The Girlfriend Rescue

by Jenna Brandt

Ted wasn’t sure what to think about that information. He was grateful Adam put in a good word for him, but he had hoped his resume also made a good impression. Had that not been the case? Was he only here because of his friend?

  Determined not to let them see Dixon’s words affected him, Ted continued to keep his reaction from showing. He had half-hoped his friend had been there to greet him, but considering how they were already acting like he was only there because of his friend, he was glad that hadn’t happened. He wanted to prove that he and Titan deserved this position.

  “I’m going to finish showing you the rest of the facility, and then I suggest you get some rest. Tomorrow the rest of the recruits will be arriving, and you will see why this place trains the best of the best as they reveal their pedigrees. Any one of them might make a better impression on us. We could change our minds and offer them your job. Just remember that, Trainee,” Dixon said, as he gestured for Ted to follow after him.

  An hour later, Ted had visited the whole place, which in all reality was an all-inclusive mini-city. From the kennels to the veterinarian hospital, from the medical clinic to the state-of-the-art gym and pool, the place had everything. They toured the cafeteria, the auditorium, and the training center with classrooms and staff offices. The only places they didn’t make it to were the various training grounds spread across the outskirts of the campus. He would get to see those with the other trainees once the academy started.

  “We also have male and female dormitories for trainees, which is where you will be staying for the duration of your time in the academy. You can either keep your K9 partner with you, or house him at the kennel. We leave that up to each trainee. If you graduate and get offered the instructor position, you will be given an apartment in the staff villa,” Dixon explained. They stopped in front of the male dormitory. “You’ll see your name on your room door. Inside, you will find your uniforms, schedule, and curriculum. I suggest you prepare yourself for the start of the academy on Monday. It promises to be a long day.”

  Ted entered his room, which was really more of a tiny apartment with a small living area, bedroom, and bathroom. Titan seemed right at home, finding a spot near the edge of the couch and plopping down. Ted wanted nothing more than to do the same on the couch, but he knew he had way too much to do if he wanted to make a good impression. He walked over to the small desk in the corner of the room. All of the information Dixon mentioned was there. He flipped through it, trying to figure out where he was going to start. School had never been his strong suit.

  He felt a buzzing in his jeans’ pocket. He reached in and pulled out his phone. It was a text from Deanna.

  Did you arrive safely? How is it going? Do you like the other guys there?

  Ted thought about his answer for several seconds. How was it going? What did he think of the instructors? If he was honest, he felt overwhelmed, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to admit that to Deanna. That would just make her think she was right about him coming here. Instead, he texted back what he thought he should say.

  Arrived safe. Everything is fine. Have a lot to do before tomorrow.

  She texted back immediately:

  You have time for a video chat?

  He responded:

  Can I have a rain check for tomorrow? Exhausted from the drive. Want to go over the info and then take a hot shower before bed.

  There was a bit of a longer pause this time. Then she finally texted back:

  Okay. Have a good night. Praying for you.

  Immediately, Ted felt bad for not accepting her offer to chat. Before he could change his mind though, there was a knock at the door. He went over and opened it up to find Adam on the other side.

  “Man, am I glad to see you,” Ted said with relief. “It’s good to see a friendly smile.”

  “That bad, huh?” Adam said with a shake of his head. “Don’t worry. They’re always tough on new recruits like that, particularly ones that stand to be instructors at the end.”

  “I know; I get it. Doesn’t make it easier though. You want to come in?”

  Adam shrugged, then entered the room. “Sure; I mean I don’t want to keep you from doing what you need to do. I just wanted to stop by and let you know I’m here for you. I mean, I can’t really hang out much because they frown on trainee/instructor fraternizing, but I think since your class hasn’t even started yet, this doesn’t count.”

  “Plus, you’re used to breaking that rule, right, Adam? Isn’t that how you ended up dating your current girlfriend who happens to be an instructor here at the academy?”

  “Hey now, no need to call me out like that, but yes, I ended up with Clara by breaking the fraternizing rule. Best decision of my life, by the way. I ended up with the best girl and the best job in the world.”

  “I don’t know. My girl, Deanna is pretty amazing. She let me come here, after all.”

  “That is a tall order. You’re lucky she’s so supportive. Make sure to hang on to her.”

  Ted nodded “I plan to.”

  “What do you have left to do tonight?” Adam asked, looking around the room.

  “I have to go over the information on the desk. They made it sound like a suggestion, but I’ve been through enough academies to know that suggestions are never really just that.”

  “You’re right on that. Take whatever you’ve been through in a normal academy, and magnify it by ten, and you’ll be close to what Disaster City demands of you.” Adam moved over to the desk and glanced down at the books. “I can help you with this if you like. Sometimes it helps to have someone go over it with you.”

  “You’d do that?”

  “Like I said, your class hasn’t officially started yet, so I don’t see how this would be breaking the rules.” Adam picked up one of the books and headed over to the couch. “Let’s start with this one. You just need to familiarize yourself with the sections. They won’t expect you to know more than that at the beginning.”

  Ted took a spot next to Adam on the couch, grateful that his friend was there to help him. He knew he could depend on Adam all the time, but even for this brief window of opportunity, Ted was glad he wasn’t alone.

  The back room of Domenico’s was filled with twenty of Hayley Hall Bishop’s closest friends, female co-workers, and church members as well as her mother. Deanna had made sure to send a personal invitation to each of them, wanting her best friend’s baby shower to be perfect.

  As each guest entered the room, Deanna handed them a paper cup filled with a baby in ice. She explained that it was for the game, “Ice, Ice, Baby,” where each guest would hold onto their plastic mini-baby that was frozen in a paper cup. When one of the guests warmed their baby enough to break free from the ice, they would win.

  Daphne, the pastor’s wife, entered the room next. Deanna handed her one of the ice cups and explained the rules of the game.

  “You did a wonderful job planning this, Deanna. Hayley is lucky to have a good friend like you.”

  “Thank you, Daphne. That means a lot coming from you.”

  “I absolutely love all the decorations.”

  Pink was everywhere, from the tablecloths, to the balloons spread around the room, to the banner that read, Welcome Baby Addie. Deanna also had a clothesline of pink baby items on one wall and a diaper cake in the center of the gift table, which was filling up with stacks of pink and purple presents covered in teddy bears, ballerinas, and baby animals.

  The baby shower had been a welcome distraction from lingering on what was going on with Ted. She’d been so busy planning the shower, she hadn’t had time to dwell on his departure, or how lonely she felt now that he was gone. He’d only been away a few days, but it felt like an eternity. What worried her most though, was what happened if he made it through the academy and they offered him the job? It would mean he would be staying in Texas permanently, and she couldn’t see how they would make that work.

  Hayley came over and wrapped her arms around Deanna, bringing her back to the present. She pulled he
r into a hug as best she could with her nearly nine-month pregnant belly sticking out between them. “Thank you for doing all of this, Deanna. I feel so special.”

  “Good, that was the whole idea,” Deanna said with a smile. “This is all about you and that beautiful baby girl I can’t wait to meet in just a few more weeks.”

  “I can’t believe you had the time to do all of this,” she said, looking around the room in awe. “You put so much detail into everything. I love the pink and white candy bar.”

  Deanna glanced over at the area she was talking about to make sure none of the candy in the dozen glass jars of various designs and sizes were running low. Relief flooded her when she realized that though the women were eating the candy, it seemed she had picked the right ones for each. Plenty were left in them.

  “I saw it on a Pinterest board and knew how much you love candy. I thought it would be perfect.”

  “I love it especially right now. It seems all she wants is sweets.”

  “So, the cliché is true?” Erica asked, coming up to them. “Little girls want sweets because they are made of sugar and spice, and everything nice?”

  Hayley let out a chuckle and shook her head. “I’m not sure about that. This little one sure likes to throw a little naughty in there by kicking the crud out of my rib cage in the middle of the night, not to mention the indigestion she causes on a regular basis.”

  “Wow! That makes a girl want to stay clear of having a baby. I might have to tell Zach babies are off the table,” Erica said with her eyes rounding with aversion.

  “It’s not all bad though,” Lindsay said, coming up to the group. “You also melt the moment you hear the baby’s heartbeat over the speakers at the doctor’s office, or when you see their face on the ultrasound. Plus, you can’t beat the pure joy you feel when they move inside you for the first time.”

  “She’s right,” Hayley agreed. “Despite all the little annoyances, this has been the best experience of my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

  Deanna glanced around the room, counting the guests. Once she confirmed everyone was present, she moved towards the front of the room. “Welcome, everyone, to Hayley’s baby shower. I’m glad all of you could come today and be a part of this special day for Hayley. I figured we could play a few games to start off our time. Feel free to help yourself to the buffet and the candy bar while we play.”

  They started out with a game of Blind Blocking. She had two guests at a time sit down at an empty table. They were blindfolded and asked to stack blocks as best they could. Whoever stacked them all, or the most, in the one-minute time frame, won that round. Then the winner of each round would go against each other until there was a champion. It turned out, Stacy Wingate, from church, was really good at stacking blocks, which was surprising considering she was one of the oldest guests at the party. For her prize, Deanna gave her a gift card to the Riverwalk to use at any of the stores.

  The next game was “Sugar Baby.” Gummy letters that spelled out the word B-A-B-Y were hidden in two bowls of sugar and the guests had to use a plastic spoon in their mouths to fish them out of the bowl. Apparently, Lindsay was really good at doing it, because she beat all the competitors, winning round after round. At the end, she was declared the winner and Deanna gave her a wrapped coffee mug as a prize.

  The final game was more relaxed. Deanna carried out a tray filled with baby items and had the guests look at them quickly, trying to memorize as many items as they could. She removed the tray from the room, and the participants had to write down as many as they could remember. Once they were done, she brought the tray back into the room and Hayley held up each item, which she got to keep, and named them. Brooke won this one. Apparently, her time as a detective really paid off, because she was the only one to memorize all twenty items on the tray.

  Just as Deanna was handing Brooke her prize, a gift card to Superior Coffee, there was a squeal of surprise from across the room. “Oh, I broke my water,” Erica shouted, jumping up from her chair. Everyone turned to look at her with shocked faces. Quickly, they all realized she was talking about the baby in the ice game. “Does this mean I won?”

  Everyone started to laugh at her funny reaction. Deanna went over and handed Brooke a wrapped candle as her prize for winning, patting her on the back. “Good job.”

  After the games were finished, it was time for Hayley to open her presents. As she pulled out each of the baby gifts, the guests cooed over how adorable the clothes were, and how there were so many new things to help with raising babies.

  They finished off the afternoon with some cake and chit-chat. The guests slowly said their goodbyes, leaving Deanna and her closest friends behind.

  “Can we help you clean up?” Lindsay offered, pulling her blonde hair up into a ponytail.

  “You don’t have to,” Deanna rebuffed.

  “We want to,” Erica added, putting her own black hair up in a bun. “You shouldn’t have to take care of all of this by yourself.”

  “Thanks,” she said with a smile. “I’d like the company.”

  The women began the process of cleaning up. As they did, they talked about their jobs and relationships. It only took a few minutes before the conversation turned towards Deanna.

  “How’s it going with Ted being in Texas?” Erica asked with concern. “Have you gotten a chance to talk with him much since he arrived at the academy?”

  Deanna shook her head. “He’s been settling in and really busy.”

  “Oh well, I’m sure it will get easier,” Erica said with a sympathetic smile.

  “Yes, I remember when I was transferring from Boulder over to Clear Mountain for my detective position. It was really hard for me to find the time for Liam like I had before,” Brooke explained as she packed away the candy bar. “It got better though.”

  “Yes, and while you’re figuring everything out, you have us,” Lindsay added, reaching out and squeezing her friend’s hand. “We’re here for you no matter what.”

  “I’m sure you’re all right. Things will settle down once he gets into a routine at the academy,” Deanna said, pretending it didn’t bother her having him so far away and not knowing what was going on with her boyfriend. She missed him so much and wondered if he was feeling the same way. Did absence make the heart grow fonder, or was Ted so busy she didn’t even cross his mind?

  The women finished up getting everything packed back into the boxes, then helped Hayley carry her gifts to her Honda Accord. Once the items were safely stowed in the trunk and back seat, the other women said their goodbyes, leaving Hayley and Deanna alone.

  “I didn’t want to say anything around everyone else, but since Ted’s focusing on his career right now, maybe it’s time you finally start looking at your own. You’ve put your dreams of being a cop on the back burner for long enough. I think you should apply to police academies.”

  “It’s been too long, Hayley. What’s the point? I’m good at my job and content.”

  Hayley shook her head. “You just don’t want to disappoint anyone, but you have every right to pursue your own dreams. It’s never too late for that. Just promise me you’ll think about it.”

  Deanna didn’t want to argue with her friend. Instead, she simply nodded before giving her a hug goodbye. Deanna wasn’t sure what the future held for her, but Hayley was right about one thing, she needed to consider what a life without Ted might look like.

  5

  The anticipation of the first day of training was causing Ted to overthink everything. He checked and re-checked his uniform, making sure it was pressed perfectly and his boots were polished so bright he could see his face in them. He also checked Titan to make sure he was ready for his first day, giving him extra water, filling his pocket with treats, and making sure his collar and vest were on properly.

  Even though Ted had impeccable training at Clear Mountain Search and Rescue, and Titan had been expertly trained in Boulder, they were both here to learn from the best of the best in the
search and rescue world.

  Ted glanced down at his watch, making sure he had plenty of time to get over to the auditorium for the first day orientation. If he left now, he would be there a few minutes early, just the way he liked it. He arrived with a group of other trainees. They all made their way inside and took seats in the large room.

  Once the room was full, Ted did a head count and realized there were 60 total trainees, fifty-four men and six women. On the stage, there were twenty instructors—all men including Adam with the exception of one woman, Adam’s girlfriend, Clara—standing in two rows. Two other men, their insignias on their uniforms making it clear they were in charge, stood to the side of them.

  Ted wasn’t surprised by the lack of women in the room. There were significantly fewer female officers in law enforcement, and it was even more rare to see one as a K9 handler.

  A middle-aged man with salt-and-peppered brown hair came forward. “Welcome, trainees, to the elite Disaster City Search and Rescue Academy, better known as DCSRA. I’m Master Sergeant Trevor Young, commander of this esteemed institution.”

  The commander went over the layout of the facility, the rules and guidelines, and the expectations while the trainees were there.

  “Because we offer all these conveniences, you need to understand it means you have no excuse to underperform. Each of you should meet our high standards to graduate from our academy. A select few may even exceed our expectations, but I promise you, it will be hard to do that. This class may only be a month long, but it’ll be the most intense time of your life. It will test your limits, challenge what you think you know about search and rescue, and put you in situations you’ve never considered. Next, you will be hearing from Office Ben Miller, second-in-command here at DCSRA. He will be directly in charge of your training and will introduce the rest of the staff here at the academy.”

  A thickly built man with black hair and dark eyes came to the front of the auditorium. He looked to be a little bit older than Ted, but it was clear he took his job seriously from the stern look on his face. “As the sergeant explained, as the deputy commander, I will be in charge of making sure each of you master the top techniques and skills taught by our highly-qualified instructors. By the time you finish your time at DCSRA, you’ll be the best search and rescue officers and soldiers in the world.” He gestured to the rows of men and one woman behind him. “We have six sections of S & R with two instructors per division, plus an additional eight instructors assigned to specialized areas. You may think the low instructor to trainee ratio will work to your benefit, that you’ll receive tons of hands-on guidance by the most elite teacher in your field, which is true. What you also need to realize is that it also means all eyes will be on you. If you mess up, we’ll see it. If you slack off, we’ll see it. If you break our rules, we’ll see it.