He stopped the plate before it slid off the table, and with a victorious grin, he popped a fry into his mouth.
I stole a glance over at Adam, who sat there shaking his head at the exchange.
“How was shift?” I asked.
Adam shrugged. “We saved a bunch of kittens from a storm drain.”
“Isn’t that more animal control’s job?”
“That’s exactly what I said.” Logan huffed. “But they needed us to help get the grate off.”
“Ah. Makessense.”
We listened as they explained how the call went. None of us were surprised that Zack was filmed holding one of the kittens, and apparently, the video had already been posted on social media.
“It already has a couple hundred likes.” Zack’s smile widened even more. Unlike most of the crew, he loved the limelight and rarely missed an opportunity to be in it. “Maybe it’ll go viral and I’ll have single women lining up to bring me baked goods. I love me some chocolate chip cookies, or brownies, or really anything sweet.” He sent Mia a wink. “Sour can be yummy too, though.”
“Ew, gross.” Mia huffed and rolled her eyes. “You’re disgusting.”
I couldn’t hold back the chuckle that slipped out. Like I said, I was used to Zack’s goofy personality and it didn’t surprise me at all that he enjoyed the attention. Seth had hated the spotlight and the dozens of trays of baked goods he received for his viral video, but of course Zack gave him shit about it. In Zack’s mind, attention and yummy sweets equaled greatness.
After another moment, we all fell into easy conversation. As I looked around the table, even with a few of the guys missing, it made me happy how well our small group meshed.
Well, except for Mia and Zack. But maybe eventually they would grow to like each other.
Chapter Four
ADAM
I wavedthe traffic past the firehouse as Logan finished backing the rig through the bay doors. We’d just arrived back at the station after a call to a local apartment building. Teenagers had triggered an alarm by smoking in the stairwell. I rolled my eyes thinking about the damn kids. But I was also happy it wasn’t anything major.
Walking up next to the passenger side of the truck, I removed my jacket, hanging it from one of the yellow poles that separated the two bays. My suspenders, turnout pants, and boots followed suit, setting them back up and slipping back into my station boots. I followed the guys up the steps, glancing back over my shoulder as Seth walked in the opposite direction toward his girlfriend Violet, who’d just stepped inside.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do first, relax back in one of the recliners or make a cup of coffee. I decided on the latter. A hot cup of coffee sounded great. I went through the motion of setting up a pod and brewing a cup, adding cream and sugar to it once it was finished.
I picked up the mug and froze halfway to my lips as the radio on the table behind me crackled and the voice of Kyle Williams, one of our paramedics, came through. My stomach dropped as he advised dispatch his ambo had been involved in a wreck and he was requesting an ambulance for his partner.
Unconscious.
Bleeding.
It felt like I was hearing his words in slow motion.
Because Lyla was riding with him today.
No. This wasn’t happening.
Not Lyla.
I forced the shock away and spun, heading toward the stairs.
“Ricktor,” Owen’s voice barely registered through my subconscious as he shouted my last name.
I didn’t have time to explain to him or ask him if we could load up. Lyla was only a few miles away. We would probably make it to the scene long before another ambulance would. At least then I could help get her stable. Because there was no way she wasn’t going to be okay.
Her laugh filtered through my head. How she would light up with a smile whenever I agreed to Mexican food. Because she loved nachos. And tacos.
How she would trip over her own two feet and just shrug it off.
