“It’s going to be okay, Katie. Don’t worry,” he whispered.
Except that she was worried.
She knew that her daddy was probably out there right now fighting the flames just as she knew he would once again risk his life if there was someone else he could save.
But she didn’t want him to risk his life saving anyone.
It was very selfish of her, she knew. But she had never known a life before him, couldn’t remember a day when there had been anyone else but him, and she didn’t want to lose him now. She didn’t realize she was crying until Ivan bent down and pulled her close for a hug.
“It will be all right,” he whispered, and she believed him.
She believed him, even more, when his phone rang a few minutes later. She knew it was her father checking in on them to make sure they were safe. When Ivan saw the number, he handed the phone right over to Katie.
“Daddy?” she croaked into the phone as new tears formed in her eyes.
“Yes, Katie darling. It’s me. We’re heading over to the fire right now, so I’m just taking a moment to check in and make sure that you guys are safe. Everything okay?”
She nodded yes, then smiled when she realized that of course, he could not see her nod through the phone.
“We’re good. I smelled the fire first and told Tommy who then told everybody, so the fire bell rang and the whole school is outside now.”
“Good job, baby girl.”
Katie could hear the note of pride in her dad’s voice and could easily imagine him beaming at her through the phone.
“I’ll be there as soon as everything is contained, but in the meantime you stick close to Ivan, okay? Hand him the phone now so I can talk to him.”
Katie agreed and passed the phone over to her teacher, who had been watching her apprehensively this whole time. It was clear that Ivan wasn’t sure he should take it, but when she insistently put the phone in his hands, he had no choice but to answer.
She didn’t know what her daddy was telling Ivan, but she realized it had to be something good when he smiled.
It was the first time in a while that she had seen Ivan smile so brightly. It made her want to believe that by the end of the day, after the fire and everything else in their life was back to normal, perhaps Mr. Davis and Daddy could be happy again.
Chapter 21
Declan
Just hearing Katie and Ivan’s voices made me feel better, and knowing they were safe had done much to calm me.
I loved them both, and I had fallen for both at different times in my life but for the same reason: They were both outlets for me to pour all my love into.
I thought of them now as I fought the flames that had slowly enveloped each section of the forest.
It was hot, so hot that I felt like I was in a furnace or standing at the gateway to hell where the demons waited. The fire was the great beast that I had to conquer.
Each time I faced the flames, I stared death in the face and each time I defied it.
It would not take me today. It would not take me ever.
No. I had too much to live for; I had too many people depending on me to come home safely.
What was important now was keeping these flames from making their way to our neighborhood and devouring our houses. I had seen firsthand how hard starting over was for the victims of fire, and I didn’t want my neighbors to have to go through that.
My men and I chased the flames as they consumed the first house of the neighborhood, and my breath caught in my throat as it went up in flames.
Once the fire sank its teeth into something, there was no prying it off. Sometimes damage control was futile and we all knew it. The fire would rage on for the next few houses, I could already see it happening. My instinct, honed by my years of experience fighting flames, told me that the only way to win this war was by sacrificing a few pawns.
If we wanted to beat it, then we needed to go farther down the street and cut off the fire’s access point to the other houses. And I’d be damned if Ivan’s house wasn’t as good a place as any to start from. Never mind that an agitated Hamlet began flinging insults at me the moment I ran up to the porch to save him.
“Bastard!” the bird croaked as I approached. “Bastard Declan!”
“Language!” I hissed, wondering for the dozenth time why this bird hated me so much. Perhaps I looked like his previous owner—the same person who must’ve taught this bird so many awful words.
As Hamlet continued to cuss me out, I honestly contemplated if I should leave the ungrateful cur helpless in his cage…
It was a very satisfying image in my mind, seeing all those gray feathers go up in smoke, finally putting an end to the verbal abuse. But I knew how much the cursed creature meant to Katie and Ivan.
So with a sigh, I walked over to open the cage, thankful that my hands were encased in thick gloves that surely not even Hamlet could bite through. I unlocked the cage and gingerly stuck my hand in, praying the damn bird would perch on my fingers.
“Son of a bitch, Declan!” Hamlet snapped as he latched onto my gloved finger with his beak.
Even through the glove I could feel his bite. His beak was as strong as it was profane.
Again the temptation arose.
Again I resisted it.
Instead, I quickly opened the door of the cage all the way before I thought better of it.
“Bad bird, bad! Go away!” Hamlet screeched as he scooted over to the farthest corner of the cage and eluded my grasps.
“We don’t have time for this, Hamlet,” I growled. Even if we managed to stop the flames from reaching Ivan’s house, I knew the smoke could be deadly for the bird, so I had to get him out of there.
When I tried to grab him again, he screeched in a pitch so deafening I had to take a few steps back. Hamlet utilized my retreat to fly out the open cage door. I tried desperately to tackle him midair, but Hamlet evaded my hands and made a beeline for a hole in the patio screen.
I couldn’t reach him in time before he squeezed out and soared up into the sky, whistling and chirping merrily. No amount of pleading or admonitions would make him come back, and it wasn’t but a moment later before he flew out of my sight.
Shit. I had a feeling that would be the last anyone would see of him.
I was a son of a bitch indeed.
Ivan and Katie were going to kill me. Sure, I had the best intentions, and he’d be dead if I simply left him here. But would they believe it when I told them a big capable fireman like me got outwitted by a bird?
Before I could fret too much about that, something grabbed my attention in the corner of my eye. I watched as the wind shifted, guiding the flames into a new direction. With this change, the target was no longer just a few houses but the entire neighborhood instead.
“I’ll be goddamned,” I whispered, then I grabbed my radio and connected to the captain. “Captain, the fire is changing direction. I’m at the third house down from where you’re standing. From my elevated position I can see flames on the inside of the two-story house across the street, although I’m at a loss to explain how it had gotten there.”
“That’s strange,” the radio buzzed. “We can’t see a hint of it from where we are, but I trust you to know what you’re talking about so call it. What should I tell the men to do?”
Well, damn.
I hadn’t expected the responsibility to land squarely in my lap, but perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised. Rumor had it that the Captain was grooming me for his position when he retired. If that was true, I needed to prove myself now that the opportunity had been placed before me, and suddenly I knew exactly what I had to do.
“Let’s divide up into two teams. Send half the men down this way to do some damage control and we’ll douse each house up the street until we’re back at the ones you’re dealing with now.”
“Agreed.”
The response was curt and the radio fell silent. There was no more time for further communication nor w
as any needed. The men met me at my position and fell into line, quickly dousing Ivan’s house as well as the one across the street.
It was a while before it was all over, but we managed to keep the fire contained, with only minor damage to a few other houses.
I was exhausted but invigorated at the same time. Now it was time to see my girl… and the man I loved.
*
As I headed toward the school where both Katie and Ivan waited, I felt sure that at least one of them would be happy to see me. But would both of them be?
As I met up with them, Katie assaulted me with a hug so tight that for a moment I could barely breathe.
“I’m happy to see you too, but I need air,” I gasped.
“Why?” Katie asked.
“What do you mean why? Do you want me to suffocate?”
She grinned at me and let up a little bit. “Nah, you’ll be fine. You have lungs of steel!”
I beamed at her, marveling at the way she had been developing a way with words as of late.
I then shared a glance with Ivan, and though he smiled warmly at me, my heart sunk as I gave him the news, “Your house didn’t escape the fire entirely, though it’s still standing at least. Your back porch and living room saw some fire before we managed to put it out. You also have some smoke damage.”
Ivan seemed unperturbed by that information, something more pressing on his mind. “And Hamlet?”
“Hamlet is safe,” I confirmed as quickly as I could, and Ivan let out a sigh of relief.
Then I continued, “Unfortunately, Hamlet saw an opportunity when I opened his cage to try to extract him, and, well… He managed to escape. I saw him head for the trees on the opposite side of town.”
Katie gasped. “How do we get him back?”
Ivan and I were both at a loss for an answer. Ivan, after some thought, said, “Perhaps, once the flames have died down, he’ll return to our neighborhood?”
“Perhaps,” I said, sharing the same hope. After a moment of silence, I confessed, “I really wish I could have done better by you.”
Ivan snorted despite his grief. “Don’t be silly, Declan. At least Hamlet has flown clear of the smoke and is safe. And whatever damage happened to my house, it can be repaired. All that matters is that everyone I care about is safe. And they’re safe, thanks to you.”
I couldn’t help but smile like an idiot. God, I was a sucker for Ivan’s approval. “You know there’s room at my house, if you need a place to stay while your home is being repaired.”
Ivan’s eyes lit up. He recognized that I was leaving a door open for our relationship to be rekindled, and he was all too eager to accept. “Yes, I would love that.”
It was just about time for school to let out, and it didn’t look like any teaching was going to happen today anyway. “I got here by foot, truck’s back at home. How about Katie and I catch a ride with you back to your house, and I’ll walk you through the damage? Then after that we can settle at my place.”
Ivan nodded. “Good idea. Let me grab my things real quick. I’ll meet you at my car.”
Soon we were driving back to Ivan’s home. It had been an awful day with more scares than one, but all the same, I was happy to be heading home with my child in the back and the man whom I loved at the driver’s seat.
I loved Ivan.
It had taken the scare of the fire today to make me realize just how much, but the truth was that I didn’t want to contemplate a future without Ivan anymore.
*
It was a quiet night, a soft sort of night. The air seemed filled with the afterglow of the flames of earlier now that everyone’s gratitude for life had been replenished. We didn’t talk much around the dinner table. Instead all three of us enjoyed a companionable silence over a simple fare of pasta and meatballs.
Ivan helped with the dishes while I helped Katie with homework. Once she finished she asked to leave out Hamlet’s favorite snack on the railing of our back porch in case the parrot flew over in the night. I gave her the go-ahead, though I knew the odds of Hamlet finding us were thin.
After I tucked Katie back in bed, I met Ivan in the living room. He smiled at me, and though we agreed to sleep separately in case Katie awoke in the night, I felt pretty sure at this point that Ivan was at least willing to give our relationship a shot, and the knowledge made me sleep soundly that night.
Chapter 22
Ivan
Someone was singing softly, and though it took me a while to become fully awake, I eventually realized that it was Declan’s voice.
I stayed in the guest room situated just off the kitchen, so I could hear all the commotion going on in there. I glanced at my wristwatch, seeing that it was Saturday morning. It took me a moment to remember everything that had happened leading up to this point, and when I did I sighed tiredly as the weight of it all settled on me.
Yet I dawdled in bed a moment longer, soaking up the feeling of being surrounded by the comfort of home as I listened to Declan’s voice.
I had never heard him sing before now.
If I had, it would have been impossible to forget that voice or its earnestness. I smiled as Declan sang ‘Oh my darling Clementine’ to his giggling daughter who would help sing the chorus. From the clanging of pans, I surmised they were busy in the kitchen making what smelled like fresh toast and fried bacon.
Such a homely environment. For the first time it dawned on me how big of a hole there had been in my life for so many years. A hole that needed to be filled with family and love.
A few minutes later I walked into the kitchen to join them. Just as I suspected, they were cooking up a storm.
It was a sight to behold, with both father and daughter wearing matching white and red frilly aprons. Katie even had on goggles so she could see the food better as it cooked in the frying pan.
There was a smile on Declan’s face as he looked at his daughter, a smile that spoke of such love and so many emotions that my heart ached just to look at it. I wondered if Katie realized that she was probably the luckiest kid in the world.
Because to be loved by Declan was something special, and I nearly melted when he spotted me and offered the same smile. For all his toughness and rugged exterior, I hadn’t realized until now how often Declan wore his heart on his sleeve and how unpretentious he had always been about his emotions.
I cleared my throat and took a seat at the counter.
“Morning, sleepy head,” Declan said.
“Morning, teacher,” Katie quipped. “Would you like one egg or two to go with your toast and bacon?”
“Two please,” I replied as I gratefully accepted the hot cup of coffee Declan poured me. “Thanks. This is one heck of a breakfast you two are preparing.”
Declan smiled. “We always go all out for breakfast during the weekends. On normal days it’s just cereal, milk, and then out the door for the both of us, so I like to do something special on weekends. I trust that you slept well though, before we woke you up?”
I nodded.
I had slept more soundly than I had in a while. It was almost as if some subconscious part of my brain had found peace in being an occupant of Declan’s home.
“Katie is off to practice her lines with Tommy after breakfast, and I take it you’ll be going over to your place to further assess the damage?”
“Yes. That’s the plan.”
“Okay. Well, for me it’s going to be nothing but work for the foreseeable future. This fire is still smoldering in the forest, so it’s going to take some time before it is contained and extinguished completely. Does your offer to watch Katie still stand?”
It hit me as the dumbest question in the world, because why wouldn’t I want to watch her? But then I remembered Declan and I did have some trouble recently, and he probably doubted my commitment.
But now more than ever I knew my place was right here, as part of this family. I could only hope that Declan felt the same. “I’ll be happy to watch Katie,” I said. “And Katie would b
e happy for me to watch her too, right, Little Doe?”
“Right.” Katie nodded as she stuffed her mouth with toast. “And once I get back from Tommy’s, I can practice my lines more with you.” She glanced over at Declan, noting, “Because I’m not sure if you remembered, Daddy, but school closes in only two weeks for the holidays, and the play is on the last day of school.”
“I knew that,” Declan said mildly. But it was clear from the guilty look he tried to hide that he must’ve had a habit of forgetting important dates.
Declan continued, insisting, “I’m going to be the first to be seated at that play, and Grandma said to tell you that she’ll be coming as well. She also wants to bring us our gifts early this year. She and Dad are going off on some cruise so they won’t be coming over to spend Christmas Day with us as they usually do.”
“That’s okay,” Katie said. “I guess it’ll be just you, me, and Ivan this year.”
Declan looked at me and shrugged helplessly. Since we had only gotten home last night, we still hadn’t had a chance to talk and so it was now uncertain where we now stood with each other. However, it was clear that in Katie’s book, at least, my presence here would extend until Christmas.
“I won’t have a problem doing so as long it’s okay with your father,” I said cautiously.
What I didn’t say was what a relief it would be for me to not be spending the holidays alone for once.
“Sounds like a plan to me then,” Declan said, and my heart felt lighter at his invitation. “Now eat up, Katie. You’re going to be late for your date with Tommy.”
“It’s not a date!” Katie exclaimed.
“Uh huh,” Declan said as he sipped his coffee. But it was apparent from the expression on his face that he was onto her and that he found it more amusing than anything else. “When you see Tommy, please let him know that I’ve got ninja spies all around just waiting to swoop down if he makes one move out of line.”
“It’s not a date,” Katie muttered again as she left the room when the horn sounded outside.
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