A job I’m glad he’s doing today, but I have my hopes up for his position when he retires. Which will be any day now.
Maybe then I can get a bigger place, which would be much easier with a pay raise.
Just like a fire, the future is a moving target some days. Hard to pin down one day. Impossible to control the next.
“Station dog!” Sanderson is scaring the living daylights out of Petal, his oversized mitts squashing her jowls as her tail pulls between her legs. Even squatting down to meet her level—kind of—he’s intimidating as hell. But one hell of a firefighter.
His big brown eyes look up at me with so much hope, I almost cave.
Petal’s widened gaze is snagged on the hulking man currently pulling her into a... hug? A head lock?
I reach for her, and he hands her over, his hand messing up her caramel fur during transfer. I tamp back the need to roll my eyes. “Nope, going-back-to-the-shelter dog. Don’t get attached,” I grunt out. Am I the only one who sees Petal as a liability?
I mean, I’m not going to lie, she’s pretty cute. In that big eyes and waggy tail way. I have no idea what breed she would even be. My knowledge base on dogs is limited to feed and water them. And don’t leave them in a burning building.
Hell, the last thing we need around a station that’s falling around our ears is another mouth to feed. We barely have enough funding to keep our equipment in working condition and our crew fed.
We can’t afford another problem to fix.
Another thing that needs taking care of.
Even with only four staff members on A crew, instead of the max of five, we stretch the budget.
Petal licks my face, snuggling into my chest.
“Don’t go getting sweet, little miss. It’s straight back to the shel?—”
“Hammond, my office. Now.”
Cap’s arms are folded. His frown burrows so low he looks like Bert or Ernie from Sesame Street.
“Owens, you’re up!” I nod to the needy pup in my arms, and she stops mid-equipment check and rushes to where I stand.
“Oh, sweet girl.” She hauls the pup from my arms. “Is this big scary man grunting at you?”
Sweeping her blonde hair from her face with her free hand, she sticks her tongue out at me before walking with Petal in her arms right back to her task at the engine. She sets her down, tying her leash to the chrome handle on the side of the truck.
I spin back and head for the captain’s office. Hopefully this is about moving up.
I earned every promotion I’ve ever been given, and this one should be no different. Closing the door behind myself, I present at the captain’s desk and clasp my hands behind my back.
“You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Sit down.”
I frown. His tone is too brief.
I sink into one of the ripped upholstered chairs, and he drops to his swiveling office chair, shoving piles of paper to the side.
That part of the job I’m not looking forward to.
“There’s been a change of plans,” Cap starts, steepling his hands on the desk. “Some restructuring went on over at 41. Warren is moving back over there. In fact, his transfer was a request months ago. And we are getting two new recruits and a transfer.”
“Oh?”
Warren is on Ladder 43, which shares our station. Those guys are knit tight, so...
“Which brings me to your promotion.”
