Besides, she loved her Gorman Valley fire department family. They were a team and she needed them as much as they needed her.
On Friday, just as she was getting ready to lie down for a nap, someone knocked on her front door. Her first thought was to ignore whoever it was. Anyone important knew that she napped during the day because of her schedule. But something told her to see who it was.
She peeped through the blinds then let out a deep breath. She couldn’t recall ordering anything online so why was the postman standing outside her door? Couldn’t he put whatever it was in her box or leave it on the mat?
“Blayze Jenson?” he asked as soon as she opened the door.
“Yes, that’s me,” she replied, wrinkling her forehead..
“Certified letter for you. Can you just sign for me right here?”
Certified letter?She took the envelope from him and walked back inside. She should’ve known that Mayor Burns wasn’t giving up so easily.
She had no desire to submit her resume nor did she want to set up an interview with him. She simply wasn’t interested. Quite frankly, he could shove the position up his ass. Especially after the way his son had disrespected her. She balled up the letter and tossed it across the room.
A few minutes ago she could hardly keep her eyes open but that wasn’t the case anymore. So she slipped on a pair of sneakers and decided to go for a run. Hopefully, the fresh air would clear her head.
Living just a couple blocks from the fire station, she stopped by for a bottled water. The humidity was brutal, and she quickly rubbed the cool bottle across her forehead.
“Back so soon?” Lt. Eli Knight teased, peeping his head around the door.
“Just out for a jog,” she replied, giving Eli a wink. Eli was the youngest in their crew and she’d grown quite fond of him over the last few months. “Besides, I can check in on you guys anytime I want. The trucks sure do look good this morning.”
Each day they had a specific task that had to be done, even if they had calls to respond to, and today was dedicated to thoroughly cleaning the trucks. Truck washing wasn’t one of her favorite tasks, but it sure beat the days where they had to tend to their living quarters. Guys could be…well, to put it nicely, slobs.
“Taylor and I got started right after you left this morning. Go home, Blayze. You look tired. Enjoy your time off and for God’s sake, forget about this place when you’re off duty.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” she told him with a half-smile on her face.
“Seriously, though, are you okay?” he asked. “You seem kind of distant since you got back from your trip home.”
“I’m fine, really. Just something I’d rather not talk about.” she admitted then looked away. If she weren’t careful, he’d drag her inside and make her tell him everything.
“I’m here, Taylor’s here. Just give us a ring if you need something. We’re worried about you.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be okay.”
On the way back, the letter she’d gotten was still fresh on her mind. Her ultimate dream was becoming fire chief one day. Maybe not in Gorman Valley, since Chief Moore still had plenty more years left before he could even consider retiring, but was it possible she could entertain the idea of becoming chief somewhere else? Maybe.
Just not in Keebler Hills.
The entire situation, including what had happened with Colton, was just too much for her to deal with.
It didn’t help that Mayor Burns continued to call. The short time she was away, he’d left her yet another message. He simply wasn’t going to give up.
She grabbed her phone from the counter and pressed the button to call him back. If she was going to get any kind of rest, she needed to set him straight. She needed to say her peace, let him know she wasn’t interested, and to leave her alone.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t what happened as soon as the mayor picked up the phone.
“Ms. Jenson, what a pleasant surprise. I was hoping to hear from you.”
She cringed at the sound of his voice.
Stay strong, Blayze. Say what you want to say and get this over with!
“Mayor Burns,” she addressed him as pleasantly and as politely as she could. “There seems to have been some kind of mistake. Miscommunication, perhaps. The sooner we get things cleared up we can both be on our way.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Jenson, I don’t think I understand. A mistake?”
