“Like roping a baby calf,” Tex exclaimed. “I’m makin’ you a quarter Texan for that, Mack.”
“You lose, Mack,” Wash taunted. “Who the hell wants to be from Texas?”
The rest of the gym was busy making fun of Tex as well as Templeton.
“What the fuck?” Templeton said, muffled against the floor. “I was reaching for the bar by your head, asshole.”
Mack leaned down to murmur in a low voice, “We both know you were reaching for my head. You lost. Now, are you done playing I’m bigger and badder?” He shifted Templeton’s wrist higher on his back, causing painful tension in the elbow and shoulder joints.
Templeton moaned and nodded, his cheek kissing the floormat. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry.”
Mack moved back to let him up and jumped to his feet. “I may be small, Nat, but I’m spry.”
“To me, you’re all giants,” she said with a frown, saving a wink for him.
They stepped away, the guys congratulating Mack on his takedown when another sudden silence settled over the gym. And not a good one.
Mack turned to see B and D shift’s lieutenant, Sue Arthur, along with their battalion chief standing in the doorway.
Crap.
Sue scowled. “Revere, McGovern, with me.”
“What the hell did I do?” Tex muttered and shuffled behind Mack as they joined Sue and the battalion chief—who happened to be the father of Tex’s girlfriend—into Sue’s office.
Typically a sweetheart with balls of steel, Sue was a petite yet strong woman who managed two shifts of firefighters with ease. She had short brown hair and a cute face, and everyone respected and loved her. So much so, they included her in their many station pranks. Thus the plethora of Dora the Explorer stickers all over her notebooks and papers, since she resembled the titular character a little too well.
Mack spied one on her notebook by the phone and quickly looked away, catching the battalion chief’s eye. The older man bit back a grin, and Mack figured he wasn’t in too much trouble.
Instead of lighting into him, Sue grinned. “That was a beautiful takedown.”
Tex’s future father-in-law smiled as well. “I have to say I enjoyed that. Ben Templeton’s a real thorn in my side, but I’m doing a favor by giving him a shot here. Mack, nice job.”
Mack didn’t know if he liked the battalion chief remembering his name.
Tex sighed. “I told you Templeton wouldn’t fit in here. We’re gold. He’s a piece of shi—”
“Tex.” Sue shook her head. “I think he just needs help finding his feet.”
“You mean the ones I took out of his mouth?” Mack asked with a high five from Tex. Too bad Sue didn’t find the humor in that.
“You’re lucky he didn’t brain himself on the equipment.”
“Hey, come on, LT. Mack didn’t start it,” Tex said, defending him.
And that, right there, was why Mack loved his job. He had real brothers who backed him up.
The chief sighed. “He’s got a point, Sue. Look, Templeton’s not going to last here. I think we all know it. But no one can say it’s because we stuck him in the worst department in the city.”
Mack agreed. Hands down, Station 44 did the job and did it well.
“I really appreciate you taking him on for me, Sue.”
The lieutenant groaned. “For how much longer?”
“Give it another two weeks. Why don’t you tack him onto C shift and make him Ed’s problem?” Lieutenant Ed O’Brien commanded both A and C shifts—of which Mack’s crew was a part. “In fact, I insist.” The chief grinned at Tex, who swore under his breath. “Let Tex help him adjust.”
“Aw, man. This is about bowling last weekend, isn’t it?”
