by Naomi Niles
“The best!” Renni confirmed.
“I’m glad,” Mia smiled. “Now, say thank you and goodbye to Aunt Vanessa.”
Renni said her goodbyes, while Mia glanced over at me.
“What?” I asked.
“She ran to you instead of me,” she said. It wasn’t an accusation, she was simply stating a fact, but I could tell from her tone that she was amused by it.
I smiled and winked at her. “I think you might have competition.”
“After two years of being alone, I welcome competition,” she replied.
We said goodbye to Vanessa and headed back to the pick up. Renni was filled with conversation, talking excitedly about the night before and everything she and Vanessa had got up to once they’d gone home. Apparently, they’d watched movies, painted pictures, even defiled one of Vanessa’s walls.
“Can she do that?” I asked Mia. “Isn’t she renting?”
“She bought the apartment a year ago,” she smiled.
“But still-”
“The landlord has a soft spot for her,” Mia explained.
“Sam?” Renni piped up, in a loud voice that clearly suggested she was bored with our topic.
“Yes, princess?”
“Career day is coming up,” she said. “Will you come and talk for me?”
I saw Mia’s eyebrows rise and she glanced over her shoulder at her daughter. “Renni…” she said carefully.
“Please, Sam,” Renni interrupted. “Please, please… Nelly’s dad is an architect, and Jolie’s dad is a surgeon. I want you to tell them about your fire fighting.”
I glanced at Mia, who was looking slightly uncomfortable. I could tell right away that this career day was exclusively for parents and the fact that Renni was asking me point blank was a big deal.
“Renni, sweetheart,” she said gently. “Sam is really busy. We don’t want to be inconvenience him, do we?”
“Oh…” Renni said. She sounded disappointed.
I didn’t want to overstep, but I didn’t want to turn her down. Strangely, the idea of accepting her request didn’t scare me in the least.
“Of course, I’ll be there,” I said swiftly.
I saw Mia glance at me, and I hoped she wouldn’t be annoyed that I’d said yes to Renni without consulting her first. But then I glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Renni smiling from ear to ear.
“You will?” she asked.
I shot a glance at Mia and after a moment, she gave me a smile and a nod – it was a silent blessing. “You bet,” I said to Renni.
“Yea!” she crowed. “Thank you, Sam.”
“I have one condition, though,” I said.
“And what’s that?” Mia asked, before Renni could.
“You two have to join me for lunch today…with my family.”
It was a spur of the moment decision, but now that the idea had taken hold, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I realized that I wanted my brothers and my mother to get to know Mia and Renni and vice versa. It was another big step, but the big steps were starting to come easily now.
“I’m in!” Renni said enthusiastically.
Mia smiled, but she didn’t say anything right away.
“Mia?” I asked. “Are you in?”
She seemed to take a deep breath, as though she were steadying herself. Then she nodded. “I’m in, too.”
We got to Peter’s a little earlier than necessary, but I wanted to make the introductions soon and give everyone some time to get to know one another. Peter and Madison would be there, along with Mom. John and Kami had flown in for the weekend, and Alan and Jessica were stopping in, too, on their way to California. The whole family would be in attendance, and I was happily nervous about it.
The porch was empty when we pulled up outside the house. I helped Renni out of the backseat and we walked inside.
“This is where I grew up,” I told Renni, just as she slipped her hand into mine.
“It’s looks old and new,” she observed keenly.
I smiled. “That’s because it is. Some parts are old and other parts are new. Come on,” I said, gesturing for Mia to enter first.
I heard the sounds of conversation and laughter coming from several different parts of the house. I headed for the kitchen where I knew I would find Peter. He was in there with Mom, Madison and Kami.
“Hi, everyone,” I greeted. “I hope you don’t mind, I brought company.”
If they were surprised to see me with Mia and hand in hand with Renni, everyone covered up their surprise well. Peter, Madison, and Kami shook hands with both Renni and Mia, while Mom gave them both a hug.
“We’ve heard so much about you,” Mom said fondly. “I’m so glad we finally get to meet you both.”
“Nice to see you again, Mia,” Peter smiled, and I remembered that they had met already.
“Renni?” Kami called. “I just baked a batch of salted caramel chocolate cookies. Would you like one?”
“Very much,” Renni nodded, dropping my hand in favor of the cookies.
Kami handed Renni one and then offered the box to Mia. “Go on,” she said. “They’re really good, even if I do say so myself.”
Mia smiled and took one. “Wow,” she gasped. “These are amazing.”
“Kami’s an award-winning chef,” I smiled.
“It’s a pretty small award,” Kami smiled. “But thanks for mentioning it.”
“Come on, Mia, Renni,” Madison said. “Let me introduce you to the rest of the house.”
Kami and Madison led Mia and Renni into the hall, leaving me with Mom and Peter. “I probably should have given you some notice –
“Please,” Peter said, waving away my concern. “You know I always cook more than I need to. I’m glad you brought them over….especially today.”
“Why today?” I asked curiously.
“Because the whole family is together.”
“The…whole family?” I repeated.
Mom beamed. “Talen showed up a half hour ago.”
“No way,” I smiled. And then I remembered. “Oh, shit.”
“What?” Peter asked.
“Uh, nothing,” I said quickly, remembering that Talen’s big fight was this Friday, and I had promised to be there to support him. The fight would take place in the evening, but I would need to leave in the morning to make it there in time. After committing to Renni, I didn’t want to take back my word now.
I wondered into the hall to find Talen. He was sitting on the couch, wedging in between Alan and Jessica. Renni seemed to be in the center of it all and appeared to be telling everyone the story of the accident, the night I had met her and Mia.
I didn’t want to break up the moment, so I hung back a little and listened to Renni’s version of the story. She was a pretty good storyteller, and I found myself being drawn in to the night again.
The lunch went better than I could have imagined. Everyone loved Mia and Renni, and conversation always flowed easily. The quietest among us was Talen, but I noticed that he engaged with Renni more than anyone else. She seemed taken with his silent exterior and the number of tattoos lining his arms and neck. By the time lunch was over, she was following him around like a puppy.
“I think someone has a crush on your brother,” Mia smiled.
“Don’t worry,” I assured her. “Her taste will improve with age.”
Mia laughed, just as Mom emerged from the kitchen. “Why don’t we girls get dessert ready?” she suggested.
On hearing the word dessert, Renni ran towards Mom readily. Kami, Madison, and Jessica followed behind too.
“I think that includes you as well,” I said to Mia.
She smiled. “I’ll see you in a bit.” She gave me a small wink and followed the girls back into the kitchen.
I walked over to where Talen was sitting and sat down opposite him by the window. “Hey, man,” I said. “I’m glad you came today.”
“Me, too,” Talen nodded.
“Well?” I asked.
“What do you think of Mia and Renni?”
“They’re right for you.” Coming from him, that was a glowing recommendation.
“I’m glad you feel that way,” I said. “Because I have some bad news...”
Talen raised his eyebrows questioningly.
“Your fight this coming Friday… I’m so sorry, Talen, but I don’t think I can make it. You see, Renni has this career day at school and she asked me to come and speak-”
“Say no more,” he said, cutting me off. “I get it.”
“Really?”
“They have to come first now,” Talen replied. “I get that.”
I smiled. ‘You’re a big man, you know.”
“Always have been,” he replied, with the ghost of a smile.
At that moment, our private discussion was cut short as Alan, Peter, and John converged around us. “Don’t get me wrong here Sam,” Peter said. “I fully approve of Mia and Renni…”
“But?”
“That kid is going to get Madison talking about babies,” Peter laughed. “She’s too damn cute for her own good.”
“I know,” I nodded. “It’s like a super power.”
“I can’t quite believe it,” John said, shaking his head at me. “Sam Burbank… You’re practically a dad.”
If they thought that would freak me out, they were sorely mistaken. I shrugged and nodded. “I kind of feel like a father,” I admitted.
“You can give me tips then,” John said suggestively.
It took a moment and then everyone looked at him at the same time. “What was that?” Peter demanded.
JJ smiled coyly. “It’s really early,” he admitted. “But it looks like… I’m going to be a dad, too.”
“Fuck!” Alan breathed.
We spent the next few minutes congratulating John and processing the news. “Was this planned?” I asked.
“Fuck no,” JJ shook his head. “Total surprise, but it was the best kind. Kami and I are really excited!”
“Anyone else have any bombshells to drop?” Peter asked.
Alan smiled. “It’s not exactly a bombshell, considering that Jessica and I have been engaged for months now. But we’ve set a date…finally.”
“Congrats, bro.” I smiled, patting him hard on the back.
It felt nice, to stand in a loose circle, sharing our personal milestones with each other. I heard the sound of laughter coming in from the kitchen and knew that Mom was bonding with her daughters-in-law. And somehow…it felt full circle.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Mia
I wasn’t exactly sure what was appropriate attire for a fireman’s picnic at the fairgrounds, but I had opted for jeans, boots, and a crisp white shirt underneath my jacket. I kept checking my reflection every five minutes, and it wasn’t until the third time I sought out a mirror that I realized I was a little nervous.
Renni was having a play date that evening, so I had nothing to distract me from my increasingly bouncing thoughts. All I knew was that the fireman’s picnic was an annual event to boost morale and to allow the fireman’s families to mingle and get to know one another. Basically, it was a mixer that included families. I was nervous, but I was also looking forward to seeing Sam among his peers.
I found a spot in the ground’s adjoining parking lot and made my way towards the crowd gathered in the center of the park. They had commandeered a number of the park’s benches and the party seemed to have spread out over several yards. I strained my eyes looking for Sam, and in the end, I had to call him to figure out where he was.
“I’m over by the trees,” he replied.
I laughed. “Sam, this park is full of trees,” I said. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”
“You look really sexy, by the way.”
“You can see me?” I asked, turning on the spot.
“Those jeans make your butt look amazing,” he continued teasingly.
“Shut up,” I said. “Where are you?”
“And that blouse… A little too high collared for my taste, but I look forward to unwrapping you at a later time.”
“Sam Burbank,” I said, in a stern voice. “Stop playing the fool and tell me where you are.”
At that moment, I felt his arms engulf me, and I gasped in shock. Sam laughed and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, gorgeous,” he greeted, his hazel eyes were sparkling.
“You enjoyed that way too much,” I accused.
“Guilty,” he nodded. “Come on… Everyone’s waiting to meet you.”
“Everyone?” I said nervously.
Sam slipped his hand into mine and led the way. “The chief included,” he continued. “He says he’s dying to meet the girl who brought out my serious, responsible side.”
“Have I done that?” I asked, in amusement.
“You know you have,” he replied.
He led me to one of the center picnic tables. There was an impressive man sitting at the head. He was not a particularly tall man, but he was broad shouldered and well muscled. He had piercing blue eyes, and the kind of gaze that made you feel self-conscious. I knew instinctively that this was the chief that Sam seemed to have so much respect for.
“Chief,” Sam said. “I want to introduce you to Mia Dennis. Mia, this is Chief Angus Shelby. I’ve worked under him since I was a rookie.”
Chief Shelby rose and extended his hand for mine. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Mia,” he said. “Please, take a seat.”
As I sat down, a couple more guys approached and Sam made more introductions. “This is Mitch, Sean, and Hamish. He’s the current rookie on deck…but he’s learning fast.”
I shook hands with all of them, and we settled down around the picnic table. There was food everywhere – sandwiches with different kinds of fillings, sausage rolls, pizza, and tons of drinks.
“What can I get you to drink, Mia?” Sean asked.
“A beer is fine.”
“A girl after my own heart,” he smiled, as he passed me a beer.
Trying to break the ice, I asked them about their own families. The chief had been married for over twenty-five years and had two adult children who were both in college. Sean and Mitch were both married, but only Mitch had a child. Hamish was impossibly young and prone to blushing every time I looked in his direction. Once the small talk was out of the way, I honed in on questions about Sam.
“So…this may be a loaded question, but how good of a fireman is Sam?” I asked teasingly.
Sam laughed and answered before anyone else could. “I’m the best, obviously. I make these guys look good.”
The table burst out in sarcastic laughter, and Sam shot them all dirty looks. When the laughter died down and the barbs and jabs had been traded in good humor, Chief Shelby turned to me with serious eyes.
“Sam is an excellent fire fighter,” he said. “But he’s also my most unpredictable team member. He’s impetuous and reckless, and he doesn’t always follow orders very well.”
I turned to Sam for confirmation.
“Come on, Chief,” he argued. “I can’t exactly wait around for orders when people’s lives are at risk. I’ve got to act – that’s how I’ve saved lives in the past.”
“No need to give me the speech again, Sam,” Chief Shelby replied, in his raspy, deep voice. “I’ve heard it before.”
“Do you remember the Jamison building fire?” Sean asked suddenly.
“Remind me?” Sam said, wrinkling his brow as he tried to remember.
“That kid was ten stories high,” Sean went on. “And the building was about to collapse around us. Sam is the one who volunteered to get on the ladder and climb upwards to try and get to him.”
“You did that?” I asked, turning to Sam in amazement.
“It’s not as heroic as it sounds,” he said. “Actually… No, wait… It is.”
Everyone laughed, but I joined in only after a moment. It was lovely hearing about all his work stories, especially from the friends who’d been with him
through thick and thin, but it was also frightening to hear.
I felt my heart tighten a little at the thought of Sam in a dangerous situation. For the first time, the reality of his job sunk in and I started to question everything again. What had I got myself into?
“And remember the Kramer incident?” Mitch asked, drawing my attention back to the conversation.
“First time I had a gun pulled on me,” Sam said smugly.
“What?” I gawked at him.
“Don’t worry,” he said nonchalantly. “He missed.”
“Someone actually at shot you?” I gasped.
“Mel Kramer was abusive,” Mitch explained. “His kids were terrified every time he started beating on their mom. One day, we got a call from a kid claiming there was a fire in their house. When we got there, we could hear Mel Kramer going crazy, smashing shit and screaming profanities.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“Sam happened,” he said, shaking his head. “The kid got so pissed that a man would treat his wife like that, he didn’t wait. He just barged into the house and broke it up. Except he hadn’t expected Mel Kramer to have a gun.”
I turned to Sam with wide eyes. “And, he shot at you?”
“He was a poor shot, and I’m quick on my feet,” he replied. “Long story short, we got the scumbag arrested and put away for a good few years. Not nearly long enough in my opinion, but it was a small victory.”
“Wow,” I breathed.
The conversation veered in a different direction, but my thoughts were firmly fixed on the one we’d just had. Towards the end of the day, Sam came up behind me and put his hands around my waist. He kissed me softly on the cheek.
“Something’s been on your mind all day,” he said perceptively.
“You noticed?”
“Of course, I noticed,” he nodded. “How could I not? You’ve been quiet ever since we started swapping war stories.”
“War stories?” I asked, with one raised eyebrow.
He smiled a little self-consciously. “That’s what we like to call them from time to time.”
I smiled. “They were impressive stories, Sam. I mean heroic is the only way to describe all the things you’ve done…”
“I feel a ‘but’ coming on,” he said.