A firefighter calendar.What a terrible idea it had been.Miles had felt like a show dog, propped up with an axe, told to hang off a ladder.It was awful.
He’d only agreed to do it because they badly needed to raise money to repair a fire engine that had been out of commission for months.Sam had argued Miles was the only one who could contribute.“No one’s going to pay to see my beer gut,” Sam had argued.
It was in conjunction with a few other firehouses, and the pictures were never supposed to make it back to San Juan Island.They’dpromised the calendars would stay on the mainland.It had been months; he thought he was safe.
“Is this a joke, Sam?”Miles asked.
Sam chuckled, first quietly, then the laughter overpowered him.He coughed, clapping Miles on the back as he doubled over.
When he recovered he said, “I swear to you, it isn’t.This was on the morning ferry yesterday.”
Miles stood from his chair.“Clarissa,” he bellowed.
She didn’t come out of the kitchen this time.“It wasn’t me!”
He went back to Sam’s phone and looked more closely.There was text under his picture.
“Help my dad make a match,” Miles murmured.He sighed.“Bella.”
“I gotta admit,” Sam said, “she’s topped any prank I could ever pull on you.”
There was an email listed—Bella’s.
He turned back to his computer and typed out a message.“The jig is up.Expect a talk.- Dad.”
That afternoon, he decided to pick her up from school.When she spotted him sitting in the truck, her face broke into a grin and she ran over.
“You finally figured it out,” she said.
“What do you mean, finally?How long have these things been up?”
She shrugged.
He turned to look at her.He’d expected her to be remorseful.Apologetic.Not whatever this was.“Bella, have you lost your mind?Do I need to explain how disrespectful this is, putting my picture up for strangers, and how dangerous it could be?”
“It’s not dangerous at all,” she said with an eye roll.“You kept asking me what I wanted for my birthday this year, and this is it.”
He felt eyes on him.Bella’s three best friends peered from the schoolyard, giggling when he looked.
He sighed and pulled out of his parking spot.“I’m not having this discussion.We’re getting everything taken down.Where did you even get the money for this?This had to be expensive.”
“It wasn’t.I won it.”
“Youwonit?”
“I thought you’d be proud!I’m taking a marketing and communications class, and I had the most impressive ad campaign, so I got offered a two-week deal to advertise whatever I wanted.”
A smile began on her lips, then she laughed, holding her stomach, laughing and laughing.
Miles clenched his jaw.“Bella.”
She wiped away tears.“It was supposed to be ads for the school play, but I swapped the images out at the last minute.I can’t believe it worked.”
“This isn’t – what you did – it’s not funny,” he said finally.
“Oh, it’s not meant to be funny.”
He knew he was guilty of not disciplining her enough.For the most part, he hadn’t needed to.She was a great kid, and they had excellent communication and understanding.
