“Yeah, baby. We can go home.”
"Rachel!" Jake's voice cuts through the noise. He's running across the parking lot, face pale with panic. "Oh my God, are you okay? Is Tommy—"
"We're fine." I stand up, and he pulls both of us into a crushing hug. "We're okay."
"I heard the dispatch call. Grabbed my keys and just—" He pulls back, looking us over like he's checking for injuries. "You're really okay?"
"Really okay."
"Let's get you home." He looks at Cole. "Thanks for getting them out."
Cole nods. "Just doing the job."
Jake guides us toward his truck. Tommy's already half-asleep against my shoulder. I glance back once at the café's burning shell, watching everything I've worked for disappear into smoke and ash.
Three months ago, I left everything behind to start over in my hometown. New job, new life, new determination to prove I could handle things on my own.
One fire later, and I'm right back where I started. Dependent on other people's kindness and wondering if I'm cursed or just spectacularly unlucky.
Jake's quiet the whole drive. He doesn't try to make small talk or ask questions. Just drives with white-knuckled hands on the wheel, occasionally glancing over to make sure I'm still breathing.
When we pull up to the house, he puts the truck in park and turns to look at me.
"You scared the hell out of me," he says quietly.
"I scared myself."
"I can't lose you. Either of you." His voice cracks slightly. "You're all I have."
"We're okay, Jake. I promise."
He nods, but I can see his hands shaking as he unbuckles.
Chapter two
Chapter 2
Cole
My hands won’t stop shaking.
I stare at them under the harsh fluorescent lights of Station 47’s locker room. Soot-stained fingers that felt Rachel Morgan’s pulse racing against my chest when I lifted her into my arms.
She’s alive and well.
So why can’t I catch my breath?
“You good, Lieutenant?” Theo leans against the lockers, already stripped down to his t-shirt. He’s got that post-call glow peopleget when the rescue goes right. “That was some textbook hero work up there.”
“Just doing the job.” I peel off my turnout coat and hang it up with more force than necessary.
“Right. The job.” Theo grins. “The job that involves carrying Jake’s little sister out of a fire like some kind of romance novel cover model.”
I shoot him a look that would make a rookie wet himself. “She needed help. I helped. End of story.”
“Sure. Totally professional.” He’s not even trying to hide his amusement. “That’s why you white-knuckled the steering wheel the entire drive back and haven’t said two words since we got here.”
I don’t answer.
