It only takesme ten minutes to drive over to the massive red brick building that houses both the fire station and the police department. Each one shares half of a building that has been standing almost as long as Sterling Creek itself.
I scrub my hands over my face, leaning back against my truck as I prepare myself to face the day. Dread has become a familiar companion for me, and I battle it back down now, knowing it has no place here.
I give myself another minute before I walk inside, but as soon as I do, the chaos in my mind calms, reassuring me that life is carrying on as normal.
Everything is fine.Iam fine.
Following in my father’s footsteps was never a question for me. I joined the station straight out of high school, much to my mother’s disappointment. Mom never held the choice against me, but she said that she knew exactly what toll this career took on both firefighters and their families, and she never wanted that for me.
If only she knew.
I beeline for the common room, finding Marco lounging back against the couch in front of the television. He runs a hand through his inky black hair, giving me a wide smile.
“You want a coffee?” is his greeting of choice, tipping his head toward the tray of takeaway coffees on the table in front of him. “The chief stopped by Frothy Cakes on his way in.”
“Oh, fuck yes,” I mumble, striding forward andsnatching up the closest one. The coffee Gracie made for me did nothing to brush away the cobwebs caused by a sleepless night.
“I was gonna mention how tired you look, but thought I’d better not,” Marco taunts. I fling a baleful stare at him, but his grin only widens. “You ready for the next twenty-four hours? Thanksgiving always gets a little messy.” He waggles his eyebrows playfully.
I point a finger in his direction, glaring sternly. “Don’t say it, asshole. You jinx us, and I’ll put laxatives in your coffee.”
Marco throws his head back in a laugh, completely unconcerned about the threat. I glare at him just as the door opens behind me. I look curiously over my shoulder, tension tightening my shoulders as Ryan appears.
“Morning,” he grumbles. “Did you guys hear about Ben?”
I shake my head at the same time that Marco asks, “What happened?”
“He’s over in Ashland with pneumonia,” Ryan tells us. “He’s gonna be out of commission for a couple of weeks at least.”
Marco whistles. “Shit. I thought it was just the flu.”
“With Owen moving out of town, that leaves us two men down,” I say.
Ryan grunts. “And there’s no way we’re going to fill the vacancy four weeks before Christmas, which means?—”
“Overtime.” Marco moans dramatically. “My face is not made for overtime.”
Ryan’s expression matches mine as we turn to stare at Marco, and he says, “Something is seriously wrong with you.”
Marco smirks. “You might think so, but the women don’t. In fact, they think that there’s something veryrightwith me.”
I roll my eyes, but before I can retort, Theo sticks her head in the door, taking us all in. “Grub’s up, and Asher’s already in there.” She turns and walks away with a laugh as we all scramble after her; we know from experience that the food won’t last for long with Asher around.
Just before we reach the kitchen, Ryan grabs my arm, pulling me back. “Brax, man?—”
“Know what you’re gonna say,” I cut him off quickly. “And there’s nothing to talk about.” His brows draw together in a deep frown, but I keep going, “I’m fine, Ryan. Let it go, okay?”
Reluctance creeps through his brown eyes as he sighs. “You can’t bury this, Braxton. You know that.”
“I’m not burying anything,” I counter. “There’s nothingtobury. I’m fine, and I’m hungry.”
I give him my back, stalking away, but I can’t block out his words as he calls from behind me, “You’re lying to yourself, Braxton, and it’s gonna come back to bite you in the ass.”
CHAPTER 5
Braxton
The local bar, Benson’s, is quiet, but it’s not surprising considering it’s early evening on a Sunday.
