’m just a bit tired, but one night of good sleep will solve it. I’m more worried about you.”
“Me? Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” I smiled and smoothed her hair. I didn’t want her to feel more stressed than she already was.
Her face showed that she didn’t believe me at all. “Are you? I know you, Bree, and I know that you’re trying to make it all easy for me, but I wish you wouldn’t do that. Why don’t you let me take care of you for a change?”
“I’m a big girl now, and I can take care of myself,” I said, my voice laced with humor.
“Even big girls need help from time to time.”
“True, but this is not one of those times. Seriously, Granny, you shouldn’t be concerned about me at all. You just take some time to rest. I’m sure everything is going to be alright.”
She was about to reply something to that, but the EMT came and told us they were about to transfer her to the rehab facility and I would be able to visit her tomorrow.
“Thank you,” I told him and faced my grandmother. I hugged her, trying not to think about the feeling of loneliness that had crept inside of me. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Sleep tight, okay?”
“You too, honey. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
I watched them put her in the back of the ambulance and waved at her before they closed the door and drove away. I turned around, hoping to find those two firefighters again, but they were already gone.
That was too bad. Now that I thought about it more, I hadn’t even thanked them for what they had done, and I shook my head annoyed with myself. Granny would be so upset I hadn’t thanked them, she would say, “I raised you better than that.” And she’d be right, just like always.
I wished I could see them again, but I didn’t know anything besides their names.
This night had been a complete disaster.
5
Bree
The next morning, I woke up with a terrible headache, which reminded me of a hangover, but even that would be better than this. I’d barely slept a few hours, tossing around all the time as the nightmares of being left with nothing and lost in the middle of nowhere kept haunting me. The hotel room had been too quiet, and I felt weird being here all by myself.
A gasp of shock left my lips when I looked myself in the mirror. I was a horrible mess. I showered and luckily the hotel shampoo did wonders to my hair and took out some of the smell. Maybe I could grab some make-up today at a drug store. Since I had nothing left.
God. Nothing left. That stung.
The Red Cross had left a bag of clothes for me, donated stuff I assumed, at my door. I chose a flowery dress that smelled nice and put some effort into making my hair look more presentable. I braided it and made it fall over my shoulder. Granny had always braided my hair during my middle school years, so braids always reminded me of her. I was so lucky to have her on my side all this time.
I sighed, feeling anxious. Being separated like this from her made everything worse. I couldn’t help but worry about her, hoping she slept well. I took two painkillers and left the hotel to visit her, buying her a basket of fruit on my way.
“My sweet Bree!” Granny greeted me when I opened the door to her small room.
“Hey.” I smiled widely and rushed to her bed, pulling her into my embrace. “I’m here.”
“I missed you,” she murmured into my hair and left a kiss on top of my head.
“I missed you too. Here is something for you.” I placed the basket on the bedside table.
Her lips curled into a big smile. “Oh, you shouldn’t have.”
“This is nothing. I know how much you love fruit. Do you feel okay?”
I inspected her face subtly and noticed the tired lines around her eyes. I hated that she had to go through all of this and be forced to be put in a rehab center. Stupid smoke. I shook my head, just focus on Granny.
“Yes. I’m okay now. The doctors and nurses here are very kind, and they are always around, so I have all I need. How about you?”
“That’s a relief. I’m completely okay.”
“Did you have a good sleep?”
I didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily, so I nodded, hoping she wouldn’t notice just how much this was far from the truth. “And you?” I glanced around the white and sterile room, which was furnished simply. There was a dresser with a TV on it, next to the chair and desk. Her bed was across from a window that overlooked the back garden. “This is kind of cozy, isn’t it?”
“It’s fine, I guess. I can’t get used to this bed. The pillow is not soft at all.” She sighed. “I guess I can’t complain when there is no other way. What is your hotel like?”
“Just like any other three star hotel. It’s not bad, but it’s nothing special. It’s clean, and that’s the most important, right?”
“Exactly. We’re alive and okay, so we shouldn’t complain at all. If it hadn’t been for the kind firefighters that had cleared the path for us and enabled us to get out of the building safely, we wouldn’t even be here.”
“You’re right.”
Last night had been crazy. All of the sudden, the whole building was on fire, and it was terrifying. I’d never experienced something like this in my whole life. I could still feel the hotness on my skin—the danger of the fiery flames crawling so close to me that I thought they were going to swallow me. We could barely breathe from all that smoke, and then Granny began coughing so hard I thought she would choke. I’d been a few seconds away
from panicking.
Luckily, we managed to escape and rush out of the building before it became worse. The shock had started wearing off, so now I could think better about the whole situation and all the possibilities. The horrible possibilities.
“You should bake a pie to take to those nice young fellas that saved you,” my grandmother suddenly suggested, taking me by surprise.
“Bake them a pie?”
“Yes. I noticed them talking to you last night, and I must say they are good looking.”
It amused me that she noticed their attractiveness too. On the other hand, it would be difficult not to notice that, since they were strikingly handsome—the kind that makes all eyes in the room fall on them. And if that wasn’t enough, they did an admirable job of saving people in need. I actually looked up to them, because it took a lot of courage and strength to do what they had done. I wondered if they had girlfriends or something. Probably. Guys like that aren’t just single.
“Yes, they are.” Something tightened in my chest when I remembered how sexy their smiles had been. They were every woman’s dream come true. “They introduced themselves to me, but I was so rude. I dismissed them without even thanking them.”
She frowned. “Bree! Why would you do that?”
I shrugged my shoulders, feeling slightly ashamed. In that moment everything was happening fast, so I couldn’t even think properly.
“I know. It’s just that the Red Cross volunteer had told me that you and I were going to be separated, and I started worrying... I was stressed, so I didn’t even realize what I’d done until it was too late. Anyway, I wish I could fix that.”
“Well, this is all the more reason why you should bake a pie and give it to them. That is the least they deserve. And not only that. You should apologize to them too.”
“I know, but I’m in a hotel, Granny. How can I bake a pie in a hotel? I would like to do that, but I obviously can’t.”
She shook her head with disapproval. “Then go to a store and buy it. You have to take a pie to them. We have to repay them somehow, and this would be a right thing to do. Besides, men love food, and I’m sure they would appreciate it.” She winked at me.
I laughed, knowing she was right. There was no man who would say no to a delicious pie.
“Alright, if you say so. I’ll buy it and take it to them. But I’m also telling them it’s from you.”
“That’s my girl. I wish I could make it myself, but...” Her lips went into a thin line, and I could easily read the sadness on her face.
I wrapped my fingers around her warm hand. “Hey. You’ll get out of here soon. We’ll find some new place and I’ll take care of you.”
“I know, honey. I believe in you. I just don’t want you to feel stressed about this. We’ll take the insurance money, and it will cover all the costs.”
“I still have to find that job. Now that my laptop is gone, I will have to find some other way to search for job. Maybe the library or a friend. I’m sure I can call someone.”
My heart squeezed painfully when I remembered that all our things had been ruined. We had nothing anymore, and it hurt me just to think that we had to start from zero and solve this mess we’d fallen into...
No. I had to stop these terrible thoughts, because if I thought about everything we’d lost... No. Enough. That wouldn’t solve anything.
I refused to think about it and joked with my grandmother for the remainder of my visit. I was glad she was in a good mood. I’d been worried they would place her in some facility where she wouldn’t be looked after well, but luckily that wasn’t the case.
She caressed my cheek, which was something she always did whenever she wanted to make me relax and feel better. “You can do this, Bree. You’re the strongest girl I know. If there is anyone who can find the solution, it’s you.”
“Thanks, Granny. I needed this.”
“Don’t you worry about all this mess. This will pass, and you’ll come out of this stronger than ever. Now, I think you should go and give those fellas a pie.” She winked at me again, making me laugh, and I shook my head. She was persistent, no matter what state she was in.
I stayed for a couple more minutes before I headed to the store. I made a call to the Red Cross volunteer who had given me her number and asked her to tell me which fire station responded to the call last night. She told me it was Firehouse 149, which was a mile away from the bakery.
I chose an apple pie to take to the station and walked there from the bakery. I felt slightly nervous because I had no idea how Caleb and Trent were going to react when they saw me. I had to apologize to them and explain why I waved them off like that. Hopefully, they would understand that I was just trying my best to handle everything.
I crossed the street, feeling a crushing wave of guilt in my chest. I felt terrible about the fire that had displaced so many people. It was horrifying knowing that in just one second everything could be lost, and I was grateful beyond words that no one died. If that happened, I didn’t know how I would have felt.
What if it had all been my fault? At least I thought it could be. That pot I left on the stove while I watched TV. I fell asleep. What if that was the beginning?
Was I to blame?
Granny was sleeping when I smelled smoke, which was my first clue that something awful was happening. Just as I jumped from the couch, I heard the cracking sounds that chilled me to the bone, and I ran into the kitchen immediately. A scream left my lungs when I saw the fire that raged all over our cabinets and electrical devices. There was no way for me to douse the flames by myself, especially when the fire escalated in a matter of seconds, reaching the hallway and other rooms.
I barely had time to reach my grandmother, whose room was in flames too, and I supported her on our way out of the place, her coughs and the sickening sounds of fire ringing in my ears. There was no time to pick anything to bring with us, so we just rushed out of the building in our pajamas, joining the crowd that had already gathered on the street.
I’d been so stupid. If I hadn’t left that pot... If I hadn’t forgotten about it...
Maybe none of this would have happened.
I clenched my jaw, refusing to cry. No. Tears wouldn’t do me any good now. It would just make me feel worse, and I blamed myself enough already. At least no one was hurt, which was the most important thing. Hopefully, all residents would find new homes, and everything would be okay, in the end. Jesus, I prayed it would be. I couldn’t imagine it otherwise.
I’d do everything I could to help the other people. Anything I could offer them, I would. I’d make this right.
I had to.
After almost half an hour, I reached Firehouse 149, and I clutched onto the handles of the bag I carried. Once more, I felt flutters in my stomach from the excitement, and I wondered what their reaction would be. I was glad that I’d been gifted this dress, because it was a confidence booster, and I needed all the confidence I could get next to those two heartthrobs.
I took a deep breath and crossed the street in front the station. Time to start making amends.
6
Trent
It was unusually warm, so I’d had to take off my shirt when I went outside to wash the firetruck. I needed this distraction to stop thinking about the mysterious woman from last night. Even though she’d flatly rejected us, my mind kept returning to her. There was no denying that she was the hottest woman I’d ever seen.
Was she alright? She looked so lost and sad last night, which was understandable since she’d just lost her home. The fire did too much damage to that building to be habitable, and I felt sorry for all people who were displaced. The negative side of this job was that I had to witness people going through such traumatic experiences, and it sucked.
Just when I finished washing one side of the fire truck, I heard a female voice behind me.
“Um, hello?”
I turned around with a hose in my hand, and froze when I saw the woman in front of me... It was her! The
woman from the last night!
Fuck.
I forced myself to continue breathing as I checked her out, letting my eyes roam over her sexy body. She was wearing a tight dress that barely reached her knees, and it was low cut, so it revealed her breasts... Man, did she have a nice pair of tits.
She was checking me out too, mostly my bare chest, and it was clear that she liked what she saw, which made me hot. For a few moments all I could hear was the maddening thumps of my heart, and I tried to remember when the last time was that I’d been this attracted to some girl.
She didn’t raise her eyes to meet mine immediately, and when she did, blush covered her cheeks, as if she was embarrassed that I’d caught her staring at me.
“Hello,” I replied, turning off the hose. I put it on the ground and wiped my hands off on my pants.
She approached me and I noticed she was carrying a bag from the bakery. “I don’t know if you remember me, but you helped me and the other residents last night. The apartment fire?”
Was she serious? How could I have forgotten her?
I smiled at her. “I remember you.”
I wondered what made her come here since it was clear last night that she wasn’t interested in Caleb and me at all. In fact, it felt like we’d bothered her, so seeing her here today was completely out of the blue.
She smiled back at me, flashing me her perfect teeth. “I know I was rude when you and your colleague introduced yourselves to me, and I actually wanted to apologize. Here. Let me introduce myself to you. I’m Bree Taft. It’s nice to meet you.”
She extended her hand, offering me a handshake, and I immediately accepted it. My fingers itched to touch her, and when our hands connected, I was seriously tempted to grasp her wrist and continue touching the rest of her body.
“I’m Trent, and don’t mention it. We introduced ourselves to you at a wrong time clearly, so I completely understand your blowing us off.”
We still held hands, and I felt reluctant to let her go. My blood was humming with desire, and I wanted to do so much more to her than just touch her. I clenched my hand when she finally released it, trying to maintain some control instead of reaching out for her again.
February Burning: A Firefighter Secret Baby Romance Page 44